David Rowlands: Okay. Given the great difficulties faced by Cardiff commuters in gaining access to the city, could the Minister outline the Welsh Government's plans to alleviate these problems?
David Rowlands: Well, I absolutely agree with you, Janet, on that basis, but we are talking here about education on a much wider basis, and what we're talking about, really, is the provision of BSL for children in particular within the education system, and the truth of the matter is that there is no specific pathway for these children to take. And I will thank the Minister for the fact that she is saying...
David Rowlands: Yes, of course.
David Rowlands: Can I thank all the Members who contributed to this debate? I apologise for not being able to respond to Members individually, but I'm very much constrained by the time available. I will, therefore, concentrate on the Minister's responses. It is very gratifying to know that you can have BSL in levels 1 and 2, and it's also gratifying to find that there's a £20 million fund now being...
David Rowlands: However, we remain concerned about a lack of national direction in relation to ensuring that BSL provision is widely available in Welsh schools, and the Minister’s response to our report indicates that this will largely remain at the discretion of individual schools and local authorities. Speaking frankly, it is currently difficult to see this as promising any significant step forward in...
David Rowlands: The petition has a number of objectives: improved access for families to learn BSL, for BSL to be introduced to the national curriculum, better access to education through BSL, and making more services and resources accessible in BSL for deaf young people. I will focus for the rest of this contribution on each of the petition’s objectives in turn, in order to outline the evidence the...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd, for the opportunity to open this debate on behalf of the Petitions Committee. The petition we are discussing today relates to British Sign Language, and the ability of deaf children and their families to learn and use BSL in their everyday lives. As we all know, communication is a vital aspect of life. However, for some it can pose significant challenges on a daily basis....
David Rowlands: What action has the Minister taken to ensure that the upcoming PISA results for Wales will be an improvement on past performance?
David Rowlands: Well, of course, I don't know if you were actually talking to the people of Blaenau Gwent, because that certainly isn't what's coming to me from the people of Blaenau Gwent. They want a connection into Newport in exactly the same way as they want a connection into Cardiff. That is the fact.
David Rowlands: There are many actions taken by the Welsh Government that we in UKIP would criticise. However, we feel we have a duty to the people of Wales to support the Welsh Government where we feel their actions have largely been correct. The birth of the Transport for Wales rail franchise in October last year was a pivotal moment for the future of public transport for Wales. The previous operator's...
David Rowlands: Well, the Assembly Member for Cardiff North is absolutely right in saying that the source of food waste with hospitality menus—although it's calculated on a per head basis, consumption of the food provided is strictly down to those attending, of course. So, there is very little Charlton House can do to reuse any of the leftover food items. Stricter hygiene rules mean most items cannot be...
David Rowlands: Yes. The level of food waste generated on the Assembly estate increased slightly from 4.23 tonnes at the end of 2017 to 4.59 tonnes at the end of 2018. Obviously, in operating a catering service, food waste will never be totally eliminated, however our contractor Charlton House is very proactive and has introduced a range of initiatives, including menu planning around weekly demand, batch...
David Rowlands: We are, of course, keen to expand the use of bicycle transport for work. In keeping with this, we are planning, as I said, to introduce extra car parking spaces this year—[Interruption.] I'm sorry—
David Rowlands: Of course, it will require a much more expansive approach to cycle provision. In order to do that, we will be, obviously, looking at the possibility of taking out car parking spaces at some time in the future. Obviously, we're hoping that that won't impact on those people using cars because, hopefully, they will be using bikes and therefore, obviously, the necessity for those car parking...
David Rowlands: The Assembly has a secure undercover facility for the storage of bicycles. We currently provide storage for 69 bikes, with further capacity planned for this year. In addition, there are publicly accessible racks outside Tŷ Hywel for use by visitors. We also provide showers, lockers and tumble-dryer facilities for cyclists to use.
David Rowlands: Well, I feel obviously, given my age, I should declare an interest at this point. [Laughter.] While our rights should not change as we grow older, older people often face negative attitudes and age discrimination, in particular, in access to healthcare, employment, goods and services, information and education. Older people also face increasing barriers to their participation, become more...
David Rowlands: On 10 January 1879, three columns of British soldiers crossed the Buffalo river into Zululand, South Africa, leaving some 1,800 soldiers of the 24th Regiment of Foot in camp at Isandlwana. On 22 January, the forces of Zulu King Cetshwayo, numbering some 20,000, encircled the British camp. The following battle resulted in one of the worst defeats ever recorded by the British army. Over 1,300...
David Rowlands: First, can I start by saying that it is encouraging to see the contingency plans outlined by the Cabinet Secretary—sorry, the Cabinet Minister—in response to a ‘no deal’ Brexit? Because what has come out of the referendum issue is that politicians have spent an enormous amount of time arguing against the decision of the British people and very little time in preparing for our future...
David Rowlands: I feel I have to rise in defence of the magistrates. Whilst we acknowledge that the Welsh Government has little power to influence such statistics, does the First Minister agree with me that there are strict guidelines laid down for sitting magistrates and judges as to the sentencing options? Incidentally, magistrates deal with 95 per cent of all criminal cases. Magistrates also have to refer...
David Rowlands: I thank the Minister for that clarification. The latest projections for post-Brexit Britain tell us that the UK will leapfrog France and become the sixth biggest economy in the world and is likely to remain there for at least a decade. Can the Minister assure us that he and this Government will do all that they can to ensure that Wales will not miss out on this unique opportunity to exploit...
