Huw Irranca-Davies: I want to focus most of my remarks on the Swansea bay tidal lagoon, but can I begin by congratulating Charles Hendry on his report? Too often, reviews of this type lose themselves in fudges and faffing, coming to no clear conclusions and adding to the fog and to the delay, but not this one. This is the very model of what a decent review should do. It’s carefully considered, it’s delivered...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. I welcome the opportunity to speak very briefly on this Order—on a small point, but I think it is an important point—on behalf of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee. Our report to the Assembly identified one point of interest—it was a point of merit—related to the dependence of this Order on a set of regulations yet to be laid by the Welsh Ministers...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I’m slightly less—[Interruption.] I’m slightly less pessimistic than Bethan has been, because I can name individuals who are patrons of the arts: former collier David Brace and his wife Dawn Brace, who put £20,000 a year of their own money—Dunraven Windows is their company, the double glazing, but they fund the entirety of the Bridgend young singer of the year, which is a Wales-wide...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I wonder if we can find time for a debate or a statement on the construction industry in Wales, and I draw Members’ attention to my register of interests—the two unions I’m involved with have a construction interest. But, it’s following the latest data from the Construction Industry Training Board that shows that output growth in Wales is forecast to be stronger than any other part of...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch. Thank you for giving way. He seems to have read this morning the original Hippocratic oath clearly, which says, first of all, ‘Do no harm’. [Laughter.]
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you for giving way, Mark. I say this in all reasonableness: if, of those two objectives, the one of trying to impose a cap on migration either from within the EU or externally conflicts with the idea of identifying and recruiting those skilled people who will drive our economy, our universities and our jobs, which one has the priority? Because I would think even the Prime Minister is...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome that response. As the Cabinet Secretary knows, there’s growing and damning empirical evidence and applied academic studies highlighting the increased domestic abuse and violence around major sporting events, not just the six nations but the Super Bowl final, the football World Cup and others. Hence, those efforts by the Welsh Government, by the Welsh Rugby Union, by players...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Well, I welcome that response, and it will build on the work where, I understand, last year, under Nest and Arbed, something around 8,000 homes were improved with their energy efficiency. And of course, this links to fuel poverty, and that’s what I wanted to ask in my supplementary. The Welsh Government and Cabinet Secretary will be aware of Age Cymru’s statement on fuel poverty, and...
Huw Irranca-Davies: 3. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on funding for the Warm Homes Programme? OAQ(5)0102(ERA)
Huw Irranca-Davies: 5. What measures will the Cabinet Secretary take to help tackle domestic violence during the Six Nations rugby tournament and other major sporting events? OAQ(5)0102(CC)
Huw Irranca-Davies: I welcome the comprehensive response of the statement to the Hazelkorn review, but I’ll confine my remarks to a specific but—I think—very important issue. Hazelkorn and this statement recognise that there must be a concerted attempt to deliver parity of esteem of vocational and academic pathways. I believe that this means that new and vastly improved advice, guidance and training, as...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you for your patience, Llywydd.
Huw Irranca-Davies: Charles Hendry—we were delighted he was here last week briefing Assembly Members. It was a clear and resounding endorsement of the Swansea lagoon as a pathfinder, and he said in his report, and I quote, ‘The costs of a pathfinder project would be about 30p per household per year over the first 30 years.’ Thirty pence. ‘A large scale project would be less than 50p over the first 60...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Diolch, Lywydd. We were delighted that Charles Hendry took the time to visit the Assembly last week and to brief Assembly Members—
Huw Irranca-Davies: I apologise. [Laughter.]
Huw Irranca-Davies: 8. What discussions has the First Minister had with the Prime Minister regarding the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon since the Hendry report was published? OAQ(5)0409(FM)
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I ask whether you’ll give way or not?
Huw Irranca-Davies: Thank you Julie for giving way. Could I just say the debate today, but also the call for the public inquiry, has the support of my constituents in Llanharry and also in Maesteg, who I’ve dealt with over many, many years? My constituent from Llanharry whose son was infected by hepatitis C aged 12 and whose liver is borderline cirrhotic, who also had her two nephews infected at the same time,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Could I, following on from the question that introduced this, thank the Cabinet Secretary for his visit this morning to Tynycoed surgery in Sarn? And he saw the enthusiasm and the expertise of a wide range of professionals, but not only the GPs, not only the allied care professionals, but social care, healthcare professionals, people involved in social enterprises, people involved in the...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I’m not going to dwell on the wider issues that have been discussed ad nauseam here today. Some of the differences have been quite wide. I want to focus on an area where there may just be scope for some more agreement. In saying that, as I open these remarks, can I welcome, in this respect, the considered tone of R.T. Davies in this regard? In referring to chapter 7—it’s the area of...
