Julie James: Yes, well, that's very timely, actually, as it happens, because we have announced a rapid review of gender-focused policy, and I put the terms of reference for that in the Members' Library last week. So, we're hoping to bring forward the first proper results from that, including differing arrangements, where necessary, for monitoring and evaluating and taking things forward, such as the...
Julie James: On that first one, the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services is in the process, I know, of a complex discussion with the UK Government about the department of justice policy in Wales and the interaction of various parts of that. And I'm sure that once those discussions are at a point where he can update the Chamber, he'll be very pleased to do so. I don't he's quite at...
Julie James: I agree entirely with the Member that we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our veterans. The Cabinet Secretary for public services did set out his views on the matter very plainly and, of course, the Member will have opportunities to question him, during his own question time, on any further action necessary. But I would like to underline what he said, which is of course that we all...
Julie James: Delayed transfers of care are lower this year than they have been in the past and, of course, because of this Government's policy to jointly fund social care and the NHS, we have a great deal fewer problems with this than we see elsewhere. But all western Governments have this problem; it's not a unique problem to the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government has worked extremely well across the...
Julie James: Well, I'm sorry to hear the Member feels that way. The Minister is here, listening to his point of view. Our point of view is very different to that. We think this is the start of a long process. There will be lots of opportunities to scrutinise the policy as it goes through, including regulation and legislation. So, I'm sorry he feels like that. No disrespect is intended to this Chamber. The...
Julie James: Yes, indeed. Mike Hedges makes an extremely important point. The UK Government has chosen to protect taxpayers from exposure to all of the costs of waste and decommissioning liabilities of new nuclear power plants through the Energy Act 2008. Our understanding is that the total decommissioning costs within the funded decommissioning plan, including the contingency, are estimated to be around...
Julie James: On the first point, I'd very much like to see a Labour Government in the UK, and, of course, what we'd then have is a reversal of the choice austerity policies and a renewal of the proper funding arrangements for Wales, which would, of course, allow us to put a public holiday in. In the current circumstances of the billions of pounds taken out of the Welsh Government's budget, on any real...
Julie James: Well, the Cabinet Secretary has heard your obviously heartfelt sentiments on the subject. It is a consultation and we do need to wait until the outcome of the consultation so that we get all views before responding.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Business for the next three weeks is shown on the business statement and announcement, found among the meeting papers, which are available to Members electronically.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I just want to be absolutely clear that the Government abstained in the vote to take forward this emergency debate, not because we don't think this is a very important subject—because clearly it is a very important subject of the deepest and most profound significance—but because we believe that international affairs and decisions about whether to launch military action...
Julie James: I think that many Members have also pointed out that it's not the issue about transition to equality in state pension age that's the question here; it's the manner in which the changes were communicated, the speed with which they were done, and the removal of the transitional arrangements in 2011 that we have a serious problem with. The UK Government has a responsibility towards the women...
Julie James: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In rising in this debate, I'm delighted to do so. I'm actually very grateful to UKIP for bringing the debate forward. It's a matter of extreme importance to all of us. I too also need to make a declaration of interest as I am one of the women affected, having been born in the 1950s. Fortunately, like Caroline Jones, I'm still in work and so not so badly...
Julie James: Formally.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. International affairs and decisions whether to launch military action against another sovereign nation are non-devolved matters and, as such, are normally debated in the Houses of Parliament rather than here in the National Assembly for Wales. Debating the UK air strikes in Syria in this Chamber risks blurring the lines between what is debated in the National Assembly and in...
Julie James: Absolutely. I'm very happy to agree with that and I completely endorse the comments that Leanne Wood has made. As it happens, I'm chairing a meeting of the Valleys taskforce on Monday morning that is wholly to do with digital and digital connectivity and that will be very much at the forefront of that meeting with a view to doing exactly that. And, amongst the many things I outlined...
Julie James: We continue to undertake a number of measures to facilitate the improvement of mobile internet connectivity across all parts of Wales, including the delivery of the mobile action plan, the trialling of small cell technologies, continued discussions around 5G and the delivery of the essential backhaul fibre network.
Julie James: Actually, as it happens, I've just come hot-foot from chairing the Women in STEM board that I chair and we've just expanded the membership of the board to include people from industry for exactly that reason. So, the Member makes a very timely and good point. And one of the things that the board has been highlighting to me is this whole issue about societal mores, if you like. Why are there...
Julie James: Our actions are focused on providing women with the opportunities and support they need to enter, re-enter and progress in the workplace in order to achieve and prosper. This includes our childcare offer, encouraging women into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, training and upskilling programmes, all-age apprenticeships and tackling discrimination in the workplace.
Julie James: Yes, I'm aware of both of those aspects already. In a recent refugee and asylum group that, again, I chair, that was raised and we raised with the Home Office unintended consequences of some of their policies, because some of these things are happening because of the issue about no recourse to public funds until you've got various levels of status. Unfortunately, we're seeking to extend...
Julie James: Interestingly enough, this came up in—. I chaired the inter-faith forum earlier this week and it had a conversation about refreshing this strategy and what we can do to ensure that asylum seekers with professional qualifications, which are obviously of huge use to both them and to our economy, can make the most of those qualifications. The discussion was highlighted around the successful...
