Huw Irranca-Davies: Whatever our individual views in this Chamber, whether it's status quo, independence, devo-max, radical reform of the union, you cannot doubt that this is a major intervention by an elected Government in the debate around constitutional reform here in Wales, but also how it impacts on the wider UK. And there are some radical proposals within this. Even though it doesn't go as far as some and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I'd like to nominate Vikki Howells.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I said I'd keep it under a minute, and I will indeed. I want to thank the—. I think we've had 10 contributors to this debate, and I, like the Minister, am encouraged by the degree of consensus around the need for additional investment and greater planning, by and large, from people, about putting the control back to local people and local authorities so they have a...
Huw Irranca-Davies: So, in this sixth Senedd, we have the opportunity now to do things very differently. Now that we have the powers, we need to restore the public and social purpose to the very heart of all public and community transport, as we've already begun to do with trains. And this means putting people, transport users and locally-elected representatives, back in control of our buses and of the wider...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. And can I thank the Business Committee for selecting this motion for debate and the many cross-party Members who supported the application too? Buses and properly integrated public transport are clearly very important to the Senedd and to the constituents we serve. Now, no doubt, today some Members will have stories to tell of our own local services. Some will be of...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Trefnydd, this is Children's Hospice Week, so could we have a Welsh Government statement on support for our two children's hospices in Wales: the excellent Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith, which together provide respite and palliative care for more than 400 families with children with life-limiting conditions? And they want to be able to assure those children and families, and others in future,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Would the First Minister agree with me that we have to invest in Welsh-medium education and Welsh-medium childcare as part of our ambition to create 1 million Welsh speakers? So, would the First Minister join me in welcoming the work that has begun in building a new childcare centre in Blackmill, in Ogmore, as part of the ambition of Bridgend County Borough Council to strengthen Welsh-medium...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch yn fawr iawn, and I will indeed, Llywydd. I will keep this very short indeed. I welcome the debate. I will be supporting the Government amendment. Although there are good aspects, I have to say, of both amendments down, the Welsh Government amendment here, championing Welsh sporting successes, harnessing the creativity and sporting ability of the young people, investing in world-class...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, you and the Minister for Climate Change will have my absolute support in doing everything that is needed to take forward this agenda, both on climate change mitigation and adaptation as well, and also on the nature crisis and the biodiversity crisis we face as well. There'll be a time that will come for very detailed questions and very detailed scrutiny of how we achieve this and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's priorities for the United Nation's conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity 2021?
Huw Irranca-Davies: First Minister, it is a good, sound programme for government—[Interruption.] It is a good, sound programme for government on which there is a strong mandate to actually deliver this now, despite the criticism from the opposition benches a moment ago. I'm going to focus on just two areas that I'd like to, because we stand up and we ask you to go further, do it faster; we've got a five-year...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, as has already been mentioned, this is Learning Disability Week. Many of us are pleased to mark this and celebrate, I have to say, the contribution of children and adults with learning disabilities to our lives and at work, but we also note the continuing challenges faced and the social and economic barriers that make life far more difficult. Minister, this is also the dark...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Would the First Minister agree with me that some of the best ways of improving road safety are to reduce speed limits in built-up areas, creating traffic-free zones and putting active travel at the peak of the travel pyramid? But how can we ensure that we persuade people to come with us on this journey to a fairer, greener and better future? How do we make it easier for people to make the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I will indeed—yet still collaborate for the greater mutual long-term benefit of the nations and regions of the UK and the UK as a whole. Deputy Presiding Officer, this old jalopy may have more life in it yet, but we have to avoid the situation where we run it into the ground, or we crash it into a hedge. And that's my worry with the UK Government's current approach.
Huw Irranca-Davies: I'm going to take the temperature down a little bit. Three of the four political parties represented in this Senedd now broadly accept that the United Kingdom is not currently fit for purpose in respect of its UK-wide governance and its constitutional arrangements, and its relationships between democratic institutions. And in the previous Senedd, there was indeed at least one notable and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Would he give way on that point?
Huw Irranca-Davies: I really welcome that response, Minister, because I know that when I was a lot, lot younger, decades ago, when I was a sports centre assistant and manager—I know that's hard to believe—I was one of the first to introduce exercise on prescription and GP referral schemes in our centres across England and Wales at the time. But, of course, things have moved on, we've innovated. Social...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Following on from the question just made, I wonder if she can update us on whether there has been a big take-up of the additional £9.2 million funding for improving both telephone and video responsiveness. Now, we understand that during the pandemic the pressures on our community medical facilities were massive, but what we want to see is them coming out of this and patients being able to...
Huw Irranca-Davies: We've all done it.
Huw Irranca-Davies: I think many of us in the Chamber will welcome that clarity. And, Minister, unfortunately, the repugnant use of fire and rehire is growing. Only a month ago, 140 MPs and Lords joined a campaign, led by the TUC and around 20 major unions in this country, including Unite, GMB, community, the FSB—most of the major unions—to stop employers raiding wages, cutting sick pay terms and conditions...
