Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Leader of the House – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 28 February 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 2:30, 28 February 2018

I very much look forward to receiving that additional information. Can I finally turn to the mobile action plan, which to date seems to be characterised by its lack of action? Are you concerned by the comments of your colleague the Cabinet Secretary responsible for planning, who in a recent letter to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, appears to have kicked into the long grass the planning reforms that are required to bring Wales in line with planning reforms that have taken place in England and Scotland, to enable the roll-out of mobile infrastructure? What do you say to the mobile industry, and to those people in rural areas who remain without coverage, who are concerned that the Welsh Government does not have the appetite to address the barriers of rolling out a critical mobile infrastructure, and without which coverage improvements cannot be delivered in a timely way? With positive actions being taken elsewhere in the UK, do you agree that this could lead to a situation where Wales does fall significantly behind? And, in your answer, please don't tell me that mobile is the responsibility of the UK Government, when these levers are very much the responsibility of the Welsh Government.