Caroline Jones: Formally.
Caroline Jones: Minister, small business is the backbone of our economy and needs a low tax, red-tape-free environment in order to thrive. However, the biggest barrier to growth currently is poor infrastructure. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, a majority of businesses in Wales have found they're affected by Government making decisions on infrastructure. It's not just the Government's failure...
Caroline Jones: Trefnydd, whilst the initial plans were not favourable, the potential for tidal lagoons to address the climate emergency and our impending energy crisis cannot be overstated. Trefnydd, an ideal way of trialling the technology would be through a smaller-scale project in conjunction with a heavy energy user. Would the Welsh Government consider a joint venture with Port Talbot steelworks in...
Caroline Jones: No, I never did. I always—. No, no, no. I always wanted devolution, and I was always in favour—. I was always in favour of it. So, there we are. So, he—[Interruption.] So, he's got it wrong there, but he never really did know the people that he was supposed to be leading anyway. So, we'll leave that—[Interruption.] So, we'll leave that there. So, I would just like to—[Interruption.]...
Caroline Jones: Of course I do. It hasn't been decided yet. So—
Caroline Jones: So, we had Mark—. The first contribution was obviously from Mark Reckless, who highlighted that we would like for rail to be devolved to Wales. We want more devolution. And he spoke of the importance of infrastructure and highlighted the importance of connectivity, as did David Rowlands. I am interested in Rhun's contribution, because he has stated about infrastructure as well and how it...
Caroline Jones: It hasn't been decided upon yet, David.
Caroline Jones: Would he like to stand up for an intervention, Llywydd, please?
Caroline Jones: Okay. We will—[Interruption.] We will therefore be voting against all of the Welsh Government's amendments. We believe, as do the majority of the Welsh public, that we are better off outside of the EU and we firmly believe that, by Welsh Government seeking to ignore the results of the 2016 referendum, they are abandoning democracy. We will be supporting the Welsh Conservatives' amendment....
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. Before I come on to individual contributions, I’d just like to put the view forward that the union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is one of the greatest and long-lasting unions in history, and for well over 300 years this union has endured. And, despite calls for independence— and initially, when devolution when devolution was given to Wales,...
Caroline Jones: Not another one, sorry. They will be demonstrating how out of touch they really are with public opinion. By giving the vote to those who reject our society’s rules, you are in danger of disillusioning ordinary voters—voters who won’t turn out at future elections because they refuse to vote for an out-of-touch political elite. And for what? A handful of votes from people convicted of a...
Caroline Jones: Go on, Huw.
Caroline Jones: Nobody has written anyone off, Huw, but what I am saying is that when people are rehabilitated, then they have the right to come back in and have that vote. It’s been a long-established practice in our country that those who break the laws of our nation lose the right to have any say in the making of those laws, and we should not abandon that practice. By breaking our laws, prisoners have...
Caroline Jones: I thank the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee for their report on voting rights for prisoners. I was not a member of the committee during their inquiry, but had I been, I would have joined Mark Isherwood and Mohammad Asghar in opposing the recommendations. It must be noted that prisoners on remand do have the right to vote, and I do not agree with the premise that prisoners...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for that answer, Minister. There is at least a £0.5 billion backlog in building maintenance. I say 'at least' because most local health boards cannot even afford to do the assessments necessary to determine the extent of maintenance issues—maintenance issues that are impacting upon patient care. BBC Wales heard from staff at the University Hospital of Wales who stated that there...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, our NHS buildings are in a bad state of repair, and some are falling down. There is a £0.25 billion backlog of works deemed to pose high or significant risk. Thirteen per cent of the estate is not safety compliant. Of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust buildings, only a little over a third of them are deemed to be functionally suitable. Minister, you have...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. Decarbonising our housing is the biggest challenge that we face, and I therefore welcome the report on the decarbonisation of homes in Wales advisory group. I, too, would like to thank the group for their wide-ranging report, which helps to highlight the stark challenges that we all face. I'm pleased that you've accepted the recommendations of the...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. The need to address Wales's desperate need for housing, particularly affordable housing, whilst at the same time tackling climate change, is crucial, which is why schemes such as the innovative housing programme are so important, because a lack of affordable housing impacts upon so many lives and our communities. So, I welcome this latest update on the...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, the news that Ineos will be producing project Grenadier in the region will be welcome relief for my constituents in Ogmore and the wider South Wales West region. However, we must diversify and futureproof our jobs market if we are to change the economic fortunes of Ogmore and the wider region. First Minister, how will your Government equip the current and future workforce with...
Caroline Jones: Not another one, sorry. Oh, go on. Go on.
