Caroline Jones: 2. What plans does the Welsh Government have to review its guidance on the use of face coverings by members of the public? OQ55432
Caroline Jones: Thank you, Minister. Local authorities were already struggling financially pre-pandemic. Services were being cut, yet our constituents found their council tax bills skyrocketing. The coronavirus outbreak has placed an enormous strain on local authorities as they form the front line in the public defence against the pandemic. Councils across Wales have risen to the challenge of supplying food...
Caroline Jones: Trefnydd, will you ask the Minister for economy to come forward with a statement to confirm who exactly is entitled to receive a business support package from the economic recovery fund during the pandemic? There is still much confusion as to who qualifies, as in the case of my constituent who has three businesses, is paying three lots of tax for them, but because they're run from the same...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. I'm sure that you will agree that we were woefully unprepared for COVID-19. Despite SARS and MERS, our pandemic planning was still based upon an outbreak of influenza. However, our planning still neglected to prioritise testing capacity. This current pandemic has shown that those countries that had testing capacity early on made it through the initial outbreak...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd.
Caroline Jones: 1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure Wales is equipped to deal with future pandemics? OQ55394
Caroline Jones: 1. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of Covid-19 on its local taxation policy? OQ55374
Caroline Jones: Not since 1918 has the world experienced such a threat from a biological agent. The Spanish flu swept the globe, leaving death and destruction in its wake, and long after the dead were buried, the economic impacts were felt. Many believed the Spanish flu led to the Great Depression. The spread of severe, acute respiratory coronavirus too threatened to be another event like the 1918 flu...
Caroline Jones: Minister, as I've said many times before, one of the silver linings to come out of this pandemic has been the Government's impetus to end the scourge of homelessness. And yesterday I attended a virtual meeting with Swansea Council, and I'd like to congratulate the leader and the councillors of Swansea Council for securing accommodation for many people who found themselves without homes, as...
Caroline Jones: Thank you, First Minister. The dental profession, like all sectors of the Welsh economy, is suffering deeply as a result of lockdown. While the move out of the red alert level will bring some small relief, it will not be enough to support many practices, and we cannot afford to lose a single dental practice in Wales. I've been contacted by many practices, often sole proprietors, who are...
Caroline Jones: Diolch, Llywydd.
Caroline Jones: 1. How is the Welsh Government supporting the dental profession in Wales during the coronavirus pandemic? OQ55332
Caroline Jones: With the news of Oscar's passing yesterday, my love is with his wife, Firdaus; Natasha, his daughter; all his extended family and friends; his friends in the Conservative group and all other friends. I met Oscar and Natasha in 2011, and we saw each other on several occasions prior to my election in 2016. Oscar immediately congratulated me, warmly welcomed me to the Senedd, reaching out the...
Caroline Jones: My group will not be supporting the motion to annul brought forward by Suzy Davies today. Whilst all of us hold democracy close to our hearts and will do all that we can to uphold democratic principles, we have to consider the wider context. Millions of people globally have been infected with a virus that has cost many lives and is spread by face-to-face contact. Our country is in lockdown....
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and for the work you're continuing to do, and may we all pray for peace across the world. My region's economy, like many parts of Wales, is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, a sector that has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. The majority of operators in my region are microbusinesses, and the loss of earnings has been catastrophic....
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister, and I welcome the plans to end homelessness. But, Minister, can you confirm that the plans will apply to everyone who is homeless during this pandemic, and not just those who are in emergency accommodation? I have been speaking to veterans' groups in recent weeks who are concerned that many homeless veterans are falling through the cracks because they...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. Despite your assertion, what we saw this week was not a significant easing of lockdown. In reality, it is a minor change, because for the vast majority of people living in Wales, family will live more than 5 miles away. When announcing the changes, the First Minister said the decision to impose a general principle of not travelling more than 5 miles was...
Caroline Jones: Minister, on Monday night, many of us watched the heroic actions of the ICU staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital as they battled to save the lives of those infected with COVID-19. It was both truly heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It brought home the sheer horror of the disease and it highlighted the fantastic levels of care and compassion of all the staff working in our critical...
Caroline Jones: [Inaudible.]—statement, Minister. I would like to thank the thousands of local government employees who have continued to provide vital services during this lockdown. It's been a massive challenge and our local authorities have risen to it, but there are areas where more needs to be done. We have seen massive rises in fly-tipping; what can local authorities do to ensure that waste...
Caroline Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. Yesterday, we observed a minute's silence for our heroes in social and health care who lost their lives to the scourge of COVID-19, and I want to once again put on record my thanks to our dedicated health and social care workforce, who are keeping us all safe, and offer condolences to those who have lost loved ones. We still do not know enough about...
