Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for raising these issues. With regard to the advertising industry and what we can do there, the Cabinet Secretary and I were very disappointed that the UK Government’s obesity strategy didn’t take any action in terms of addressing advertising aimed at children and young people particularly. We wouldn’t have the powers here in order to legislate in that area, so the...
Rebecca Evans: I thank the Member for those comments and, again, for the very constructive way in which the party has sought to engage with the Bill at this early stage. With regard to the register of e-cigarettes, I’m really pleased to say that e-cigarettes will be included in the register of retailers. This is the only part of the Bill where you will find e-cigarettes, because you’ll be familiar with...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for those questions, and I neglected to address Angela’s point on the community-focused schools issue, so apologies for that. It is one of our manifesto commitments to make sure that we use the resources that we have in communities, particularly with regard to schools and the capital investment that we are making in twenty-first century schools, making those facilities available...
Rebecca Evans: I thank the Member for the question and I know this is something he has taken a particular interest in, and that the body representing hairdressers has also written to all Assembly Members on this particular issue as well. It’s our view that industry regulation and health and safety are non-devolved, so it’s not something that we believe that we would have the powers to regulate within...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for raising that particular issue, and I know that a survey by Help the Aged, as they were when they undertook the survey—now Age UK—found that more than half of older people found a lack of public toilets prevented them from going out as often as they would like, and that very much reflects the kind of story you’ve told us now about one of your constituents as well. I’ve...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for that question, and for your welcome for the nicotine register particularly. But with regard to the special procedures, I know that during the public health White Paper consultation, and through the previous Assembly scrutiny, many Members and Assembly Members suggested a list of special procedures that should be extended to include things such as those you suggest, like dermal...
Rebecca Evans: The draft budget shows an extra £25 million for social services, and that was in respect and in understanding of the severe pressures that the social services sector are under at the moment. Pressures include, for example, the national living wage coming in next year, which will impact on local authorities and providers themselves. But it’s very important to respect the fact that it’s...
Rebecca Evans: I don’t recognise the picture that you’re paining in terms of the support that we are giving to sustainable social services, to our third sector grant scheme, which is where the funding to which you refer, which was formally in the family fund, has been brought into. We have that fund, which is worth £22 million, which brings together four previous grant schemes, and we had 84...
Rebecca Evans: This is an issue affecting local authorities right across Wales, and, in terms of the why, I think the reason there is that, in 2014, the Supreme Court reached a decision known as ‘Cheshire West’, which widened the definition of what’s meant by deprivation of liberty, and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales have jointly described a 16-fold...
Rebecca Evans: Although latest figures suggest that obesity levels among children in Wales are stable, rates are still unacceptably high. Our programme for government makes a clear commitment to tackling obesity, working across Government and with schools to promote and increase healthier lifestyle choices.
Rebecca Evans: Well, the Welsh Government joined many others in expressing some disappointment at the lack of ambition in the UK Government’s childhood obesity strategy. There are a number of areas in which the Welsh Government has consistently urged the Secretary of State for Health to deliver stronger action at a UK level, and that includes tougher action on sugar, for example, and particularly on the...
Rebecca Evans: Health boards in Wales follow national guidance to support general practitioners and other healthcare professionals in the management of patients with coeliac disease. Staple items, such as fresh bread and pasta, are available on prescription to help patients optimise their nutritional status and maintain a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.
Rebecca Evans: Yes. There are no plans to change the current situation with regard to staple items such as, as I said, fresh bread and pasta being available on prescription. Community pharmacies are actually really important in terms of providing people with coeliac disease the opportunity to buy a wide range of products, as well as what they receive on prescription. That just reinforces again the...
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. The Welsh Government recognises and values the contribution that older people across Wales have made and continue to make within our communities. I’m proud that we’ve led the way with our groundbreaking strategy for older people. First launched in 2003, it’s been recognised by the Institute for Public Policy Research as the most coherent long-term commitment to improving the...
Rebecca Evans: Well, I think it’s always important to speak directly to people affected by conditions or with certain protected characteristics themselves—so, talking directly to them, as well as to the groups and organisations who represent them. So, I would hope that older people would be involved in, certainly, the production of the local plans through the work of regional partnership boards, driving...
Rebecca Evans: Last Wednesday, all Sport Wales board activities were suspended by Welsh Government until a governance assurance review is completed. I provided a written statement to Members yesterday setting out the circumstances and the terms of reference for the assurance review. It would be inappropriate of me to comment further on this matter until the review has been completed.
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for those questions. I think it’s important to recognise that Welsh Government did act swiftly and appropriately and in the best interests of the organisation. Officials had been aware that there were some tensions within the board over the past two to three weeks, but the expectation really was that the normal governance processes would enable the board to manage this and...
Rebecca Evans: I think I’ve described the situation under which the decision was arrived at last week. There’s no intention to appoint an interim board while the assurance review is undertaken over the course of the next eight weeks, because governance arrangements currently exist for Sport Wales. So, any business or any issues that the chief executive would normally bring to the attention of the board...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for giving me this opportunity to put on record my thanks to all of the staff at Sport Wales who are doing a really great job in really difficult circumstances. So, I appreciate the opportunity to put on record that thanks and also to reassure Members that the day-to-day business of Sport Wales is continuing throughout this period.
