Joel James: Thank you for that question. I fear that's a question to be asked of the UK Government in Westminster rather than myself, I'm afraid. This Government needs to ground itself in reality. Even though a 50-year-old report, as mentioned yesterday, may have recommended two to three Members per parliamentary constituency, that doesn't mean it is right. It doesn't mean it was right then, and it...
Joel James: I want to express my absolute disappointment at the proposals of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru to increase the number of Senedd Members in this place, and I want to do so for three main reasons. Firstly, you have to be well aware that the UK Government is not going to increase the Welsh Government budget to reflect this increase in Members, so what Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru are proposing is...
Joel James: Minister, it is without doubt that the rise in the wholesale cost of energy is pushing many households across the country into fuel poverty, and I welcome the efforts of the UK Government to help struggling households by providing £15 billion-worth of support, which includes a £400 energy bill rebate for all families in the autumn and additional payments worth £650 for 8 million of the...
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement and for the introduction of this Bill. However, despite your efforts, I do believe that there are overwhelming points of issue with it. Firstly, the social partnership council that is being proposed is likely to just consolidate existing social partnership mechanisms on a statutory basis, thus endorsing the status quo and removing the impetus to...
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. As you know, this Government is introducing a digital system in its deposit-return scheme that will be incompatible with the DRS schemes being introduced in England and Northern Ireland. This incompatibility will create barriers to trade, increase production costs and, in particular, reduce the choice and availability of beer here. Independent brewers in Wales produce...
Joel James: 7. What initiatives is the Welsh Government undertaking to help small, independent brewers? OQ58070
Joel James: Minister, I recently had the fantastic experience of visiting the Rhondda tunnel project in Blaencwm and learning about the tunnel's history and contribution to life in the Rhondda Valleys. You may be aware that there's an ongoing discussion with the UK Government concerning the transfer of the tunnel to the Welsh Government, and I'm interested to know your thoughts about its capacity to be...
Joel James: Thank you. First Minister, as you are no doubt aware, NHS services in Wales routinely use private GP optometry, pharmacy and dental contractors to deliver primary care, but do not use private audiology contractors to deliver NHS audiology care services, and I'm keen to understand why this is the case. Hearing difficulties affect one in six adults and, sadly, adults who do experience hearing...
Joel James: 8. Will the First Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government intends to clear the waiting lists for audiology services? OQ58011
Joel James: As everyone else has done it, I'd like to declare that I'm a councillor—only for a few more days. I'd like to start by thanking my colleague Sam Rowlands for opening this debate and all my other colleagues for their comments so far. Though we have talked about the different issues facing our communities, I want to take this opportunity to talk about the system of centralised Government...
Joel James: Thank you, Minister, for your comments, but I think many people will still be disappointed with the response you've given. Turning to another topic, in the news, we have heard time and time again about just how cash-strapped the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales thinks her budget is. But we then see her wasting money on universal basic income feasibility studies and research into a...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, do you agree with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales's analysis of the recent High Court rulings on testing in care homes during COVID-19?
Joel James: Thank you. It's a shame, Minister, that you continue to peddle the lines of your First Minister, and the previous health Minister, who seem to think that the Welsh Government's actions or inaction during COVID-19 should have little consequence. It should be remembered that Wales was a full two weeks behind England before your Government introduced blanket testing in care homes, and I remind...
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. I recently met with a representative from the Displaced People in Action group, who are advocating that we have an opportunity to help Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in Wales to gain skill sets that will help them both integrate here and will be useful if and when they're able to return to their home countries. An example that has already been mentioned in the Chamber...
Joel James: 2. What initiatives does the Welsh Government have to help Ukrainian and Afghan refugees to integrate with Welsh communities? OQ57961
Joel James: —to install and upgrade networks. First Minister, what conversations has the Welsh Government had with industry to improve the efficiency of 5G roll-out, and what impact assessment has this Government made of the long-term negative effects of so many properties not being able to access next generation and gigabit-capable broadband? Thank you.
Joel James: Thank you, Minister. 5G connectivity is a central component in terms of this Government meeting its ambitions to have 30 per cent of the Welsh workforce working from home. In addition, many of your policies—for instance, reducing traffic to help improve air quality and reduce carbon dioxide emissions on the roads, and improving work-life balance and expanding the use of technology for...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. First Minister, how is this Welsh Government helping the lives of some of Wales's poorest people by allowing Labour-run RCT council to squeeze more and more council tax from them when they can ill afford it and when the council can seemingly sit on such substantial reserves? Thank you.
Joel James: First Minister, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council sits on one of the largest—if not the largest—bank balances of any local authority in Wales, with a staggering £171.3 million in useable reserves, down marginally from the £208 million it had previously. Despite these vast reserves, RCT council continually pleads poverty, and I can attest to this from a position of some authority...
Joel James: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on 5G coverage in Wales? OQ57951
