Mike Hedges: 10. Will the Minister provide an update on the ‘A Regional Collaboration for Health’ programme? OAQ(5)0080(HWS)
Mike Hedges: I don’t share your view. What I would say is that if you put that cap on, you end up with wards running short of nurses, and you end up with hospitals short of doctors. The problem is we need agency staff. The challenge to the Welsh Government and the health service is to get to a situation where we don’t need agency staff because we’re fully staffed. Why are you, as stated by a former...
Mike Hedges: Certainly.
Mike Hedges: This is the sixth budget I have spoken on in the Senedd. Unfortunately, they have all been made against the austerity agenda of first the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Westminster Government and now a Conservative Government. How long will the austerity path be followed until it suddenly dawns on the Government that it is not working? As Adam Price said earlier, this is the first lost...
Mike Hedges: Thank you for that response. Do you, Counsel General, agree with me that this is a further step in restricting ordinary people’s rights and access to justice through the courts system?
Mike Hedges: 6. What representations has the Counsel General made to the UK Government regarding the impact on Wales of the proposed changes to the civil litigation and small claims courts? OAQ(5)0008(CG)
Mike Hedges: First, can I welcome the statement by the Cabinet Secretary? The landfill disposals tax in itself is a very unusual tax, isn’t it? The primary reason for most taxes is to raise money for public services. The aim of this tax is to effect behaviour. Can I just say that when the original tax was introduced, I was sceptical? It was an attempt to effect behaviour by proxy. It was councils that...
Mike Hedges: Following the autumn statement made in Westminster, can I ask for a Welsh Government statement on the Swansea bay city region to include a description of Welsh Government financial support, transportation proposals and plans for supporting the economic development of the region?
Mike Hedges: Will you take an intervention?
Mike Hedges: Well, there used to be the joint negotiating committee, which set the limit. The Conservative Government in Westminster did away with it. Do you regret that?
Mike Hedges: Can I thank Joyce Watson for that response? Considering it is over five years, it is not a very large number of accidents, but every accident is one too many. What is being done by the Commission to reduce the number of accidents on the estate?
Mike Hedges: Can I thank the Minister for that response? Knotweed is a major problem in Swansea East, making houses difficult to sell and spreading onto neighbouring properties. I’m very pleased with the update the Minister gave me on experiments with a natural predator and on chemical attempts to attack it. The natural predator has been used now for several years, when will the decision be made on...
Mike Hedges: Historically, in the pre-poll-tax days, local authorities were able to use the equivalent of the product of the penny rate to carry out activity for the benefit of their local area. Does that Cabinet Secretary agree with me that what is needed, and what local authorities have asked for for as long as I can remember, is a power of general competence for local authorities, so that if it’s for...
Mike Hedges: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on efforts to tackle Japanese knotweed? OAQ(5)0056(ERA)
Mike Hedges: 1. How many recorded accidents have occurred on the Assembly estate since May 2011? OAQ(5)003(AC)
Mike Hedges: I welcome the statement by the Cabinet Secretary, and I give him three cheers, as opposed to David Melding’s two. I recognise the importance of the Rent Smart scheme. We need to improve the overall quality and management of privately rented housing. I want to stress the importance that landlords—including accidental landlords—are aware of all their responsibilities. The rush to register...
Mike Hedges: I very much appreciate the work done by Communities First in Swansea East and hope that that work on improving health, educational attainment, reducing fixed outgoings, and finding employment will continue. How does the Cabinet Secretary see the role of local councils and public service boards in building resilient communities and continuing these much-needed and very good schemes?
Mike Hedges: Can I first of all welcome the European Champions League final coming to Cardiff? I very much hope there’s a Cardiff player playing in that match, in terms of Gareth Bale. Could I also remind the Minister—and I hope that he’ll welcome it—that there are 19 major sporting events taking place in Wales every year, and that Swansea are playing in the largest league in the world, which...
Mike Hedges: We’ve heard a lot about proposed transport changes in the Cardiff bay city region. I’m asking for a Government statement on transport proposals within the Swansea bay city region, specifically proposals such as reopening railway stations, further dualling of the A40, creating bus and train links and improving cycle path provision.
Mike Hedges: Actually, Cyril Hartson’s great-uncle had difficulty speaking English, and quite often had to ask what the English word was when I was talking to him. The provision of Welsh-medium youth facilities needs to improve and the protection of the Welsh language being a material consideration in planning applications. Rydw i’n gwybod pa mor anodd ydy dysgu Cymraeg. Mae’n haws dysgu yn yr ysgol...
