Lynne Neagle: Jenny Rathbone makes a very important point about children's right to an education, which is enshrined not just in the UNCRC, but in our own children's rights Measure. I know, Minister, that you've met with the UNCRC monitoring group during the pandemic, and one of the concerns I've had is that, whenever I've tabled questions asking how children's rights are being considered in the decisions...
Lynne Neagle: 3. How will the Minister ensure that the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are recognised in the Welsh Government's budget allocations? OQ55385
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Minister. I welcome any funding for the mental health implications of the pandemic, but I do believe it is vital that those are additional allocations, and I was very concerned to see that £7 million had been removed from the mental health service improvement fund in the supplementary budget. Now, I'm sure all Members recognise that we have a very long way to go in Wales in...
Lynne Neagle: Minister, NHS staff can only engage in much-needed catch-up work if they are able to work over the summer, and support bubbles will only be of help to those NHS staff who have family members. Now, there was a very welcome announcement of extra funding for summer childcare earlier in the week, but no guidance has been issued to local authorities on providing childcare for NHS and social care...
Lynne Neagle: Can you hear me now?
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, and thank you, Minister, for your statement. As you're aware, the committee has done a great deal of work in this Senedd scrutinising the progress on the development of the curriculum to date, and I'm certainly looking forward to the committee undertaking the Stage 1 scrutiny of this Bill. I do want to give a very, very warm welcome to the publication of the guidance on a...
Lynne Neagle: I want to focus my remarks today on bus travel, because for Torfaen, like many deprived communities in Wales, these are the transport links that matter most. Without the right solution for operators, drivers and passengers, we risk falling foul of the worst possible long-term outcome of this pandemic: that existing disadvantage is further entrenched for our communities. I know there is a live...
Lynne Neagle: What steps is the First Minister taking to ensure the safety of workplaces during the pandemic?
Lynne Neagle: Minister, I would associate myself with the remarks made by Alun Davies earlier. Last week, we saw £470 million of health board debts written off announced in a press conference and, as an Assembly Member representing a health board that has always operated in the black in one of the poorest parts of Wales, I would have liked the opportunity to scrutinise that. However, my main reason for...
Lynne Neagle: 4. Will the Minister make a statement on the safety of staff on public transport? OQ55465
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Minister. I was very pleased to hear the announcement from the First Minister on Monday that face coverings will become compulsory on public transport from the end of July. I hope that we will extend that to shop workers as soon as possible, personally. It was a very welcome announcement, it was something I'd asked for, it was something trade unions like Unite the Union had...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to make a brief contribution in this important and very welcome debate. I think it's an excellent innovation, one I hope we can continue, and I very much hope that the Welsh Government will be listening carefully and taking very seriously the points of Members. I recognise that the pandemic has been an extremely challenging...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. 'Children have suffered collateral damage during the pandemic.' Those were the words of Dr David Tuthill of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health when he gave evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee recently. As a committee, we recognise that children and young people currently appear to be less susceptible to the...
Lynne Neagle: Most importantly of all, we also know that for some children and young people, this has been a really isolating experience. They've missed their friends, they've missed their families, and they've missed vital milestones like exams, school leavers' celebrations, proms, to name just a few. We noted our disappointment that the Welsh Government's preferred option of taking an earlier school...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, acting Presiding Officer. Can I thank all the Members who've contributed to this very important debate? I'll try and respond to as many points as I can. Thank you, Janet, for your contribution and for your articulation of some of the very significant challenges that children and young people have faced in the pandemic, and you referred to the children's commissioner's survey and...
Lynne Neagle: Hefin, can I thank you for your very powerful and heartfelt contribution? I recognise that that wouldn't have been an easy speech to make, but our deliberations and consideration of these matters are all the stronger for having you share those contributions with us. And just to assure you that the concerns about ALN provision are something that the committee are continuing to focus on;...
Lynne Neagle: First Minister, I was very encouraged by your answer earlier to Adam Price, as I'm personally very keen to see the Welsh Government commit to a zero-COVID strategy for Wales. I was also very heartened by your restatement of your commitment to prioritise the reopening of schools. Of course, the other point that the Children's Commissioner for England made was that schools should be the first...
Lynne Neagle: First Minister, as you know, the failure of some supermarkets in Wales to observe social distancing regulations in Wales has been a source of continued concern to myself and my constituents. And while I appreciate the efforts of local authorities to enforce these regulations, I'd like to ask you for an update today on Welsh Government efforts to really drive home that message to supermarkets,...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank you for your statement, Minister, and also place on record my thanks to not just the school staff, but also staff in LEAs who've worked really hard to get the children back to school? It is really wonderful to have them back there. I welcome your assurance on the issue of testing that you're having very regular discussions with the health Minister. As you'll be aware, there have...
Lynne Neagle: —that's been produced with Childline, which is very helpful: you have the right to remain safe. Can I ask you what you're doing to ensure that all children and young people in Wales have access to that very useful leaflet? Thank you.
