2. Business Statement and Announcement

– in the Senedd at 2:31 pm on 9 May 2023.

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Photo of Elin Jones Elin Jones Plaid Cymru 2:31, 9 May 2023

(Translated)

The next item, therefore, will be the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd to make the statement. Lesley Griffiths

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

Diolch, Llywydd. There is one change to this week's business. Later this afternoon, the Deputy Minister for Social Services will make a statement on the delivery plan for 'Age friendly Wales: our strategy for an ageing society'. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative

Trefnydd, can I call for a statement from the Minister with responsibility for the trunk road network in Wales, in particular around the unscheduled maintenance of trunk road assets? So, there are two bridges in the Abergele area of my constituency, which traverse the A55. Both of them currently have temporary traffic regulations in order, and have traffic lights in place. One set has been there for 13 years, which restricts the use of that bridge to just one lane at a time, and the other has been there for some time too. Over the course of those temporary measures being in place, over £230,000 of taxpayers' money has been expended. I appreciate that work needs to be undertaken on those bridges in order to make them safe for motor vehicles to pass, but I would like to see that work done swiftly, because of the inconvenience that motorists face in my constituency as a result of these two problems. So, can I ask for a statement on how unscheduled maintenance is addressed in the trunk road network, in order that we can move this forward, because I don't think that taxpayers will appreciate that around £250,000 is a very good investment, given that these are only temporary measures to date?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:33, 9 May 2023

Thank you. Well, my understanding is that the Deputy Minister for Climate Change has answered this in a written question. I'm not sure if it was to you, but if not, I will make sure that you have that information.

Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru

Trefnydd, Rishi Sunak has recently said that now is not the time for further devolution. I'd like a statement, please, responding to that, because apparently now is not the time, when an energy crisis engulfs us, and Wales could have greater powers over natural resources and the Crown Estate; while billions are being denied to Wales through the compensation that we should be having for high speed 2 line and Northern Powerhouse Rail, which are insultingly called 'England and Wales' projects; when our water could again be diverted to England, because it's cheaper to do that than to fix leaky pipes. Now apparently is not the time to give Wales greater powers, because he thinks that Westminster is doing just fine with them.

So, can the Government make a statement, please, responding to this arrogance shown by Rishi Sunak, who, like all Tories in Westminster, seem so desperate to stifle Wales's potential, and our inevitable growth as a nation? Because as the saying goes, 'There never lived a nation yet which ruled another well.'

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:34, 9 May 2023

Thank you. Well, I don't think we will be making an oral statement in response to something that the Prime Minister has said, but what I think is really important is that Ministers continue to have conversations with their counterparts in the UK Government. So, for instance, I know that the Minister for Climate Change is having discussions around the Crown Estate, and whether there would be devolution in relation to that, as well as other aspects, obviously. And, hopefully, after the general election, we'll have a Labour Government in No. 10 that we can work with around further devolution. 

Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour

Minister, today is Europe Day, where we're able to mark the seventy-eighth anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and the defeat of Nazism. It's a day when we can remember the sacrifices that people have made to bring others together, and, of course, the greatest peace project in history and in the world is the European Union. We know the benefits that Wales has accrued from the European Union. Minister, can we ensure that there is a debate held here every year on Europe Day to mark Europe Day and to ensure that we continue to develop our relationship with the European Union?

And will the Welsh Government publish information on a regular basis to demonstrate the disaster that is Brexit and the damage that is being done to the people of Wales, the community of Wales, the finances of Wales, the economy of Wales and the opportunities of Welsh people, to ensure that people across the whole of Wales know the lies that were told some years ago and are able to access information that they can rely upon in order to take decisions about our future where necessary? So, it's important to have a debate to mark Europe Day and to ensure that people are informed about the damage that Brexit is doing to this country.

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:36, 9 May 2023

Thank you. Well, as the Member says, today is indeed Europe Day, so I don't think we're able to have a Government statement today, but I certainly take your point about publishing information on the disaster Brexit certainly is to our country. We see it in so many different ways. As you say, it is held every year, and it does celebrate peace and unity in Europe. And the first tweet I saw this morning, when I looked at Twitter, was from President Macron celebrating Europe Day. And I think it is very important that we do remember, and it's very important to also show the commitment that Welsh Government has to continued engagement with Europe through many European institutions, through our networks and through priority national and regional relationships. I think it's a good opportunity also—and you indeed did it in your question today to the First Minister—to say that we continue to stand in support of the Ukrainian people who are bravely resisting the assault on their sovereignty, independence and the right to self-determination.

Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 2:37, 9 May 2023

(Translated)

I would like an oral or a written statement from the Deputy Minister for transport to explain the exact circumstances around recommendations that were made over 30 years ago to reset the hangers that hold the Menai road bridge in place. We know now that there were 40 new hangers placed in 1991, and that an engineers' report last year highlighted the fact that a recommendation had been made in 1991 to change all of the hangers over a period of time. I want to know what happened to that recommendation. Why wasn't action taken on that? Because, if that had happened, we wouldn't have faced the situation where the bridge was closed without notice in the autumn of last year.

I'll take this opportunity to highlight the fact that we still need to strengthen the resilience of the Menai crossing. The Brittania bridge was closed by an accident last week. What we saw crossing the Menai bridge was lorries of up to 40 tonnes with a maximum weight of 7.5 tonnes. We must make progress to dual the Brittania road bridge to ensure that resilience, but whilst we continue to make that case, we need answers as to why we find ourselves in this critical situation with the Menai bridge.

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:39, 9 May 2023

Thank you. Well, the initial report you referred to recommended that the hangers should be inspected, rather than automatically replaced, and that was as part of a rolling inspection programme. And those inspections have been undertaken, and then the 40 hangers were replaced, as you referred to, and the inspections did not recommend replacing any further hangers on the Menai suspension bridge. With regard to the current works, engineers have completed the initial investigation to test replacing hangers to help inform the next phase of the works, and, of course, there does need to be regular inspections of the temporary works, while the hanger replacement works are designed. The latest inspection took place on 26-28 April, and to allow that to take place safely obviously a lane had to be closed, but it is important those inspections take place. I understand there will be further inspections every six weeks to check the temporary works.

Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:40, 9 May 2023

I'd like to seek an opportunity for the Counsel General to answer questions on the floor of this Siambr in respect of the implications for Wales of the misuse or even abuse of the controversial new Public Order Act 2023. The Metropolitan Police have today expressed regret over the arrests of six people in London on the weekend, after a review found there was no evidence that the people involved were planning to use lock-on devices along the coronation processional route. Former Greater Manchester Police chief Sir Peter Fahy has said that police officers were put in the invidious position of having to interpret a law passed through in a rush, only a few days before the coronation. And Conservative MP and former Cabinet Minister David Davis has described the legislation as 'too broad' and 'too crude'. Yet, the Home Secretary is standing by this crude, rushed, over-reaching, overbearing piece of law, and the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak maintains the law is 'the right thing to do', I quote.

Political interference in policing is very hard to resist under this draconian law, when the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson, publicly berated the Met police commissioner in advance, saying,

'Do you think it's time that you left the ivory tower and got out there on Whitehall and sorted these people out?'

It's chilling: 'sort these people out'. Minister, many of us will have long memories of the abuse of state power using police as an extension of the Government's diktat in previous industrial conflict in our living memory.

On 27 April, Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the UK Government to reverse this deeply troubling Public Order Bill. This weekend, 64 people were arrested in England under this legislation. So, could we find time for an opportunity, through yourself or the Business Committee or the Llywydd, to question the Counsel General on the implications for Wales, so that, at least, even if this iniquitous law is not reversed by the UK Conservative Government, it will not be misused or abused here in Wales and we'll ensure that our chief constables, our police commissioners here in Wales interpret this lousy law in a way that the fundamental right to protest—a crucial part of our democracy—is robustly defended here in Wales, even if it is undermined and demolished in England?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:42, 9 May 2023

Thank you. And the Member raises a very important point, and I'm sure many of us were extremely concerned to hear about the arrest of apparently peaceful demonstrators in London ahead of the King's coronation at the weekend. As you made very clear, enforcement and policing are reserved matters, and the police are operationally independent of Government. But, obviously, a central principle of our democracy is the right to peaceful protest. I saw the Prime Minister being interviewed last night on the news, and I thought what he was saying about it was that this was an operational matter. At this point it is unclear whether the problem is with the Public Order Act—as you say, that recently came into force—or whether the problem is more operational. I think it's really important that we understand the full circumstances of the case, to ensure that, if there are any issues with the legislation, that they're identified and that they are rectified. We didn't have any arrests over the bank holiday weekend here in Wales, which is very reassuring, and I think the Counsel General will be happy to make an oral statement to this Chamber.

Photo of Elin Jones Elin Jones Plaid Cymru 2:43, 9 May 2023

(Translated)

I thank the Trefnydd.