Joel James: 11. How does the Welsh Government support community supported agriculture? OQ57752
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. As discussed yesterday during First Minister's questions, and despite conceptions that communities in Wales are more communitarian when compared to other communities across Great Britain, Wales has by far the fewest statutory rights in relation to land. Although there are a few limited mechanisms for community control, such as community asset transfers that allow...
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. As you may already be aware, the majority of community-supported agriculture projects are based on small areas of land, with many of them being under 3 hectares in size. As such, they have, historically, been ineligible for financial support from mainstream agricultural policies, including basic payment schemes and Glastir, and those that are eligible have, unfortunately,...
Joel James: Thank you, Rhys, for giving me an opportunity to speak. As a county borough councillor, one of my biggest ongoing fights throughout my political career, as it were, has been to protect and properly maintain community spaces. Members here may laugh, but one of my most treasured moments as a councillor was when a five-year-old girl and her father came up to me and she thanked me for saving her...
Joel James: Oh. Yes, I'll close now. There are numerous examples of how public spaces are being lost, which, unfortunately, time doesn't allow me, but I finally want to add that there's no doubt in my mind that the destruction of community spaces is nothing more than a failure of Government to protect the well-being of communities because it not only lacks the desire to do so, but the ambition to do it....
Joel James: I'd like to thank my fellow Members for bringing this item to debate. As many here already know, I'm disheartened to see so many historical buildings across Wales being abandoned and then, consequently, torn down and demolished to be replaced by newer, nondescript buildings that do not contribute to the identity of an area. Removing buildings such as former churches and chapels ultimately...
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement. I think everyone here and across all Governments in the UK would agree that those who receive fair working conditions and fair pay are happier, healthier and probably more productive in their roles, and that we should all be striving to hold Governments to account in order to ensure that everyone has fair working conditions. Whilst those here...
Joel James: Okay, only a couple of final sentences. I wonder why you haven't mentioned any progress for fair work for disabled people, why you haven't mentioned any progress to remove and reduce barriers that disabled people are presented with, and I wonder why you haven't mentioned any initiatives to help close the disability employment gap. With this in mind, can the Deputy Minister tell this Chamber...
Joel James: 5. What assessment has the Government made of the impact of play time during the school day on children's mental health? OQ57883
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. As you will be aware, play is fundamental to children's health and well-being, and a necessary part of their social development because it helps develop skills in coping with challenge, facing uncertainty, and how to be flexible and adaptable to different circumstances. Since 1995, research has shown that break times in the school day have been reduced per week by up to...
Joel James: I would first like to echo the comments of other Members in recognising the outstanding contribution that pharmacists have made during the COVID pandemic. Without their commitment and willingness to keep their doors open, our country would have suffered a great deal more and undoubtedly more lives would have been lost due to COVID-19. I believe everyone here would agree that the trust we...
Joel James: This is where I'd like to pick up on my first point. In Wales, we have a significant increase in the dispensing of opioids, which, as we all know, are a class of drug found in the opium poppy plant, are generally prescribed for pain relief and are highly addictive. Some here may be unaware, but opioid prescribing has increased by an average of 30 per cent in Wales in the last 10 years, with...
Joel James: 5. Will the Minister make a statement on the impact of illegal puppy smuggling through Welsh ports on animal welfare in Wales? OQ57907
Joel James: Minister, unfortunately, the abhorrent act of puppy smuggling is on the increase due to the extremely high prices that dogs can sell for. One of the major issues causing puppy smuggling is that dogs can be purchased via the internet and collected from someone's home, which opens the opportunity for smuggled puppies to be presented to buyers as having been bred in a healthy environment with...
Joel James: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on 5G coverage in Wales? OQ57951
Joel James: First Minister, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council sits on one of the largest—if not the largest—bank balances of any local authority in Wales, with a staggering £171.3 million in useable reserves, down marginally from the £208 million it had previously. Despite these vast reserves, RCT council continually pleads poverty, and I can attest to this from a position of some authority...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. First Minister, how is this Welsh Government helping the lives of some of Wales's poorest people by allowing Labour-run RCT council to squeeze more and more council tax from them when they can ill afford it and when the council can seemingly sit on such substantial reserves? Thank you.
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. 5G connectivity is a central component in terms of this Government meeting its ambitions to have 30 per cent of the Welsh workforce working from home. In addition, many of your policies—for instance, reducing traffic to help improve air quality and reduce carbon dioxide emissions on the roads, and improving work-life balance and expanding the use of technology for...
Joel James: —to install and upgrade networks. First Minister, what conversations has the Welsh Government had with industry to improve the efficiency of 5G roll-out, and what impact assessment has this Government made of the long-term negative effects of so many properties not being able to access next generation and gigabit-capable broadband? Thank you.
Joel James: 2. What initiatives does the Welsh Government have to help Ukrainian and Afghan refugees to integrate with Welsh communities? OQ57961