Caroline Jones: Would he like to stand up for an intervention, Llywydd, please?
Caroline Jones: Okay. We will—[Interruption.] We will therefore be voting against all of the Welsh Government's amendments. We believe, as do the majority of the Welsh public, that we are better off outside of the EU and we firmly believe that, by Welsh Government seeking to ignore the results of the 2016 referendum, they are abandoning democracy. We will be supporting the Welsh Conservatives' amendment....
Caroline Jones: It hasn't been decided upon yet, David.
Caroline Jones: Of course I do. It hasn't been decided yet. So—
Caroline Jones: So, we had Mark—. The first contribution was obviously from Mark Reckless, who highlighted that we would like for rail to be devolved to Wales. We want more devolution. And he spoke of the importance of infrastructure and highlighted the importance of connectivity, as did David Rowlands. I am interested in Rhun's contribution, because he has stated about infrastructure as well and how it...
Caroline Jones: No, I never did. I always—. No, no, no. I always wanted devolution, and I was always in favour—. I was always in favour of it. So, there we are. So, he—[Interruption.] So, he's got it wrong there, but he never really did know the people that he was supposed to be leading anyway. So, we'll leave that—[Interruption.] So, we'll leave that there. So, I would just like to—[Interruption.]...
Caroline Jones: Trefnydd, whilst the initial plans were not favourable, the potential for tidal lagoons to address the climate emergency and our impending energy crisis cannot be overstated. Trefnydd, an ideal way of trialling the technology would be through a smaller-scale project in conjunction with a heavy energy user. Would the Welsh Government consider a joint venture with Port Talbot steelworks in...
Caroline Jones: Minister, small business is the backbone of our economy and needs a low tax, red-tape-free environment in order to thrive. However, the biggest barrier to growth currently is poor infrastructure. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, a majority of businesses in Wales have found they're affected by Government making decisions on infrastructure. It's not just the Government's failure...
Caroline Jones: Formally.
Caroline Jones: I thank the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for the report on dentistry in Wales. NHS dentistry in Wales is in crisis. Less than one in five practices in Wales are taking on new adult patients, and just over a quarter of practices are offering appointments to new child patients. We regularly learn of patients making round trips of 100 miles to see a dentist. It's not unusual to see...
Caroline Jones: Thank you to the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee for their report on supporting and promoting the Welsh language. Although I won’t make my entire contribution through the medium of Welsh, I am passionate about the value of the Welsh language; it's worth keeping alive.
Caroline Jones: I welcome the measured approach taken by the committee and the fact that the Welsh Government have accepted in full or in principle all 14 recommendations. I believe the position taken by the committee and Welsh Ministers is an acceptance that the carrot is far more effective than the stick. The Welsh language is a vital part of our shared heritage and culture. The fact that less than one in...
Caroline Jones: We have seen major progress in the use of the Welsh language recently, particularly in terms of technology.
Caroline Jones: We have seen big strides in the use of the language in the wider world in recent times, particularly in technology, and we have Welsh language versions of many software platforms, open-source projects seeking to bring the language to voice assistance, and learning platforms such as Duolingo allowing us to learn on the go. Utilising this technological change will enable us to encourage far...
Caroline Jones: 3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect the human rights of Welsh people in the criminal justice system? OAQ54486
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your answer, Deputy Minister. Last week, we debated giving prisoners the vote, which I opposed and was criticised for. My point in that debate was that we should be focusing on rehabilitation and support, and far too many ex-offenders are released without housing or any support mechanism according to their needs, which often relate to mental health issues. Deputy Minister, do...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and your earlier written statement. May I too offer my condolences to all those families affected? I welcome the steps being taken to make maternity services in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board safe, but there must be accountability, because families have suffered unimaginable grief. The fact that, as the independent review states, there is a...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. The fact that anyone is homeless in the twenty-first century in Britain is morally reprehensible. Successive Governments, both here and at Westminster, have failed to ensure sufficient high-quality housing to meet demand. And even though Governments now accept they need to do more, they are still not doing enough. Meeting demand requires forward...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I welcome the introduction of this Bill and I feel that it is long overdue, as many GPs have been put off following their career path, and this large amount of money for insurance can only be seen as a positive regarding recruitment and retention of GPs. Something had to be done in this area, and this is a very good start towards recruitment and...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I too would like to thank all the staff in the NHS who work under difficult conditions to carry out their duties. In order to ensure our NHS survives the long-term challenges it is facing, we need to implement long-term planning in health and social care, and planning that has to date, I'm sorry to say, been piecemeal. Proper planning doesn't just mean...
