Alun Davies: During questions, the First Minister indicated that he would seek to bring a statement to this place on the new coronavirus regulations that will be made consequent to this morning's COBRA meeting. I understand, from social media, that he will be making a public statement on this matter this evening at 20:05. It would, therefore, be much preferable, I think, for Members on all sides of this...
Alun Davies: Minister, this Bill is an affront to our democracy. The UK Government concluded a treaty with the European Union. They then sought a mandate from the people for that treaty. They enshrined that treaty in legislation, and less than a year later they're repudiating that mandate, that commitment and that legislation. And we are being told here that we have no opportunity, no opportunity at all...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you very much for the statement this afternoon, Minister. I think many of us will welcome a more localised approach to these matters. The local approach that's being taken in Caerphilly and a voluntary approach that's being taken elsewhere are ones where I think many of us will watch with a great deal of interest. It is important that...
Alun Davies: Minister, you'll have heard the exchange earlier between Darren Millar and the Deputy Minister on the issue of singing and worship in churches and chapels and elsewhere. It is an issue that is causing some great distress amongst people within the community. You may also have seen BBC Wales Today last week, where Beaufort male voice choir was practising in Ebbw Vale rugby club to avoid some of...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and thank you, First Minister, for your statement. I very much welcome your words today, and I know that the approach of the Welsh Government has continued to have the overwhelming support of the people I represent in Blaenau Gwent. There are two areas where I would like to ask you further questions, First Minister. The first is your approach to face...
Alun Davies: All too often, the obvious thing to do in these debates is to list all the priorities that face yourself or your constituency. Rather than read out a list of areas where I believe additional spending would help Blaenau Gwent—be it education, health, business support, local government or even mitigating a disastrous 'no deal' Brexit, what I'd like to do this afternoon is to do something a...
Alun Davies: Thank you for that. I think there will be broad agreement across all sides of the Chamber that a free and robust press and media is critical to any country and any democracy—a media that can inform, that can scrutinise, can hold politicians on all sides to account, create a platform for us to talk together as a nation, to reflect our needs as a country, and to share our culture and our...
Alun Davies: First Minister, I'm grateful to you for the statement this afternoon and, like you, I share the disappointment that we're not going to be able to move forward with a Bill to reregulate bus services. Deregulation, of course, was a Thatcherite disaster that is continuing to wreck our services, especially in places like my constituency where we spend the money, but we don't get the services we...
Alun Davies: I think, business Minister, we've all been very grateful to Ministers who have taken the time to make a series of public statements on what their response has been to the developing coronavirus crisis, and I think the communications of Welsh Government have been absolutely first class. The way that Ministers have enabled scrutiny to take place, both within the public arena and here, has been...
Alun Davies: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's approach to media policy and support for the media industry following the recent series of redundancies? TQ476
Alun Davies: I understand that I sometimes give the impression that I'm more of a spectator of sport than a participant, and recent months have taught me the dangers of participation in some activities, I have to say. But I would like this afternoon, if I could, in a few short moments, to make a plea to look again at how we do reopen the facilities that enable physical activities and sport within our...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Like others, I'd like to put on record my gratitude to you and others who have made this session possible today. Minister, people in Blaenau Gwent tell me that they have great confidence in your leadership in education, and they compare that with the shambles we've seen across the border. People tell me that they're very anxious now that they're able to...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'm grateful to the committee as well for the work that it's been doing on this. I think all of us have enjoyed the opportunity of reading through the reports of the committee and are grateful to both them and the staff and witnesses for the contributions that they've made. We need to look hard at how we're going to ensure that the economic...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much. I appreciate the efforts that you, the Commission and the staff have made in enabling us to work as we do. It strikes me, Llywydd, as I look at you on the screen and look at other Members, too, that we have an opportunity here to consider not just how we arrange our business, but how we consider that business, and I would like you, as Llywydd, to use the opportunity that...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, I'm very pleased to hear that from the Counsel General, and to hear that the Welsh Government are at least seeking to make progress on this matter, in the most difficult of circumstances. But, of course, it is these most difficult of circumstances that demonstrate the necessity of moving quickly on this agenda. We have seen how the Welsh prison population has been the worst...
Alun Davies: 7. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations of the Thomas Commission on Justice in Wales? OQ55377
Alun Davies: 3. Will the Commission make a statement on arrangements to support Senedd business as the lockdown is eased? OQ55376
Alun Davies: I think we all recognise the hard work that's been undertaken by the Finance Minister and her colleagues at this most impossible time. I think we'd all agree that the Welsh Government has responded with speed and agility to the crisis as it has emerged over the past few months, and the funding has been delivered directly to the front line. I think we all recognise that in the allocations that...
Alun Davies: Thank you for that, Minister. I think we're all aware that there's been an increase in domestic abuse over the last few months. I'm very concerned that we do hear warm words from Government, but we see little investment in the services to help and support women and children, who are sometimes in quite desperate need. We have some fantastic organisations and some brilliant people in Blaenau...
Alun Davies: First Minister, I'm grateful for that, and of course we're also still waiting to finish the section from Gilwern to Brynmawr, and I think that will be welcome when that is completed. But we all recognise the human impact of the coronavirus and we know that there's already broad and deep support for the approach the Welsh Government is taking. But we need to continue to provide this support...
