Laura Anne Jones: We all recognise the importance of children, young people and adults taking part in sport. Team sports participation promotes health and well-being, builds confidence, teaches discipline, to work as a team, and it helps to maintain mental health. This Government need to commit to ensuring children and adults of all sporting abilities and all parts of Wales, urban and rural, have easy access...
Laura Anne Jones: Now I'm unmuted. Sorry, that took a while. Thank you, Presiding Officer. This is on making a pitch for the future, about artificial grass pitches in Wales. I thank you, Presiding Officer, and I've agreed that Jack Sargeant and Rhun ap Iorwerth can have time to contribute to this debate, and I thank them in advance for making the contributions.
Laura Anne Jones: Many thanks.
Laura Anne Jones: Minister, we are in a sprint to save lives and businesses and mental health. It is very welcome to hear today from the medical officer that the R rate has gone down and there is noticeable improvement in community transmission rates across our country. This is very encouraging. However, as we heard from Helen Whyley from the Royal College of Nursing on the BBC today, we cannot be complacent....
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Minister. As an extension of that question, I wanted to ask you about businesses falling through the gaps because there are still quite a few businesses falling through the gaps. So, I welcome what you've said, and I look forward to seeing more detail and what you're planning to do about it. Can I ask you specifically about support for the self-employed who work from home and have...
Laura Anne Jones: I welcome this debate this afternoon on the equality and human rights annual review. The review sets out five priority aims for strengthening the equality and human rights laws in Wales, and it's those things I wish to address in my remarks today. Their first aim is to promote equal access to the labour market. The sad fact is that women continue to be under-represented in the workforce....
Laura Anne Jones: —and now they've lost their jewel in the crown. I urge the Government to release plans on how they're going to work with Newport council to revive the city centre. Many thanks.
Laura Anne Jones: Business Minister, may I call for a statement on the Welsh Government's reaction to the devastating news that Debenhams stores will now be closing across our country? Its closure and its plans to regenerate our towns and cities is a matter of urgency now. The closure of Debenhams stores across our country, following their takeover from Boohoo, means a loss of hundreds of jobs and will be a...
Laura Anne Jones: I, too, would like to extend my thanks to everyone at the Aneurin Bevan health board for the tremendous work they're doing in delivering the vaccine, but also the extraordinary reactive ways, as the First Minister has just said, that they've handled this pandemic. As you know, First Minister, the Abergavenny centre in Monmouthshire delivers the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine only a couple of days...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you. Am I okay to speak now, Deputy Presiding Officer? I can't hear you. Sorry, if I'm—. Can everyone hear me? Yes, good. Okay. I take it that's for me to speak. Okay, thank you. I'd like to start by thanking Lynne Neagle and the committee and all who have inputted into this important work for all the hard work they've put into it. I welcome this report and its aim of measuring...
Laura Anne Jones: Minister, I concur with everything that's just been said by Lynne, and would support what she's said. I am very happy that the Welsh Government has classed this as essential, because it is critical care, the perinatal care. It's such an important time for the parents and for the children as well, as has already been outlined. Therefore, I welcome the extra money that's going towards mental...
Laura Anne Jones: Minister, I'd like to second that—I think Aneurin Bevan are doing a fantastic job, from what I can see, and everyone is working so hard to get this vaccine out as soon as possible. But there seems to be a lot of nonsensical stuff going on. I'm getting many, many e-mails in my inbox about couples not being vaccinated at the same time. Obviously, we're on the elderly at the moment, and we're...
Laura Anne Jones: —supports the productivity of Wales, so it's not a question of whether we can afford to build an M4 relief road as well, but whether we can afford not to.
Laura Anne Jones: I thank the Deputy Minister for his statement today. I welcome many of the proposals contained in this report, particularly for the people of Newport, and particularly the recommended improvements to the rail network, the new stations planned and the new rapid bus corridors across the region that will link to the rail backbone. I acknowledge that these will be beneficial in reducing the...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you. First Minister, you just had the audacity to say earlier in the questioning that, 'You can't trust the Tories', yet the people of Wales have trusted you to deliver this roll-out of the vaccine at speed to try and save the lives of the people of Wales, and you have let them down in some fashion. I welcome the comments by the health Minister earlier, but, quite frankly, your comments...
Laura Anne Jones: 3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to speed up the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Wales? OQ56159
Laura Anne Jones: The benefits of physical activity to health and well-being are well known, and many will be well used to me highlighting these throughout both my terms of office, as a big advocate for all the physical and mental benefits that physical activity and sport brings. But its importance during this pandemic has increased dramatically, as a way for people, young and old, to cope during lockdowns....
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Minister. The announcement that Welsh schools will remain closed now until February half term has obviously had a massive impact on children's mental health. And also that stress has been felt by parents also trying to work from home at the same time, as you'll know, as I do. But that is being exacerbated in some families by the access to devices. And I know that there has been...
Laura Anne Jones: Information, reassurance and continued funding will be absolutely key to keeping our Welsh businesses alive this year and in years to come. It is clear, Minister, that Welsh businesses will require Government support, financial support for some time after this pandemic has ended, but can you reassure them that providing that financial support that they really do need, and will need, will be...
Laura Anne Jones: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on measures to enable students to progress their education in Wales during the current pandemic? OQ56086
