14 March 2024 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Culture and the new relationship with the European Union: Evidence session with Member of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education (6)
Thank you very much. I'm grateful to you for joining us this morning and helping us with this investigation. We are concerned with understanding the impact of Brexit on the culture sector. We're looking specifically at Wales, but also, of course, the wider…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
I'm making the point—. I'm very bad at turning down invitations. The Member lists these investments from UK Government in Wales, but the reality is that the UK Government spends more, proportionately, every day of the week in London than they spend either in…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
The Conservatives will always break things. Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng broke the economy last year. The economy is not recovering. And I say this in closing to my own side: it is a fantasy to believe that we can continue to do the same and expect a…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
I don't object to that in principle, but if you look, for example, at pensioners, since 2019 the average pensioner income has been cut by £900 per person. What we're seeing—and this is the real issue that I think the United Kingdom Government fails to…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
The GDP has increased because it fell so badly as a consequence of Brexit and the pandemic. So, the bounce back is greater in—[Interruption.] If you listened, the bounce back is greater in the very short-term analysis, you're right about that, but what I'm…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
I'm not entirely sure, Presiding Officer, how I follow that. I'm delighted that the Member believes that I am powerful enough to control the weather. It's something my own leadership has never thought. In terms of what we're doing this afternoon, in debating…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
Horizon—they refused to support it.
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
It was, of course, the Conservative UK Government that pulled the investment in Sir Fôn.
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: UK Government budget
Will you take an intervention on that particular point?
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee Report, 'Town Centre Regeneration'
Yes, I absolutely agree with the Member. I don't think this is an area that divides the Chamber, actually. I think all of us will have the same sort of ambition, and I think the points that the Member makes are well made, and I do agree with the sort of…
13 March 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee Report, 'Town Centre Regeneration'
Town centres really are the heartbeat of our local communities; they speak to us about who we are as people, as Mike was saying, and where we're from. I rarely say where I'm from except by saying 'Tredegar', and that seems to be sufficient for most people…
12 March 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
First Minister, last month I celebrated my sixtieth birthday, you'll be pleased to hear. So, I am now the proud owner of a bus pass, which I've been enjoying using every time I can find a bus, and it's been great to be able to use public transport in the way…
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
But that's a terrible reflection on how we legislate—not just as a Welsh Government, but the Senedd as well.
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
I just don't understand something. My analysis is the same as yours: that it's largely consensual and there's no strong political division in the Chamber over this piece of legislation. But would it take four to five years to take it through the Senedd? We've…
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
I think that'd be very useful, Minister—I'm grateful to you for that. So, if the Minister would write to the committee with that chronology, I think that'd be very useful. Thank you very much.
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
I think it would be useful, because it's important for the committee to understand the processes that have been followed here. I'm trying to avoid a conversation about policy. So, we had this conversation, a verbal conversation, in May. There must've been…
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
Sure. So, when was that taking place?
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
But that instruction would've been given on behalf of the Welsh Government.
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
When were policy instructions given to lawyers to write the amendments?
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
Was there, from officials?
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
So, there wasn't any conversation about these matters that you've just been describing between May and November.
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
That's absolutely fine. I'm just trying to understand the process. Was that in June, July or September?
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
That's absolutely fine. It's a welcome surprise to hear of a relationship between the Welsh and UK Governments that seems to be working reasonably well; usually, we have exactly the opposite. It's the process I want to stick to, rather than policy. You had…
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
Thank you. In terms of the process you've followed here, Minister, you indicated in a previous answer that the first contact, if you like, at official level, I think you said, on this matter with the UK Government was in May of last year, and you took a…
11 March 2024 , Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters (Reform) Bill: Evidence Session
Fair enough.
