Janet Finch-Saunders: 6. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the UK Government regarding increasing the diversity of lay magistrates in Wales? OQ57592
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes, I will do now—to Blaenau Gwent via the Smart Living programme to develop a type of microgrid on an industrial estate that would help us to move to renewable energy and create and distribute cleaner energy locally. So, bearing in mind, Minister, that the north Wales energy strategy includes a microgrid development as a priority area, will you establish a microgrid trial in north Wales?...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Reducing the universal credit taper rate, increasing the national living wage, freezing fuel duty for the twelfth year in a row, and now the historic rebate scheme announced last week. The UK Government scheme, Joyce, will help with household bills immediately and will protect people against as much as half of the £700 increase. The Welsh Government will receive £175 million in...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch. Thank you, Minister, for your statement today. Frankly, I have to be honest, when I first read it, I thought I'd picked up the wrong document, because it read rather more like a party political broadcast by the Welsh Labour Party. We have devolution, we've had this for 22 years now, and, I'm afraid, to keep pointing the finger of blame on the UK Government for what is a global crisis...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd, and I do hope you and all Members will join me in saying, 'Congratulations, indeed, Your Majesty'. The Queen has a central and pivotal role in our own constitution. Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the governance of the state is divided into three branches, each with separate and independent powers and responsibilities. As you'll know, for Wales, the executive...
Janet Finch-Saunders: A sizeable and worrying contributing factor to the attainment gap is the issue of mental health and well-being in our children, and last year a Cardiff University report found that around 19 per cent of young people in Wales reported very high levels of mental health symptoms before the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have made clear that they are not adequately equipped to cope with demand for...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Minister, our fishing industry and indeed the aquaculture sector remain an essential element of the Welsh food strategy. From north Wales crab to Conwy and Menai mussels, sustainable producers are providing high-quality nutritious food that includes essential sources of protein and omega 3. With the consultation on the joint fisheries statement now live, something that I have responded to,...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. As the Minister will be aware, I am totally opposed to bringing in unnecessary legislation—the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017 and the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020 to name but two. On the latter, the explanatory memorandum stated that the preferred option to legislate to remove the defence of reasonable punishment in Wales would cost a...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 5. How does the Minister monitor the value for money and effectiveness of Welsh Government spending on legislation? OQ57544
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes. It's such an important issue—
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd.
Janet Finch-Saunders: I would yet again like to endorse a request from Alun Davies MS and Huw Irranca-Davies for a statement on the lack of provision of dental services. Certainly, in my consistency of Aberconwy it's a big issue and I'm currently meeting with GPs and they're feeling the strain of people requesting appointments when they're in agonising pain. So, really, it's something that—. It's an urgent...
Janet Finch-Saunders: So, I call on the Deputy Minister now, we've had enough talk, let's please see some actions. Diolch.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Good-quality public transport services do have a central role to play in terms of supporting health and well-being, eradicating social isolation and generally building up our communities. But they also have a central role to play in achieving a net-zero 2050. Road transport accounts for 10 per cent of global emissions, and those emissions are rising faster than any other sector. I was...
Janet Finch-Saunders: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the pandemic on the attainment gap?
Janet Finch-Saunders: Sorry, Minister. Sorry, Llywydd. I wasn't aware of that one.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. I have to say that I was disappointed during climate change committee last week when the Deputy Minister refuted the fact that, during his deep dive on nature conservation, he basically ignored the fact when I said that I was concerned about whether there'd been any engagement with any of the non-governmental organisations in terms of nature conservation. If you look at the actual...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. As peat is five times more effective at storing carbon than trees, there really is no excuse now for not increasing the scale and pace of investment to protect and restore our peatlands. We all agree on the need to protect the environment, but it does seem that you've failed, Minister, as yet, to deliver a green Brexit for Wales. The UK Environment Act 2021 and UK Withdrawal from...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. Now, one area that would hugely benefit from more ambitious targets is your pledge to restore 800 to 900 hectares of peatlands per annum. Now, during the cross-party group for biodiversity, there was general consensus that we must adequately fund peatland restoration as part of the rural interventions that are actually laid out in your programme for government. Alarmingly, however,...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. In June 2021, our Senedd Cymru, Welsh Parliament, declared a climate change and nature emergency. We voted in favour of introducing a legally binding requirement to reverse biodiversity loss through statutory targets. Five months later, however, in November, the best that you, Minister, and Plaid Cymru could do was simply just to reiterate what we've already agreed, and that...
