James Evans: ...also to the people of Brecon and Radnorshire for electing me as their new Senedd Member. Thank you very much. First Minister, in my constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire and across Powys, small schools like Dolau, Llanbedr and Cradoc are under threat of closure. As someone who was educated in a small rural school, I understand the importance they play in our rural communities. So, First...
James Evans: ...Kingdom. Why would the people of Wales want us to have any control over any more powers, when the Welsh Labour Government aren't effectively running Wales with the powers they currently have? Education in Wales isn't performing as it should be, various health boards have been in special measures, you've got people waiting for cancer treatment, waiting list times are going up, major...
James Evans: Another week passes, our economy is under pressure, NHS waiting lists are under pressure, our education sector is under pressure, and still the Welsh Government want to waste crucial time to talk about further reform to the union. I am sorry, but my constituents, this Senedd and the Welsh Government have got far more pressing issues to deal with. Over the years, more and more powers have been...
James Evans: ...homes, completely stalled. Similar frustration applies to office, retail and even public sector developments of new council homes, and these aren't the only projects in the pipeline. From the new school to the housing association scheme, the new factory, and even attempts to give an elderly relative or a new family member a home, the outlook is bleak for many developments right across...
James Evans: 7. What steps will the Welsh Government take to increase the emphasis on sport and physical education in the curriculum? OQ56790
James Evans: ...mental health. It installs discipline, teaches teamwork and helps people to live active and healthy lives. So, Minister, will you look, in the future, at making more funding available for sport in schools and prioritise efforts to focus on allowing sport to play a bigger role in the curriculum, and work with external organisations so that they can come in to get more sport in schools?
James Evans: ...we need to be bold here and actually try and be world leading in public procurement. Public procurement can add massive benefits to the local economy in terms of jobs and opportunities; also in our schools, providing locally sourced meals, educating young people on where their food actually comes from, and chapter 7 of the Bill, I think, is very, very important to do that in the wider...
James Evans: First Minister, many people, including myself, are rightly concerned about the health of our planet and the mental health of our young people. I remember when people of my age in school were shown a documentary on Al Gore predicting a doomsday scenario unless radical changes were made, and the world as we know it would be over in 2006. I'm glad to stay we're still here. However, this is...
James Evans: ...infrastructure to attract big businesses? Will you support them by cutting business rates and empowering young people by creating more skilled jobs, developing more homes, investing more money in education and training and levelling up the whole of the country outside of Cardiff?
James Evans: ...get independence. So, Minister, can you assure me and the people of Wales that this commission will seriously look at this Government and the way that it is managing devolved areas such as health, education and the economy, which are declining under your watch, and make serious recommendations on how we can improve the Senedd for the better with the powers we currently have, and not keep...
James Evans: ...the hard work, dedication, effort and love that our teachers showed us from our early years and then when we became adults. We all hold fond memories and perhaps not so fond memories of our time in school. It is a vital time in our lives when we learn so much, not just academically, but about social situations, forming bonds with other people and learning what is and isn't socially...
James Evans: ...is an attractive place to work right across the country, both in urban and rural areas. We need a guarantee that all newly qualified teachers will get at least one year's employment in a Welsh school or college. In rural communities, teachers are an integral part of the local community, and they should be valued for the immense role that they have in shaping our younger generations....
James Evans: What is the Welsh Government doing to educate young people on the dangers of social media?
James Evans: ...of trees every year. We in Britain have a proud history of reducing carbon emissions. Our emissions in this country fell by 44 per cent between 1990 and 2019. This should be celebrated, taught in schools, and preached from the rooftops as a global example of what this country can do when we come together. It’s all too easy for messages of doom and gloom to persist, but we must all have...
James Evans: ...and give credit where credit is due. I do welcome this young person's guarantee from the Welsh Government. I think it's very good that we're going to be offering people under the age of 25 work, education and training, and opportunities for those people to become self-employed. I do have a couple of questions, though, which I hope you can answer. My colleague Paul Davies asked you about...
James Evans: ...Wales’. I think if we can get better food, higher quality food into public procurement, that will really help our young learners and I think that’s something that we’re very keen on on the education committee, to make sure that we’ve got good, wholesome food provided for our children. In your Bill, you also talked about food labelling, and we're all clear in here that food from...
James Evans: ...waiting time targets for those suffering with eating disorders or specialist centres to help people, and that cannot continue. So, what is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that young people are educated about the effects of social media? And what plans does the Government have to improve access for people suffering with eating disorders?
James Evans: ...in this Chamber, in my home constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire is the headquarters of the British army in Wales. We have the fantastic Sennybridge training camp, Dering Lines infantry battle school, and, for over 200 years, we have proudly been home to the Brecon barracks, which I am pleased to say in this Chamber has been protected from closure in the Ministry of Defence's proposed...
James Evans: ...and be a part of the solution. So, Minister, can you outline to me in the Chamber—I know you've raised this earlier—what cross-Government work has been done, wider than just the curriculum, to educate young people about healthy relationships, and to encourage people to call out misogyny and hate crimes when they see them? Diolch.
James Evans: 8. Will the Minister make a statement on the funding of rural schools? OQ57317
