23 January 2025 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
So, you don't know yet is the answer to that.
23 January 2025 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Apprenticeship pathways - Panel 1 - Strategic Overview
I should declare an interest as I did work with Rhian on my transitions report, when she was a Welsh Government civil servant. Regarding the apprenticeship levy—you mentioned that; I think you were alluding to that just now—is the apprenticeship levy going to…
15 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
I’ve just had Llyr Gruffydd’s statement of opinion this, which I urge Members to sign, and I’ve recently assisted a constituent who received an autism diagnosis before Christmas. She feels that her autism spectrum condition referral system in school delayed…
15 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government support for autistic people? OQ62113
7 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
The First Minister will be aware that eHarleyStreet run surgeries in Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Torfaen. They run them remotely, as a private company based in England. I’ve spoken to Lynne Neagle about this and I’ve spoken to Alun Davies about…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
I think we need to give Transport for Wales more credit. What you're going to see—. I've often likened Transport for Wales to a flowering flower, a flower flowering across Wales, and it just happens that the germination of that flower begins in Caerphilly…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
You should travel on the Rhymney line from time to time. The quality of the train transport is incredible. But what we need to do next is connect that bus transport into it, and that is why the First Minister is empowering a transport Cabinet Secretary to…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
No, they're not. You should travel on the Rhymney line from time to time.
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
No, they're not. No, they're not.
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
Why have I always got to follow Janet Finch-Saunders? [Laughter.] I'm not entirely convinced by the FDR 100 days measure. It worked for him; I'm not sure it's going to work so much across modern politics, which moves so quickly and so differently to the times…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
Absolutely, I completely agree, particularly with the point that it's pre devolution, and it's not for the Welsh Government to be spending this money. I absolutely agree with that. But one of the things I'd also add, to emphasise the point, is that there…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
Okay. So, in response to that, I've questioned ERI very carefully, and so has the Caerphilly Observer as well. The Caerphilly Observer initially took quite a sceptical approach, but following links and discussions with ERI, they're starting to feel more…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
Yes.
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
I thank Delyth Jewell for that very constructive answer to my intervention, and I'll come to it in a second. It's worth noting that data published last year by the Welsh Government identified six category D disused coal tips in my constituency—those are the…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
I'll respond to that point in my speech.
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Restoration of opencast mining sites'
I'm not sure I share Janet Finch-Saunders's rosy view of the Ffos-y-fran situation, but I'd also say that the proposed project at Bedwas is not to extract any coal from the ground; it's only to take what lies on the surface. I think that's an important…
13 November 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Children, Young People and Education Committee Report, 'Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare?'
As always, I declare an interest as a father of a disabled child with additional learning needs, who will be in a special school and is currently in a resource base. So this is very much reflecting my own lived experience, but I do have some views that might…
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
Can I have an extra 10 minutes for that? I really respect Mark Isherwood; I don't want to devalue his comment. I do want to say that it was a global credit crunch that began as a result of the mortgage markets in America. But I was actually in the House of…
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
This is not an intervention, it's a speech.
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
I can't hear you.
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
Yes.
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
I think a budget is best judged in the context of the budgets that precede it and follow it. Obviously, there isn't a budget that precedes this one, other than the disastrous Conservative budgets, but the ones that follow it then put it into context, and you…
6 November 2024 , Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
Just agree with her.
5 November 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
What we know about the budget is it's a first step in fixing the foundations of the economy, and a very good first step too, but it's going to be a five-year programme. I'd like to take the opportunity to celebrate some of the wonderful voluntary…
16 October 2024 , Plenary
Debate on the Children, Young People and Education Committee Report, 'Implementation of education reforms: Interim report'
Thank you. With regard to recommendation 5, the Welsh Government should remit the ALNCo task and finish group to undertake further work examining the pay, terms and conditions of teaching staff working wholly or partially as deputy or assistant ALNCos. Now…
