Jane Dodds: Thank you very much, Llywydd, and may I first of all extend my congratulations to you once again, First Minister, on your election, and also to everyone in this Senedd? As the only Member of the Liberal Democrats, I look forward to working with you all. I'll ask the question in English.
Jane Dodds: 4. What action will the Welsh Government take to end violence against women and girls, particularly within black, Asian and minority ethnic communities? OQ56568
Jane Dodds: Thank you very much for that answer.
Jane Dodds: Can I just follow that through with a focus on what's been happening in this COVID time? We all know that there's been a significant increase in the need for refuge places, in the need for services, and better, more focused responses to those women and children who are coming forward after these lockdown periods. I'm particularly interested to hear what issues and services will be targeted...
Jane Dodds: 5. What action will the Welsh Government take to support women's mental health following the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56569
Jane Dodds: Diolch yn fawr iawn. Can I extend my congratulations to you on your role as well? Llongyfarchiadau. The Welsh Women's Aid 'State of the Sector' report focuses on the situation for women who've been affected by domestic violence. They catalogue a patchwork of support services in this sector, both for women who are making decisions about leaving a relationship and those who've been affected and...
Jane Dodds: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you for the opportunity to make this speech.
Jane Dodds: Everyone wants an affordable, proportionate and environmentally sustainable and targeted approach to water pollution. Farmers particularly want this, but this legislation does not do that. It is not targeted, as the majority of farms across Wales have not recorded agricultural pollution. According to some experts, this is not suitable for 90 per cent of Welsh farming land. It is not...
Jane Dodds: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very grateful.
Jane Dodds: I'm just going to be very, very brief because I'm aware that there are other pressures, obviously, but I really just wanted to say a few words on housing. Many of us have some brilliant solutions, and we should be working together to make sure we bring those into a very clear coherent strategy. I just want to touch on two things: the first is my real confusion here with the Conservative...
Jane Dodds: I have learnt a lot in the last five years, and I think one of the most important things that I've learnt is that people want us to stop getting at each other, to work with each other, and to concentrate on the future of the people of Wales. I have to say I am surprised at the tone of some of the remarks in this debate, and I guess I don't think they're necessary. Brexit was divisive and...
Jane Dodds: May I send my best wishes to the First Minister and his family?
Jane Dodds: In a survey at the beginning of this month, more than 50 per cent of respondents from rural areas in Wales felt that the internet was not fast and reliable, particularly people in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. Only 36 per cent of people in rural areas had superfast broadband, compared to 67 per cent in urban areas. I wonder if the First Minister could just comment on the...
Jane Dodds: I welcome this paper—thank you very much, First Minister. I welcome this paper because it is about business, it is about trade deals that are made without our input that affect our farmers and our businesses. It is about health and how we work together in order to ensure that this pandemic is brought under control. It is about Wales and it is about the future of Wales, and that's why it's...
Jane Dodds: 2. Will the Welsh Government consider introducing free part-time childcare for children from nine months to their third birthday to all parents regardless of work status? OQ56753
Jane Dodds: Diolch yn fawr iawn. Minister, research from the Learning and Work Institute and Gingerbread suggests that the pandemic has hit single parents very hard—loss of work and income, home education, and loss of childcare and caring support. These are workers typically concentrated in low-paid and part-time work and in those industries hit hardest by the pandemic—144,000 lone parent families in...
Jane Dodds: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Just following up on some of the points that Jenny Rathbone raised: I'm encouraged to see your commitment to electoral reform, to reduce the democratic deficit. And I'm sure you are as concerned as I am over the UK Conservative Government proposal to disenfranchise voters, under plans unveiled only on Monday, that will force people to carry identification...
Jane Dodds: Diolch, Llywydd. I welcome the proposals, including setting out a clear national framework to support services to be planned regionally and delivered locally, and the strengthening of partnership arrangements. I just want to focus briefly on services for young people and young adults within this framework, particularly those with learning disabilities, and the barriers in place for social...
Jane Dodds: Minister, I just want to continue with the theme of funding. I'm afraid I'm going to come back to it, because I do really want to pin you down. Thank you very much to Peredur and to Natasha as well for raising this important issue. I was really shocked to hear from Tŷ Gobaith and Tŷ Hafan that they only got 10 per cent of their funding from the Welsh Government. Let's just pin this one...
Jane Dodds: 'Our house is on fire.' That's what Greta Thunberg said. We have a climate emergency, and when we have an emergency, just as we've had with COVID, there are things we can carry on with, and there are some things we have to give up. And this is a bit of a schizophrenic motion, if you don't mind me saying. Whilst I agree with some things in it—I agree about increased electrical charging...
