Julie James: We have a number of things that we focus on on cancer outcomes, including implementing a lung cancer pathway through the lens of value-based healthcare. One-year survival from lung cancer has improved 5.8 percentage points, and five-year survival by 4 percentage points, between 2005 and 2009 and between 2010 and 2014. The cancer patient experience survey showed that 93 per cent of lung...
Julie James: We have some really interesting things happening in in this field, actually. The Welsh Government, like the rest of the UK, follows the expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee. The UKNSC does not currently recommend routine asymptomatic screening for lung cancer, but we are due to review the policy after the results of the NELSON randomised lung cancer screening trial are...
Julie James: We have clear plans to protect and extend children’s rights. We will introduce legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, and we will legislate to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in local government elections and support the Assembly Commission to extend voting rights to these young people for the Assembly.
Julie James: Yes, I am very aware of the research. In fact, the Welsh Government funds the Welsh contribution to the health behaviour in school-aged children study—one of the data sources that the research draws upon. We're very encouraged by the conclusion that country prohibition of corporal punishment is associated with less youth violence. It's very hard to say: less youth violence. [Laughter.] Of...
Julie James: Thank you. Yes, I'm very interested in what the Member said. I'm not aware of it, so I'd welcome a conversation between myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and her to explore that matter, because I think what she says is a matter of some interest.
Julie James: Yes, it's a very interesting point, and in conversation with Helen Mary Jones about the incorporation of the rights of disabled people, we are very interested in looking to see what the impact of that might be in those conversations, including, if necessary, enforcement provisions and so on. I'd very much welcome a conversation that extended that to the rights of the child. We are, of course,...
Julie James: Historic sites contribute to the character of communities and deserve our support and protection. We are delighted at today's announcement that the slate landscape of north Wales will be put forward as the next UK nomination for inscription as a world heritage site. Wales has a unique and varied industrial heritage that is rightly celebrated.
Julie James: As I'm sure the Member already knows, funding for flood alleviation schemes in Wales is available from the Welsh Government's flood risk management programme. It is directed at the most high-risk communities in Wales where risk to life remains a priority. Even if it were possible to design a cost-beneficial flood scheme for Gwydir, the primary beneficiaries would still be an uninhabited...
Julie James: Yes, the Member makes an extremely important point. I'm aware of the national importance of the former Gadlys ironworks site. It does indeed have the potential to illustrate and enhance our knowledge and understanding of the development of the iron industry here in Wales. Cadw officers regularly monitor the condition of scheduled monuments and provide advice and guidance to site owners,...
Julie James: Yes. If we are to improve connectivity between communities and incentivise people to travel in a more sustainable way, it is important that we investigate how we can make better use of redundant railway lines as well as increasing services on lines already in operation.
Julie James: The Member makes a series of good points. The Member's well aware that the bridge was a Network Rail asset, and therefore is not devolved to us, and enhancing and maintaining it is not within our devolved competence. But alongside him, I welcome Anglesey Central Railway company's intention to run the heritage railway services along the line, and recognise the importance of building a...
Julie James: As I say, it's a Network Rail asset and we have been putting some pressure on Network Rail to do something about it, and, as I outlined to Rhun ap Iorwerth, we're very happy for officials to work on any scheme that looks like it will bring the line back into beneficial use and do the historic investigation that he mentioned in order to see what can be done. We're also wanting to be in a...
Julie James: There is one change to this week's business, which is to reduce the length of oral Assembly questions to the Counsel General. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Julie James: I don't think it is a postcode lottery. The Member's actually answered his own question, and has set out the procedure by which he applies for the funding that he needs. So, if he's having a problem with that, I suggest he writes with more detail to the Cabinet Secretary.
Julie James: Well, Joyce Watson highlights a very worrying set of figures and trends and some of the specific instances that we've all been absolutely horrified to know are happening. I do think there's a small ray of hope in that the number of reported hate crimes is rising, and we feel very strongly that that means that there's more faith in the system so that reporting the crime will actually have some...
Julie James: I think the Member said as part of his rather lengthy submission there that he'd written to the Cabinet Secretary and not received a response. If he wants to furnish—
Julie James: Well, if you furnish me with a copy of the initial letter, I'll chase the response from the Cabinet Secretary for you. In terms of BSL, as part of our additional learning needs transformation programme, we are funding training for local authority-based specialist teachers of learners with various sensory impairments, including BSL. We're very committed to creating an inclusive education...
Julie James: Thank you for those two issues. With Virgin Media, as the Member well knows, throughout the summer, officials have been in meetings with both Virgin Media management and its employee representatives to assess the situation as it evolves and to be sure our assistance is available where appropriate. The Welsh Contact Centre Forum is arranging jobs fairs to be held later this month at the Virgin...
Julie James: The Cabinet Secretary is nodding happily at me, so I'm sure she'll provide that update. On the woodchip thing, I rather thought that had happened, and I'm sorry it hasn't, and we'll chase it up.
Julie James: My understanding of the situation at the moment is that the chair of the infected blood inquiry has been very clear that everyone who has evidence to contribute will be able to offer their evidence to the inquiry, either in writing or in person, and that the voices and experiences of all those affected by these events, including the people who she is mentioning, will be heard. The Welsh...
