Neil McEvoy: A point of order.
Neil McEvoy: Thank you. What was said by the Member for Merthyr was factually incorrect, and I ask her to withdraw it.
Neil McEvoy: Like the Ministers, yes?
Neil McEvoy: What we have here are many facets of a one-party state, which has been run by the Labour Party since 1999. And do you know what, the news is: your time is running out. Diolch yn fawr.
Neil McEvoy: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. First of all, in Caerphilly, the Plaid councillor did not support the pay deal, Labour councillors did. Insofar as my own situation, I’m looking forward to working with my community and investing the councillor allowance after the elections, if re-elected, in my community. I can’t wait. [Interruption.] I think there’s a huge—. I think what we have here is a...
Neil McEvoy: Chair, a statement has been made about me that was factually incorrect. I ask the Member to be called to order, please.
Neil McEvoy: It really would be fantastic to see the wages of top—[Interruption.]
Neil McEvoy: I think, colleagues, the way that Government Ministers behave sometimes is shameful—[Interruption.]
Neil McEvoy: [Continues.]—and demeaning to this institution. [Interruption.]
Neil McEvoy: I’ll make progress, because I think it would be fantastic that the top earners and lowest earners in the public sector—if their salaries were linked. In that way, Nick Bennett and others who give themselves pay rises would see the lowest-paid people in the organisation increase their pay also. If there was a pay cut at the bottom, there would also be a pay cut at the top. Now, I would...
Neil McEvoy: I’ll willingly give way to the Minister, who once upon a time had three jobs—
Neil McEvoy: [Continues.]—whilst being an Assembly Member. Would you like to speak, Minister? You’ve got enough to say shouting. No? Okay, fine.
Neil McEvoy: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I move the motion and ask for support for the motion tabled in Rhun ap Iorwerth’s name. At a time of austerity, when public services are being slashed to the bone, youth and play centres are being closed, leisure centres are being privatised in Cardiff, it’s not surprising that the public is outraged by the wages being earned by a new Labour elite in the public...
Neil McEvoy: We’ve also taken steps to provide better scrutiny of senior pay by ensuring that the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 during the fourth Assembly improved transparency in how senior officers’ pay is decided through the establishment of independent remuneration panels. Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM ensured that all senior pay awards have to be scrutinised and voted on in councils, and...
Neil McEvoy: There’s a huge contradiction between what you say about the regional approach and the reality, because local authorities just plan ahead with developments as if the city region project isn’t happening. So, why are you allowing Labour-run City of Cardiff Council to destroy the greenfields in your own constituency, rather than allocating them around the region as they would do with the...
Neil McEvoy: Will the Minister make a statement on the implementation of goal 2 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015?
Neil McEvoy: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's efforts to control air pollution?
Neil McEvoy: As somebody who has worked with female victims of domestic abuse and supported them, I welcome most of the statement. I am concerned at a lack of regulation in the sector, which means that some people fall through the gaps, and those people have ended up in my office. On occasion, it’s been very difficult to get children’s services to listen to victims, and the way that they’ve been...
Neil McEvoy: I'm trying to find it. Because, if you look—oh, it’s the next sheet. If you look at what is online, it amounts to 60 pages of A4 text followed by a multiple-choice exam. There are no videos, there are few examples, there are few case studies, there are no diagrams, there's no interactive content. Now, this is really important, Minister, because, in other words, it breaches the Welsh...
Neil McEvoy: God, this Government does like its hype, doesn't it? Including ‘groundbreaking legislation’: well, I think the only thing that I see groundbreaking in this is the complete incompetence with the implementation of this. It talks about a fit-and-proper test and, importantly, training. Well, it's a pity that that is not extended to Ministers. It was estimated that there were 130,000 landlords...
