Joyce Watson: We're moving on now to item 9, a debate on petition P-05-854, 'Make Learning Disability training mandatory for hospital staff', and I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. Janet Finch-Saunders.
Joyce Watson: One of the impacts that Alun Cairns departure as Secretary of State could have is sending out a clear and substantive message to women who are considering coming forward to report rape that their trauma through a court appearance may be used to vilify them and that the case could collapse, which is exactly what happened in this case. At a time when we all know that there is already an...
Joyce Watson: Thank you, Counsel General, for that answer. Following the horrendous deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in Essex last month, a number of senior MPs and experts have cautioned that the UK faces a real risk of being excluded from Europol and its agencies, including the anti-trafficking unit and the European Migrant Smuggling Centre, post Brexit. They went on to say that, even with a deal, the UK...
Joyce Watson: Or woman.
Joyce Watson: 6. What discussions has the Counsel General had with counterparts in the UK Government regarding tracking cross-border crime following Brexit? OAQ54637
Joyce Watson: Will the Minister provide an update on the TrawsCymru service?
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that answer. The report concluded that the Tory cuts to legal aid have hit Wales disproportionately hard—their words, not mine. Since the budget was slashed in 2013, the number of firms providing legal aid in Wales has fallen by nearly a third, creating what the report calls 'advice deserts' in many parts of the country. So, in response to the commission's report, how will...
Joyce Watson: 1. What assessment has the First Minister made of the Commission on Justice in Wales's report that was published last month? OAQ54638
Joyce Watson: Diolch, Llywydd, and I'm really pleased to be speaking in this debate. There's a famous line in the 1976 film, Network: 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore'. It's a statement for our time, isn't it? So much anger, especially from the keyboard warriors online. But, at the same time, people aren't prepared to take it anymore. Victims of abuse are reporting crimes, calling out...
Joyce Watson: Thank you for that answer, but this month the innovative out-of-hours mental health service, the Twilight Sanctuary, is being launched in Llanelli, and the service that is run by Mind and Hafal was commissioned by Hywel Dda health board, Dyfed-Powys Police and Carmarthenshire council. And it's one of the first projects from the transforming mental health programme and the first of its kind in...
Joyce Watson: 7. How is the Welsh Government supporting mental health services in Mid and West Wales? OAQ54585
Joyce Watson: I thank you for that answer, but recent figures obtained from the Home Office have shown a 29 per cent increase in hate crime across England and Wales, and the highest increase is seen in transgender and disability hate crimes. We've also witnessed the rhetoric and language that's been witnessed being used by leading political figures very recently, and, in my opinion, that has only added...
Joyce Watson: 6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to tackle hate crime? OAQ54609
Joyce Watson: I thank you for that. But, despite many years of Tory austerity, the Welsh Government have been committed to helping children from low-income families to remain in education if that's what they choose to do. And that's evident from the continuation of the education and maintenance allowance for 16 to 18-year-olds in the current budget plan and the mytravelpass, which gives a 30 per cent...
Joyce Watson: 8. What consideration has the Minister given to supporting 16-18 year olds when setting the Welsh Government's budget for 2020-21? OAQ54545
Joyce Watson: I think everybody was disgusted and dismayed in equal measure by what we saw on our screens last week, but my question is very clear: I'm asking now for a moratorium on any new licences whatsoever to do with puppy farming. Because, in accordance with the replies that I've had from both Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire councils, they are overwhelmed at the moment. If they're overwhelmed at the...
Joyce Watson: What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure adequate inspection of licensing services provided by local authorities?
Joyce Watson: Are you in danger of being deselected?
Joyce Watson: I would like to ask for a statement from Welsh Government in response to the BBC investigation aired last night into the cruelty on puppy farms in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. West Wales is shamefully known as the puppy capital of the UK. This is not something to be proud of. It certainly isn't something that we would want to advertise on our tourist brochures. The programme, which I would...
Joyce Watson: I thank you very much for that answer, Minister. The Welsh Government do have a proven track record, as you say, of taking this issue quite seriously, with Wales being global leaders in that recycling. And that's something, I think, that we all need to be extremely proud of. And I'm pleased to hear about their ongoing commitment to further improving recycling rates and working towards a...
