Part of 6. 6. Debate on Stage 3 of the Public Health (Wales) Bill – in the Senedd at 4:44 pm on 9 May 2017.
Plaid Cymru is pleased to support these amendments. We often hear about the difficulties that patients of all ages face when there is a variety of public bodies responsible for the services that they receive. This, of course, includes young people. They are no different. Indeed, one could argue that they are in more complex positions on occasion, if you add the school or educational institution as another layer of public service that plays a part in decisions on care and support for young persons.
I, like many here, I’m sure, have dealt with a number of cases in my constituency relating to mental health problems suffered by young people—some of them very serious problems—and the role of the school in the treatment and care provided is often centrally important. Therefore, collaboration is important. It doesn’t always happen as we would like to see it happen, and this amendment would at least lead to the need to report back on the level of collaboration that currently exists. I’m also pleased to see that the amendment specifically notes that reports should refer to obesity levels—something that we’ve already discussed here this afternoon—and to nutrition. It also emphasises the need for public health messages to be communicated effectively to young people, and communicated in a way that is seen as relevant to young people. Therefore, we are happy to support these amendments.