Caroline Jones: I would also like to thank the Minister for taking the time to contact me yesterday, discuss things with me, and provide me with a statement this morning. It is appreciated that, while we are in the consultation stages of this subject and the legislation is not yet implemented, the proposed legislation is referred to as removing the defence of reasonable chastisement. In simpler terms, the...
Caroline Jones: Putting an end to homelessness is one of the key reasons I entered politics. As recently as Monday night, when I attended an event in Cardiff, I was confronted with the sad situation of two gentlemen, homeless, in need of a cup of coffee. In the twenty-first century, homelessness is morally reprehensible. In the prison service, I saw many young men who committed crimes simply to have a roof...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, there has been tremendous progress in the past 12 months in reducing the number of children and young people waiting for a CAMHS appointment. I welcome the work the Welsh Government has undertaken on this issue. As a result of the additional investment, we cut the numbers waiting for treatment by over two thirds. However, we still have over 500 children and young people...
Caroline Jones: Thank you once again, Cabinet Secretary. Choosing well requires having the right information to hand. NHS Direct and the 111 service have a role to play in providing such information to patients, helping them to make informed decisions and signposting them to the most appropriate service. My local health board was the pilot area for the 111 service, so could you provide an update on...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. In just over 10 days, the NHS will once again experience the miracle of Christmas, where the wards are empty on Christmas eve but fill up again on Boxing Day. If we are to avoid the scenes witnessed in previous years that saw ambulances queued up outside A&E, we have to reduce demand on our urgent care system over the festive period. Cabinet...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, despite just over 3 million people living in Wales, our accident and emergency departments were visited more than 1 million times in the past 12 months. There has been an increase of around two thirds in the numbers of people waiting more than four hours in A&E, and the media have reported that one senior doctor saw examples of people waiting for 80...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. We have made great progress in dealing with immediately life-threatening calls, but not so well for amber calls. Last month saw over 35 per cent of amber calls taking more than half an hour for a response in ABMU. The longest wait across Wales was a staggering 23 hours. When you consider that suspected strokes are categorised as amber, and these patients can wait...
Caroline Jones: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on ambulance response times in South Wales West? OAQ51478
Caroline Jones: 3. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on waiting times for children and adolescent mental health services? OAQ51479
Caroline Jones: First Minister, we lose an average of 2.5 days per employee to mental health-related absence each year. It is also estimated that presenteeism, where mental health issues lessen work performance, costs the UK around £15 billion a year. It has been estimated that optimal treatment for mental health disorders will only reduce the impact of mental health illness by 28 per cent. So, we have to...
Caroline Jones: Yes.
Caroline Jones: So, are you trivialising crime and not thinking of the victim, then, David? Because what you're saying is: crime is trivial, or some crimes are trivial. They're not when there's a victim involved—
Caroline Jones: Well, you have just said it. We have to tackle overcrowding, and, unfortunately, this means building more prisons. Wales currently has five prisons, yet a large number of Welsh prisoners are housed in prisons in England. Some opponents of the prison claim that Wales is becoming the new Botany Bay, becoming a dumping ground for English prisoners. This is rubbish. There are nearly 2,000 Welsh...
Caroline Jones: I'd like to thank the Chair of the Petitions Committee for bringing forward this debate today on an important issue facing my region. I live in Port Talbot, and I must say at the outset that I am not, in principle, opposed to the establishment of a new prison in Port Talbot—in principle. Despite the protestations of many opposed to the new prison, Wales definitely needs a new prison, but...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your answer, Cabinet Secretary. The UK Government's industrial strategy places a renewed focus on growing a data-driven economy and expanding research and development into artificial intelligence. The Swansea bay city region board are also focusing on the digital economy, and should be ideally placed to leverage the additional investment in future technologies. The biggest...
Caroline Jones: 5. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact of the UK Government's industrial strategy on the Swansea bay city deal? OAQ51425
Caroline Jones: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic. As I highlighted in questions last week, poor air quality is one of the biggest public health challenges facing Wales. This is particularly true in the region I represent, South Wales West, which has some of the dirtiest air in the UK, where PM10s are often well above the safe daily limit, and at schools in my region we have had many...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, like all mental health services, perinatal mental health services in Wales are facing the twofold pressure of increased demand and staff shortages. In evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, nearly all local health boards highlighted the fact that a lack of sufficient clinical psychologists is impacting their ability to provide a comprehensive service...
Caroline Jones: Yes, and we have to manage what we get very, very carefully. The report highlights the fact that the Neath Port Talbot local authority area is the worst area in Wales for social mobility. The stark truth is that nearly a quarter of our population are living in poverty despite two decades of Welsh Government economic policies and in excess of £4 billion of structural funding from the European...
Caroline Jones: [Interruption.] Yes, certainly. All of us in this Chamber want to see Wales at the forefront of tidal energy, and I hope that the lack of news on this issue from the UK Government is not a signal of bad news to come. Despite the lack of clarity on the tidal lagoon, the autumn budget did deliver some good news for Wales. We have seen an increase to the Welsh budget as a result of the new...
