Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Minister. I'm obviously pleased to hear that. The restoration of the Montgomery canal, which is an important site of interest, has the potential to promote, I believe, mid Wales as a tourist destination and make a significant contribution to the visitor economy. I'm sure you will fondly remember the visit that you and I undertook to the canal just a couple of years ago.
Russell George: Sorry, Deputy Presiding Officer, I had an issue earlier on this afternoon.
Russell George: Can I ask, Minister—can I ask you about the 29 houses that were purchased for over £15 million via compulsory purchase orders in preparation for the building of the M4 relief road, and, specifically, the two properties that were bought for just under £1 million in April of last year, just two months before the First Minister took the decision to abandon the M4 relief scheme? People...
Russell George: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on the marketing and promotion of mid Wales as a tourist destination? OQ55541
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, for your reply. Both the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales have rightfully said that no child should be left behind or have to change the pattern of their important return to education. But we do have a situation where Transport for Wales have made a number of changes to the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury service, and the effects have meant that students in...
Russell George: 2. How has cross-border public transport been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ55539
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. In my view, we are in urgent need of updated guidance in the form a technical advice note, simply to support local authorities in assessing planning applications for intensive poultry units or chicken sheds or IPUs—they've got different names. That's certainly the case in Powys, where I hope you will be aware there's been a significant increase in builds...
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. Many farmers will not ask for help or support with mental health issues, for a number of known reasons, but I was interested in seeing a recent survey by Tir Dewi, the charity, on farming in Powys specifically. As well as identifying the many reasons why farmers would not access that kind of support, for reasons I'm sure you and I would be familiar with,...
Russell George: 6. How is the Welsh Government supporting the agricultural sector in mid Wales? OQ55487
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the work of the Town and Country Planning Intensive Agriculture Working Group? OQ55488
Russell George: I'm pleased to speak in this debate this afternoon. I'd like to start by thanking the Deputy Minister for the briefing that he hosted last week, and I would also extend my thanks to Phil Jones, who chaired the 20 mph taskforce, for the work he put into this report and for his recommendations. From my perspective and the Conservative group's, we would of course support measures that reduce the...
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. I wonder if you could commit to a date when the remainder of the economy can reopen. My question would be why stick so rigidly to the three-week reviews. If it's right to make a change now, then do it now. When announcements are made, I would appreciate it if clarity could be attached to those announcements. For example, I mentioned indoor tourist...
Russell George: I thank you for your answer, Minister. Of course, this is not only about protecting public health, but it's also about protecting people's lives and livelihoods as well. In my inbox, you will find it's currently bursting with people telling me how regrettable it is that UK hasn't moved with the same approach across the UK, and this has caused, sadly, some unnecessary confusion that has put...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. My concern, Minister, is that Wales is unfortunately heading for a deeper recession. I certainly think we need to have trust in our businesses when it comes to implementing safe social distancing and reopening their premises to get the economy moving again. I wonder if you could let me know what assessment has been produced in regard to the slower approach of reopening the...
Russell George: First Minister, yesterday's NatWest business activity index reported a contraction in business activity in the manufacturing sector as a result of ongoing lockdown measures. In their report, they state that many businesses have reported that the ongoing lockdown measures have stymied growth opportunities. They also report a drop in new orders, which was higher than the UK average, and a...
Russell George: I'm pleased to speak in this debate today. I'm going to focus my remarks on the lack of adequate support from the Welsh Government for the bus industry, both historically and during the COVID-19 pandemic. And I'm pleased, as Darren Millar has said, Deputy Presiding Officer, that as soon as this motion was tabled, the Welsh Government published its bus emergency scheme—always good when Welsh...
Russell George: I heard your response, Minister, to the earlier question, and I also heard your response to the First Minister—sorry, Paul Davies's question to the First Minister earlier today on this subject. Can I ask what assurances you can provide that Welsh residents will receive equal treatment from English hospitals in the resumption of NHS services, and particularly in the resumption of outreach...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. That answer is clear in itself, but a constituent has relayed to me a concern that children of key workers who are attending the childcare hubs have also been restricted from attending the catch-up and check-in days, and this particular parent is concerned that children will not have the access to their usual teachers and peers, and that will impact also...
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of education to the children of key workers? OQ55407
Russell George: Thank you, Llywydd, and can I thank all Members who took part in this debate today? It's particularly good that Members who are not part of our committee took part in this debate, and I just thought that showed how important it was that we had this debate perhaps earlier than we would perhaps have expected in the past. I particularly thought Huw Irranca-Davies's comments were correct around...
