Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Accessing support for childhood mental health issues should be a simple and smooth process. However, it has been found that only 43 per cent of children and young people in Wales would be confident seeking help from a mental health team, and 39 per cent from school counselling. Regional partnership boards, of course, are required by law to prioritise the integration of services for...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 2. What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government in relation to improving children’s access to mental health support in Wales? OQ55373
Janet Finch-Saunders: 5. What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government on whether its response to Covid-19 is in accordance with human rights legislation? OQ55372
Janet Finch-Saunders: 6. What additional allocations will be made available by the Welsh Government during the current budget round to support the social care sector? OQ55370
Janet Finch-Saunders: 4. Will the Commission provide guidance to Members on the safe reopening of constituency offices? OQ55371
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. COVID-19 is a health emergency. It is also an economic emergency. The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Wales has almost doubled to 103,869 in April. That is 6.8 per cent of the Welsh workforce, worse than the UK average of 5.8 per cent. Aberconwy has not avoided this crisis. In fact, we have been seriously hit from all directions....
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Minister. The saying goes, 'You can't furlough fish'. Zoos across Wales have a duty to maintain animal welfare. This costs thousands of pounds, such as £118,000 a month for the Welsh Mountain Zoo, the national zoo of Wales. During lockdown, zoos have been pushed towards the jaws of death. There has been talk of euthanasia at places like Borth Wild Animal Kingdom and Anglesey Sea...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. North Wales tourism businesses and organisations have said that, if tourism was allowed to open today, 10,500 tourism sector jobs could be lost in north Wales, and they cite your Government and you to be destroying this vital industry. To refute those claims, what support will you make available to businesses that cannot open on 13 July? Self-contained accommodation businesses and...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on support for the hospitality sector in Wales in light of COVID-19? OQ55342
Janet Finch-Saunders: 1. Will the Minister make a statement on the welfare of animals in Welsh zoos? OQ55307
Janet Finch-Saunders: I am extremely saddened and, indeed, shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Oscar. The pain and grief Firdaus and Natasha now face on the loss of such a wonderful man is unimaginable. However, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Now, I sat next to Oscar in the Chamber, and there was never a dull moment. I will always remember his participation in the many...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I do hope that the Minister has actually been able to check the facts—
Janet Finch-Saunders: Nearly one in five jobs in Wales are in shut-down sectors, according to the Learning and Work Institute. If just one of these four workers lost their jobs, unemployment could exceed the levels seen at the last recession. The risk of increased unemployment is clear, as Wales has gone from a record low unemployment rate of 2.9 in November to seeing the number of people claiming...
Janet Finch-Saunders: [Inaudible.]
Janet Finch-Saunders: I'm just very disappointed—thank you—that, when I raised my question with you, and I mentioned the Welsh Mountain Zoo, you came back—
Janet Finch-Saunders: Okay. Thank you. When I raised my question to the Minister about the Welsh Mountain Zoo, he came back in his response and maintained that there hadn't been a Barnett consequential to Wales for the zoos. I have it on good authority, in writing, that a Barnett consequential has come across. So, I would like the Minister to correct that statement, please.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Minister, you'll be aware that tourism usually generates more than £3.2 billion in revenue every year, with 40,000 Welsh hospitality jobs across Wales. The economic benefits to Conwy is £900 million. The sector is in a perilous state. We have already lost a number of hotels in Aberconwy, and many others have warned that not opening in August would be nothing short of disastrous. What are...
Janet Finch-Saunders: The chair of Care Forum Wales has publicly criticised Public Health Wales for not engaging with care professionals before implementing the new 28-day COVID-free policy restrictions. This could potentially close half of the care homes in Wales due to the financial implications of this and the voids. Could you explain, First Minister, why those in our care sector were not consulted prior to the...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. The pandemic is coming at a huge cost to Wales. Two thousand one hundred and twenty-two individuals have sadly lost their lives to date, and the situation is far from being under control, or even contained. One only needs to look no further than here in north Wales, which has 635.7 confirmed cases per 100,000 of population, with many more tests required. Constituents...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Some of the premises that could be used for emergency residential services may be unlikely to meet the standard required to register with Care Inspectorate Wales under the 2016 Act. So, what assurances can you give me that the providers fitting the exception will be subject to appropriate regulation and inspection? Also, according to CIW, they are not undertaking routine inspections, and,...
