Huw Irranca-Davies: 2. What measures are in place to promote opportunities for work experience and open recruitment in the Senedd workplace? OQ57601
Huw Irranca-Davies: So, this also represents an important milestone in the scrutiny of the Welsh Government's justice-related spending, and I hope that, through our work, we start to shine a light on this very important issue. As part of this greater scrutiny and transparency, we're very grateful to the First Minister for responding to our request and providing information on justice spend prior to our session...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Llywydd. I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the budget as Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, as it marks the first time that this committee has undertaken budget scrutiny.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I've only got a few comments to make, and I'm only making them because this is quite an interesting one that is in front of us here. We reported on this memorandum on 3 November 2021, and we don't have any recommendations in our report, but two observations that should be of interest to the Senedd in terms of legislative competence. So, we note and agree with the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Well, First Minister, you're right, and I'm seeing it day by day in Ogmore—and I'm sure every Member here is, regardless of party affiliation—because families in Ogmore are now facing multiple whammies. It's a cost-of-living crisis done by Conservative UK Government policies. The cut to universal credit has impacted tens of thousands of families right across Wales. The introduction of the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 2. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the cost-of-living crisis? OQ57603
Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome this debate today, called by Darren Millar, to mark the seventieth anniversary of the accession. It's a simple one-line motion, and sometimes the simplest are the most effective. The motion reads: 'To propose that the Senedd:'— our Senedd— 'Extends its warmest congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.' And I...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I'm giving at the outset full credit and any royalties that accrue from any mention hereof to Sam Kurtz for a statement of opinion he laid yesterday, fully supported on a cross-party basis by Mabon ap Gwynfor and myself—and there'll be many others, no doubt—on the continuing hedges, edges and tree-planting campaign spearheaded by the Woodland Trust...
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Senedd should be really interested in the matter of the quantum and the effective targeting of Welsh Government resources on legislation, because we note the unprecedented increase in the use of the legislative consent process, where Welsh Government resources are redirected towards Westminster in addition to that here in Wales; the additional resource needed to respond to legislation...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 8. How will the sustainable farming scheme help tackle the nature emergency? OQ57546
Huw Irranca-Davies: What assessment has the Minister made of the Welsh Government budget settlement for the local authorities serving the Ogmore constituency?
Huw Irranca-Davies: As the Minister has explained already, these regulations amend the Trade in Animals and Related Products (Wales) Regulations 2011 and the Meat Preparations (Amendment and Transitory Modification) (Wales) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 following the UK's exit from the EU. We noted in our report—I've only got a few brief comments here—that the UK Government undertook a short consultation...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you, Minister. We considered these regulations at our meeting on 17 January and our report to the Senedd includes one merits reporting point.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Llywydd, and I, like others, welcome the appointment of Derek Vaughan as the Welsh Government representative on Europe. Any fair-minded observer will recognise his vast relevant experience and his knowledge, and the reputation he brings with him across parties, and also the relationships he can draw upon in the EU. He is, Minister, an inspired choice, and we wish him all the very...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Let me begin by echoing the calls from Alun Davies today on the need for a statement on NHS dentistry. It's been an ongoing issue for some time, and we do need to understand how Welsh Government will work with the dentistry sector to increase accessibility for our constituents. But, on a separate issue, it's clear from questions today that I'm not alone in having received many enquiries in...
Huw Irranca-Davies: How will the Minister embed the sustainable transport hierarchy across all Welsh Government policy portfolios?
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. Surely no-one can be unaware of the cost-of-living crisis that now threatens to engulf many of our constituents, except perhaps the occupants of No. 10. Inflation has leaped to 5.4 per cent, its highest level in almost 30 years. It's driven by higher costs of clothes, of food and footwear, furniture and household goods, and hold-ups in supply chains at British ports. The Bank...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Well, no, actually, because, Laura, we're all fed up to the back teeth with the measures in response to COVID. Every one of us is, because of the impact on our families, on businesses and so on. But one of the lessons, wouldn't you agree, that we learnt from earlier waves of this pandemic is of the need to proceed with caution and also to proceed, I have to say, early to take interventions,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Russell, thanks very much for taking that intervention. I, like many people, follow the Welsh Conservatives' social media, and the fact you're taking credit for this—. Fair play to you. But one person noticed, in response to that, that it was the equivalent of shouting, for 25 minutes consistently, from row Z in the stands, 'Give the ball to Shane, give the the ball to Shane' and then...
