Adam Price: One of the most exciting things about the reform plans is the pledge to legislate to have equality in terms of men and women in our main democratic body. Whilst statutory gender quotas are central to our main proposals published today, and are crucial to delivering our aims, and work for the benefit of everyone in Wales, does the First Minister agree that we should take advantage of the...
Adam Price: One of the ways to confirm that you're right, of course, is knowing that the Conservative Party disagrees with you, because they've been on the wrong side of history on virtually every major question in 300 years of human progress.
Adam Price: Of course, the Conservative Party, predictably once again, are saying that the people of Wales don't want any more politicians. They're almost right, of course, because what the people of Wales don't want is any more Tory politicians, as we saw clearly demonstrated on Thursday. You and I, First Minister—[Interruption]. You and I, First Minister—[Interruption]. You and I, First Minister,...
Adam Price: First Minister, some might think that it was a curious choice for us to choose to announce the terms of our agreement on strengthening Welsh democracy on the same day as the state opening of that other Parliament on the banks of the Thames. I think it was serendipitous, because it allows us to draw a contrast, doesn't it, with that creaking Westminster system, with all the pomp and ceremony,...
Adam Price: You refer to the exhaustive analysis and the evidence that went into this one question in relation to England; can you promise that those bereaved families will get that same level of forensic and exhaustive analysis that the families in England have had through the High Court in relation to this specific question? Will the terms of reference of the UK inquiry include answering the question...
Adam Price: Well, the High Court can help us out in that way, can't it? Because it actually goes into the very question that you've just raised, First Minister. This is what it says: 'there was no scientific proof in mid March 2020 that asymptomatic transmission was occurring, but it was well recognised by the experts that such transmission was possible.' 'Ministers', they go on to say, the High Court...
Adam Price: The High Court, in its decision, did make the general point, didn't it? It came to the general conclusion that, given the growing appreciation that asymptomatic transmission was a real possibility, there ought to have been a change in the approach to the discharge of patients from hospitals to care homes and, specifically, that asymptomatic patients should have been kept apart from other...
Adam Price: All the cancer charities in Wales would agree with you that we need a new urgent focus on early diagnosis and detection, but they say that needs to be put at the heart of a new comprehensive cancer strategy for Wales, in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Now, I heard you say previously that the various existing documents that exist, and you could argue that you...
Adam Price: Which is the reason, of course, why we in Wales, more even than any other country, needs a focus in our cancer strategy on early diagnosis. This month a groundbreaking study in The Lancet found that over 30 per cent of cancers in Wales were diagnosed as a result of admission to A&E. Wales had the third highest figure among the 14 nations and regions studied. For liver cancer, we are one of...
Adam Price: Diolch yn fawr. Wales has consistently had poor cancer survival rates compared to other similarly developed countries. Why is that?
Adam Price: I'm very grateful to the Minister, and I welcome what you've said, that you are going to consider this idea of having a lead neurologist. As part of that consideration, and as Peter Fox asked, would you be willing to meet with the MND research network to hear the arguments and the benefits that would emanate from that directly? I'm certain that it would be very much welcomed by the families...
Adam Price: Since then, Bob has received an invitation to be part of the SMART trial in Wales, and while this is a positive development, I understand that Bob still hasn’t been seen by a specialist as part of that process, around eighteen months—a year and a half—since he received his MND diagnosis. I refer back to the statistics I quoted at the beginning of this debate, which point to the fact...
Adam Price: According to the data, the risk of a person developing MND is around one in 300. In Wales, around 200 people are living with MND at any one time. This number is lower than expected, perhaps, as a result of the disease's ability to develop fairly rapidly. For a third of people who receive an MND diagnosis, this means that they will sadly die within a year of that diagnosis. Over half of those...
Adam Price: Thank you very much, Llywydd. It's a pleasure to be able to present this debate today to draw attention to the current situation in Wales with regard to motor neurone disease and access to the treatment and facilities that are currently available in Wales. It's a pleasure to confirm that I have agreed to give a minute of my time to Peter Fox, who has led so much on this issue. Motor neurone...
Adam Price: And Jim Griffiths, from my mother's home village of Betws, was also an ardent supporter of Welsh home rule right throughout his political life. The Welsh Government can also directly address the cost-of-living crisis itself, of course, for lower paid workers within the public sector. Teaching assistants are currently only paid for 39 to 43 weeks of the year. They're not paid for the summer...
Adam Price: I'm reliably informed by the Deputy Presiding Officer that the problem just now was at the London end, and isn't that the point? It's simply not good enough to say, 'Oh, it'll be all right when there's a Labour Government', when, since the Reform Act, Wales has never, ever elected a majority of Tory MPs, and yet we've had Tory Governments for more than two thirds of the time. The Bevan...
Adam Price: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In 2016, Scotland gained control over 11 welfare benefits and the ability to create new ones. The Wales Governance Centre published a report in 2019 that stated that giving Wales the same powers over benefits as Scotland could boost the budget of Wales by £200 million a year. Now, last week's spring statement, as you said, was unforgivable—it'll lead to...
Adam Price: We're all aware, of course, of the huge pressures on our health service at the moment, but it strikes me that a situation that was already bad before the pandemic is now critical. I've had cases recently of one constituent having to wait in an ambulance for 10 hours outside Glangwili, another family, from Brynaman, having to wait seven hours for their child to see a doctor, and waiting for...
Adam Price: We heard earlier, in Sioned Williams's question, a reference to the FSB report, which demonstrates the very challenging circumstances facing shops in our town centres, and 67 per cent of the public questioned described their town centres as being bleak or in a poor state, with only 3 per cent talking about prosperous town centres. Now, in that challenging context, does the Minister welcome...
Adam Price: 9. How is the Welsh Government supporting the recovery of town centre businesses in Carmarthenshire? OQ57828
