Rebecca Evans: I do know that the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs is involved in the discussions on this particular issue and I will ask her to provide an update to colleagues on where we are in relation to the export issues that David Rowlands has just described.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Leanne Wood for raising the issue this afternoon. I do know that the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales is considering how best to update colleagues on the transport strategy, which, of course, includes a section on vehicles and ensuring that we move to a more sustainable picture in Wales in terms of vehicles, specifically relating to electric vehicles and ensuring...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. On the first issue that Darren Millar raised, which was the issue of abortion medication to be taken at home, as he says, the consultation ended, I believe, today, in terms of whether or not to make those arrangements permanent. I know that the Minister will be listening very carefully to representations that he's made this afternoon, but also those representations that have been...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising both of those issues this afternoon. I'm really pleased to say that the Welsh Government is exploring working with the Arts Council of Wales to celebrate the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Robert Owen. An artist in residence was appointed in August to engage with the local community in Newtown, and now the artist has produced a...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Delyth Jewell for raising this, and, of course, the First Minister responded to both of these issues, about people with learning disabilities and unpaid carers, in his contribution during First Minister's questions this afternoon. We have put on the business statement for the coming weeks a statement every single week on vaccinations from the Minister for Health and Social...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Andrew R.T. Davies for raising the issue of planning guidance and phosphates on land and building projects. I might, on this occasion, suggest that he raises this specific issue with the Minister through correspondence, given that it is a detailed matter, and I think a detailed response through correspondence might be more appropriate on this occasion rather than seeking a...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. The draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Rebecca Evans: Well, there'll be a number of different challenges in relation to transport for next year. So, on the capital side, as I say, our capital budget has reduced next year, but I am hoping that the Chancellor will take the opportunity in March to provide additional funding and then we can always do more. Right at the start of today's session, I was rehearsing some of the particular projects that...
Rebecca Evans: So, I'll be looking very carefully at what will be said at the UK Government's budget on 3 March in terms of what it might say in terms of providing support for a recovery effort and the reconstruction of the economy. I'm particularly keen to see what they have to say in terms of capital, because, of course, when we look at what the Chancellor said back in March, we were expecting to be...
Rebecca Evans: Yes. With significant ongoing uncertainty about the path of the pandemic, we remain focused on providing the right funding at the right time. In 2020-21, we have already allocated more than £4 billion, including nearly £2 billion to support businesses, with further significant allocations in our third supplementary budget this month.
Rebecca Evans: Well, we've been having some discussions with the UK Government, which originated with the discussions about flooding, but then, obviously, became larger and took on the discussions relating to coal tips, and now, of course, that's extended again into the mine works. We know that the remediation of coal tips will require a piece of work over—probably a 10-year programme of work. And we're...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising that particular issue. I will, if it's acceptable to Suzy Davies, seek some particular advice, because I think that some of those questions stray into legal areas that I might not be qualified to talk on this afternoon. So, in terms of the liabilities and so forth, I will provide a written update to Suzy Davies on liabilities.
Rebecca Evans: Yes. Welsh Government has made available those support payments of up to £1,000 per household, and that's the same level of support that we were able to offer people affected by the extraordinary situation with the storms last March. But, you know, clearly, families and individuals affected are affected particularly badly. I do want to pay tribute to the work that Councillor Mike Harvey's...
Rebecca Evans: Throughout the year, I have engaged with the UK Government on the legacy impacts of the extraordinary flooding in Wales. We have also provided support through our emergency financial assistance scheme, alongside the £390 million we have invested in flood and coastal risk management over this term, benefiting over 45,000 properties.
Rebecca Evans: Absolutely. And, obviously, Huw Irranca-Davies speaks with real authority on this having chaired our group, which has been looking at this particular agenda for some time. And he'll know better than anyone about the impact that those EU projects have had in Wales, creating over 56,400 new jobs and 15,400 new businesses since 2007, and also supporting 30,000 business, and helping almost...
Rebecca Evans: Well, as Nick Ramsay says, the details haven't yet been clarified, so I don't know if I can agree with his assessment that it will put power into the hands of more local people and make that decision making as close to the ground as possible. Welsh Government has developed its regional framework for investment, and that was published in November following three years of engagement,...
Rebecca Evans: I couldn't agree with Alun Davies more in terms of his assessment of the way in which the UK Government has used people to deliver its own agenda, and then not fulfilled the promises that it made to them. We don't have that same arrogance here in the Welsh Government. We've worked really hard, looking internationally, and looking to the OECD, to see what we can learn in terms of delivering...
Rebecca Evans: The UK Government has not engaged meaningfully or respectfully on this issue, despite the huge amount of work that has taken place across the Welsh Government and with organisations across Wales over the last three years to develop a new framework for investing replacement EU funds.
Rebecca Evans: I would absolutely agree with Vikki Howells there, and she has absolutely been a strong voice for education within her constituency and has been instrumental in making the case for additional funding in her area, so, congratulations to Vikki for what she has achieved on behalf of her constituents. And the examples of the projects that she has described are exciting. It's important that we do...
Rebecca Evans: Over this administration, the Welsh Government has allocated £12.2 billion for investment in capital projects across Wales, including £120 million across the Cynon valley and wider Rhondda Cynon Taf region through the twenty-first century schools and colleges programme, for example.
