Caroline Jones: Certainly.
Caroline Jones: Sorry—? Yes, I have. Yes, I did. [Interruption.] Far-right parties have gained between 10-20 per cent of the votes in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and many others. And, closer to home, we've seen UKIP lurch to the far right. When I joined UKIP, the leadership made it clear that there was no place in the party for racists, and it even said on the application form to become a...
Caroline Jones: I welcome the opportunity to take part in today's debate and thank David Melding for bringing forward the debate. I must admit that I was unaware of e-sports before seeing this debate on the agenda, but I recognise the potential value of the creative industries to the Welsh economy. E-sports and video-gaming in general are a valuable part of our growing creative sector in Wales. However, I do...
Caroline Jones: 9. Will the First Minister outline the actions the Welsh Government is taking to improve the mental health of young people? OAQ53877
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. Young people today face an onslaught of pressures not even dreamt about during our generation. From pressures for how they look on Instagram to the need to spend money to avoid being a 'default' in Fortnite, the burden of the social media age takes its toll. Last week, a survey revealed that six and seven-year-olds are worried about school tests. First Minister,...
Caroline Jones: 6. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on how the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is improving the lives of people in Wales? OAQ53878
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Deputy Minister. Yesterday, we learnt that carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere have reached 415 ppm for the first time in human history—not recorded history; levels haven't been this high since before humans roamed the plains millions of years ago. Unless we take drastic action, future generations will be left with toxic oceans and a dying planet. You seemed at odds with the...
Caroline Jones: I thank the chief medical officer for his latest annual report. Dr Atherton has highlighted several health challenges facing our nation. I want to focus my contribution on two of those challenges. Two challenges to our nation’s health that, if left unchecked, could do untold damage to the well-being of Wales. Those challenges are antimicrobial resistance and the spread of the 'anti-vax'...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. The International Year of Indigenous Languages gives us the opportunity to not only celebrate the fact that over 5,000 indigenous languages are spoken around the world, but to work together to save those languages from extinction. A good friend of mine, Mohammed Sarul Islam, has worked tirelessly over the last decade or so to secure an international...
Caroline Jones: I thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling this debate today. The state of the NHS in north Wales does leave a lot to be desired, and Welsh Labour must accept blame here, because the reforms over the last 20 years have directly led to the situation in Betsi Cadwaladr. As my colleague Mandy Jones pointed out yesterday, this health board has been in special measures for nearly half of its...
Caroline Jones: Minister, while I thank you for your earlier written statement, I was surprised that there was not an oral statement on Ford's decision to close the engine plant at Bridgend. Not only is this devastating news for the workforce and Bridgend, it is also a devastating blow for South Wales West. While I hope that Ford will see the error of their ways, I'm not sure they will, given the global...
Caroline Jones: 7. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's strategy for increasing employment in South Wales West? OAQ54028
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. As has already been said, Ford's decision to close the Bridgend plant is a massive blow for my region, which has seen unprecedented job losses over the last few decades. With continuing uncertainty about Tata's Port Talbot steelworks, it is clear that we need a different strategy. Previous economic development plans have failed to improve the region, despite...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Deputy Minister. I'm sure all of us share the Government's wish to create a fairer and more equal Wales. It's been 70 years since the United Nations' universal declaration of human rights was adopted, and we have come a long way in the past seven decades. Deputy Minister, I welcome the fact that your Government is looking at incorporating some UN conventions into...
Caroline Jones: Formally move.
Caroline Jones: I had the privilege of being a member of the committee whilst the inquiry into physical activity of children and young people was conducted. I would like to thank the Chair, fellow members of the committee, the clerks and all those who gave evidence over the course of the inquiry. As a former PE teacher myself, this subject and the importance of it is very close to my heart—totally...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to move this short debate today and have agreed to allow Michelle Brown speaking time in this debate. We are facing an epidemic in Wales. The Welsh public are being targeted by ploys to swindle them out of their hard-earned money, ploys that are becoming more and more sophisticated and increasingly targeting our elderly and the most vulnerable in our...
Caroline Jones: Each year, more people fall victim to scams and the scammers become increasingly sophisticated in order to con more people. According to the crime survey for England and Wales, fraud and computer misuse crimes were the most common crime experienced by individuals last year. Action Fraud, the police body set up to co-ordinate information on cyber crime and fraud, saw a 28 per cent increase in...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, as well as your written statement accompanying the Bill released yesterday. I must admit, 24 hours was not a long time to absorb the explanatory memorandum, but I have sufficient detail to get the gist of the debate. Minister, as I've said to you in the past, I accept that everything wasn't rosy with the community health councils, however, I feel there...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and I also thank you for providing us with an advance copy of the working group's recommendations. While it's clear that much work has been done on setting the agenda for reform, there has been, actually, very little reform. Minister, do you accept that the current model for local government is unsustainable, and considering the state of public...
