Jane Dodds: Thank you for that response.
Jane Dodds: It's 13:30. If somebody phones 999 now because they have chest pains, when would you expect an ambulance to arrive? I'm sure you'll recognise that question from the leader of the Labour Party in Westminster, Keir Starmer, to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister refused a straight answer, so I'm hoping that we can get a straight answer from you this afternoon. But, from NHS Wales stats, we...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. I'm going to continue the theme of ambulances and waiting times. It was reported in our local paper, the County Times, that Welsh patients arriving at English hospitals, given that most of the patients on the border with England in Mid and West Wales actually use those hospitals, are potentially waiting longer because they are from Powys. Given that the area I...
Jane Dodds: It's so hard, isn't it, to talk about this, and, yet, it is so essential. It is so important that we remember these events, these horrific events, which should pervade our life, and we must never forget them. One thing I will never forget is standing in Kigali in Rwanda, on the site where 125,000 people were buried. It's hard to imagine that ordinary people in Rwanda, in a period of only 100...
Jane Dodds: Thank you very much for the statement, Minister. I think I join with the cross-party support for the announcements that you've made today. Just two short points from me, if I may. It seems really important that this is both preventative and reactive so that we have the option of providing support to people before, and, indeed, hopefully avoiding, any hospital admissions. I'm sure that's the...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Deputy Minister. Just to follow up on the situation in mid and west Wales, where I represent, along with others, the chief fire officer there highlighted the unsustainability of our fire services in rural areas if things carry on as they are. And I'm sure that we'd all be concerned about that. The service in mid and west Wales is staffed by majority-retained firefighters and...
Jane Dodds: I thank Plaid Cymru for bringing this debate forward.
Jane Dodds: The Welsh NHS is facing pressures that 'cannot be coped with' and that's not me saying that; that's the Welsh NHS Confederation. And I'll be honest, it's no different in England, so, actually, we can't take any lessons from the Conservatives across there. We must work together here to acknowledge that, actually, we, as a small country of only 3 million people, can actually do something...
Jane Dodds: Thank you so much to Jack. You are a tireless advocate and champion for issues relating to people living in poverty, as I know are many around this Siambr. For those of you who don't know why I joined this mad world of politics, let me tell you what it was. For 25 years, I practised as a social worker, visited families where we were doing child protection work, found those families to be...
Jane Dodds: 7. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to reduce waiting times for NHS dental care? OQ59040
Jane Dodds: Diolch, Llywydd. And I understand that, with your permission, as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, and joining with the two other leaders, of Plaid Cymru and of the Conservatives, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the First Minister and his family. Losing someone so close is so hard, and our love and prayers are with him. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn. Turning to the...
Jane Dodds: Thank you for that answer.
Jane Dodds: You'll know that NHS dentistry is something that I've raised with you time and time again in this Siambr. I'm concerned to hear again that we're hearing about these additional appointments—120,000 we've heard before, and I think 130,000 you said this time—
Jane Dodds: It's 123,000, I beg your pardon. Thank you for the correction. In my conversations with dentists and the British Dental Association, I hear that they cannot actually deliver those appointments for new patients because practices do not have the capacity. Existing patients, they say, are facing further delays because new patients are likely to need significant follow-up work. I'm told that many...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. You won't be surprised to know that one aspect that I've consistently raised here in the Siambr is that of banning greyhound racing. Obviously many of you know that I've raised the issue of our dog, Arthur. Sadly, we said goodbye to Arthur yesterday. Arthur was only 11, and he'd only been with us for three years. The period before, the eight years before, he'd been...
Jane Dodds: I'd like to preface my contribution to this debate by saying thank you so much to the Minister. I have said on many occasions that it’s a job that I would run a million miles from—to set a £19 billion budget. I would like to thank her for the discussions that we have had, and for the opportunity to look at particular areas in detail. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn. What is a...
Jane Dodds: Thank you, Minister, for all your work in this regard. We've heard from many how this is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape agricultural policy in Wales, following our departure from the European Union. The last-minute amendments to the Bill are also welcomed, namely adding some additional detail on ensuring the sustainability of farm businesses. I would just like to raise...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. I firstly want to say I am sorry that you've had the experience of being trolled on social media; that's absolutely unacceptable, and I'm sorry to hear that. I just really wanted to ask two very short questions, one from your response to Janet Finch-Saunders. It was good to hear about the buy-out scheme. You said it was actually not being taken up, so, my first...
Jane Dodds: I do apologise.
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. I want to ask about personal learning accounts. These were developed by Kirsty Williams in the fifth Senedd to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn here in Wales. May I ask for an update on these? How are you working collaboratively with the Minister for Economy to ensure that young people here in Wales do develop the skills that they need, particularly...
