Plaid Cymru

Speeches and questions

Speeches and questions in Plenary and in committees, newest first. The Llywydd's and deputies' chairing of Plenary is left out.

1,288 speeches and questions

29 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel: Steel Unions
Just one final question from me, Chair.
29 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel: Steel Unions
On that point of emissions, whilst the EAF is being constructed, Tata has said that they'll be importing semi-finished steel, and their argument is that that will have less of an environmental impact than what they're currently doing, importing the raw…
29 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel: Steel Unions
For me, diversification within the production of steel is key, isn't it? I know that Tom wants to come in, but if I can stick with Alasdair for a second, Community have said that the size of the electric arc furnace—and you referenced it there—is the root of…
29 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel: Steel Unions
Diolch, Gadeirydd. [Inaudible.]—at the last evidence session that we had with Tata on this, and some of the comments that were made, especially, as Alasdair says, during the consultation, indicated that they had already made their minds up on a couple things…
29 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I sit on a sub-group of the transition board.
27 February 2024Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Policy Statement on Apprenticeships
I'll start with the big news: I welcome the reversal of cuts; it's a step in the right direction. But, though it is a step in the right direction, there's no denying that the future of apprenticeships is still in a precarious place, and we shouldn't lose…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
Diolch, Gadeirydd. Just a short question from me: thinking about some of the comparator organisations that are out there, do you think there are any examples of good practice within comparator organisations that the development bank could learn from and…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
That was really helpful and interesting. Diolch.
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I'm just thinking about patient finance here, and specifically equity. How do your members feel about the prospect of the development bank taking equity in their companies? Obviously, we've heard about the reluctance to take out loans; is…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
Okay. Diolch, Cadeirydd.
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
So, I suppose that that gives me a good segue into some of the suggestions that have been put forward by the FSB, and specifically here I'm interested in the recommendation, or suggestion, that the bank should be put on a legislative footing. So, given what…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
I've dipped my toes in that element now. If I can focus on the structure of the development bank now, then, do you think that the financial structure of the development bank, at the moment, is inhibiting its willingness to take risks? You mentioned earlier…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
Well, thank you for that. It's really helpful. I'm conscious I might start straying into a set of questions that I know my colleague Sam Kurtz has here, but I'm going to risk it anyway. One of the things outlined right at the start, when they were looking to…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective
Diolch, Cadeirydd. If I could just come back to one of the answers you gave the Chair just now in terms of the development bank is only as good as the strategy that underpins it, would you say then that the current strategy that underpins it is good for SMEs?…
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
Okay. Elaine or Hywel, anything to add briefly before I hand back to the Chair?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
How well is Farming Connect at keeping up to date with some of the latest research and evidence out there?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
And I do have one final question, Chair, so if we can be as succinct as possible. How well is Farming Connect at keeping up to date with some of the latest evidence and research that's out there? Arfon, I can see you're ready to come in.
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
I am looking at the clock and I'm conscious of time, so it might be worth, if you wanted to give a bit more detail, to write to the committee.
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
Moving to Confor, then, Elaine, do you see a role for Confor in the sense of the woodland elements of SFS? Is there a way in which Confor could complement Farming Connect?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
Sticking with some of the expertise elements of this, then, what sort of third party organisations would you want to see the next Farming Connect contract collaborate with to increase the access to expertise or the level of expertise within the scheme?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
On demonstration farms, I know the Nature Friendly Farming Network has also suggested demonstration farms. Can you expand a bit more on that?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
Elaine or Arfon, do you have anything to add?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders
Diolch, Gadeirydd. If we could focus in on the expertise and skills within Farming Connect and thinking to the next Farming Connect contract, what sort of expertise would you be looking for within that contract?
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 1 - Stakeholders
Great, thank you. Just looking at the time, Chair—I'll hand back to you.
22 February 2024Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 1 - Stakeholders
Gareth.