6 February 2024 , Plenary
Debate: The Draft Budget 2024-25
Dirprwy Lywydd, I want to begin by acknowledging that this is not an easy budget for the Welsh Government to be making. However, we found weaknesses in several key areas of the draft budget, which casts doubt on whether it is fulfilling the Minister's main…
6 February 2024 , Plenary
Debate: The Draft Budget 2024-25
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to contribute to this key debate on the Welsh Government's draft budget for 2024-25. Before I turn to specific areas within our report, I would like to thank at the outset those who engaged with the committee since we…
6 February 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I'd like to focus on Newport Wafer Fab and the ongoing acquisition by the American company Vishay. I won’t detail the turbulent history of this site over the last couple of years, but it’s safe to say that the hundreds of staff working there richly deserve…
6 February 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks for that reply, and I'm glad you mentioned semiconductors there.
6 February 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
5. What plans does the Government have to strengthen the economy in South Wales East? OQ60674
30 January 2024 , Plenary
The general principles of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill
Finally, Llywydd, I would like to draw attention to our recommendations relating to the cost of future boundary reviews. Reviews conducted after the initial pairing exercise for the 2026 election will be drawn so that no new constituency is 10 per cent over…
30 January 2024 , Plenary
The general principles of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill
Turning to the committee's main findings, we are broadly content with the financial implications of the Bill, as set out in the RIA. However, the committee has concerns about some of the assumptions used to model the estimates presented in the RIA and our…
30 January 2024 , Plenary
The general principles of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill
Thank you, Llywydd. And I welcome the opportunity to participate in this important debate on the future of the Senedd. As well as thanking Senedd officials who have supported the committee’s consideration of this Bill, I would also like to thank the…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Diolch, Cadeirydd. This is something that I've been asking quite a few questions on in the Chamber of the Minister as well, not only for Nevill Hall, but also for Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr. It's something that is very important to people in my region. And I'd like…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
I was talking to Members of Friends of the Earth Cymru on Saturday, actually, about this particular—not this petition, but this particular topic and some of the work that's going on in the community with microplastics and testing, and so it is a live issue…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Having lived on Anglesey for a while growing up, a third crossing would be beneficial, in my humble opinion, but that's not what we're here to discuss; it's more about the petition before us, and I'd like to thank Emyr Owen for this petition. Currently, the…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
New petitions
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I thank the petitioner for bringing this forward. It's obviously a sensitive topic; it's been discussed widely and consulted upon widely and, obviously, there have also been some court cases involving this and judgments have been made. I…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
New petitions
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I've spoken a lot to the farming unions in particular about this, and farmers in my region. It is a hot topic at the moment. Obviously, as the consultation is going ahead on the SFS, it's something that we need to be mindful of. It's…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
New petitions
I agree with Mike, as somebody who's been, in the same way as Mike, talking quite openly about the fact that we need peace and an end to the violence and a permanent ceasefire as a way of doing that. Having spoken to some of the humanitarian aid charities…
29 January 2024 , Petitions Committee
New petitions
Diolch, Cadeirydd, and diolch to the petitioner for bringing this petition forward. We've had some information through from the Deputy Minister on this, and he's responded quite sufficiently, I think, stating the Welsh Government's position. It also says that…
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding
Earlier, I was talking about the £600 million that has been announced in Westminster. Could you give a commitment about the consequential that will be coming to Wales, please?
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding
We'll be considering what the Minister has to say and we'll be considering everything as we go through. The Welsh Government needs to explain how the 5 per cent increase to teachers' pay will be funded. It is the expectation that local authorities will have…
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding
I'm going to test David, anyway, so—. Go on then, Sam.
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding
Plaid Cymru firmly believes that local government is a cornerstone of our civic society, but in this period of extreme financial hardship, the grim reality facing local authorities is one of existential crisis. In the space of just over a year, we've seen…
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I move the Plaid Cymru amendment in my name.
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Urgent Debate: Job losses at Tata Steel and the future of the steel industry in Wales
I want to talk briefly about the wider impact of the decision by Tata. Whilst there is no immediate impact reported on the Llanwern site in my region as a result of the decision to close the blast furnace at Port Talbot, the picture does not look good in the…
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
One of the most repeated lines in this Chamber, when we are talking about the budget, when myself or party colleagues discuss cuts, is, 'Where will you cut instead?' As we discussed in Finance Committee, granular-level monitoring data is not available to…
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
5. How does the Minister use real-time data when monitoring Welsh Government budgets? OQ60554
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes. Is reallocating some of the additional money for TfW to support local authorities something that the Welsh Government might consider?
24 January 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Every chunk of additional money that can be spared for local authorities can make a huge difference to their ability to mitigate cuts in services and limit council tax hikes as far as possible. While £14.5 million is by no means an unsubstantial sum of money…
