Lee Waters: Well, I’m sure Ministers are listening very carefully to me now—this is how I influence the budget. I don’t have the power that a minority party has when it comes to passing the budget. But there’s a serious point here. I think we can unite around this and I would certainly agree that we should be pushing the Welsh Government for as assertive action as possible to make sure we deliver...
Lee Waters: I’d like to thank Simon Thomas for bringing this important debate forward. He is right that there is much common ground on this issue. The Paris agreement, which was 23 years in the making, is an unprecedented show of global unity on one of the most pressing issues that we face. And it is our best chance, even if it doesn’t go quite far enough, of addressing irreversible and catastrophic...
Lee Waters: I must say I’m very disappointed that Schools Challenge Cymru has come to an end and I would have much preferred to see it recalibrated rather than abandoned. There is an evidence base that we can draw upon from Manchester and London of where it has succeeded and I do think it’s important the Cabinet Secretary does prioritise investment in schools, where there is evidence to justify that....
Lee Waters: How does the Minister plan to support schools beyond the term of the Schools Challenge Cymru programme?
Lee Waters: How does the Minister plan to support schools beyond the term of the Schools Challenge Cymru programme?
Lee Waters: Diolch. Minister, the battle for Orgreave witnessed one of the worst days of violence in the 1984 miners’ strike, and yet yesterday the Home Secretary turned down a public inquiry on the grounds that it wasn’t serious enough. She said that there were no wrongful convictions, but as Tyrone O’Sullivan, who was at Orgreave, made clear this morning, there were wrongful arrests, there was...
Lee Waters: What representations has the Welsh Government made to the UK Government regarding the Home Office’s decision not to launch an inquiry into the events at Orgreave? EAQ(5)0056(CC)
Lee Waters: Will you give way? Will the Member give way?
Lee Waters: In the spirit of parsimony, the Member could make a generous contribution in handing back the £12,000 councillor’s allowance he’s drawing by sitting as both an AM and a councillor. That would be a good start, I think.
Lee Waters: Why don't you give us the money from Brussels? Then we'd have enough money to pay for it.
Lee Waters: In that case, how many other conditions are you planning to introduce legislation for?
Lee Waters: Thank you. My family gets support from a small charity working with families with autism. I know precisely the difficulty of navigating the system. I have close friends who have navigated the system with huge frustration. The current system is not good enough. Nobody here is disagreeing with that; we are working to improve it. But answer my question to Mark Isherwood: why are we prioritising...
Lee Waters: Would the Member give way? Autism is a neurological condition with distressing co-morbidities like anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. It affects one in 100 people. Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder with distressing co-morbidities like obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. Why is one worthy of an Act and the other not?
Lee Waters: Diolch, Lywydd. I’m pleased to be among many Members from across the Chamber who’ve come together for today’s debate to ensure that we fulfil the potential of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013. As the motion notes, there are multiple health and well-being benefits from physical activity, and we are facing a ticking time bomb of obesity. We are finally acknowledging the all too often...
Lee Waters: Thank you, Minister. Last June, the Public Policy Institute for Wales warned that many young care leavers face a lack of affordable housing and an earlier cliff edge to independent living than most young people. Their report called for a national framework for accommodation and support to improve consistency of provision across Wales. Could the Minister update us on how their report is being...
Lee Waters: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on measures to help young care leavers access affordable housing? OAQ(5)0052(CC)
Lee Waters: Will you take an intervention?
Lee Waters: With respect, David, yesterday afternoon your party boycotted the Assembly because you said we were having a futile debate. Thus far in this debate, all you’ve talked about is England. So, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. [Laughter.]
Lee Waters: I am. I did take an intervention, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Lee Waters: I’m grateful for your lenience.
