Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank Mark, Leanne, Mike and Rhun for bringing forward this debate today. Cannabis has many medicinal benefits. It can be used to control pain, treat spasticity, help with the side effects of chemotherapy, and new studies show it can help control epileptic seizures in children. We are only just beginning, though, to understand the possible benefits that cannabis can deliver, and I...
Caroline Jones: Yes, certainly.
Caroline Jones: You're taking an amount of time.
Caroline Jones: I do understand.
Caroline Jones: It's all right; you're welcome. Studies have found that THC, the principal psychoactive substance within the cannabis plant, can cause cognitive defects, particularly if taken long term. Recent medical evidence strongly suggests that the long-term use of cannabis by people who begin use at an early age—they display a higher tendency towards mental health problems and other physical and...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the committee clerks and all those who gave evidence to our committee during our inquiry into primary care clusters. Primary care clusters have the potential to transform the care delivered in our communities, but whilst we saw some excellent examples of successful clusters, there is a large variation in performance. Many GPs expressed their disappointment at the clusters....
Caroline Jones: First Minister, Shropdoc has provided out-of-hours GP services to Powys for 22 years, but, like every part of the NHS, they've also felt financial pressures. The decision not to renew the contract is extremely disappointing, as Shropdoc have provided one of the best out-of-hours services in the country and provided a first-class service to the people of Powys. First Minister, can you assure...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. As I said when you unveiled it, the new treatment fund is a most welcome addition to the NHS as it can speed up access to vital treatments for all patients, and not simply people suffering with a cancer diagnosis. I welcome the news that some medicines have taken just 17 days to become available under the new treatment fund, and this is...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Simon. Thank you very much for that question. The Commission is committed to minimising waste, including reducing plastic on the estate, and we are proud to have achieved our commitment to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to zero by 2018. We are working to reduce single-use plastic on the estate, switching to compostable alternatives where possible within the next six...
Caroline Jones: I thank Simon for acknowledging the positive work, which is ongoing. We have water filters and fountains around the buildings, cutting down on the need for bottled water. We provide extensive recycling facilities across the estate for most materials, including plastic, and we have clear signage and communication initiatives to raise awareness of the recycling facilities and we encourage...
Caroline Jones: I thank the Member for her questions here. I would like to assure you that the work is ongoing and all the points that you've raised we will be taking note of and dealing with them. Thank you.
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to move the amendment tabled by my colleague Neil Hamilton. UKIP tabled amendment 1 to highlight the situation we find ourselves in with regard to the Welsh economy. Both the Conservatives and Labour blame each other for the dire economic situation in Wales, when in fact they're both to blame. Labour have been in charge of Welsh economic development for nearly 20...
Caroline Jones: She was, she was. That's why she left. Debt used to fund vanity projects like HS2, which will cost the UK taxpayer over £70 billion and has been monumentally mismanaged—the row surrounding outgoing staff being overpaid by nearly £2 million just the latest in a catalogue of waste, which has seen the costs more than double, and some reports suggest it could be triple the initial costs by...
Caroline Jones: No, no, no. This is fact. This is fact. This fact. In the last few days we learnt of a project—[Interruption.] No. We learnt of a project that is supposed to deliver wells, water pumps and irrigation across southern Africa, yet nearly 70 per cent of that funding did not go to the people it was supposed to reach. It went on consultancy fees, with staff being paid £600 per day. How can we...
Caroline Jones: Yes, I will, David.
Caroline Jones: Yes, but it's been in the paper, David, and on the news, that your party also wants to cut it.
Caroline Jones: The UK Government must stop wasting the taxes of hard-working taxpayers and instead concentrate on ensuring that large multinationals pay their fair share. They should scrap HS2 and invest in infrastructure projects that truly benefit the UK, such as ultrafast broadband and universal mobile coverage. The Welsh Government need to learn from past mistakes. They need to deliver a long-term...
Caroline Jones: What actions is the Welsh Government taking to prevent flooding in South Wales West?
Caroline Jones: First Minister, we accept that we can't deliver the health service in the same way we did 70 years ago—[Interruption.]
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, we accept that services have to change and that we can't deliver health in the same way we did 70 years ago. However, any change has to be based upon clinical need and be clinically led. By that, I don't mean the clinical director of the local health board. Change needs to be driven by the doctors and nurses and supported by doctors and nurses. I've been...
