Joyce Watson: Thank you for taking the intervention. We have seen today, of course, the spring budget, and what would have helped people, producers particularly, here, is around the cost of fuel and energy. If there had been a windfall tax towards helping that, rather than the 2p VAT gain—not the 5p reduction, but the 2p VAT gain—that this Government is making, it would have helped enormously those...
Joyce Watson: I now call on the other speakers. If you could take one minute because many people want to speak and we're in danger of running out of time, and it's such an important issue. Huw Irranca-Davies.
Joyce Watson: I now call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to reply to the debate, Eluned Morgan.
Joyce Watson: And that brings today's proceedings to a close.
Joyce Watson: What is the Welsh Government doing to support families meet the cost of the school day in Mid and West Wales?
Joyce Watson: We would all like to see more contested seats. I certainly would. I haven't got an election at home in Pembrokeshire either, where there are 19 uncontested seats. And Sam Rowlands is right to point out that the attacks, the public attacks, on individuals already in office are deterring people from standing. And we've only seen, at the weekend, what Angela Rayner suffered at the hands of a...
Joyce Watson: Will you take an intervention?
Joyce Watson: Just to talk about the record on human rights, and let's link it to the borders Act, I'm sure that you will agree with me that you were appalled with what happened to some of the people from the Windrush scandal. I was in the same room when May had to explain that to other people in the room from Jamaica, and she had quite a problem doing that. So, just in terms of their record already on...
Joyce Watson: Human rights are, by definition, we've heard today, universal. They have to be. So, if we are going to deny one group, then, by de facto, we deny all groups. That is the fundamental principle that underpins human rights, and I don't think it can be said too often. So, placing greater restrictions on who can bring a claim, or reducing damages based on how deserving the claimant is perceived to...
Joyce Watson: I also—. No, I'm beyond time; I can't. I also want to take issue with him in using individual cases that we all know about, where children have been let down, as an excuse to remove human rights from people. I think that is sinking to the lowest determinant, and I really want to express my feelings against it.
Joyce Watson: 8. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding its Rwanda asylum-seeker policy? OQ57977
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that update, Minister. The plan is, of course, morally abhorrent, for all the reasons that we discussed yesterday in the human rights debate, but it is gratuitously expensive. And given Britain's obligation under the UN refugee convention and the human rights laws, it looks unworkable anyway, as we have seen the legal challenges in recent days attest. The plan, quite frankly, is...
Joyce Watson: I thank you for the question. The Commission ensures that accessibility of the Senedd estate is regularly reviewed to ensure that it acts as an exemplar in line with emerging developments and best practice. The Senedd building design eliminates unnatural, harsh lighting, introduces large airy spaces, reduces noise, and thermal comfort is regulated, which reduces extreme temperature...
Joyce Watson: I very much welcome and look forward to receiving that toolkit. In terms of absence from work, the absence reporting does include a migraine code specifically in order to support accurate reporting and also to reduce the stigma that you have just mentioned. The occupational health nurse is available regularly for individual appointments, in person or virtually, and there are a number of quiet...
Joyce Watson: I thank you for taking the intervention. And, yes, it is right that the pandemic was supported at a UK level, but what I'm interested to hear you explain is whether you think that that shouldn't have been the case. Because, surely, in a pandemic, it is the duty of the Westminster Government, the overarching body of the four nations, to protect all of its citizens. I was a bit unclear from the...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the statement. Recently, we discussed at the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee the skills that will be necessary. Mark Bodger from the Construction Industry Training Board Wales said that they would be more than prepared to step in to that space. And of course, we've got the upcoming Net Zero Wales skills plan, and I understand that'll...
Joyce Watson: I'm really pleased to be speaking in this debate. It's a really important topic. It has a profound impact on so many people's lives. Alcohol harm in Wales, and indeed the UK, is a significant issue. When you take a step back and look at how frequently it's pushed on us at every given opportunity by advertising, it's extremely hard to ignore. If you were to believe advertising and the hype...
Joyce Watson: If David Cameron hadn't, as he put it, 'cut the green crap' a decade ago, we'd be further along on renewable and nuclear and energy efficiency, and households would be paying less for energy, not more. So, I agree that we need to catch up, but the other side of the coin to energy generation is energy efficiency. So, can you say, Minister, how the forthcoming new Warm Homes programme might...
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. We've already seen, of course, some of the damage from the oven-ready Brexit, or the half-baked idea, as I prefer to call it, on the ports in Wales, because they're bypassing our ports already. So, we've already seen that. It is, of course, Prime Minister Johnson who came up with this grand plan—which is not so grand, apparently, according to him now. So, I want to...
Joyce Watson: I'm really pleased to speak in this debate today, and I thank Llyr for his expert chairing, and my fellow committee members for bringing forward the report and the recommendations. There's a lot to unpack, but the clear message we received was about the need for the national marine plan to consider the cumulative impacts of developments. I think that the economy Minister's statement...
