Jenny Rathbone: I very much welcome the initiative to set up a new state-owned company. We need to learn from the experience of Norway, which, when they discovered oil there, they set up what is now the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. And what were we left with? Nothing; it's all gone up in a puff of smoke and the private companies have gone off with all the money. So, I've long been frustrated...
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you very much for taking the intervention, because as the former leader of Monmouthshire council, you'll be aware that the PDG is one of the ways in which funding is supposed to be directed at giving opportunities to young people whose families can't afford to pay for it themselves. So, having listened carefully to what Sam Rowlands said about the inverse care law going on here, which...
Jenny Rathbone: Interesting contribution from Sioned Williams, and I share your passion for ensuring that everybody gets what they're entitled to, but that, of course, is a main plank of the Welsh Government's proposals to try and help people through these very difficult times. That's why we have 'Claim what's yours'. So, I definitely support the administration of benefits to be devolved to Wales, as...
Jenny Rathbone: —on this. Lastly, I think, if Gordon Brown's proposals for constitutional reform include devolution of the administration of benefits to Wales, and they're accepted by a future Government, would we therefore need this legislation? And, in the meantime, how can we improve the way in which public authorities are engaging in this really important issue?
Jenny Rathbone: I think this is a really important report and I think it's really timely as well. But I think, as Laura Anne Jones said, the level of sexual harassment is so widespread that it really requires a response across society. But it really does underpin the importance of compulsory relationship and sexuality education, because young people need educating on how to keep themselves safe. These bad...
Jenny Rathbone: I think this is an important debate, because, as has already been acknowledged, it is the fourth biggest killer, so it's clearly something we need to get right. But I would caution James Evans on the idea that we could have a district general hospital in Powys that would provide you with the quality of care that you need when you have a stroke. [Interruption.] If I misunderstood you, I'm...
Jenny Rathbone: It might well be possible, in a cottage hospital, to deliver the sort of rehabilitation services that you may have in mind, but it isn't going to be possible to deliver clinical excellence unless you've got the critical mass of patients to justify it. It is really, really important that we have stroke units that are available to all our populations within a reasonable driving distance, but...
Jenny Rathbone: I think you’re trying to compare apples and pears there. It’s about the speed with which you need to get an ambulance to somebody who is choking, compared with the speed with which you need to get to somebody who is having a stroke. I don’t think we are in the business of deciding what the guidelines should be for the ambulance service. That’s done by clinicians. I think we do need to...
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you very much for your statement. It poses as many questions as it answers, but it’s useful to know the information you’ve given. This funding of £35 million for the Warm Homes programme for the next two years, is that per year, or for the two years?
Jenny Rathbone: Okay, so it’s £35 million for two years. Okay, that’s good. I think one of the problems we have is that people don’t know how to approach this—they’re not environmental experts. So, I welcome the fact that you are going to create this hub, but I’m concerned that, in the first year, it will only be available to the social housing sector, because whilst there is a huge threat from...
Jenny Rathbone: —independent advice in order to do it. So, the question is why do you not think it’s possible to extend it to anybody who needs this free advice from the first year.
Jenny Rathbone: Personally, if we're going to not pass on the environmental risk and liability to future generations, I don't see how we can be building nuclear, because nobody knows what to do with all the waste that's produced, and that certainly is a way of passing on that risk. I just want to welcome the fact that you are focusing on green hydrogen as the long-term goal, but I'd be keen to understand...
Jenny Rathbone: 7. How does the equality impact assessment for the phase 2 expansion of early years childcare provision via the Flying Start programme compare to the assessment completed for phase 1? OQ58664
Jenny Rathbone: 2. What essential criteria other than cost did the Commission use to select the new Senedd canteen contractor? OQ58658
Jenny Rathbone: Okay. My understanding is that it is within your portfolio to look at the equality impact of all Government policies, and that, obviously, includes Flying Start, while I appreciate that you're not the Minister who actually carries responsibility for that programme. So, I'm interested in looking at how the phase 1 expansion for £20 million, which increased the numbers of children benefiting...
Jenny Rathbone: Thank you very much for that answer. I'm glad to hear that only 30 per cent of the criteria was cost. But I think one of the issues—I mean, there are several issues. One is, of course, that the cost of food has increased, and therefore it's very difficult to be comparing the previous contractor with the current contractor in the rapidly rising inflation of food. But the previous canteen...
Jenny Rathbone: Just a note to Gareth Davies—the pie has shrunk over the last 12 years, and that is why the whole of the public sector is struggling so badly in terms of its budgets, in terms of the resources it has to deliver the services. So, there is no more money, because the chances of the UK Government suddenly shaking this magic money tree and delivering us more money is absolutely infinitesimal....
Jenny Rathbone: I thank Plaid for this motion, to coincide with COP27, and also for the passion with which Delyth Jewell introduced the debate. I also want to pay tribute to the excellent and blessedly short report by Shea Buckland-Jones on behalf of WWF, which really does summarise exactly how we are not taking account of our global responsibilities and our need not to continue exploiting countries of the...
Jenny Rathbone: I very much welcome the introduction of the horticulture development and entry-level grants, but at the moment we only produce a quarter of a portion per person per day of fruit and veg, so that is a very long road to travel. How can you accelerate the change that we need in order to have much more of our fruit and veg, which is supposed to be a third of our diet, made in Wales?
Jenny Rathbone: What plans does the Welsh Government have to expand horticulture production in Wales?
