Caroline Jones: Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the actions the Welsh Government is taking to improve the tourism services offered in South Wales West?
Caroline Jones: First Minister, many of our older people are being targeted and fall victim to scammers, who prey on their vulnerability to defraud them of their life savings. I recently helped a constituent who was being targeted, and I have to say the support from South Wales Police was outstanding. Unfortunately, not everyone gets this support. What more can the Welsh Government do to protect and educate...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, if we are to have any chance at all of reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill each year, recycling schemes should be made as easy as possible for homeowners to recycle. Unfortunately, local authorities appear to do the opposite. Bridgend, for example, have completely messed up the introduction of their new recycling scheme, which, in the words of the council’s...
Caroline Jones: UKIP fully support this motion and efforts to eradicate hepatitis C by 2030. As others have highlighted, hepatitis C is a disease that affects about 2 per cent of the world’s population and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. It is therefore unsurprising that the World Health Organization wants to eliminate the disease. The UK Government has pledged its support for...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. The fields of genomics and precision medicine are the key to winning the war on cancer and key to the future of our healthcare. I’m therefore very pleased to support and greatly welcome the Government’s genomics and precision medicine strategy. When we look at lung cancer, for example, which accounts for a quarter of all cancer deaths in...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, it’s estimated that around £200 million has been spent in the UK alone trying to tackle Japanese knotweed, which causes around £170 million-worth of damage to property each year. The psyllid trials are very promising, but, if the insect can successfully establish itself in the UK, it will only tame knotweed, not eradicate it. What more can the Welsh Government do to...
Caroline Jones: First Minister, the best way to improve access to work experience placements for Welsh pupils is to improve links between our schools and industry. While there are many good examples across the country, is it not enough. What plans does your Government have to ensure that every school in Wales maintains close links with local businesses?
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I would like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing forward this debate today, and I’m delighted to take part. I’m firmly of the opinion that social prescribing, particularly when it comes to mental health, can deliver real health benefits for Welsh patients, and UKIP will, therefore, be supporting the motion. As results from studies in Bristol and Rotherham...
Caroline Jones: No, I’m sorry, because I’ll be taking the four minutes in talking. In contrast, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the amount of money the UK spends on international development will increase by a further £1 billion a year over the next four years, and that will bring the budget to nearly £15 billion a year, almost as much as the entire Welsh budget. The UK’s foreign aid...
Caroline Jones: While I agree that it is our duty to help those facing disease, war or famine, the sad fact remains that much of the foreign aid budget is spent inappropriately. And we are not talking about trivial amounts of money here, as we spend £30 million a day on foreign aid, and only about 16 per cent of this budget is used as humanitarian aid or crisis relief. Diane Abbot MP says, what has given me...
Caroline Jones: We welcome the First Minister’s written statement yesterday concerning the impact of the recent global cyber attacks on the NHS in England. It is positive to learn that the NHS in Wales was not significantly affected and services were largely uninterrupted. However, we note that 40 cancer patients had treatment interrupted at Velindre hospital in Cardiff, which, for them, must have been...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Finally, we not only have to recruit more nurses, but we also must ensure that we retain our existing nurses. According to the RCN, nurses in Wales often do not feel valued by the NHS or the Government. There has been a 14 per cent real-terms fall in nursing pay since 2010, and 69 per cent of nurses work overtime at least once a week. What plans does your...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. While the nursing recruitment campaign can help address short-term staffing issues, we need to think about the longer term and how we can encourage more Welsh people, particularly Welsh speakers, into nursing. UKIP would like to see the reintroduction of the equivalent of the state enrolled nurse, which would allow healthcare assistants and others...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, I welcome the nurse recruitment campaign and the news that the Welsh Government is to retain the student nursing bursaries for another year. We need to do all we can to encourage people from all walks of life in Wales to consider a career in nursing. What plans does your Government have to extend the nursing bursaries in the future to ensure that Welsh...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Regretfully, far too many people are still waiting far too long for diagnostic tests. We still have nearly 2,000 people waiting more than 24 weeks for diagnostic and therapy services. Diagnostics are the central pillar of our health service, and we must do more to improve access to testing and eliminate waits over 24 weeks. What is your Government doing to ensure...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Unfortunately, due to the activities of some of the larger retail chains, who can afford to absorb losses, many of our small independent retailers are going out of business, destroying the diversity of our high streets. What economic incentives can your Government offer to small independent retailers to ensure their continued survival and avoid a future in which...
Caroline Jones: 1. What economic support is the Welsh Government providing to ensure we have thriving high-street businesses in Wales? OAQ(5)0167(EI)
Caroline Jones: 1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on progress the Welsh Government is making in reducing waiting times for diagnostic tests? OAQ(5)0170(HWS)
Caroline Jones: It was wonderful today to attend Dementia Awareness Week—an event outside the Senedd. Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. The goal of making Wales a dementia-friendly nation is one that we all share. Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Wales, and the number of people affected by dementia is expected to rise by around 40 per cent in the next decade. It is important...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. The sad fact is that while everyone will eventually die, we don’t all die well. Because of the latter, it is essential that we have excellent end-of-life care. I welcome the Welsh Government’s palliative and end-of-life care plan, and the commitment to improve the care given to those approaching the end of their lives, and those they leave...
