Jenny Rathbone: I too visited the exhibition of the proposed sculpture of Chelsea Manning. Would the First Minister agree with me that a sculpture of Chelsea Manning, who must be one of the most famous sons and daughters of Haverfordwest, would indeed increase tourism in Pembrokeshire?
Jenny Rathbone: People have been horrified by the Grenfell Tower fire and the failure of local and central Government to ensure that building controls are in place. I wondered if the Government could make a statement on how we could reinstate the powers of local government to be able to effectively inspect all new buildings, and indeed refurbished ones, to ensure that they are fit for people to live in,...
Jenny Rathbone: Deputy Presiding Officer, my computer is on the blink.
Jenny Rathbone: I have—as long as you’ve recorded it.
Jenny Rathbone: 5. What is the Welsh Government’s over-arching strategy for tackling poverty? OAQ(5)0189(EI)
Jenny Rathbone: 1. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the public health impact of failing to develop sustainable alternatives to cars for getting children to school in urban areas? OAQ(5)0191(HWS)
Jenny Rathbone: Cabinet Secretary, we couldn’t disagree with that analysis, but unfortunately the complexities of enabling everybody to be work ready and then to sustain work is very complicated. The winding down of the Communities First programme has raised many concerns that the place-based strategies for strengthening the resilience of deprived communities to both articulate their needs and be involved...
Jenny Rathbone: We’re raising this issue, coincidentally, on the day when the air pollution in Cardiff is at dangerous levels because of the combination of ozone levels and the particulates from vehicles. Professor Sir David King, who’s the former chief scientific adviser to the UK Government, recently said that children sitting in the back seats of vehicles are likely to be exposed to dangerous levels...
Jenny Rathbone: I met an Iraqi refugee last week who had lost every single member of his family as a result of the conflict in Iraq. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein seemed a good idea at the time to many, in 2003, but the words of caution were not heeded—that this would lead to a conflagration of sectarian conflict that most people in this country, quite rightly, had little understanding of the complexity of...
Jenny Rathbone: Would you just take an intervention? I’m really concerned—
Jenny Rathbone: [Continues.]—about the relationship between the Welsh Government and the UK Government, about this private contract for housing and the lack of regulation of these landlords, because it’s not a landlord tenancy contract. And I just wondered if you could say a little bit more about that.
Jenny Rathbone: Just picking up on the concerns that have been raised about Tesco, I was very concerned to read that Tesco wrote a letter to staff, saying that their primary concern was to remain customer focused, while failing to mention that that customer focus was dependent on the loyal contribution of their staff, which seems to me an absolute own goal, as far as public relations is concerned. So, I’m...
Jenny Rathbone: I completely agree with the previous two speakers on many of these issues. I’d just like to remind Neil Hamilton that whilst we do not aspire to have Polish, Russian or Finnish levels of alcohol consumption, we are one of the highest consumers of alcohol in Europe. And I would invite him to come down to Cardiff city centre on any Saturday night, and he will see the consequences of young...
Jenny Rathbone: The European Union’s position on tackling climate change was that all new public buildings needed to be carbon neutral by 2018 and all new buildings by 2020. So, I’d be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary, in her response, can clarify what the position is, because we are still members of the European Union and we are obliged to comply with its regulations. I think it’s really important to...
Jenny Rathbone: Sadly, I’m afraid that Cardiff is not compliant with air quality legislation, and the spotlight was on Cardiff in a television programme yesterday about the amount of housing that’s being developed around Cardiff without the transport links to go with it. Is it your view that local authorities, in carrying out their planning duties, need to bear in mind the need for connectivity when...
Jenny Rathbone: I think that we should be left in little doubt that the supermarket sector is really a dog-eat-dog, cut-throat-competition business, and I’m afraid, like any unfettered market, it eventually leads to monopoly. I suppose I don’t want to live in some sort of dystopian future where we all have to buy our food from one supermarket. So, there are some concerns here about the way in which the...
Jenny Rathbone: I rather disagree with Simon that the general election changed nothing politically vis-à-vis the debate we had yesterday, but I think it was very disappointing that, having called the general election, Theresa May then said absolutely nothing about the Brexit terms and conditions that, supposedly, the general election was about. We are still very much in the dark about what the future might...
Jenny Rathbone: What plans does the Welsh Government have to strengthen building regulations in light of the Grenfell Tower tragedy?
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement and thank you for all the work you’re doing with other public services to identify whether we have a problem in Wales and, where we do, to rectify it. I agree it’s absolutely important that we don’t overreact on this, and I’m confident that my local authority is doing what is necessary to identify whether we have a problem, and, if we...
Jenny Rathbone: I, too, would like to add my support for the plastics tax, and perhaps some of it could be used to invest in water fountains so people would be able to fill up with water rather than having to buy yet another water bottle. Also, I think it’s perfectly right, in response to Neil Hamilton, that we should impose a tax on those who choose to adulterate our food with sugar, salt and fat in order...
