Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for that answer, Minister. Many of my residents in north Wales live in rural communities that are often poorly served by existing digital infrastructure and, whilst some are now being offered improved services, it can be daunting to make the right decisions in terms of providers, broadband types and changing phone lines. This is particularly the case as the cost-of-living crisis...
Carolyn Thomas: 1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve digital inclusion in rural communities? OQ57979
Carolyn Thomas: Minister, I too am concerned about the cost of the delay for Ynys Môn council, who may have built up employment costs and income revenue in their business plans going forward for the year, and for the construction company who, under procurement rules, will have factored in much needed local employment and apprenticeships to build the site. If one of the reasons for delay is that the UK...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you, First Minister. I totally agree with you. I know that you are committed to improving passenger experience on public transport to reduce the number of car journeys to achieve net zero. As part of this, Transport for Wales has invested in new trains for the Wrexham-Bidston line and has recruited new drivers and trained them all up ready. A levelling-up funding bid was also made to...
Carolyn Thomas: First Minister, I understand broadband is not a devolved issue and that, sadly, north Wales has not received any of the £5 billion the UK Government has set aside for broadband infrastructure funding. It could be another two years, I'm led to believe. However, I am excited and pleased to learn that, in Anglesey, there is a consortium being led by Bangor University and the private sector,...
Carolyn Thomas: 5. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact levelling-up funding will have on transport infrastructure in North Wales? OQ57985
Carolyn Thomas: Sure, my new neighbour.
Carolyn Thomas: Actually, I don't. It was the banking crisis at the time and the way that the finances had been handled across the world, and that's how it was dealt with. Austerity went on for far too long. We're not discussing austerity at the moment, but I did want to bring it in because it does impact on public services. I still have the scars of 14 years of being a councillor, 10 years of year upon year...
Carolyn Thomas: I welcome this debate and airing of the proposal, so hopefully the correct information will be known, going forward, about what is being proposed and what stage it is at. There have been some attention-grabbing headlines in the press, and it's being used as a political football. One being shared is that the Welsh Government were proposing that tourists would have to pay £15 a night to stay...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for that answer, Minister. Brexit has left the UK lacking when it comes to legislation to protect animal welfare, and action must be taken as a matter of urgency. RSPCA research has shown that approximately 73 per cent of its inspectors believe that animal cruelty is committed because people do not understand that animals are sentient, with feelings and emotions. With emergency...
Carolyn Thomas: Thank you for the answer, Minister. I would like to see apprenticeship programmes being used to fill the current gaps in local authority recruitment. Councils are struggling to fill positions such as highway officers, planners and drainage experts. These are technical positions that require training and expertise as well as a strong knowledge of the local area. However, the apprenticeship...
Carolyn Thomas: 9. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the UK Government's apprenticeships levy on the finances of local authorities? OQ57928
Carolyn Thomas: 1. What plans does the Welsh Government have to legally recognise animal sentience in the devolved policy-making process? OQ57929
Carolyn Thomas: I will, thank you. It's brilliant that Welsh Government want to fund two-year-olds to attend higher quality childcare settings, but I agree with the report findings that it will only be effective if the settings can stay open and that the funding is adequate to pay staff a real living wage. Thank you.
Carolyn Thomas: I'd like to share some of my own experiences as a mum of three who had voluntary roles within the sector as a playgroup committee secretary and fundraiser to highlight why access to childcare is so important for working parents. After my first child was born—and this goes back a few years, when times were easier—I went back to my office job, but most of my wages went on nursery fees. When...
Carolyn Thomas: Firstly, can I just make the point that rising food prices was already an issue prior to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and was, in part, due to the pandemic and also because of Brexit? It concerns me that, in recent debates, the Conservatives have tried to ignore the facts about the cost-of-living crisis we now face, and decisions made by the Tory UK Government have caused this crisis...
Carolyn Thomas: Yes.
Carolyn Thomas: Yes, I did actually say that, that we've been campaigning for years. I remember Brynle from Cilcain, and I remember him taking part in that dispute as well, before he became an AM. I was actually going to go on to say, as well, that these rest stops are so important. I was just going to suggest that, perhaps, for the ease of drivers who continuously drive across borders, this should be...
Carolyn Thomas: Following on from what Luke just said, actually, it's not possible to book a driving test in Wrexham at all, for anybody, even the learner drivers driving a car at the moment. I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate today. If we are to solve the issue of needing more truck drivers, we have to address the issue of retention, as has already been mentioned. It's not an easy job, and we...
Carolyn Thomas: Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government plans to improve care services in North Wales?
