Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for your statement, Minister. Obesity is one of the greatest challenges facing our nation, and I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has unveiled this strategy, because we are the most obese nation in Europe. So, a strategy is very welcome. Minister, there is much about your plan that I support and I welcome the focus on prevention, particularly in the...
Caroline Jones: I would like to thank Darren for bringing forward his proposal for an older people’s rights Bill. I fully support the intention behind Darren’s proposals, and will do all I can to help ensure this Bill becomes an Act of this Assembly. I'm passionate about tackling loneliness and isolation and I have spoken in this Chamber many times on the subject. Protecting the rights of older people...
Caroline Jones: Minister, do you accept that Wales does not need 22 separate local authorities and that previous Ministers' attempts to solve the issue without actually reorganising local government has led to massive waste and bureaucracy? On Monday, I met with a group of headteachers from my region to discuss the funding crisis in education, and one of their primary concerns was with the extra tier of...
Caroline Jones: How will the Welsh Government improve public health in South Wales West?
Caroline Jones: I would like to thank Paul Davies for his continuing efforts to make an autism Act for Wales a reality. This Bill will help deliver what those on the ASD spectrum have been calling for for years—action to improve autism services in Wales, action that the ASD action plan has so far failed to deliver. The Minister has, on a number of occasions, denied that there is any need for this Bill, but...
Caroline Jones: Minister, my region depends on Tata, Ford and Sony, which are all major employers and a vital part of the supply chain. My region cannot afford to lose any more jobs. In recent years, all these major employers have scaled back their operations, leading to large job losses. This is a particularly worrying time for workers at the Bridgend Ford plant, and, as with Tata and Sony, the key to...
Caroline Jones: We are fast approaching a crisis in public services. Local authority budgets have been cut to the bone in recent years, and this year’s local government finance settlement will do nothing to relieve the pressure on local public services. Wales’s local authorities, on the back of this year’s settlement, are planning massive cuts to local public services and the laying off of teachers,...
Caroline Jones: What action will the Welsh Government take over the next 12 months to improve public services in South Wales West?
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the Finance Committee for their report. The state of our roads is one of the frequent complaints I receive as an Assembly Member. Anyone who uses any of Wales’s 21,000 miles of road will tell you that many of those roads are in a poor state of repair. Avoiding potholes has become a fixture in our daily commute. According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, it will take over...
Caroline Jones: Minister, in recent years we have seen a drop in the number of adults pursuing lifelong learning opportunities at our FE colleges. However, the sector still provides learning opportunities to nearly 65 per cent of Wales's 250,000 adult learners. The FE sector is facing a funding crisis due to recent cuts. What assessment has your Government made of the impact these cuts will have on lifelong...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank Professor Holtham for producing yet another insightful report, which will help inform one of the biggest decisions facing our nation: how do we pay for social care? No-one can deny that this is a pressing concern. Social care is in crisis, as the health committee has pointed out. The current level of funding is insufficient to meet current demand, let alone future need. The...
Caroline Jones: It's been 70 years since the United Nations universal declaration of human rights was adopted, and we've come a long way in the last seven decades, but we haven't come far enough. For millions of people around the world, those universal promises and protections are nothing but a distant dream. The 30 articles that we hold so dear have little meaning to the people in Yemen or Venezuela, Syria...
Caroline Jones: Abstain.
Caroline Jones: Leader of the house, I have received representations from constituents expressing dismay about their inability to travel on public transport with friends, because they all need wheelchair spaces. And, if you're lucky, most public transport has one or two spots for wheelchairs. Most of us take for granted the ability to travel together, yet disabled people in Wales are being denied that right....
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Planning and building regulations aimed at improving the energy efficiency of new-build homes require homes to be so well insulated that they require little heating. However, as a result of climate change, the UK is set to experience more frequent heatwaves, summers like this year are thirty times more likely. During the summer, many new-build properties...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, the city deal has a big part to play in improving the economy of my region, as does true collaboration between the public and private sectors. The region's small and medium-sized enterprises need a Government that understand their needs when it comes to infrastructure and regulation. What advice would you give your successor when it comes to creating the right environment for...
Caroline Jones: 7. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how changes to planning regulations can help tackle climate change? OAQ53083
Caroline Jones: 3. How does the Welsh Government ensure that disabled people in Wales receive equal treatment and opportunities? OAQ53090
Caroline Jones: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the implications for Wales following the COP24 United Nations Climate Change Conference?
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Leader of the house, could I ask that the Cabinet Secretary for Education makes an oral statement to the Siambr regarding your Government's plans to tackle bullying? I am aware that the Welsh Government is consulting on draft guidance on bullying, but I would question whether guidance is sufficient, and I am not the only one. The coroner in the Bradley John inquest has...
