Julie Morgan: Well, I thank Hefin David for that very important question. I was pleased to meet members of the cross-party group earlier on today at the beginning of their meeting, and I know how strongly they feel about this issue. There are four separate schemes in the four countries of the UK, and it is hard to compare them, because they are so different. However, I know it is absolutely right that, on...
Julie Morgan: Diolch, and thank you to Members for bringing forward this very important debate. I think one thing we can all agree on is that cancer needs to be a priority for any Government, given the number of people affected by cancer, as David Rees said in his introduction, and of course the often devastating impact of a diagnosis and the wider impact on our NHS. Members will be aware that we've had...
Julie Morgan: There will be an enhanced focus on the earlier detection of cancer. That is going to be part of the new plan. We also want to ensure our screening programmes are optimised. Many people have mentioned the screening programmes here today. I accept that more needs to be done to encourage those who are eligible for screening to take part. Public Health Wales has a dedicated screening engagement...
Julie Morgan: I thank Mark Isherwood for raising that important point and, certainly, I will go away and look at what is causing that delay in those health boards. So, thank you for raising that. I would point, as I think David Rees highlighted as well, to the fact that the single cancer pathway is the standout achievement, a platform for improvement that is unique in the UK. But I would also point to...
Julie Morgan: Formally.
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Unfortunately, the Minister for Health and Social Services is unable to be here in person this afternoon, as he is required at the UK-wide COBRA meeting in relation to our response to coronavirus, but I'm pleased to be here to debate this here today. Members will be aware that the Minister spoke in the Conservative debate on this matter on 12 February, and...
Julie Morgan: Yes, certainly.
Julie Morgan: At the point we're at, the health board has not yet made a decision about what its plans are. [Interruption.] I'll go on to the south Wales programme now, when I speak. But no decision has yet been made. I think that is the very important point. It has to be made locally, but no decision has yet been made. So, to turn to the points about engagement that are made in the motion, we don't...
Julie Morgan: On amendment 5? I'm going on to amendment 5 now, yes. So, I understand, as I said, that the health board are reflecting upon the outcome of the programme, and they are looking at the current and future population in the area, and of course the reality of staff recruitment. Members across the Chamber will know simply calling for the south Wales programme to end doesn't really answer the...
Julie Morgan: Welsh Government is committed to supporting people in Wales with mental health issues, including those with eating disorders. The recommendations in the eating disorder services review are ambitious and we have provided additional funding to support service improvement.
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. These regulations have been developed to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus on adult social care in three main ways. Firstly, they address the potential need for expansion of the sector by allowing the speedy establishment of emergency provision under the aegis of statutory commissioners of social care in a variety of settings. Secondly, they address...
Julie Morgan: I'd like to thank Janet Finch-Saunders for those comments, and I'd just like to reiterate that these are temporary measures that are taken in an emergency situation. They will not be permanent measures, and the points that she made have all been carefully considered. In terms of one of the last points she made, about whether it applies to private provision, I'd like to inform her that the...
Julie Morgan: I thank Joyce Watson for that question. We have published interim guidance on the scheme to confirm the eligibility criteria. Work is now focused on finalising a robust implementation and delivery plan to ensure that payments are made as quickly as possible.
Julie Morgan: I'd like to thank Joyce Watson very much for that supplementary question, because it does give me the opportunity to thank all the care workers in Wales for their tireless work during this very difficult period and to regret the fact that they may have been upset by the words of the Prime Minister yesterday. I'm sure that Joyce Watson would agree with me that one of the ways the Prime...
Julie Morgan: We are providing free childcare for the pre-school-age children of critical workers and vulnerable children under the coronavirus childcare assistance scheme. Our childcare offer remains suspended to new entrants. We intend to reinstate it in September, subject to the position with regard to the response to the virus.
Julie Morgan: I thank Hefin David for that question. The budget for the offer was repurposed from April to fund childcare for the pre-school children of critical workers and vulnerable children under the coronavirus childcare assistance scheme. So, unfortunately, this meant that we had to close the offer to new entrants temporarily. We are working now with our key stakeholders, especially the local...
Julie Morgan: We have provided £400,000 to Age Cymru to establish a national telephone befriending service to provide emotional support to older people who live alone. We have also worked with local government and the third sector to ensure that practical support with shopping and medicines is in place.
Julie Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to update the Senedd on the position of the Welsh childcare and play sector and our childcare offer for Wales. I want to start this statement by saying a big 'thank you' and to acknowledge the exceptional way in which childcare and play providers across Wales have responded to the events of recent months. I'm sure Members would agree...
Julie Morgan: Thank you very much for those very pertinent questions. Certainly, I have no—. I'm not trying to say, in any way, that the sector didn't suffer during this period, and I think, by the figures that I gave in my statement, I made clear the numbers that had closed. But also it is very encouraging, the numbers that have actually reopened. And although they have smaller numbers actually going at...
Julie Morgan: I'd like to thank Siân Gwenllian for those questions. I'm pleased that she recognised the huge contribution that the childcare sector makes and that she thanked the sector for providing the opportunity for care workers to be able to continue to work in this pandemic. The childcare sector played an absolutely vital part. At this time of the year, applications for the childcare offer are...
