Russell George: The eighth of March marks International Women's Day, and I'm delighted that the Heritage Hub 4 Mid Wales is marking this event in my constituency by paying tribute to Laura Ashley's legacy in mid Wales. In 2015, the hub brought 175 members of the Ashley company in a grand reunion together, and it was from this event that came efforts to preserve the archives and memories of those who worked...
Russell George: 3. Will the Minister make a statement on additional learning needs support in Montgomeryshire? OQ59246
Russell George: I notice that England and Wales had very similar ambulance response times to the most serious emergencies in January. But I noted that ambulances in England are 20 minutes faster at reaching their category 2 patients than those in Wales are at reaching amber patient calls. I listened to your answer to Delyth Jewell, and it's quite right to learn lessons from certain part of Wales where there...
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister, and, of course, I heard your answer to Laura Anne Jones on this earlier on as well. Through casework, an issue that I'm picking up is that there appear to be some children with potential additional learning needs when they relocate from England into Wales, and there are some difficulties in regard to delayed assessments, which, of course, are required in...
Russell George: I thank the Minister for her statement today. Quite early on in your statement, Minister, you talked about the fact that you've heard some people saying that there is now a two or three-tiered system. Well, I'm one of those people who have made that comment, and we've made that comment in our report from the Health and Social Care Committee. I'm just wondering whether you've perhaps...
Russell George: 2. What is the Welsh Government doing to attract health professionals to work in mid Wales? OQ59322
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. There's a real issue in my constituency in accessing a GP, often having to wait for a considerable time to see a GP, and there are, obviously, the consequences of that. What I would ask, First Minister, is: what do you see as the barriers for GPs and, indeed, dentists, coming to work in mid Wales and how can those barriers be removed? In particular,...
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Now, Deputy Minister, you touched upon, in your statement today, the sharing of good practice. So, I wondered if you can give us, or perhaps let us know where you think that health and social care is working best in Wales—tell us the health boards or the regional partnership boards that are doing the best, and also, give us a sense of where you think, or...
Russell George: 2. How is the Welsh Government supporting local authorities to provide access to local crematoriums? OQ59305
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. There is no crematorium in Powys. Many of my constituents have to travel into England, and the vast majority of my constituents have to travel over an hour to the nearest crematorium. So, clearly, this is not ideal for grieving families or friends, or, indeed, very sustainable at all either. Most crematoriums, of course, in Wales are owned and managed by...
Russell George: The Welsh Government health Minister is, of course, responsible for holding health boards to account, and must make her views known, as she has done—[Interruption.] and she does, I agree, Jenny; she does make her views known—when she doesn't have confidence in them. And, in the same way, for those of us in this Chamber who are not in Government, it is our job to hold the Government to...
Russell George: Well, the statistic you point at there, Jenny, I mean, perhaps that should be explored; perhaps Betsi Cadwaladr health board can learn from areas in that particular health board. But, I think what I'm going to demonstrate to you—I'm going to raise some statistics between England and Wales, and I'm doing so in the context that there's great frustration amongst patients up and down...
Russell George: Thank you, Jenny. I'll come to that in my contribution. I will come to that in my contribution. So, let's have a look at some of the statistics: 24 per cent of the Welsh population are on a NHS waiting list, twice the proportion in England. One in five of those patients are waiting over a year for treatment, compared to one in 18 in England. Over 45,000 patients in Wales are waiting over two...
Russell George: I don't think I can take any more. I don't think I can. Can I take an intervention?
Russell George: Okay. Janet and then Alun.
Russell George: Russell, diolch—thank you for taking the intervention. I take you at your word, actually. I accept that you didn't wish to bring this motion in front of the Chamber today. But the point about funding is a fundamental issue, and you quote the £1.20—and I won't argue about that—but you know and I know, and the secret right around the Chamber is, that a needs-based formula would provide...
Russell George: Yes, Alun, I would. I genuinely would. Let's do that. Let's meet after and discuss that. I will end my contribution, Llywydd, by saying I look forward to the day that I can stand here in a debate and talk about the success of our Welsh NHS and how it is performing much better than any other nation across the UK. I genuinely look forward to that day.
Russell George: 5. How is the Welsh Government supporting tourism in mid Wales? OQ59353
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, and I am pleased that the strategy does include increased spend. But my concern is that there are huge concerns that remain with regard to the Welsh Government's changes requiring many holiday let businesses to be let for 182 days a year, and making them move from the business rates system to the council tax system, which would then increase their tax burden and...
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for the advance copy of the statement on what is a really important topic, because we see a lot of anecdotal evidence that shows the difficulty in accessing primary care services, and how that drives pressure, of course, on emergency care with lots of people then turning to A&E? Indeed, that was one of the reasons why I brought forward the Welsh Conservatives' GP...
