Alun Davies: Can I say, Presiding Officer, how much I endorse the sentiments that have been described by the Member? I think all of us—it's one thing that unites, I think, Members on all sides of the Chamber here, and Members who represent all parts of this country—recognise the importance of volunteering, for the individual concerned, as has been outlined, the community, and different organisations,...
Alun Davies: Through the third sector support Wales grant in 2017-18, we provided £176,217 to the Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services in core funding, to help local organisations with fundraising, good governance, safeguarding and volunteering. I have already committed to the same amount for 2018-19.
Alun Davies: The majority of the most deprived Valleys communities will be able to access at least one strategic hub within 45 minutes using public transport. In addition to hubs, the taskforce is focused on working with businesses, employers and individuals to develop the foundational economy and improve support for entrepreneurs.
Alun Davies: Public services deliver vital services to people in Pembrokeshire and across Wales. Their ability and resilience to deliver positive outcomes in challenging times is a priority for me and this Government.
Alun Davies: I won't take any more interventions. I tried earlier. It didn't work well. We had more heat than light, I'm afraid, and I won't take any future interventions from the Conservative benches. What I will accept from the Conservative benches is that if they are willing to give us their word that they will join all the other political parties in this place and argue for decent funding for the...
Alun Davies: I give way to Darren Millar in the vain hope—you would have thought I'd learnt my lesson after a decade of doing so—that he would actually inform the debate and he would inform Members, rather than continue to pursue a failed argument, which he failed to make in his substantive remarks and which he failed to make again there. But if he is going to join me in supporting the devolution of...
Alun Davies: I'm grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. I do recognise the points that have been raised by Members on all sides of the Chamber this afternoon about issues within the budget, and I will give Members my undertaking that I will consider all of those matters and will make further statements on those issues in the weeks and months to come. But where I may disagree with Llyr Gruffydd in his final...
Alun Davies: I'm today presenting to the Assembly for its approval details of the Welsh Government's contribution to the core revenue funding for the four police and crime commissioners in Wales for 2018 to 2019, but before I do so, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to pay tribute to all the men and women who serve in our police forces, and I hope that I'll be joined on all sides of the Chamber in paying...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Alun Davies: Of course, the real reason for the high turnout in Cardiff North is that you have a fantastic candidate in Julie Morgan to vote for and an equally fantastic Member of Parliament in Anna McMorrin to support and to elect.
Alun Davies: Can I say that I agree very much with the points that the Member's made? Let me return to the point on diversity, because it hasn't fully figured in the debate this afternoon. We need to ensure that people feel able and are able to participate in our electoral process. But we also need to ensure that people are able to serve after that election. My concern is, all too often, we've seen...
Alun Davies: I would take a leaf out of your book, Mick Antoniw. I think if Members haven't seen the document that he's produced, it is a first-class document and demonstrates how you actually do go about engaging with people. Let me, without testing your patience too much, Presiding Officer, just quote two sentences from it: 'Without exception, the students engaged in debates in an enthusiastic and...
Alun Davies: I'm glad that Councillor McEvoy declared his interest. I have to say to him that, in terms of any personal antipathy here, I think he should look towards his former party rather than this Government.
Alun Davies: I was hoping that Jenny Rathbone would continue her final question on STV and provide me with an answer to the question. Look, I'm a strong supporter of fair votes, to ensure that your vote counts wherever you happen to live and to encourage people to participate in elections. And I think proportional representation does do that. However, we must all recognise that we don't have the mandate...
Alun Davies: I hope I can reassure David Melding that I'm very much in listening mode. I hope that I always am, of course, but certainly in terms of providing a statement this afternoon, this concludes a period of consultation, but we haven't yet, of course, moved forward to legislate and we won't be doing that before the autumn. It certainly is my intention, as I said in reply to Mike Hedges earlier, to...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, nobody would ever accuse Mike Hedges of not talking enough about local government, and we welcome his experience and knowledge of the subject. I told Members last week that I would never challenge him again, and I hope to stick to that in this answer today. I hope that, in terms of establishing a national electronic register, we will be able to move to a situation whereby...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, whenever we debate these matters, there's a clear divide in politics, where parties of the left wish to increase participation and to encourage people to vote, and those conservative parties of the right seek to prevent people from voting, and take part in voter suppression and seek to find ways of placing barriers in terms of enabling people to vote. And let me say this:...
Alun Davies: Citizenship is vitally important. It’s important that it’s taught in our schools, but also, I would say that citizenship is important to us all, and understanding how we all live together is something that is vitally important. I very much hope that the way in which we change our politics to extend the franchise to young people, and to also ensure that we change the way in which we...
Alun Davies: I’m grateful to the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for her general welcome of our proposals this afternoon. I concur with very many of the points that the Member has made, Llywydd. I agree with you when you talk about the lack of understanding of politics in Wales. I know that my friend the Secretary for education, for example, will be writing to the BBC today after their report on Today...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, I think the whole Chamber will be with me when I say I'm delighted that I'm not always accountable to this place for the actions of the United Kingdom Labour Party and their press office. I would say to the Conservative spokesperson to perhaps move away from her counsel of despair. We seem to have listened to five or six minutes of a list of all problems and difficulties...
