Rhun ap Iorwerth: And I certainly agree with my colleague Bethan Sayed, who is now sitting behind me, in terms of the potential, and we're talking about an area that wants to see that potential being realised. And there's a danger always in raising people's hopes by going down the wrong avenues. But you tell us time and time again, quite rightly, of course, about constraints on Welsh Government finances. What...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: That's comforting to know and I look forward to more detail of how that progresses. In the case of the Afan valley project, of course, there may not have been an exchange of funds in any way, but there was certainly support from Welsh Government in the form of your appearance in a video promoting Northern Powerhouse Developments plans, which gave the very public impression that Welsh...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Diolch, Llywydd. Yesterday, in the Chamber, we were told that Welsh Government had not given money directly to the Afan valley project. You've confirmed that again today. Welsh Government, though, had given money to the Northern Powerhouse Developments company to develop the Caer Rhun hotel in Conwy. It had been given some £0.5 million and there are now clearly concerns over the future of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action'.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I therefore would have expected and hoped to have seen that immediate action, given the declaration of a climate emergency, but that isn’t an opportunity that’s been taken by Government to date, and it is something that I deeply regret. The First Minister has stated that environmental issues were a factor in the decision not to proceed with the black route proposals for the M4. I think...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The Minister said that a supplementary budget usually is relatively narrow in scope, but I do think that there is more to be said about this supplementary budget than there is about most of the others. There are many external factors in terms of the actions of the UK Government and some of the actions or absence of action from the Welsh Government that do need to be addressed. In terms of...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Just very quickly—and thanks for giving way—do you have any idea what's driving the Member for Cardiff Airport to be citing problems for Bristol as a reason not to devolve the tax to Wales?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I'm also very pleased to have been able to put forward this motion jointly with the Labour Government and the Conservative Party. Plaid Cymru has long championed the devolution of air passenger duty to Wales, and it is pleasing to see now, at last, that there is a consensus building here—certainly also the consensus that we saw reflected in the report by the House of Commons Welsh Affairs...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The departure of the banks from our high streets does leave a gap that needs to be filled, and there are a number of examples of businesses taking over bank premises, whilst we are also looking at ways to bring financial services back into our town centres. But there is the case of one business in my constituency that is trying to invest in turning a bank into a business in the leisure...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: If I could say, I'm aware of constituents that I have who want to study medicine in Wales, who have gone through the Seren system and attempts have been made to attract them to universities in England.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: And it's worth noting that it's the university sector that is feeding us with those concerns that we are able to raise here on the floor of the Assembly.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention? It's not about the individuals driving the policy and working very, very hard on it; it's what it achieves in driving students out of Wales, driving a brain drain, and, as I said, what country would want to do that?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Certainly, HEIs that are strong are very important economically, culturally and socially, in terms of contributing to our prosperity as a nation. I want to talk about the economic impact of higher education, mainly. It happens on a number of levels, and the problems and the crisis that we face in the sector at present should be ringing very loud alarm bells, in terms of the economic risks. On...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Formally.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: That Powys site, as we've heard, has closed. We think, of course, of all those affected who were employed on that project. I have heard, though, from a number of sources that Jistcourt appears to be continuing work on a contract to install kitchens in council homes with Bristol City Council—a contract, I understand, is worth around £6 million. I wonder if the Minister is aware of that. I'd...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I still maintain that mistakes were made in Welsh Government setting a trap for itself, which the UK Government then triggered, and I want assurances that such mistakes can't be made again. Would the Minister agree with me that now is the time, considering the delay, if you like, and the need to spend money on the M4 now, to have a reaffirmation of the general principles of the fiscal...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The question I was asking was about the principle, in fact, of the UK Treasury telling Welsh Government how it should be spending its money. There's no justification for the Treasury dictating to the Assembly or Welsh Government what its priorities should be. I think the command paper, 'Financial Empowerment and Accountability', published alongside the Wales Act 2014, said that 'Within the...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you, Llywydd. Following the cancellation of the black route, will the Minister provide us with an update on the borrowing capacity that was available to the Welsh Government, conditional on it being spent on the M4 relief road? Is that funding still available now that that plan has been scrapped?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Go for it. The reins are very much in your hands; you are firmly in control. It's been a pleasure to share this Senedd Chamber with you today. Thanks for raising all our spirits today, and we all look forward to seeing your accomplishments through the Youth Parliament of Wales and way, way beyond. [Applause.]
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you very much, Llywydd. I know that I speak on behalf of Members of every party in saying how pleasant and wonderful the spirit is in the Senedd today, and it would be good to be able to feel this vibe in your company, as Members of the Youth Parliament, many times again in the future. There are many topics in politics that can be quite depressing. Whether during my career as a...
