Iain McIntosh

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1. 2. Questions to the Counsel General en

   It's probably no surprise, but as a Member with Powys in my constituency, I'm going to be asking the same kinds of questions. Counsel General, when a health board proposes cutting hospital beds in rural communities, despite serious concerns from patients, families and local representatives, surely Welsh Ministers should have the power to step in and stop it. That's exactly what we're seeing here with Powys Teaching Health Board at the moment and their proposals affecting hospitals in Ystradgynlais and Llandrindod Wells. These decisions can have devastating consequences for communities that already struggle to access healthcare. If Ministers don't have sufficient powers to intervene, isn't it time they were given them? This Welsh Government cannot keep ducking and diving and telling people that health boards make these decisions independently while expecting the public to hold you to account for the NHS. Surely accountability must come with the power to act.

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2. 5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Finance: Taxation (Wales) Bill en

   Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Minister, your Government's own impact assessment estimates that this Bill will cost an additional £422,000 over 10 years, while claiming only £2.6 million in benefits. But much of those supposed savings are simply staff time being freed up, rather than actual money being saved for taxpayers. And when it comes to additional inspections of businesses, your assessment dismisses the disruption as negligible, without even putting a financial figure on it. Can you tell us how much of that £2.6 million will actually translate into reduced public spending? What assessment have you made of whether those additional powers and administrative costs are genuinely necessary? Because taxpayers deserve real savings, not just theoretical efficiencies on what appears to be a spreadsheet whilst the cost of government keeps growing.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Finance en

   I don't think so.

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2. 6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en

   Would you take an intervention?

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3. 6. Reform UK Debate: Local referendums on council tax rises en

   Thank you. You've moved on to what I wanted to challenge you about, really. Would you acknowledge and agree with me that if local authorities had been funded properly over the last 27 years and continued to be funded properly, they wouldn't need to put council tax up by more than 4.99 per cent?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   3. Pa welliannau mesuradwy o ran effeithlonrwydd ac effeithiolrwydd Llywodraeth Cymru y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn disgwyl eu cyflawni yn ystod y Senedd hon? OQ64721

   Official English translation

   3. What measurable improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Welsh Government does the First Minister expect to deliver during this Senedd? OQ64721

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, taxpayers don't measure Government efficiency by how many strategies, reviews or initiatives you announce; they measure it by what actually improves and what it costs them. Your Government has promised measurable outcomes, progress milestones, plans for plans, greater productivity and so on, so will you actually put the numbers against those promises? Will you publish clear targets showing how much taxpayers' money you intend to save, and which areas of Government will become more efficient and by when? And when programmes or public bodies repeatedly fail to deliver value for money, will you actually reform, merge or scrap them? Because Government efficiency cannot just mean spending more money more efficiently; sometimes, it actually means having to spend less.

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3. 3. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution: The next steps for the Glyndŵr National Park (Designation) Order en

   Cabinet Minister, I really do welcome the decision, actually—although it's only provisional so far—not to proceed with yet another publicly funded authority. Now, you've also acknowledged that existing organisations and bodies can already deliver the same objectives that a national park would do if it was to be introduced, and I'll come to that at the end. But, surely, the evidence in front of us now raises a bigger question, and that is: why was this proposal allowed to progress this far in the first place?  If this does ever proceed, obviously, as was alluded to earlier, it's going to cost £11.6 million just to establish it, plus further ongoing costs, despite objections from every single one of the other affected local authorities. So, I'd like to know, really: how much taxpayers' money has already been spent pursuing this proposal? Also, will you now commit to rejecting it permanently, please, rather than leaving the door open to yet another expensive layer of bureaucracy that local communities neither need nor want? Now, finally, as I've alluded to just now, you've confirmed that the work of all local authorities can be carried out without them—

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4. 3. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution: The next steps for the Glyndŵr National Park (Designation) Order en

   So, I'd just like to sort of echo the comment that was made over there, but go further than that, and that is to confirm that, if we don't need these other national park authorities, we should get rid of them all in the first place. Thank you.

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

   Diolch, Lywydd. Before I address the Minister, I just wanted to correct the record on something the First Minister said earlier, when he suggested that all Reform Members want to take down the Welsh flag. I can't call that a lie, but I would like to say it's deliberately misleading, because we don't want to do that. I would like to suggest that he perhaps concentrates on his own Members, some of whom seem intent on merging the Welsh flag with the Palestinian flag. I'll leave that there. Thank you. [Interruption.] To address the Minister: Cabinet Minister, how much taxpayers' money has the Welsh Government committed to pursuing Welsh independence, including establishing the new national commission and seeking powers to hold an independence referendum? Even a recent poll commissioned by the pro-independence organisation Yes Cymru found that only 32 per cent of likely voters would consider supporting independence. So, there is clearly no blanket support for independence across Wales at all. At a time when the NHS, our schools, councils and front-line services are under enormous financial pressure, do you really believe that this is an appropriate use of taxpayers' money, and will you please publish the full projected cost of pursuing this agenda over the course of this Senedd term?

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

   Diolch, Lywydd. You answered a question I didn't put to you, but, anyway, I'll try again with a different one. Mine was about devolution, but anyway—sorry, about independence.  Cabinet Minister, how are Wales's taxpayers actually supposed to know whether the Welsh Government is delivering value for their money? Billions of pounds are spent every year across numerous programmes, projects and initiatives, but spending money is not the same as delivering results. So, will you publish clear performance data showing what every Welsh Government programme is supposed to achieve, how much it costs, whether it is on time, and, crucially, whether it is actually working? Now, when a programme repeatedly fails to deliver results or value for money, will you reform it or scrap it altogether, rather than continuing to pour taxpayers' money into something that simply isn't working?

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

   Okay. Thank you for that one. Cabinet Minister, I would also like to know why does the Welsh Government keep creating more bureaucracy instead of reducing it. Since 2018, 16 new devolved public bodies have now been created, whilst only five have been replaced or abolished, but now your Government wants to actually create even more. Now, every new body means more boards, more senior executives, more administration and, unfortunately, more cost to the taxpayer. So, when are you actually going to start reducing the machinery of Government? Will you identify which arm's-length bodies duplicate work that is already being done elsewhere, publish what each one costs, and commit to merging or abolishing those that are simply not necessary? Government efficiency shouldn't mean managing even more bureaucracy; it really should mean having the courage to get rid of it if isn't working.

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4. 6. Debate: Fiscal Reform en

   Will you take a small intervention?

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5. 6. Debate: Fiscal Reform en

   I'd just like to request, well, ask, really: do you appreciate that, if another funding review was to take place, it could actually result in Wales getting less funding? And if that was to happen, would you then accept that?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability cy

   4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i ddiogelu ffermydd teuluol ym Mrycheiniog Tawe Nedd rhag y pwysau ariannol ac amgylcheddol cynyddol sy'n wynebu amaethyddiaeth? OQ64577

   Official English translation

   4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect family farms in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd from the growing financial and environmental pressures facing agriculture? OQ64577

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability en

   Thank you. Resilience means very little if our family farms cannot survive. Farmers across Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd have endured an incredibly difficult year, as I'm sure you're fully aware, through droughts, wildfires, rising costs and the continued threat of bovine TB, whilst also being expected to adapt to the new sustainable farming scheme. These aren't simply businesses; they produce our food, manage our countryside, support thousands of jobs and keep our rural communities alive. Yet too often farmers tell me they feel these policies have been done to them, rather than being developed with them. Will you guarantee that food production and the survival of the Welsh family farm will be at the heart of your decisions? And also, will you ensure that environmental ambitions work alongside productive farming rather than adding further costs and regulation to the very people we depend upon to feed us and look after our countryside?

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I'd like to call for a statement from the Welsh Government on the Global Centre of Rail Excellence, please. Around £70 million of public money has reportedly already gone into the GCRE, including £50 million from the Welsh Government, yet the main rail facility has still not been built. Private investment has not materialised as anticipated, and the future of the project is now under review. I understand the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee is now asking the Permanent Secretary how that investment has been used and what further funding may be required, and about the Welsh Government's commitment to support the company's liabilities until September 2027. As shadow Minister for Government efficiency, I believe taxpayers deserve answers too. Will the Government therefore make a statement setting out exactly what public money has been spent and what it has delivered; what financial controls, reviews and value for money assessments were undertaken; what timescales and funding assumptions changed; and what further exposure taxpayers may face? Before another penny is committed, the Senedd deserves a clear account of the money already spent and the decisions behind it.

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

   Cabinet Minister, there's a world of difference between genuine community energy and simply expecting rural communities to host enormous commercial energy developments. Across Wales, communities are being asked to accept industrial-scale windfarms, pylons and other infrastructure, while too often the electricity profits and the economic benefits flow elsewhere. So, if your Government wants at least 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity to be locally owned by 2035, will you guarantee that community energy really means community ownership, community consent and tangible benefits for the people who live there, including lower energy costs, rather than simply imposing ever more large-scale development on rural Wales and calling a community benefit fund compensation? Diolch.

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2. 7. Reform UK Debate: Wales and the United Kingdom en

   Diolch, Llywydd. Just before I speak, I just wanted to echo what somebody else has said, and I really do think the First Minister should be in the Chamber for what I think is one of the most important debates that we'll have, together with some other Cabinet Members who are missing too. So, when we debate Wales's place in the United Kingdom, we should do so with our eyes wide open about what separation would actually involve, because this isn't just about flags, slogans or constitutional theory. It is also about people's jobs, pensions, taxes and public services. So, let's start with the numbers. Some of these have been mentioned already, but I want to go through them again with a little bit more detail. UK public sector debt now stands at almost £3 trillion, okay? There is no agreed formula determining how much of that debt Wales would inherit if it became independent, because that would still have to be negotiated. But just to understand the scale involved, if debt were divided according to population, Wales's share would be around £136 billion. That's approximately £43,000 for every man, woman and child here in Wales, and that's before we even consider Wales's annual finances. The latest official figures show public expenditure attributed to Wales at around £20,000 per person, whilst revenue raised is only around £13,000. That gap of more than £7,000 per person equates to another figure that was mooted earlier, which is almost £23 billion every single year. Those figures don't tell us exactly what the finances of an independent Wales would look like, and nobody can honestly claim they do, but they do demonstrate the scale of the questions that would have to be answered. Who pays for the NHS? Who pays pensions? What taxes would have to rise? What spending would have to fall? And also, what currency would be used? Nobody seems to know. Who services that debt? And what happens to the fiscal transfers that currently operate across the United Kingdom? Those aren't scare stories; they're legitimate questions involving billions of pounds of taxpayers' money. But our United Kingdom is about far more than just a balance sheet. Look at the history, some of which has been mentioned earlier, represented by families throughout Wales. Our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers served alongside men and women from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland through two world wars. Welsh regiments fought with extraordinary courage, Welsh communities endured loss and sacrifice, and families waved loved ones goodbye, never knowing whether they would return. They served as part of the armed forces of the United Kingdom, and that shared history matters. It doesn't dictate what constitutional decisions future generations must make—those decisions belong to us—but neither should we casually dismiss the bonds forged through generations of shared sacrifice, shared endeavour and shared achievements. Those bonds continue today. People cross the Wales and England border every day to work, trade, study, receive healthcare and visit their families. Businesses operate across it, supply chains cross it, families cross it. We share armed forces, we share economic institutions, we share risks. When one part of the United Kingdom needs support, resources can move between its nations and regions. Wales can proudly and distinctively remain Welsh, whilst remaining part of something bigger too. Our language, our culture, our communities and our national identity do not depend upon erecting a new international border. When independence is proposed, the debate must go beyond the emotional appeal of greater sovereignty. Those advocating fundamental constitutional change need credible answers about debt, the fiscal deficit, pensions, currency, trade, defence and the funding of public services. The numbers involved are simply too large and the consequences too important for anything less. I believe every single one of us in this Chamber has a responsibility to understand the history and the legacy of the United Kingdom that generations before us helped us to build, defend and pass on. We should think very carefully before taking divisive and potentially irreversible steps without confronting all of the consequences for those who come after us. For my part, I am proud to be Welsh, I am proud to be British, and I will continue to make the case for protecting our place within the United Kingdom, not only because of the history we share, but because of the future we still have the opportunity to build together. Diolch.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Finance en

   I appreciate this question may appear similar, on the face of it, to a similar question, but it is slightly different.

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Finance cy

   6. Pa asesiad mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi'i wneud o gynaliadwyedd ariannol llywodraeth leol? OQ64463

   Official English translation

   6. What assessment has the Cabinet Minister made of the financial sustainability of local government? OQ64463

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3. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Finance en

   Diolch. Cabinet Minister, councils across Wales are at breaking point. Council tax rises this year have already added around £104 on average to band D bills across Powys, Neath Port Talbot and indeed Swansea, yet people are still paying more whilst roads crumble and front-line services disappear too. And now we are losing our primary schools. Cradoc primary school, for instance, in a nearby village to me, has already closed. When a primary school is closed, it's ripping out the heart of our communities. And clearly, under this Plaid Government, more school closures are coming too. My main question is this: as you have now commissioned a review of the funding formula, including rurality and sparsity, will you now admit that the current system is failing, and will you guarantee fairer funding, so taxpayers aren't continually asked to pay more for less, while our communities lose their services and more children lose their primary schools too? Diolch.

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4. 8. Short Debate: Congestion isn't inevitable: How the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council can improve the lives of motorists in Cardiff and the surrounding regions en

   I think, from my perspective, far too often, the debate about congestion focuses on what happens when motorists reach Cardiff, rather than the inadequate infrastructure and limited alternatives they face in getting here. For example, the A470 through my constituency of Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd is a vital artery that connects rural communities and businesses with Cardiff and the wider south Wales economy. Yet, whilst Welsh Government has spent years trying to discourage people from driving, the reality on our roads has moved in the opposite direction. Welsh road traffic rose another 2.3 per cent last year, to what I think was an astounding figure here, which is almost 31 billion vehicle kilometres in Wales alone—just for one year. Now, the demand is clearly there, but the infrastructure clearly hasn't kept pace. So—. I've noticed that the Cabinet Minister is in his seat there; I was wondering if he would agree that the Welsh Government has been far too slow to respond to this reality and that, instead of simply managing congestion and restricting motorists, we urgently need investment in our road capacity, including improvements to the A470, alongside better public transport, to get Wales moving again. Thank you.

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1. 6. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health: Priorities for social care, mental health and women's health en

   Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement. I'm a little bit surprised and disappointed that there's nothing in there that recognises the challenges that local authorities have at the moment in delivering social services. For years, local authorities across Wales have been warning about the escalating costs of social care, with hundreds of taxpayer-funded care packages now actually costing up to £10,000 a day for single individuals. So, my question to you is: have you worked out why the system has been allowed to reach this point? And after informing me in a previous response to a written question that the cost of publicly funded care or support packages and placements is not held by the Welsh Government, is finding out why these costs keep rising one of your priorities, and if so, what do you think you're going to do about it?

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1. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission cy

   7. Pa gamau y mae'r Comisiwn yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod rheolau sy'n ymwneud â gosod arwyddion gwleidyddol yn ffenestri ystad y Senedd sy'n wynebu'r cyhoedd yn cael eu gorfodi'n gyson, ac i atal achosion o dorri'r Rheolau a Chanllawiau ar Ddefnyddio Adnoddau'r Senedd gan Aelodau? OQ64275

   Official English translation

   7. What action does the Commission take to ensure that rules relating to the placement of political signs in public-facing Senedd estate windows are enforced consistently, and to prevent breaches of the Rules and Guidance on the Use of Senedd Resources by Members? OQ64275

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2. 3. Questions to the Senedd Commission en

   Thank you very much for the answer. Further to that, political campaign signage has recently been displayed in the windows of Plaid Cymru Members' offices on the Senedd estate, visible to members of the public outside this building. Given that the Senedd is a publicly funded building, paid for by taxpayers of all political views, and that public buildings such as schools, hospitals and places of worship are not to be used to display party political campaign materials, does the Commission believe that this is consistent with the rules and guidance on the use of Senedd resources by Members? If the rules have been breached, what action will the Commission take? Does the Commission expect that, following the removal of the political signs, the Plaid Cymru Members concerned should acknowledge that publicly funded facilities should not be used for party political campaigning and issue a public apology? Diolch.

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, I would like to request a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy on the future of independent high-street businesses in Wales, please. Across Wales, independent businesses are being squeezed from every direction. Rising costs, higher taxes, increased regulation, soaring energy bills, unfair business rates compared to England, and declining footfall are all making it harder than ever to survive. Every week, we see more shops closing their doors, leaving empty premises on our high streets and taking jobs, investment and community spirit with them. Independent businesses are not just important to our economy, they are the lifeblood to our towns and our communities too. Once they are gone, they are incredibly difficult to replace. So, will the Cabinet Minister provide a statement setting out what urgent action the Welsh Government is going to take to stop the decline of our high streets and ensure that independent Welsh businesses have a future? Diolch.

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

   Cabinet Minister, many of my constituents also in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd feel that they are being let down by a health service that is increasingly difficult to access. Powys, as we're all aware, is the largest county in Wales, taking up 25 per cent of the country, yet it does not have a single district general hospital, meaning that many residents face long journeys for appointments, diagnostics and treatment. A member of my own family had to wait seven years—seven years—for knee-replacement surgery, a delay that had significant impact on their quality of life, and it's sadly not an isolated case. At the same time, newly qualified paramedics are being trained in Wales at considerable cost to the taxpayer only to be told that there are no jobs available for them. But we need more paramedics, so what on earth is going on here? Now, given these challenges, what specific action is Welsh Government taking to reduce waiting times, improve access to healthcare for rural communities and ensure that NHS workforce planning is delivering the doctors, nurses and the paramedics that constituencies such as Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd desperately need? Diolch.

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2. 6. Reform UK Debate: Government international spending en

   I'm very passionate about speaking about this issue and supporting it because, at its heart, it's about getting the priorities right. Across Wales, people are asking this very simple question: if there is not enough money to provide the services that they rely on, that they're paying for, why is the Welsh Government spending money overseas? So, in my constituency, Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, and as mentioned in an earlier speech as well, people, including some of our own family, were waiting years for treatment on the NHS. Some were travelling huge distances to access healthcare, because Powys, the largest county in Wales, still doesn't have a single district general hospital. Our rural roads are deteriorating. Public transport is limited. High streets are struggling. Councils continue to raise council tax whilst cutting local services. At the same time, councils across Wales are closing primary schools. In my own constituency, Cradoc Primary School, literally a few yards from my own home, is being closed despite the passionate opposition of local families and residents. And when a village school closes, it's not simply the building that closes, it's the years and the part of the community, and it tears the heart out of it. It removes the focal point of local families and it weakens the very fabric of rural Wales. Yet, whilst communities are being asked to accept these cuts and closures, Welsh Government continues to spend taxpayers' money overseas. Now, it was reported in January, which was referred to by one of my colleagues just now, that a Senedd committee that the Welsh Government's international strategy expected—. Sorry, let me start again. It was reported in January by a Senedd committee that the Welsh Government's international strategy is expected to cost around £58 million. It maintained 20 overseas offices across 11 countries, with annual running costs running into millions of pounds. We are told this expenditure is essential, according to the gentleman over there. But, at the same time, we are constantly told that there is insufficient funding available for the public services we need here at home. Now, many taxpayers will struggle to understand why Wales needs what some have described as mini embassies around the world when patients cannot get treatment, roads are crumbling, schools are closing and councils are under severe financial pressure. Now, the concerns do not end there. Members of the Senedd's own international relations committee, who reported that £58 million spend, have also raised concerns about the transparency of this spending, and complained that they had been unable to properly scrutinise aspects of that budget. Now, in any area of public expenditure, transparency and accountability should be non-negotiable. We have also seen reports of significant expenditure on hospitality, travel and events through some overseas offices. Regardless of the justification offered, many people struggling with the cost of living will question whether such spending represents the best use of their money—it's not ours, it's theirs. Now, the Welsh Government has also committed millions of pounds to overseas aid and international projects. Now, let me be clear: the people of Wales are very generous people. We care deeply about those suffering from war, natural disasters and poverty around the world, but government is ultimately about making choices that are for the benefit of taxpayers in this country. So it is entirely reasonable for taxpayers to expect the Welsh Government to focus first and foremost on Wales. This debate is not about isolationism, as was referred to earlier. Wales should continue to trade internationally, Wales should continue to welcome visitors and investment from around the world, and we should continue to promote Welsh products, Welsh businesses and Welsh tourism on the global stage. That is also done nationally as well already, separate to this. But there is a clear difference between promoting Wales and spending Wales taxpayers' money on activities that fall outside—[Interruption.]—I'll finish and I'll let you come in—on activities that fall outside the core responsibilities of devolved Government. Foreign affairs are reserved to Westminster, not here. The primary responsibility of Welsh Ministers is to improve healthcare, education, transport, economic growth, public services here in Wales. So—[Interruption.]

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3. 6. Reform UK Debate: Government international spending en

   I did say I'll allow her to come in right at the very end, sorry.

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4. 6. Reform UK Debate: Government international spending en

   Because otherwise I'll forget where I was, which I have done now. [Laughter.] So, let me repeat: foreign affairs are reserved to Westminster. The responsibility of Welsh Ministers is to improve healthcare here, education here, transport, housing, economic growth and public services here in Wales. So, every £1 spent overseas is a £1 that cannot be spent reducing our Welsh NHS waiting lists, supporting struggling schools, repairing roads, helping vulnerable people or strengthening rural communities. The people who elected us expect us to focus on the issues that affect their daily lives. They expect us to put Wales first. So, that means concentrating our resources on improving public services, supporting our communities and delivering better outcomes for the people we serve. That is why Reform UK believe that Welsh Government international spending should end and that those resources should instead be directed towards the priorities of the people of Wales. Thank you. You can come in now.

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

   Many congratulations and welcome to your place, Minister. Cabinet Minister, many of my constituents in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd tell me that their priorities are reducing NHS waiting lists, improving public services, fixing our roads, supporting local businesses and addressing the rising costs of living. They rarely, if ever, raise constitutional reform. So, given the significant pressures on public finances, can you explain what evidence the Welsh Government has that establishing a national commission on Wales's constitutional future is a priority for the people of Wales, what the expected cost of such a commission would be, and whether you will ensure that its membership fairly reflects the full range of constitutional views across Wales, including those who believe that the focus should be on improving the delivery of devolved services, rather than pursuing further constitutional change? Diolch.

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