Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, I think that Bethan Jenkins has made some very good points, and they're points that have been made to many others as Assembly Members from across Wales. I met with my own local community health council last year, and they were concerned about some of the possible proposals to come forward from the Welsh Government in this area. They're not averse to change and they...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, last week, I visited Monmouth Comprehensive's brand new school building, which is still to be finished admittedly, in the town of Monmouth, and that building is a fantastic, creative space that's designed to be open, transparent and to reduce the chances of physical violence happening in that space as much as is possible. But, of course, buildings are only half the...
Nick Ramsay: You didn't disappoint, Mick, no. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing this motion here today and these regulations? I'm pleased that Jane Hutt mentioned the charter for the Welsh Revenue Authority. It seems a while back now that I first proposed one of the amendments that has led to the creation of the charter. First there was the dream, now there is the reality. It's good to see...
Nick Ramsay: I will keep this very brief, Deputy Presiding Officer—
Nick Ramsay: —because I can see you've got that glint in your eye. Two quick questions—[Interruption.] That was a compliment, sort of.
Nick Ramsay: Firstly, leader of the house, a success—. A positive start. A success with a constituent from near Newcastle—not the Newcastle, a Newcastle just north of Monmouth—who has faced a long delay with accessing a fibre to the premises connection, which I know is complex. It turned out that the reason for the delay in that connection was that the records that were being kept by BT broadband...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, last night I was pleased to attend the world premiere of the new BBC drama, Requiem, a joint venture with Netflix, which has been partially filmed at Cefn Tilla house in my constituency and shows off the Welsh countryside at its very best. Could we have a statement from the Welsh Government on the promotion of Wales as an international film location? There's clearly...
Nick Ramsay: Will you give way on that point?
Nick Ramsay: Very briefly, I just think that was a very cheap shot and you're better than that. No-one is talking about merging economic Wales with economic regions of England; this is about closer co-operation, which, you know in your heart of hearts, is quite different.
Nick Ramsay: Will you also accept an intervention on fuzzy boundaries? [Laughter.]
Nick Ramsay: Will the Cabinet Secretary give way?
Nick Ramsay: On that specific point—because I did mention the fact you'd rejected that recommendation. I do take the Welsh Government's point on why you didn't find that recommendation acceptable, but would you at least undertake to look at ways that the process can be bolstered so that those issues of funding and affordability, whilst I understand they're being looked at in other areas, are brought...
Nick Ramsay: I'm pleased to be here to debate today the Finance Committee's inquiry into the financial estimates accompanying legislation—probably not the talk of bars and pubs across the land, but nonetheless—[Interruption.] Well, maybe in your neck of the woods, Dai Lloyd. Nonetheless an important issue for us to discuss because it does go to the heart of what we do here in terms of forming...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd, and congratulations, or maybe not congratulations, to the Chair of the Finance Committee for having the onerous task of taking that Bill forward. We’ve had many discussions about that, and that does have the support of the committee.
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, finance Secretary. I'm getting increasingly concerned, because once again today there appears to be a distinct lack of figures. It wasn't that long ago that the Welsh Government told the Assembly that the cost would be less than £1 billion. I think a guarantee of some form was issued to us, whether it was that word or not, back then. But it now seems that this was grossly...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch. I don't disagree with what you've just said, finance Secretary, and I appreciate that there's currently an ongoing public inquiry looking into the different possible solutions and routes for the M4 and that should be allowed to take its course. I also appreciate that there's a policy issue to be debated here, and you're not the Secretary to do that with. However, I'm asking you...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch, Llywydd. Finance Secretary, yesterday, the First Minister didn't fully answer the leader of the opposition's question on an upper funding cap for the proposed M4 relief road. Are you prepared to give details of a cap, or is the Welsh Government happy for the costs simply to spiral?
Nick Ramsay: Will the Leader of the House provide an update on the Welsh Government’s policies for improving broadband coverage in rural Wales?
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, I mentioned in First Minister's questions that I attended the packed Severn growth summit at the Celtic Manor Resort, which is looking at ways of building on changes such as the abolition of the Severn bridge tolls later in the year. Would it be possible to have a statement from the Welsh Government on how you also intend as a Government to work to develop the economy of...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, I think Lee Waters made a very good point, and I agree with most of your answer there. Yesterday, I attended the Severn growth summit at the Celtic Manor. The summit looked at ways of developing the economy of south-east Wales, particularly now in the light of, first, the reduction in, and then the decision to abolish, the Severn bridge tolls later in the year. First Minister,...
