David Lloyd: Thank you for that response, First Minister, and further to that, over the past few months I’ve received a number of complaints about the ability of disabled people to use a number of train stations, including Cwmbran, Abergavenny and Pontypool. Now, whilst recognising that train stations are devolved at the moment, what are you as a Government doing to ensure that stations across Wales do...
David Lloyd: 6. What assessment has the First Minister made in terms of disabled access at train stations across Wales? OAQ(5)0437(FM)
David Lloyd: I’m pleased to have an opportunity to take part in this important debate. Of course, the fact that we’re all living longer is a cause for celebration, as I’ve said before. The success of the NHS is cause for celebration. Back in 1950, the king at the time signed 250 birthday cards for those who were 100 that year—250 of them throughout the UK. By 1990, 40 years later, Queen Elizabeth...
David Lloyd: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his contribution, and also other members of the committee, and Members who are not members of the committee as well, for their contributions this afternoon.Rhun ap Iorwerth started by referring to the importance of acknowledging that we have to do something about flu and the pressure on social care, the...
David Lloyd: Thank you, Llywydd. I’m very pleased to open this debate today on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s report on winter preparedness 2016-17, which we’re in the middle of now. Of course, winter is a hugely challenging period for our health and social care services. It’s a time when the year-round pressures of an ageing population, increasing demand for services, and workforce...
David Lloyd: There was a difference of opinion amongst those who gave evidence to the committee about the levels of preparedness—this, in itself, is cause for some concern. There should be more confidence across the entire sector that the problem is under control and manageable. That this is not the case may be due, in part, to a need to improve communication between all the relevant parties, despite...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much once again, Secretary, for that response. Very differently to the Mynydd y Gwair scheme, the response of local residents to the Awel Aman Tawe windfarm has been very positive, partially because of the size of it, but partially also because the local community profits directly from it. Would you agree, therefore, that there are lessons to be learnt by Welsh Government in...
David Lloyd: Thank you for that response. Members will be aware that the application to develop a windfarm on land under the ownership of the Duke of Beaufort, near Felindre, Swansea, is one that has gone on for 20 years and has created a great deal of local opposition. The most recent saga, in addition to what you’ve just said there, is to do with the access to the site from the A48 at Pontarddulais....
David Lloyd: 8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm development? OAQ(5)0096(ERA)
David Lloyd: 9. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on community renewable energy schemes? OAQ(5)0095(ERA)
David Lloyd: Following on from John Griffiths’s question, the First Minister will recall that the last time I won an individual Member’s ballot in this place was around six years ago, and that was a Measure to safeguard playing fields. So, I do hope that there will be some developments along the lines that John suggested. But it’s also a matter of concern, as I read recently, that 13 per cent of...
David Lloyd: What assessment has the First Minister made of local banking provision?
David Lloyd: It’s a pleasure to participate in this important debate this afternoon. There is unanimity on this issue. May I start by acknowledging the work of the cross-party group here in the Assembly, chaired by Julie Morgan? I thank her for her opening remarks. Of course, I also thank Haemophilia Wales and Lynne Kelly for all the support that they’ve provided and their very strong evidence, their...
David Lloyd: Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the targeted intervention arrangements applying to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board?
David Lloyd: Can I welcome the Counsel General’s statement and also commend his hard work hitherto, obviously, in matters pertaining to the Supreme Court? I'm reassured by the Llywydd that we’re not at present in a court, so that provides us with a positive way forward, but I do welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling that the UK Parliament should play its full role and have a vote on triggering article...
David Lloyd: Thank you very much for that response, First Minister. Of course, like the rest of the Chamber, I’m very pleased to support your ambitious objective of securing a million Welsh speakers by halfway through the century. That’s an increase of somewhere in the region of 400,000 Welsh speakers across Wales, or an average increase of 18,000 for each of our current counties. Of course, the...
David Lloyd: 1. Will the First Minister make a statement on plans to increase the number of Welsh speakers in South Wales West? OAQ(5)0387(FM)
David Lloyd: It’s a pleasure to participate in this debate, and I do think that we should be having a debate, to address one of the points mentioned earlier. Everything is essentially political, whether we like it or not. I think everyone in this Chamber would agree that we want to see a steel industry succeeding here in Wales and prospering for many decades to come. We’ve seen the headlines, and I...
David Lloyd: Yes, I’m somebody who was here in 1999 as well, but I won’t dwell on past events. I’ve tended to support devolution settlements over the years, however inadequate they were, but at least they didn’t lose us any powers. This one loses us some powers and that’s why I can’t support it. With all the talk over recent months, as we’ve heard, of respecting the Brexit referendum...
David Lloyd: May I give thanks for the question and also for your initial response to Mark Reckless’s question? Because, naturally, this causes some confusion to us as a party too, and, as Mark Reckless mentioned, we’ve already had unanimous agreement across the parties here that we need to scrap these tolls entirely. Because, as I’ve mentioned in the past, there is a bridge near my office in...
