James Evans: Thank you for that, Minister. Actually, the data does state that we are having a serious, serious issue here with mental health in Wales, and I know you understand that. Maybe you didn't like the language I used, but that is where I see us going with this, unfortunately. Many vulnerable young children are still struggling to be seen by a professional—60 per cent of young children are still...
James Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, this is the first opportunity I've had to welcome you to your post and I look forward to working with you over the coming months and years ahead. Minister, we're currently facing a mental health epidemic here in Wales. Referrals are up, section 136 detentions are rising very sharply in young people and more young people are self-harming than ever before. So,...
James Evans: I'd like to thank the First Minister for his statement. I think it's right to highlight areas in which the Welsh Government and the UK Government, working together, have benefited Wales. We've seen the vaccine roll-out, which has been an absolute great success in keeping the residents of Wales safe. As I've mentioned earlier, about growth deals, they have been a great success in growing the...
James Evans: Thank you, First Minister, for that. Across mid Wales and Brecon and Radnorshire, we have the largest amount of small and medium-sized businesses in the whole of the country, which is a true testament to the hard-working people of our rural communities, who are the powerhouse of the Welsh economy. Many business owners I speak to across Wales always raise the issue with me of business rates....
James Evans: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the progress of the mid Wales growth deal? OQ56937
James Evans: Thank you. A four-day working week could potentially cause a two-tiered system with workers, with those who can actually work four days a week and those in our food processing industry, our farmers and our lorry drivers, who are keeping food on our tables and on our shelves, who can't. And as somebody—I know, yourself—who actually promotes fairness in the workplace, do you think that is...
James Evans: I just want to put on record that our ambulance crews and NHS workers are doing a fantastic job in the extremely difficult circumstances facing the NHS, and I want to thank every single one of them for the amazing work that they do. Last week, I raised the issue of poor ambulance response times in this Chamber. I was joined by a number of my Conservative colleagues and others, who are also...
James Evans: I, too, believe that we need to have diversity in our public appointments. I do declare an interest: I was a previous member of Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, and I was sent there by my local authority to represent the residents of Powys. When I got there, I was shocked and dismayed to see that some of the appointees to the national park didn't even reside within the park boundary,...
James Evans: Will the Counsel General confirm the Welsh Government's position on devolving policing and justice?
James Evans: Minister, I've read your statement with interest and I really do welcome the commitments that you've got in it to work with farmers, and especially, as has been mentioned around this Chamber, with active farmers. You and I used to meet before I ever came to this place, and that was something I always used to press with you, that support should go to active farmers. I'm also pleased at the £7...
James Evans: I'd like to declare an interest as a member of Powys County Council. First Minister, in my constituency, in Ystradgynlais, they are currently raising funds to try and secure the playing fields after the lease on the Welfare Ground playing fields expired. They need to find £100,000 to secure the lease. The community need to have access to recreational space to improve people's mental health...
James Evans: I'd like to pay tribute and thanks to my colleague Paul Davies, for allowing me to take part in this important debate. I pay tribute to the work and dedication that you have taken to enhance and protect our war memorials and our fallen heroes. Protection of our war memorials must not be overlooked by the Welsh Government or any Government, and I support calls for a cross-party consensus on...
James Evans: Minister, on back British and Welsh farming day, I would just like to personally thank all the farmers across Brecon and Radnorshire for the absolutely amazing work they do in protecting our environment and also having food security. But, Minister, farm businesses have had to diversify, due to ever-changing landscapes, and many farmers have had to diversify into the poultry industry as a...
James Evans: Will the Minister make a statement on future funding being provided to Powys County Council?
James Evans: Deputy Minister, this Bill, I think, does also present opportunities for Wales, I think especially around public procurement. As a previous local government cabinet member for economy, one of the things that I used to have all the time from businesses across Powys was, 'How can we get into public procurement? How can we help develop the local economy?' And I do think we need to be bold here...
James Evans: Minister, I hear your comments around elective surgery and getting people out of hospital to free up beds, but my colleague Russell George asked you a question—do you agree that the Welsh ambulance service is in crisis—and I'd be really grateful if you could answer that comment. But, Minister, even before the pandemic, we were seeing waiting list times increasing, with people right across...
James Evans: Like my colleague Paul Davies, I have also been contacted by large numbers of constituents, concerned about ambulance waiting times. Our hard-working ambulance crews and accident and emergency teams are amazing, working tirelessly, but ambulance crews are spending all of their shifts sat outside hospitals, waiting to hand over patients, causing long delays, leaving rural communities like mine...
James Evans: I welcome calls to establish an independent public inquiry into the Welsh Labour Government's handling of the pandemic, separate to a UK-wide inquiry. A year ago, my colleagues in the Welsh Conservatives, along with health professionals, and, most importantly, the bereaved families of the people who have died in Wales from COVID-19, called for this inquiry, and a year to the day this Welsh...
James Evans: First Minister, I welcome your announcement today, and I particularly welcome the move into alert level 1, moving to alert level 0 for outdoors. So, it gives things like the Green Man Festival in my constituency the confidence now to go ahead and that gives people a real boost in their mental health as well—they can actually physically go somewhere and have a good time. And I also welcome...
James Evans: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I raised yesterday in the business statement that we're seeing a rise in young people accessing mental health support across Wales. As you and I know, sport plays a very key role in helping young people's physical and mental health. It installs discipline, teaches teamwork and helps people to live active and healthy lives. So, Minister, will you look, in...
