Suzy Davies: my heartfelt thanks for the privilege.
Suzy Davies: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Yes, I wish we were there in the Chamber as well. I can't believe that it's over 40 years since I went out leafleting for a 'yes' vote in 1979, and I don't think that I was expecting—or even expected now, really—to thank you all all this time later from a virtual Conservative frontbench in our Welsh Parliament. Where we are now reminds me a bit of 1979—that sort...
Suzy Davies: This is the most appropriate question for my final question in the Senedd. When I married, I moved to a Welsh-speaking village in mid Wales and I decided to be brave and to use my very basic Welsh-language skills in order to develop my own skills and to bring my children up as bilingual citizens. Since getting to the Senedd, I have been my party's spokesperson and hopefully I've been an...
Suzy Davies: I'm delighted, actually, to be able to confirm Welsh Conservatives' support for these overdue regulations, regulations that are very similar to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, which came into force almost a year ago. So, I'm still disappointed, then, that our regulations won't come into force until 10 September 2021. As we...
Suzy Davies: Before I go on to the code itself, I wonder if I could just highlight the equality Act regulations being discussed today, because they bring extra protection to young people who challenge their school, via an advocate if necessary, on discrimination grounds. And I raise it because the ALN code has also improved its content as regards mental capacity in the new chapter 31. What's interesting,...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I think we'd all agree that this last year has been highlighting the human need for physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual well-being in order to function, let alone even live our best lives, and I think it's been especially true of our children and young people and their ability to learn, be it traditionally or in the myriad of ways that...
Suzy Davies: Thank you, First Minister, for a sensible reply there, rather than a party political broadcast. As you know, the Welsh Conservatives themselves are deeply committed to the future of the steel industry in Wales. There's still a considerable amount of publicly owned land and property in my region, not least in Aberavon. As the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee has advised that youth...
Suzy Davies: Can I just thank everybody on the committee and the witnesses that gave us evidence? I really enjoyed this session, as a relatively new member of the committee. I think Mike is right. There's no putting this genie back in the bottle now, although, as the report makes clear, we need to be sure what we mean when we're talking about remote working or hybrid working, as the Chartered Institute of...
Suzy Davies: Thank you. Yes, I'm rather keen on that OU route as well, as indeed I am on teaching apprenticeships; I think there are many ways, different routes to excellence, here that should be explored by the next Government, which, obviously, I hope is a Conservative one. Kirsty, when we met in 2007, I'd be surprised if either of us thought we'd be doing this today, although I suspect that perhaps...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for that answer. So, what we're talking about here, then, is 1,800 equivalents of teachers, rather than new members of staff. I'm grateful for the clarification. But there's still no doubt at all that we need more teachers, and so I was pleased to have it confirmed that teachers from anywhere in the world will be permitted to apply to teach in Wales now. Newly qualified teachers...
Suzy Davies: Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. Well, here we are, Minister—our last spokesperson session together. Dirprwy Lywydd, I hope we will get a chance—. I mean, I'm going to get a chance to thank other Members in this portfolio next week, but I hope you will allow me just a few words at the end for the Minister when we get to my third question. But I'll start with asking about this, which...
Suzy Davies: Minister, I'm pleased to hear that you have thanked everyone who has given of their time and skills to become governors in our schools, and their jobs are about to become more burdensome under the new curriculum, and more similar to the role of trustees or non-executive directors of businesses or charities. Certainly, their relationships with local communities will have to be more open, too,...
Suzy Davies: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I'm going to agree with you that the programme is indeed a cause for congratulation in some cases, but I still have some questions for you where there are questions to be asked here. I think it's an important point to make as well that progress has accelerated during a difficult year, and I'll just come on to that in a moment. I've been lucky enough to...
Suzy Davies: Can I just add my support to the request made by Darren Millar regarding a statement on antisemitism within our universities? I'd have asked that myself as well, but I've got two other requests, if I may. One is for the education Minister, seeking a statement setting out some guidance to schools on graffiti on school walls, and the speed at which that should be dealt with. It's been brought...
Suzy Davies: Back in April 2019, First Minister, the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd at that point confirmed that Welsh Government continued to be an enthusiastic supporter of the proposal at that time and that funding was still on the table should 'a viable proposal come forward'—I'm just quoting her there. Do you think that the Dragon Island proposal is a viable one, and, if so, how much money has...
Suzy Davies: What are the Welsh Government’s priorities for town centre regeneration?
Suzy Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. I have never been to any schools that merged, like Caroline Jones, but I have been to some that have burnt down, and that's definitely a way of getting a new school—not that I recommend it, of course. Can I thank the IAR group for tabling the debate today? As you'll see from our own amendment, there's quite a bit of the motion that we agree with, and really, it's only...
Suzy Davies: I move.
Suzy Davies: Yes, please.
Suzy Davies: Yes, please.
