Peter Fox: Well, I tried to do—[Interruption.] Sorry. I tried this year to outline some depth into what we as a party were prepared to present, and I've made those points clear in this Chamber on two or three times. And in the future, I look to bring a full alternative budget forward, as I think it's the responsibility of an opposition to do that. Sadly, we don't see that too often. But we are, with...
Peter Fox: First of all, I would like to thank you, Minister, for your statement, and also thank you and your officials for their engagement with myself over the course of the budget process—that's much appreciated. Can I also thank the Chairman of the Finance Committee for his report today, which sums up very well the points raised in that committee? Deputy Llywydd, I don't think that it will come as...
Peter Fox: Can I confirm that the Welsh Conservative group will be supporting the continuation of the freeze on the Welsh rates of income tax? And I recognise all of those pressures on families that the Minister shared and, indeed, I fear things may get worse with, obviously, what's happening in eastern Europe. If I may, though, I just want to push the Minister a bit further on the need to clarify the...
Peter Fox: I certainly will do.
Peter Fox: Well, thank you very much. I'm hoping that many Welsh MPs listen to this today and we will make sure that the voices of all of us are heard loud and clear as we champion this cause even further. Can I thank—[Interruption.] In the spirit of debate, I'll continue to be optimistic. Thank you for your comment, Tom, and for your depth of introduction again. It was really helpful, just reminding...
Peter Fox: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd, and many thanks to everybody who's contributed to this really important debate today. And can I thank my colleague Tom Giffard for opening up and for putting me to shame, because I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to speak Welsh as Tom did? And I congratulate you on your progress and I hope to emulate you some time in the future. Countries right across the world...
Peter Fox: Can I thank the Member for Blaenau Gwent for bringing this forward, and for his introductory speech, which captured so many things that I think we'll all agree with? There's no doubt about it, sewage discharge is very important and very topical; I think there is little that occupies my inbox more than this at the moment, especially in our area. Recent statistics have shown that raw sewage was...
Peter Fox: Thank you.
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister. Thanks for that response. Minister, you will already be aware that the UK's chief medical officers have recently published the first ever guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people. It is now recommended that disabled young people take part in around 20 minutes of exercise a day and strength and balance activities three times a week. These...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Minister, for the response and, yes, the A4042, of which Llanellen bridge is a part, is a trunk road vital to the movement of vehicles across Monmouthshire. It's even more important to enable patients now to access the Grange University Hospital from north Gwent and south Powys. Now, as I know, Minister, you're aware, flooding at Llanellen bridge has been a perennial problem....
Peter Fox: 1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce the risk of flooding on the A4042 at Llanellen bridge? OQ57710
Peter Fox: 6. What advice and support does the Welsh Government provide to schools to ensure that participation in sport is available to all students? OQ57711
Peter Fox: What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to specialist services for people living with motor neurone disease?
Peter Fox: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you, Laura, for giving me a minute of your time. No doubt, there will be some things that will be repeated among the contributions. Two years of pandemic and the growing trend of online shopping have added to the changing way that people use our towns. This has brought huge challenges to our high streets and its businesses. But, businesses can't address the...
Peter Fox: Would you take a further intervention, Minister?
Peter Fox: Would you agree with me—? You will see from the Finance Committee's evidence that the Welsh Local Government Association are saying that many local authorities' reserves are shrinking, at a time, though, when the actual reserves in the WLGA, in the local government family's pot, have increased by £0.5 billion during the pandemic. How can it be justified that a formula can allow those huge...
Peter Fox: Oh, sorry. I've only got a couple of sentences left. They are fundamentally, intrinsically, linked. So, local government—it is fundamentally important that it has to have a sustainable future. The Welsh Government urgently needs to commission an independent review of the formula. If it can't or won't agree to this, they should at least open a consultation on the funding formula, in the...
Peter Fox: Firstly, can I declare my interest as a councillor of Monmouthshire County Council, certainly for the time being? And, Mike, can I thank you for your words, but also I'd like to recognise your experience within local government, being a past leader of Swansea. And I thank you for your deep understanding and for speaking up for local government so often as you do, and have done for many...
Peter Fox: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement. Llywydd, recently, my office has been told of an incident at the Grange hospital, where a constituent who is 92 years old was discharged from A&E in the early hours of the morning. They arrived home at 4 a.m. Prior to their discharge, the constituent's partner, also 92, received a phone call from the hospital at around 3 a.m., causing them to...
Peter Fox: Can I thank the Member for Clwyd South for raising the issue? Minister, at the end of last year, I raised the issue of opportunities available to young people in Wales after a constituent wrote to me highlighting their concerns about a lack of apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships on offer to their children. Such opportunities are important, as we just spoke about, to help those young...
