Nick Ramsay: Three brief areas, if I may, leader of the house. Firstly, can I support Mark Isherwood’s earlier call for a statement on support given by the Welsh Government for rare diseases in Wales? I think you mentioned vasculitis, an area of concern close to my heart. Many of these sufferers of rarer diseases do often feel left out. It’s natural for large diseases—cancer, heart disease—to get...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, last year’s UK budget provided a valuable boost to capital infrastructure spending in Wales and shows what can be achieved when Welsh and UK Governments work together. Do you agree with me that the projects that you mentioned, the welcome agreement on a Cardiff city deal, and today’s announcement on the scrapping of the Severn bridge tolls, shows what can be achieved and...
Nick Ramsay: [Inaudible.]—over the last few months. It’s a shame that Plaid Cymru are choosing to attack the Conservative party when the blame does not lie here. Let’s get on with the job of delivering strong and stable leadership for the UK.
Nick Ramsay: And Plaid—[Interruption.] And Plaid Cymru was part of that Welsh Government between 1999 and—[Inaudible.]
Nick Ramsay: I will.
Nick Ramsay: Debt is an important part, an important fiscal tool, and we have been in debt. But you go back to the 1990s, when the deficit was running around £20 billion, and you look at when the Labour Party left power in 2010, and it’s running at well over £150 billion. So, clearly, it has been an upward trajectory and that needs to be controlled. As Plaid Cymru have entered this debate, can I just...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you. Well, if you weren’t aware that the Welsh Conservatives believe in strong and stable leadership before this debate, you are now, and our motion and the contributions made today, certainly from this side of the Chamber, have reiterated the need for that UK leadership to continue beyond 8 June. Now, of course, whilst there is a tangible threat posed to the UK’s economy and...
Nick Ramsay: Thanks, Neil Hamilton, for giving way. And you’re quite right to say that the national debt has, of course, increased since 2010, but it’s the deficit that was the point. The deficit has been reduced, and the Chancellor George Osborne was always honest about the fact that it would take a long time to turn this supertanker around. You can’t do it overnight, unless you wanted to cause...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Mike—just giving you some of your own medicine there. You’re right to say that the banking crisis was caused by America, but, of course, that Labour Government went into that crisis in 2008 with a deficit of £80 billion. We weren’t starting off from the position we should have been in.
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, Huw Irranca-Davies has actually covered most bases in his excellent question to you, and you gave a full answer. I think we would all agree that every child deserves the best start in life, but, for some young people, their background and parents’ profession does make that difficult, and that is especially true in the case of the children of our armed forces. You’ve...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, as Michelle Brown has just said, the Wales Act—the current legislation—will of course deliver a range of new fiscal powers for the Welsh Government, ranging from borrowing to income tax powers and stamp duty. Whatever you want to do with those taxes in the future—whether you want to leave them where they are, raise them, or lower them—will be dependent on a strong...
Nick Ramsay: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on his priorities for local government following the local government elections?
Nick Ramsay: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement today and the publication, indeed, of the future trends report—another first for devolution, although maybe not quite as groundbreaking as some firsts that we’ve had? It’s probably, I’m afraid to say, Cabinet Secretary, not going to be the talk of pubs and clubs across the nation, but I take your statement in the spirit that you...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, let’s please get a little bit of sanity back into this question. Borrowing is, of course, an important tool in any Government’s toolbox. It’s an important tool for the Welsh Government; it’s been an important tool for the UK Government. But the levels of borrowing being proposed by the UK Labour Party are truly eye watering. In your heart of hearts, you know that. Will...
Nick Ramsay: A lot less than when it went up under the Labour Party. It takes a long time to turn a supertank around. At least we’ve started. Unfortunately, your party in Westminster didn’t. I realise I’m out of time, Presiding Officer, so in conclusion to this non-partisan and fair-minded debate—or at least it started that way—I’m happy to join you, Mark Isherwood, on your revolution and on...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Presiding Officer. And can I thank everyone who’s taken part in this afternoon’s debate? It is a fact that local authorities across Wales are clearly under increasing pressure year in, year out. We know that, they know that, there’s no denying it, whatever your view of the reasons for it. As Paul Davies said in opening, we need innovation in local government, and we need...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, leader of the house. In answer to Neil Hamilton’s question earlier, you said that a large percentage of herds are currently TB free. This is little consolation for farmers I met with recently in Dingestow, a TB hotspot in my constituency. They’re concerned that whilst the statistics point to a decline in the number of herds affected by the disease over time, this can be...
Nick Ramsay: 4. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the Welsh Government’s priorities for developing the agricultural sector in Wales? OAQ(5)0127(ERA)
Nick Ramsay: The Welsh Conservatives will also be supporting Stage 4 of this Bill. Can I also thank the Chair of the Finance Committee for his work in overseeing the scrutiny of the Bill at the earlier stage? It’s been uncharted territory for an Assembly committee because, of course, it has been uncharted territory for the Welsh Government as well, and the Cabinet Secretary and his officials. Can I also...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. The public inquiry into the M4 and the route decided on by the Welsh Government is well under way. The Welsh Government’s original published proposals for the M4 black route also included de-motorwaying the existing stretch of motorway between Magor and Castleton, with the possible creation of cycle lanes, bus lanes and speed restrictions. Is this still the Welsh...
