Vaughan Gething: On the final point, any legislation that comes through this place, the Government won't, at this early stage, be negotiating or outlining how we'll look to work with members of our own group, with members who support the Government. We'd need to see the detail of any legislation and to take a view on it, Paul, and it's important that we do that. I don't think people would agree with...
Vaughan Gething: There's training and support provided to businesses to become autism aware. I'll happily send a note from the annual report about those businesses that have done it, the ones that I've mentioned in my statement, and the sort of training that they've undertaken to become autism-aware businesses. And, again, it will depend on the nature of the business, about those people and what they're doing...
Vaughan Gething: I'll happily send a note—[Interruption.]
Vaughan Gething: I'll happily send a note on what that looks like, rather than getting into a row on an important issue across the Chamber. And I don't quite recognise the figures that you've quoted on the activity of the integrated autism services. In the report that's been published today you can see the nature and the range of different activity that's undertaken by each of those integrated services....
Vaughan Gething: Llywydd, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Cornwall to acquaint the Assembly that Her Majesty and the Duke, having been informed of the purport of the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill, have given their consent to this Bill.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to move the motion and open the Stage 4 debate for the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill. We have of course been working on this Bill for a number of years. We first consulted on minimum pricing for alcohol in 2014, as part of the public health White Paper, and I would like to start by thanking my ministerial colleagues Mark Drakeford...
Vaughan Gething: Diolch, Llywydd. I want to start by, again, thanking Members not just for contributions in the debate but for the scrutiny of the Bill as well. And, in understanding some of the concerns that Angela Burns has raised today, the tone of those concerns is different from the conversations we've had, but, to be fair, she has raised a number of concerns during the passage of the Bill, both in...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm grateful for the opportunity to respond to today's debate, and, of course, this Welsh Labour-led Government supports and values the national health service that my party helped to create 70 years ago. And I'm grateful to hear Tories coming on board and saying that they value the national health service too. There's much in the motion that we can agree...
Vaughan Gething: There is a real target; 2019 is a real target. I want to make sure that we have a workforce strategy that is within the time that it really is achievable and, indeed, by making proper use of Health Education and Improvement Wales. That has been established to lead on workforce planning, and they will be responsible for developing the strategy as one of their first priorities. HEIW will become...
Vaughan Gething: No, I won't take an intervention from the grinning Member opposite, who has been laughing through this debate about choices that he helped champion. In three successive general elections, you championed austerity. [Interruption.] Here in Wales, we have made choices to put more money into our national health service, more money per head, a higher rate of growth than in England, and you dare to...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union in March next year followed by a transition period until December 2020. Brexit has significant implications for the people, public services and businesses of Wales. Today I'll set out some of the main challenges facing health and social care. In particular, I want to address challenges to our...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for your comments. All of the issues that I have mentioned are being discussed between Governments within the United Kingdom. So, there is a constructive conversation taking place, but I think it's important to set out the range of risks that do exist before we reach a final deal. And on the issues that I have mentioned thus far, none of them have been bottomed out in terms of post...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for all the questions. I want to reiterate that the Welsh Government continues to support our life sciences sector, research and innovation and we're working practically to see how we can participate in the future rounds of collaboration across Europe. That's a really significant risk for us. We're actually doing very well in terms of research collaboration at present and the amount...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments. I'm not surprised that you haven't changed your mind on leaving the European Union, but I would have thought that there would be a dose of reality, again, on what that actually means if we leave with a no deal or a hard Brexit. Look, on the workforce for the health service outside of the European Union, we've had a long and spirited correspondence and conversation...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. It comes back to the challenge of how responsible the United Kingdom Government are prepared to be, both in the negotiation on the terms of a deal to leave the European Union, but also about what then happens afterwards with the way that funding is used within the United Kingdom. I think part of the challenge is that there's a question about money. There's also a...
Vaughan Gething: I've already said in answers to other questions that we are reviewing the workforce data here because we want to more easily understand the number of European Union nationals who work in the social care workforce here. But you and I will know, if you visit a range of residential care facilities in particular, you will meet people from across the globe, and lots of European Union nationals are...
Vaughan Gething: I think the key point from the economy Secretary there is that we expect to be involved in any negotiations in devolved areas, and that's the point: we expect to be involved. We expect to have a say with other Governments within the United Kingdom, and it's about developing a maturing relationship here within the United Kingdom as much as anything else. I would, though, agree—. Look, the...
Vaughan Gething: I think you're right to point out the catastrophic fall that has taken place already in nurses from the European Union and wider economic area working here in the United Kingdom. It largely affects England at present, but that's the point: at present. We can't pretend that if this continues, if we don't have a greater deal of sense in the way that our future arrangements work, that we will...
Vaughan Gething: Access to NHS dental care has improved significantly in recent years although difficulties remain in some areas. Health boards have the budgets and responsibility for the provision of dental services and are working to address gaps in service provision by commissioning additional services.
