Alun Davies: If I think back over the last three years of this debate, I have to say, I don't believe that this has enhanced our democracy or our democratic traditions, either in Wales or across the United Kingdom. We've seen people who claim to be campaigning for the restoration of a sovereignty that I, frankly, don't believe ever existed, then attacking the fundamental structures and architecture of...
Alun Davies: —ridiculous remark? [Laughter.] Do you not understand that we're currently members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is based in Brussels, and that by being part of NATO we've pooled our sovereignty with some of our friends around the world to guarantee our safety, our security and our democracy? We've enhanced our sovereignty by being part of NATO, not diminished it.
Alun Davies: Excuse me, will you give way on that—
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I should probably place on record that I was clearly a member of the Government when these matters were discussed by members of the Government. Can I say that I'm grateful to Andrew R.T. Davies for bringing this matter to the attention of the National Assembly this afternoon? This is clearly something that we do need to address and to address very, very...
Alun Davies: I’m grateful to the First Minister for that earlier answer. Prior to visiting the new hospital in the Grange, I visited the site of the A465 dualling between Gilwern and Brynmawr, and I spoke to people there about the progress they're making. And when that dualling project is completed, we will have spent something like £500 million in this Assembly delivering on our manifesto pledge to...
Alun Davies: Like others, I was very proud to join the million people on the streets of London on Saturday, and I was proud to march behind Lynne Neagle, who was leading a million-strong demand for a fair say and a final say in these matters. I was delighted to hear the health Minister and the Minister for international affairs speaking up for Wales and speaking up for the Welsh Government and Welsh...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm grateful to the First Minister for his statement this afternoon. I will say to him that I regret very much the tone he used when he described the opportunity to provide for a public vote and to provide for a final say for the people of this country. It is, of course, the policy of Welsh Labour, of Labour, it's the policy of the Welsh...
Alun Davies: I, too, would like to ask for two statements from the Government this afternoon, firstly on the media and access to news in Wales. We've heard in recent weeks that two commercial stations serving Wales are withdrawing their locally produced breakfast shows, and we heard last week that Radio Wales is withdrawing Good Morning Wales and replacing that in May. Taken together, this is a...
Alun Davies: Mark, I'm one of those people; I'm one of them. You're a visitor.
Alun Davies: You're a visitor.
Alun Davies: You are a visitor to my community—[Interruption.] You're a visitor—not a very regular one, but a visitor. And let me say this—[Interruption.] No, I won't give way again. I won't give way. Let me say this—[Interruption.] We rarely see you, Mark. That's just a reality, it's not a critical analysis; we just don't see you. Let me say this: what is ripping apart Blaenau Gwent, and what is...
Alun Davies: Like many people, I must say, I've found the last few years deeply, deeply depressing. I think Brexit has not enhanced our democracy, David: it's broken our democracy. It's broken our politics, and the crashing irony is that for many of those old-fashioned imperialists who see an imperial future for Britain, I believe that Brexit has also broken Britain. I believe it has broken the solidarity...
Alun Davies: I approach this not because of an absolute aversion to the word 'Europe' and any institution that contains that descriptor is therefore wrong as a matter of principle and practice. My approach is somewhat different, although I did find Neil Hamilton's introduction to this debate at least had the virtue of an attempted argument on the basis of principle as well as waving newspaper headlines at...
Alun Davies: Prisoners on remand.
Alun Davies: They're still in prison though, aren't they?
Alun Davies: Will you take an intervention on that?
Alun Davies: Is he aware that prisoners already exercise their right to vote? They tend to vote by post or proxy.
Alun Davies: Can I say I very much welcome this Bill and welcome the terms in which it has been drafted? I'm absolutely looking forward, after spending the best part of my life debating and discussing devolution, to see this exemplar of constitutional reform take place. The Counsel General is very ambitious in his vision in responding on behalf of the Government. I noticed, looking through some boxes at...
Alun Davies: The Minister will be aware of my wish to see a new railway station serving Abertillery and the Ebbw Fach valley in my constituency. I share some of the concerns that were outlined by Helen Mary Jones in terms of the process used to make these determinations. The current model appears to me to give a result that will always be biased towards areas of much higher population in the cities of the...
Alun Davies: Minister, I know your strong personal commitment to this and to ensuring that all learners across the whole country have the very rich education experience that they have a right to expect. I share Lynne Neagle's absolute dismay at the actions of Newport City Council. I feel that Newport City Council is turning its back on some of the most vulnerable learners in the country and acting in an...
