7. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Basic Income and the transition to a zero-carbon economy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:06 pm on 13 July 2022.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 4:06, 13 July 2022

Can I thank my co-submitters, Jack Sargeant, Carolyn and Luke as well? Diolch yn fawr i chi i gyd. Thank you to everybody also who took part, and I'm just going to pick up on some of the points that were raised, if I may. Jack, thank you for your continued support for a basic income for our care-experienced young people. That has been such a wonderful and significant change for those young people. And also you've highlighted the real experience from Alyn and Deeside of that unjust transition from fossil fuels to virtually no employment for those people. So, we must address that.

I'm going to turn to our Conservative contributors, to, firstly, Joel—thank you very much for your contributions. You talked about not understanding the need for a transition from fossil fuels to a greener way of working. Well, let me give you some evidence. We've got one here in Wales: Aberpergwm, a mine where we are looking to extend the licence, so that coal can come out of the ground still. You know that I've spoken out against that. Now, let's think if we could offer something to those workers that said, 'You don't need to work in this fossil-fuel industry. We want to support you while you become skilled up, while you look for jobs, while you have that real safety net whilst you transition.'

And Janet, wow. I've got a number of things to say, if I may, Janet. Firstly, I sit here not on the Labour benches, but this 'nanny state' has been elected for 22 years, so the Welsh people have actually chosen this Labour Government. I'm thankful to you—I'm very thankful to the Welsh Government—that we are not back in the times where you want us to be, where perhaps there were no women's rights, where children were perhaps down the mines, where there was abuse of workers. You talked about grit, hard work and determination. Some people, sadly, because of illness, because of vulnerability, because of where they live, because of their life chances, because of how they're brought up, aren't able to get that grit, hard work and determination. And I notice, Janet, you're doing something while I'm trying to address some of the points that you've raised. [Interruption.] Diolch, Mabon.