Darren Millar: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I very much regret the tone of the Deputy Minister's response to this debate today. These are serious issues before the Senedd. It is not right that we are being critical of staff. In fact, we've called upon the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and indeed the Welsh Government, to apologise to staff for not addressing the failings. I think that indicates a great...
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful to you for outlining how the plans are arrived at, and you have said that there's consultation and engagement with stakeholders on the development of those plans, but, because that's every 10 years, it doesn't take account of the change in the population and the impact elsewhere. I noticed also you referred to the fact that you're going to bring forward legislative change,...
Darren Millar: Will the Minister take an intervention?
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. And as the red squirrel species champion in the Senedd, I'm absolutely delighted to see that this debate has been brought forward by the Petitions Committee. And before I go any further, I must declare an interest in this debate as the honorary member of the Red Squirrels Trust Wales and indeed a member of the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust as well. And I want to pay tribute...
Darren Millar: We've heard about Cadi, we've heard about Arthur; I want to tell you about a member of my family: Blue, the rescue whippet from North Clwyd Animal Rescue. We picked him up 11 years ago; he was a thin and scrawny thing, nine months old, and when we got him home, he stretched his little legs out on the carpet in the lounge, two legs forward, two legs back, like a draught excluder, and we fell...
Darren Millar: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, First Minister, for your statement. I think it's very welcome that you're making an oral statement to the Chamber following the summit in Wales, because, of course, usually, we tend to receive written statements only in respect of these important relationships. So, I do welcome that, and I would put on record a request, if I may,...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I want to give the opportunity for the First Minister to correct the Record, if that’s possible. During First Minister’s question time he referred to some correspondence with the leader of the Welsh Conservative group, Andrew R.T. Davies, regarding a willingness to co-operate on areas of common interest. That particular letter was sent to the leader of the opposition on...
Darren Millar: First Minister, I am very disappointed by your response. I have not denigrated in any way the people on the front lines of our health service who are delivering high-quality care under great pressure day in, day out. What I'm asking you is: will you accept some responsibility for what happened in north Wales to its mental health services, given that you were the health Minister at the time?...
Darren Millar: I'm surprised by your answer, First Minister. I didn't ask you what lessons the health board had learned, I asked you what lessons you had learned—the Welsh Government had learned. You were the health Minister at the time that these problems were festering in north Wales. Alarm bells were ringing, staff were complaining, patients were being neglected, some were being harmed, and I, along...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I know that you would like us to focus today's First Minister's question time on your party's deal with the Welsh nationalists, but I don't want to focus on what many people on my side of the Chamber regard as a sideshow. I want to focus on issues that really matter to the people of Wales. So, I want to ask you about mental health. First Minister, last week...
Darren Millar: I move, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Darren Millar: Will the Minister make a statement on the future of the local government funding formula?
Darren Millar: Thank you, Minister, for advance notice of your statement. As you know, the Welsh Conservatives don't believe that taking the commission forward should be a priority for the Welsh Government. We believe that you have got far bigger fish to fry, frankly, with getting our economy back on track, getting our health service back on track, and getting our education system back on track after the...
Darren Millar: Thank you for your business statement, Minister. Can I call for a statement to mark Inter Faith Week? This week is Inter Faith Week, and, of course, faith groups across Wales make a huge contribution to society. I think it would be an opportune time to mark the week if a Government statement was issued. It would also be helpful, I think, in that statement, if you could explain why the First...
Darren Millar: Can I ask what action the Welsh Government is taking on home-to-school transport? Obviously, one way in order to get towards a net-zero situation is to promote public transport as a means of getting people to and from school, but too many people are obviously using their cars to ferry children to and from school at the moment. And yet, the current home-to-school transport arrangements don't...
Darren Millar: I'd be absolutely delighted to extend my congratulations and thanks to Barry John for the work that he does, and for those other unsung heroes across Wales who do so much to support and help veterans across the country. So, we still need further support for the children of serving personnel, and of course we need the reactivation of the Cymru'n Cofio programme to promote those important...
Darren Millar: Yes, happily.
Darren Millar: I want to first of all just thank the Deputy Minister and the Welsh Government for working on a cross-party basis and for bringing this debate forward today. This Thursday, of course, marks the hundred and third anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the first world war, a war that saw over 1 million British casualties, 40,000 of which were from Wales. And since the armistice...
Darren Millar: I'm grateful to you for taking the intervention. This is not about importing things from the United States. When it comes to photo ID in order to vote, this is the norm across the whole of Europe. We are the odd country out. We're the only ones that don't have this, apart from in Northern Ireland, as far as the UK is concerned, which was introduced by your Labour Government. Are you therefore...
Darren Millar: Will you take an intervention?
