Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank the Members who’ve taken part in this debate this afternoon? It’s a very timely debate given the consequences of next April’s rates revaluation are now becoming clear—and I would say only recently becoming clear, certainly to the businesses out there that are going to be faced with increases. As Russ George said in opening, the...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, as Huw Irranca-Davies highlighted in his comments to you earlier, the last few days of heavy rain have seen flooding across the country. They’ve also seen the usual and predictable seasonal flooding of the A4042 at Llanellen bridge in my constituency. This is a major trunk route. The annual flooding causes much inconvenience to commuters and local residents, and it...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. As you know, the impending business rate revaluation continues to be a source of considerable concern for businesses, in some parts of Wales—I accept, not all, but certainly in my area of Wales. The Monmouth chamber of commerce met yesterday to discuss the hike in rates that many of the members are facing, and only this morning, I’ve received an e-mail from a...
Nick Ramsay: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on his discussions with local authorities regarding business rate revaluation? OAQ(5)0277(FM)
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way, Mark Reckless. Would you agree with me that part of the problem we’re dealing with with the Severn bridge is that, of course, it’s not one crossing, it’s two crossings. The maintenance costs for the old crossing are the bulk of the maintenance costs, and they’re likely to increase in the future as that structure ages. So, we need to guard against a solution...
Nick Ramsay: Minister, will you take an intervention? Thank you for taking the intervention. Monmouthshire County Council has set up a number of dementia-friendly communities, which have worked because the views of older people have been taken into account at the very outset so that, when they’re being supported, that support is tailored to what they need and what they say they need. So, I welcome your...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way, Lynne. I totally agree with you on that: a strategy is on paper. The whole point of dementia-friendly communities is that they rely very closely on the local community coming together and providing those opportunities for people in that area suffering from dementia, so this has to be led from the ground up.
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Whilst we welcome your proposals to extend provision, I wonder what consideration you’ve given to enabling parents to use their free hours more flexibly. In most cases, the current provision of 10 free hours weekly must be spread, as you know, over five days, so that’s around two hours a day. Who can travel to and from work and get any work done within two...
Nick Ramsay: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on the extension of free childcare? OAQ(5)0067(CC)
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Presiding Officer, and can I concur with the comments made by the Cabinet Secretary at the end of his contribution there—that this has become an annual debate? I think that all Members agree that it is one that, every year, Members wish to take part in to show our support for our armed forces and our veterans. Can I thank everyone who has contributed to today’s debate? It’s...
Nick Ramsay: Will you take an intervention on that?
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I was recently contacted by an 87-year-old constituent who was in need of an out-of-hours appointment following a problem with a catheter in the early hours of the morning. A home visit was requested by phone at 11.00 a.m. and a visit booked. A doctor didn’t finally arrive until 8.00 p.m., nine hours later, after several phone calls in the meantime. The doctor...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, community pharmacies have a big role to play in delivering care in the right place at the right time, as you just talked about. I had the chance, recently, to visit a Lloyds Pharmacy in my constituency. I was struck by the disjoint between hospitals and community pharmacists when it comes to discharge. Although discharge medicine reviews do happen, I understand that 30 per...
Nick Ramsay: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on the GP out-of-hours services available in south east Wales? OAQ(5)0059(HWS)
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, I had the opportunity at lunchtime to visit the plethora of societies and trusts in the Oriel upstairs dedicated to protecting our historic environment; to name but a few, the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and also of course the Friends of Friendless Churches, often mentioned in this Chamber. They have concerns about this...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, as you say, there has been progress made, and aside from some of the constitutional issues that Dafydd Elis-Thomas referred to, this Bill will give power to the Assembly over such things as the name and electoral arrangements. So, progress has been made there. Can I ask you, First Minister, tax devolution is part of and is indeed running in tandem with the Wales Bill—what...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, in your predecessor’s written statement on 28 January this year, Huw Lewis said that the system is not about labelling or creating crude league tables. He also said that any school performing below agreed performance of free school meals would be awarded yellow at best. I can see the rationale behind this, particularly in areas of high free school meals uptake, but it...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, thanks for your statement today. Some good news, at last; it has been a long time coming. When you mentioned the frustration of certain Members, I think a large chunk of that frustration has come from the Member for Torfaen and me over the last few weeks and months. We have called for this statement, and you did say you would deliver it at the end of October, and you have,...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, leader of the house, and can I first of all welcome the tabling of today’s statement on the specialist and critical care centre in Cwmbran? I was pleased to receive the embargoed statement earlier today in pretty good time for that. We’ve been calling for a long time now—AMs—in this Chamber for an update on the critical care centre, so I’m looking forward to questioning...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. I’m sure you’re aware of the massive new level of uncertainty, particularly in rural areas, that’s been heaped on small businesses by the huge cost swings resulting from business rate revaluation. Now, I appreciate that overall it’s cost neutral and there are always going to be winners and losers, but businesses in Monmouthshire are facing an 11 per cent...
