Carwyn Jones: There are serious issues, as she will know, of course, relating to opencast mining and the restoration of sites. We know that, in 1994, the UK Government did not require operators to set aside enough money for restoration, and so the UK Government have a moral responsibility to work with us to ensure that sites are restored.
Carwyn Jones: There are real challenges of course for the entire area of the south-east of Wales. Cardiff can’t be expected on its own, nor any other local authority, to provide housing for the entire region. That’s why it makes perfect sense, as my colleague, the Member for Caerphilly, says, that the 10 local authorities should work together in order to have a strategic plan that goes beyond the local...
Carwyn Jones: The Member lives in a land of fantasy. He’s been living in it for the past three years and he didn’t even ask a proper question.
Carwyn Jones: Up-to-date adopted local development plans are an essential part of an effective planning system.
Carwyn Jones: Absolutely, and I know the Member has been vocal in terms of advocating the steel industry in his particular city. Of course, we know that Newport has a substantial export market as well—some 30 per cent of the steel produced is exported and they are successful and profitable. It’s hugely important that the future prosperity and sustainability of all the sites in Wales is addressed. But,...
Carwyn Jones: In terms of the questions that have been asked, in terms of the heavy end, the two bidders that I have had contact with wish to preserve the heavy end. They have different approaches to it, and this is public—it’s known that one of the bidders wants to look at the use of scrap in the future, rather than iron ore. The other bidder would keep the process as it is. But, nevertheless, the...
Carwyn Jones: Well, can I thank the Member for those kind words and could I reciprocate by saying that he has been a doughty and avid campaigner for those people whom he represents? I know this myself through the late-night phone calls that I’ve had from him, and he is somebody who has been very concerned to protect their interests. I think he’s absolutely right to say there’s a lack of confidence...
Carwyn Jones: Many of the comments that the Member has made I’ve heard, like the issue of IJmuiden. I wasn’t aware of the town-hall meeting, although I’ve heard something about what had happened, but I wasn’t aware that it was in Port Talbot. I have heard it said to me that Port Talbot has been made to look worse than it is. I’ve got no evidence to back that up, but I’ve heard that said. I’ve...
Carwyn Jones: I can give an absolute assurance that that’s true of Shotton, of Trostre and, indeed, of the works in Newport as well. I know that there’s been some fear amongst the workers that, whenever steel is talked about, it’s always Port Talbot. It is the biggest employer, of course, but we know that all of our steel plants in Wales are hugely important and we know that they’re interdependent....
Carwyn Jones: First of all, I thank the leader of UKIP for some of his comments. He is right, indeed, on energy prices. We’ve been saying this for the past five years to the UK Government. It is right to say—I’ve spoken to Celsa, for example, who’ve said to me that energy prices in Germany are 20 per cent lower and in Spain 37 per cent lower. Why? It’s the nature of the UK’s energy market....
Carwyn Jones: I thank the leader of the Welsh Conservatives for his questions. The meeting that I had in Mumbai was with senior executives and one board member of Tata. The meeting did last for some time. We explored a number of issues, one of which, for example, is what further support might be offered on business rates and that is something that we’re looking at. The difficulty is, of course, how you...
Carwyn Jones: Could I thank the Member for his questions? There is little with which I would disagree. What is absolutely crucial is that there is a long-term sustainable and secure future for our steel jobs. It’s right to say that Tata have said that they wish to sell; that remains their board’s position. I’m not sure that that is necessarily a position that will hold forever and a day, if I can put...
Carwyn Jones: Llywydd, this Assembly was recalled during the pre-election period, partly at my request, but essentially to recognise the intense concern of steel communities across Wales and, indeed, all of us in this Chamber about the future of Tata’s plants. Since then, I’ve had many discussions with Tata, the UK Government, trade unions and potential buyers and investors. Today, I wish to update the...
Carwyn Jones: Well, it was the people who’ve elected us here. I stood on the manifesto in my constituency including policies on income tax-varying powers and got elected as did—[Interruption.] I got elected, at the end of the day, in my constituency. [Laughter.] And, all Members, indeed, were elected here. But, the point is this: the people of Wales were asked their view on this last month and they...
Carwyn Jones: Could I thank the Member for her comments? She’s always been a doughty advocate, of course, for votes for 16 and 17-year-olds. That would lie within the power of this Assembly in terms of Assembly elections. In terms of local government elections, my memory of the last Bill, certainly, was that the local government franchise was reserved. Whether that’s been clarified in this Bill I’d...
Carwyn Jones: Can I thank the Member, as ever, for his comments? One of the issues that’s been raised of concern with me is lawyers in Wales saying, ‘Well, if we’re a separate jurisdiction, does that mean we won’t be able to practise in England?’ That isn’t the case. It’s quite normal for lawyers to practise across common law jurisdictions. When I was in practice, it was possible to practise...
Carwyn Jones: Can I thank the Member for his comments? The difficulty with the last Bill was that, basically, the Secretary of State wrote around to other Whitehall departments and said, ‘What do you think should be devolved?’ Now, they must have thought Christmas had come at that point, and we had the Bill that we had, that ignored even what had happened in 2011, with the resounding referendum result....
Carwyn Jones: Well, may I thank you for the question? It’s true to say that there is a sufficient opportunity here to create a sustainable constitutional settlement. This Bill goes some of the way towards that, but not the whole way. To me, what’s important is that the United Kingdom Government accepts that there are constitutional issues that need to be settled. As I said earlier, I will write to the...
Carwyn Jones: Could I thank the Member for the way in which he has explained the complexity, in his own way, of the current situation? There is no timescale that the Secretary of State has put forward. What is strange is that nobody has argued that the jurisdiction will remain for ever and a day. Everyone says that it will have to change at some point in the future. The question is, should that issue be...
Carwyn Jones: Well, a number of the parties in this Chamber—and his, in fairness—contained proposals with regard to the future of income tax varying powers in their manifestos in the election, and the people of Wales gave their verdict. From my party’s perspective, we said that we would not increase the burden of income tax on people during the course of this Assembly term. People went into the...
