Mike Hedges: I have given a minute in this debate to Jeremy Miles. I welcome this opportunity to raise a subject that I believe to be vital to the future of people in Wales. Housing, or the lack of it, is perhaps the greatest challenge facing this Assembly, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it so early in this term. It’s certainly a major issue in my constituency, not just people who can’t get...
Mike Hedges: Will the Minister make a statement on transport links within the Swansea Bay City Region?
Mike Hedges: This is a very simple supplementary budget that involves two major financial changes. As the Cabinet Secretary said earlier, the main purpose of this supplementary budget is to restructure to reflect the ministerial portfolio changes of the new Welsh Government. It also sets out details of the additional allocations, most of which have been previously committed in policy statements in this...
Mike Hedges: Thank you, First Minister. I’m also very pleased with how the Welsh team did in the European championships, and I am sure that I’m not the only one who spent Sunday night thinking, ‘It could have been us’, especially when a former Swansea City player won the tournament for Portugal. In order to continue to develop football, there is a need for improved pitches. I would like to ask the...
Mike Hedges: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the development of football in Wales? OAQ(5)0102(FM)
Mike Hedges: Of course, when pupils get to school, they have to make their way around the school. A number of children have mobility difficulty, some are in wheelchairs, but some also have difficulties in making their way round the schools. How many schools are not fully Disability Discrimination Act compliant? What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that they are?
Mike Hedges: What is the Welsh Government's position on the optimum size for key stage 1 classes?
Mike Hedges: Taxation exists to pay for public services. It’s very important if we are to have high-quality public services that we have a taxation system that works. It’s not there primarily as a means of economic development; it’s there to get money for services that we all rely on. The two taxes proposed to be devolved on 1 April 2018 raise limited income. The policy intention is to continue to...
Mike Hedges: Can I first of all thank the First Minister for that response? I believe in the importance of social housing; I have many of my constituents on the council house waiting list at the moment. I also want to stress the importance of ending the right to buy so that councils are able to build again without the fear that those houses will be sold very, very quickly. Can some of the funding...
Mike Hedges: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on proposed social housing developments in this Assembly term? OAQ(5)0086(FM)
Mike Hedges: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I first of all thank Rhianon for giving me the opportunity to speak in this? In Swansea East, two replacement secondary schools and one replacement primary school have been built. One replacement primary is under construction and planning has been applied for another replacement secondary school. Demountables have been replaced by permanent buildings....
Mike Hedges: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response and managing to get out what SQuID actually stands for much better than I could have done? I’m going to carry on with SQuID, though. [Laughter.] SQuID is an excellent scheme that allows smaller contractors to compete across a range of projects, and Welsh Government policy is that all local authorities should use it. A survey by the...
Mike Hedges: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on the use of SQuID for purchasing by local authorities? OAQ(5)0001(FLG)
Mike Hedges: I second Jayne Bryant.
Mike Hedges: Can I nominate Julie Morgan?
Mike Hedges: I’m glad the Conservatives have finally recognised the importance of local government. For those who’ve been here for the last five years, we’ve heard them attempt to take money out of local government and give it to health, the equivalent of buying a car, not maintaining it, but spending money on repairs. Spending on sports facilities, environmental health and elderly care helps keep...
Mike Hedges: No.
Mike Hedges: Of course it’s a huge gamble to have income tax devolved without either control of macro-economic policy or without protecting income. Welsh income tax is affected by decisions at Westminster. We know it fell by £440 million between 2007-08 and 2009-10, none of which was the responsibility of the Welsh Government. Does the First Minister agree that, if taxes are devolved, we need a mixture...
Mike Hedges: First, can I declare an interest? I have a daughter who attends Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe and a granddaughter attending Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tan-y-lan. I welcome the report and the commitment of the Welsh Government and the Minister to the Welsh language. I believe that education is the key to the continuation of Welsh as a community language. I am pleased with the growth of Welsh-medium...
Mike Hedges: There is a substantial need in Wales for good-quality housing, not least in Swansea East. I would like to ask for a statement by the Minister with housing as part of their portfolio on how they intend to increase the availability of social and co-operative housing, including support for councils such as Swansea building new council houses?
