, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. Post-Brexit funding has been a disjointed and a cynical exercise in cutting Welsh budgets and centralising devolved responsibilities. It must be for the Welsh Government, the Senedd and our partners to determine and deliver the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Firstly, could I thank you? It's a very important question that you, actually, raise, and the point that you raise with regard to north Wales and the pathfinder project and so on. I think those are important, and I know I engaged with the previous…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. It is the UK Government’s responsibility to ensure that legal advice is available and affordable for those who need it. For our part, we have protected the £11 million single advice fund in the 2024-25 budget to help people from…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, the COVID inquiry is an extremely important inquiry into one of the most important incidents that have affected all our communities throughout the UK, and, of course, many internationally, and I very much support the work of it. I think those who watch…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. A dedicated legal team, including barristers, are engaged to support the Welsh Government’s response to the UK COVID-19 public inquiry.
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, thank you for that question on a matter that we have commented on on a number of occasions. I do fully agree with you; I think the diminution of legal aid over several decades is something that has very serious consequences, in that it now excludes a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. We engage regularly with our legal sector stakeholders, third sector advice providers through the National Advice Network and regional advice networks, and the Pro Bono Committee for Wales regarding legal support available to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
The Member raises, I think, a very important point, because the issues has arisen in regard to Scotland, as you know, because it was less a privilege. There was concern when it came to being able to scrutinise Government because of various events that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, because, firstly, in terms of the Hillsborough law, which I do support—and, of course, we do wait to see the full drafting of that legislation and, indeed, of course, the full scrutiny of that particular legislation—that is a different thing in terms of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
You started it.
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, firstly, in terms of Hillsborough, I very much support the issue of a duty of candour. The issue has been not so much with elected representatives, but it has been at the level of what information, at the early stages in terms of public servants and so…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Can I firstly say that I don't think the position with regard to Wales vis-à-vis England, vis-à-vis Northern Ireland and Scotland are entirely different? There are very many common areas. On the issue of cross-border operation, we have distinct police forces…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Can I thank the Member for the important points that he's raised? They are important points. Can I say that since, of course, the Thomas commission—? Of course, the Thomas commission considered aspects of policing, and it considered a wide variety of areas…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, can I thank the Member for the question? The issue of public notices is, of course, an important one. We do live in an age of modern technology and there are many ways in which notices are actually communicated, so it is perfectly proper and appropriate…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, can I thank the Member for those comments because you make very valid points? Over the last 14 years, we have seen the delivery of justice really moving to a precipice. The closure of courts, the failure to maintain courts, the failure to invest in the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. The court backlogs are considered at Inter-ministerial Group for Justice meetings. The recent National Audit Office report shows the increasing extent of Crown Court backlogs but does not contain regional data or insights. I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Well, thank you for the question. Pursuing the case for the devolution of justice as a whole is still a priority of this Government, as are the recommendations that have been accepted from the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, as…
, Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General
Thank you for your question. We continue to support the devolution of policing and justice to Wales, as recommended by the numerous independent commissions over the years, including most recently by the constitutional commission.
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
The answer is, first, the implementation, I suppose, whether it's the committee that brings forward the legislation, or whether it's the model we've had for the Senedd reform legislation, that the Welsh Government does it on the recommendations of. It seems…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
It's a really good question, and I'm not really sure I've thought through myself what the appropriate answer to that is. I suppose the starting point would be if you're putting someone on a petition where there is a for and against vote, the question is what…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
I think the more expensive the process, the more that begins to actually discredit it as well, so you do want something that is viable, and you do want to look at the alternative voting options on the basis that firstly, don't forget, hopefully, we'll have a…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
I think my preference would be a system that facilitates the maximisation of participation. I think that is something, actually, that equally applies to our elections themselves, and that is of course why we have piloted from time to time, looking at voting…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
I think that the one-stage process is the one, that is, that the Senedd has voted to accept a recommendation from the standards committee, and that basically therefore means that you move forward to a vote. Because we really can't provide for a by-election—…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
I think we're getting to the realms now of how simple do we want to keep the process, to what extent do we want to specify the balance in terms of gender and so on, and I think it's really a matter for the committee to consider how that might work. And…
, Standards of Conduct Committee
Inquiry into Individual Member Accountability: Evidence session 6
Well, I think the reality is you have to go down the list. If someone has left the political party, I think, effectively, they've left their party list and would lose eligibility on that. But it is one of those things I think you just—. In legislating in this…
