Suzy Davies: Have I got time? Yes. Okay, then. Thank you.
Suzy Davies: I take your point completely, but this is actually the Parliament rather than the Government and I’d like this Parliament at the forefront, if you like, in helping inform Government to reach a negotiating—[Interruption.]—inform the Government reaching a negotiating position. I think my point is quite fair, actually, because, of course, although the White Paper calls for full and...
Suzy Davies: Sorry, I didn’t realise you were calling me first. Thank you very much anyway, Dirprwy Lywydd. As Members may remember, it was actually Mark Isherwood who was making his contribution last week. I’m not Mark Isherwood, and even though he’s kindly given me his speech from last week, I have made one or two alterations so that it’s a bit more me than him today. So, any errors are entirely...
Suzy Davies: Well, thank you very much for that answer. I’m sure everyone will welcome the Chancellor’s £2 billion announcement for social care in England and, of course, that gives the Welsh Government the opportunity to use part of the not inconsiderable Barnett consequential for that to add to its own money that you’ve mentioned today. There is money now available for social care, which we would...
Suzy Davies: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government budget decisions for social care? OAQ(5)0532(FM)
Suzy Davies: I’m a bit short on time, but if you can keep it quick.
Suzy Davies: Absolutely; that was my point. I’m thinking some of these partnerships don’t work because, actually, the private sector isn’t as involved as it could be, and I think that’s a real shame for Wales. This is what I have seen over these last six years. I know there’s only so much money, but how well has it been spent? There’s no vision, no bravery, and Wales needs its Government to...
Suzy Davies: I am tempted to just cough and say the words ‘Cwrt Sart’, but I won’t. Andrew R.T. Davies was talking earlier about energy, and 18 years is a long time for any party, and I do mean any party, to be in Government. It doesn’t really matter who props them up, it’s still a long time. But the one thing that is good about it is that it gives those parties a long term to plan, and I do...
Suzy Davies: Thank you, Dai Lloyd, for bringing these proposals forward today. You may have to run all those languages past me again, because I really didn’t catch them all, but thank you very much. On behalf of the Welsh Conservatives, I can confirm that we’re happy to support the proposals for the Bill at this stage, recognising the aims that you set out. During the passage of the Historic...
Suzy Davies: Well, of course, Cabinet Secretary, one of the reasons for the delays is the UK Government’s concerns over the public/private sector balance with that city deal. And on that subject, if you like, I wonder if you could give us an indication—I appreciate you can’t give me a specific figure—of what proportion of Wales’s European funding in my region has gone on public service projects...
Suzy Davies: May I welcome this statement, too? By now, of course, the detail of all schemes is what’s important now, not the existence of a statutory framework, and I do hope that the review will be valuable. We’re not talking here about Welsh in education strategic plans in isolation, of course, We are talking about Welsh in education plans. Will the review consider the growth of the Welsh language...
Suzy Davies: I’m profoundly disappointed as well, Minister, because the bottom line here is that there is an empty chair on that board. Wales is not there. The board itself has an incomplete skill set and it’s missing a range of skills, which the Secretary of State clearly believed her preferred candidate had. That decision was made from a shortlist after open competition. They were interviewed by a...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for that update. You may already know that, as well as indicating that equivalent money should come to Wales after exit, witnesses giving evidence to the external affairs committee have said that this is an opportunity to do things differently in terms of regional funding. Can you tell me how many of the applications currently with WEFO are predicated on the private sector taking...
Suzy Davies: 5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the work programme of the Welsh European Funding Office between now and the UK's exit from the European Union? OAQ(5)0501(FM)
Suzy Davies: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Well, Members, you can tell from the tone of the motion that we are looking today for an open and discursive debate, which will help inform three things, I think: firstly, how to improve the well-being of individual children, which is obviously the most important, but also how to help them grow up with a sense of resilience and confidence to be good citizens, and...
Suzy Davies: Well, I’m pleased to hear of the additional investment, at least. The community facilities programme guidance says that local authorities, health boards and other public bodies, as well as businesses, can be partners to local organisations who want to make a bid to the fund. But, it appears to me that most of the projects are administered through the local authorities. It’s difficult to...
Suzy Davies: The financial inclusion plan states that its vision is for a Wales where, amongst other things, everyone can readily access their own money, whether by automated or over-the-counter means.’ That’s a quote from it. Tomorrow, I have finally managed to get a meeting with the HSBC bosses in Maesteg, where they’re planning to close their branch there. I appreciate you can’t comment on...
Suzy Davies: In our manifesto, Cabinet Secretary, Welsh Conservatives pledged to a community right to bid for registered assets of community value. I appreciate we don’t have that but, actually, in the Labour manifesto your party stated that you would introduce measures to prevent unnecessary closures, and to assist communities to take ownership of community assets themselves, where possible and...
Suzy Davies: Different tack here: March is Women’s History Month. And what is the point of Women’s History Month? Well, we have 50 per cent of the population, but only occupy 0.5 per cent of recorded history. And that matters if generation after generation after generation has been exposed to that imbalance as a truth about values. I know that some Members here in the Chamber like to hark back to the...
Suzy Davies: It is a final one. I’m really, really pleased that you picked up on the mental health vulnerabilities of stroke victims. And, to keep it short, I’m just curious to know how this plan fits in to ‘Together for Mental Health’, and, in particular, the additional funding that was introduced last year, and whether any of that is being earmarked for stroke victims, bearing in mind they’re...
