Janet Finch-Saunders: 1. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales about the possibility of increasing the budget available in 2020-21 for spend on the economy in Wales? OQ55724
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Minister. If the ever-changing details available from Business Wales on the website are anything to go by, it now appears that businesses in Aberconwy will potentially be awarded the same support as new businesses going into lockdown on Friday—new areas going into lockdown—as other regions, despite Aberconwy having been in local lockdown since 1 October. And I can tell you,...
Janet Finch-Saunders: The only shame here right now is your behaviour—
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, acting Presiding Officer.
Janet Finch-Saunders: No, it's okay. Thank you, acting Presiding Officer.
Janet Finch-Saunders: 5. Will the Commission make a statement on improving awareness of biodiversity on the Senedd estate? OQ55725
Janet Finch-Saunders: I've read the sustainability annual report for 2019-20. I've no doubt that positive action is being taken to enhance biodiversity on our estate—we have the Pierhead beehive project, a small pond, and the wildflower strip. Now, according to the report, the gardening and biodiversity club are committed to maintaining and improving these habitats. But I believe there's room for more ambition....
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch. Thank you, Llywydd, on behalf of the Petitions Committee, for the opportunity to introduce this debate on the petition calling for an environmental impact assessment, or EIA, to be carried out into the proposed disposal of sediment from outside Hinkley Point into the Bristol channel. Now, this petition collected more than 10,000 signatures, and I do not need to make Members aware of...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. I wish to thank the Minister for responding to this debate in a very comprehensive manner. I wish to thank all Members for their contributions. In concluding today's debate, I want to particularly thank the petitioners, who, once again, have raised their concerns, brought it to this Senedd and then this has found its way to a debate, where there has been ministerial...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you for the statement, Minister. With regard to modular construction, whilst nearly 50 per cent of construction industry clients expect the use of off-site construction to increase over the next five years, it is a shame that the take-up of new opportunities has been limited by the lack of house building in general. The UK now lags behind Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands when it...
Janet Finch-Saunders: What financial assistance is the Welsh Government providing to the nation's social care workers should they be required to self-isolate at any period during the coronavirus pandemic?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Minister, even before the present COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness affected as many as one in five people across the UK. Indeed, as we are all too aware, over the past few months our lives and daily interactions with friends and loved ones have changed considerably. Now, according to statistics compiled by the Red Cross throughout the pandemic, there is a strong correlation between engaging in...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you. This debate is a first for the Petitions Committee as it actually covers two petitions, both of which concern the teaching of history in our schools. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these petitions together and we believe that this is a timely debate, given that the new curriculum for Wales is currently being scrutinised and due to be taught from 2022. The...
Janet Finch-Saunders: The petition references a similar recommendation made by the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee as part of its inquiry into the teaching of Welsh history. That committee noted that taking this approach would allow all pupils to have an understanding of how their country has been shaped by local and national events, within the context of Welsh, British and international...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, Minister, for your contribution in responding to this debate, and a serious thank you to all the Members who have participated today. I just want to echo, really, that there have been some really thoughtful and some really good contributions here today. So, in concluding, I want to thank both petitioners and everyone who supported those petitions in order to get them to this point....
Janet Finch-Saunders: What steps is the Welsh Government taking to identify and support those most vulnerable to loneliness and isolation during the winter months given the current COVID-19 restrictions?
Janet Finch-Saunders: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on non-COVID-19 related treatment in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? OQ55816
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you, First Minister. This, really, follows on the very pertinent points that our Welsh Conservative leader, Paul Davies, has raised here today, because, certainly, residents and, indeed, patients—residents of mine and patients in Aberconwy with non-COVID medical needs certainly are being left behind. I have one constituent who saw their gastro appointment cancelled in April and only...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Since the impending lockdowns initiated by the Welsh Government, Business Wales has become a key source of information. Now, during the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister last month, I raised the fact that the Business Wales website is not always providing accurate information, and this is really leading to confusion amongst many stressed business owners. Now, the First Minister...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 7. Will the Minister make a statement on support for hospitality businesses post firebreak? OQ55818
