, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Good morning. I'm learning Welsh. I'm going to speak in English.
, Plenary
Short Debate: Fail to plan, plan to fail—Why Wales needs a planning overhaul
Diolch, Mabon, for a minute of your time. We are in a climate and nature emergency. All developers should be installing solar panels on roofs, building well-insulated and lifetime homes, installing water butts, planting for biodiversity, and being mindful of…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Programme for International Student Assessment results
That is true, and he's lovely. So, I just want to say, she has one classroom assistant, but very often they are pulled away, so it's not all rosy in England as well. Unfortunately, scores from across the board show that areas with high deprivation have been…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Programme for International Student Assessment results
I know all Members across this Chamber were disappointed that Wales's PISA performance declined following the pandemic. In 2018, Wales was the only country in the UK to achieve improvements in maths, reading and science. This was thanks to the hard work of…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Arriva have done a punctuality review of 90 per cent of their services—its impact on 90 per cent of their services. I was alerted to the issue by the community of Llandegla, so, over the last week, I've met with Llandegla residents and I've also been working…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Diolch, Llywydd. I was a post office clerk at the time, and this has brought back to me issues we were dealing with in our branch, not realising it was not an isolated incident. Also, Hilary Isherwood, Mark's wife, worked there at the same time. The issues…
, Plenary
Debate on a Statement: The Draft Budget 2024-25
As the Minister said, the Conservatives have given us a decade of austerity, a botched Brexit and Liz Truss. Taxes are the highest since the 1940s, but public services are starved of cash. Any extra over the last three years has fallen into the black hole of…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism: Statutory registration and licensing of visitor accommodation
I welcome this statement on the statutory registration of holiday accommodation to put all forms on an equal footing. I'm also concerned about losing long-term private rental accommodation homes—we call them—to short-term holiday lets. So, Airbnb say any…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you. Okay, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay. Could you expand on the provisions that give Ministers powers to make regulations that will introduce a form of general anti-avoidance rule for non-domestic rates in Wales and how it might impact on the justice system in the future?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay, thank you. Thanks very much. Do you want me to carry on to the next question?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Many charitable organisations work under the umbrella of voluntary councils as well, don't they, and they help support them. Have they fed into this consultation as well, and been part of this—voluntary organisations?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay. And do you think that the annual report into the accounts of charities will be enough to provide sufficient information to local authorities? I know that that is what is expected by the charities themselves, to be registered by charities, and it can be…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay, thank you. And if properties are vacant as well—. I was wondering why this is being brought in, as well. So, why do you feel the need to bring this in? And if properties are vacant for a while as well, how would local authorities be satisfied that the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Sorry, I'll repeat it. That's okay. The Bill requires that all local authorities must satisfy that the property is being used for charitable purposes. So, how would you—I'm asking how the Minister—satisfy that consistency of approach across all local…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay. Debra, can you hear me okay? And will there be guidance on the bar that will need to be met as well, for charities?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm just going to ask you some questions on charitable rate relief and artificial NDR avoidance. The Bill requires that local authorities must satisfy themselves that the property is actually being used for charitable purposes. How would you ensure…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
And we know that quite a few landowners have large parcels of land, but it's not all mapped either. And we've talked previously about cadastral mapping of that land, so is that something that maybe is something you're looking at undertaking in the future?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
So, regarding land value tax, if we're interested in that—some people sit on land, don't they, and not develop it as well? So, it might help moving that for development. So, what sort of timescale do you think you might have to look at that in the future…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Can I just ask a question?
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives' Debate: Agriculture
I firmly believe we need a fair and rapid transition to sustainable and regenerative farming methods to strengthen the economic position for Welsh farmers and agricultural workers and to avoid the worst impacts of the climate and nature emergencies. In…
, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
Diolch. I was pleased to represent our Senedd Cymru at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association event in Ghana, and attended workshops on e-Parliaments and gender quotas, and there were compliments on how we are being progressive and leading the way here in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
1. What is the Commission doing to ensure that the Senedd can continue to meet as a hybrid parliament? OQ60416
