, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Well, it's an example of a Government coming to different decision. But the assumption was made then that if there was any allowance to be paid, it would simply be shared. And I'd be surprised as a Member—. I do not believe that we should be establishing…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Myself and another member of this committee, Mike Hedges, suggested we job share a role of Chair, which, apparently, was against Standing Orders at the time. It's not against Standing Orders now, but there we go, that's politics.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Yes, but there are two people performing one job, one role.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
Why would a Co-chair have anything except 50 per cent of the Chair's allowance?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
That was a very well-worded answer, which I won't pursue this morning, people will be pleased to hear. I'm content with those responses, and I'm content with the way that the Commission has calculated other costs in terms of some of the pro rata issues.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Yes, but, sorry, I just want to get this in the transcript. Engagement is one thing but I'm talking about decision making as well.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Okay, that's fair enough. Can I ask Ken Skates just to provide a clear undertaking that all current elected Members of the Senedd will have sight and oversight, and that an agreement will be sought for any structural changes that take place either in the…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
—just before it opened. And I presume that in terms of any public estate, you would be looking towards a programme of renewal on an ongoing basis, otherwise you'll end up in the same situation as they have in the House of Commons, where they've just…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
I accept that, but there's a difference, isn't there, between—? The Chamber is 20 years old now, probably. I'm thinking back to—. I remember being in it—
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
But the question I'm trying to ask you, sorry, is what is the difference between these costs and ongoing investment in the estate that you would need to carry out anyway?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
I'm interested in the sunk costs that you've identified. Now, some of them I would very much welcome—if you were to tell me, Manon, that you're tearing those dreadful computers out of the Chamber, and doing so this coming weekend, I'd probably write the…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
By a third?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Why? Why?
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Yes, I accept that.
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
And also, of course, you've said an increase in security staff—I'm not convinced by that, I have to say—and communications. Am I convinced by that? I'm unsure. There are certain functions that are dependent on a number of Members—I accept all of that—and…
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
He was nodding furiously at me. [Laughter.]
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Yes, and also—
, Finance Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Yes. I'm grateful to you for that and I'm grateful to you, Alun, for explaining that. I suspect that ways of working have a greater influence on additional costs than the actual numbers of Members, in many ways. So, you've got the basic cost of the Members…
, Plenary
Debate: 'NHS in 10+ years: An examination of the projected impact of Long-Term Conditions and Risk Factors in Wales
I will conclude, and I will conclude by saying, as Aneurin Bevan spent a lifetime slaying sacred cows whenever he saw one, we need ourselves not to have a debate about totem poles, but we need to have a debate about what sort of health service we need for the…
, Plenary
Debate: 'NHS in 10+ years: An examination of the projected impact of Long-Term Conditions and Risk Factors in Wales
I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Grateful also for the tone with which Sam Rowlands completed his contribution. I actually think we need to do more than the Government is suggesting in this debate this afternoon, although I very much welcome…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bus services
And it stopped at Cardiff, of course. It stopped at Cardiff, rather than Swansea. And let me tell you this: I don't seek to come here simply to defend UK Labour Governments either. That investment should have taken place in earlier years. I make no bones…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bus services
Mark Isherwood. Mark Isherwood, come on.
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bus services
I very much welcome the franchising of bus services and I welcomed the work that Andy Burnham has been doing in Manchester, and I think it demonstrates the need for public control of public services—something that you have an ideological issue with. I don't…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bus services
Yes. Yes, it has deteriorated. It has deteriorated since the 1985 privatisation of buses, and that is exactly the point that I was going to make. What we heard this morning, and the chaos in Manchester through the week, tells you one thing about the current…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bus services
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Members will know I'm always happy to take interventions because I believe in the nature of debate. This is a debating chamber. It's not my Sunday school recitation—[Interruption.] Oh, here we go. I didn't even get to…
