Janet Finch-Saunders: I also want to thank my colleague Ken Skates for putting together a budget. It's never easy doing that, certainly not when none of us know the ever-increasing costs with energy and the cost-of-living crisis. It's probably one of the hardest budgets you've had to put together, not helped of course by Senedd reform. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all our Commission staff that...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Now, you don't need me to tell you that, across north Wales, we have a severe shortage of housing accommodation. During 2021-22, 1,126 people contacted Gwynedd Council because they were homeless—50 per cent more than in 2018-19. Around 2,000 are on the list for social housing in Conwy County Borough Council, and in Wrexham, the number of individuals classed as homeless has more...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 7. What assessment has the Minister made of the amount of empty housing stock on public authority-owned land? OQ58730
Janet Finch-Saunders: I'd very much like a statement from the Minister for health and the Minister for social care on the number of unsafe discharges from hospital. I'll declare an interest at this point because this example I'm going to give now involves a very close 98-year-old family relative. Two weeks ago, this relative suffered as a result of a car accident and was taken into hospital, and suffered a...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Trefnydd, as we all know, section 25A of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 does place a duty on local health boards to have sufficient nurses to allow the nurses time to care sensitively for patients wherever nursing services are provided or commissioned. Registered nurse vacancies in Betsi board stood at 736.5 in August this year, up from 541 in November 2020. Now, whilst...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the effectiveness of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016? OQ58729
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Welsh Labour would have you believe that they are working incredibly hard to ensure those buildings affected by the cladding issues are safe, and I'm sorry, Members, but this is simply not the case. As of last month, only 68 of 163 buildings had received intrusive surveys. Over five and a half years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the fact that leaseholders are still...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I was just going to say: will the Member at least recognise that we do have devolution, and, in instances where you have a situation like this, significant sums of money have come from the UK Government? So, some of those failings that you indicate, you can't blame them, when they've gone on and rolled out their broadband very quickly indeed. If there are any delays in the rolling of it out...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Can you deny the millions of pounds that have come in here from the UK Government?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Well, I beg to differ with my colleague from over on those benches there, but, actually, the UK Government, over the years, has provided significant resources, and the actual roll-out has been the responsibility of the Welsh Government. So, let's put the blame where the blame lies—
Janet Finch-Saunders: No, I'm sorry—[Interruption.] I'm allowed a little bit of extra time.
Janet Finch-Saunders: This report was on behalf of our committee in this Welsh Parliament about the ability of this Welsh Government to deliver on its promises in terms of broadband. They've actually accepted all recommendations. That tells me, and it tells everybody out there, that that work needs to be done, and that the Welsh Government is failing. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes, sure.
Janet Finch-Saunders: I thank our Chairman for his comments just now. I'm really pleased to see that the Welsh Government has accepted all 10 of the main recommendations contained within our committee's report on digital connectivity. I strongly welcome all efforts made to improve digital connectivity, but the committee report does go on to ask questions about the Welsh Government's overall strategy to ensure that...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Like others, I too was shocked at the sudden closure of the Menai bridge and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that there were repairs needed to that bridge long before the closure came. Now, there's the potential for this to be closed for up to four months. The closure in itself is impacting already on my local constituents in Aberconwy. Many work in the businesses there and work...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Of course, we know and we opposed on these benches the Welsh Government introducing the—oh, thank you for your statement, by the way, Minister—the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021. I believe that's a battle that we've lost, and I do feel sorry for those farmers. [Interruption.] Hold on. I feel sorry for those farmers who have no recorded...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you to Plaid Cymru and Delyth Jewell for bringing forward this really important and serious debate. We know that COVID-19 highlighted serious weaknesses that already existed in our food system. While some dairy farmers were pouring milk down the drain, we had many empty supermarket shelves, even in the dairy section. However, the pandemic started a brilliant buy...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Announcing the consultation on the statue law (repeals) (Wales) Bill, you did advise that the measure would tackle the 'disorganised state of our vast and sprawling statute book.' I acknowledge that provisions can fall out of use or are never commenced. However, I am concerned that this work is going to contribute to the delay we are experiencing in the implementation of new Welsh...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I am doing. As a woman in politics for over the last 28 years elected, I find this insulting, what you propose going forward. Will the Counsel General make public any legal advice concerning the power of the Welsh Government to make this unprecedented intervention in the way in which politicians in Wales are elected? Diolch.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. There are clearly serious legal and constitutional questions as to whether the Welsh Government indeed has any such power to introduce radical changes to our electoral laws. Attempting to enforce these quotas at a national level on all parties is completely without precedent in our democracy. It also raises the question of those who do not identify as either male or female and thus...
