Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I say what a pleasure it is to take part in this debate? I think the contributions preceding mine have been excellent; I hope I can add something to it. But there's something that I've agreed with in everybody's contribution so far. There are some areas of disagreement, and I'll pick up on the point that's just been made. There are some good parts of my Conservative colleague's...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I didn't expect to be called so soon, but I'm delighted to contribute right at the outset. First of all, can I thank Russell and the committee members—
Huw Irranca-Davies: No, don't do that; don't think twice about this. Delighted with the report and the wide-ranging recommendations, some of which I'll turn to in a moment, but I also want to go a bit further as well and see what the committee thinks, what Russell thinks, and also the Minister on some other proposals as well to do with decarbonisation in Wales. First of all, delighted to see the proposals...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Gweinidog. I know there's a lot of support been put forward already. I've probably stood on the touch lines and been in the clubhouse of every club from Gilfach to Caerau to Pontyclun inside and outside my constituency over the years, and I know that they're not just sporting clubs, but of course the bedrock of the community as well. They do so much in terms of community support,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, I agree that where we can take a four-nation approach, then of course, we should; but sometimes I'm glad we don't, because we were shocked to read the conclusions of the National Audit Office's report on the lack of transparency in the way the UK Government has procured PPE and other key contracts during the coronavirus, and then subsequent revelations about multi-million pound...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 8. What support can the Welsh Government provide to community rugby and football clubs who have been forced to close their facilities due to COVID-19? OQ55960
Huw Irranca-Davies: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the effectiveness of the UK Government’s engagement with devolved governments on a co-ordinated response to COVID-19?
Huw Irranca-Davies: First Minister, we know that the financial blow of coronavirus has fallen hardest on those who are already disadvantaged, and this has come on top of a decade of Tory austerity, and that despite the efforts of Welsh and devolved Governments to mitigate this, the impact, cumulatively, of the UK Government's benefits cuts and delays and penalties has punished the lowest paid and the lowest...
Huw Irranca-Davies: From 30 November to 6 December, we celebrate Electrical Safety Week Wales. The Electrical Safety First charity are the only charity working in Wales who are dedicated to reducing the number of injuries and deaths caused by electricity. They use Electrical Safety Week to promote electrical fire safety in the home, raising awareness that over half of all accidental house fires are caused by...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, only a few short months ago, we saw Conservative Cabinet members of the UK Government and, indeed, the Prime Minister clapping and thanking key workers every Thursday at 8 p.m. on the doorstep—indeed, outside No. 10. Fast-forward to today, we now know that the Chancellor is planning to freeze the pay for some of those key workers. Thank goodness it's not our NHS workers, and some...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. And, First Minister, you'll know that Centrica began talks with the GMB union earlier this year about terms and conditions changes to jobs, but they kicked off those talks in the middle of the pandemic with the threat to fire and rehire its 20,000 strong UK workforce, and the biggest proportion of these jobs per head of population is right here in...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that it can create jobs and training opportunities for people of all ages in Ogmore in the context of an economic downturn? OQ55900
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I begin by thanking Plaid Cymru for calling this debate and for their motion as well? Right at the top of the motion, in the three points they have, the first one notes this high continued prevalence of COVID-19 across the south Wales Valleys. There are other parts in Wales as well—indeed, in north Wales as well—which have high rates, but it's particularly prevalent across the south...
Huw Irranca-Davies: This year, we celebrate the centenary of the Association of Wrens and Women of the Royal Naval Services, keeping friends and former comrades in touch. Warrant officer class 1 RNCS Barbara McGregor, living in Aberkenfig, is a trustee of the association. She retires this year, after an exemplary 44 years of service in the Women's Royal Naval Service. She first joined as a Wren radio operator in...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the Minister for that response. And right at the top of Welsh Government's child poverty income maximisation plan, objective 1 seeks to ensure that families in Wales are supported to claim all the financial help they're entitled to. Now, this is vital, because a pound not claimed is a pound poorer that family is, and it's a pound less coming back into that family and that community in...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 2. What measures will the Minister promote across the Welsh Government to alleviate child poverty in Ogmore? OQ55854
Huw Irranca-Davies: I'll just begin with agreeing with Mark Reckless there that there should, indeed, be an election on 6 May. I think, in many ways, we're all agreed with that. The problem is that it's—what was that phrase by Donald Rumsfeld—the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns as well. We realise that we could be in a situation here where something makes it impossible to hold that election on 6 May....
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, could we have a debate on the Wales and, indeed, the UK-wide calls for the UK Government to develop a benefits take-up campaign across the UK to make sure that all of those who are entitled to financial support are actually getting it, particularly as the downturn hits our lowest income families and disadvantaged communities, and also whether we'd make permanent the current...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I thank the First Minister for that positive and constructive response. I'm sure, like me, he would welcome the fact that it looks as though we're going to have a proactive, engaged and constructive partner, now, willing to play its role on the global stage, including by rejoining the World Health Organization in dealing with the global pandemic and by recommitting to the Paris agreement and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the impact that the result of the US presidential elections will have on the Welsh Government's international strategy? OQ55853
