Laura Anne Jones: Will the First Minister provide an update on the progress of vaccination of priority groups in Wales?
Laura Anne Jones: Good afternoon, Minister. Monmouthshire County Council hold regular business forums, which obviously is a fantastic way of helping provide the most up-to-date information, a place to share concerns and ideas. I attended the last one, and the biggest concern that came from that, from businesses, was that there are still many businesses falling through the gaps in terms of being able to access...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Minister. Perhaps there needs to be more flexibility in the discretionary fund, because those gaps are still there. The Institute for Fiscal Studies have undertaken a review into domestic and business rates and stamp duty. They're suggesting that the current system for collecting business rates is no longer fit for purpose and should be scrapped and replaced with a fairer system,...
Laura Anne Jones: That's great. Thanks for that, Minister. Scotland have gone ahead and announced a much-welcomed extension of business rate relief now for all businesses, not just those with a rateable value of £500,000 and below. This is before they know the moneys that are coming from the UK Government, thus providing much-needed certainty for businesses at the moment. They're including support for...
Laura Anne Jones: 5. What measures will the Welsh Government introduce to increase the supply of affordable housing in south-east Wales? OQ56222
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you. Llywydd, can I just declare an interest as a Monmouthshire county councillor? I've just been told. Minister, the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the process of the local authorities to renew the local development plan. This will affect the building of affordable homes until a replacement plan is agreed. And even then, it could approximately take two years until houses become...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Suzy, for letting me a have a minute in your debate. The learning of international languages I've always thought to be very important, and it's very regrettable that, in the current state system, we have a situation in Wales and the UK where our primary school education system merely pays lip service to them. I attended a Montessori school when I was two until four, a nursery,...
Laura Anne Jones: Here's hoping the new curriculum will—[Inaudible.]
Laura Anne Jones: First Minister, I, too, welcome any money towards this. Obviously it's in all of our hearts and minds at the moment, the struggles that many children are going through as a result of this pandemic, as, too, the parents and families also having to juggle and realign their lives to support them. But I was just wondering, as lots of councils are doing different things across the board in South...
Laura Anne Jones: 5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to formulate a strategy to ease lockdown restrictions? OQ56292
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, First Minister. Obviously, public safety is of paramount importance, and we need to do everything we need to at the right time, but our businesses need as much warning as possible about when they can start preparing to get back to business. The Confederation of British Industry Wales has called on the Welsh Government to work on a road map out of lockdown so businesses can be ready...
Laura Anne Jones: Our Conservative amendments 51 and 52 introduce some mandatory grounds for repossession. I'm supportive of the overarching aim of the Bill to increase security of tenure for renters, as are most of us across the Chamber. However, it's worth acknowledging the concerns of many landlords and letting agents about the impact the Bill may have on their ability to regain possession of their property...
Laura Anne Jones: Minister, I appreciate your comments on our amendments. Amendments 53 and 54 seek to provide an exemption to the Bill for members of the armed forces, as you explained, who have been given notice to leave service accommodation, as well as properties occupied by ministers of religion. Both amendments respond to concerns raised about the unintended consequences of the Bill. The National...
Laura Anne Jones: Yes.
Laura Anne Jones: Move.
Laura Anne Jones: Move.
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Llywydd, I appreciate that. Okay, yes, we'll go back to group 4. Amendment 56 in my name is linked to our amendment 54, which we've just debated and voted on. It seeks to clarify the occupation status of the minister of religion and I am, again, grateful to Cytûn for their support. In written evidence, Cytûn state that it is their view that ministers of religion who occupy...
Laura Anne Jones: Restrictions on giving notice. Minister, we will be abstaining on amendments 1 and 2, and their consequential amendments. This is not because I disagree with the intention of increasing security of tenure, but because I want to raise issues discussed by my colleague Mark Isherwood MS during Stage 2. At Stage 2, we brought forward an amendment based on recommendations made by the NRLA to allow...
Laura Anne Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. I speak to all amendments 47, 48, 49, 50 and 55 in my name, which require a landlord to explicitly give notice to the contract holder that a notice has been withdrawn. Section 8 allows landlords to withdraw a defective section 173 notice and reissue it in the correct form, with the proviso that the notice period begins from the date of reissuing. In written evidence to the...
Laura Anne Jones: I appreciate those, and thank you for your kind comments earlier, Delyth. And thank you for contributing to that debate. But, without going over the debate again, there is—. We do still feel that these are necessary amendments, and I do hope that Members will support them. Thank you.
