Nick Ramsay: 8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policies for improving the infrastructure in south east Wales? OAQ(5)0108(FM)
Nick Ramsay: Are floppy disks really out of date, Cabinet Secretary? I must keep up with the times, mustn’t I? You’ll tell me next that phones haven’t got wires, but there we go. [Laughter.] We’ve had a number of debates in this Chamber over the years, Cabinet Secretary, about lowering the voting age, and part of that debate has often involved the need to try an improved understanding of politics...
Nick Ramsay: If I can just ask about the draft Wales Bill aspect of this Queen’s Speech, Secretary of State, Members of this Chamber will be well aware of my concerns regarding tax devolution, or, rather, the subsequent reductions that will be made to the block grant once tax devolution has occurred. We accept it’s pretty straightforward in the first year, with a portion of income tax being raised...
Nick Ramsay: Yes, I quite agree with you, Lee. In fact, I was listening to Dai Lloyd’s comments earlier, and Dai was talking about shortages across the board. You mentioned the shortage of therapists, and it struck me as you were speaking, Dai, that yes, there is a shortage of therapists, and I wonder whether this is an area that the Welsh Government could look at in terms of campaigning to recruit...
Nick Ramsay: Of course, Lee.
Nick Ramsay: I agree with the closing comments there of Hannah Blythyn that this is not just a question of looking at mental health issues; it’s a question of looking at it in terms of the broader physical health and, indeed, workplace well-being and health as well. I think you hit the nail on the head there, Hannah. It’s over three years now since this strategy was published, and warmly welcomed at...
Nick Ramsay: Cabinet Secretary, I’m pleased to see that you’re carrying on with your predecessor’s enthusiasm for the first Welsh taxes in 800 years. I suppose it’s a bit too much to expect the public to be enthusiastic about paying taxes, but at least the enthusiasm is with you with a mind on history and the thirteenth century indeed. This does, indeed, represent a fundamental change in the...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, can I ask for two statements from the education Secretary? Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Gwent Music summer showcase concert at St David’s Hall, with music from schools right across south-east Wales. This regional collaboration across schools should be celebrated and promoted, I’m sure you’ll agree, and so any additional support, financial or...
Nick Ramsay: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policies for supporting the economy of south east Wales?
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. You touched on this, but how much work have you done on looking at that transition period between the age of 18 and that period when children in care are going on into adulthood? Because I’ve spoken to a number of young people who feel that the transition is too abrupt, and they go from a very cared, look-after environment into an environment where they really...
Nick Ramsay: Secretary, I don’t have to tell you that this is an extremely complex area, but it is one that is very important to our future fiscal well-being here in Wales. On the Barnett formula itself, clearly, withdrawal from the European Union and the subsequent loss of EU funding will make Barnett reform even more imperative than it was before. What assurances are you seeking, or have you sought,...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Secretary, and, as you know, you have our support in terms of developing an effective fiscal framework. As you will know, I’ve long been concerned about the mechanism for making reductions to the block grant, following tax, particularly income tax, devolution. If we get the wrong mechanism, Wales could be significantly short-changed over time in a way that may almost force tax...
Nick Ramsay: Diolch. Cabinet Secretary, welcome to you your new role and thank you for your initial discussions with me about some of the challenges that we face over this Assembly term. Secretary, the last week has certainly seen a seismic change in the political landscape, welcomed by some more than others in this Chamber. We are now faced with a number of key questions about the future funding of...
Nick Ramsay: First Minister, I’d like to focus on the very first part of your statement relating to devolved taxes. As you say, the Welsh Government is in the process at the moment of setting up the Welsh Revenue Authority. I did seek to get it changed to ‘Revenue Wales’ in the last Assembly, but that was unsuccessful. So, we have the WRA, and, as you mentioned, landfill disposals tax and land...
Nick Ramsay: Leader of the house, I wonder if we could have an update or statement on progress being made with the implementation of the city deal. We know there has been a great deal of concern following the outcome of the recent referendum result regarding the funding, particularly the European strands of funding, that will be going to the city deal. This does involve a large number of local...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, First Minister. I agree with some of the comments made by David Rowlands earlier. Do you share my concern that we have enough trouble getting the money we’re due out of the Treasury anyway, and we have done since 1999 because of the way the Barnett formula has worked over that time, so, when it comes to getting additional money out of the Treasury to replace the money we’re...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you for giving way, Secretary. I’m pleased to hear that you’re trying to seek a consensus on this. That wasn’t always the approach of your predecessor. Would you agree with me that councils such as Monmouthshire have put forward interesting ideas in terms of providing a combined authority where you would not have the expense of reorganisation, but you would be making sure that...
Nick Ramsay: Minister, I’m pleased that Julie Morgan has raised this question; it is an important and a sensitive area. Adoption is a rewarding, but also a challenging thing for anyone to do. Peer support is clearly a vital element of the support services and the National Adoption Service. How are you strengthening the networks to ensure that adopters have access to the support that they need?
Nick Ramsay: Minister, I’ve asked you previously about the community benefits of renewable energy schemes. I’ll ask you again because it is a very important issue for my constituents. When a solar farm was being planned at Llanvapley between Monmouth and Abergavenny in my area, it was opposed by local people. After it was passed, they subsequently found that they’d lost the opportunity to lobby for...
Nick Ramsay: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank the Secretary for her statement this afternoon and for putting forward the action plan? If I can, I’ll just ask you about two points. First of all, this is probably a good opportunity to join Simon Thomas in flagging up the CAMRA event at the Assembly tomorrow evening—always a popular event; I can’t imagine why. I know that you’re going...
