Mr Gareth Thomas: If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 March.
Mr Gareth Thomas: I am sure that the whole House would wish to be associated with my right hon. Friend's remarks about the Madrid bombings. What steps are the Government taking to combat the continuing threat of terrorism?
Mr Gareth Thomas: My hon. Friend has already referred to the meeting that he had in my constituency last week at Llysfasi agricultural college. Incidentally, I hope that he enjoyed the rather splendid lunch that was offered. Does he recall the view of the experts present that the prospects for agriculture in Wales had improved greatly and that CAP reform negotiations were particularly good as far as Welsh...
Mr Gareth Thomas: If he will make a statement on the effect of community policing on the reduction of crime.
Mr Gareth Thomas: I thank my hon. Friend for her reply. Does she agree that CCTV has a role in improving the effectiveness of community policing? Will she agree to meet me and representatives of North Wales police and Denbighshire county council to assess proposals for a CCTV scheme for rural communities within the Vale of Clwyd?
Mr Gareth Thomas: What progress has been made in reforming housing benefit.
Mr Gareth Thomas: My hon. Friend is right to say that the reforms will be introduced in my constituency, where it is believed that they will enable claims to be dealt with rather more speedily and fairly, as well as bear down on exploitation by some landlords. When do the Government intend to introduce the reforms in the social housing sector?
Mr Gareth Thomas: If he will make a statement on his assessment of likely changes in the prison population over the next five years.
Mr Gareth Thomas: Given the fact that the vast majority of prisoners go on to reoffend once released, what assurances can my hon. Friend give that those worrying increases in the prison population will not affect the ability of the Prison Service to carry out rehabilitation programmes to stop reoffending?
Mr Gareth Thomas: The debate has provided a broad canvas, as with all Queen's Speech debates, for right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House to address it on matters of general principle and detail, but I should like to confine my remarks to general principles, particularly in the context of today's debate on home and constitutional affairs. This challenging, perhaps over-ambitious, programme of...
Mr Gareth Thomas: To refrain from mutual admiration, does my hon. Friend not accept, from another lawyer, that there has been abuse of the legal aid system, and that the Government are right to take that on board?
Mr Gareth Thomas: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise a crucial subject: the national health service and, in particular, the NHS in Wales. I am also grateful to be accompanied by a male voice choir from various Labour constituencies in Wales. I strongly believe that it is appropriate for a Welsh Member to raise the subject, even though the Executive powers for running the NHS have been devolved to the...
Mr Gareth Thomas: That is not a case of "could do better". It is a bad position that requires serious improvement, and I sympathise with my hon. Friend's constituents. It is worth emphasising that the deterioration in waiting times occurred in a period of unprecedented increased investment in the NHS in Wales. My hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) has eloquently made that point.
Mr Gareth Thomas: I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. Of course, reform must accompany investment. We should not take lectures from Conservative Members even if any were present. I assume that my hon. Friend referred to the official Opposition. If they had their way, the tax cuts that they envisage would create mayhem in the NHS in Wales. In fairness to the Assembly Government, they recognise that the...
Mr Gareth Thomas: There are real difficulties in border areas. The hon. Gentleman has made a fair point. We must accept, however, that the Assembly is making some progress. It has inherited a difficult situation.
Mr Gareth Thomas: The burden of my debate is that the pace of change and reform must accelerate if we are going to turn round the NHS in Wales. I am particularly concerned about the need to ensure that there is more capital investment in the NHS. There is an urgent need to invest in buildings, equipment, new technology and new services, and I should also like to see the Assembly take on the idea of diagnostic...
Mr Gareth Thomas: I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. Of course, that traffic of people and patients across the border is a feature of the NHS in Wales. I am afraid that there is a lukewarm approach to the PFI, but I believe that it is essential to take it up.
Mr Gareth Thomas: I do not accept that point, but there is a real need to ensure that we work in partnership with the private sector to release extra funds over and above the generous allocations made available by this Government through their prudent handling of the economy. That is my point. If we are to create a modern health service, we need more take-up. If we are to safeguard the future of the NHS, it...
Mr Gareth Thomas: What discussions he has held with other Foreign Ministers on the effect of the security situation in Iraq on the prospects of aid agencies continuing their work in Iraq.
Mr Gareth Thomas: I am grateful to the Minister for that response, but does he accept that the targeting of aid agencies in Iraq is a very grave development? What practical steps can the Government take at ground level to enable those agencies to carry out their crucial work?
