Caroline Jones: I will be supporting the amendments in this group. The climate crisis and ecological emergency may be the biggest challenge facing us, but it is younger and future generations who will have to deal with the impact and the costs of our inaction to date. For future generations, the impact we have had on our climate and upon our ecosystems is not just an environmental issue. They will have to be...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. The tragic consequence of the measures to control the spread of COVID-19 has been the dramatic fall in the numbers of people with symptoms of cancer seeking treatment. The study conducted by Cancer Research UK found that almost half of people with potential cancer symptoms did not contact their GP during the first wave of the pandemic. Apart from reinforcing the...
Caroline Jones: 8. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve cancer diagnostics in light of the coronavirus pandemic? OQ56376
Caroline Jones: While we agree with the sentiment behind Plaid's motion, we cannot support it. We do need to end child hunger, however, we will not do that by extending free school meals to all children, which is the logical conclusion of the motion before us. We have limited resources and they have to be targeted at those most in need. We will, therefore, be supporting the Welsh Government's amendment. I'm...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I would like to, once again, thank all those who have made this enormous task possible and all those who will move heaven and earth to vaccinate us all in the coming months. I'm pleased to say that, last Thursday, in Margam, they had 100 per cent turnout, which is a tremendous result. In a few weeks, we will have delivered vaccines to all those in the...
Caroline Jones: I would like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling this important debate, and of course we support the motion. Death is one of the only inevitabilities of life. Enabling each of us to die well is a hallmark of a compassionate society. Unfortunately, we haven't always provided the best end-of-life care, and this has been exacerbated by the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Last year, we...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Minister. As the species champion for the fen raft spider, I'm acutely aware that Wales has experienced a startling decline in ecosystem resilience. I'm grateful that the Welsh Government have made commitments to tackle the decline in our biodiversity, but this is a growing issue worldwide, and needs legally binding targets to be set. The conference on the convention on biological...
Caroline Jones: 3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support the convention on biological diversity? OQ56228
Caroline Jones: Thank you for the update, Minister, and my thoughts are with everyone affected. The fact that the independent review found that two thirds of the women affected would have had vastly different outcomes if only they had better care is a travesty, and this finding must place further stress on those affected, and I hope that those affected by this finding are receiving the additional support...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your update, Minister, and a huge thanks to the army of people responsible for ensuring that over 13 per cent of the Welsh population have received a first dose of the vaccine, not forgetting the help we receive from our armed forces during this pandemic. Minister, in the next few weeks, we begin the roll-out of our second doses. What steps are you taking to ensure that the...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, whilst nobody would advocate opening up attractions before it is safe to do so, we also have to accept that the industry has taken massive precautions to make their businesses as secure as they can with regard to COVID. And what the industry really needs is a clear pathway to opening back up. So, First Minister, can you publish guidelines for the reopening of the visitor...
Caroline Jones: The coronavirus pandemic has had a drastic impact on our health and care systems. Not only have waiting times for treatments vastly increased, but we have also seen fewer people seeking help for fear of contracting a disease that has killed millions of people in the past 12 months. So, whilst this issue has affected all services, it's keenly felt in stroke services. Stroke is one of the...
Caroline Jones: Minister, the fact that it will take at least six months to rectify the cause of the blowout will mean that residents will need long-term help, particularly if there are other adverse weather events. What additional support will the Welsh Government be providing to the local authority who are already dealing with the fallout of other repercussions of the region's mining past? From landslides...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Minister. I recently contacted you regarding the plight of gaming arcades, and in your response you state that you had to take difficult decisions on eligibility criteria. These businesses, which your Government has classified as being the same as casinos or licensed betting establishments—which they're not—are being denied the same support as other leisure businesses in Wales....
Caroline Jones: 1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve the economy of South Wales West in light of the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56189
Caroline Jones: I have to say at the outset that my preference is for the Senedd elections to go ahead as planned on 6 May, but only if is safe to do so, because we are in the middle of an unpredictable pandemic that kills hundreds of people in Wales each week. Thousands of people have died in the past year, and thousands more are left struggling to breathe or battling terrible fatigue for many months, and...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I hope and pray that you are able to meet all your targets. Minister, are you content that we are administering every dose that we receive? There is widespread concern that the length of time between the two doses is far too great. Will you publish the JCVI advice that you have used to inform your decision to increase the time between the doses? Can you...
Caroline Jones: Minister, those fortunate enough to leave hospital following admission for COVID-19 not only face many months of physical recuperation, they also have to come to terms with the mental trauma they have suffered. New research shows that one in five survivors will develop mental illness and many survivors struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder for months after leaving hospital. It has also...
Caroline Jones: Minister, I have grave concerns about the safety of those in assisted living, particularly adults with learning difficulties. Understandably, the pandemic has put health and care systems under tremendous strain, but we can't neglect the most vulnerable or place them at greater risk. I've been contacted by constituents concerned about family members being put at greater risk of contracting...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and I would like to place on record my thanks to the chief inspector and his team and wish him well in the future. Also, a huge 'thank you' to all the teachers and staff who have done all they can to limit the impact the pandemic has had on young people's education during the past 12 months. The chief inspector highlighted, in his report, how digital...
