<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 1:55 pm on 11 January 2017.

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Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless UKIP 1:55, 11 January 2017

And Members can see that clear statement, as can members of the Welsh public, at paragraph 14 of that document. But the Cabinet Secretary says to me that I’ve misunderstood the whole process, and, yes, I’ve come to this with fresh eyes. And, perhaps because of that, I had to put a certain reliance on public documents and assurances given by the Welsh Government to the Welsh people. One of those assurances was given on the ballot paper, no less, of the 2011 referendum, which said that, if that result was for further devolution—a ‘yes’ vote—that would not lead to the devolution of tax-raising powers. Yet, now, despite that promise, these tax-raising powers are going to be forced on the Welsh public, who have no more desire to pay higher taxes than they have to remain in the European Union. Yet, the result of that referendum in 2011—that assurance given on the ballot paper—will be ignored by his Government to the same degree as they’d wish to ignore the decision of the Welsh people on our membership of the EU.