David Mills

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1. 10. Short Debate: Full-face coverings are against British values en

   Gosh, I don't know how to follow some of this. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you, Jason O'Connell, for tabling the debate. We're a nation that prides itself on our tradition of constitutional liberty, which has always included freedom of expression to dress as one chooses, including garments that most people find offensive or objectionable, such as face coverings. This stands in opposition to the tradition on the continent where restrictions are commonplace. However, I think we need to re-examine our position on this, as the wearing of face coverings has become normalised in recent years, and consider banning them. In Swansea, Neath and many other areas of Wales, there has been a growing problem with anti-social behaviour committed by youths wearing face coverings. No-one should have to tolerate this sort of hooliganism. We should recognise too that face coverings are not normal practice in any religion, and they're only employed by a tiny minority of ultra-conservative adherents. Whilst religious freedom is an important tenet of British values, our laws and cultural norms should not bend to the whims of an ultra-conservative minority. We should recognise too that many countries across Europe, the middle east and central Asia ban the use of face coverings and do not make religious exceptions. So, I agree with Jason that the use of face coverings is a growing issue and we must look to banning them.

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I'd like to ask for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability on the state of dog breeding in Wales and whether the Welsh Government intends to review the current regulatory framework. The RSPCA has raised concerns that dog breeding continues on a considerable scale in Wales and that existing legislation may no longer be fit for purpose. There have also been calls for a review of current laws, a centralised microchipping database, consideration of a national scoring system for breeders and whether a national representative body could provide greater support to responsible breeders. Given the importance of protecting animal welfare, while ensuring that responsible breeders have the support and the clarity they need, can the Welsh Government outline whether it will review the current regulatory framework to ensure it remains effective and fit for purpose and whether it will consider combining and streamlining the regulation into a single piece of legislation?

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1. 8. Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause en

   Shall I start?

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2. 8. Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause en

   Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to open the debate today. I will be giving a minute of my time to John Clark, Paul Rock, Anna Nicholl and James Evans. I want to begin by outlining why I am personally invested in this issue. I have been a lifelong environmentalist. I run a farm where I've dedicated a significant amount of my land to habitat restoration and tree planting. Prior to farming, I have a background in conservation and countryside management. I have also run an organic, environmentally conscious farm in France, where I saw first-hand the value of good land management, protecting biodiversity and working with nature rather than against it. The ease of operating in France has helped me identify where we have gone wrong in Wales. For me, environmental stewardship has never been an abstract political concept; it is something I live and practice every day. It's about the condition of the land you pass on to the next generation, it is about the wildlife that inhabits your fields and hedgerows and it's about the health of our rivers, the quality of our soil, the responsibility we all have to leave our countryside in a better condition than we found it. And it was precisely because of that commitment that I became increasingly frustrated with the bureaucracy I encountered in Wales. Too often, I found a system more interested in penalising conservationists for breaching some trivial rule buried deep in a dense guidance document, rather than encouraging landowners to do the right thing for the environment. The spirit of the guidance should be more important than a strict, legalistic interpretation where conservationists can be fined for petty reasons. People who want to restore habitats, plant trees and improve biodiversity should be treated as partners, not potential rule breakers. That experience helped spur me to stand for elected office, and that brings me to the purpose of today's debate.

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3. 8. Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause en

   Environmental stewardship should not belong to one political party, one ideology, or one side of the Chamber. It should be a common cause. For small c conservatives, environmental conservation is central to our political philosophy. Yes, too often the tradition is overlooked because the debate about the environment has become almost entirely dominated by carbon reduction, which, whilst important, should not dominate Government action over other concerns. Many to the right, myself included, object to the direction of current environmental policy, but we should not allow that disagreement to be mistaken for indifference towards the environment itself. I believe climate change is a serious, potentially existential challenge that must be addressed, and we cannot simply ignore the evidence to pretend that a changing climate presents no risks, but we must distinguish between the challenge we face and the policies Governments choose to pursue in response to it. I have profound concerns about the approach to net zero. The UK can impose ever more ambitious targets on itself and introduce costly regulations, but climate change is a global problem driven by global emissions. The effectiveness of our response must therefore be judged in a global context. My concern is that policies pursued in the name of net zero will make little difference to the global climate trajectory if they are not matched by meaningful international action, while not imposing enormous costs on ordinary people here at home, because those costs are not borne equally. We should not ask people on the lowest incomes to shoulder disproportionate costs for policies whose global impact depends on what the rest of the world does, when the UK's impact is so minuscule. If the United Kingdom reached net zero by next week, would the climate stop changing? Of course it would not. That does not mean we should abandon efforts to reduce emissions, it means we should pursue them sensibly, in concert with other countries, and in a way that is economically sustainable and commands public support. We should also be honest about the need to adapt to the changes in climate we face. We need resilient infrastructure, effective flood prevention, healthy soils, restored peatlands, and landscapes better equipped to withstand drought, wildfire and extreme rainfall. We must also consider the standardisation of air conditioning in homes and schools, and fund agricultural science that looks at how crops may have to adapt to a changing climate. Mitigation and adaptation must go hand in hand, but my concern is that the single-minded focus of carbon targets has distracted us from other pressing environmental problems—problems where we could make tangible difference to people's lives and the natural world around us. As we have been racing towards ever more ambitious carbon targets, our rivers and our seas have been filling with sewage. Natural Resources Wales reported that Dŵr Cymru was responsible for 155 pollution incidents in 2024. That was the highest number of sewage pollution incidents recorded by the company in a decade. We should be just as determined to stop sewage entering our rivers as we are to meet carbon targets. Another area where we should be able to find common ground is the protection of our habitats and our beautiful landscapes. Species are disappearing, habitats are under pressure and too many landscapes are failing to reach their ecological potential. Tree planting, habitat restoration, healthier soils and protecting native species can all make a real difference, but this must be done in partnership with farmers and landowners, not through top-down diktats. We should reward long-term stewardship rather than simply measuring compliance with administrative requirements. We also need tougher penalties for environmental crime and better policing. While law-abiding citizens face increasingly costly waste disposal, criminals are dumping toxic waste and despoiling our countryside with apparent impunity. Michael Sheen's recent documentary Buried has highlighted the illegal dumping of forever chemicals and acid sludge across England and Wales. In March, Natural Resources Wales reported that nearly 50,000 fly-tipping incidents had been recorded in Welsh local authorities in the previous year—an increase of almost 15 per cent. That's about 133 incidents every day. We need effective investigations and meaningful penalties. This is not about punishing well-meaning landowners for missing a clause in a regulation; it's about ensuring that those who wantonly destroy our natural environment face prison. Presiding Officer, this brings me back to the central argument of this debate: environmental policy should not be judged solely on carbon targets, but by whether our rivers are cleaner, our habitats are recovering, our wildlife is thriving and our countryside is protected for future generations. Achieving this means working with farmers, landowners, conservationists, volunteers, communities and businesses. Good environmental policy need not be prohibitively expensive. Often, the best solutions are practical, locally led and rooted in an understanding of the landscapes. We can disagree about net zero and the pace of decarbonisation, but surely we can agree that sewage should not pollute our rivers, that endangered species should be protected, illegal dumping should be punished and those restoring habitats should be encouraged rather than obstructed. These aren't left-wing or right-wing objectives; they're commonsense objectives. I'm confident the new Minister for climate change and rural resilience shares my desire to put sound land management and the protection of our natural inheritance at the heart of environmental policy, and I look forward to hearing how he intends to deliver that. Our responsibility as custodians is to ensure the next generation inherits a natural environment richer, healthier and better protected than the one we inherited. That's what environmental stewardship means to me. I look forward to hearing the other contributors to the debate. Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu sut mae swyddfeydd rhyngwladol Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu gwerth am arian i drethdalwyr Cymru? OQ64621

   Official English translation

   2. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh Government’s international offices deliver value for money for Welsh taxpayers? OQ64621

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   International relations are not the remit of the Welsh Government. Coming from the world of farming and business before entering the Senedd, when I came here I was shocked at the waste—it really shocked me. And nothing symbolises that waste more than the 20 mini embassies that we've got. These are on four continents, costing £5 million a year to run, and they're part of a larger package of £58 million, which is spent on all sorts of things. Is this indulgence worth it when public finances are so tight? So, does the First Minister genuinely believe that every one of those overseas offices is delivering value for money? And would he not agree with me that the money would be better spent on the NHS, schools and other failing vital public services that are actually within the Senedd's devolved responsibilities?

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3. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to ask for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability on how the Welsh Government intends to turn the lessons from this summer's wildfires and the very real risk of flooding this autumn and winter into investment in rural communities such as those across Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd. Research has highlighted that measures such as rewetting peatland and better land management can help prevent wildfires, while also slowing water run-off and reducing flood risk. Indeed, the Welsh Government has already committed more than £5 million to natural flood management this financial year. So, could we have a statement setting out how farmers and landowners will be supported to deliver landscape-scale resilience and whether the Welsh Government will use this opportunity to bring much-needed investment and jobs into rural communities like mine?

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1. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice cy

   1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â thlodi gwledig ym Mrycheiniog Tawe Nedd? OQ64579

   Official English translation

   1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to tackle rural poverty in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd? OQ64579

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2. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice en

   Rural poverty in mid Wales is a hidden crisis, driven by low wages in work employment, high care dependency and now rising unemployment. Although very few people in Powys today experience absolute poverty, there are those who fail to achieve the standards of living that we expect in an affluent developed country beyond the basic necessities of life. Energy costs have risen exponentially, the price of diesel has hit an all-time high, but wages are not rising to match this. Latest figures show that the unemployment rate in mid and south west Wales has risen to 3.5 per cent over the year. I visited a job centre in Llandrindod Wells recently, where work coaches told me about the lack of jobs being created in rural areas. So, how is the Cabinet Minister working with other areas of Government to address rural poverty in mid Wales and focus on setting the conditions for rural businesses to thrive and take on new staff?

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3. 6. Reform UK Debate: Default 20 mph speed limit en

   It's a pleasure to be able to speak in this debate today, tabled in the name of my friend Llŷr Powell, on scrapping one of the most hated pieces of legislation to come out of this Chamber in a decade. A policy cooked up by Labour and Plaid Cymru, not in response to public demand, not with solid evidential basis, but because it was a fashionable left-wing policy that was gathering steam elsewhere, and they didn't want to lose out on the trend. The same can be said about the tourism tax, and now plans for rent control—all disastrous policies stolen from other failing far-left governments. Nobody in this Chamber wants to see people killed or seriously injured on Welsh roads, and I think anybody who says that is disgraceful. The question is whether making 20 mph the default across thousands of miles of roads is the right way to achieve the objective of decreasing road traffic collisions. Three years after the policy came into force, we now have more evidence to examine. As Jason said, 91 people were killed on Welsh roads in 2025, 9 per cent higher than 2024. More significantly, Department for Transport figures from last year show the highest number of deaths on Welsh roads since 2019. I'm aware that the increase in deaths was not necessarily on 20 mph roads, but the aim of an overall reduction in road traffic deaths has not been achieved. There is also a great deal of confusion. I regularly get stuck behind people going at 20 mph on roads with 30 mph or 40 mph limits. The confusion, I think, contributes to accidents. I literally had somebody last weekend on a 60 mph road going 20 mph. I overtook him, he put his hand on his horn and beeped me. I pulled up and I said, 'Are you okay?' And he said, 'No. Do you know this is 20 mph?' And I said, 'Mate, it's not.' And then we made friends and he was from outside the area. You can argue the details, but it's undeniable that this policy has failed in its overall objective and it has come at enormous cost to the Welsh economy.  We also need an updated economic appraisal. We haven't had one since 2022, perhaps because the Welsh Government wouldn't like the results. But if they are confident in the policy, then let's see the data. Presiding Officer, this should never have been about ideology; it should have been about what actually works. If we want safer roads, let's target dangerous roads, improve road design and crack down on dangerous driving rather than imposing a blanket limit—[Interruption.]—across the entire country. I apologise—default. Let's end the anti-motorist agenda that punishes all road users. I urge all to vote with our motion to scrap this crazy failed scheme.

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1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy en

   I welcome the Welsh Government's guidance published in June on behind-the-meter energy systems, and I was pleased to see the Government recognising the potential for businesses to generate, use and sell locally produced energy. These are exactly the sorts of arrangements that can deliver real economic benefit to Welsh communities and ensure that solar panels are installed on industrial units rather than prime agricultural land. I have heard from business owners who tell me that the financial return from exporting surplus electricity to the grid can be low, that it's so low that it simply does not provide enough incentive to install solar panels on large commercial or industrial buildings. Suppliers setting their own export tariffs turns this on its head. So, can the Minister outline what they are doing to actively promote private-wire and licence-exempt arrangements, allowing businesses to sell surplus power directly to neighbouring businesses at an agreed price?

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to call for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care on the increasing prevalence of antisemitism in the healthcare sector. The Campaign Against Antisemitism is today publishing a groundbreaking documentary featuring patients and practitioners describing experiences, including Nazi salutes, antisemitic death threats and patients refusing treatment from Jewish doctors. There has been a meteoric increase in antisemitism over the last three years, and British Jews have been taking steps to conceal their Jewish identity. Whilst most evidence focuses on England, I'd be surprised if Wales were immune from this problem. So, can we have a statement outlining how the Welsh Government is monitoring antisemitism in our healthcare services, and what action is being taken to root it out?

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1. 2. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I'd like to call for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language on education provision in mid Wales in light of the release of the latest Programme for International Student Assessment results. These results should be a wake-up call for the Welsh Government. Wales is the worst-performing nation in reading, mathematics and science, and, this year, Welsh pupils fell even further behind their peers across the UK and internationally. Those national failures are reflected locally, with Estyn judging Powys County Council's education services to be causing significant concern. While confidence in state education is declining, Labour's VAT raid on private schools has forced the closure of seven Welsh independent schools in the past year alone, driving a further divide and an increase in education inequality. Since the Welsh Government's election in May, there's been very little action on state education. So, when will the Government change course? Can the Minister commit to prioritising a genuinely results-driven approach, where success is measured by whether Welsh children are actually achieving better outcomes?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language cy

   5. Pa gynnydd y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'i wneud tuag at gyflwyno cynllun llythrennedd a rhifedd sylfaenol? OQ64252

   Official English translation

   5. What progress has the Cabinet Minister made towards introducing a foundational literacy and numeracy plan? OQ64252

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Thank you. For 27 years, Labour has been responsible for education in Wales, and the results speak for themselves, with the lowest PISA scores in the UK, the poorest post-16 educational outcomes and Welsh pupils performing at a level comparable only to the most disadvantaged children in England. Estyn has also highlighted that roughly 20 per cent of pupils leave primary school functionally illiterate. These figures are frightening and a rapid change of policy is required. Plaid Cymru committed to introducing a foundational literacy and numeracy plan. So, can the Cabinet Secretary set out a clear timetable for bringing that plan forward? And, more importantly, how will it move beyond simply publishing another plan but instead deliver measurable improvements in literacy and numeracy, including ending the use of discredited teaching methods such as cueing, which were promoted under the previous Welsh Government?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care cy

   1. Beth yw blaenoriaethau'r Gweinidog Cabinet ar gyfer y GIG ym Mrycheiniog Tawe Nedd? OQ64158

   Official English translation

   1. What are the Cabinet Minister's priorities for the NHS in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd? OQ64158

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care en

   Cabinet Minister, people across my constituency are very concerned about Powys Teaching Health Board's decision to delay planned care for operations in English health providers. During the election and before you said that if you were in Government you would address this. Can you today outline when people in my constituency can expect the service they were receiving to be reinstated to English waiting times?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution cy

   7. Sut bydd y Gweinidog Cabinet yn gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn y cabinet i gyflawni blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru? OQ64141

   Official English translation

   7. How will the Cabinet Minister work with cabinet colleagues to deliver the Welsh Government's priorities? OQ64141

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution en

   In a written answer to a colleague, the Minister described delivery as driven by a sustained focus on outcomes and high-quality use of data, but there's a real difference between measuring activity—what Government has done—and measuring outcomes—what's actually changed for people. So, specifically, is there a single consistent framework that measures delivery against the programme for government on a comparable basis across all departments, or does each assess its own progress, in which case, a focus on outcomes is only as credible as the framework that captures them?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   2. Pa gamau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â llygredd dŵr? OQ64070

   Official English translation

   2. What action will the Welsh Government take to address water pollution? OQ64070

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, we all know that Welsh Water is pumping raw sewage out into our rivers. Each year, they get fined millions of pounds and each year their CEO gets huge bonuses. I mean, this is so wrong. What concrete action is the First Minister going to take to address this?

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