Jane Hutt: This is crucially important, and, of course, we have got our action plan for the food and drink industry, working closely with food security and food safety stakeholders and partners to sustain and enhance the food production base in Wales, and actively working with the industry. And that’s about improving resilience, productivity, competiveness of food and farming businesses, and adding...
Jane Hutt: I can certainly assure Simon Thomas of that. And, of course, he would agree with me and the Welsh Government, in relation to the future of agriculture and environment policy in Wales, that, as a Government, we’ve been extensively engaging with stakeholders for the last six months through our round-table meetings on the implication of exiting the European Union. We’ve underlined how...
Jane Hutt: We continue to actively engage with the UK Government in relation to agriculture and countryside policies. Most recently, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs met with Ministers from both the UK Government and devolved administrations on 23 February in Edinburgh.
Jane Hutt: What I was going to go on to say is that it was also a recommendation of the Silk commission, which included the Welsh Conservatives as well as all the other parties. But I think it’s important that we do see this from a practical perspective in terms of collaboration. Devolution, of course, of policing would also enable further future legislation affecting police and community safety to be...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much. As we’ve outlined in our ‘Taking Wales Forward’ programme for government, community safety is a top priority for this Government. Yes, the settlement is another challenging one for the police and a tougher one than PCCs were expecting. We’re committed to working with PCCs and chief constables to ensure that those reductions are managed in ways that limit the...
Jane Hutt: Deputy Presiding Officer, on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, I’m today presenting the Assembly for its approval details of the Welsh Government’s contribution to the core revenue funding for four police and crime commissioners—the PCCs in Wales—for 2017-18. Members will be aware that the core funding for the police in Wales is delivered through a...
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Joyce Watson. I think, in response to the first point of your question about working with local authorities, the Welsh Government does work very closely with the Welsh Local Government Association regarding local authorities and their willingness, ability and capacity to accept unaccompanied refugee children. Also, we are very much aware of placements being offered in the last...
Jane Hutt: Well, I would have hoped that Andrew R.T. Davies would welcome the fact that we have actually secured an additional £10 million of rate relief for our high streets. Of course, that formed part of our final budget package before Christmas, and I hoped at the time that you would welcome it. Certainly, I had some good response in terms of that announcement before Christmas. You also have to...
Jane Hutt: Thank you for those two very important questions, David Rees. In terms of Parc Slip, the fact that an alternative restoration scheme has been put forward at the site is important, and I understand that the details, as you say, are still being finalised. Of course, they will go to the relevant planning authorities, acknowledging your point about what impact we can have in terms of those...
Jane Hutt: I think we all welcome that. It was very disheartening to see the result of the disintegration of that historic pier, and very welcome that the trust is taking that lead in terms of responsibility. I’m sure this will lead to the development of partnership discussions on the way forward.
Jane Hutt: Thank you, Huw Irranca-Davies. Only just a short while ago, we heard about the investment by Torfaen County Borough Council, a Labour-controlled authority, with the Welsh Labour Government. The twenty-first century schools programme is playing a huge part in terms of enabling us to have those very good forecasts from the Construction Industry Training Board, predicting strong growth in the...
Jane Hutt: I think in terms of your first question, Mohammad Asghar, I have to say it’s quite horrifying to see people approaching people in beds with a machine to get them to pay up; that horrifies me. But, clearly, we have to look at our own—. We do have guidance, we have guidance in regard to overseas patients—. [Interruption.] That’s in England, of course. We have our guidance and we’re...
Jane Hutt: Well, clearly, this is a matter for local authorities in tough times in terms of UK Government austerity policies, but it is a matter where, of course, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government would wish to engage and be involved with local authorities in terms of the impacts, and also to recognise that we have got real opportunities. We’ve just been talking about the city...
Jane Hutt: Thank you very much to Vikki Howells from the Cynon Valley. Clearly, in terms of the European Medicines Agency, this is a matter of concern but the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport is leading discussions with the Department of Health and also with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, responsible for matters related to regulation of medicines. There’s...
Jane Hutt: Llywydd, I have three changes to report to this week’s business. The Minister for Social Services and Public Health will make a statement on Sport Wales shortly. The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children will then make a statement on ‘resilient communities—next steps’. And, finally, I’ve reduced the time allocated to the Counsel General’s oral Assembly questions tomorrow....
Jane Hutt: This clearly has to have a cross-Government approach. As I said earlier, in response to the question from Andrew R.T. Davies, where we have direct control, in terms of our decision making as to the location of a new body, new functions—. Of course, in terms of the Welsh Revenue Authority, it is not just a new body; there are new functions. There are new skills as well, in terms of the tax...
Jane Hutt: I thank Jayne Bryant for that question, and I would like to thank her for chairing a cross-party group on preventing child sexual abuse. That provides an opportunity for Members across the Assembly to come together and take action and get the evidence in terms of the situation that you describe, which was very well highlighted today, I know, at the event that Kirsty Williams spoke at. I also...
Jane Hutt: I thank the Member for that question. Indeed, this is a question that the Cabinet Secretary will follow up, but it’s also very important that if you have people who are affected in this way that you also make representations on their behalf.
Jane Hutt: Well, what is important is that we have reached that deadline. So, of course, the Cabinet Secretary will be informing Members of the outcome of the situation.
Jane Hutt: Well, I think we’d all want to—in this Chamber—thank Jenny Rathbone for organising this very important event yesterday—a well-supported event in the Senedd, which many Assembly Members who were able to supported or came and showed their support. Just to briefly report progress and Welsh Government action, we’ve supported the development of health provision and co-ordinated training,...
