Jenny Rathbone: Thank you, Russell. I don't buy that argument, because they're going to have to screen these young people to make sure that they're above the age for drinking alcohol in any case; otherwise, they're going to be non-compliant with the law in other respects. So, they are going to have to do their checks in any case, and they can do it all in one shot with the COVID pass, which shows you what...
Jenny Rathbone: Well, I'm really surprised that Plaid's not taking the precautionary approach, because there's nothing stopping us passing the procedures today and then amending them if we think there's going to be widespread abuse of the regulations. I think we just have to bite the bullet now, because the universities are all starting up, and this is one of the places where it really is going to create a...
Jenny Rathbone: I just want you to clarify: what is this capital investment that people would need to make? All they might need is an extra person on the door. I don't regard that as capital investment.
Jenny Rathbone: 6. How is the Minister ensuring that all new school building projects are zero carbon? OQ56953
Jenny Rathbone: I'm not quite sure whether net-zero carbon is a key consideration or an obligation in all new projects, so perhaps you could clarify that. I just wanted to highlight the fact that, in a past life, I was a lay Estyn inspector, and I was up in a school in the Valleys—over a decade ago, this is—which had a ground-source heat pump installed in its new building, but they said they didn't know...
Jenny Rathbone: It's absolutely clear that the UK Government is just turning a deaf ear even to the pleas from people within their own party and former Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions. So, I think we have to fall back on what we can do. Obviously, the increase in the discretionary assistance fund is very welcome, but I just wondered what conversations you might be able to have with your colleagues...
Jenny Rathbone: Very interesting statistics from Portugal, but I'm not convinced that in this country we actually incarcerate people for using drugs; I think we incarcerate people for dealing in drugs. And I remain committed to doing that, simply because of the damage that is done to our young people by pulling them into the county lines and absolutely destroying their lives is really, really damaging. And...
Jenny Rathbone: 7. How many socially rented homes does the Welsh Government expect to have been retrofitted by the end of 2022 as part of the programme to reduce carbon emissions from all Welsh housing? OQ57028
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you very much, First Minister. Last week, I took advantage of the Open Doors programme to visit some of the building sites in my constituency and observe the fantastic construction work going on. Given the urgency of creating the green skills jobs we need to retrofit our inadequately insulated homes, particularly from the cold winds of Tory cuts and our country’s failure overall to...
Jenny Rathbone: Given the ongoing disinvestment of the banking industry in our high streets, and, in some circumstances, that we don't even have the lender of last resort in our post offices—certainly some of my communities don't any longer have a post office—I just wondered whether we could have a Welsh Government statement on how we can protect the digitally excluded, who are really not comfortable...
Jenny Rathbone: I agree it's easy to be paralysed by the extent of the challenge facing us, as the UK now has the most depleted nature resources in Europe. Good practice doesn't always travel well, and so I just wondered how we are going to share the good practice that is going on in various parts of our community. For example, I don't think that Nature Networks and Local Places for Nature are household...
Jenny Rathbone: What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of labour shortages in the meat processing industry?
Jenny Rathbone: We are in danger of being paralysed by the extent of the challenge in front of us, but, really, it is no use wringing our hands in despair; we really do have to grasp the moment, and we all have a part to play. But I really don't think it's much use throwing darts at the UK Government to ask them for more devolution, because they are absolutely not interested. They hate devolution and they...
Jenny Rathbone: Yes. I just want to remind you, as a new Member, that we tried so hard, across all parties, to get the UK Government in the last Parliament to back the tidal energy scheme and they passed it by. And really, the tide has gone out on this one. It's absolutely desperate and now we are in the position we are in.
Jenny Rathbone: I think your point about community energy led by community councils is really important, but I wonder why you think that community and town councils haven't seized on this a lot sooner. Because all the community energy projects I can think of in Wales have all been developed by other people, whether with the assistance of the National Trust or whether by persistent individuals who've stuck to...
Jenny Rathbone: The people of Cardiff are certainly delighted that they are going to get their bus station back, because it has been a long road. So, that is going to be very exciting. Thank you for releasing these maps, because it is really useful to see what your priorities are up until 2029. The Burns report is framed around using two of the four train tracks between Newport and Cardiff and beyond as the...
Jenny Rathbone: —the electrification of the line to Swansea, they still haven't come up with their initial assessment of how they are going to improve the Wales rail infrastructure. Is there anything that you can say to tell us that that is not going to be a hole in the plans from the Burns report?
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you. Unlike Delyth Jewell, I found that the net-zero plan was absolutely packed with new facts, analyses and firm commitments, so I thank you very much for the rigour of the work that has gone into that very large report. I welcome the opportunity to hold the Government's feet to the fire, as well as being open to new ideas and actions. I do think that we are letting the private sector...
Jenny Rathbone: —I want to turn to part L, which is that Lord Deben was very, very strong on this when he spoke to the climate change committee in September. He said that he feels very strongly about the need for the Welsh Government to use the powers that it has on this, which is that by not moving quicker towards net-zero obligations in new homes, we are simply letting house builders off the hook....
Jenny Rathbone: So, what are we doing to raise the bar higher in relation to new housing, because every new house that's built that's not zero carbon has to be retrofitted? And as you explain very clearly in the net-zero plan, that is a really complicated business.
