Mick Antoniw: Diolch, Lywydd. The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, as has been mentioned by the Cabinet Secretary, considered this instrument at our meeting on 8 January. We reported two merit points identified under Standing Order 21.3. The first point considered by the committee is that the Order was laid before the Assembly on 4 January 2018. The committee usually has 20 days from the...
Mick Antoniw: Could I ask for a statement on the impact of Tory police cuts on crime in our communities? Since last year, we've seen an 18 per cent increase in violent crime, a 14 per cent increase in knife crime in south Wales, but a 25 per cent increase in knife crime across the whole of Wales, an increase to 84,000 crimes unsolved, which was an increase on the previous two years, and, since 2010, Wales...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, there are obviously ethical and very practical issues, both of which I'd like to address. We know the history of Carillion. We've debated it in this Chamber in terms of its anti-trade unionism, its blacklisting and its attacks on terms and conditions of worker, and that's a model that's obviously contributed to its current downfall. I'm sure you will agree with me that...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, I agree with many of the comments that you've made, but, of course, we are in a situation now where things are getting so desperate within the Tory Government that they now have a Brexit Minister, Suella Fernandes, who, openly, is saying that it would be great to have no deal—almost the worst possible economic consequence for Wales, but who thinks it would be fantastic...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, can I thank you for that statement and also recognise the hard work that Welsh Government has been doing with regard to the national living wage? Can I draw attention to the concerns that there are that it's not just about the direct engagement of Welsh Government in terms of the promotion of the national living wage, but it is also through the supply chain, through...
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, you'll be aware that many Cynon Valley residents travel to and work in the Pontypridd and the Taff Ely area. O course, one of the areas as part of the metro that I've raised on a number of occasions is the new railway link in respect of Creigiau to Llantrisant—a very vital development as part of that infrastructure. I wonder whether you have any indication yet as to the...
Mick Antoniw: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the benefits to the Welsh economy of the living wage? OAQ51516
Mick Antoniw: Yes, certainly.
Mick Antoniw: Well, listen, absolutely, and it is fundamental to the transformation of the Valleys that we actually start looking—. People can no longer afford to live in the Cardiff area. They are continually moving out, but we want them to move beyond just the Taff vale area into the beautiful areas, the green areas that we now have in the Valleys. And the key to it is transport, and not down into...
Mick Antoniw: Can I first of all take up some of the comments that were made by Adam Price? I agree very much with the points that were made in terms of plan after plan after plan, and this is really the plan now where we have to deliver. I have in my office the 1958 UK Government plan for the development of south Wales, with these beautiful plans and copperplate pictures and so on, and it talks about...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that. The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee considered this instrument at our meeting on 11 December. We reported one merits point identified under Standing Order 21.3. This particular piece of legislation is very complex and technical when read alone. The explanatory memorandum accompanying these regulations uses everyday language to explain the technical changes...
Mick Antoniw: First Minister, can I welcome very much the Welsh Government's financial support for E-Cycle in my constituency, which is the former Remploy plant that the Welsh Government helped survive and transform into e-cycling, and in fact the further package of funding that enables it to continue to expand and to develop, creating not only business, but obviously jobs within the Valleys areas? I...
Mick Antoniw: Next year, we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the national health service—one of the great civilising institutions that's ever been established by a Government. It is obviously very sad to see the way the NHS is being undermined and privatised across the border in England, but in Wales we've maintained the ethos and the principles of the national...
Mick Antoniw: Will you take an intervention?
Mick Antoniw: I had, last month, the great pleasure to represent the First Minister at the annual gathering to commemorate those Welsh volunteers who joined the international brigades in Spain. There was a political irony there that, at that very time when we were making that commemoration, there were the scenes in Spain of crowds making fascist salutes, singing Franco-era fascist songs. The growth of...
Mick Antoniw: Would you accept that this problem has arisen because of the continued refusal of the Spanish Government to actually allow a properly organised referendum?
Mick Antoniw: Cabinet Secretary, the figures I have are that 152 banks have closed between 2011 and 2016, with 20 more to close in 2018—there are yet another two in my constituency, in Treforest and Talbot Green. The most worrying aspect to this is the total lack of any social or community responsibility from the banks, even in terms of the most basic consultation with those particular communities. I've...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, and also thank you for the fact that we've achieved 94 per cent coverage in Pontypridd. However, that 6 per cent non-coverage is really significant for a number of small businesses, and attempts to resolve it have been incredibly stubborn and difficult to resolve. I wondered what sort of steps are being taken and what priority can be given to ensure that the...
Mick Antoniw: Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. You may recall we had quite a lot of discussion, pre referendum, on the issue of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and external trade agreements, and the implications for Welsh procurement, the Welsh national health service, and so on. And it appears that, although the red rag was being proposed that, if we didn't leave the...
Mick Antoniw: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the implications of the UK Government's Trade Bill for Welsh Government procurement policy? OAQ51398
