24/01/2017 First Minister's Questions

Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage

Though there are no questions on the order paper

about the Supreme Court's decision on Brexit, I'd be a little surprised

if none of the party leaders chose to ask Carwyn Jones

He's also expecting questions on winder preparedness of the NHS,

protecting the Welsh economy and increasing the number

You can follow us on Twitter, @walespolitics, where you'll

find all the latest political comings and goings.

Well, question time is already underway so let's

I call the national assembly to order and the first question is

questions to the First Minister and the first question is from Dai

Lloyd. Will the First Minister make

a statement on plans to increase the number of Welsh speakers

in South Wales West? Our vision is to have a million

Welsh speakers use the language by 2050. We have consulted on a draft

strategy in order to achieve that. Thank you for that response. Of

course like the rest of the chamber I am very pleased to support your

ambitious objective of securing a million Welsh speakers by halfway

through the century. That's an increase in some within the region

of 400,000 Welsh speakers. An average increase of 18,004 each of

current counties. The education sector is crucial to this. In light

of that to you believe that the capacity of Welsh medium primary

school places over the next three years as is suggested in the

Bridgend banned and other councils in South Wales is that small numbers

sufficient in order to reach your target and if not then what will you

do to ensure that the councils understand the crucially important

role they will play in supporting you in achieving your target? Local

authorities of course will be responsible for publishing their

strategic lands on supporting the Welsh language in the schools. They

have two present those to us in order for us to approve them. If

there is any scheme which is not adequate then the government will

not approve it. Would the First Minister acknowledge the importance

of the Urdd Eisteddfod for the Welsh language and would he congratulate

those people who organise and fund raise for the Bridgend if they step

for. The hard work of a number of volunteers to maintain the language

is important and in some of the communities where the Welsh language

is not the first language and I am sure you will be warmly welcoming

people to enjoy the dance to fundraisers well. I always receive a

warm welcome because at one time the village was in my constituency. As

one who has worked hard to raise funds for the ever faced ever they

have organised to quiz nights with my wife and I am very supportive and

of course I support everyone who supports the stairs of. To make sure

it is a success this year and to ensure there is more growth in the

numbers of people speaking and using the Welsh language. At a recent

meeting in Swansea council officials suggested their focus during this

cycle of wood beyond promoting the Welsh would and that is a step

forward but it doesn't respond to demand. I got the impression from

the cabinet member that she thought the current vocalised demand came

from a specific section of Swansea side the and I believe there should

be at least one person with good Welsh language gills in each flying

start scheme. Do you agree that early access to both of our

languages will enhance opportunities for children from more deprived

backgrounds? Yes of course. We must ensure there are more places

available in the nursery schools but we also must make sure that children

in the nursery schools are remaining in the Welsh stream when they go

into the primary schools and the secondary schools in order to ensure

they don't lose the language skills that they have gained as they go

through school. The Welsh language commissioner said that in order to

increase the number of Welsh speakers we need radical change to

our education system. She has suggested we should consider

teaching all primary schools through the medium of Welsh. It has been

compulsory for every school child in Wales to learn Welsh since 1999 yet

despite this the members of Welsh speakers has fallen. Polls suggest

the majority of people are opposed to compulsory teaching. Is it time

we accepted that may be the stick approach is not working and rather

than dictating everyone should learn Welsh, can we maybe instead be

making it easier for those who really want to learn? She was

suggesting that every primary school should be Welsh medium. There are

issues surrounding that, practical issues in terms of recruiting

teachers. I believe it is right our national languages should be

compulsory to the age of 16. There are issues about the way Welsh is

taught in English medium schools. I don't think we can say we have

created it confident Welsh speakers in owning this medium schools.

That's why a new curriculum will be important and we need to move away

from the idea that Welsh is solely academic area of study and moved

more towards it being a full facial skill. -- a vocational skill. I

think that would be a good way of improving the way that Welsh is

taught. Question two was removed. Julie Morgan.

What discussions has the First Minister had

with the Prime Minister about future regional policy?

I have raised the issue of replacement funding. We have been

very clear about our priorities including regional policy. When he

next meets the Prime Minister in the context of the Brexit negotiations

will he stress how vitally important regional economic strategy is to

Wales and Woody emphasised that replacement funding from the UK

Government must be at least equal in size to lost EU funding and it must

be under the Welsh Government's control. A promise was made by some

in the campaign last year that Wales would not lose a penny if Wales lost

the European Union. I expect that promise to be honoured. It is hugely

important that the economic losses we have developed here, the lowest

unemployment for many years, are fully within the control of the

Welsh Government to deliver those benefits. This morning I attended

the annual STW farmers breakfast hosted by Paul Davies. Farmers were

eager for clarity on the system of farm payments to be created in the

way of the UK leaving the EU. Can you update us on your government's

discussions with the UK Government on the best way to safeguard future

support for the Welsh farming industry? The FAW president

expressed his concern last week about the perfect storm. We have no

clarity beyond 2020. There are some who suggest the European market is

not important for farming. In the percent of our exports go to the

European market and it cannot be replaced easily as a market for our

goods so we must ensure that as the UK leaves the EU nothing interferes

with the ability of our farmers to sell on the same terms as they do

now to by far the biggest market. Pre-19 79 the UK regional policy had

three owners, grants through the regional premium but also fiscal

incentives through the selective employment tax and cheap loans. In

his discussions with the UK Government in the ministerial Forum

announced earlier this week will he ask that all of those will be

available to us to ensure that Wales can develop its competitive

advantage. We are in very new territory in terms of what will be

needed in the future to attract investment into Wales. For example,

there are issues like tax incentives which need to be further developed.

APD is a great driver for airports in Wales. They say it was a mistake

to devolve to Scotland so it doesn't come to us. As we look at the next

few years we need an infinitive of way rather than taking the view that

one size fits all. Would you welcome the fact the Prime Minister has

announced an industrial strategy. I am encouraged that one of the

sectors the UK Government intends to prioritise includes robotics and

automation. The Bank of England has estimated that a 15 million jobs

across the UK at risk from automation. And would he work with

employers in Wales to make sure the future proof their workforce to meet

this huge challenge. There are two issues. There is little in it that

can be disagreed with but it's a mishmash because some of these

things are not devolved. There needs to be greater clarity. There will be

a temptation to automate further which is why we need to focus

strongly on raising productivity across the UK to make sure employers

are not tempted to replace human beings with machines. That is

something we want to focus on strongly. Raising productivity

levels to at least the level of Germany to make sure our working

people are not that his disadvantage. Questions now from the

party leaders. Neil Hamilton. I am not going to ask a question about

the EU today because don't want to be typecast. I would like to ask

about the health service. In particular in relation to GPs. GP

numbers are static and there is rising demand for their services. In

2014 the latest figures we had the lowest number of GPs in Wales per

thousand people in the UK. 70% of GPs have sought guidance for

work-related stress in the last two years. 84% worry they may miss

something serious and it patient because of pressures. Does he accept

that as a growing crisis? If you look at social care we found the

social care 6% higher than Englanders which is why we have not

had the humanitarian crisis that England has had within its NHS. We

are also recruiting additional GPs. We have more GPs in Wales than ever

before. That is why we have the recruitment campaign that was

launched last year. I am leaves he is not asking me about Europe

because he did appear at a press conference yesterday and they do

thank him for the fact he is such a fan he cannot be away from me even

for a day! Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing but that is

not so in the case of First Minister. That is no answer to the

question I posed. Things are worsening lint than they are in

Wales. It is true there is a pincer movement here of increasing demand

on GPs and with GP numbers not keeping pace with those rising

demands. The NHS funding on GPs in Wales is down since 2004 from 10% of

the total to 7/2%. Throw College of General protection -- petitioners

say more GPs spending could save the NHS ?90 million EU if we repro size

GPs within the Welsh Government's NHS budget. Is that something the

First Minister is prepared to consider? A ?43 million primary care

fund is supporting that with the emphasis on new and improved ways of

developing the services of nurses and pharmacists and physiotherapist

and social workers to walk along side GPs. The answer lies not just

increasing number of GPs but ensuring that sufficient

professionals available in particular setting. We see that for

example in Prestatyn. They are to know that in some areas of Wales

patient pressure in terms of numbers on doctor 's surgery sessions is no

excessive. Canny givers any idea what he thinks the maximum number of

patients GP can reasonably deal with and our working day, and

particularly in relation to home visits for patients that are

housebound, the royal college of GPs tell me that certain instances

people have to wake up to 20 hours visit which is clearly unacceptable.

Some doctors deal with 120 patients per session instead of 50 or 60.

Exactly how many does it think is reasonable for doctors to see in the

session and how do they expect the Welsh government to meet the six

hour target which is currently being breached left right and centre

throughout the country? It depends of the patients who come through

this such a particular date. Some are seen in five minutes and for

other people takes longer. It depends on the nature of the patient

and GPs will have a good idea of it is the committees are working on the

nature of the patient and GPs will have a good idea that it is the work

the last thing we want to do is to point more and more people towards

GPs. We say to people could see a pharmacist first automating us on a

GP practice nurse and only then is the GPs only to go and see. There

are issues where some offer broader services in longer hours than

others. That is why it is important to work with the royal college and

others to make sure we see greater consistency in terms of delivery in

the future. First Minister I'm not going to ask about article 50 White

Paper that we jointly launched yesterday because there are

statements of both those matters coming in later. I would like to ask

you about matters relating to public services for which you are

responsible. Do you accept that many real commuters on the Valley lines

in particular face at touch and go situation when it comes to getting

to work on time? We are not responsible for the rail services.

We will be from next year and we welcome that. We want to make sure

the Wales and Borders franchise provides people with decent rolling

stock and more frequent trains and decent fears to pay. Those will be a

guiding principles as we look to let the franchise for next year on

board. So did nothing to do with the government? It is a touch and go

situation for many workers and IV is a regular delays as does everyone

else who uses the service. We never know when there will be delays and

cancellations and was a delay later my train coming to work this

morning. It is a daily occurrence. People feel they are not getting

value for money and more importantly that those trains cannot be relied

upon. For years our reader has try to make the service work by pushing

the current trains to the max. -- Arriva. These trains are very old.

It looks as if the services are breaking point. If it does make you

will have to do something. Is it acceptable to you that the

overcrowding situation and decide the Wales is the fastest-growing in

the UK of London? I am glad that the growth is increasing. The whole

point of the Metro was to make sure that we're better rolling stock and

don't have 40-year-old stock refurbished on the Valley lines with

no air conditioning. We don't have a situation with the track operates as

a stock operators blame each other for delays. We want is even next

year a metro system that is extended in the feature and offers a far

better service than has been available so far. She will have seen

the comments from economy Secretary in terms of its views on the profits

that Arriva have made despite the below par services on offer so far.

We can't afford to wait for the Metro and it could be years that we

see it coming on stream. My predecessor was a strong critic of

the current rail franchise contract for Wales. He said that the way to

be drawn up by an agency of the UK Government had led to a decade of

overcrowding and that verdict still stands today. Last Friday the Welsh

affairs select committee said that new trains would be needed and they

described the 2003 contract as a huge mistake. Commuters are not

prepared to put up with another probably negotiated franchise. Your

government will be responsible for the less franchise and we already

know the planning for that is under way. To date you have they get to

make clear to this assembly what Rolling stock will be provided and

I'm talking quantity as well as quantity. We have not been told

whether there will be new trains carriages if they have been ordered

yet. If there will be new trains of second hand when Ferdinand. Will you

tell us today what trains are going to be available for the next

franchise and will you give a cast iron guarantee that the mistakes of

the past contract would be repeated? We have no intention of repeating

the mistakes of the UK Government in the God of the last contract. She

rightly refers to what Mr Jones said when he was in charge of transport.

There was nothing he could do because it was not devolved and his

frustration was shared by me. Better trains and more frequent trains and

more modern mauling style. One problem though is its almost

impossible to procure these of trains and it seems ancient

technology so we have to make sure we see electrification and we have

to see the commitment from the UK Government that they will electrify

from Cardiff to Swansea. And the North Wales mainlines. In terms of

what the trains will look like in the future at very least they will

be this electric. We have to make sure that less of a geisha is taken

through. The whole point is you have the negotiation on the franchise and

is part of the franchise negotiation you specify what stock the operator

has to use. She asked if the service will run better. The answer I give

is yes. I am sure she will hold me to account. When you come third in

the leaders to ask questions you normally assume the topic of the day

will be asked by the other two. I would like to ask you on the

inspection report that has been brought forward today. You not

unreasonably said that she would make education your priority and

just before Christmas that we saw the result is that there was no

progress at all. Today they Iestyn inspection reports she was a damning

failure of leadership and particularly in excellence of

teaching in the secondary sector will if you choose a secondary

school in Wales who have less than 50% chance of going to a school that

is excellent soba chicks in practice. The event that is

acceptable after nearly seven years of being First Minister? There are

two things to bear in mind. Teachers pay and conditions have not been

divulged yet. There will be next year. That gives us a chance to put

in place a proper training package of pay and conditions that will

attract good teachers to Wales and improve the training of teachers in

Wales. Scotland have done it and that is the reason why we should not

be will to do that. Secondly the report makes the point that not

enough is done to stretch those at the top end of the academic leaks.

-- leagues. One of the reason that the Pisa report were disappointing

is that we don't do well at the top end. That bought a set of features

we need to do more to make sure that those were the high achievers

academically at least more to do even better. I'm glad that the

report has actually shown that to make sure that teachers and

politicians understand that is what needs to be done. In your answer

here. About pay and conditions in Scotland and the Scotland results in

the Pisa rankings collapsed and that is no example to follow, I would

suggest to you. You have had an initiative after initiative censure

tenure at First Minister and is as Labour have been running education

since 1999 we have our teacher workload initiatives and their

original consortium that have come in for special interest him today.

-- special criticism. The secretary of the annuity has said that there

are significant barriers to improving best practices. Do you

recognise those significant practices? -- barriers? We have had

initiative after initiative under your leadership and yet we're still

getting Iestyn reports. You're failing. To be lectured by somebody

who stood for election on the basis of cutting education spending by 12%

is unbelievable. To be lectured by somebody is failing to build schools

in England. While we are building schools in Wales. To be lectured by

somebody who was the beanbag grammar schools? Grammar schools means

chucking most children onto a scrappy. Of course there are issues

in education system. -- scrapheap. GCSE he results are improving and

A-level results are improving. We are seeing more schools coming out

in the category of underperforming. The good practices been pointed as

well. It is shown are particularly places that need to be focused on

and they are being focused on but we know that a school zone in the right

direction proper funding and not being starved of funding by his

party elsewhere in Britain. You always know when you strike never

the First Minister and it brings up statistics at Stanton no scrutiny at

all and we're talking about the here and now and the Iestyn that was

delivered today that is a damning indictment and yours they would ship

here in Wales. -- on your stewardship here in Wales. 50% of

teachers in Cardiff have left their post in the last three years.

Initiative after initiative that I have highlighted and you're failing

to drive up standards here in Wales. Kids get one chance to go to school.

You set education at the priority and you have failed to deliver. It

is about time you accepted some accountability for this and instead

of rehearsing their arguments of yesterday started mapping out a

vision for tomorrow and the success that we all want to see in our

education system here in Wales. There is I believe they can say as

Donald Trump 's press secretary for the leader of the best Conservative

Party by his presentation of all kinds of fact. It is indisputable

that the GSE -- GS CE results have improved. It is indisputable that

this party wanted cut education spending by 12% and they boasted

about it. They produced an mini manifesto that included that figure.

The reality is that his party have not come anywhere near in education

wells and it would have destroyed it. They would not have built

schools that would have kept children being taught in schools

that were falling apart. Education is moving in the right direction

with improvement across the board and that is exactly where we will

take education the future. Not backwards to the days when education

was underfunded by the Conservative Party, a party that surely does not

care about education for all and does not care about the

opportunities that are available for youngsters in Wales. That is what we

stand for and it will never understand what it means to get a

good education and good opportunities because they had never

had to fight for it themselves. Will the First Minister outline

the Welsh Government's plan for winter preparedness

in the Welsh NHS? We continue to support health and

social care organisations through our monthly seasonal planning

meetings. In 2015 the National Institute for clinical accidents

published as clinical health guidance on tackling excess winter

deaths. It outlined a number of recommendations about how health and

social care practitioners could reduce the risk of health problems

and therefore pressures in the Welsh NHS. Given the plight country have

said last September that -- Plaid Cymru. It is as an problem, how will

you respond? There are schemes that help many people particularly older

people to get homes that are warmer to ensure that they can heat their

homes and have boiler systems and heating systems of the more

efficient than what they once had and let's keep the might of hospital

because they are in homes that are under heated. We believe we are a

good reckoned that intends the money we have allocated any previous years

to help so many people in Wales live in warmth and able to afford their

heating bills and that is something I am proud of.

On average around 3000 patients waiting longer than 12 hours month

after month. Isn't that evidence of a systemic problem with the delivery

of emergency care in Wales with excellent staff being asked to

deliver the impossible rather than something that can be blamed on poor

weather? What happens in the winter, even though numbers in AMD dropped

the conditions tend to be longer term. In the summer they tend to the

injuries that don't need as much time in AMD. The issues we face are

these. We need to make sure that social care spending is kept tight.

It is true to say the demand is higher and they pay tribute to those

who work in the services. But every consultant will tell you that there

are too many people going to AMD who don't need to be there. What we say

to people is go and see the pharmacy or the GPs, all these are

alternatives. If people are not urgent cases they do wait longer in

a and B. The urgent cases get treated first. People need to make

their own choices and we will continue to make sure we fund our

hospitals to meet demand. What steps is the Welsh Government

taking regarding Aberthaw power station following the decision

of the European Court Natural Resources Wales is the

environmental regulator responsible for modifying Aberthaw's perk turn

it so that it gives judgment. We as a governor -- government continue to

closely monitor the progress towards delivering compliance. The court

case was last September and the member state which is the UK

Government was found guilty of allowing illegal levels of pollution

from Aberthaw Power Station. Since then there has only been one on

written letter to the company that has been responded to. He has been

no change to the permit and Public Health Wales confirmed to me last

week that 1150 early death is take place annually in Wales because of

nitrogen dioxide pollution. Why are we allowing such a situation where

there is this coming from a power station months after the court

decided this needed to be tackled? This is a matter for Natural

Resources Wales but I will say that the omission of nitro oxide, those

emissions have been reduced to a level from Aberthaw itself to a

level which isn't far from the acceptable level which is close to

what the court said. Although it is a matter for Natural Resources Wales

it does look as if the emissions have been reduced and now it's a

matter of seeing whether it's possible to permit the place to

proceed. I was interested by that answer because I've not seen the

data and I thought some level investment would be required to

reduce these emissions which were over twice the agreed European

limit. If you could put that information in the library we would

be very grateful. You do have to act quickly so that the public can be

assured they will be protected. The emissions go over Cardiff,

Bristol and parts of the West Country and it is a serious matter.

The information we have is that emissions have reduced from the

plant itself. On the 6th of January the centre of their intention to

begin the process of modifying the permit. Plans of a deadline is the

17th of February. RW we have invested in the plan to reduce

emissions but it must be brought within the limit in order for them

to be able to achieve a permit in future.

Will the First Minister make a statement on the National Grid's

We have consistently pressed the National Grid to ensure its

proposals for the new line across Anglesey are fit for purpose and

sensitive to the environment through which it will pass. Last Wednesday

the National Assembly for Wales made a clear statement that it is our

wish in this place for the National Grid to seek alternative methods of

making new electricity connections in Wales rather than putting in

place new pylons for any new developments here. That is

particularly pertinent to us on Anglesey where we face seeing a new

line of pylons being erected over the next few years. In light of the

fact this assembly has demonstrated its democratic will week ago, will

the First Minister give a commitment to contact the National Grid again

to put pressure on it to convince it that it should listen to the

Democratic voice of our National Assembly and reconsider their

proposals? After all every voice representing Anglesey apart from one

Ukip regional member and I include myself, the MP, parish councils,

town councils and the county council, have all expressed our

opposition and we would want the support of the First Minister to

urge them to listen. Of course the assembly's position is close to the

government's standpoint and we wish to see the cables being underground.

That is our standpoint and I am happy again to tell the National

Grid that is the view of the Parliament of Wales and therefore is

the view they should take into consideration. When I discussed this

with National Grid they told me they get paid for what they do whether

pylons go all the ground or underground but Ofgem require best

value for the customer and this will be paid through custom energy bills.

Given the best value means quality value as well as price what dialogue

will your government have with Ofgem given the concern raised by the

councils across Anglesey that the pylon option has been chosen on the

basis of cost alone? The rules are put in place by the UK Government

not by us. He asks would we reinforce our position and we will

continue to do that. We know the environmental sensitivity and it's

right to say the price is not the sole determinant of whether a

contract is awarded not or whether work is carried out the knot. We

share his view it is important to look at a wide range of factors when

we look at the overall cost. It is why we take the view they preferred

position should be underground. What discussions has

the Welsh Government had with the UK Government to impro

ve current rail We are having a rebel dialogue with

the UK Government on these matters. They are leading the procurement of

the next franchise which will improve services. Tonight on BBC

Wales Nick Savini goes behind the scenes of Arriva trains Wales as it

investigates the worst overcrowding on commuter trains for years. My

constituency continually raise with me overcrowding on trains but the

focus of Arriva trains Wales has made a profit of -- it also had ?70

million in the bank at the time it filed its last accounts. The

existing franchise comes to an end in October 2018 20 months away. My

constituents are fearful that during the forthcoming Six Nations they

will again be stuck on Willie stations in Newbridge, Crosskeys as

the Ebbw Vale the Cardiff service is already at capacity. As

electrification is today -- delete can we call on the UK Government to

do its job and act as: Arriva trains Wales to find a solution before the

new franchises awarded and can he outlined what investigations have

taken place into the capacity issue? We work with Arriva trains Wales but

in terms of having levers that won't arrive till next year. In the past

Arriva trains Wales has obtained locomotives to pull trains and those

trains were popular with commuters. There is no reason in my mind why

they can seek to do that again. What my colleague has outlined his the

balmy situation where we pay a subsidy to rail operators to provide

substandard service while they make enormous profit and this was the

wonder of privatisation back in the 1990s. We should be able to look at

having a public sector not-for-profit agency running the

railway lines for the benefit of the people of Wales and not by paying a

subsidy in order to be shaved -- the shareholders. The House of Commons

Welsh affairs committee has recently said there is an urgent need for new

trains. It went on to say that Sam Rowlands stock was over 40 years

old. Would the Wales and broader franchise coming up to the first Mr

say what discussions has the Welsh Government has with regard with

providing a modern rail service for passengers in south-east Wales.

These are all part of the franchise negotiations. The Metro will improve

journey times and facilities. For the first time it will be the people

of Wales who are able to determine what their train service is actually

look like. We have this bizarre situation where at one point it was

said the wheels and Borders franchise would only cover trains

which began or two needed their journeys in Wales. I am glad that

situation seems to have been solved by the UK Government but they are

determined to provide a better level of service. I declare an interest

that my sister works for Network Rail. I've had correspondence from

people who have traded with transport links.

Can he update us on plans to open a new station in Abertillery but what

steps will the government have with the local authority to provide

adequate bus links before new Metro comes on stream. The member has made

himself the font or the recipient of all rail related complaints in the

SMB. Abertillery is included in the Metro plans as an area of expansion.

The railway tracks were last used when the mine was in place and third

years ago. It is a community that needs to be linked. Where there are

no existing heavy railway lines we want to make sure that communities

that lost their relaxed some years ago to regain them as part of the

Metro plans. What percentage of the budget is

allocated to the prevention of fraud? For the purpose of

identifying fraud if not possible to say what percentage of the spenders

but those who encounter the fraud unit. Don't you think it's ironic

that your leader was talking about a rigged system this month because in

Wales its labour that has rigged the system.

There was a massive grant for Cook. The company providing the guaranteed

give a massive donation to Labour Party. And yet your party at when

people out of the homes of the canopy bedroom tax. Are you happy

with all this? Are you happy, First Minister, with all this? The member

is probably wiser not repeating those allegations outside the

chamber. He has an unhappy history of libel trials. That was a stream

of consciousness as far as I can tell. In terms of appointment is

done openly. He is criticised appointment of the ombudsman. The

ombudsman was appointed whether -- whether Plaid Cymru member. There

have been cases where we investigated fraud which is

inevitable with a large organisation. Those investigations

are undertaken grabbers who is the subject of the investigation. If he

is suggesting that the worst government adviser been involved in

fraud which is the tone of his allegation he needs to make his

allegations known to the relevant authorities or make his allegations

backed up with evidence. NA allocation of Welsh grants to

organisations that are relevant checks and use of taxpayers money.

There have been allegations of various scandals and I'm aware of

?900,000 in North Wales were to directors bus company face criminal

action. And I do know of ten to 12 cases under investigation and how

the money has been used. There is finding that they are this

government. How can I reassure my constituents in Aberconwy that in

all matters you to take these things seriously. And that all transaction

between businesses and organisations they can fill confident you will

always maintain strict financial property at the heart of Welsh

government funding and these of our taxpayers money? That is a perfectly

fair question. We have a counter fraud unit headed by a retired

police officer with experience of leading economic crime and proceeds

of crime recovery units. He's also a member of the organising committee

of the worst fraud Forum. It is also supported by administration staff.

It is not a big unit but it does play a leadership role and draws on

considerable support. Is it possible to prevent all crime? No, clearly.

What is important is that crime is detected an investigative prosecuted

and the fact with happiness is the use of investigation is a sign, I

hope, that the member can see that we do take all allegations. That was

First Minister's Questions. If you want one of the National Service

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