Lee Waters: Will you give way?
Lee Waters: Thank you very much. With the greatest of respect, we have heard this speech several times before. At the briefings lunch time in the Assembly, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said it is now the consensus of economists that the British economy is going to shrink as a result of Brexit. So, while we are hearing increased informed commentary about the negative effects that come before us, the...
Lee Waters: Thank you, Minister. Some estimates suggest that farm production could increase by as much as 30 per cent through the use of big data and analytics. Leading thinkers in innovation are identifying precision agriculture as the most important development in modern farming, encouraging the efficient use of scarce resources and minimising the use of harmful chemicals. I’d urge the Minister to be...
Lee Waters: Minister, having spent many happy hours walking 10 miles a day through the streets of Llanelli during the election campaign, I witnessed at first hand the litter problem we have in the town. I’m now discussing with the local authority setting up on a cross-party basis a litter taskforce for the town. One of the issues that comes back time and again on Facebook from residents is the...
Lee Waters: 6. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking in relation to precision agriculture? OAQ(5)0030(ERA)
Lee Waters: Thank you, First Minister. There’s understandable concern in Kidwelly, First Minister, about the difficulty in recruiting and retaining GPs in the Minafon surgery, and local Labour councillors have been working hard with the health board to try and inform the community. In fairness to Hywel Dda, they’ve been trying their best to try and recruit a clinical team to the surgery and to bring...
Lee Waters: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's progress in recruiting more GPs? OAQ(5)0120(FM)
Lee Waters: Diolch, Lywydd. Can I pay tribute to Bethan Jenkins for the interest she’s shown in this area over recent years? I’m very pleased that this Assembly has now established a committee with communication specifically within its remit, and I’m very pleased to be serving on it, and look forward to serving with her. As the motion notes, in the last 10 years the amount of money invested in...
Lee Waters: Minister, I share the scepticism about the medium-term interests of Tata. They’ve been playing a game of hokey cokey with us. They’ve been in and they’re out, and they’re in again. Given that Gerry Holtham has estimated that the contribution of Port Talbot to the Welsh economy is the equivalent of 6 per cent of gross value added, it’s important that Tata understands that this is not...
Lee Waters: Same in Carmarthenshire.
Lee Waters: I will.
Lee Waters: I’m simply reflecting the views of business, and he’s taking a very selective view of the economic picture to justify the hell that has been unleashed on the markets. An economic policy based simply on the cheap exchange rate is a very short-sighted one, I would argue. A few weeks ago, as David Rees, the Member for Aberavon, has already said, he and I met with the chief executive of Tata...
Lee Waters: I must confess that when I first read the motion, that, following Brexit, Tata Steel in Port Talbot has a better chance of survival, I thought it was a sick joke. I don’t want to begrudge those who campaigned to leave the EU their moment to enjoy their victory, but I would ask them not to be flippant. I have constituents working in Port Talbot, and hundreds of families reliant on the...
Lee Waters: I’ve been speaking to some headteachers recently who are concerned about the evidence base for this policy. They’re also concerned that schools that are already oversubscribed—by reducing the standard number, it may result in them being able to take even fewer pupils. They’re also concerned about the ability of the school buildings to cope with the changes that will flow from this...
Lee Waters: Would the Member give way?
Lee Waters: I’m trying to be helpful, perhaps save you from yourself. I was struck by my own Facebook page, which is not within a cultural bubble, and I posed the question of people’s views on this. There was scepticism, like you say, that we should be discussing this at this time, but the consensus was to use the bilingual term ‘Senedd’ as it was inclusive and already in use. So, though not...
Lee Waters: Will the Member give way?
Lee Waters: Thank you very much. I just want to agree strongly with your comments and apply them particularly to the pressure facing CAMHS. The number of referrals to CAMHS has increased dramatically, but often CAMHS are unable to give the support that families need, and the resilience and tools they need. This is where the third sector in particular could come in with extra support for families.
Lee Waters: As a parent, I know how important my advocacy is on their behalf, and it pains me—and many of you, I’m sure—that children who’ve already had a tough start in life often don’t have someone with the love and passion of a parent to fight their corner. The damage done to the life chances of these children is a stain on us all, and the responsibility to do better falls on us all—all...
Lee Waters: Would you give way?
