Rebecca Evans: You wouldn’t expect me to make commitments that relate to another portfolio.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for that question. Obviously, that would be a matter for the Minister with responsibility in this area to consider—
Rebecca Evans: I am continuing with my answer to let you know that, under the WFG Act, the public health outcome framework does have an indicator that specifically relates to making the average concentration of nitrogen dioxide at dwellings one of Wales’s national well-being and public health framework outcomes. So, it’s very much at the centre in terms of what we would expect in terms of data...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those points. Jenny does paint a very stark picture of the dangers posed by air pollution and, by contrast, the benefits offered by active travel, in terms of health, environment and the financial benefits of walking and cycling as well. We’re making good progress now in the implementation of our Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013. I’m really pleased that our local...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. The health benefits of sustainable transport modes are clearly evidenced. These include better air quality and mental and physical health and well-being. Journeys to school are a focus for our effort to increase the use of sustainable transport, with substantial investment in walking and cycling routes to schools, funding for pedestrian and cycle training, and promotion of active...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate today and to reaffirm the Welsh Government’s strength of commitment to delivering the improvements that people with autism, their parents and their carers tell us they want to see. Since we last debated autism in this Chamber, good progress has been made. The implementation of the Social Services and...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for that question. I do think there will be some really tangible benefits from hosting the UEFA Champions League final. For example, there’ll be a maxi-pitch, which is a gift from UEFA to the city of Cardiff for hosting the event, and that will be in Grangetown. It will be free to use for communities; I think that’s really important. We’ll also have the floating pitch out in...
Rebecca Evans: Major sporting events can provide a step on our journey toward a healthy and active nation. The UEFA Champions League final is one of the biggest and most prestigious sporting events worldwide. The FAW Trust is working with partners to use the event to inspire more people to play football and sport, thereby supporting active communities.
Rebecca Evans: I completely agree that schools do have a crucially important role to play in terms of managing pollution when children are being dropped off at school, because we know that the start and the end of the day are particular points at which children are exposed to high levels of air pollution. That’s partly because of the school run, and that brings into focus all the important work that we...
Rebecca Evans: Well, I thank you very much for that question and would reiterate that the Welsh Government does recognise the seriousness of air pollution and the impact that it does have on public health, because we have recognised this through our public health outcomes framework indicators, in which we actually specifically include the average concentration of nitrogen dioxide at dwellings as one of...
Rebecca Evans: The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs leads for the Welsh Government on air quality, and her officials continue to have significant engagement with their UK counterparts on matters such as UK-wide air quality modelling, EU legislation on trans-boundary air pollution, EU reporting, air quality research, and air pollution episodes.
Rebecca Evans: When you initially see that there’s a right for carers to have statutory leave, fantastic, and then you see it’s an unpaid year off work, and then you realise that that is going to be completely out of the reach of most people who are carers, unfortunately. I don’t know many carers who can afford to take a year off work, and it just seems again that it’s a Conservative policy from the...
Rebecca Evans: I prioritised respite for carers because this is one of the areas that carers repeatedly tell us that they need more support in, and we need to look after our carers to ensure that they’re able to continue to look after the people who they care for in return. So, I will be working up the specific details in terms of what we will be requiring from local authorities with regard to the funding...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for the question and for the warm welcome that you have given to our additional funding and additional investment in social care in Wales. And, just for the benefit of Members, the additional funding that I announced today did include that extra £9 million to help meet the pressures of the national living wage within the sector, but also a further £8 million to support...
Rebecca Evans: I’d like to thank both spokespeople for their comments today and for their support for the Bill, and look forward to implementation of the Bill now, because I do think it has real potential in terms of improving the public health of the people of Wales, and I look forward to collaborating with and engaging with Members across the Assembly in terms of the implementation phase, which we’ll...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I formally move the motion. I am delighted to introduce the fourth and final stage of the Public Health (Wales) Bill before the Assembly today. This Bill has had a long journey to reach this point, through various stages of consultation and further refinement. Today marks the culmination of that journey. I’d like to begin by thanking the Chairs and members of...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I’m glad to have this opportunity to reply to the debate and I do thank Caroline Jones for leading this debate today and also for telling us about the good work of Bulldogs Boxing and Community Activities. Also, thank you to Gareth Bennett for describing some of the good work done by Cardiff Riding School. The Welsh Government recognises the benefits of ensuring that communities...
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Yes, formally.
