Russell George: First Minister, I’m grateful to Joyce Watson for raising this question; it’s a particular issue in my constituency, with many GPs reaching retirement age and struggling to recruit. Many surgeries, in that instance, are having to reconfigure how they operate. What GPs are saying to me is that there is the potential for the devaluation of their premises if their practices cease to operate,...
Russell George: Thank you. I welcome that answer in that case, First Minister. You may be aware that stroke patients in mid Wales are no longer able to access special treatment from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital following a reconfiguration of services, which has resulted in services moving further away to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. Can I ask you what discussions your Government has had with the...
Russell George: 1. How is the Welsh Government improving access to health services in Montgomeryshire? OAQ(5)0111(FM)
Russell George: Yes, I will, in that case, wind up, Deputy Presiding Officer. Just to say that, from my perspective, I hope the Welsh and UK Governments continue to work together towards a positive outcome.
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to move the Welsh Conservative amendment in the name of Paul Davies. Now, the Welsh Conservatives and I welcome this debate on the future of the steel industry in Wales. Welsh steel production is of course of vital importance to the Welsh economy, to workers and their families, and to those communities that rely on steel making. We will not be...
Russell George: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for the agricultural industry in Montgomeryshire?
Russell George: Can I ask for a statement, please, on business rates? Certainly, I’ve visited a number of small businesses in the past week and there is a great deal of uncertainty. In the last financial year, businesses received a £1,500 rate relief, and then the previous year it was £1,000. Clearly, businesses do need to know whether they're going to receive that rate this financial year. I'm also...
Russell George: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for tourism in mid Wales?
Russell George: Can I also thank the Minister for his statement and also, formally, welcome him to his new role and say I look forward to working with him again as well? Now, I would join with you, Minister, in welcoming the UK Government’s White Paper, which provides the BBC with long-term stability and an explicit commitment, of course, to providing a stronger voice for Wales, within Wales and through...
Russell George: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? It is, of course, my view and the view of the Welsh Conservatives that diggers should be in the ground without delay, and of course I entirely agree with the view of others that doing nothing is not an option. Now, millions of pounds have been spent already on the public consultation and the exhibitions. You...
Russell George: The Government has previously announced nine priority business sectors for growth in Wales. Five of those sectors—tourism, food and drink, construction, life science and creative industries—have experienced a declining workforce in the last quarter. I wonder if the First Minister could outline the reasons for that.
Russell George: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I hope that this debate will be a little bit less controversial than the last, but I will be mentioning Europe a number of times in this debate. I’m pleased to introduce this debate on the effects of the European football championships on Wales, as well as the longer term health repercussions of the event, and to move the motion in the name of Paul Davies....
Russell George: Minister, our own proposals for a Welsh cancer treatment fund would not only have improved access to new, modern medicines, but would also have made cancer treatment more accessible for patients through the establishment of a mobile cancer treatment unit. In rural parts of Wales, such as my own constituency in Montgomeryshire, that would, of course, be an invaluable service. My question,...
Russell George: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary? I think that’s an encouraging response, so perhaps it would be timely if we could have a statement over the coming weeks, as negotiations come to a conclusion in a positive way as the Cabinet Secretary suggests and, perhaps at some point, he’d be willing to visit one of the stages in mid Wales with me as well—perhaps we could have a race with each...
Russell George: Well, thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your response and I’m pleased to hear that you are aware of that information as well. The long-term future of the forest-stage rallying in Wales is under some serious threat as a consequence of Natural Resources Wales’s proposal to almost double the charges to the industry for the use of and maintenance of roads. Now, it appears that, in England and...
Russell George: Can I also congratulate the Cabinet Secretary on his appointment and say that I look forward to working with him constructively, where appropriate? Cabinet Secretary, the Welsh Government’s directory of Welsh motor sports companies states that Wales has a well-established automotive sector, generating a turnover of over £3 billion annually. Indeed, one of the success stories of the tourism...
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Cabinet Secretary. I hope you will be aware of a long-standing issue in my constituency for a proposed bypass for the Llanymynech and Pant area, and I have been in previous correspondence with your predecessor, Edwina Hart, on this. I recently met with Andrew Jones, the transport Minister from the UK Government, in Llanymynech with community representatives. He...
Russell George: 2. Will the Minister make a statement on cross-border transport co-operation? OAQ(5)0011(EI)
Russell George: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s intention to establish a cancer drugs fund? OAQ(5)0013(HWS)
Russell George: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's National Transport Finance Plan?
