, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
I think Ministers in Wales are accountable. Here we are, today, in north Wales answering questions, and the Minister answers questions week after week on the floor of the Senedd about health services in every part of Wales. There is a difference between being…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, I think that it's a good question, Chair, and I think that it is, in some ways, a more difficult question in a small country. I think, actually, that on paper, it's not difficult to be clear about that. We have powerful boards with delegated…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, social care is under pressure in north Wales as it is absolutely everywhere. North Wales has a unique challenge in being a net importer of people later on in life. It continues to be somewhere where people from outside Wales regard as attractive to come…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, thanks to Jenny for that very important question. The special measures framework that has been agreed with the board, following the actions of the Minister, does set out a series of things that the board will now undertake in order to address some of…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, Chair, what I have learnt is that there are many different perspectives amongst people around that single table as to why the board had become dysfunctional. And I hear and respect the views of the people who Mr Isherwood is reflecting, but it's just…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
I regret the circumstances that made that necessary. In those circumstances, I think the health Minister responded in the best way that she could and with proper regard for the impact that her actions would have on all of those who were affected by them.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, Chair, let me try and put it like this: I agree with Mr Isherwood that we have extensively discussed the circumstances that led us to where we are today. I want to repeat what I have said a number of times in my correspondence with the former chair of…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Well, I think we have to be optimistic about the capacity of the board to put right the things that need to be attended to. I think, in many ways, there is an obligation on leaders, whether they are health service leaders or political leaders, to offer hope…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
North Wales
Good morning, Chair. Thank you very much. Joining me this morning, we have Elin Gwynedd, deputy director of north Wales—a new post to support Lesley Griffiths—and I'm also joined by Christopher Warner, deputy director of transport strategy and policy.
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Well, I thank Carolyn Thomas. Yes, I confirm, Llywydd, that the intention of the Welsh Government is to bring forward a White Paper on environmental governance at the start of next year, and a Bill on environmental governance is absolutely still an integral…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Dirprwy Lywydd, I don't think I can do that this afternoon. I'll give the Member and the Chair of the committee particularly an assurance that that report is being taken very seriously inside the Welsh Government. As Members will know, we have six weeks…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Well, I thank Rhianon Passmore, Dirprwy Lywydd. What I would want residents of Islwyn to know is that this Senedd is determined to protect the democracy on which their futures depend, and to make sure that they have a Senedd fit to discharge the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Well, I thank Sioned Williams for the questions. And of course, I do agree with what she said about the importance of poverty and that poverty is a part of all important experiences in the lives of families, which are so important to us. In the legislative…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Well, first of all, I thank Peter Fox for what he said. I recognise his own personal commitment to that food agenda and the work that he put in to the promotion of his own Bill. But, in the way that he recognised, the Senedd this afternoon will hear from my…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I thank Alun Davies very much for that, Llywydd. I hope that he can see, and others can see as well, that there is a series of themes that run right through the legislative programme. First of all, we are determined that the public interest will drive the way…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
And that's how the system works. There are always more bids than there is room. There are always more ambitions amongst Cabinet colleagues than can be accommodated in a single year. And I can assure the Member that the case for the environmental governance…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I thank Heledd Fychan for those comments, and I can tell her that, every time we prepare the legislative programme for the year ahead, a lot of conversations and arguments take place internally, and all members of the Cabinet try to get more into the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Well, Llywydd, I'm sorry the Member read out his script telling us that he was disappointed; I'm sure it was written well before he heard the statement. And I disagree with him, of course. And the fact that something isn't mentioned in the statement doesn't…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. On the homelessness point, the policy of the Government is that, where homelessness is experienced it should be rare, brief and unrepeated, and that is what legislation—not in the third year—when it comes forward, it will…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies. And of course, as Chair of the special purpose committee established by the Senedd, he speaks with particular authority on the issue of Senedd reform, and it is the report of that committee endorsed by this Welsh Parliament that…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I'll focus just on the Senedd reform issues that Rhun ap Iorwerth concentrated on in the second half of his contribution, Llywydd. Can I say to Members in every part of the Chamber that it's over 20 years since Lord Ivor Richard produced his report on the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth, and I thank him for what he said at the outset about the constructive way that we have co-operated, and I am looking forward to co-operating with Members from all parts of the Chamber, where there are things we can do together. The…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
The Welsh language Bill quite certainly will contribute to our ambition to create 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. I think the evidence is more disputed than the leader of the opposition suggested on the number of Welsh speakers that there are in Wales…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
I thank the leader of the opposition for those questions. He was quite right to remind us all of the journey that this institution has been on during its brief period. In less than 25 years, it has gone from debating the smaller Egyptian potato Order—I…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: The Legislative Programme
Llywydd, bringing forward primary legislation to support the implementation of the programme for government commitment to eliminate private profit from the care of looked-after children is a priority for this Government. We will also legislate at the same…
