Alun Davies: 7. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact the UK Government’s budget will have on its economic programme in Blaenau Gwent? OQ57118
Alun Davies: In many ways, the contribution I’ll make to this short debate will echo that of the previous speaker and the Chair of the committee. We’ve had this conversation as a committee, and it is important. As somebody who has sat in this place for a number of years now, we’ve seen LCMs come and we’ve seen them go, and they normally exist in order to provide a mechanism for a marginal change...
Alun Davies: Could I ask for two debates, please, in Government time? First of all, a debate on the Environment Bill. Your statement outlines that there is a provision for a supplementary LCM this afternoon. There are a number of different issues that are being covered by this legislation, and this Parliament has not had an opportunity to discuss many or any of them. We've discussed the LCMs and the...
Alun Davies: I'm very grateful to the First Minister for that response. And I have to say it's great to see the First Minister in Glasgow today, ensuring that Wales is represented at COP26, and that the contribution that Wales can make in a carbon-neutral future is part of these global discussions, and we can also learn from others, of course. It's great to see the First Minister's leadership on that, but...
Alun Davies: 5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the contribution that transport will need to make to secure a carbon-neutral Wales? OQ57112
Alun Davies: I'd like to congratulate the Member for Pembrokeshire for this—. Well, not the whole of Pembrokeshire; I can see Paul Davies bridling at me. If it was possible to bottle the YFC, I think we'd have something you could sell and distribute worldwide. One of the great pleasures of life has been to work with young people preparing for a county rally, or watching some of the public speaking...
Alun Davies: I'm looking at Peter Fox; I had a good conversation with him earlier about his proposed food legislation. You know and I know that the agriculture industry uses—[Interruption.] We haven't got time to take an intervention. It uses collectives and uses co-operatives already. You know it works, I know it works. Tell Joel James that it works as well. Thank you.
Alun Davies: It's a very courageous man who seeks to defend the current economic policy of the United Kingdom Government. I notice that the business Secretary on the Today programme this morning didn't even rise to the challenge. In that contribution, Joel James described a 'cold, hard reality', and cold and hard is how it feels to be at the beck and call of UK economic policy at the moment. I'm not sure...
Alun Davies: —the second point is important as well, because it's about the practical response of the Government to this report and to what is happening in the region. I believe that the Welsh Government needs to ensure that the Aneurin Bevan health board has the support that it requires in order to deliver this model. The Minister has recognised what is happening in the Aneurin Bevan region through...
Alun Davies: For those of us who have worked with the health board over the last decade in the design and building and construction of not only the Grange but also the model that it underpins, we have seen, over the last year, the national health service in the Aneurin Bevan area respond in a way that is quite magnificent to the suffering of people in this region. We've seen how people have worked and...
Alun Davies: Minister, like others, I very much welcome both the statement and the scale of the ambition from the Welsh Government today. The last question took you to Maesteg; I'm going to take you to Ebbw Vale and Abertillery, and that will be no surprise to you at all. Could you ensure that the Ebbw Valley line is treated with equality in terms of the services and investment? We have not seen the...
Alun Davies: But it's no accident, is it, Counsel General—I'm very grateful to Mabon ap Gwynfor for raising this absolutely important subject this afternoon—that we've seen a succession of LCMs that have no need for legislative consent, except that the UK Government want to erode the powers of this place, want to erode the competence of Welsh democracy, and want to ensure that our freedom to legislate...
Alun Davies: Will the Counsel General make a statement on implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Justice in Wales?
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to the Minister for his statement. There are three issues I'd like to briefly raise with you. First of all, productivity. Productivity is the biggest challenge facing the Welsh economy. You haven't discussed that in the statement, and I'd like to understand what the Government's approach is going to be towards productivity. Secondly, you finish your statement by saying that you...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to the First Minister for that response. People in the Heads of the Valleys have seen the Welsh Government investing in the future of their people, their communities and our economy. We've seen not just the dualling of the A465, which the First Minister has referenced, but also investment in Tech Valleys, we've seen investment in the railway. Quite often, these investments are...
Alun Davies: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on investment in the Heads of the Valleys? OQ57077
Alun Davies: There's a lesson in consistency of personnel, of Ministers. There have been too many Ministers involved over too short a period of time, and I hope that the Minister that is in his place this afternoon will be in his place for many afternoons and will be able to drive forward a policy agenda that has consistency over time. The irony is, considering the debate that we've just had on climate,...
Alun Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I'm grateful to you for allowing this short debate. Tom Giffard has asked for a minute of my time this afternoon, so I will ensure that I conclude my remarks in time for him to be able to speak. Levelling up is one of those things in politics that we'd never heard of a few years ago, and now we never hear the end of today. One of the many parts of the UK...
Alun Davies: Will you take an intervention?
Alun Davies: Well, there's certainly a lack of activity in terms of communicating what you're doing to anybody in the world at all. But the point I'd like to make is that, quite often, and it's one of the lessons from Ynni'r Fro, a great deal of Government time is spent arguing over proposals with other parts of the public sector. And what is required from Government is to ensure that Government not only...
