Russell George: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I thank the cross-party group for their work and this report? Of course, I particularly thank Mark Isherwood, as the chair. Perhaps if I start by summarising, perhaps, Mark Isherwood's opening comments—his 11-minute opening—which outlined the brief points in the report. Hospice and palliative care played a critical role in the pandemic response, supported...
Russell George: Thank you, Llywydd. Thank you for your answer. I'm very pleased with your answer, Llywydd. My concern is, there's great difficulty for me and my office when we seem to be trying to host an event in the Senedd. So often I'm told that there's a six-month delay before any event can be organised, and then other times I get told, 'We can't allow that date because it's too far into the future.' But...
Russell George: Thank you, Counsel General, for your answer. I suppose, therefore, I would ask you what your assessment is of the independent commission—or supposedly independent commission—and how it came to its conclusion that the only three options for the constitutional future of Wales are more devolution, federalism and independence. I would ask: what about the other political viewpoints that these...
Russell George: 8. How is the Counsel General ensuring that the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales is properly engaging with the public as part of its work to present options on the constitutional future of Wales? OQ59352
Russell George: 2. How is the Commission simplifying the booking process for hosting events on the Senedd estate? OQ59351
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for the advance copy of the statement on what is a really important topic, because we see a lot of anecdotal evidence that shows the difficulty in accessing primary care services, and how that drives pressure, of course, on emergency care with lots of people then turning to A&E? Indeed, that was one of the reasons why I brought forward the Welsh Conservatives' GP...
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, and I am pleased that the strategy does include increased spend. But my concern is that there are huge concerns that remain with regard to the Welsh Government's changes requiring many holiday let businesses to be let for 182 days a year, and making them move from the business rates system to the council tax system, which would then increase their tax burden and...
Russell George: 5. How is the Welsh Government supporting tourism in mid Wales? OQ59353
Russell George: Russell, diolch—thank you for taking the intervention. I take you at your word, actually. I accept that you didn't wish to bring this motion in front of the Chamber today. But the point about funding is a fundamental issue, and you quote the £1.20—and I won't argue about that—but you know and I know, and the secret right around the Chamber is, that a needs-based formula would provide...
Russell George: Yes, Alun, I would. I genuinely would. Let's do that. Let's meet after and discuss that. I will end my contribution, Llywydd, by saying I look forward to the day that I can stand here in a debate and talk about the success of our Welsh NHS and how it is performing much better than any other nation across the UK. I genuinely look forward to that day.
Russell George: I don't think I can take any more. I don't think I can. Can I take an intervention?
Russell George: Okay. Janet and then Alun.
Russell George: Thank you, Jenny. I'll come to that in my contribution. I will come to that in my contribution. So, let's have a look at some of the statistics: 24 per cent of the Welsh population are on a NHS waiting list, twice the proportion in England. One in five of those patients are waiting over a year for treatment, compared to one in 18 in England. Over 45,000 patients in Wales are waiting over two...
Russell George: Well, the statistic you point at there, Jenny, I mean, perhaps that should be explored; perhaps Betsi Cadwaladr health board can learn from areas in that particular health board. But, I think what I'm going to demonstrate to you—I'm going to raise some statistics between England and Wales, and I'm doing so in the context that there's great frustration amongst patients up and down...
Russell George: The Welsh Government health Minister is, of course, responsible for holding health boards to account, and must make her views known, as she has done—[Interruption.] and she does, I agree, Jenny; she does make her views known—when she doesn't have confidence in them. And, in the same way, for those of us in this Chamber who are not in Government, it is our job to hold the Government to...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. There is no crematorium in Powys. Many of my constituents have to travel into England, and the vast majority of my constituents have to travel over an hour to the nearest crematorium. So, clearly, this is not ideal for grieving families or friends, or, indeed, very sustainable at all either. Most crematoriums, of course, in Wales are owned and managed by...
Russell George: 2. How is the Welsh Government supporting local authorities to provide access to local crematoriums? OQ59305
Russell George: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Now, Deputy Minister, you touched upon, in your statement today, the sharing of good practice. So, I wondered if you can give us, or perhaps let us know where you think that health and social care is working best in Wales—tell us the health boards or the regional partnership boards that are doing the best, and also, give us a sense of where you think, or...
Russell George: Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. There's a real issue in my constituency in accessing a GP, often having to wait for a considerable time to see a GP, and there are, obviously, the consequences of that. What I would ask, First Minister, is: what do you see as the barriers for GPs and, indeed, dentists, coming to work in mid Wales and how can those barriers be removed? In particular,...
Russell George: 2. What is the Welsh Government doing to attract health professionals to work in mid Wales? OQ59322
