Joyce Watson: First of all, I want to declare my membership of Unite, the trade union. I believe, as others will, that this is an ideologically led attack on workers' fundamental right to strike. They have a track record on this, and they've brought in several pieces of legislation while this Government have been in power. Let's be clear about remembering that. They're going a little bit further than...
Joyce Watson: In light of the recent reported cases of allegation of sexual harassment and/or domestic abuse by serving officers in the Metropolitan Police, Gwent Police and the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the public need to be assured that all public services are safe places to work. Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for a statement from the Minister for Social Justice on what action she has taken or is...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you for your statement, Minister. The big news in my region is the huge investment by QatarEnergy in South Hook LNG. It will mean the terminal will be able to handle about 25 per cent more liquefied natural gas imported from around the world. There's no question that it will be a massive boost for Pembrokeshire, and I've no doubt the First Minister and the...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The investigation by the College of Policing, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and the Independent Office for Police Conduct concluded that there are systematic deficiencies in the way that some police forces in England and also Wales deal with allegations of sex offences and domestic abuse against their own officers and staff....
Joyce Watson: I'm getting a bit fed up with standing up here talking about public bodies, sporting bodies, police, the fire, and talking about the culture that is underpinning them, of a systematic culture of misogyny, sexism in traditionally male-dominated areas. I'm getting a little bit tired of this. The WRU has said it 'condemns the use of racist, homophobic or sexist language'. Well, prove it....
Joyce Watson: The scope of the strategy was extended to include workplace harassment, because, as it says, women's safety can only come from change in a culture that fails to tackle toxic masculinity. Unfortunately, we've seen numerous examples of that culture in various organisations in recent weeks. So, do you agree with me, Minister, that trade unions are key to holding workplaces to account, and making...
Joyce Watson: I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate. It is one of the most important pieces of legislation, I think, that this Senedd will scrutinise. It not only shapes the future of Welsh farming, but our natural heritage, economy and culture, and particularly in mid and west Wales, so we need to get it right. I'm pleased to support the ETRA committee's recommendations and agree the...
Joyce Watson: Yes, well, there we are. That was that version; this is going to be this version. The point here is quite clearly that I am extremely sceptical of free ports. I don't uphold this idea of free trade in the way that you're describing, and I would ask people to think about who is wholesale behind this. I'm sure that some of us can remember Liz Truss, I'm sure some can remember Kwasi Kwarteng,...
Joyce Watson: The latest estimate suggests that the UK economy is already around 4 per cent smaller as a result of leaving the EU. It's been explained to me how the UK model for free ports offer robust protections—we've heard those before—against the criminality and the corruption that they have facilitated elsewhere in the world.
Joyce Watson: In a minute. But at a time when the national debt is £2.5 trillion—digest that one—thanks to years of Tory mismanagement, free ports still deprive central Government of vital income via a wide range of customs privileges and tax breaks.
Joyce Watson: I knew you'd sink to the lowest denominator. So, the answer, clearly, to that question is 'no'. You're trying to mix things up here, quite deliberately, and that's why you've tabled this debate. Because you, ideologically, think it's a good idea to give free tax breaks to the very wealthy to take money out of our country and hand it to wherever. There's another debate that's going on, and...
Joyce Watson: I thank you for taking the intervention. You're just doing this mixing up again. We could have all that investment, the Tory Government could be very generous and give us all this money that they're promising, but we wouldn't have to lose the tax take from the advantages that you've described, that I want to see as well as you—I've represented this area since 1995, so I want to see that...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I thank you, Minister, for your statement. As you say, the first stage of this is a framework Bill, and the second stage will be where the detail lies. When I put the term 'flexible procurement in the NHS' and the Tories together, I get really concerned, as most of the country should be, because we will remember the personal protective equipment fiasco that happened...
Joyce Watson: My question to you, Minister, is: when you exercise the second part of this, will you give adequate time, or more time, certainly, to scrutinise what will be in that framework so that we can all be assured that those things that I've just outlined happening over the border won't happen here in Wales?
Joyce Watson: Greyhound racing is all too often incredibly dangerous for the greyhounds, and there is this statistic that 2,000 greyhounds were euthanised in the UK between 2018 and 2020 simply as a result of being raced. I strongly believe that no animal should suffer in the name of sport, and that goes for all sports that use all forms of animals for human entertainment, so I'm pleased to hear you say...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Llywydd. Social partnerships have to be the key that underpins everything in the workplace, and, contrary to the Tory myth and ideological constructs that they have that are different to ours, social partnerships actually benefit both the worker and the employer. It puts people in a position of having a dialogue, rather than a confrontation, and we've seen plenty of confrontation and...
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that question. The Commission is committed to ensuring that the Senedd estate is accessible to everyone. Accessibility was one of the key considerations during the design of the Senedd building, and we also considered accessibility when completing equality impact assessments for all subsequent building improvements on this estate. Officials recently met with a representative...
Joyce Watson: I thank you for highlighting what you have highlighted and the inadequacies that currently still exist. I finished my first part by answering you, saying that we're not complacent and that we will always strive to be inclusive, and that of course stands. The Senedd was designed to provide good access for disabled people, and we did have an access adviser employed during those design stages....
Joyce Watson: I have selected the amendment to the motion. I call on the Minister for Education and Welsh Language to formally move amendment 1 tabled in the name of Lesley Griffiths.
Joyce Watson: I’m going to call Gareth Davies next, and I understand that he has apologised to the Llywydd for his earlier contribution, and therefore, he is able to take part in this debate.
