Mark Reckless: I've previously characterised some of the Minister for finance's contributions as a long whinge about austerity and sometimes about Brexit, and when I listened to the Chancellor's statement and heard not just the statement that austerity is over, but the significant increases in spending, and starting calculating what that would mean for what extra money will come to Wales, I thought, 'What...
Mark Reckless: Isn't an important part of the rule of law that our First Minister should accept the decisions of courts within our jurisdiction? And, following the decision of the divisional court in London, within the jurisdiction of England and Wales, that the decision to prorogue was lawful, is it appropriate for the First Minister to describe the decision as unlawful?
Mark Reckless: So, you stand by your decision. You said just now it's to do with the climate change emergency but you didn't say anything about that in your decision notice, did you? [Interruption.] The decision notice talked about the environment and the Gwent levels; it did not mention climate change. [Interruption.]
Mark Reckless: I have always backed Brexit. I've never lied about it. Now, you used that word—at least that's what I recall you using, or the meaning of what you were saying—yet your party, you and almost everyone behind you, said that you would respect the referendum. Yet, now, your policy is to go to the European Union, if I understand it correctly, and negotiate a deal so you can come back here and...
Mark Reckless: First Minister, 12 days ago, you made a calculated decision to allege that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom had lied. How would you describe the statement 'We will deliver a relief road for the M4'?
Mark Reckless: 4. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the cost to the taxpayer of the Welsh Government joining the failed High Court case concerning prorogation? OAQ54307
Mark Reckless: Could I ask the First Minister to reflect on whether it was really appropriate for him to call the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom a liar on the floor of this house?
Mark Reckless: Well, I think, as a general point, it holds. What I would say is that the Llywydd here hasn't brought my children into the matter. She also has a dignity and respect policy, which, as far as I'm aware, she leads through personal example, whereas, in Parliament, in the Commons, we see a Speaker with the most outrageous and serious allegations from the closest possible sources of appalling...
Mark Reckless: Well, the First Minister's speeches are always rapt and engage everyone's attention; I'm sure he needs no lessons in oratory from his predecessor. But we see Labour and Plaid—. And this isn't the first time this has happened; I've lost count of the number of times it's happened that they agree a joint motion with Plaid Cymru and then Plaid Cymru come and seek to attack that agreed motion...
Mark Reckless: I move amendment 1 in the name of Caroline Jones. May I start by expressing some sympathy for the BBC as they struggle to explain to their listeners and viewers the purpose of our recall today? They say that the debate will have no impact on the Brexit process, but may give an indication of AMs' views. Of course, the First Minister says, 'We will resist this with all our might', but, of...
Mark Reckless: We spoke yesterday about the wage numbers that have come out at a UK level—about 3.6 per cent growth, higher than expected. The Minister rightly talks about public sector wages, but does she also recognise that those higher wages are likely to lead through to a higher take from the Welsh rates of income tax? At the supplementary budget, we got six months more of information. We knew what...
Mark Reckless: But, since April, we've been on risk for this, and the concern I had about tax devolution, these Welsh rates of income tax, is they were devolved after a promise that that would be subject to a referendum, and, looking into the history of this, I had thought that there was perhaps a degree of collusion between Labour here and the Conservatives at Westminster, but I haven't seen evidence of...
Mark Reckless: So, we were looking, I think, at—there were four of them. I have three of them. The plastics tax—I think perhaps we're looking at, if that is going to happen, it would be more on a UK basis, and I think that it would be particularly difficult for manufacturers and supply chains to do for a just-in-Wales basis. The tourism tax, I think, was very unpopular and not, in my view, a good idea,...
Mark Reckless: May I thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd? I'm speaking on tax devolution for Wales. I'm not sure if I've drawn the short straw in terms of the last short debate of the term, or whether the Minister has drawn it to reply to me, or perhaps you, Dirprwy Lywydd, in chairing us, but you are well used to that, so I thank you. When we think about tax devolution for Wales, a key issue has to be how far should...
Mark Reckless: You are muting that message, which should go out from everyone across this Chamber, from all political parties and groups, that we want those people to stay. They are welcome in Wales: please stay. [Interruption.]
Mark Reckless: I thank the Chair of the committee for his statement. It's good to see that the Counsel General and Brexit Minister is in this place now as well. Also, I thought the statement was very considered actually, and was less partisan and more balanced than the contributions we've heard so far from the floor. Also, I thought, better than what I saw at his committee on Monday, where the future work...
Mark Reckless: The UK Government made a statement about the future of Help to Buy at least in England last autumn, and I think the lack of certainty is becoming more and more difficult for house builders in terms of their planning, whichever way the decision goes. I wonder, as the Welsh Government funds this scheme, whether it expects to make a profit on the eventual resale of houses, or whether it's...
Mark Reckless: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on the future of the Help to Buy scheme in Wales? OAQ54281
Mark Reckless: When I was planning for this week's business, I think it was Friday last week, I was taking a look through some of what we'd be doing and I saw this statement, 'Future Outlook for Public Spending in Wales', and I was quite excited. I thought we were going to be looking at some of the big, long-term issues affecting public spending in Wales: the demography of Wales, our ageing population, the...
Mark Reckless: The First Minister started his statement by saying: 'This legislative statement sets out the Government’s plans for the Bills we will introduce over the remainder of this Assembly term.' I think it was about halfway through the statement before we got on to that. We heard before about what had happened or what others were doing or why you wouldn't be doing various things, and on those,...
