Lynne Neagle: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motion. The regulations that we are debating today make amendments to domestic legislation applying in relation to Wales on food and feed safety and hygiene. These amendments are required to improve the clarity and accessibility of Welsh domestic food and feed safety and hygiene legislation following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, and to correct references...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Mark. Clearly, empowering communities is a key part of what we're doing and I very much support us taking a strength-based approach to that work. As I said, we also launched the real-time suicide surveillance system, which will provide earlier access to information to help inform future prevention work, but, vitally, ensure appropriate support for those bereaved by suicide who...
Lynne Neagle: Well, it's funny you should say that, because I was just coming on to community assets. I also recognise the importance of community assets. Our long-running communities facilities programme and our new and innovative community assets loan fund are just some of the ways we recognise and support ongoing development of infrastructure for community hubs, working with community partners to...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank Jenny Rathbone for tabling this debate today? We know that our health and well-being are not determined by access to healthcare services alone, but by a whole host of social, economic and environmental considerations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact. The direct health impacts of COVID and long COVID, the changes to the way...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, Altaf, for that question. Tackling the public health challenges you've outlined is absolutely a priority for Welsh Government. As you've highlighted, obesity and smoking are drivers of inequalities, given their impact on people's life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, and people who are from the most deprived areas are more likely to be obese or to smoke than those...
Lynne Neagle: Improving public health is identified as a priority within 'A Healthier Wales', our long-term strategy for health and social care. This is supported by plans such as our tobacco control and 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategies.
Lynne Neagle: There are now specialist perinatal mental health services in every health board area in Wales, supported by over £3m of mental health service improvement funding annually. A condition of this funding is that health boards are required to work towards meeting the relevant Royal College of Psychiatrists’ quality standards.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you to Laura Anne Jones for that. Smoking is, of course, extremely damaging to health, and stopping smoking is the single most important step someone can take to improve their health. We recognise that, for some people, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products are being used to help them to stop smoking, and current evidence suggests they are substantially less harmful than smoking...
Lynne Neagle: Whilst we recognise that e-cigarettes are being used by some of those wanting to quit smoking, the evidence around their long-term impact is still emerging. We intend to look closely at our policy on e-cigarettes in Wales, including for smoking cessation, as part of our new tobacco control delivery plan.
Lynne Neagle: Well, I think you'll find, James, that there is no section 151 of the Mental Health Act. Obviously, there are protections in place under the law to detain people who are in mental health crisis. We want to see the numbers of young people who are being detained reduced. That's why we're investing all this money in early intervention, prevention, in sanctuary services and in crisis care. But...
Lynne Neagle: Had the Member been here yesterday and joined us for my statement on our 'Together for Mental Health' strategy, he would have heard me talk in detail about these. Keir Starmer is entitled to set out his policies for the forthcoming Labour Government in England, but it may surprise you to learn that health is devolved in Wales. I absolutely do not accept that we are failing the children of...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you for that question. Clearly, our aim in Wales is to have a 'no wrong door' service. We have targets in place in Wales for primary mental health services and access to other services. Services are under pressure at the moment and we are taking action to recover performance with health boards.
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Delyth, for making those points. I entirely recognise what is, in some ways, a unique form of grief with a miscarriage, because, often, people don't recognise it as the devastating loss that it is, and that compounds the grief that people feel when they lose a baby. We've got a bereavement steering group in Wales and we've published a national bereavement framework for Wales that...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, Jane, and thank you for the kind words as well, which are much appreciated. I just want to be clear that I didn't say that all young people don't need specialist mental health support. What we know, though, is that some of those young people who are referred into specialist CAMHS won't meet the threshold for specialist CAMHS because they're not mentally ill; they're...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for his comments, and particularly the recognition of the positive work that's been undertaken through the strategy? I absolutely agree that we must get this right, and, as you've acknowledged, we have hugely increased investment. You alluded to the continuing issues with children and young people's mental health, but I think that we have to acknowledge that the...
Lynne Neagle: Can I thank the Member for those comments? Obviously, there were a lot of issues there to respond to. If I can pick up, first of all, on your comments about the reporting on the 'Together for Mental Health' strategy, there are regular reports made to the national mental health partnership forum, as well as other bodies. Also, I have established—well, my predecessor established—an NHS...
Lynne Neagle: With this investment, we have transformed services implemented at the start of the strategy. This includes the creation of local primary mental health teams across Wales, crisis resolution and home treatment teams, psychiatric liaison services and community perinatal teams. We've also established single points of contact for child and adolescent mental health services to improve...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Yesterday we marked World Mental Health Day, and this Government is steadfast in its commitment to improve the protection of and support for mental health and well-being. This is demonstrated through my appointment as dedicated Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being and the positioning of mental health as a priority in our programme for government. As we...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you very much, Mike. You'll be pleased to know that we have a really comprehensive anti-obesity strategy in Wales called 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales'. It's a 10-year strategy that we are breaking up into two-year delivery plans so that we can really focus on making sure that we are delivering in what is a really complex area. It is a hugely challenging area, because we all know when...
Lynne Neagle: Individuals can take a range of steps to reduce their chances of developing heart disease, by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly, for example. Our 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' and tobacco control strategies are developing a range of measures to support people to make those healthier choices.
