Mr Simon Thomas: Well, First Minister, the shortage is critical in some areas—not across Wales, I would agree, but, in certain areas, such as southern Pembrokeshire, there is a grave shortage of GPs. There is a recruitment campaign ongoing, I accept that, but, in the meantime, what are you doing to ensure that primary care is available to all in areas such as southern Pembrokeshire by using pharmacies and...
Mr Simon Thomas: 10. Will the First Minister make a statement on GP shortages in Wales? OAQ(5)0288(FM)[W]
Mr Simon Thomas: Will you give way on that point?
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Llywydd, and may I thank Suzy Davies, the Commissioner for budget and governance, for presenting the Commission’s draft budget? As outlined, the Finance Committee has discussed the budget and appreciated the way in which Suzy Davies and officials came before the committee and answered our questions in an open manner and, of course, provided more information promptly following the...
Mr Simon Thomas: At this time of year I think it’s appropriate to remember that many of our community centres are actually memorial halls and originated, particularly, after the first world war. I was pleased to be able to commemorate Remembrance Sunday in my local community centre, which is a memorial hall in Penparcau in Aberystwyth. Talking to the trustees there after that event, it was clear that they...
Mr Simon Thomas: May I ask for two statements from Government, first of all on how the Government is deciding to use the apprenticeships levy? I understand that the Westminster Government has now announced how much funding will be distributed to the Welsh Government in the first and second years under the levy, but of course, as has just been mentioned by the First Minister, that includes funding paid by...
Mr Simon Thomas: There is one thing that we can do in Wales, First Minister, on the basis of the plastic bags levy, and that is a deposit-return scheme so that the plastic bottles that are used today in Wales are re-used and returned, and that deposit is repaid, rather than them ending up on our beaches.
Mr Simon Thomas: You’ll need the Russian again. [Laughter.]
Mr Simon Thomas: Will the Minister take a question?
Mr Simon Thomas: Just on that point: it struck me that the aims and objectives that were published on Friday of the future generations Act set out systems rather than ecosystems. Can you assure me that there’s nothing meaningful in the fact that the aims talk about systems, whereas the Act talks about ecosystems, and that what the Government is talking about is ecosystems?
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am pleased to open this debate and that so many Assembly Members are interested in the debate on the report. The purpose of the report is to put before the Assembly this particular report produced by some 56 different organisations—conservation organisations, environmental organisations and animal protection organisations also—on the state of nature...
Mr Simon Thomas: I thank the Chair for giving a fair summary of the committee’s proceedings to date. From the Plaid Cymru point of view, it is important that we do seize the opportunities now, in terms of the decision to leave the European Union, in order to ensure that we have the best possible terms for agriculture and rural areas, but also to ensure that opportunities are taken to tailor agricultural...
Mr Simon Thomas: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. About a year ago, I met Elly Neville of Pembroke, and Elly had won a competition to design a collage Pembrokeshire flag at Pembroke Dock Community School as part of the school’s St David Day’s celebrations. Elly and her family then took the flag around Pembrokeshire to raise funds for the refurbishment and upgrade of ward 10 at Withybush hospital, to...
Mr Simon Thomas: Cabinet Secretary, if Withybush was in your constituency, would the constant reliance on locum paediatric consultants meet your demands and expectations of high-quality care?
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m pleased to tell the Minister that it doesn’t take six hours to travel from Aberystwyth to Cardiff. I do it on a weekly basis and it takes four hours. But, four hours is more than enough to be on the train because most of the journey is through England. It would be nice to travel from Cardiff to Aberystwyth through Wales, rather than through England. But the main blessing of this...
Mr Simon Thomas: Cabinet Secretary, why not embrace the excellent opportunities that exist in responding to the challenge of climate change—these positive economic opportunities? What is the Government doing to promote hydrogen fuel cell technologies in the economy at the moment? I understand that fuel cells were originally devised in Wales, as it happens, but, by now, those hydrogen fuel cells are a way...
Mr Simon Thomas: While the Counsel General is listing the historical precedent, let’s go back to the Magna Carta, which said that the laws of Wales should be applied in the lands of Wales. Let us recall that, therefore, the triggering of article 50 will have a very real impact on the domestic law of Wales. Therefore, I fully support his decision to apply to be part of the case in the Supreme Court. I think...
Mr Simon Thomas: I’m not overly sentimental about the location of the armed forces, and I recall that the Brecon barracks were used to put down the working-class rebellion in Merthyr Tydfil in 1831 as well, but I think it is important that we see many army bases located in communities in Wales. I think it is important that many of our young people who serve in the armed forces are able to maintain their...
Mr Simon Thomas: It’s difficult to see how we can achieve the objectives of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 if young people, and people more generally, in our communities cannot access leisure centres, and specifically swimming pools, as swimming is part of the national curriculum. As has just been mentioned, the school council at Knighton school have written to me and many other...
Mr Simon Thomas: I cannot. I’ve answered your points in summing up and I now must sum up. [Interruption.] You’ve had five minutes. I’ve answered your points in summing up. I must make progress.
