Nick Ramsay: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on the quality of school meals in Wales? OAQ(5)0028(EDU)
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, this morning I attended the funeral of Ann Wilkinson from Usk. Many Members of the fourth Assembly before will remember Ann and her tireless work and dedication to the case of cancer patients, cancer sufferers, across Wales. She very sadly died two weeks ago, but she leaves behind a legacy of which she and her family can be proud. Members of the last Assembly will...
Nick Ramsay: I’m pleased to contribute to this Welsh Conservatives debate on transport connections within north Wales today. Many of the points I was going to make have been made, so I won’t go over old ground. I would say, unlike Hannah Blythyn, I have the disadvantage of not being a proud north Wales Member—I’m a proud south Wales Member—and nor do I have some of the more detailed local...
Nick Ramsay: Would the Member give way?
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way, Dai. I fully agree with you on the benefits of developing a smartcard-integrated system. Would you agree with me it would be a start to get reliable, fully-integrated timetabling, so that, at the touch of a button, you’d be able to see exactly where those services are going to and from?
Nick Ramsay: Can I thank the Chair of the Finance Committee for his statement this afternoon—a first in the history of this institution and an exciting development? Also, can I thank him for allowing all Assembly Members early sight of the statement before Plenary today, which did avoid the shuffling around that sometimes happens of limited copies of oral statements? That’s something that the Welsh...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, how are you planning to improve your Government’s procurement policies, particularly in support of small businesses across Wales? Secondly, you pledged to invest in the transformation of the hospital estate in today's statement. Can you give us an update on a completion date for the new critical care centre in Cwmbran? There seems to be some confusion over this.
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. As you know, I’ve supported the fiscal framework. I was pleased to attend the finance Secretary’s meeting with the new chief executive of the Welsh Revenue Authority last Thursday to discuss the process of appointing the chair to the new organisation. This is clearly going to be one of the most important new roles in Wales in recent times. Tax devolution will...
Nick Ramsay: 7. Will the First Minister provide an update on tax devolution? OAQ(5)0150(FM)
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It was good listening to those ideas. I’m not sure I’ve got much time left to give any of my own ideas as well; it was quite a long opening. But I’m pleased to move the amendment in the name of Paul Davies on the order paper. Can I say in opening that it’s always good to hear the spatial plan, the Wales spatial plan, reinvented and referred to? I...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I’ve been working closely with the Raglan village hall committee in my constituency, which is working hard to develop a community hub at the centre of the Monmouth constituency. The Big Lottery have provided funding to develop designs. Can you tell me how the Welsh Government’s community facilities programme is working with organisations such as the Big...
Nick Ramsay: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on the development of community hubs? OAQ(5)0019(CC)
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement. You’ll be pleased to know that I am going to ask you about the land transaction tax and not about an array of hypothetical other taxation, be it the land tax or wealth tax or whatever. I think we’ve got enough on our plate dealing with this piece of legislation. You mentioned that this was a historic moment: the first Welsh tax in several...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, it’s great news that the electrification of the Great Western main line has reached the Severn tunnel, but it clearly will cause short-term disruption, inevitably, of services over the next six weeks or so. I know that this isn’t a devolved issue, being Network Rail and UK Government-related, but there will be a knock-on effect on other services and the local economy...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. Our rail network has clearly been uppermost in the minds of my constituents and other AMs over the last few days with the start of the six-week closure period of the Severn tunnel for the important electrification work. Speed of travel is a key aspect of quality of life, so I was very concerned to hear that the town of Monmouth may not be part of the future metro...
Nick Ramsay: 3. Will the First Minister provide an update on the development of the South Wales Metro? OAQ(5)0128(FM)
Nick Ramsay: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement update on this important issue? I’m pleased as well, Cabinet Secretary, that your door is still open to this project. You’ll know that Monmouthshire County Council has been very positive about the project’s potential. I do hear some of your reservations. Other Members have asked for clarification on many of the points that I was going...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, can you update us on the ability of Welsh SMEs to take part in projects procured by the Welsh Government? I had a discussion in relation to this with NPS engineering consultants, an engineering firm based in Chepstow in my constituency, just before the election. That firm had, worryingly, given up on trying to procure Welsh Government contracts, because, despite the clarity...
Nick Ramsay: I wasn’t expecting to hear ‘supplementary budget’ and ‘high political drama’ in the same sentence there, Adam Price, but you managed it. Can I thank the finance Cabinet Secretary for his earlier opening contribution? We agree with you, finance Cabinet Secretary, that this first supplementary budget is largely technical and administrative due to changes through the transition from...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. A solution to the M4 Brynglas tunnels congestion is a key priority for the Welsh Government and indeed for this Assembly as a whole. I’m sure that Professor Stuart Cole will be sleeping a little easier knowing that his M4 blue route is now part of the mix to be considered by the public inquiry announced recently. You’ll be aware that Roadchef at Magor services...
