Carolyn Thomas: Following on from that, Minister, I was going to say: could I ask for a statement on the investment zones, or, rather, deregulation zones? Cheshire West and Chester Council have been named as possibly one, which could impact on the Deeside area and the enterprise zone in Flintshire. I do also have concerns regarding planning deregulation and the impacts it could have on nature. Affordable...
Carolyn Thomas: The rich are getting richer; the poorer are getting poorer. People will be struggling to pay their mortgages on top of rising energy costs. Public services are on their knees following 10 years of austerity. Forty-five billion pounds of tax cuts could have paid for a 19 or 20 per cent increase in public sector workers, including carers, and universal credit is the impact of that as well. So,...
Carolyn Thomas: I’d like to start by welcoming this statement and the fact that Wales is the first country in the UK to introduce a complete ban on snares and glue traps. I’m also pleased to see the introduction of an objective to promote public access to the countryside. Will the Minister please confirm for me that compliance with right of way maintenance will be a core part of the scheme, and to set...
Carolyn Thomas: Minister, around £45 billion of tax reductions for people and businesses by 2027 could have paid for public sector increases of 19 per cent, improving services, filling vacancies, and growing the economy here in Wales where nearly a third of people are employed in the public sector. Minister, the mini budget from the UK Government does little to help the public sector, including councils,...
Carolyn Thomas: 8. What progress has been made towards restricting the use of cages for farmed animals? OQ58455
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for that answer, Minister. I'm particularly concerned about the use of cages for the breeding of gaming birds. Partridges normally mate with a partner for life in the wild, but, in commercial breeding cages, they are forced together, sometimes wearing saddles and beak covers to protect from maiming. This practice is cruel and unnecessary, all in the name of sport. In 2021, polling...
Carolyn Thomas: Diolch. I was going to say also that the north Wales economy and transport work cross border. I attended a Growth Track 360 fringe event last week. We talked about the importance of HS2 funding coming to that border region and, with Cheshire West and Chester being possibly an investment zone, the impact it could have on Wrexham industrial estate, Deeside industrial estate, and enterprise...
Carolyn Thomas: I welcome the statement and the investment in the area, and I'm proud to say that north Wales now has three world heritage sites, including the Pontcysyllte aqueduct, which is fantastic. And I'm looking forward to the creation of the new national park as well. The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley area of outstanding natural beauty was designated thus because of its built heritage, its castles...
Carolyn Thomas: I welcome your focus on biodiversity and your passion. It's wonderful to be a Member of the Senedd and hear biodiversity being talked about so much. I was banging my head on a brick wall, basically, as a councillor for 12 years as a biodiversity champion, but to hear your passion is wonderful. The understanding of the nature and climate emergencies is in such stark contrast to the UK...
Carolyn Thomas: 5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact that the UK Government’s fiscal statement will have on people's ability to pay for energy bills? OQ58477
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for that answer, Minister, and I agree with your conclusion. These plans will do little to support families through this difficult time and instead focus on putting more money in the hands of the rich. This makes the support from Welsh Government even more vital, and I appreciate that the Government has given out far more in cost-of-living grants than it has received from the UK...
Carolyn Thomas: 1. What recent conversations has the Counsel General had with other law officers regarding the devolution of justice? OQ58479
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for your answer. I have recently been contacted by a constituent who, sadly, lost her son and is now part of a group seeking coroners to be held accountable to a public body. Should justice be devolved to the Senedd? I believe it should. What considerations have you given to this issue? Thank you.
Carolyn Thomas: 8. What discussions has the Counsel General had with other law officers in respect of the right to protest? OQ58478
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for the answer, Counsel General. Following the proclamation of the ascension of King Charles III, a number of arrests of peaceful protesters were made. A barrister was even threatened with arrest for carrying a blank piece of paper. These incidents are significant because they demonstrate the draconian limits the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 now places on our...
Carolyn Thomas: There is a dire shortage of properties to buy and rent. Everyone should be entitled to one. Everyone should be entitled to a home, and yet 25,000 properties in Wales stand empty. The reality of the impact of second homes was clear to me whilst visiting a village in north-west Wales, seeing the amount of unlived-in two and three-bedroom properties that would have made really good starter...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you to Sam Rowlands for giving me a minute of his time and bringing forward this debate today. Beautiful north Wales is the home of outdoor sport and recreation. Whether it's cycling in the Clwydian, scrambling up Snowdon or kayaking off Anglesey, there are so many opportunities to connect sport with nature. Sport often begins at grass-roots level, through school, a shared interest with...
Carolyn Thomas: First Minister, the serious cost-of-living and economic crisis due to the incompetence of the UK Government will hurt vulnerable disabled people and women the most. Labour-controlled Flintshire County Council and Welsh Government, together with the business community, have established a pilot project to locally support disabled people to access training and employment to help tackle...
Carolyn Thomas: Further to the question raised by Jane Dodds last week, there's still concern from local rescue centres about the fate of dogs racing at the Valley stadium. The Valley's own database records show that, between 2018 and 2020, an average of 141 greyhounds finish racing at the track every year. Their racing career finishes at the age of four to five years, and, in the last month, 20 greyhounds...
Carolyn Thomas: In many European countries, the majority of people rent their houses, but in the UK, properties are classed as an investment. The idea that a home is a human right and that everybody is entitled to a roof over their head is subordinated to the whims of market forces, privatisation and the pursuit of profit. When Margaret Thatcher came to power, the Government withdrew funding for councils to...
