Lee Waters: I’m always entertained by UKIP debates, because they do paint a picture of a country from a bygone era. I look at the motion that they’ve tabled today and we hear mention only of GPs—we fetishise the family doctor. There is a consistent theme that UKIP paint a picture of the 1950s, and today’s motion is no different to that. It reminded me of some of their most recent policies—the...
Lee Waters: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I was very pleased to welcome you recently to Kidwelly to visit the Minafon surgery, where, a year ago, when the surgery faced a crisis when the doctors left, working closely with Hywel Dda health board, the range of local Labour councillors and the community, it designed a service where there is a pharmacist, a physiotherapist and other allied health...
Lee Waters: Cabinet Secretary, I was pleased earlier that Adam Price quoted this week’s ‘Llanelli Star’, which reported faithfully what I said in the Senedd last week. Since then, Nia Griffith—the MP for Llanelli—and I have communicated further with steelworkers in our constituency, and we have very real concerns that the deal, which is only possible because of the Welsh Government’s...
Lee Waters: 2. What plans does the Cabinet Secretary have to extend the range of allied professionals in primary health services? OAQ(5)0108(HWS)
Lee Waters: Cabinet Secretary, I do find the criticisms of the lack of an evidence base coming from Plaid Cymru rather ironic when they’ve used the budget process to insist on £50 million for a road scheme with very low benefit to cost ratios to shore up their political base. Any concerns I had about this policy have been assuaged by the changes you’ve made, and I very much welcome the extra...
Lee Waters: First Minister, would you welcome the fact the Prime Minister has announced an industrial strategy? It’s better late than never. I’m encouraged that one of the sectors the UK Government intends to prioritise includes robotics and automation. The Bank of England has estimated that there are 15 million jobs across the UK at risk from automation; 700,000 jobs in Wales. And would you work...
Lee Waters: You’re not going to find me defending Tata in this position, and I have no idea what arrangements Tata have put in place to deal with the eventuality of losing this vote. But they’re not daft and they are very clear in their view that, if they lose this vote, they will go. And then what do we do? This is why I think it is irresponsible to be urging the voters, to be playing on this...
Lee Waters: Let us be clear what we’re facing here: we are facing economic blackmail by a multinational company playing off Governments and workers to try and minimise its costs and maximise its profits. I well remember the closure of Ebbw Vale, and the then chair of Corus, Brian Moffat, telling the House of Commons Welsh Select Committee that his company was in the business of making money, not making...
Lee Waters: Thank you very much for giving way. I hear what the Member says about the pride that Alun Cairns has in his steel-making heritage, but what has he delivered? When David Rees and John Griffiths and I met the chief exec of Tata Steel UK before Christmas, he was very clear: the Welsh Government had delivered, and had delivered practical help, and the UK Government so far have delivered nothing....
Lee Waters: Indeed.
Lee Waters: Absolutely, and, fast-forward a few months, he might remember that, when he was a Conservative Member of Parliament, his Government introduced the Silk commission and it was the Silk commission that took the debate forward, not the referendum of 2011. It was the Silk commission that came up with the report saying that this place should have tax-raising powers. That was a decision that he was...
Lee Waters: In 2011, along with a number of Members of this Assembly, I took part in the ‘Yes for Wales’ steering committee, along with Leanne Wood and Paul Davies and Leighton Andrews and Rob Humphreys. We worked on a cross-party basis to deliver a referendum campaign that promised that laws that only affect Wales should be made in Wales. Two thirds of the people of Wales endorsed that principle....
Lee Waters: I welcome the moves in the budget to implement some of the key pledges in the Welsh Labour manifesto from last year, specifically, the £53 million towards delivering 20,000 affordable homes, the £15 million for widening access to apprenticeships as part of the move to implement 100,000 all-age apprenticeships, as well as some of the smarter economic measures—the £40 million for energy...
Lee Waters: I just want to make the point that we did improve in maths. I think it’s only fair you recognise that some progress has been made.
Lee Waters: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. It’s been some years now since Professor Jonathan Shepherd did pioneering work in Cardiff to collect A&E data to reduce violence in Cardiff city centre. Since then, the English Government have used that approach and hard-wired it into the operation of public services in England. What can be done to make sure that we maintain the momentum behind our own...
Lee Waters: 7. What is being done to maintain momentum on the implementation of the Cardiff Violence Prevention Programme across Wales? OAQ(5)0076(CC)
Lee Waters: Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you, Minister. I must say, I’ll express my relief at the fact a deal has been reached and my thanks to you and the First Minister and the officials for your role in playing this. It’s clearly a matter of concern that we are subject to the whims of a boardroom in India and I’m sure there are many in the Chamber who are discomforted by how dependent we are on the...
Lee Waters: I only want to make a brief few remarks in response to some of the speeches here this afternoon. I’d like to wholeheartedly endorse what John Griffiths said about the potential of the parkrun. I recently took part in the new Llanelli coast parkrun, which was a terrific experience. Every time I’ve taken part in the parkrun, as somebody who is not a natural runner, I’m always warmly...
Lee Waters: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. The coming automation and robotics present huge opportunities, but also very real threats to jobs in Wales. On Monday night in Liverpool, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, gave a speech in which he said some 15 million jobs could be affected by automation. Using the formula that the Bank of England used in coming up with that figure, I’ve...
Lee Waters: 6. What assessment has the Minister made of the potential impact of the fourth industrial revolution on jobs in Wales? OAQ(5)0088(EI)
