Joel James: I'm conscious that this is the last opportunity that I'll have to speak, and I would just like to put on record my thanks to the group office, the clerking team and my staff for all the help they've given me, not only through Stage 3 amendments, but the whole Bill process. They've been invaluable. I'm conscious that we've not seen eye to eye on this Bill; I nonetheless want to pay tribute to...
Joel James: Moved.
Joel James: I would like to start by thanking my colleague, Jack Sargeant, for bringing forward this debate today, as I think it's extremely important that petitions like this do come forward into the Chamber to help us really focus our minds on the issues that affect animal welfare in Wales. In the course of this petition, I have visited Hope Rescue, I have spoken with GBGB and I have met with several...
Joel James: Yes.
Joel James: Yes, in the very next paragraph. Sorry, Dirprwy Lywydd. So, where am I now? So, there is nothing stopping them from having illegal races, from using disused warehouses to setting up temporary tracks, whether straight courses or bends, in isolated fields, which will be even worse for those animals racing, and their illegal nature will mean that their owners will never, ever seek veterinary...
Joel James: Yes.
Joel James: Well, my concern, as mentioned earlier, is, if we ban greyhound racing—. The concerns that we have in terms of the welfare standards are they are done by those who have no care whatsoever for their animals. So, if we ban greyhound racing, the concern that I have is that we will see a lot of dogs put down, and that is why I’m saying that much more needs to be done to investigate the...
Joel James: Thank you, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement—our national mission. As we know, the Welsh Government launched their education national mission back in 2017, which had big aspirations for the people of Wales. The aim of the national mission was to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence. On...
Joel James: Minister, as you will be well aware, the purchasing of domestic animals as pets online is fraught with danger, and sadly, there are little to no safeguards in place that can stop buyers from unknowingly purchasing animals that have been bred in puppy farms and raised in horrific conditions. There's also the issue that dangerous dogs, with a known history of attacking people, have been...
Joel James: As the First Minister will be aware, COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru have submitted considerable concerns to the UK COVID-19 inquiry abut the capability of the Welsh NHS during the pandemic. The list is quite substantial, and one particular point I would like to pick up is their concern regarding the lack of long-term investment in IT infrastructure and digitisation of NHS Wales....
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. Will the Minister make a statement on last week's announcement by the Ugandan Parliament that it is now illegal to identify as LGBTQ and a criminal matter for individuals or institutions to even support LGBTQ rights? Thank you.
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your strong condemnation, and I share wholeheartedly, and my group share wholeheartedly, the sentiments you have just expressed. However, given the very nature of this Bill and the consequences that it will now have, I think it's entirely pertinent for this Government to now clarify how it intends to keep safe those people who volunteer or participate in Welsh...
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your clarification on this matter and, as you've alluded to, I recently saw first-hand some of the projects in Uganda, particularly those projects looking to help communities by improving sustainable agroforestry. And I was pleased to see how they also help tackle gender inequality. But no matter how you look at this situation, the case is now clear that...
Joel James: I would like to begin by putting on record my sincerest thanks and appreciation for all those carers and palliative care workers who worked tirelessly during the COVID pandemic and made huge personal sacrifices to ensure that those they were looking after received the best possible end-of-life care. The extreme working pressures that COVID brought, unfortunately, fell upon relatively few, and...
