Carwyn Jones: We’re confident the structures that are in place now would avoid those scenarios, and are robust.
Carwyn Jones: Well, of course, there is a formal process for responding to reports, but it’s right to say that nutrition and hydration is hugely important. The report did highlight good progress that had been made in a number of areas, but, of course, it’s hugely important to have reports such as this in order to make sure that there is as much improvement as we’d all want to see.
Carwyn Jones: We’ve already introduced a range of initiatives aimed at patients, staff and visitors in relation to healthy eating. We’re considering ways to improve healthy food provision in hospitals even further, including an upcoming review of the mandatory standards. And as I said earlier on, the statement by the PAC does acknowledge the huge improvements already achieved by the NHS. The auditor...
Carwyn Jones: A cross-Government team is taking forward the Better Jobs, Closer to Home programme to better align a range of commercial projects with other interventions to support creation of meaningful employment in communities with high levels of joblessness.
Carwyn Jones: Well, firstly, the commercial pilots are starting to test the interventions to see how they can be as effective as they can be. We’re looking to implement a specific strategy, both regionally in the northern Valleys, and across the whole of Wales. There is a ministerial taskforce that’s been set up cross-Government in order to address some of these issues. The challenge for us is that...
Carwyn Jones: I think that’s totally unfair, bearing in mind that it was us, as a Government, that opened the Llandudno Junction office, and it was us, as a Government, that had an office in Caernarfon, and it was us, as a Government, that has moved more jobs out of Cardiff than ever under the Welsh Office, with jobs across the whole of Wales. It’s not possible to have an office in every location,...
Carwyn Jones: As the Member knows, we are looking for 96 per cent of premises to have access to superfast broadband by the summer. Many of those premises would never have had access without Government intervention because the market was never there. It’s right to point out, of course, the roughly 4 per cent of people who wouldn’t be part of superfast Cymru—they are in particularly remote areas. There...
Carwyn Jones: Well, I’m not aware of the situation in Caerphilly as he describes it. I will write to him on that, because it’s specific to Caerphilly council rather than to Welsh Government. We need to avoid a situation where we build speculatively lots and lots of different factory units because we know that a lot of them remain empty, or they did remain empty in the 1990s. What we look to do is to...
Carwyn Jones: The Member will know I’ve been calling for a number of years for a constitutional convention to consider the future governance of the United Kingdom, and the challenges posed by EU withdrawal make the case for such a convention even stronger.
Carwyn Jones: Well, at the heart of the problem, as we leave the EU, is parliamentary sovereignty and the idea that all power comes from one place in Westminster, which has the ability to do whatever it wants. I don’t think that’s the right approach. I think there are several centres of democratic accountability, of which this Assembly is one. For me, the UK has to move more towards a system of shared...
Carwyn Jones: Well, first of all, there’s been no formal response to the White Paper that we have produced. Secondly, the great reform Bill, as it’s termed, is designed to be a Bill that will preserve—we are told—EU law in the jurisdictions of the UK and the laws of the different parts and different nations of the UK. If that’s all it does, then it’s sensible. However, what we would not...
Carwyn Jones: Over the next two years, following the triggering of article 50, there is a golden opportunity to restructure the way in which decisions are taken across the UK. It’s no good waiting until that period of time has elapsed because then we will find ourselves in a situation where there’s no way of putting in place an alternative system. What does that mean? It means that the JMC should...
Carwyn Jones: There is a danger that the UK will start to unravel. In particular, one thing that is not often mentioned, but I think is worth noting, is what might cause the rise of English nationalism, and people in England feeling aggrieved with the system. And I think this can all be avoided fairly easily. The distinct national identities of our four nations can be recognised while at the same time...
Carwyn Jones: Well, yes. I mentioned earlier on the legislation and what we’re doing to monitor the legislation. We of course continue to work with all local authorities to ensure greater consistency and support to those who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness.
Carwyn Jones: There are a number of issues that my friend the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney has identified, and that is, quite often, people cannot get themselves out of the rut they find themselves in: they can’t get a job, because they haven’t got an address; they can’t look the part for a job, because they haven’t got any money; they find it difficult to access help for mental health...
Carwyn Jones: First, there are lots of young people who are homeless because of the UK Government and the decisions it took with regard to supporting those who needed somewhere to live. They have nowhere else to live; they can’t get housing benefit; they find it difficult to get a job; so, they end up living on the streets as a result of that. That money could have been better targeted, I suggest to the...
Carwyn Jones: Yes. We continue to provide all forms of employment support to all areas of Wales. This includes our highly successful Jobs Growth Wales and Business Wales programmes, additional investment in apprenticeships and, of course, not forgetting, a range of other EU-funded programmes.
Carwyn Jones: In 2015, we provided £245,808 to the company towards the creation of 50 jobs and the safeguarding of 15 jobs at the facility in Maesglas. That was exceeded, but the award was conditional on the jobs being in place until May 2020. If that condition is not met, then we will look to recoup the money.
Carwyn Jones: A code of practice on ethical employment in supply chains was launched on 9 March. We expect the Welsh public sector to sign up to the code and to help improve the well-being of workers in our supply chains.
Carwyn Jones: The code demonstrates the Welsh Government’s commitment to the eradication of illegal and unethical practices that affect workers in Wales and beyond. We need to have the longest reach possible and of course to ensure that this rolls through not just the public sector but private sector as well. So, we will encourage businesses operating in Wales to sign up to the code as well. That will...
