Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Dawn Bowden for raising this issue and for highlighting some of the excellent initiatives and excellent investments that Welsh Government is making in the community that she represents. I'm really pleased to see that she's had the opportunity to visit so many of them. For example, Elite Paper Solutions, I think, is really exciting in terms of what's possible through our Better...
Rebecca Evans: Despite cuts to our budget, we continue to invest in public services, businesses and communities in the south Wales Valleys. In Merthyr, we are investing £225 million for improvements to Prince Charles Hospital, and will invest close to £750 million to take forward the next phase of the south Wales metro project.
Rebecca Evans: No, I don't recognise the picture that the Member seeks to try and paint this afternoon. I've been very clear, as I was in my response to Dai Lloyd several months ago, that Welsh Government provided no funding for any of the schemes related to Mr Woodhouse.
Rebecca Evans: It's my understanding that we have provided no funding to the individual or the company that Mark Reckless refers to.
Rebecca Evans: I think the comments that Nick Ramsey has made this afternoon just recognise how vital European funding is for our farming communities, and we've only been talking at this point about the rural development programme, but, of course, if you look at the basic payment scheme and the amount of money that that ploughs into rural enterprises and farming businesses, I think that we can recognise the...
Rebecca Evans: As I mentioned, to date Wales has drawn down 45 per cent of our EU funding for the RDP, and that compares to 42 per cent for the average across other member states. That really is a feature more of the way in which European funding works in terms of the profiling of those projects over a number of years, and the full spend has to be achieved three years after the closure of the programme. So...
Rebecca Evans: The rural development programme provides much needed investment in our environment, our farming and rural communities, and this investment is very much about maximising the way in which we manage our ecosystems, ensuring that we use energy efficiently and that we reduce our greenhouse gases in Wales. So I can confirm that to date Wales has drawn down 45 per cent of our EU funding from the...
Rebecca Evans: Well, I would disagree with the way in which our recent budgets have been portrayed in that way. I know the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has been really keen to provide the maximum challenge to Welsh Government in terms of prevention, and she's asked every single one of the Welsh Government Ministers to demonstrate what each of them are doing in the area of prevention within...
Rebecca Evans: I think Welsh Government and local authorities have had a real difficult job over recent years in the face of ever-declining budgets, so, year on year, looking to areas where we can cut rather than looking to areas where we can invest. But, nonetheless, I think Welsh Government has worked closely with local authorities to try and focus money in those areas where we can achieve the best...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising that issue. I had the opportunity just this morning to meet the local authority finance sub-group, alongside the local government Minister, to explore the issues relating to the budget this year. They share our frustration, as I know that Members in the Assembly do, about the delay in terms of publishing the budget. What I will say is that, over the course of...
Rebecca Evans: So, Welsh Government has been working really hard to try and ensure that our procurement does meet the needs and provides opportunities for businesses and suppliers in Wales. So, Wales-based suppliers now win 52 per cent of the annual £6.467 billion procurement expenditure. Clearly, we want to do much more, but I think that it is important to recognise the improvement that we've made since...
Rebecca Evans: Yes, I think the example that Jenny Rathbone gave of Caerphilly is an excellent example of what can be achieved if people think imaginatively about the local opportunities. I'm really pleased that the Carmarthenshire public services board has been awarded that £100,000 to improve the procurement of local food in the area, and that's just one of 52 experimental initiatives across Wales...
Rebecca Evans: Eighty per cent of the suppliers appointed to the National Procurement Service's fresh food framework are Wales based. Over 45 organisations use the agreement, with spend on fresh produce amounting to over £6 million per annum.
Rebecca Evans: Mike Hedges is right that we have to invest in a range of solutions and preventative measures. So, an example—I think a very good example—is the RainScape initiative in Llanelli, which I know the Minister with responsibility for environment and rural affairs is particularly enthusiastic about. I know that she's considering the future sustainable drainage systems legislation and what that...
Rebecca Evans: Well, Russell George is right that the risk of flooding is becoming increasingly prevalent in our communities, which is why we're taking a preventative position, as far as we possibly can, by committing to invest more than £350 million in flooding defence and coastal erosion risk management over the lifetime of this Government. And I think it's worth recognising that we're allocating record...
Rebecca Evans: Through forward planning, we aim to prevent disruption due to adverse weather. This year, for example, we are investing more than £51 million in flood defence and coastal erosion risk management.
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government’s policies, including high-quality apprenticeships, the UK’s highest starting threshold for land transaction tax, and council tax discounts and reliefs, support lower income earners, many of whom will be young people starting careers. We also provide the fairest, most progressive and sustainable student financial support in the UK.
Rebecca Evans: We are investing in all parts of Wales to support our public services, businesses and communities. Investments in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire include £60 million EU funding in the marine energy industry and £45 million for improvements to the A40.
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government has provided a specific grant scheme for the past three years that supports the majority of hydropower projects in Wales with their non-domestic rates bills. We are considering the position for 2020-21 as part of the budget planning process.
Rebecca Evans: Well, again, I'll make the health Minister aware of the concerns that have been expressed by Rhun ap Iorwerth this afternoon in terms of waiting times for orthopaedics at Ysbyty Gwynedd. The waiting times that he's described are clearly not the kind of waiting times that we would want to see. So, I'll, again, be sure to have that conversation with the health Minister. I know that he does plan...
