Mark Reckless: Diolch, Lywydd. Last week, ‘The Sunday Times’ published it’s ‘parent power’ tables, including the top 400 state secondary schools across the UK weighted by GCSE and A-level results. Is the Cabinet Secretary happy that the top Welsh school in that ranking was one hundred and eighty-second?
Mark Reckless: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement. I note him saying that this new tax will be broadly consistent with the existing landfill tax, which will provide stability and reassurance to businesses and minimise the risk of waste tourism. I wasn't familiar with that final concept before today, but I welcome the overall approach. It's a similar approach to what he has shown in the land...
Mark Reckless: I will continue. I wonder if I might ask the Cabinet Secretary, in light of that—the £1,000 that was previously described as being given across the board to families that earn even more than £59,200 now, or £80,000 or £81,000 before, is that still within the system proposed? It wasn’t mentioned in her statement here. And secondly, can I just clarify that this £1,500 loan write-off...
Mark Reckless: I’m also grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for her statement. She says she hopes to work with parties across the Chamber, at least ones she deemed to have in-depth knowledge of the sector. She also said she welcomed the consensus that greeted the principles of Professor Diamond’s report. I’d like to just then start on two areas where I was very pleased to hear what she said just now. I...
Mark Reckless: My previous quote was: ‘We couldn't abolish the tolls, let's be perfectly frank about that. But of course any money that is raised could be applied to the M4’. But that was in 2012, and I credit the First Minister for the position he now adopts. I've raised with him the issue that the UK Government's own powers to levy tolls under the Severn Bridges Act 1992 expire after a certain amount...
Mark Reckless: I’ve read the manifesto—
Mark Reckless: 7. When did the First Minister first call for the abolition of tolls on the Severn bridges? OAQ(5)0282(FM)
Mark Reckless: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am grateful to my party colleague, Gareth Bennett, for his contribution. I am grateful to Lee Waters and Jenny Rathbone for coming to the Chamber to focus on the environmental perspective. I am grateful to Russell George for his balanced contribution, and I think colleagues look forward to seeing the source of this 25 per cent, and, certainly, we would...
Mark Reckless: It is, and, indeed, I agree with that observation. The bridge, of course, is entirely within England, unlike the southern, newer bridge, which is split between England and Wales at its midpoint. The Severn Bridges Act in 1992 carved out some of the residual defects that there may have been in that bridge and issues regarding them from the concession, which meant that the concessionaire...
Mark Reckless: Turning now to the other amendments, the Conservative motion I found a little waffly and a bit sort of hedged around with qualifications. I thought it was perhaps best categorised as a holding position pending instruction from Westminster, but potentially an improvement on where they were before. And the Plaid motion—I see it calls for the responsibility for the Severn bridges to be...
Mark Reckless: Diolch, Lywydd. It’s a pleasure to move the motion to propose that the National Assembly for Wales supports the abolition of tolls on the Severn bridges following their return to the public sector. The Severn tolls hold back the Welsh economy, discourage tourism and unnecessarily divide Wales from England. There is £90 million at least of direct cost that the tolls take in every year, and...
Mark Reckless: I congratulate Simon Thomas and other Members on securing this debate, and I agree with the motion that is proposed. We welcome the ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report, and we commend the organisations involved in developing that report. I have, however, been struck that, as well as that ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report from many organisations, largely in the third sector, we also...
Mark Reckless: I think for the broader context, we will have an opportunity to take a more cross-cutting approach to agriculture in rural development, because of the policy freedoms we would have post Brexit. I do, again, emphasise, though, that it is going to be quite time-consuming and demanding for members of our committee, but also potentially for the Assembly as a whole, in developing the legal...
Mark Reckless: I thank the Member for her contribution. She ably represents her urban constituents, and brings that perspective to the committee deliberations. In terms of horticulture, it’s not an area that has traditionally been within the CAP, although the free trade framework within the EU sees us have very substantial imports, particularly, I believe, from Denmark and, especially, the Netherlands....
Mark Reckless: I thank my group leader and party’s agricultural spokesperson for his contribution. He rightly observes that the common agricultural policy has been dominant in EU spending since, and indeed before, we joined in 1973. He’ll also be aware that that proportion of spending has come down over that time from near 90 per cent to around a half in more recent times. We talk about wanting to...
Mark Reckless: I’m very grateful to Huw Irranca-Davies for that contribution. You mentioned at the beginning funding being promised, and I mentioned that some ‘leave’ campaigners did give assurances—and I mentioned two of those who are now in very senior and relevant levels in the UK Government. I recognised, during the campaign, that it was a campaign and that I wasn’t speaking for any Government...
Mark Reckless: I thank the Member for his contribution, both just now and also in committee. Certainly, I’ve found his contributions very valuable, including in developing my own knowledge of the sector. I also appreciate his generally upbeat approach and focus on the opportunities that may come out of Brexit, and I think that those different positions—I’m impressed by the degree of focus on how do we...
Mark Reckless: I’m grateful to the Member for his contribution and for his work for his party and others in these areas. As he says, agriculture is the backbone of our rural economy, but we’re conscious not to define agriculture too narrowly. Both the scope and type of agriculture has changed and continues to change, but also the scope in different areas of Wales to diversify from traditional...
Mark Reckless: Diolch. If we are to secure the best possible deal for our rural communities, agriculture and environment following our exit from the European Union, then we must be bold and clear in what we expect from the UK Government. We, the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, have reached an early consensus based on expert advice and the views of our stakeholders. The committee and...
Mark Reckless: Some people were clearly disappointed by the scope of services available, and particularly the nature of the emergency service, compared to their prior expectations. I just wonder if there are any lessons to be learned by the Welsh Government or the health board as plans are made and communicated for the future of the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport and Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, in...
