Caroline Jones: First Minister, in order for the south Wales metro to successfully deliver upon its stated outcome of lowering private car use, it must offer multimodal transport across the region. Therefore, are you as disappointed as I am that the Bridgend interchange will not be completed for another 10 to 15 years? Will the south Wales metro project be able to deliver the interchange sooner than...
Caroline Jones: I’d like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this debate today, particularly as we prepare to remember the sacrifice made by so many of our brave armed forces personnel. Welsh citizens have a long tradition of serving our nation’s armed forces, and played a key role in many of the battles in both world wars. Wales represents just 5 per cent of the UK’s population, yet...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, I fully support the intervention with the Home Office in order to prevent this deportation. I commend Jenny Rathbone, Julie, and Neil McEvoy in bringing this constantly to the Chamber. Cabinet Secretary, will you speak to the Home Secretary to urge them to reconsider in this instance?
Caroline Jones: Finally, Cabinet Secretary, we can’t totally eradicate hospital-acquired infection, but we must ensure that we’re properly equipped to treat infection. With antimicrobial resistance on the increase and very few new antimicrobials being discovered, we are reaching a crisis point. What lessons has the Welsh Government learnt from the O’Neill review and what role can the Welsh Government...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your answer, Cabinet Secretary, and staying on the topic of hospital cleanliness, it was disappointing to learn that Bronllys Hospital received a food hygiene rating of 2, while the majority of hospitals score a hygiene rating of 3 or more. I hope that you will agree with me that every hospital should have a five-star hygiene rating. Food served to frail patients should not only...
Caroline Jones: Cabinet Secretary, there were 108 deaths involving C. difficile and 22 deaths involving MRSA in Wales last year. While great strides have been made to improve infection control and hand-washing campaigns have been successful, we still have a problem with cleanliness of hospital facilities. I fully accept that we cannot achieve 100 per cent cleanliness in a working hospital. However, there is...
Caroline Jones: Will the Minister outline the actions the Welsh Government is taking to reduce child and adolescent mental health services waiting times in Wales?
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and for kindly providing a briefing to opposition spokespeople ahead of the introduction of the Bill. Wales has one of the best health services in the world, yet we also have some of the poorest health in Europe, and we must do whatever we can to address this. UKIP welcome the introduction of the Public Health (Wales) Bill, and we look forward to...
Caroline Jones: I propose that the Assembly for Wales notes that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and I’d like the motion to be proposed formally.
Caroline Jones: Sorry, yes, I do wish to speak.
Caroline Jones: Thank you. Sorry, I’ve never done it before. Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. We have tabled the motion before you today to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month and to recognise that, although progress has been made, lung cancer survival rates in Wales remain amongst the worst in Europe. Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer worldwide. Every year, more than 1.5 million people die from lung cancer....
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Lywydd. I would like to use these 90 seconds to highlight the wonderful work being undertaken by the Sandville Self Help Centre in Ton Kenfig within my region. The Sandville Self Help Centre was established in 1983 and is a charity that’s open to all people suffering health issues, offering help in a very relaxed and happy atmosphere. They are a person-centred service, giving social...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, and for the honest, open and transparent way you have approached this review with the opposition Members. The health and social care sectors will face immense challenges in future as our population grows and ages, and it is right that we review how we can best deliver those services in the coming decades. I welcome the opportunity you gave to...
Caroline Jones: I’m not a clairvoyant. And solutions as the main objective—
Caroline Jones: Sorry, yes. Instead of people opposing homelessness and putting people in prison for vagrancy, can we please look at a plan to help the homeless?
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. Councils across Wales are targeting the homeless and seeking to ban rough sleeping, yet these same councils are doing very little to secure accommodation for those individuals who find themselves with no choice other than to sleep rough. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and South Wales Police have started a clampdown on anti-social behaviour and under this...
Caroline Jones: 2. Will the First Minister outline the actions the Welsh Government is taking to tackle homelessness in South Wales? OAQ(5)0225(FM)
Caroline Jones: I thank the Member for making that point. Obviously, there was a travel survey conducted a couple of years ago, and in the travel survey, 250 staff members were given the surveys and they were completed. However, the demand was only 12 per cent at that time. So, on the positive side, I’d like to say to the Member that, yes, they are a low-carbon means of travel, and our Green Dragon...
Caroline Jones: I thank the Member for his question. As part of the Assembly Commission’s environmental plan, we encourage the use of sustainable transport. We recognise the development of electric cars and their falling costs and we are considering the viability of charging points within the Cardiff Bay estate. Demand will, in part, be assessed through our travel survey, which we intend to conduct shortly.
Caroline Jones: First Minister, Wales has a growing and ageing population that is putting increased pressures on primary care services in Wales. As those of us who signed the urgent prescription for general practice can attest, workload pressures upon GPs are undermining the safety of patient care. Will the Welsh Government support the BMA request for local health boards to stop the practice of requiring GPs...
