Janet Finch-Saunders: My concerns, Minister, are that the virus seems to be spreading like a normal flu during its incubation period and before any symptoms appear. So, how do you think that we can help medical professionals and the public to become aware of this at the earliest symptoms? If and when a first case in the UK is confirmed, it will be announced as soon as possible by the chief medical officer of the...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I am very concerned, as are some of my constituents, about the coronavirus. The death toll has climbed to 106, and the number of infections is now more than 4,500, and the virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries. Now, I understand the feeling about no panic, but the one thing that I need to be sure of is that we have got contingency plans in place. I know that during the...
Janet Finch-Saunders: England, of course, is bringing in Lucy's law in April. Southern Ireland is introducing similar regulations next month. Wales, the home of the breeding farm where Lucy was rescued from, has no date for the introduction of the law. There is significant national interest in this, and the Petitions Committee has a petition signed by 11,195 people calling for the ban of the sale of puppies by pet...
Janet Finch-Saunders: I appreciate that. If I could just make the point clear: we did put 11 amendments in; only two really were considered.
Janet Finch-Saunders: —will seek to reverse the ramifications of this dreadful legislation. Diolch yn fawr.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes. Ultimately, your constituents, our families and the voters will be the judges of that. I will promise the Welsh public this today: my colleagues and I will be closely monitoring this situation in the years to come, and if this Bill doesn't work, if this places law-abiding parents at a disadvantage, if this places untold pressure on already overstretched social services, and if this...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Thank you. So, here we have the passing of a Bill that didn't have an in-depth costing for public services from the start, and that doesn't give us complete confidence in how the Bill’s consequences will be communicated to parents and children, and one that doesn't give us, a devolved Parliament, any control over how its enforcement will be applied by two reserved institutions—the Crown...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Yes, of course.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to speak in the final stage of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill. This Bill is a free vote among the Welsh Conservative group, and I'd certainly like to reassure Members that, as spokesperson, I have listened to all sides of the debate, all evidence laid before the committee,...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Last autumn, the auditor general found that the way that public services boards are currently operating is hampering their ability to improve the well-being of their communities. His report identified weaknesses such as the inadequacy of accountability and oversight arrangements, lack of public reporting and the duplication of PSB activity with other partnerships. Now, there is a significant...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Skills have become our Welsh dragon's Achilles' heel. Sixty-seven per cent of senior business leaders have reported that their organisation is currently experiencing a skills shortage; 54 per cent of employers said that they could not recruit enough staff with the skills they required. And the skills shortage is costing business in Wales approximately £155.2 million. So that Welsh...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Great. Earlier this term, you spoke of the need for a more shared vision of the governance of the United Kingdom and a new culture of mutual respect and parity of esteem in the kind of inter-governmental relations. A similar message is conveyed in the document 'Reforming our Union: Shared Governance in the UK'. For example, proposition 1 speaks of a voluntary association of nations, and...
Janet Finch-Saunders: 10. What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government on ways to strengthen the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland post-Brexit? OAQ54945
Janet Finch-Saunders: Let's move to the vote.
Janet Finch-Saunders: I move.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. Turning to amendment 10, this is split into three parts: to delay the commencement of section 1, including the revision of Crown Prosecution Service guidance; an alternative pathway away from the criminal justice system to be established; and the establishment of parenting support. The Deputy Minister will no doubt be familiar with the arguments that Welsh Conservatives...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Move to the vote.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. I speak to amendment 9, which my colleague Suzy Davies AM also tabled at Stage 2. This amends section 4 on regulation-making powers for Welsh Ministers. As Suzy noted in Stage 2, what is now section 4 is not a separate commencement power to section 1, and it is likely you will need regulatory powers to introduce the reports into the Bill's effectiveness as well as the...
Janet Finch-Saunders: Move.
Janet Finch-Saunders: Diolch, Llywydd. I would just like to put on record that, as the elected Member for Aberconwy, my own social services department, especially when it comes to work with families, is very overstretched, and that is plainly as a result of a lack of fair settlement to it. I can tell you, it does not really echo well for this Chamber that we are going to be passing legislation without amendments...
