Jane Dodds: Thank you for your statement, Minister. As we all know, the last two years have been incredibly difficult for young people, as opportunities have been scaled back or even lost altogether. Added to that, our economy has been on rocky ground for much of the last decade, with younger people often bearing the brunt, so I do welcome this initiative as an opportunity to bring the needs of young...
Jane Dodds: Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's roads review announced in June 2021?
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. May I thank Sam Rowlands for bringing this question forward. Farmers, as we know, have a significant contribution to make to Wales's efforts to tackle the climate and nature crisis, and many have already, in this Siambr, indicated the solutions farmers can bring in achieving net zero. I know as well that the sector is keen to work with Government to shape future...
Jane Dodds: We have heard much this afternoon the phrase, 'We are not safe until we are all safe'. That is true here in Wales and the UK globally. I think that we are all in agreement that we should do what we can do to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccinations across the globe. There are just two elements that I want to touch on. The first is that COVID-19 has consumed so many different aspects...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, First Minister. I just really want to add as well my thanks to Joyce Watson, particularly for the candlelit vigil last night to mark White Ribbon Day. Thank you very much, Joyce, for organising that. It was an incredibly moving experience, and I'm sure those of us who were there felt it was something that was very important to us all. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn. First...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister, and thank you very much to Vikki, as well, for this question. As we've said, Wales has long provided a warm welcome to people from across the world who are seeking sanctuary, recognising that welcoming people into our communities strengthens our cultural and social fabric. I'm sure you will agree with me, Minister, that the actions of Priti Patel and the...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Counsel General, and thank you to Jack Sargeant for raising this issue and also for continuing to fly the flag for universal basic income, which I wholeheartedly support. Wales has a real opportunity here with the universal basic income to really transform lives. Not only can a universal basic income tackle the persistent and growing issue of poverty, but we can see from...
Jane Dodds: Thank you to Rhys and others who support this.
Jane Dodds: And let's start with the individuals, because that is what it's all about. As Rhys, Mike and Peter have talked about, this is about people, people like the leaseholders in South Quay in Swansea, who are facing service charge increases of up to £4,000 a year; people like the leaseholders in Cardiff, facing costs of up to £8,000 a year, with that figure sadly set to rise; people who feel that...
Jane Dodds: May I thank Sam Kurtz for bringing forward this debate to the Siambr today? Thank you very much, Sam.
Jane Dodds: If I can start from a personal perspective, I've spoken about my own eight-year-old rescue dog Arthur, who was a racing greyhound. Arthur came to us when he was six, he was in a pretty bad state. That was down to the fact that he had been a racing greyhound, where they are very cruelly treated, and also in relation to the rescue home, where they were doing their best in order to look after...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. I'm appreciative of all of the work that you've done; you have an incredibly busy job. But I just want to talk about teeth and dentists, specifically the teeth of people in mid and west Wales, and specifically the teeth of the people in the town of Llandrindod Wells. As you know, I've written to you on a number of occasions, but there are massive concerns around the...
Jane Dodds: Thank you to Plaid Cymru.
Jane Dodds: I really welcome this debate here this evening. Debt is a terrible thing. It is something you have on your mind all of the time; it weighs you down; it makes you feel you can't find a way out; it makes you shout at your children; it makes you feel unwell. I'm really interested in what would help and we've heard some possible solutions through the debt report that was issued by the Equality...
Jane Dodds: Yes, of course I will.
Jane Dodds: I thank my colleague for that intervention, and you’re absolutely right—the exponential growth of that debt adds to the real weight on that particular family. The second idea, again, possibly seen as a socialist, utopian idea, is one of universal basic income, and I do welcome the Labour Government’s commitment to this. But I would also like to see it going further and extend it to...
Jane Dodds: Thank you very much to Plaid Cymru as well.
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I'd like to ask for an urgent statement from the Deputy Minister for Social Services with regard to child protection services across Wales. We will all be absolutely horrified at the very tragic death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes this week, and we must not forget that the people responsible for that are not people working in social services, or, indeed, in any other...
Jane Dodds: Thank you, First Minister, for your statement this afternoon. I want to focus on one issue, and that's mental health.
Jane Dodds: During the period immediately before the pandemic, 11.7 per cent of Welsh people suffered severe mental health issues. This share climbed up to 28.1 per cent in April 2020, particularly affecting young people and children during that time. So, I just wondered if I could ask for some clarity on what the commitment in the arrangement with Plaid Cymru is to improve the referral pathways that are...
