Laura Anne Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. The unmuting took a while, sorry. Minister, our schools, as you know, are doing an excellent job, and work very hard to ensure that the schools are COVID safe for pupils and teachers alike. However, there does seem to be a chink in the armour to me, at drop-off and pick-up. Although there are great one-way systems, phased collections, all those great things happening, parents...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, acting Presiding Officer, and I too would like to start by thanking you for all the work that you and your task group have done in helping children. That sort of focus on them and their issues will do a power of good for them and I'm sure they are very, very thankful for all the work that you have done. I too welcomed the publication of this report and would like to thank Sally...
Laura Anne Jones: Yesterday, the UK Government announced an additional £2 million for faith and community groups to help them get rough-sleepers into accommodation. I'm just wondering, with the money that you've already provided, whether you're looking at doing something similar to that, and do you have any announcements coming forth to make sure that we're completely covered over the winter months,...
Laura Anne Jones: What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd regarding a review of the local government funding formula in Wales?
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, acting Presiding Officer. I thank the Deputy Minister for her statement today, and I thank her for the work that she's done so far, as well, on this. I fully support National Hate Crime Awareness Week, although I deeply regret that, in this day and age, we still need to have one. Hate crime is an increasing problem in our country, and sadly, Wales is no exception. Police forces in...
Laura Anne Jones: I thank the Deputy Minister for her statement today. I fully support the National Hate Crime Awareness Week, although I deeply regret that in this day and age that we need to have one. Hate crime is an increasing problem in our country, and sadly, Wales is no exception. Police forces in England and Wales recorded a 10 per cent increase in recorded hate crime incidents in 2018-19, as you...
Laura Anne Jones: Business Minister, may I ask for two statements, please? Firstly, following on from the First Minister's response earlier, please could I ask for a statement from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales to outline exactly how now phase 3 of the economic resilience fund will provide the flexibility to provide already established businesses in non-lockdown areas being adversely...
Laura Anne Jones: Wonderful, Deputy Minister; that was exactly what I was going to ask you, because, like the fund already established in England—the EnAble fund—I was hoping that Wales would follow suit, so I thank you very much for that.
Laura Anne Jones: First Minister, those first 1,000 days are so important and I'd like to back up what Lynne has said with her concerns she's raised with you today, and also thank you and the Government for listening to some of those concerns. Having a one-and-a-half-year-old myself, who turned one during lockdown—our first in the national lockdown—I can say that I was really worried for his development...
Laura Anne Jones: 6. What discussions has the Deputy Minister had with the Minister for Housing and Local Government about putting in place measures to increase diversity within local councils? OQ55677
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I move the amendments in the name of Darren Millar. We all recognise the value of arts and culture in our society. As well as enriching our lives, arts and culture have a wider more measurable impact on our economy, health and well-being, society and education. The current pandemic is continuing to have a devastating impact on our arts and creative industries....
Laura Anne Jones: Can you outline, Minister, the implications of Network Rail's decarbonisation strategy, which sets out how the rail industry aims to become net zero in terms of carbon emissions by 2050 on this rail service?
Laura Anne Jones: Last night, as part of the nightly chat that I have with my 10-year-old son as I tuck him into bed, he asked me what I'm doing tomorrow, and I said, 'The usual stuff really, and we're debating tackling racism and race inequality.' He took a deep breath, paused, and screwed up his face in confusion. 'So, mummy?' 'Yes, Henry?' 'Why do you need to debate that; is it really that bad? Why? Is that...
Laura Anne Jones: When we take a moment to think about what we're discussing today, when we actually stop and think that, in 2020, we're still having to talk about tackling racial inequality and racism in our society, in our country, it's quite incredible, and it beggars belief that still, still people are being judged, abused and cast aside due to purely the colour of their skin.
Laura Anne Jones: First Minister, businesses in Blaenau Gwent and other counties suffering from the effects of local lockdowns are able to claim support from you, from this Government's economic resilience fund, and that is very welcome. However, local lockdowns are having a serious and damaging effect on businesses in Monmouthshire due to a lack of people from surrounding areas who would normally, and...
Laura Anne Jones: Good afternoon, Minister. Local coronavirus help and support groups, like Feed Newport in Pill, and the ones I set up in Wyesham and Usk, did a fantastic job during national lockdown at protecting vulnerable people, making sure they didn't feel isolated, and delivered food and prescriptions to those who were previously shielding and self-isolating. These vulnerable people are now at risk now...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, First Minister. I welcome what you've done already and look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say this afternoon. But I've been contacted by the owner of a small haulage firm working in the construction sector who needed financial support as building sites and quarries were closing due to the pandemic. He applied for the first phase of funding from the economic resilience...
Laura Anne Jones: 6. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government financial support for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic? OQ55591
Laura Anne Jones: Sorry, I had a problem with the unmute. A lot of what I'll say now will echo what our Conservative shadow Minister for education has already said, but I do think it's important to reiterate some of the points that she made. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in widespread disruption to so many sectors of our Welsh economy. Some of the economic damage being inflicted will be irreparable,...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you, Deputy Minister. Finally, the National Trust is facing considerable financial difficulty due to the coronavirus. They are reported to be facing losses of some £200 million as a result of the pandemic, and have had to review every aspect of their charity to make savings in almost every area of activity. One such attraction currently at risk is the roundhouse in the Kymin, which is...
