Adam Price: One of the most striking things in the report is this fact: namely, that 38 per cent of the total jobs growth in Wales over the past 10 years can be attributed to the self-employed. Over the same period, there’s been no net increase in the inward investment sector. And again, and I quote from the report: ‘the language of economic policy-making is massively skewed toward the importance of...
Adam Price: There’s not much to say in opposition to this motion, but I just ask for a few more details from the leader of the house to understand the process that led to this decision to agree the memorandum. She mentioned the main incentive, which as I understand it is the concern that Wales will be seen as a less favourable place for investment in this context. Could she tell us a little bit more...
Adam Price: Over the past few days, the Iris Prize film festival has been staged here in Cardiff. It represents the largest gay film prize in the world, and the largest short film prize awarded anywhere. So, may I ask the First Minister to congratulate those people who arranged that event and the volunteers for their success? I declare an interest because I was there for most of the festival and it is...
Adam Price: The original business case in 2012 that was the basis for the electrification decision included four electric trains per hour between Swansea and Cardiff, including local services, as I understand. Now, had the Welsh Government inserted a requirement for electric local services in the detailed franchise specification, as per this original business case, the Department for Transport would have...
Adam Price: 3. Has the Welsh Government specified the provision of electric trains between Cardiff and Swansea in its invitation to tender for the Wales and Borders franchise? (OAQ51220)
Adam Price: Diolch. It’s yet another opportunity for us to discuss the reform of business rates. I mean, I’m not the only one, I’m sure, in this Chamber, to be hit by a tsunami of déjà vu. It seems a perennial in this place that we are constantly returning to this subject, and for good reason, really. This is an anachronistic discredited tax. It’s a bit like the window tax, which was repealed...
Adam Price: I’m very pleased to support the recommendations of the committee. It’s an opportunity, of course, for us to give attention to part of our public transport infrastructure that, as Russell George said, has, unfortunately, too long and too consistently been a cinderella sector in terms of public investment and in terms of the focus of public policy. I’m speaking now as somebody who was...
Adam Price: Answer the question that I asked you.
Adam Price: On 7 July, Cabinet Secretary, you told me in a written reply that you did not expect that civil servants were involved in the leaking of this information, and I believe that has now been confirmed by the Permanent Secretary. On 14 August, you told me that you were satisfied that special advisers were not responsible for the leaking of this information. That doesn’t leave many people left in...
Adam Price: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that report. The company in the letter that he referred to contests what he has just said, and I’m sure they will respond in due course. They maintain that a redacted copy of the report was only made available to them at 5.16 p.m. on Friday evening after the statement was made to the Assembly. While we’re on the subject of the publication of information...
Adam Price: Diolch, Llywydd. Unlike David Rowlands, I cannot promise not to mention the Circuit of Wales. On Friday, in a written statement to this Assembly in relation to the publication of the due diligence conducted on that project, Cabinet Secretary, you said that, In relation to the fit and proper person test report, we have been unable to publish either in full or in summary because Michael Carrick...
Adam Price: Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what new policies the Welsh Government plans to bring forward to support medium-sized businesses?
Adam Price: Can we have a statement, in Government time, on the validity of the recent intervention by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales in the debate on the Government’s White Paper on the Welsh language? The ombudsman has published his own response to the White Paper—the only one that appears on their website—making the case for shifting complaints functions from the commissioner to his...
Adam Price: Is the First Minister aware that Wales is responsible for producing most industrial graphene in the world? We’ve been in the carbon business before in Wales, of course, but it is good to see that we are in the vanguard with this industrial revolution. Two companies from Ammanford are responsible, by the way. Would it be possible for us to meet with officials in the department for the...
Adam Price: One of the key conclusions of the FSB report is that Welsh Government economic policy has relied too heavily on attracting foreign direct investment. That’s not just true of this Government; it’s true of Welsh economic policy going back 50 years to when Cledwyn Hughes produced ‘Wales: The Way Ahead’ in 1967. It hasn’t worked. At best, it’s been a short-term sticking plaster; at...
Adam Price: Does the Minister at least consider that it’s clear evidence that there are deficiencies in this White Paper that everybody that represents Welsh campaigners, Welsh speakers, say that they’re concerned that this White Paper is going to weaken the rights of Welsh speakers? You would listen to Stonewall if it was a matter of the rights of gay people. Why aren’t you listening to the Welsh...
Adam Price: There is major work to be done to reach the objectives of the language strategy. There are gaps, certainly. And the promotion agency is one of them. Our party called for the creation of that kind of agency and it certainly was a strategic error to get rid of that element. But in trying to fill that vacuum, the risk is that we then weaken severely the part of the system relating to regulation,...
Adam Price: Before you close, could you, and I’ve been listening intently—? On this central question, which arises in other contexts, of course, is it a system that centralises power with the Government or a system of a commissioner or a commission, which is independent of a Government in order to give the credibility and the confidence to our Welsh speakers that their rights are being...
Adam Price: Well, the additional money that was referred to was for marketing. I would like the Conservative Party to point out the areas that all these positive ideas that Plaid Cymru have brought to the table—which one of them do you disagree with? Do you think that there should be less money for the tourism sector?
Adam Price: In terms of the tourism levy, I think this is an idea that deserves to be explored. It is used widely—[Interruption.] It is used widely throughout most economies. Many of them have bigger tourism sectors than us and they use it to invest intelligently in the skills and infrastructure necessary to have a successful tourism economy. It’s called investing in the future of your country, and...
