Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The Wales Governance Centre report on imprisonment in Wales underlines what many of us have been saying for many years: Wales is dependent upon English prisons. As a person who ran her own department in the prison service, I know that prison works, but only if it is properly funded and resourced. There is often no alternative to a custodial sentence, but custody is not...
Caroline Jones: 5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to tackle gender-based bullying? OAQ52720
Caroline Jones: What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact that the recent Welsh Government budget will have on council-tax payers in South Wales West?
Caroline Jones: Thank you for that answer, leader of the house. The increasing instances of online gender-based and homophobic bullying are having a huge impact upon young people in Wales. This week, we learnt that a gay minister is facing repeated online abuse, mostly calls for him to kill himself. Young women are being put off entering politics due to constant torrents of abuse and rape threats they face...
Caroline Jones: I would like to thank Rhun and Darren for tabling this important debate today, and to thank Neil for his efforts to ensure the sediment being dumped poses no risk to human health or our environment. The Hinkley waste may be being dumped in Neil's region, but it also affects my region, home to some of the world's top beaches and a haven for marine flora and fauna. For several weeks now I've...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, as a result of this year's local government settlement, local authorities across my region are warning that cuts to essential services are inevitable. Bridgend County Borough Council are proposing to close public toilets in Porthcawl, Swansea are closing care homes, and Neath Port Talbot are at breaking point because of the cuts. First Minister, how is your Government...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for your statement, leader of the house. I welcome your Government's updated framework for action on independent living. Independent living is something we all take for granted, but for a person with disabilities there are so many barriers that make independent living almost impossible for many. My neighbour, for example, travels 15 minutes in his wheelchair...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, Minister, the Welsh economy will be transformed in the coming decades as digital technologies become more prominent. Businesses will have to adapt as data becomes the most valuable commodity. In order to help our economy adapt, we must ensure that our young people have the necessary skills. Cabinet Secretary, what is your Government doing to ensure future generations have...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this important debate today. Our NHS is facing unprecedented demand. In the past 12 months, there were well over a million visits to A&E departments around Wales. Over four in 10 of us find it difficult to make a GP appointment and operations are routinely cancelled due to a lack of beds. While the Choose Well campaign is a step...
Caroline Jones: Leader of the house, the reason Wales has some of the worst lung cancer survival rates in Europe is due, in the main, to delays in diagnosis. Unacceptably long waits for diagnostic tests and routine downgrading of general practitioner referrals contribute to late diagnosis of lung cancer. So, leader of the house, what is your Government doing to cut diagnostic waiting times and ensure that GP...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement. The probation service is a vital part of the criminal justice system and is likely to become even more important in future as our prisons become increasingly overcrowded. Welsh prisons are operating well beyond capacity, leading to severe overcrowding, which is detrimental to both prisoners and those who look after them—the prison...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. The move to the clinical model for ambulance response was one of the most important changes made to unscheduled care. Ensuring patients got the right response based upon their need also sped up response times for the most vulnerable patients. Unfortunately, other factors have hampered the Welsh ambulance service’s ability to deal with the...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, I welcome your Government's stance on fracking. Regardless of whether the fracking process can be made safe for the environment, the end product is still a fossil fuel. Cabinet Secretary, will your Government also be opposing any, and all, licences for underground coal gasification in Wales, as well as licences for new coal extraction?
Caroline Jones: I would like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling today this important debate. It is a pleasure to be part of the cross-party group on the armed forces, and I would like to thank Darren Millar for the commitment he shows in his leadership. I also want to pay tribute to Carl Sargeant, who worked tirelessly in this area and achieved much. On Sunday, we will gather at war memorials...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, and the actions you have taken to improve animal welfare in Wales. I too support the introduction of Lucy's law and look forward to legislation to ban puppy and kitten farming. Cabinet Secretary, when do you expect to introduce any new legislation identified by the consultation? Cabinet Secretary, a group of vets has accused DEFRA and UK...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, the Office for National Statistics' forecast for the working-age population of Wales presents a real challenge for us. By 2035, the proportion of adults living with a limiting lifelong condition is expected to increase by 22 per cent, while, at the same time, there will be 48 people over the age of 65 for every 100 people of working age. Cabinet Secretary, what steps is...
Caroline Jones: Leader of the house, I welcome the actions you are taking to tackle hate crime. However, this is a growing issue, particularly online. Many young people are subjected to a constant barrage of hate, hate speech and online bullying, from which there is no escape. Leader of the house, will you outline how you and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, in conjunction with the UK Government, are...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the Finance Committee for their report. Over the past two decades, Wales has been the beneficiary of billions of pounds of EU funding, and we are currently receiving nearly £700 million a year. With the UK due to leave the EU in March next year, it is vital that we secure funding from the UK Government that is equal to or greater than the level of funding we receive from...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, my region has lost far too many manufacturing jobs in recent decades, and while I welcome your Government's actions in securing new manufacturing investment, such as the Aston Martin deal, this doesn't replace the loss of manufacturing output in South Wales West. First Minister, how will your Government ensure my region benefits from such investment, particularly as the region...
Caroline Jones: I welcome the Welsh Government’s 'Energy Generation in Wales 2017' report. The report highlights the mountain we have to climb if we are to reduce Wales’s emissions by at least 80 per cent over the next 30 years. It is essential for our future survival that we meet these targets. As set out in the Paris agreement, reducing emissions was vital if we were to keep global warming below 1.5...
