Julie James: Yes, the Fair Work Commission is currently testing the evidence about fair work in Wales. Its recommendations will inform our thinking about how best to take forward our ambition for Wales to be a fair work nation.
Julie James: Yes, the report is an excellent one. The commission has been engaging with a large number and wide range of organisations and individuals as part of its evidence gathering, including the Bevan Foundation that Vikki Howells has highlighted there. We recognise the pernicious effects of the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts. For those who earn a living through the gig economy, the...
Julie James: Yes. We've asked the Fair Work Commission to take into account all Government strategy in their work, but they're acting on their own. They're taking evidence at the moment. They're supported by a small secretariat from the Welsh Government, but we've asked them to look across the piece and to say how best that piece can meld together with our current set of priorities and strategies, and...
Julie James: Yes. Our 'Prosperity for All' national strategy and economic action plan set out the actions we are taking to support economic development across the whole of Wales.
Julie James: I'm not familiar with some of the statistics the Member has just set out, so if she wants to write in to the Cabinet Secretary, we'll make sure that you get a detailed answer to that.
Julie James: Yes. We have focused on the NHS as a priority at a time of austerity impacting on public services. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report, 'Reviews of Health Care Quality: United Kingdom 2016', found quality at the heart of the Welsh health system and highlighted that we prioritise high-quality and patient-centred care.
Julie James: Well, I think that the Conservatives' ability to divorce their support for an austerity driven political choice at UK level from the effect on the budgets of the Welsh Government is absolutely extraordinary. Llywydd, in terms of our record on the NHS, we continue to see very high reported levels of satisfaction with the Welsh NHS. Our last fundamentals of care survey, for example, showed...
Julie James: No, I don't agree with that at all. I think that there's been a strong focus on recruitment and planning. Llywydd, I won't test your patience by reading out statistics yet again, but the statistics are plain for all to see. We are clearly doing very well indeed We've done extremely well with the recruitment of doctors, for example, this year. The health Secretary has made many statements to...
Julie James: Yes. The Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services set out the next steps for strengthening local government in his oral statement on 17 July.
Julie James: I think it's clear that there's an appetite amongst local government to work well together and to collaborate. Members across the Chamber today have mentioned things where collaboration has worked extremely well. Unlike in England, we've protected local government in Wales from the worst of austerity imposed by the UK Government, and we've ensured that vital services can continue to be...
Julie James: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Julie James: On the first one, the Minister's indicating to me that the decision hasn't been taken, and that she's proposing to take it as soon as possible. I'm sure it was said to you in good faith; it turns out not to have been accurate. As soon as the Minister knows when she'll take the decision, I'll make sure that that information is conveyed as rapidly as possible. On the second one, Deputy...
Julie James: Sorry, I got tangled up.
Julie James: Thank you for that. I think that will be part of any piece of legislation that goes forward on local government, and is not going to be the subject of a separate oral statement.
Julie James: I commend the Member for her constant passionate support for music services in Wales. She will know that we share the ambition to provide high-quality universal access to music education for learners in Wales. She said in her remarks that she knows that local government has a direct responsibility for this, not the Welsh Government. I know she's aware that the Culture, Welsh Language and...
Julie James: Yes. The Welsh Government has been looking very carefully at accessibility for electric and hybrid cars in Wales, including across the public estate. We are already investing £2 million in electronic vehicle charging points to supplement existing capacity, but the Member will know that there are issues around range and sustainability for electric vehicles. We are looking to invest...
Julie James: Well, I'm not willing to comment on the inquest, other than to say that everybody in the Assembly and its estate has been affected by the issues raised. Carl was a good friend and colleague of all of us, and we all share the sorrow and the opening wounds from the inquest, but I'm not going to comment on any of the processes there, since the inquest stands adjourned and is not yet complete,...
Julie James: Indeed, yes. On that one, obviously, we don't have any direct control over the Planning Inspectorate, which is a separate organisation to the Welsh Government acting on its behalf. However, we do, from time to time, issue guidance and policy documents around understanding the issues, and I've had conversations with the Cabinet Secretary about whether, for university towns, it's beneficial to...
Julie James: On that last one, I think you need to write in with the details of that. Legal indemnity is a very wide-ranging piece and has lots of different, very specific ramifications, so we would need to understand the exact circumstances in which you're making the inquiry. So, if you want to write in to the Counsel General, we'll make sure that that gets an appropriate response. In terms of the...
Julie James: Jack Sargeant, as usual, makes a series of very good points. It does take a whole community to ensure that people feel supported enough within it, and we all know that having somebody to listen to us, whether they're a trained counsellor or not, can be very, very helpful in terms of our just general feeling of well-being and, obviously, mental health. We have reconfimed our commitment to...
