I’m in Wales participating on a Professional International Networking Programme at the Welsh Assembly.

You could stand on the outside and Facebook, Tweet or blog about what the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, and the constituency representatives are wearing or who they are interacting with. But why spy on them, when you can walk into the Senedd to observe the proceedings of the national plenary?

Thanks to this practice, I was able to observe The First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday and I must highlight one important issue raised. Of great concern for one member, was the decline of public sanitary facilities. The member who presented revealing findings from secondary research, highlighted this has negative implications for the elderly and families with children especially.

In my country, Jamaica, this would quite possibly never be raised in parliament and if a member was brave enough to seek national attention and consensus on the issue, most likely they would become a victim of heckling. Public sanitary conveniences would have been left to local parish councils.

What impressed me is that the assembly members listened and the First Minister was attentive. He answered, acknowledging the findings and promised to look further into the matter.

There are perhaps very few governments around the world with an open door policy that is not just articulated in writing, but is an actual practice. That impresses me about Wales. This truly typifies a government for the people who have been elected by the people.

Jaevion is an international scholar who has been participating in the Professional International Networking programme at the Welsh Assembly Government