2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:49 pm on 3 July 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 2:49, 3 July 2018

First, I'd just like to agree entirely with the words of Julie Morgan about the change in policy on women in the criminal justice system—not just for the women, to ensure that they are appropriately helped to rehabilitate, but also for the absolute transformation in the lives of the children of prisoners, who rarely get their needs taken into consideration in the devastation that occurs when women get carted off to prison.

Secondly, I'd just like to add to what Jane Hutt said about the issue of school uniforms in this hot weather. One of the secondary schools in my constituency is insisting that girls wear tights in this weather, which is really bad for their health as well as their concentration. So, it would be useful if the Government could give some guidance on this. 

The substantive issue I wanted to raise was around integrated ticketing. I wondered if we could have a statement on that, because the cross-party group on transport heard from the operations director of Transport for Wales, and the statement we were getting was less than categorical that we would go ahead with this. I know how important this is to people across Wales who endeavour to navigate their way from bus to train to bus to get to work, and I think we really do need to have a joined-up policy on this. I think it's pretty crucial to ensure that we are making sure that going by public transport is cheaper than going by car when we're trying to get to work or indeed shopping.

The other issue I wanted to raise, which I don't expect you to have an answer for, but I wondered if we could ask the Government to produce a statement on a fair deal for supply teachers, because many of the agencies that assist headteachers who need to get hold of people in a hurry are continuing to flout the agency worker regulations by using something called the Swedish derogation. There's going to be a march this Saturday from Cardiff Central station to New Directions, which is currently flouting the regulations, and I wonder why the Welsh Government is putting any work their way when they are still flouting the regulations that we currently enjoy through being a member of the European Union.