Suzy Davies: Perhaps I could ask for, Trefnydd, a short statement perhaps from the economy Minister regarding the Ford closure, which, sadly, happened—and we were all waiting for it—last week, just to update us on the final findings of the taskforce there that was set up in order to assist the people working there to find jobs. When we're talking about £100,000 being put aside for this, it seems like...
Suzy Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Just briefly, Minister, I'm still very curious to know why you've decided you want to delete part of our motion when actually the points that you raised were things that we could have supported had you not deleted them. Perhaps I could ask you, though, if you would undertake to write to Members with the evidence to support the claim that we know that a fee rebate would...
Suzy Davies: Plaid, you get away with amendment 4, as you characterise it as a new sub-point. To be clear, just because we welcome Welsh Government's resources, it doesn't mean that we think it's enough. I'm not even convinced that they're additional, but I'll come to that in due course. But let's start with point 2 of our motion: 'students deserve value for money in return for the investment they make in...
Suzy Davies: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Welcome to everyone who's going to take part in this debate, and I move the motion, which is actually about more than higher education, but it's certainly part of what we'll be talking about today. I'm looking forward to an informative and useful debate about something that I think, in essence, we can agree about. There's certainly been no attempt to amend the first...
Suzy Davies: Thank you very much, Janet. Just on the first point about the target for Welsh-procured products, we have to bear in mind that things like Microsoft and quite a lot of the kit that's probably even in this Chamber just can't be procured from Wales. So, the target of 43 per cent was set as a realistic and achievable target, which, of course, I think I should put you all on notice, is likely to...
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm sorry to turn my back on you, Janet. The furniture and fittings budget, such as it is, is used to provide for any ad hoc office furniture needed in Tŷ Hywel and the Senedd for Members of the Senedd, for their staff and Commission staff. The budget gives the Commission flexibility to meet a person's specific needs that go beyond the provision of standard...
Suzy Davies: I'm pleased, Minister, that you mentioned parents because the visible support of parents and carers for the Welsh language is very influential in terms of how a young child accepts bilingualism as part of how he or she sees him or herself, which is very important beyond locations such as the cylchoedd and the ysgolion meithrin. Baby massage and yoga, around the football pitch at a local...
Suzy Davies: Minister, I'm looking for some detail from you about what you're trying to secure by way of further consequentials in that budget from further education spending. Further education is obviously going to be one of those sectors that we rely on to help us recover from COVID, and while the specific pressures are obviously for another Minister, the £23 million that came from the Welsh...
Suzy Davies: Will the Minister provide an update on the number of fines that the Welsh Government has become liable for in the last 18 months?
Suzy Davies: Thank you for your response to Huw Irranca-Davies about the mobile testing centre for Bridgend. I just wanted to ask you, bearing in mind that these regulations are likely to come before us next week and then won't be reviewed for another three weeks from this week, how long do you expect the lockdowns to last? Do you have a time frame in mind, or is it very much predicated on, well,...
Suzy Davies: Well, First Minister, that didn't sound to me like an explanation of what that 11-day gap was all about, and there's no point saying that is all down to Public Health Wales, when we've had data issues three times in a row now. Once, obviously, that would be misfortune. Twice would be carelessness. But a third time suggests to me we've got a Welsh Government here that's not that keen on taking...
Suzy Davies: It's a shame to have such a defensive response to that one; it might have given you the opportunity perhaps in the Chamber today to say some of the things that you claim as achievements. Certainly, I would have appreciated an answer that would have included, perhaps, I don't know, the Labour Member for Bridgend remembering to take his mask to a shop, in accordance with Welsh Government's own...
Suzy Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, on the weekend you said that you needed to earn the trust of voters again ahead of the election. Why do you think you've lost voters' trust?
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Obviously, things have moved on since this debate was tabled, but I think the original motion and the amendments are pointing now to something quite interesting as we look forward. I think it was yesterday that Mark Reckless mentioned COVID fatigue, and I think that does raise a couple of questions about how we proceed from here, and the first one from me is:...
Suzy Davies: Thank you, Minister. Can I just associate myself with your opening remarks regarding teachers and staff, and can I include governors in that? It's been a really difficult time for everybody, including yourselves, but most importantly our constituents. Thank you very much for your statement. I think we have to start off with the top line of my position, which is that schools must stay open...
Suzy Davies: As we're embarking on the scrutiny of the curriculum Bill, I think it would be helpful if we could have some clarity on protecting the existence of Welsh-medium schools. I know the education Minister, in recent exchanges about the requirement to opt out of English, has said that this is not about the medium of teaching, it's about subjects, but I think that prompts the question then about how...
Suzy Davies: Will the First Minister provide an update on any testing capacity and processing backlogs affecting constituents who have taken COVID-19 antigen or antibody tests in Wales?
Suzy Davies: Thank you, temporary Deputy Presiding Officer.
Suzy Davies: Can I thank all our witnesses, and other members of the committee as well? I hope that other Members here agree that this was a very pragmatic way of preparing a report in time for the school holidays, and it gives us the chance also to say thank you again to those families and children who've done their very best to continue with learning at home, and to those teachers and others working in...
Suzy Davies: Just to make it clear, we will be supporting these regulations, but I wanted to raise again this issue of timing to see if we can get some movement on this. I noted the Trefnydd's earlier comments, and I'm seeking the Minister's support in following up on that. The first set of these regulations made under the Coronavirus Act were made on the morning of Monday 22 June and, as we've heard,...
