Andrew RT Davies: I just want to put on the record that I support the report, and I support the recommendations of the report, but I do believe, as the Conservative representative on this committee, for fullness, all the papers should have been made available to the report—appended to the report. I was outvoted on that, and I respect that decision. And that's why the Conservative group will be abstaining on...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. In your statement his morning, obviously you highlighted what will be critical to delivery of the vaccine programme, whichever vaccine it's going to be—which will be the staff and the individuals charged with undertaking the work on the ground. You said training exercises have been undertaken with various staff across Wales. Can you assure us that those...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm grateful for that answer, health Minister, in particular your assurance that there'll be additional millions of doses coming in by the end of December to the United Kingdom. What I'd like to check with you as well is the resilience of the NHS to deal with the vaccination programme and its everyday work. Last week, we spent considerable time looking at waiting times, and we know the...
Andrew RT Davies: I'm grateful for that clarification, because I certainly look at this as an appointment card, rather than an ID card. But, as I said, certain media outlets are already referring to it as an ID card, and I think that's regrettable. From your answer, I take it that it will have no legal status, this card. If I could move on to allocation, you did address some of the points to the previous...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, today is a good news day, thankfully, after many dark days, to say the least. I commend everyone involved in the development of the vaccine, and vaccines plural, because hopefully there'll be others coming along in the not-too-distant future. Thank you for your statement this morning as well; it was a very detailed and thoughtful statement, I thought,...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I'm grateful for you offering consideration of the proposal for a motion to be taken today. I understand the balancing act that you as Presiding Officer have in deciding how to push these things forward. I do think it's a missed opportunity. I hear what you say about the Government bringing their motion next Tuesday for us to vote on, but this is a matter of...
Andrew RT Davies: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across Wales? OQ55958
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Two quick points, if I may, First Minister. First of all, I'd like to put on the record that I disagree with the actions you've taken, but I understand you, as a Government, have the right to do that. I do ask for your support, though, in seeking a debate in this Chamber tomorrow. I have tabled a motion in the Table Office for consideration. I appreciate,...
Andrew RT Davies: Organiser, can I seek two statements, please? One in relation to the cancer plan that comes to an end at the end of this month, 31 December. To date, the Welsh Government haven't tabled a successor document despite this date of termination well known to Government. I appreciate that the function of Government has been focused on COVID, but this isn't something that's just appeared on the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister, and our thoughts are with all the families, obviously, who have lost loved ones, wherever they are in Wales, to coronavirus. But in my own electoral region, Cwm Taf health board has suffered a tremendous amount of death, regrettably, in the hospital setting, and it seems to have gone through all the three district general hospitals that sit within...
Andrew RT Davies: 9. Will the First Minister make a statement on the number of people who have died after acquiring coronavirus in Welsh hospitals? OQ55957
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I just wanted to reiterate that I think the Conservative position on the firebreak lockdown was a consistent position, and if that vote came today, we would stand by that vote and vote the same way. Because SAGE's advice at the end of September also pointed to the fact that the effectiveness and outcomes of such a firebreak, or lockdown—call it what you...
Andrew RT Davies: There is always a debate and discussion to be had about what money is available for the NHS, and we do know that considerable consequentials—. And I accept those consequentials have come not because we're a special case and we're deserving, but because of spend that has gone on in other parts of the United Kingdom that has activated the Barnett formula. There's £1.6 billion worth of money...
Andrew RT Davies: When you look at the diagnostic and therapies waiting times as well, there's been a substantial jump in those waiting times, which have seen a spike of between 30,000 and 35,000 people between March and October. There are now 143,000 people waiting for diagnostic and therapy appointments in the Welsh NHS. And interestingly, on those sort of numbers, those numbers have grown significantly...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I welcome the opportunity to move the motion in the name of Darren Millar on the order paper this afternoon. For those who are not aware of the tabling arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales, or the Welsh Parliament as I should call it now, those people might wonder why we haven't put the waiting times that were published last Thursday in the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, Commissioner, and I'd endorse the comments that you've put on record—how important it is for the welfare of staff to take their leave, and, importantly, the hard work and dedication that all the staff across the Commission have put in to supporting Members in these very difficult and trying times. I was just taken by the statements you made at the time of the...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Minister, for that reply. I appreciate universities are independent institutions, but, obviously, there was a big movement of students at the start of the academic year in September, and this will be the second opportunity for such a movement of students to be replicated, not just in Wales, but from across the United Kingdom and, indeed, international students. I heard what you...
Andrew RT Davies: Obviously a missed opportunity for many businesses in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and in particular the Pontypridd area, was the ability to access Welsh Government funding, which shut after 24 hours. The Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales has said he's hopeful that a new round of funding will be made available. When he closed the funding after 24 hours, he said that pot of money was fully...
Andrew RT Davies: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the plans for the return of students to Welsh universities in the new year? OQ55924
Andrew RT Davies: 1. Will the Commission make a statement on the amount of annual leave accrued by staff and the impact this will have on its finances? OQ55925
