David Rowlands: Excuse me, I'm just explaining that. I'm saying that it's dealing with almost insurmountable problems linked inextricably to a rising tide of serious crime. This rising crime rate includes violence against the person, sexual offences and widespread trafficking of drugs, as acknowledged by this Ministry of Justice report of 2013. We can add to this new forms of crime increasingly associated...
David Rowlands: Well, indeed. Throughout my years as a magistrate it was emphasised to all those involved in the judicial system—magistrates, judges and of course the probation service—that incarceration was to be the final and ultimate form of punishment. Yes, on rare occasions mistakes may be made, but that is true of any institution, especially one, such as a judiciary, dealing with almost...
David Rowlands: Before I begin, Deputy Llywydd, I believe that I should declare an interest in that I have been a sitting magistrate, a JP, for 15 years, and I'm still technically a JP. My desire to make a contribution to this debate is that I wish to defend certain aspects of the British judicial system and those who administer it, and to reassure the general public who may hear this debate that, in all the...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his answer, and for the confidence he has in the Government's economic strategy. But the Federation of Small Businesses and business in general have long complained about the disconnect between employers and the academic establishment. Does that Cabinet Secretary believe that there are now policies in place to radically improve on this failing?
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. I think all of us in this Chamber would recognise the fact that we need to considerably improve our act if we are to develop our business and commercial base in Wales, and, as discussed in the latest questions session, one of the key enablers to improvement is education. Nothing will do more to stimulate growth indigenously and also for inward...
David Rowlands: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, with the UK being listed by the Forbes as being the best place in the world to do business, where does Wales stand in comparison?
David Rowlands: Well, I thank the First Minister for that answer, but does he feel that it is unacceptable that one of my elderly constituents, after suffering a fall, had to wait over 10 hours for an ambulance to arrive? This was before the recent inclement weather. During this time, she was advised by response staff not to move in case she exacerbated her injuries. Dutifully, she lay on the bathroom floor...
David Rowlands: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on ambulance response times across Wales? OAQ51837
David Rowlands: I'm afraid, coming a little late in a debate, that sometimes many of the points that I wish to make have already been made, Cabinet Secretary. I thank you, obviously, for your statement, and please forgive me if I do reiterate some of the points that have already been made this evening. The measurement of any programme can be challenging. We see with many plans that the focus is often on...
David Rowlands: Leader of the house, can I first of all agree with the comments from Jenny Rathbone? As a member of the University and College union, I totally agree with the statement she made and the comments she expressed. It's critical that we address this matter. Can I ask for two statements from the Welsh Government? The first one's an easy one. The former Cabinet Secretary for communities and...
David Rowlands: Yes.
David Rowlands: Well, thank you for that, Mike. But subsequent failure to provide such roads would then place them in breach of contract and liable to commercial penalties. Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary will look to being able to give local authorities that power in the future. With regard to historical neglect in respect of unadopted roads, I fear that this will not be seen as a high priority for local...
David Rowlands: Many of the points I make will have already been made by other contributors to this debate, but I make no excuses for repeating them because I don't think these arguments could be repeated too often. I, as have many others, have had a number of contacts from constituents with regard to the matters raised in this motion, which can, in certain circumstances, lead to health issues caused by...
David Rowlands: Thank you for that reply, Cabinet Secretary. I do understand that the Welsh Government has planning laws under consideration, but would the Cabinet Secretary not agree with me that simplicity must constitute a key element in the Government's approach to any changes to laws governing planning, especially given that planning laws in Wales at present are so complicated and often difficult to...
David Rowlands: 2. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet amlinellu sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu symleiddio'r gyfraith gynllunio yng Nghymru i'w gwneud yn haws i'w deall? OAQ51744
David Rowlands: I thank you for your answer, First Minister, but do you really believe that the EU and the common agricultural policy regime has been an unmitigated success story for the Welsh farming industry? Because if so, perhaps you and those supporting our presence in the European Union can explain to me the efficacy of seeing our hill farmers reduced to subsistence level on £12,000 per year while...
David Rowlands: 3. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's concerns about the future of the Welsh agriculture industry in light of Brexit? OAQ51748
David Rowlands: Can I say at the outset that my party will be supporting this motion? The reason for this is that, as has been said before, the M4 relief road scheme is one of the biggest and most expensive projects ever undertaken by the Welsh Assembly and one of such importance that the Welsh Government itself saw fit to launch a long-lasting and exhaustive inquiry into its form and format. It therefore...
David Rowlands: Again, I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his reply, but, given such startling figures as places such as Camden in London being 23 times more productive per head of population than north Wales, there appears to be a huge gap to fill. Economists say that they're not surprised at Wales's lack of productivity, identifying low levels of business investment, poor transport infrastructure and...
David Rowlands: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his reply, but I'm sure he will agree that any strategy or improvement plan needs to be assessed and measured over time. This demands that the Government has to have in place economic indicators that facilitate this analysis. This, of course, applies as much to the notoriously unproductive public sector as it does to the private sector. Can the Cabinet...
