David Rowlands: She is of course not referring to the Brexit Party—[Interruption.]
David Rowlands: —who voted Brexit. No, I’ve heard enough of your rhetoric.
David Rowlands: I have heard enough of your poisonous rhetoric today, thank you.
David Rowlands: I'm rather reluctant to follow on from the last person to speak because he said so many good and right things before I even stand on my feet. And I congratulate you on the way that you delivered that, Hefin. So, the 2016 European Union membership referendum, to give it its correct name, asked the people of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland if they wanted to leave or remain in the EU. I...
David Rowlands: Obviously and inevitably, many of the questions that I was posing or about to pose have been asked, but the Minister will obviously be sensitive to the general concern amongst the public about the cost implications of this new commission, given the enormous amounts of money already expended in the long-ranging and long-running inquiry. I'm sure he would agree with me that they have a right to...
David Rowlands: Whilst we acknowledge that there has been some progress during the Fifth Assembly, it is also true to say that the last 20 years of Labour control has not delivered on the economy in the way those who voted for them should have expected. And don't let us forget that, for 13 of those 20 years, there was a Labour Government in Westminster as well as a Labour Government here in Wales. The very...
David Rowlands: Yes, I'm sure that, in questioning in the past, we've indicated that the Commission does take these matters very seriously. Obviously, with the provision of parking for bikes et cetera, that's one of the things that we've been looking at and, of course, again, we're looking at the fact of installing electric charging points; as soon as the spaces become available, we'll be exploiting that as...
David Rowlands: Forgive me, Llyr. I missed the first part of that.
David Rowlands: Well, I noted in the papers and in the background to this you mentioned a lorry turning up outside the gates with one single parcel in the back, and I actually, by coincidence, witnessed that myself and it did seem a very lonely parcel and a huge lorry, I can assure you. But, of course, that was probably at the end of the delivery schedule that the lorry had. But I can assure you that we are...
David Rowlands: I must admit, when I first considered this question, I had a startling image of a whole cortege of Granvilles turning up outside with their baskets fully laden, but of course these are purpose-built vehicles. The Commission agrees that they have a potential for reducing the impact of delivery vehicles in an urban environment, particularly for the so-called 'last mile' section of a delivery....
David Rowlands: I thank the Minister for that. Some critics point out the fact that as much as 44 per cent of these start-ups end in failure and that would-be entrepreneurs attempt this route because they are unable to find suitable employment. But is it true to say that many businesses fail, which are not started by students, and we should also acknowledge that many things can be learned from failure? There...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I think it is true to say that university students are often portrayed in a negative way, but shouldn't we acknowledge that there are many areas where students from across the academic spectrum show initiative and drive, often outside their particular curriculum? It is therefore gratifying that Welsh students outperformed those in other parts of the UK with regard...
David Rowlands: I thank the First Minister for that answer. The work of the 70/30 organisation plays a vital part in combating child abuse. Their target of reducing such abuse by 70 per cent by 2030 goes with an acceptance that parenting skills do not always come naturally to some. It would therefore seem that this issue needs to be vigorously addressed. Will the First Minister ensure that his social justice...
David Rowlands: 8. Will the First Minister provide an update on the work the Welsh Government is doing to develop policies in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? OAQ53749
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Member for bringing those matters to the Commission and I can assure you that when we get more extensive information from you, we will fully investigate that. You know that we do provide disabled parking in the Senedd and the Tŷ Hywel car park, but we could obviously review those to see if they're adequate now. I have to say, the Senedd building, from its inception, was...
David Rowlands: If you could just give me two seconds to catch up with my paperwork on this, please. The Commission is fully committed to ensuring access to the Assembly estate for disabled people and this is not confined just to wheelchair accessibility but also to other disabilities, such as those for the visibly impaired and those with autism. We continually review accessibility to all buildings and...
David Rowlands: As with all suggestions coming from Assembly Members, we welcome those suggestions that will help us make access to the Assembly safer as well as being much more accessible. Just to broaden it out, just a little, on your question earlier, we note and welcome that the local authority, which, of course, is responsible for the local infrastructure with regard to bikes, has plans for five new...
David Rowlands: I thank the Assembly Member for his question. The Assembly’s website provides information on how to reach the Senedd via a variety of travel modes, including public transport, walking and cycling. There are publicly accessible cycle racks in close proximity to the Senedd, outside both Tŷ Hywel and the Pierhead. We have met with the nextbike scheme to help facilitate the installation of a...
David Rowlands: Of course I thank, again, the Minister for her answer, but one of the obstacles to tendering for contracts is, of course, the tendering process itself, which involves completing lots of complex forms, and then the process takes up lots of resources, which will often be beyond the capability of small or medium-sized companies. So, to sum up, Minister, I really do think this is an area that the...
David Rowlands: We do, on these benches, acknowledge the fact that the National Procurement Service is making a difference, but we also know that the Welsh Government will need to change its approach after Brexit, and this was recognised by the First Minister, who stated in the Chamber recently that the Welsh Government would, after Brexit, look at using procurement on a more local or regional level. And we...
