, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
6. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact on schools in Wales of the UK Government’s decision to charge VAT on private schools? OQ61615
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you for that. I’m sure those conversations will be productive. I think it’s important and incumbent on me to highlight the wider issues. As you know, with my past experience, I know there is a significant difference in the resilience that many councils…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you for that, Cabinet Secretary. That's pleasing to know, and I encourage you to have those conversations as soon as possible. We only heard last week, didn't we, from the leader of Flintshire how the local authority there was in a position where it may…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Llywydd. Can I firstly welcome you to your new post, Cabinet Secretary? I sincerely wish you the very best, and I'll do my best to be as supportive as I can. Cabinet Secretary, the First Minister has announced her priorities for this Government. I…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Sorry.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Yes, you need to build more houses—[Laughter.]
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
But it's an interesting debate; it really is. Because Monmouthshire, for instance, thought originally that it needed 7,000 houses in its new LDP and that was cut back by the Welsh Government, because the Welsh Government did not want to see so many houses…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Sorry, Chair.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
But if you look at the—
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
I think the wider issue is that generally across Wales, the average price is more than £225,000. But what we advocate is—. I'll use Monmouth as an example, where the actual median salary is very low, one of the lowest in Wales, but the average house price is…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
You won't buy find them in Monmouth.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
But it is a real challenge for first-time buyers. As the father of a daughter who is embarking on her first house purchase now, she's fortunate—they won't get caught in this because it's a relatively cheap house. However, for those young people who've got a…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Absolutely, if you can afford it.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
[Inaudible.]—we could all find things to say about this, because we do get people constantly feeling this, especially if you live right on the border where it is so much more beneficial, advantageous to buy a house just over the border.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
People in communities do get extremely frustrated over the time frame, because it's very easy for us to say, 'Well, it takes a long time and it won't happen till next year.' Of course, when you're faced with a potential one day of heavy rain and nothing's…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Maybe, if there is suddenly a whole pile of local authorities deciding to do this and a new petitioner comes forward, it will open up a wider debate.
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Yes. Thank you, yes. We received this on 10 June, and that was when it was considered for the first time. We looked to get some clarity from the Cabinet Secretary for transport. Now, I think this one probably came up at a time when, on the back of 20 mph and…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
I think that's hitting it on the head there, and it's about honesty and clarity. What upsets people, because they don't see a light at the end of the tunnel, is they don't know what milestones that need to be reached, so what the barriers are in the way of…
, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
I think that's a prime example of advocating—. I think there's something clearly wrong here. There's something clearly wrong on a communication level, if nothing else, and a respect level for what we are asking and not receiving appropriate responses. So…
, Petitions Committee
New Petitions
He felt the same. Right. Thank you, Gareth.
, Petitions Committee
New Petitions
Thank you, Chair. Yes, as you said, 724 signatures submitted, and the petition closed in the middle of July. Initial views were sought from the Welsh Government, and we know we have those. The petitioner has not put any further comments forward with regard to…
, Petitions Committee
New Petitions
Thank you. It's clearly a very important petition. I'd like to put on the record my thanks to Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees for the work she constantly does in this regard and on behalf of the COVID-19 bereaved families. They clearly have many concerns, which many…
, Petitions Committee
New Petitions
Thank you. And welcome to you in your position as Chair. It's with some trepidation I try to even talk to any of this, especially with a past Cabinet Secretary, and obviously not being a woman to experience these things. However, my wife is in a situation…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: 20mph speed limits
Peredur supports 20 mph and suggested that a reduction in accidents has happened. He gave us several statistics. We've heard lots of statistics today, often contradicting each other. But he went on to criticise the Labour Government's handling, and I think we…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: 20mph speed limits
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you, everybody who has contributed today. As I said in other contributions in this Chamber about this and other things, leadership requires the ability to admit when things are wrong. Decision makers have to be honest and…
