Rebecca Evans: I think the intermediate care fund is providing us with just that evidence. We have a £60 million intermediate care fund, which is really transforming the way that local authorities and health boards work together, including meeting people’s needs. Just this morning, I was in Ystradgynlais, seeing the good work that they’re doing there in terms of bringing together health and social...
Rebecca Evans: The decision to invest further in social care this year is a direct reflection of the discussions that we have had with experts in the field. We held three round tables with local government, with providers and others, in order to listen to the challenges of the social care sector, and work out a way we can collaboratively respond to them. So, Welsh Government is providing extra...
Rebecca Evans: The budget this year gave extra allocations to social services. We gave an initial £25 million to social services, £4.5 million to reflect the uplift that we’ve given in terms of the capital limit, and a further £10 million that was specifically in grant form this year to address the challenges that local authorities and the sector are facing with regard to implementing the new national...
Rebecca Evans: The initiative that you describe in Newport—I haven’t had the opportunity yet to come and visit, but I’d be really keen to do so because I do know that that is a really good example of partners all coming together in order to address physical activity and well-being and health more widely. In terms of the well-being bond, this project is very much at its infancy in terms of the concept...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Also, thank you for dealing with that point so I didn’t have to. I’d like to thank Members for what I think has, on the whole, been a really interesting and useful debate. ‘Taking Wales Forward’ commits us to developing and delivering four cross-cutting, Government-wide strategies, including our healthy and active strategy. So, this approach will...
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motion. The two sets of regulations before the Assembly were consulted upon over the summer and support the first phase of implementing the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. They relate to the new system of workforce registration required under the Act. The Social Care Wales (Extension of Meaning of ‘Social Care Worker’) Regulations...
Rebecca Evans: I am pleased to speak to this legislative consent motion today. I’d like to begin by thanking members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for their scrutiny of the memorandum, and I’m pleased that the committee has not raised any objection to the agreement of the motion. The UK Government introduced the Children and Social Work Bill into Parliament on 19 May 2016. Having...
Rebecca Evans: I’m very grateful to Jenny Rathbone, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Vikki Howells, Angela Burns and Dai Lloyd for choosing to focus on important public health issues in the individual Members’ debate they’ve tabled this afternoon, the spirit of which is consistent with our commitment to support people to be healthy and active. I really welcome all of the thoughtful contributions that have been made....
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for that question and I’m very pleased that Members have chosen to have a debate on public health with regard to the individual Members’ debate this afternoon. I’m really looking forward to hearing the ideas that Members from all parties will come forward with, because we are interested in what works and we’re interested in innovative ideas, so I look forward to the debate...
Rebecca Evans: Well, I’m pleased that you have recognised the success that we have made in terms of driving down smoking levels, which are at their lowest level since records began. And we’re making really good progress towards our target of 16 per cent by 2020. You’re absolutely correct that tackling obesity is a very complex issue, and it does involve things such as taxation and advertising. We’re...
Rebecca Evans: Well, it’s very difficult to give a particular answer in terms of pounds and pence as to what we spend on this agenda, because it is so wide ranging. Our approach to it takes in active travel, for example, so there’s all the work that we’re doing through the department that Ken Skates leads, but also work that we’re doing in terms of our support for public health more generally—our...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I thank all Members who’ve contributed to what I think has been a really helpful and constructive debate this afternoon, and in concluding I’d like to set out our continued commitment to and support for older people. I think this is reinforced in the specific actions that we’ve set out in our programme for government, ‘Taking Wales Forward’. We’ve discussed some of...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I am pleased to open this debate on the annual impact and reach report from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. I’d like to take this opportunity to put on record my thanks to Sarah Rochira and her team for the invaluable work that they do to improve the lives of older people across Wales. It’s clear from the report that the commissioner has continued her impressive...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for giving me this opportunity to put on record my thanks to all of the staff at Sport Wales who are doing a really great job in really difficult circumstances. So, I appreciate the opportunity to put on record that thanks and also to reassure Members that the day-to-day business of Sport Wales is continuing throughout this period.
Rebecca Evans: I think I’ve described the situation under which the decision was arrived at last week. There’s no intention to appoint an interim board while the assurance review is undertaken over the course of the next eight weeks, because governance arrangements currently exist for Sport Wales. So, any business or any issues that the chief executive would normally bring to the attention of the board...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for those questions. I think it’s important to recognise that Welsh Government did act swiftly and appropriately and in the best interests of the organisation. Officials had been aware that there were some tensions within the board over the past two to three weeks, but the expectation really was that the normal governance processes would enable the board to manage this and...
Rebecca Evans: Last Wednesday, all Sport Wales board activities were suspended by Welsh Government until a governance assurance review is completed. I provided a written statement to Members yesterday setting out the circumstances and the terms of reference for the assurance review. It would be inappropriate of me to comment further on this matter until the review has been completed.
Rebecca Evans: Well, I think it’s always important to speak directly to people affected by conditions or with certain protected characteristics themselves—so, talking directly to them, as well as to the groups and organisations who represent them. So, I would hope that older people would be involved in, certainly, the production of the local plans through the work of regional partnership boards, driving...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. The Welsh Government recognises and values the contribution that older people across Wales have made and continue to make within our communities. I’m proud that we’ve led the way with our groundbreaking strategy for older people. First launched in 2003, it’s been recognised by the Institute for Public Policy Research as the most coherent long-term commitment to improving the...
