Joyce Watson: I now call on the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being to reply to the debate. Lynne Neagle.
Joyce Watson: Thank you, everyone, and that brings today's proceedings to a close.
Joyce Watson: 7. What is the Welsh Government doing to support serving and ex-service personnel? OQ57159
Joyce Watson: I thank you for that answer, First Minister. Wales has traditionally provided disproportionate support to our armed forces, and that commitment and sacrifice needs to be honoured, especially this coming Remembrance Week. That is why your Government's increased funding for Veterans' NHS Wales, providing mental health support to ex-service personnel, and for the position of armed forces liaison...
Joyce Watson: I've heard a lot about absence of evidence is not evidence in itself, but where there is evidence of absence, that is evidence in itself. So, if you have a lateral flow test, it is proof of absence of COVID. So, I just want to turn that on its head and maybe allow some on the benches that side to reflect on it. It is a fact, and it is evidenced, that those who are vaccinated are less likely...
Joyce Watson: No, I'll take this one over here. [Laughter.]
Joyce Watson: That wasn't an intervention, that was an attempt to take over my time.
Joyce Watson: The point is this, okay? It seems to me that you have a problem—that you don't trust people to take a lateral flow test and give their own result. It seems to me that you can't trust people. Well, we are prepared to trust people here to do the right thing. But let's go back to where we are. In terms of fairness, they are fair because they give people more confidence to enjoy more freedoms....
Joyce Watson: 2. How are the Minister's education policies contributing to the Welsh Government's net-zero target? OQ57157
Joyce Watson: Thank you, Minister, for that answer, and I do welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to putting sustainability at the forefront of education policies and their commitment to closely involving pupils in designing their learning environment. I had the honour of seeing first hand how engaged pupils become when they are involved in projects that directly impact their learning environment,...
Joyce Watson: The spiking of drinks is not new. I had my own drink spiked in 1982. That was 39 years ago and it's a very frightening experience, and it's one that stays with you for life. In the case of my drink, I was in a friend's pub. I was a licensee myself. I'd stepped out of my front door and probably walked about 800 yards from my own home. I was living in a tiny village in Wales. I wasn't in a...
Joyce Watson: 8. What is the Welsh Government doing to support neonatal parents? OQ57209
Joyce Watson: I thank you for that answer, First Minister. Tomorrow marks World Prematurity Day, when we turn our thoughts and our focus to premature birth, which, sadly, sometimes has an overwhelming impact on families. I know that this is something your Government has paid special attention to through the First 1000 Days programme, and with consistent investment in perinatal mental health services, which...
Joyce Watson: Thank you for your annual update, Minister. As the chief veterinary officer notes in the foreword to the consultation document, the eradication programme was always a long road and the long-term trends remain positive. We've allowed the science to navigate and our key stakeholders—farmers, vets and representative bodies—to drive that forward. Successive Welsh Labour Governments have been...
Joyce Watson: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Young people across Wales, it's been said many times today, indeed across the UK, have been one of the hardest hit groups as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and three fifths of jobs that were lost as a result of the pandemic were lost to those under 25. Therefore, obviously, like everybody else here today, I welcome the launch of the young person's...
Joyce Watson: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on the use of snares and glue traps in Wales? OQ57207
Joyce Watson: I'm really pleased to hear that you have an ongoing commitment, because it wasn't mentioned in the original programme for government. So, that's really, really good news. When we're talking about the use of snares and glue traps, we're talking about cruel devices that actually kill indiscriminately. They trap birds and animals, they allow them to stay there suffering cruelly, having a very...
Joyce Watson: 3. What is the Welsh Government doing to address violence against women and girls? OQ57258
Joyce Watson: Thank you, First Minister. I know your Government continues to prioritise this issue, and in Jane Hutt we have a Minister for Social Justice who is a tireless champion for victims and survivors. But, unfortunately, the political determination to get on top of male violence against women and girls is too often undermined by the failures in the criminal justice system. The latest Office for...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. You say in your statement today that dialogue, not unilateral actions or ultimatums, is important, and of course that will be true in terms of not invoking article 16 to hide behind the mess that has somehow been created by a bad deal. I'm really concerned about the ports of Milford Haven, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock—all valued employers in my region. I notice on...
