James Evans: Oh, I can get through 30 seconds no problem. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. It's lovely to see one Plaid Cymru Member here, but it's a shame that Labour have neglected this, as they have neglected it for many years. Many towns in my constituency, like Builth Wells, Penybont, Ystradgynlais, Brecon, Crickhowell—I could go on like Janet Finch-Saunders, but I won't—are suffering with flooding...
James Evans: The world is standing at a crossroads, where countries across the world can mindlessly continue on their current path, using the world's fossil fuels at an alarming rate, destroying vast areas of natural habitat and cutting down trees to feed our desire for palm oil and avocados, importing vast amounts of goods and non-seasonal foods and continuing to litter our oceans and our natural...
James Evans: Minister, could I ask for a statement on support for the hospitality sector during the winter months? Pubs are the cultural hub of our communities, providing good home-cooked food, good local ales and that warm Welsh welcome when we have visitors to our pubs. But with the First Minister floating the idea of extending vaccine passes to the hospitality sector if COVID rates don't go down in the...
James Evans: What is the Welsh Government doing to educate young people on the dangers of social media?
James Evans: Diolch, Llywydd, and I hope you'll be flexible with my minute. I'd like to thank Sam Kurtz for giving a minute of his time today, but, more than that, I'd like to thank the whole of the YFC movement in Radnorshire for giving me the skills and the opportunity to be able to stand here today and speak in this debate. YFC does a huge amount of work to develop young people, from public speaking...
James Evans: Yes, Joyce, I'll take an intervention.
James Evans: Thank you, Joyce. Actually, teachers' pay is devolved to the Government. So, if you have an issue with what teachers are paid, I take it that you should have a look at the front bench and take it up with the Minister himself. I do hope that the Government does look to ensure that teachers' wages are an issue that is dealt with, because we are finding recruitment to my area of mid Wales...
James Evans: Teaching is an honourable profession. We all have family members, friends and acquaintances who teach. We have all benefited from the hard work, dedication, effort and love that our teachers showed us from our early years and then when we became adults. We all hold fond memories and perhaps not so fond memories of our time in school. It is a vital time in our lives when we learn so much, not...
James Evans: Minister, when I woke up this morning and I found out that this commission was going to be looking at independence, I was absolutely shocked, but I wasn't surprised. Do you know, it made me think that this commission is likely going to be packed with independence sympathisers? One of the co-chairs leading the commission is a former Plaid Cymru candidate, and I'm not quite sure that sends the...
James Evans: Because that's how you level up the economy, Minister. Do you agree?
James Evans: Yes, I'm coming now, Deputy Llywydd. I think you could have gone further. So, Minister, will you now look to invest in infrastructure to attract big businesses? Will you support them by cutting business rates and empowering young people by creating more skilled jobs, developing more homes, investing more money in education and training and levelling up the whole of the country outside of Cardiff?
James Evans: I'd like to thank the Minister for your statement. The title of this particular statement was 'Moving the Welsh Economy Forward', and it's really refreshing to hear a Welsh Labour Government Minister who wants to move the economy forward. But this does come from a Minister whose party has been in Government here in Wales for the past 20-plus years. Welsh workers have the lowest weekly wages...
James Evans: Trefnydd, can I ask for an urgent statement from the Minister for Climate Change on the NRW phosphate guidance, which has inadvertently sent the planning system, in my constituency and across parts of Wales, into gridlock? Water pollution is an issue that needs to be tackled, and no-one would deny that, however, what we have seen from NRW is that they have identified an issue, but failed to...
James Evans: First Minister, your Government's proposal to ban snares would have a significant impact on farmers, gamekeepers and land managers. Control of predators by farmers and gamekeepers is imperative to protect both livestock and biodiversity. Predator management is an important conservation issue. Foxes, among other predators, are a factor in biodiversity decline, targeting ground-nesting birds....
James Evans: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, thank you very much for your statement. I want to mention World Mental Health Day and the significance that that day has to raise the profile of those people who are suffering with their mental health. And I want to put on the record my best wishes to my friend and colleague Andrew R.T. Davies, who I hope makes a speedy recovery, and also to my brave...
James Evans: Another week in the Senedd and once again the same old Welsh Labour—more debates about powers and wanting more devolution to raise taxes, which will eventually hurt the hard-working people of Wales. One thing I've learnt since becoming a Senedd Member is that the Government of Wales don't really want to tackle the issues facing our country, and they want to use this precious time to debate...
James Evans: No-one could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world 18 months ago. Its impact has changed all our lives, turned the economy upside down, and changed the relationship between those in positions of power and the people of this great nation forever. The conversations around COVID-19 restrictions are not straightforward. They're complex, they're intricate, and the public have...
James Evans: First Minister, many people, including myself, are rightly concerned about the health of our planet and the mental health of our young people. I remember when people of my age in school were shown a documentary on Al Gore predicting a doomsday scenario unless radical changes were made, and the world as we know it would be over in 2006. I'm glad to stay we're still here. However, this is...
James Evans: Just as a reply to Jenny Rathbone, the reason there are pressures on Monmouthshire is because your Government never built houses to start with, that was the problem. Minister, as we all know, our roads throughout Wales and the United Kingdom are the vital arteries that connect us all. Mankind has skilfully created an intricate network of roads that connect communities right across Wales and...
James Evans: Thank you for that, Minister. As you can tell, children's mental health and young people's mental health is something that's really, really important to me, and early help and intervention is really, really important. I think, between you and me, to highlight what the third sector can do as well, to really help young people in those early stages, is very, very important. However, with that in...
