, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
I'm grateful to Siân Gwenllian for raising this concern on behalf of her residents, also my residents as a regional Member. You mentioned 2021 in your response to Siân Gwenllian, Minister, and we also know that 2021 was when Audit Wales had serious concerns…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Local Government’s Progress towards Net Zero
Thank you, Minister, for the statement here this afternoon. I'm delighted to be able to respond to it today. As you acknowledged, leading on tackling climate change is a big responsibility both for Government here but also for our local councils. It's been…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
Can't you see that that is an example of, when efforts are being overzealously made to try and control a market, suddenly another string needing to be pulled somewhere else? Like the example you just gave there around landlords leaving the private rental…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
Will you take an intervention?
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
Thank you for that. You just made the point that I was trying to make that many people on these benches don't see a problem with 17 per cent of landlords looking to sell up because perhaps you don't value the role that landlords have to play in supporting…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
Will you take an intervention?
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
—will ensure that we see reform of Rent Smart Wales, reviewing the Renting Homes (Wales) Act and scrapping the threat of rent caps. The current approach is not working and we need to work with the sector, not against it. Thanks for your patience.
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
I will very, very briefly just outline some of the things that we should be doing. We should be allocating land owned by public bodies for housing development, we should streamline the process for affordable housing applications, and we should be tackling at…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The private rented sector
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I move amendment 2 in the name of Darren Millar, my colleague. Thank you to Plaid Cymru for bringing forward this debate today; I'm delighted to be able to take part in it. The points that we've been asked to note in the…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Digital and AI technology in the NHS
I'm very pleased to be able to take part in this important debate here today. And it's clear that there are major inefficiencies within the NHS in Wales, and there is an opportunity for the better use of technology to help tackle some of those inefficiencies…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
I'm grateful to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising that question here this afternoon. Minister, you mentioned north Wales, where Japanese companies have a level of investment there, and you'll be fully aware of the significance of advanced manufacturing…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Okay. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Thank you, Chair. Just on that point, on the compelling, quite strong initial evidence given—and you've been very strong on the online voter information platform as well—I'm just interested to know, in the development of this Bill, how much you have been…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Thank you, Chair. It just struck me, in your contribution, then, Colin, when you talked about being able to vote anytime, anywhere—of course, you can already do that; I could vote on top of Eiffel Tower in Paris at midnight, as long as it's within two weeks…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Okay. Thank you. I think you've probably answered a couple of the questions I had lined up and I'm a bit conscious of time, Chair, so I'm happy to pause there and perhaps if I need to come back with any, I can do later on.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Okay, thank you. And is that a view shared by Catherine and Clare?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
On the open register then, so, you believe, Colin, that the open register should be removed for Welsh elections—is that right?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Can I just come back on that point then?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Yes, that's great, thank you. And, I guess, to your previous point, we don't know how many people who are currently not registered would be undertaking that process and I guess there's a potential administrative burden there—is that something you're concerned…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
So, for people to be auto-enrolled onto the electoral register, my understanding is that that process—if I were to register myself anonymously, that would be reviewed at a certain frequency. I'm wondering if you have a view as to how often that frequency…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
And perhaps I could expand on that point a little further as well. My understanding also is that there isn't currently set out a frequency as to how often someone would have to register their desire not to be automatically registered on the electoral…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Yes. Thanks, Chair, and thanks for those responses, and I think, on Colin’s latter point about reasons why people may not register, there’s also a responsibility on us as politicians to make it interesting for them to want to register and to want to come out…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
All right. No problem. Thank you. So, on the electoral registration without application, perhaps we could hear, first of all, your views on the provision around this within the Bill.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
That's fair. I understand that. I guess it's a similar position, Clare and Catherine, for you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Thanks, Chair. I want to come on to questions around electoral registration without application. But perhaps just before I do, on the back of Luke's questions on the electoral management board and the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, we know that…
