, Plenary
Motion to approve the Senedd Commission Budget for 2023-24
This is an important—
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Can we ring the bell?
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
I'm grateful for that. Your own leader in the UK Parliament, Sir Keir Starmer, has accepted this—and I quote. He said: 'I’m not pretending there aren’t issues and challenges with the protocol'. He accepts it needs to change, and yet he's offered absolutely…
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Will you take an intervention?
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
I'm disappointed, I have to say, but not surprised to hear that the Welsh Government will be voting against this legislative consent motion today. And of course I rise to contribute to this debate as both an Irish and a UK citizen, and someone who has been a…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Trefnydd, can I call for a statement from the Minister with responsibility for education in relation to student support during the current cost-of-living pressures? I have raised this in the past, but I haven't seen a statement on the subject. As you'll know…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Can I ask you, Minister—? You're being very uncharitable, I think, about the UK Government's autumn statement. You know full well, all of you on those benches know full well, that the Welsh Government has currently got its largest budget ever. It's a…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Horse-racing: An economic and sporting asset for Wales
No. [Laughter.]
, Plenary
Short Debate: Horse-racing: An economic and sporting asset for Wales
Thank you very much. I'm delighted to hear of all of the interest in horse-racing in the Chamber today. I'm blessed to have in my own constituency, in the community of Towyn, the only harness-racing track in Wales, and I would like to invite you, Deputy…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Horse-racing: An economic and sporting asset for Wales
Is it okay, with your indulgence? I know it's not normal in short debates to take an intervention.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Like Jack Sargeant, I welcome very much these developments in north-east Wales, and feel very much that we ought to be doing much more in Wales to try and attract as much procurement opportunities as possible for the defence sector to our nation. What action…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Thank you, Trefnydd, for your statement. Can I ask for a written statement from the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership in relation to the action being taken by the Welsh Government to promote participation in the UK-wide veterans survey, which is…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Creative ways.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
No decision has been made yet, no. And I think, even if names aren't on there, everybody will know who is standing, because they will make themselves known to the electorate. So, again, even, there's an element of personal mandate. So, this is a tricky one. I…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
So, Llywydd, we do have a list system currently for regional Members on which names are on the ballot paper as well as the political party. So, there is an element of personal mandate too, I would suggest to you. I think there was some—. Am I correct in…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
No increase.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
I think if we can put in in the Bill, it would be better.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
—make a comment on that issue? I do think that, where possible, if we've got three, it should be politically balanced, say—I don't know—in some way. I agree with you that you shouldn't have both the PO and the DPO from the same political group. I think that's…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Sorry, Chair. Can I just—
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Again, for some of the same reasons that we had in the previous discussion, I think we ought to set a maximum number and not a minimum, if you see what I mean. Otherwise, you could have a cast of thousands, potentially—or 96 Deputy Presiding Officers or 95…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Can I just make a further point, if I may, Llywydd? I appreciate we're going to go away and look at whether there are any examples. If we effectively currently have a minimum of two—a First Minister and a Counsel General—and we're going to increase that…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
I mean, we have effectively have a minimum of two, don't we, at the moment.
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
We can have a Government with two people in it now, Llywydd, but we don't, because people are responsible, and the Welsh Government appoints Ministers on the basis of the best way that it judges to manage its work. I don't understand; are there any examples…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
The additional point I would want to make is that there have been times when First Ministers have chosen not to appoint the full complement of Ministers in the years that I've been here. Sometimes there are sensible reasons to do that—negotiation reasons…
, Business Committee
Senedd Reform
Llywydd, I'm not suggesting there should be a minimum. I'm saying there should be a maximum.
