Nick Ramsay: First Minister, I think it's fair to say that we could be using the business rate regime far more imaginatively to target support, whether that be for hydroenergy projects, as Siân Gwenllian has alluded to, other renewable projects or, indeed, our high streets, and we know full well the problems that have afflicted some high street businesses in areas such as Monmouth in my constituency in...
Nick Ramsay: Will you take an intervention? I don't disagree with you, Dave. I think it's not an ideal situation. I'd like to see much more detail of the shared prosperity fund myself. The only point I was making was that there are certain assumptions that can be made, and I know full well that the Cabinet Secretary's officials have been looking at different options; of course they have. So, there is...
Nick Ramsay: I fully recognise the problems that the Welsh Government have in this regard. I think to say we don't know anything is going a bit further—[Interruption.] Hang on. I've taken one intervention. We don't know everything, but to say we don't know anything at all I think is wrong. We can estimate exactly—not exactly, but we can estimate how the system will potentially look, so certain work...
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased to contribute to this debate today as a member of the Finance Committee, and to reiterate the views of our new Chair, who actually covered the issues in our report very fully and comprehensively, so I don't need to add much to that. It was clearly an area of enormous importance that we were looking at during our reporting stage. The issue of how we replace EU funding post the UK's...
Nick Ramsay: Will you take an intervention?
Nick Ramsay: Thanks, Suzy. David Rowlands and I and Mohammad Asghar visited the King Henry VIII Comprehensive School in Abergavenny regarding the Youth Parliament to speak to some of the new candidates and I was really impressed by their attitudes. So, I think we fully understand the pressures on the Commission in trying to do something totally new. So, there was no suggestion within our report that...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I could, of course, have asked you about support for small businesses, and we know that there was around £25 million as a result of the UK budget—that, across the border in England, money is being used to reduce business rates for businesses with a rateable value of up to £50,000 by a third. And I'll keep that one for another day. [Interruption.] But you may...
Nick Ramsay: So, I think we can read from that that 'front of the queue' doesn't necessarily mean first in the queue. Cabinet Secretary, whether we're talking about £550 million—you think it's a lower figure—I think the point is that there is additional funding. I think we can be agreed on that. There is additional funding through consequentials as a result of that UK budget. I'll give you this: you...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, I'd like to ask you about funding available to the local government portfolio and vis-à-vis to our local authorities. As you're well aware, Welsh local authorities have been less than satisfied with the local government settlement this year, citing £262 million of budget pressures. Meanwhile, the First Minister has claimed that local government will be...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. I know you like to accuse this side of the Chamber of calling for funding increases in all areas of Government; I'm sure in an ideal world we would all like to see that. But it's not just this side of the Chamber—[Interruption.] Or, indeed, your Minister emeritus. It's not just this side of the Chamber that has concerns about local government funding; the Welsh...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, the Member for Cardiff North makes a very good point when she says that future regional policy should be controlled by the Welsh Government, by this Assembly—a point that you've echoed yourself. Whilst I appreciate that there are still details, a large number of details, about the shared prosperity fund to be effectively ironed out, it's important that when the current...
Nick Ramsay: 8. Will the First Minister set out the Welsh Government's budgetary priorities for local government? OAQ52913
Nick Ramsay: I think that David Rees has raised a very important issue, very forcefully, and it's not just your constituents who've been affected by this, David—it's constituents for AMs across Wales. Cabinet Secretary, this really does highlight the problem when you retrofit existing housing stock in a way that deviates from the original standard, and isn't done in the way that it should be. And it's...
Nick Ramsay: Well, First Minister, looking on the bright side, the UK Government's budget will see an extra £551 million coming to Wales over three years, an average uplift between 2015 and 2020 of over 4 per cent in real terms. Can I concur with the question and issue raised by Helen Mary Jones about the local authorities? We also know that around £26 million of that money from the UK budget is a...
Nick Ramsay: Will the Member take an intervention?
Nick Ramsay: I agree totally with the things you’ve said, and you’ve mentioned the Urdd and national organisations, and I’d also say there’s local musical organisations such as Gwent Music in my area, partially funded by local authorities, and other organisations like that across Wales that are doing a fantastic amount to really promote music outside of schools.
Nick Ramsay: Just wondering if I can get away with being a mystery shopper under the new franchise, Cabinet Secretary—I'd probably be spotted. One area that you know I've been interested in seeing a big improvement in—I raised it with the First Minister in questions last week—was that area of disabled access to our stations. It wasn't particularly improved under the previous franchise. I know the...
Nick Ramsay: Will you take an intervention?
Nick Ramsay: I raised that example earlier because I did go back and find out afterwards that there was success. I believe 85 per cent or 90 per cent of the ex-offenders who did attend that fair have now got placements after prison—and not just placements, but they've got well-paid placements.
Nick Ramsay: Will the Minister take an intervention?
