Nick Ramsay: Just to be totally clear about this, I believe that point 3, and we believe that point 3, suggests that the UK Government is deliberately trying to bypass to claw back powers, which it is not. That that might actually—[Interruption.] That that result might actually be an unseen consequence longer down the line is something we can discuss, which is why I think point 4 is far more effective...
Nick Ramsay: First of all, yes, there is a tone issue. With regard to point 2, it says, 'Regrets the lack of detail from the UK Government'. I've already said we want to see more detail, and that will be forthcoming. Okay. Leaving that aside, point 3 'Rejects the idea of a centralised or UK-directed fund or one which seeks to bypass the devolved administrations post-Brexit.' We do not accept that there...
Nick Ramsay: [Inaudible.]—lawyer sometimes. Well, first of all, I don't like the tone of the motion. I think that if we all discussed—. I know you had a cosy discussion with Plaid Cymru about how the motion would be phrased and you're very happy with that, but I think that there was a wider agreement that could have been sought on that motion, actually, and I think we could have had a better tone....
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and can I thank the Minister for opening this debate? I'm pleased to contribute to it, and to agree, in fact, with many—though not all, as you would not be surprised to hear me say—of the points that have been made, but, nonetheless, many of the points you did make were something that, I think, we could all agree with, Minister, in terms of developing a system that...
Nick Ramsay: Trefnydd, two points, if I may—two questions. Firstly, as part of Welsh National Opera's partnership with the Welsh Refugee Council, last week saw the performance of a piece of developmental music theatre called Beyond the Rainbow happening in the Wales Millennium Centre. That included a team with refugee artists and also members of Zim Voices—Members will know that I do a lot of work...
Nick Ramsay: It's framed.
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I have recently received some very well-written letters, I have to say, from pupils in the Silverbirch class at Usk primary school in my constituency, who've been learning about global goals and, specifically, deforestation. The pupils wrote to me primarily because they're particularly concerned about the increasing demand for palm oil, which is used...
Nick Ramsay: 1. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's policies for protecting the environment? OAQ54004
Nick Ramsay: I'm glad no-one noticed that. [Laughter.]
Nick Ramsay: Thank you. The Public Accounts Committee report into this has been mentioned by a number of Members, and recommendation 1 of that report was that, if things are to be turned around, we do need to have more specialist external staff brought in—external advice brought in—to assist the board, in addition to the turnaround director, or whatever else they have done. What progress have you made...
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased this issue has been raised. Clearly, mental health is an issue that affects all areas, but our NHS staff clearly are vulnerable to the effects of it. You mentioned there—I think it was the Swansea area that you said there's an element of good practice. It's obviously important that that good practice is rolled out across the rest of Wales as soon as possible. So, could you tell...
Nick Ramsay: I also agree with the comments that Lynne Neagle has made. We have been asking you and, indeed, the First Minister about this issue for some time. I welcome the agreements that have been put in place by the five local authority leaders so that SenCom, a very valuable service, will continue in its current form until 2022, I think I'm right in saying. This should give greater security to the...
Nick Ramsay: Can I concur with some of the points that have been made by Mick Antoniw? The issue of mental health in schools has been one that's been rising up the agenda, and I think there's growing evidence that extra-curricular activities in school are beneficial, in many cases, to pupils' mental health. But, of course, the costs that Mick Antoniw talked about—the associated costs—can also have a...
Nick Ramsay: I've been trying to reduce the traffic on the A40 between Raglan and the castle, but I see Mike Hedges is eager to increase it, but there we are. Two quick questions, if I may, Llywydd. Firstly, as we heard earlier, a considerable amount of money has already been spent on the M4 relief road to date in terms of the scoping of the project and also the acquisition of land—I think it's in the...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. I'm sure you'll join me in welcoming the news that Monmouthshire County Council joined the Welsh Government last week in declaring its own climate change emergency, but, as I said to the environment Minister last week, declaring an emergency is one thing, but you need to actually see—I won't use the word 'concrete' in the answer; that would be...
Nick Ramsay: Mike Hedges has pretty much asked my supplementary question word for word, so I'm thinking on my feet. But if I can use some personal experience—that's always a good way out of these problems—a few years back, a chief executive officer of a small engineering firm in Chepstow, contacted me and said that he found the Welsh Government procurement form system much easier to fill out than...
Nick Ramsay: 7. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve the environment in Wales? OAQ53929
Nick Ramsay: Will you take an intervention? Thanks for giving way, Jane. We shouldn't forget, of course, the valuable role of apprenticeships as well. A lot of young people, or a proportion of young people, who leave earlier in the school life do so because they don't really feel that what they're doing is for them, but we've seen from the example of some apprenticeships being taken up that that can fill...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Weinidog. It's one thing to declare a climate change emergency, but as I'm sure you would admit, it's more difficult to take the difficult steps to deal with that. As former American Vice-President Al Gore described it, it's an inconvenient truth that we all must face up to. Promoting electric cars and charging points, as Rhun ap Iorwerth has been doing outside the Senedd today, is...
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased that Leanne Wood has asked this question. As you're probably aware, I'm delighted to be the Assembly's species champion for—I can see you leafing over to your page on species champions; well versed—the freshwater pearl mussel, one of the lesser known of the protected species, which is arguably Wales's most endangered species, and one of the most critically endangered species...
