Plaid Cymru

Speeches and questions

Speeches and questions in Plenary and in committees, newest first. The Llywydd's and deputies' chairing of Plenary is left out.

1,225 speeches and questions

4 March 2026Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
4. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the Welsh Government's policy regarding small schools? OQ63936
3 March 2026Plenary
Debate: The Police Settlement 2026-27
This settlement reflects, once again, the cost to Wales of the absence of devolution in the area of justice and policing—not a financial cost alone, although that is very real and increasing, but also a democratic cost, the cost of being subject to a…
3 March 2026Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
You have served across portfolios and now as Minister for Delivery, and as this may be your last question session in office, I was wondering if you would reflect on what you've learned and what you think your successors in Government, whoever they are, should…
3 March 2026Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
But the fact that you've moved the target of ending homelessness eight years, from 2026 to 2034, I think, speaks volumes. Now, your closest counterpart at Westminster, Darren Jones, has recently argued that when governments repeatedly miss milestones it's not…
3 March 2026Plenary
Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Counsel General, I'd like to ask you a question today in your role as Minister for Delivery. In its new pledge document, Welsh Labour talks about expanding childcare, growing our national forest, ending homelessness and raising school standards. But by…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Could I just ask—? When, for example, police mergers, a single Welsh force, was last mooted by a Labour Government, they did actually commission a Senedd committee—well, an Assembly committee in those days—to give its view. Do you think that, actually, what…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
On policing reform and the abolition of the police and crime commissioners and the White Paper et cetera, could you just update the committee on the latest state of the discussions that you've had in terms of what the future entails for Wales and the role of…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
On that very point then, what practical preparation is the Welsh Government taking so that, if probation or youth justice were devolved, in whatever form, the next Welsh Government could take those responsibilities on without delay?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Why not? He was prepared to say—. UK Ministers are prepared to say that they disagree with everything that you've just said, so why don't you say what you think in relation to his position?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Lord Timpson told us that devolving probation isn't a priority, because the system is under huge pressure. What's your response to that?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
The clear assumption—. The focus on youth justice probation emerged from the Gordon Brown report; the clear assumption from everyone was that this was referring to legislative devolution. I mean, there was a reference in the Gordon Brown report that nothing…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
I think Alun Davies wants to come in.
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Let's turn to those matters, then. Have you had, from the UK Government, a timetable for devolving probation and youth justice?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
If it's not the splitting of responsibilities, then, between different Ministers, beyond COVID, what else explains the lack of progress in relation to these recommendations that you are responsible for as a Government?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
I will come on to the UK Government in a second, but you accept, broadly speaking, the analysis that there's been an extreme lack of progress, really, if you broadly accept three out of 78 fully achieved as the yardstick. But you even accepted in your…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Dr Jones's report for the committee, which was mentioned earlier, says only three of the 78 Thomas commission recommendations have been fully achieved. Do you accept that assessment?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Yes. Since the Thomas commission reported in 2019, what are the main recommendations that sit with the Welsh Government to deliver? And what concrete progress have you made in relation to them?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Just on transparency, do you anticipate that you will appoint the deposit management organisation on the deposit-return scheme by dissolution as well?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Okay.
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
But will you commit to notifying the Senedd when an exclusion bid is submitted?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Right. Well, obviously, we're talking about exclusions to common frameworks, so, presumably, you've got to have the common framework agreed before you can ask for an exclusion.
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Well, time is tight; maybe we should move on to the next question, really, which is a more general one. This is a kind of case in point, I suppose. When you're seeking exclusions under common frameworks, as you just described in this particular instance, how…
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
But doesn't that have consequences, though, in terms of timing et cetera, and shouldn't you have pursued the UKIMA exclusion earlier?
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Okay. If I can summarise, then, the answer to the question is an exclusion is still needed, but you're going to try and get that through the common frameworks rather than a UKIMA exclusion.
2 March 2026Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
Okay. It's a kind of slightly unsatisfactory position to be in, isn't it? But let's move on to another UKIMA matter. On 11 February, you said you were working to secure a UKIMA exclusion for phase 2 of the single-use plastics ban. In your letter of 25…