, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Full devolution of water resources
Diolch, Llywydd. Water, that most precious resource, is one that we in Wales have in great abundance, but it's one that we get precious little for, and we're not alone in that. The Global Commission on the Economics of Water has just produced its report…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Accounting practices at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
I'm grateful. There is a suggestion in the report, which has been reported in the media, that a company, Lightfoot Solutions, effectively changed the date on a proposal in order to allow the financial misreporting to happen. I think you met with the company…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Accounting practices at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Will the Minister give way?
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Could we have a statement on the Government's policy in relation to the devolution of power over water? It's previously been implied that the biggest obstacle to the transfer of powers in this area to Wales was the attitude of the Westminster Government, but…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
We are two socialists from Carmarthenshire, hewn from the same root, on the left wing of both our parties, who, through design or default—we will leave it to others to decide—have ended up implementing policies in many areas more radical than either of our…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
'Mabon and Caeo; Keir Hardie and Crug-y-bar.'
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
First Minister's questions has always been more duty than pleasure to me. I think I may be speaking for us both there, despite the fact that you've become annoyingly good at this part of the job. [Laughter.] Though I've often felt like a promising student…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
They tell me that I've asked over 400 questions to two First Ministers since I became leader of my party in September 2018. May I take this final opportunity to thank you, First Minister? Leading a party is not an easy task, but it is even more difficult to…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you very much. Staying in the Towy valley, I'd like to raise an issue that will also have broader relevance. The Green GEN company intends to create a corridor of pylons 60 km long from Radnorshire to Carmarthen. The Government's policy at the moment is…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you very much, Llywydd. I have tried to keep the focus of my questions over the last five years or so on issues of national importance, in line with the convention, but, as I prepare to return to the backbenches and serve the people of Carmarthen East…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I've been very careful not to name any individuals in anything that I have said. I am asking legitimate questions. I've not made any allegations in relation to the Welsh Government Ministers or civil servants. I am simply raising legitimate questions that…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The report was sent to the Government; you have a copy of the report from 25 January this year. Are you saying that Ministers have not seen that report? [Interruption.] Well, maybe the First Minister could respond as to whether Ministers have seen that…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Last week, at the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, two former independent members of the Betsi Cadwaladr board raised their concerns at the news that NHS Counter Fraud Service Wales had discontinued their investigation into financial…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Well, I think it is certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to that the exclusion, so far, of any expert witnesses with particular expertise in Wales, and the exclusion of two important organisations from core participant status, is evidence in favour of…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The core participants, I believe, have advance access to the expert witness reports. Maybe the First Minister could correct me if I'm wrong in that, but the COVID bereaved families Cymru group have seen those expert reports that have been prepared so far, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Just picking up on that last point, First Minister, if I may—. I accept that this is an evolving picture; it's a live inquiry. But, when I asked Baroness Hallett specifically about expert witnesses just over a month ago, I got a list of the expert witnesses…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Your statement, First Minister, and that of your ministerial colleague at the time, gave the impression that there was a universally shared view around the tripartite table, but the auditor general tells us that, on the contrary, at the meeting of the…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Following the decision to lift Betsi Cadwaladr out of special measures, the auditor general wrote to the Welsh Government on 26 November 2020 to say that it was 'unhelpful for the minister to imply that he had received direct advice from me or my staff on the…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Can I say, on behalf of my party, that I think that showing a commitment to compassion to vulnerable young people fleeing war and oppression, coming here—? You know, a declaration of a nation of sanctuary is in itself not enough. We have to actually practise…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
That's the point, isn't it? It's about fairness, isn't it? The current agreement doesn't reflect a fair price, particularly when Welsh Water customers face the second highest bills in the whole of England and Wales. Now, it's six years since the UK Government…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I suppose, if you forgive me, First Minister, this is one leak, I think, that we would welcome, isn't it? But, of course, that's one of the three regulators that have been quoted. There is the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and it's Ofwat that will be…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Diolch, Llywydd. On Thursday, Ofwat is due to announce its draft decision on whether the plan to extract up to 180 million litres of water a day from Llyn Efyrnwy in Powys and transfer it to the south-east of England is to proceed to the next stage of its…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—The co-operation agreement
We're jointly aware of Professor Morgan's work early on in Carmarthenshire, but also we're very grateful to see the project that is now looking at how to grasp the opportunity of free school meals, and I'm sure that that research will continue to inform the…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—The co-operation agreement
Through our work through the mechanisms—as I was saying earlier, both myself and the First Minister at the oversight board, but the tier below, if I can put it in those terms, the joint policy committees, which are constituted of the relevant Minister and the…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—The co-operation agreement
Yes. There are other, of course, grants that still follow the former eligibility for free school meals in terms of school uniform et cetera, and indeed the holiday provision of free school meals, of course, is provided on that basis. So, it is important that…
