Joyce Watson: I thank you for that. But, despite many years of Tory austerity, the Welsh Government have been committed to helping children from low-income families to remain in education if that's what they choose to do. And that's evident from the continuation of the education and maintenance allowance for 16 to 18-year-olds in the current budget plan and the mytravelpass, which gives a 30 per cent...
Joyce Watson: 6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to tackle hate crime? OAQ54609
Joyce Watson: I thank you for that answer, but recent figures obtained from the Home Office have shown a 29 per cent increase in hate crime across England and Wales, and the highest increase is seen in transgender and disability hate crimes. We've also witnessed the rhetoric and language that's been witnessed being used by leading political figures very recently, and, in my opinion, that has only added...
Joyce Watson: 7. How is the Welsh Government supporting mental health services in Mid and West Wales? OAQ54585
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that answer, but this month the innovative out-of-hours mental health service, the Twilight Sanctuary, is being launched in Llanelli, and the service that is run by Mind and Hafal was commissioned by Hywel Dda health board, Dyfed-Powys Police and Carmarthenshire council. And it's one of the first projects from the transforming mental health programme and the first of its kind in...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Llywydd, and I'm really pleased to be speaking in this debate. There's a famous line in the 1976 film, Network: 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore'. It's a statement for our time, isn't it? So much anger, especially from the keyboard warriors online. But, at the same time, people aren't prepared to take it anymore. Victims of abuse are reporting crimes, calling out...
Joyce Watson: 1. What assessment has the First Minister made of the Commission on Justice in Wales's report that was published last month? OAQ54638
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that answer. The report concluded that the Tory cuts to legal aid have hit Wales disproportionately hard—their words, not mine. Since the budget was slashed in 2013, the number of firms providing legal aid in Wales has fallen by nearly a third, creating what the report calls 'advice deserts' in many parts of the country. So, in response to the commission's report, how will...
Joyce Watson: Or woman.
Joyce Watson: 6. What discussions has the Counsel General had with counterparts in the UK Government regarding tracking cross-border crime following Brexit? OAQ54637
Joyce Watson: Thank you, Counsel General, for that answer. Following the horrendous deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in Essex last month, a number of senior MPs and experts have cautioned that the UK faces a real risk of being excluded from Europol and its agencies, including the anti-trafficking unit and the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, post Brexit. They went on to say that, even with a deal, the UK...
Joyce Watson: One of the impacts that Alun Cairns departure as Secretary of State could have is sending out a clear and substantive message to women who are considering coming forward to report rape that their trauma through a court appearance may be used to vilify them and that the case could collapse, which is exactly what happened in this case. At a time when we all know that there is already an...
Joyce Watson: The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? The motion is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Joyce Watson: We're moving on now to item 9, a debate on petition P-05-854, 'Make Learning Disability training mandatory for hospital staff', and I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. Janet Finch-Saunders.
Joyce Watson: I call on the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan.
Joyce Watson: Will you take an intervention?
Joyce Watson: Thank you very much. I know that this is an area that you feel very strongly about, so I just wonder whether you'll join with me in congratulating Patti Flynn, who saw, just last week, a plaque awarded to remember the members of the black and minority ethnic community who fought for us in the war. That plaque was put up at the Welsh National War Memorial in Cardiff last Saturday. I'm sure...
Joyce Watson: Will the Minister provide an update on the TrawsCymru service?
Joyce Watson: The national marine plan is the culmination of a great deal of consultation and collaboration over a number of years, and I think that reflects the importance of our seas both in terms of the number and the range of interests, industries, that they support, and also the national sense of self that is appreciated by anybody who has lived near or alongside a coastal community. So, I do welcome...
Joyce Watson: 4. Will the Minister provide an update on actions taken by the Welsh Government following the written statement on dog breeding issued on 9 October 2019? OAQ54669
