2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 9 July 2019.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 2:39, 9 July 2019

Minister, I would like to ask for a statement and a debate. Could I ask for a statement on bus services? All of us are aware of the work that the Welsh Government have been doing in terms of consulting on legislation, which I hope will lead to the re-regulation of bus services in due course, but we're also very aware, of course, that this will take some time. And there's a very real crisis facing bus services, particularly in my constituency, in Blaenau Gwent, where people tell me that they can no longer reach key services, whether it's an optician's or a hospital appointment. They cannot reach the shops, they cannot reach local training or job opportunities, because the bus services simply do not exist that enable them to lead their lives. So, there is a very real crisis at the moment facing bus services, and I don't believe that we can simply wait for legislation. I believe we do need to find a response to that crisis immediately. So, I would appreciate a statement from Government on how the Government can support local people in accessing these services and support local bus services. 

The second debate that I'd like to ask for, Minister, is on abolishing the Wales Office. I think many of us have seen, over the years, how the Wales Office has blocked legitimate demands of Welsh Government. And we've read, this morning, that the sports Minister is having extreme difficulties ensuring that Wales is represented on the UK Sports Council. This is unacceptable, Minister. It is unacceptable that a Wales Office continues to create difficulties in the relationship between Welsh Ministers and UK Ministers. It is unacceptable that we have a Wales Office that sits somewhere in Whitehall issuing diktats preventing the good governance of the United Kingdom from taking place. And I hope that it is time now that we'll be able to debate this matter in Government time, pass a resolution and tell Theresa May, when she's reviewing devolution—how she does that without telling devolved Governments, I don't know, but tell her very clearly that the biggest problem facing devolution in Wales is sitting around her own Cabinet table.