David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I add my support to this growing trend as well? I understand there are over 80 companies and organisations now throughout Wales who are paying the foundation living wage, including, Presiding Officer, the National Assembly and Cardiff council. I think the point you make there is exactly the right one. We do have a productivity crisis in this country, and a lot of it is...
David Melding: Can I welcome this statement from the Cabinet Secretary and can I thank him for the briefing he gave opposition spokespeople this morning and the promise of further briefings from him and his officials? I do think it’s important we are kept informed of, as he said, what is a rapidly changing situation. Can I ask him, in terms of the immediate assessments that have been carried out, what...
David Melding: First Minister, Natural Resources Wales’s report ‘Tree Cover in Wales’ Towns and Cities’ found that 1 per cent of all tree cover is found in areas of high-density housing, and the Welsh Government’s own report on local air quality management in Wales identified increasing tree cover as key to improving general well-being, reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality. Are you...
David Melding: What are the First Minister's priorities for economic development in South Wales Central?
David Melding: I’m delighted to also commend the regeneration of Aberdare town centre. [Interruption.] I like being generous. It really is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen of use of this sort of money, and it does remind people of ‘the Queen of the Valleys’, as I think Aberdare used to be called. I want to talk about housing renewal. Will you assure us that this will still be a central...
David Melding: I’m relieved that it is being undertaken, because this was an important reform to make the planning process more efficient and effective. Members will know that it is a requirement on major developments, such as housing developments of 10 or more houses, or developments on a site of one hectare or more. Now, one of the prime intentions is to engage the local community and enable them to...
David Melding: I agree with you because I think the advantage of a pre-planning process is that the very real concerns a community may have can then be addressed, and then can shape the application, but the thrust of the application can continue in a moderated, adapted form. Another thing I think you need to look at, because, in the discussions I’ve had, for instance with housing associations, architects...
David Melding: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, section 17 of the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 introduced a requirement for applicants to carry out pre-application consultations—I’m now going to refer to them as PACs—with the community and technical consultees. Have you made any assessment of how this is operating now that it’s been in place for 15 months?
David Melding: [Continues.]—but one that represents a very particular part of the United Kingdom and doesn’t have a wider mandate than that. I’d rather not, and I think you’re going to speak in the debate, but if you press me, I will give way, but I still have a few things I want to say that I think the Assembly would like to hear. Do you want me to give way?
David Melding: Well, time will tell on the stability of this whole arrangement. My own view, and I’m now going to get into awful trouble, is that it’s anyone’s guess after the Brexit negotiations are over. But I do think we need to stand up for Wales. That’s why the National Assembly is here. In times of debating the allocation of resources of the UK state, of which we are part and we’ve generated...
David Melding: Well, we are, at the moment, dealing with the general election result, and it did generate only two viable options. One was a minority Conservative Government—the one I, incidentally, favoured, but that would have been fragile, obviously—or, secondly, a combination with the DUP to create a confidence and supply agreement. There was no other combination that could have produced a...
David Melding: I certainly do expect it to continue. I can’t speak for the DUP but I can speak for the Welsh Conservative Party, and we acknowledge man-made climate change. So, our approach is one of supporting and encouraging the Welsh Government, actually, to go further. But, anyway, we could move more quickly here, and it’s a pity that we haven’t. I realise I’m going to run out of time if I’m...
David Melding: I’ll just finish this bit. So, that means that there was a seven-month time lag before the UK carbon budget levels were implemented. I give way.
David Melding: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I do move the amendments in Paul Davies’s name. I welcome the fact we’re having this debate; I think it is an important subject. I also welcome the significant strides that have been taken to reduce the carbon footprint, and the Welsh Government has given some leadership in this area, but I would say, before I’m viewed as being too generous, that we...
David Melding: First Minister, you’ll know that Nantgarw has recently been chosen as the base for the new 24-hour helpline for armed forces veterans. This will be a great help all over Wales, but also for RCT and Cynon Valley in particular. Now, this is part of the 2014 veterans transition review, which also recommended that local authorities conduct an audit of their social housing provision and see how...
David Melding: Your boss is the well-being Minister, thank you very much.
David Melding: Oh, lord. The best you can do. [Laughter.]
David Melding: Minister, the European Urban Audit placed Cardiff as the highest ranking UK city, the sixth most liveable capital city in Europe. Copenhagen was first: 45 per cent of inhabitants there ride to work. As part of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, will you set targets for our cities and other urban areas for the number of non-motorised journeys? That would be a good action...
David Melding: Cabinet Secretary, can I welcome the fact that the ONS has now started to publish data at local authority level on two key measures of economic output and prosperity, that is gross value added and gross disposable household income. And I think there’s great potential, and I’d like the Welsh Government to say what they may do in this field, to ensure that, say, the Cardiff city deal—but...
David Melding: Will the Cabinet Secretary state what strategy is in place to increase the number of local bus passenger journeys?
