Carolyn Thomas: —and build a steady workforce if we are to build an organisation capable of self-improvement. The feedback I have been having from health professionals is that morale is low, they are exhausted, and that there is a vicious cycle where, as soon as more staff are recruited, existing ones are leaving because of the long hours and pressure. This is recurring across many areas of employment...
Carolyn Thomas: Can I just start by saying that I support Ken Skates's proposals that he made earlier? I thought they were really good. I welcome the interventions that Welsh Government are making: training new nurses, providing bursaries, building a new medical school in Bangor, trying to overcome the shortages in staff that Brexit and the pandemic have brought about, including complications with visa...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you. That's really good to hear, actually—it was a great answer. I've been fortunate enough to hear from pupils at Ysgol Cystennin in Mochdre on several occasions, and their passion for tackling the climate crisis is inspirational. The pupils gave an insightful presentation during Climate Change Week about the devastating impact unsustainable palm oil is having on our planet and the...
Carolyn Thomas: Okay. Thank you for the answer, Counsel General. Illegal fishing is not only damaging to the Welsh economy, but is also costly for our coastal environments. Unregulated fishing techniques impact on biodiversity and marine habitats, leading to overfishing, which undermines attempts to secure sustainable fish stocks. What steps are the Welsh Government taking to crack down on illegal fishing in...
Carolyn Thomas: 2. Will the Counsel General provide an update on prosecutions in respect of illegal fishing? OQ58126
Carolyn Thomas: 2. What steps is the Commission taking to ensure foods containing unsustainable palm oil are not served on the Senedd estate? OQ58149
Carolyn Thomas: Diolch, Llywydd. I've given Huw, Delyth and Sam Kurtz a minute of my time each. Whether you were buzzing about on World Bee Day or you’re on the verge of completing No Mow May, this time of year focuses on celebrating and learning about biodiversity, and since being elected last year, I’ve been impressed by the level of understanding in this Senedd. But the roots of my interest in...
Carolyn Thomas: I would like to thank Jack for bringing this important debate to the Senedd and for the excellent campaign he has been doing alongside Friends of the Earth Cymru to get this issue talked about. In this Chamber I have spoken before about Thatcherite policies for which Wales and the UK continue to pay the price, whether that be the housing crisis or disastrous bus deregulation—pensions are...
Carolyn Thomas: Okay. Thank you for that answer, Minister. I've spoken to many rehoming centres struggling with capacity, impacted by a lack of space for seized dogs due to the time it takes between seizing them and a section 20 case being heard to sign them over. Rescue centres are having to keep seized dogs for well over a year in some cases, unable to rehome them while the case is ongoing. Not only does...
Carolyn Thomas: 6. What steps has the Welsh Government taken to support animal rehoming centres to cope with increased pressure following the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ58106
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you, First Minister. Households in north Wales are facing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis through no fault of their own. Day-to-day costs are going up as inflation rises. With inflation at its highest level since March 1982, when it was 9.1 per cent, the solutions offered by Conservative MPs have been insulting. We've been told to get better jobs, we've seen a Tory MP say that...
Carolyn Thomas: 6. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the rising cost of living on people in north Wales? OQ58086
Carolyn Thomas: Sorry. Sorry, I did say I wasn't going to—. So, I know that the Royal Alexandra Hospital were hoping to have investment in that, to help take the pressure off minor injuries—[Interruption.] Minor injuries. But I know there is an issue because of a reduction in capital funding from the UK Government by 11 per cent—[Interruption.] No, I'm talking, I'm asking a question.
Carolyn Thomas: Yes. Thank you.
Carolyn Thomas: So, I'm asking the Minister if that lack of capital funding, from UK Government to Welsh Government, does have an implication on us being able to build extra services to take the pressure off certain hospitals. Thank you.
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you. I wasn't going to speak on this, but I will now, so hopefully what I say is okay. I often get asked do I think that the health board is too big. And my commonsense thought about it, gut reaction, would be, 'Yes, it is.' It's a huge region—[Interruption.] Common sense. But I like to ask people, so I asked health professionals, I asked people in social services, what did they...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for that answer, Minister. I've been in contact with those working in schools who are concerned about meeting expectations for accountability in terms of Estyn, and delivering the curriculum in Wales while struggling with capacity issues. I know that there's a real concern about the shortages of staff able to teach through the medium of Welsh, especially science teachers, as was...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for the answer, Minister. The Welsh local government elections have shown that there is a clear mandate across Wales for progressive policies to tackle the big issues our society faces, and perhaps the biggest threat is posed by climate change. Minister, how do you plan to ensure that the climate and nature emergency is high on the Cabinet agenda of the new Welsh authorities, as...
Carolyn Thomas: 3. How is the Welsh Government working with local authorities to tackle the climate and nature emergency? OQ58051
Carolyn Thomas: 5. How is the Welsh Government addressing shortages in the teaching profession? OQ58052
