Mark Reckless: Quickly, yes.
Mark Reckless: I agree with the Member's point. The city deals started back with the first eight of them being agreed within the UK in July 2012. Now those were eight deals in England, including places, such as Bristol and Nottingham, of a similar size to Cardiff and not much bigger than Swansea. Why did it take so long for this concept then to be developed in Wales? In England, between July 2012 and that...
Mark Reckless: I don't rule out supporting it; we'll consider the debate and take a decision. But it is more difficult to create those benefits of agglomeration in rural areas because that agglomeration needs lots of people working together in a confined space. To a degree, we have that in Cardiff, and many of my constituents in south-east Wales commute into Cardiff to often reasonably well-paying jobs, and...
Mark Reckless: Of course.
Mark Reckless: In point 1 of our motion, we speak about increasing inequality as evidenced by GVA, then in point 4(b) we speak about our objective to grow wages and to grow prosperity across Wales. I'd just like to emphasise that there is a difference between GVA and wages and prosperity, because GVA looks at production in a particular area. As I think Mike mentioned, a lot of people commute into Cardiff...
Mark Reckless: One issue that's been raised with me is that the courses that Merthyr college offer and are available to adult learners generally require full-time attendance and attendance in the daytime as well as in the evening. I just wonder—given the commitments that many adults will have for caring and employment, would the Minister agree with me that it would be desirable if Merthyr, and indeed...
Mark Reckless: Will the Minister make a statement on the future of obstetric and inpatient paediatric services in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board?
Mark Reckless: Does he accept there can also be a benefit to people in Wales of rail investment even if it's not within Welsh borders, in particular the electrification of the line from Paddington to Severn tunnel? It's of a huge benefit to Wales and will he recognise that?
Mark Reckless: One of the challenges of growth deals in Wales, compared to in England, where many were going previously, is that the Welsh Government is another significant partner in the room, whose agreement is needed to progress deals, and will legitimately have different emphases, and perhaps in some areas, different priorities to the UK Government. What can Welsh Government do to ensure its presence,...
Mark Reckless: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the progress of growth deals in Wales? OAQ53379
Mark Reckless: With Turkey, the Member gives an example of why it's so bad to be in a customs union with the EU while having no say over its trade policy. But does he recognise that one positive result for the competitiveness of steel produced in his constituency since the vote to leave the European Union is an exchange rate that is 15 per cent lower? And, yes, WTO will bring challenges, but it will also...
Mark Reckless: The fundamental reason those few years have been so difficult is people like the Member will not accept the result of the referendum. Now, the fact is, his constituency voted 'leave' more than anywhere else in Wales.
Mark Reckless: The Member didn't accept the result from the word 'go'. He's managed to inveigle the Labour Party gradually into agreeing with Plaid Cymru on a Brexit in name only and pushing that, and, as we get closer and closer to the deadline, being more and more clear in their belief that their voters were wrong and they should be made to vote again. But when they say, in part 2 of this motion, that it,...
Mark Reckless: I had thought that, in the third part of this motion, actually, the Welsh Government was not willing to call for a second referendum—was using weaselly words that work should begin immediately on preparing for a public vote, whatever that may be; perhaps it was a general election, perhaps they couldn't agree. Perhaps, like the people in the House of Commons, who didn't even dare put an...
Mark Reckless: I will.
Mark Reckless: I will.
Mark Reckless: The Member is right that the House of Commons has said that, but it said it by 318 votes to 310, and it chose only to say that and express an opinion, and when given the opportunity two or three times to do something about it, voted by a majority twice as large not to and to support the UK Government in its negotiating position to put pressure on the European Union to make alternative...
Mark Reckless: I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for his speech. He says that, last night, he was able to agree a form of words for the motion with Welsh Government. I just wonder when Welsh Government were cosying up to Plaid Cymru, who want to break up our United Kingdom, whether they thought of an alternative approach that they might take, one of supporting the UK Government in its negotiating position and going...
Mark Reckless: Mandy Jones rightly observes that the Welsh capital has a very good record in attracting major events, particularly in the sporting field. One of the items of perhaps what may be described as constructive feedback that we sometimes get from organising bodies and visitors, though, is it would be better if people coming in by road weren't held up in jams, often for hours, through the Brynglas...
Mark Reckless: What effect has the land transaction tax had on the yield from commercial property transactions since April 2018?
