Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. Could I seek clarity, please, on one key area? You are signed up to, and I think we’re all signed up to as free a movement of goods and services as possible, because trade is good for any country, and the more barriers you put in place, the less job opportunities and the less prosperity you create. In the wake of the referendum,...
Andrew RT Davies: I think I should intervene. [Laughter.]
Andrew RT Davies: Leader of the house, could we have a statement from the Minister for transport on progress regarding the improvements to Five Mile Lane in the Vale of Glamorgan? From previous answers I’ve had back, there was an indication that the start date would be the end of this month, September 2016. I’ve put some WAQs in through the summer months to try and clarify land acquisition and cost to...
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, thank you for your answers this afternoon. I would be a little less generous than Angela was by saying that 50 per cent of the LHBs are now in special measures or under some form of Government supervision; it’s actually six of the health boards that have district general hospitals within their remit to run, and two thirds of them now—four of them—are under some form of...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, thank you for the answers you’ve given. I think they’ve given clarity in certain areas. I do welcome your intervention in saying that you’re going to go to Detroit. The First Minister, though, in response to myself in First Minister’s questions, clearly identified that, as far as Ford was concerned, the ongoing developments at the factory were...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, I regret that Ford in Detroit weren’t prepared to meet you because, as I understand it, that’s where the decision about the investment was taken and they seemed to have passed the ball back to Ford of Europe on this matter. But there are three very legitimate questions that I hope your Government and yourself as First Minister have been interacting with Ford on and they...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, it clearly came over that you were fantasising again about the break-up of the United Kingdom, which is something you spend a lot of time talking about these days, and as anyone who goes before an entrepreneur such as in ‘Dragon’s Den’ you don’t go and diss the product you’re trying to sell to them, First Minister. But one thing you could’ve done on your trade...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week, you were in America promoting what Wales has to offer to businesses that are looking to invest into the UK, and Wales obviously wants to get a big share of that cake. At the end of the visit, you chose to actually use a speech to talk about the break-up of the United Kingdom. It did seem rather odd, when you’re trying to promote the...
Andrew RT Davies: Will you take an intervention?
Andrew RT Davies: In my comments, I forgot to mention—I should have mentioned, and I hope you’ll commend them as well—the Western Front Association, which was so integral to the commemoration of Mametz Wood. I know they work very closely with the Welsh Government and the armed services, and many of those members are in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Andrew RT Davies: I agree we need to act on advice and the advice that’s given, but I do direct the Cabinet Secretary to the health committee’s report into this particular data-collection exercise that the health committee in the third Assembly undertook, and took extensive evidence from the Royal British Legion, from veterans and from families. The health committee did actually offer a route forward for...
Andrew RT Davies: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate today and, indeed, congratulate my own Conservative group for being the group that has constantly brought motions before the Assembly to reflect on some of the important initiatives that the Welsh Government could enact and actually show real solidarity with our veterans and service personnel, wherever they might serve. I know the Cabinet...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, First Minister, for your statement this afternoon. I have to state my disappointment at such a lightweight statement, which talks in very flowery language but doesn’t offer much substance, to be honest with you. I do believe that the smokescreen—[Interruption.] I do believe the smokescreen of the referendum result is most probably just mirroring an inability for the Government...
Andrew RT Davies: One of the issues that was identified in the report is the retention of staff. I mean, very often, we do focus on attracting new staff into the health service, but, in particular on neonatal units, it is the ability to retain staff once you’ve attracted them into the unit. In particular, 40 per cent of mothers will suffer postnatal depression and who will have an episode on these units....
Andrew RT Davies: I appreciate that detailed answer, and it is a road map of sorts. But I think one thing that would be really appreciated is knowing how, in this Assembly, we will measure your success—going from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of units having enough staff, or, indeed 100 per cent of units having enough staff. Because what is key here is identifying the road to success, in getting the numbers up...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, with all the politics that are going on in the country at the moment, with changing leaderships in other legislatures, and the fallout from the Brexit referendum, some of the bread-and-butter issues do tend to get looked over. And I’d like to draw your attention to the Bliss report that was brought forward last week, by the charity, which I...
Andrew RT Davies: There must be no detriment to the funding formula to Wales—that is crystal clear. I believe the Prime Minister is on record as saying that, and I believe several Secretaries of State, and this Secretary of State, have made that quite clear. We have a very good record on our funding of Wales, in particular in introducing the funding floor, and we will continue those negotiations to make sure...
Andrew RT Davies: I certainly will.
Andrew RT Davies: He obviously had a very good lunch, I would have thought. I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s recognition of a distinct body of Welsh law on the face of the Bill, within an England-and-Wales jurisdiction. This is a sensible accommodation; and the establishment of a justice working group to look at distinctive arrangements will further inform work in this area. The draft Wales Bill is...
Andrew RT Davies: I welcome the Secretary of State here today. As one who’s sat on the benches with you, I can remember all your ‘hear, hears’ and banging of desks when you were here, but I can see you’re far better behaved now you’ve got to the Secretary of State position. But it is a real warm welcome to you that we extend from the Conservative benches, as it is your first visit as Secretary of...
