David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, yesterday, you spoke about, and indeed your party voted in favour of, a tax on non-reusable and non-recyclable plastics in Wales. I wonder if you can now provide us with some clarification on the details and practicalities of this intention and how you might take it forward, or was it just a vague reassurance to Plaid Cymru that they have some...
David Melding: If that moves things on, then maybe that’s to the good after all. In supporting amendment 4, we don’t commend in any way the budget deals that have gone on. I’ve no idea what the trade-offs have been, so I’m not going to get involved in any of that. We’ll be opposing amendment 5 really because, whilst we accept the need to reduce non-reusable and non-recyclable plastics—and in any...
David Melding: I don’t have time to elaborate our enthusiasm for a deposit scheme, but we will be very interested in what’s happening now with the consultation. Perhaps the Minister is going to be able to say something about that in the wind-up. And, also, how the pilot scheme’s going to be conducted—I’d appreciate it if she’d give more details or write to me on that. Again, if it’s a robust...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and I’m pleased to move amendment 3 in the name of Paul Davies. It is a notable feat that Wales is a leading nation in global efforts to increase recycling rates, and this is a credit to the work and determination of the Welsh Government, the National Assembly, local councils and, indeed, people across Wales who have enthusiastically responded to this challenge. I...
David Melding: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? Indeed, in the light of the Office for National Statistics’ reclassification of registered social landlords into the public sector, the Welsh Conservative Party does believe the general principles of this Bill should be supported. Obviously, we’ll pay close attention to the details in committee, but I think there is a general political...
David Melding: I agree with the Member. I think use of the future generations Act is an important way of assessing the various options before us. The three routes to alleviate congestion of the M4 at Newport, it seems to me, do lend themselves to this sort of approach and that comparative analysis, because we need to do something, would be very, very helpful.
David Melding: First Minister, I’m sure you’ll join with me in commending the work of the Wallich. In a recent report launched in the Assembly last week, I’ve found that there has been an increase in rough sleepers in Cardiff and Swansea and that those sleeping on the streets are 70 times more likely to die from substance misuse and 11 times more likely to die as a result of alcohol. We’ve heard...
David Melding: I do hope the canary is not the cat’s lunch. It sounds an interesting journey you are making. As a terribly wicked Tory, I am sceptical about free goods, and, of course, one of the freest goods we have are the roads. I think when we are making a really huge public investment like this, we need to look at all the evidence and anticipate what’s likely to happen in 10 or 20 years. Within 10...
David Melding: I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that. Schools are required to include in their development plans details of how the governing body would seek to meet school improvement targets for the year by working with families of pupils at the school. In a survey by PTA Cymru, it was found that only 66 per cent of parents said that their child’s school was good at communicating with them, compared to...
David Melding: 2. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact that increased parent participation will have on attainment levels in schools? (OAQ51127)
David Melding: In the delivery programme, you say that further analysis will be undertaken of alternative approaches to compensation in Wales, and I do ask you to review the removal of the cap. We did hear clear evidence from the farming unions that this will have a poor effect on investment and then the quality of cattle. And it’s quite a severe cut from £15,000 to £5,000. You’re right that it...
David Melding: I have to say that a lot of these arguments are very familiar. I think that those of us who have served since 1999 are now affectionately known in the Assembly as ‘the lifers’—[Laughter.]—and it does feel that way sometimes. I see there are two other lifers in the Chamber. Indeed, Dr Lloyd was first elected in 1999, but because of his good behaviour, he was given a brief period of...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, I know Members will be pleased to hear that an independent review found that for every £1 invested, about £3 in savings followed. That is really good and a sign of profound innovation. We want more of that. However, housing has only received 0.4 per cent of the investment of nearly £14 million under the scheme so far. I just wonder if you’re going to look at possible...
David Melding: There are many strands to this statement and I will not test your patience, Llywydd, by going through all of them, but I do want to start by saying there’s a broad range of political consensus here in the shift to renewables and to decarbonise our energy sector. So, in that tone I offer these comments and questions. I think the Cabinet Secretary is right to say we need transformational...
David Melding: First Minister, I commend what your Government and the previous administration has done to attract high-level events and how you’ve worked with the respective sporting associations. I think that’s a key partnership, and these sorts of achievements produce a gift that keeps on delivering because the marketing value—. People still talk about the wonderful days when the FA Cup was in...
David Melding: That’s a lack of curiosity.
David Melding: I commend Eluned Morgan’s point about the need for more SME builders, as a crucial sector that, in previous decades, provided for a lot of growth. One thing you could do is copy the scheme in England whereby local authorities have their Treasury grant increased by the value of the increase in council tax that comes with new house building. That would be a great incentive.
David Melding: In 2015, the Building Research Establishment said that we did need more data on this in Wales. We need a national study to see the extent of the problem. I think the issue here is the current properties that have undergone this, and it’s been defective. Because it’s at the heart of much of our refurbishment strategy, energy reduction, Warm Homes—it is really, really important that we...
David Melding: What action is the Welsh Government taking to tackle plastic pollution in Wales?
David Melding: What is the Welsh Government's strategy for attracting investment to Aberdare?
