Steffan Lewis: The UK economy is currently growing more slowly than all its economic competitors in the club of advanced economies. By comparing OBR forecasts with International Monetary Fund forecasts for the other G7 economies, the productivity slowdown has limited growth, weighed on living standards, and put the UK behind most of its peers in the G7 group of leading industrial economies. Britain's...
Steffan Lewis: I’d like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement today, and also to thank him for the way that he’s undertaken this process of negotiating the budget between our two parties. I’d also like to thank my colleague Adam Price for leading the negotiations on behalf of my party. It’s true to say that there are a number of things that Plaid Cymru and the Government couldn’t agree...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the First Minister for that answer. As he mentioned, because of the agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government, there will be a return of in-patient perinatal mental health services in this country. It was expected, though, that by now the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee would have come back with a report on how in-patient perinatal mental health services could...
Steffan Lewis: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of perinatal mental health services in Wales? OAQ51401
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate today. Obviously, I disagree with almost every word that the previous speaker said, but perhaps that won’t be a great deal of surprise. I move formally the amendment tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. The fact, of course, that we are talking about taxation policy in Wales is a huge step for us as a...
Steffan Lewis: On Remembrance Day, two weeks ago, people from all communities came together to remember those who'd lost their lives in all conflicts, and, in particular, those who died in the first world war. During the remembrance period, of course, it is our opportunity to reflect upon the sacrifice of all those, past and present, who have served in our armed forces. We thank them for what they do on our...
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's a pleasure for me to move formally the amendments in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. In March 2015, it was announced that there would be a dualling of the Ebbw Vale line as part of a £40 million initiative that would deliver a half-hourly service. This was amid much fanfare. There were public engagement events and a great deal of media coverage and it was said that dualling the track would be complete by the following winter,...
Steffan Lewis: The Cabinet Secretary will be aware, I'm sure, of the fiasco of the Pwll-y-Pant roundabout in Caerphilly, and I am aware this isn't a Welsh Government road, but it is an important regional route, and it's having an enormous impact on local businesses and on people's daily lives. Can I ask if he, or his department, has engaged with the local authority in terms of looking at the nature of the...
Steffan Lewis: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on rail services in south-east Wales? OAQ51305
Steffan Lewis: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to start by thanking the Cabinet Secretary, first of all, for allowing me to receive a helpful technical brief on these Orders in the past week. I only have a few questions this afternoon. Under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, it is a requirement for public health bodies to produce an annual report that shows their...
Steffan Lewis: Last week, a written statement was published by the local government Secretary on the 'Our Valleys, Our Future' implementation plan. That was, of course, due to be an earlier oral statement but, for very proper and understandable reasons, that couldn't take place. But the implementation plan is of such importance, and there are real implications for the Assembly budget and for the economic...
Steffan Lewis: I thank the First Minister for that answer. He is aware of my view, of course, that there needs to be a new, comprehensive international policy for Wales now that encompasses everything from trade to international development. I believe that there are many lessons we can learn from other sub-state nations. I know he's reluctant to do so at the moment, because of the ongoing uncertainty around...
Steffan Lewis: 6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's international policy? OAQ51306
Steffan Lewis: I thank the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan for raising this important question. Obviously, the automotive sector is of crucial importance to Wales, and the stark warning issued by Aston Martin underlines just how important it is for Wales to have a direct voice in the separation negotiations with the EU, and, indeed, underlines the need for this country to have a say and a vote on the final...
Steffan Lewis: Will you give way?
Steffan Lewis: The point I made in an earlier intervention was that the Scottish Government managed to negotiate a fiscal framework that allowed an adjustment to the Barnett block in order to administer welfare in Scotland. Is he saying that he doesn’t have the confidence to go up to London and negotiate a settlement for Wales so that he can administer welfare here and end the injustice now?
Steffan Lewis: But Welsh local authorities will be paying the price anyway for Tory welfare reform, so we’d be picking up the tab one way or another anyway.
Steffan Lewis: I’m grateful to the Member for giving way, and that is an important point, because, of course, the devolution of budget for the whole of the welfare system would be an enormous challenge to us, given the fiscal constraints of the country. But the administration of welfare is another matter, and, of course, the Cabinet Secretary pointed to the administrative costs earlier. The block grant in...
Steffan Lewis: [Continues.]—in order to achieve it. Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. If we’re going to meet the target to reach zero waste by 2050—coming onto Plaid Cymru’s amendment—we will need radical changes to our behaviour, to the goods we consume, and their packaging. And of the four taxes that the Welsh Government’s proposing to undertake further inspection into, it is the tax on disposable...
