David Rowlands: Thank you. I thank the Counsel General for his answer. As the Counsel General will know, I am an avid supporter of Brexit. However, I have always advocated that each and every competence returned to the UK Government that is a devolved competence should be passed to the devolved Governments in its entirety. This also stands for any monetary benefits accruing from leaving the EU. The shared...
David Rowlands: 1. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the operation of the shared prosperity fund? OQ56010
David Rowlands: I will indeed. Okay, sorry. Deputy Minister, there's no doubt that the plans and projects outlined in the report are ambitious and desirable, but if we are to assuage the growing discontent, not just with the Welsh Government but with the Senedd institution as a whole, these grand designs—for that is what they are—cannot fail. They have to deliver, or, dare we say, more than deliver, on...
David Rowlands: I have no doubt whatsoever that the Deputy Minister charged with the task of reinvigorating the former mining communities of the south Wales Valleys is a truly committed individual, with a real desire to succeed where others have patently failed. My worry is the sheer number of organisations and bodies tasked with instigating and developing the programmes of the Valleys taskforce. First, we...
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Minister for his statement today? I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Lord Burns and his team for this comprehensive report and for the often innovative recommendations it contains. We're all acutely aware of how important the M4 is not only to South Wales East, but as an access to the rest of south Wales, given that it links all three of the region's cities. We are also...
David Rowlands: I thank the First Minister for that answer. The Welsh Government made a brave decision when it bought Cardiff Airport. That decision appeared to be vindicated, given the performance of the airport in the years leading up to the COVID crisis. Despite some opposition in this Chamber, I believe that a truly international-quality airport is a significant, even vital ingredient if we are to call...
David Rowlands: 7. Will the First Minister make a statement on future funding for Cardiff Airport in light of the impact of COVID-19? OQ56008
David Rowlands: First, can I congratulate the committee on an excellent report? It really is an in-depth study that includes many positive suggestions. Can I also acknowledge the Government's entirely positive response to the report? It must be one of the first Government responses to a report I've seen that doesn't have an 'accept in principle' in it. Given the Welsh Government's commitment to a...
David Rowlands: First Minister, I shall first acknowledge the unprecedented package of financial assistance you have unveiled for the hospitality industry. However, First Minister, the hospitality trade want to be doing just that—trading. They don't want handouts, however generous, because they don't adequately cover their costs. First Minister, this latest set of quite farcical lockdown measures is...
David Rowlands: Yes. [Inaudible.]—to support the transformation of a new digital industry.
David Rowlands: In opening my contribution to this debate, I would echo the words of Professor Brown, in his presage to his report, where he says he hopes 'this report acts as a catalyst to ignite a national conversation on what digital innovation means for the people and communities of Wales, not just the high-tech innovative businesses of the future.' The report also identifies in depth the effect AI may...
David Rowlands: Well, I have looked at the mutual investment model and I have to say that it has a number of advantages. First of all, it will help the Government to bring forward this project much faster than it might have been able to otherwise, and we have to say there is no doubt that this stretch of the A465 is a vital infrastructure project. Together with the work being done in the Clydach gorge...
David Rowlands: I will be supporting Janet Finch-Saunders and Llyr's proposals this afternoon. There is no doubt that we are all aware of the scourge of discarded plastic bottles and cans that litter our streets and are all too often found in some of our most beautiful, rural and seaside settings. I believe that the amount of such litter would be drastically reduced by the introduction of a deposit-return...
David Rowlands: Well, actually, we have commissioned some things with regard to replacing the windows in the Senedd throughout Tŷ Hywel, and I'm sure that that matter will be taken into account when that actually happens. But I think it's important to note, at this particular time, that, since we've come back in September, estate occupancy has remained low during the pandemic, with just approximately 15...
David Rowlands: The Senedd is a naturally ventilated building, using automated opening windows for the open spaces and a ducted fresh air system for the Siambr, committee rooms and other enclosed spaces. Tŷ Hywel has a ventilation system that brings in fresh air to internal areas and a separate system that extracts internal air to the outside. Tŷ Hywel also has opening windows for ventilation.
David Rowlands: I thank the Minister for that answer, but I'm sure that she will agree with me that the role of teachers is critical in the implementation of this curriculum. So, is it true, Minister, that only 30 per cent of the teachers who implemented the new curriculum trial supported it? Most of the teachers that I have spoken to say that if the curriculum is entirely driven by the four purposes, much...
David Rowlands: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on the implementation of the new curriculum? OQ55941
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? And I'm absolutely certain that we are all in agreement that reform of taxi and private hire vehicles is long overdue. The main point I wish to make is that there should be a uniform system across the 22 local authorities of Wales. This would ensure that passengers would have a better understanding of the charges and the rules...
David Rowlands: I think we all have to acknowledge that reforming the transport infrastructure in Wales is a very considerable task, but I think we all agree that we do have to have a fundamental shift in our transport usage, especially the need to encourage the public away from the use of the private car. It is a little bit unfortunate that your statement included a hint that you would be considering a...
David Rowlands: Could the Government give a statement on why huge swathes of mature, healthy trees are being felled from the side of our trunk roads? And, in that statement, could we find out who has authorised these devastating interventions, an extreme instance of which is being carried out as we speak on the A4042 Cwmbran bypass? It's well known that trees are a particularly important element in combating...
