Joel James: Yes, perfect. Given the extensive criticism by the commissioner of this Government, particularly that the Welsh Government has failed to show clear, joined-up leadership and that there's poor communication and integration between different Welsh priorities, and that the Welsh Government doesn't actually listen to many of her recommendations, do you think this warrants a rethink of how best to...
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, but I feel, once again, that this Welsh Government is missing the point, because, rather than introducing new legislation, you need to make sure that existing legislation works first. If the future generations Act has been so heavily criticised for not working, why should we expect the social partnership Bill to work? As mentioned in yesterday's budget debate, the...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, almost a year ago the 'Procuring Well-being in Wales' report was published, and it clearly shows that after almost seven years of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 this Government has been found negligent of its responsibilities in ensuring that the Act is applied correctly for public procurement in Wales, and ensuring that the Act is...
Joel James: What discussions has the Minister had with police forces across Wales regarding the links between modern slavery and unregulated car washes?
Joel James: As the Minister will be aware, the equality and community cohesion budget will increase from £12.7 million in 2022-23 to £20.8 million in 2024-25. This equates to an increase of 64 per cent. From what I can understand, this represents the main increase in social justice expenditure. I'm in no way criticising the allocation of this money to the equality and community cohesion budget....
Joel James: Thank you, First Minister. The employer skills survey has reported that a wide range of skills and attributes are lacking among applicants for jobs within Wales, with over 84 per cent of vacancies partially caused by a lack of technical or practical competence, and 66 per cent partially caused by a lack of people and personal skills, such as the ability to manage one's own time and prioritise...
Joel James: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government initiatives to develop workplace skills for secondary school learners? OQ57561
Joel James: I couldn't unmute myself, sorry, and then I realised my camera was off. Sorry.
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd.
Joel James: Thank you. As you're aware, and as you have explained, the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 is the legislation that sets out the legal framework for the new curriculum, and on the surface it has very inclusive aims, stating for example in section 28 that: 'The adopted curriculum must be implemented in a way that— '(a) enables each pupil to develop in the ways described in the four...
Joel James: The national survey for Wales has shown that almost 10 per cent of people in Wales participate in off-road cycling and mountain biking, and a considerable amount of Natural Resources Wales's land accommodates this activity. Whilst I agree that off-road biking is, on the whole, a good thing, providing an opportunity for eco tourism and helps with health and well-being, we must be aware that it...
Joel James: 6. How will the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 improve inclusivity for all learners? OQ57519
Joel James: Thank you, Minister, and, as you mentioned, the all-Wales standards for accessible communication and information for people with sensory loss policy provides clear guidance on what GPs and hospitals should do to make their services more accessible for people with hearing and sight loss. It aims to make sure people with sensory loss can understand the health information they're given and have...
Joel James: Thank you. As the Minister will be aware, small-scale social enterprises are a business model that struggles to take hold in the marketplace, with funding being by far the biggest challenge it faces, particularly start-up capital. Since most social entrepreneurs are individuals, the predominance of funding comes from their savings rather than traditional forms of financing, such as bank...
Joel James: 9. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the financial barriers that stop social enterprise start-ups in Wales? OQ57451
Joel James: 3. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the barriers in accessing healthcare that affect people with hearing loss? OQ57440
Joel James: Thank you, First Minister. I have recently been contacted by several groups who are extremely concerned about the active travel plan and the impact that its implementation is having where it is causing safety issues and difficulties for people in terms of their health and well-being. A particular issue that has been raised is that designated cycle lanes are either being incorporated into the...
Joel James: 1. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of any negative repercussions from the implementation of the active travel action plan for Wales? OQ57458
Joel James: I'd like to start by thanking Mark for raising such an important topic for debate and allowing me to contribute to it. As some of you know, like Mark, I have hearing difficulties, and I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight my own experiences and to impress upon the Government the importance of this issue and the need for it to be seriously tackled. As a child, I was diagnosed with...
Joel James: As the Counsel General will be aware, there is, presently, inadequate legislation for local authorities to ensure that coal tips on private land are safe. Although the current Act does give local authorities the necessary power to enter private land at any reasonable time in order to inspect and carry out safety tests, a minimum of two days' notice is required. If the landowner refuses, as is...
