02/05/2017 Welsh First Minister's Questions

TRANSLATION: I call the National Assembly,

the first item on the agenda, questions to the First Minister, and

the first question from Dai Lloyd.

TRANSLATION: Plans for social services.

TRANSLATION: Centre of national strategic importance.

The field has been protected through the investment

of an additional ?55 million for 2017 to 2018, alongside

?60 million for the integrated care fund.

TRANSLATION: Thank you for that response.

Further to that, may I ask what measures

are in place, led by the Welsh government, in order to secure

an adequate supply of home care services for older people and those

with disabilities bearing in mind the increasing demand for those

services and the shortage of funds to provide them to meet

the increasing needs in this area?

Of course I have alluded to the integrated care fund

and what has been invested in that, and the new funding that has already

been announced, and we see this, bearing in mind the transfer

from hospital to care, that that kind of delay is actually

at its minimum level.

?22 million has been cut from the social care budget

despite condition 2 billion from UK Government and Wells government

money as well, additional money, your Minister told me,

just before the recess, that some money would be

additional, that money...

I know you will have examined all of the council budgets.

Can you tell me, yes or no, whether you are sure that

all the money that the Minister has set aside for social care will be

used for social care and not for competing authorities?

Is there an election next Thursday?

Ask myself.

Authorities across Wales have done very well in providing social

services, despite the cuts that have come from her party, and her party

in government in London.

We have seen, we have seen the crisis in social care

in England, a crisis we have not had in Wales because of the investment

we have put in to social care, and the extra ?20 million already

announced.

The last thing we want is to import that kind of chaos into Wales.

As a result of the women taking the well-being future

generations Wales act, we have witnessed in recent years

significant progress in the improved integration of health and social

care despite some the comments being made today.

In particular, I mention the multi-agency

safeguarding hub.

Do you agree with me that one of the early priorities of any

new council coming in after the 4th of May should be to build

on the excellent work to date carried out by current Labour

councils like that in Merthyr Tydfil?

I very much applaud the work of Merthyr Council.

I look forward to that work continuing in

First Minister, we're fast approaching a point where social

care is unaffordable.

Unless we take urgent action, we are facing the real possibility

that the system may collapse.

Successive governments have failed to take account

of the ageing population.

And properly plan for future demand.

What discussions have you had with the UK Government,

about how to ensure the social care sector has sufficient funding

to provide top-quality care for all who need it,

now and in the future?

I think the member raises an important point in that regard,

we know demand continues to increase, there has to be debates

in society as to how that demand will be met.

That does mean there must be discussions between

the governments of the UK, because between the countries

of the UK, we have ensured that there is sufficient funding

for all social care, we have increased that funding,

but of course, it is hugely important in the long term to think

carefully how social care should be funded.

TRANSLATION: Plans for a medical school for North Wales?

TRANSLATION: Work is ongoing to determine the appropriate

approach to getting sustainable medical education and training

in North Wales and the cabinet secretary for health well-being

and sport will be working on a statement in coming weeks.

TRANSLATION: The case for a medical school to serve North Wales

and rural areas is clear and robust.

The health board will have spent over ?21 million on employing agency

medical staff over the past 11 months, up until February this year.

The Royal College of physicians summarises the situation

in one sentence.

There are not enough doctors out there.

Establishment of a medical school in Bangor would be part

of the process of training these additional doctors,

which we need in Wales.

When exactly will the business case be published, and when will

the necessary steps be taken to establish the medical

school be put in place?

TRANSLATION: There will be a statement over the ensuing weeks,

and the Minister will be considering this over

this week and the next, so there will be quite

a swift statement.

Any plans must be sustainable.

It has been a year since I first discussed the need

for a Bangor medical

school, the previous Vice Chancellor, continue

to have those special, three years since the local

North Wales local medical committee warned that general practice

in North Wales was in their words facing crisis and unable

to fill agencies, GPs considering retirement.

The previous supplie from Liverpool, the Liverpool

Medical School, had been severed, where their generation had

primarily come from there.

In considering as you have agreed to do the business case

for a medical school in Bangor, how would you ensure that that

includes a dialogue with Liverpool alongside Bangor to make sure

that we keep local medics local?

The issue is that the population in that area is quite small,

compared to other centres, and so there are issues in terms

of how could such a medical school work closely with other medical

schools in Wales or England or elsewhere.

It is hugely important, any medical school must be sustainable,

and it must work closely with others in order to ensure that

sustainability is there in the future.

Graduates will come back to work in Wales if they have the desire

and ability to do so.

Does the First Minister agree that the government also needs

to look further at ways it can improve the life offered

for the people of North Wales, as this flight of talent

illustrates that too often,

those who move out of Wales to train or work often do so permanently?

The scheme, the campaign we have in place for recruitment

and staff is working well.

We have had a great deal of interest from those in all areas of medicine.

Ultimately, lifestyle is important, but professional challenge

is important, people want to go somewhere they will find their work

interesting, they feel they will be challenged,

from a medical point of view, and they want to live somewhere

they feel they are supported.

The campaign we have put in place has

outlined all of these issues to potential medical

practitioners who wish to come to Wales and the response

has been encouraging.

TRANSLATION: Questions now from the party leaders.

Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, has announced that Labour plans

to recruit another 10,000 police officers in England and Wales,

which would mean an extra nearly 1000 in Wales.

But she was rather sketchy about the cost of this

proposal first of all, saying it would cost ?300,000,

average salary of ?30, for a policeman, then it went up

to 8000 a year, ?80 million.

Perhaps the First Minister could give his own view

on the credibility of this policy and what the figures are?

It's hugely important we see more bobbies on the beat,

more police officers, 10,000 of them, and people

will support that.

You asked the question where the money

will come from, ?300 million a year over the course of five years,

?2.7 billion is the pot of the money that will be created

by reinstating the previous levels of capital gains tax,

?1.5 billion, with 1.2 billion left over.

Those are the maths.

The First Minister is not aware of what happened last time,

when it was increased in 2010,

capital gains tax, the rate was raised from 18% to 28%,

and whereas before the 23rd of June, 2010, he had raised 8.23 billion

a year, after the 23rd of June, it raised 3.3 billion a year,

so actually there was a cut in revenue, ?4.9 billion a year.

How is this increase in police numbers going to be paid for?

It takes it back to the rate it was before, from 28,

from 18 upwards on a lower level, that is the way in which

this will be paid for.

That's reinstating a tax that was there before,

and not something that was new.

The point I was making to the First Minister,

as a result of raising the rate, the revenue raised from the tax

fell, not increased, and so, consequently,

the tax base was reduced, because people could postpone

realising capital gains.

People most likely to want to realise capital gains

are pensioners who cannot afford to live on their incomes.

This is actually a tax increase which is aimed very largely

at the people who can least afford to pay it.

Perhaps...

Perhaps the...

Perhaps the illiterate financial plan which has been put before

us by the Labour Party is the overall...

Part of the overall plan that he committed himself

to in my presence in a television studio in Cardiff just

a couple of weeks ago, increasing borrowing

by ?500 billion a year.

Does he really think that the credibility of the UK

Government in international financial markets is going to be

advanced by such a stupid policy?

Soft on crime, Neil Hamilton and Ukip, you heard it here first!

Not supporting a policy to increase bobbies on the beat,

we have explained how this will be paid for.

I don't see his point about pensioners losing out,

because of capital gains tax, if you are talking

about inheritance tax...

Perhaps he even has the two confused.

Capital gains tax affects those people with the most money,

it is only right that people with the most money are asked

to pay more to fund police officers on the street,

there has never been a cheaper time to borrow money

on the world financial markets.

The Labour government of the 1940s did this,

built the health service, built the welfare state,

rebuilt the British economy, from a far worse position,

a far worse position than the Tories did.

Individuals, individuals know that if you want to buy a house,

you have a mortgage, you pay it off over 30 years,

you have an asset at the end of it you are able to use as you want,

the Conservative Party don't understand that,

a lot of them have never had a mortgage, they don't know

what the concept is!

Everything's given to them on a plate.

From our perspective, we know the public understand,

you borrow in order to create an asset that is then worth far

more, works for individuals, will work for Britain,

that is the kind of vision we want, a vision that rebuilt Britain

and does not let it drift.

First Minister, in June last year you said Labour had no chance

of winning a general election.

Why have you abandoned ship?

I'm not sure I understand that question.

I do know that Labour has a better chance of winning an election

than Plaid Cymru does.

From our perspective, we will work hard, as I know she does.

In the very same week that you said Labour had no chance

of winning a general election, one of your senior front bench MPs

in Westminster resigned and derided your leader,

Jeremy Corbyn, and you have now appointed him as your election

co-ordinator for Wales.

We've seen five different shadow secretaries of state for Wales

from the Labour Party since the last UK collection.

-- election, four in the last 12 months.

Not only have you abandoned ship, you are all squabbling

over the votes.

-- life boats.

This is gross incompetence.

Do you really expect people who have trusted your party for so long

to have any confidence in your party's ability

to defend Wales?

We did last year.

Welsh Labour showed it could defend the people of Wales last year,

and Welsh people voted as they did and we continue

to do the same this year.

We will be standing up for Wales in Westminster,

we do not want the Tories to walk all over Wales.

Such complacency.

People need a national party of Wales that is going to protect

this nation's interests, a party that will protect this

institution, people's jobs and pensions and the NHS.

Labour is in no fit state to defend Wales, and so the national party

of Wales is Plaid Cymru.

Tomorrow, there will be yet another vote on scrapping

zero hours contracts, it will be the seventh time

we have had a vote on this.

Six times, Labour and the Tories have voted together

against Plaid Cymru's proposals to end zero hours contracts.

Tell me, First Minister, are you going to make it

seven times tomorrow?

Will you again vote with the Tories against Welsh workers and against

the Welsh national interest?

It has always been a message in Plaid Cymru that they stand

for the Welsh national interest, if that was true they would be doing

better in elections than they are.

I do not applaud the idea that one party does not

have a monopoly on Welsh interests.

There will be questions that affect the general

election in this chamber, but people deserve to have questions

asked about what will happen in Wales if you are in the Assembly.

We do not support zero hours contracts.

She is trying to suggest that in principle we think

they are good thing, we don't.

But for many reasons, there have been issues surrounding

what Plaid Cymru want to do that would jeopardise the passage

of legislation because of the lack of clarity over devolved competence.

The reality of the situation is we have led the way when it comes

to getting rid of zero hours contracts, we have done so in

government and in organisations funded by government.

She just talks, we have done.

Can I first of all welcome the new clerk to the Assembly,

and I look forward to working with you over the coming months

and years that you fill the role that was so admirably done by Claire

Clancy.

First Minister, you have said that you want questions asked of you that

are relevant to this place, and I do want to draw on the auditor

general's report last week on the circuit for Wales

and its funding.

And in particular the points about government money.

Welsh government money being used to buy a motorcycle

firm in Buckinghamshire that went bankrupt.

Is that a good use of Welsh taxpayers' money?

?300,000 of Welsh taxpayers' money to buy a motorcycle company

in Buckinghamshire that then went bankrupt.

And if it isn't a good use of Welsh taxpayers' money,

will you apologise?

We had a report last week where the Cancer Drugs Fund showed

it wasted ?1 billion of public money, so I won't be

lectured on that.

Not by the Conservatives.

The answer is quite a bit this.

Whenever we have a project like the circuit of Wales,

there will be risks, those risks have to be

managed acceptably.

The circuit of Wales is still in play, we are looking

to see whether a model can be produced to take the project

forward, and we think the people of Blaenau Gwent can be expecting us

to do that.

Banks lend money - they acknowledge there

is a level of risk with that, and it is the same for government.

That is the most bizarre answer in six years that I have stood

here I have received from you, First Minister.

I asked you a simple question about Welsh government money

that was used to buy a motorcycle firm in Buckinghamshire

that went bankrupt.

?300,000 that the auditor general in a report released last week,

and you have called to questions that are relevant to you in your

role as First Minister, but you don't believe you need

to explain that or apologise for that fact?

Secondly, the report outlined how officials highlighted two ministers

that they believed that you would be in breach of state aid rules

by allowing the 7.3 million loan guaranteed to be put in place,

and then drawn down.

Officials gave that advice to ministers, the auditor general

could not find any evidence to contradict that advice

that was given to ministers, so why did ministers put the Welsh

government and Welsh taxpayers' money at risk,

and potentially for infringement proceedings by the European

Commission because you are breaking state aid rules?

Normally when state aid rules of breached,

it is the recipient who pays.

We will assess the situation to see if the risk is acceptable.

Two things to be said about the circuit of Wales.

The auditor general has not said that this is a project

not worth supporting.

Nor has the auditor general said that the circuit of Wales

is a business organisation with no assets, contrary to his own MP,

David Davis, of what he has said.

Yes, in the course of the development of the circuit of Wales,

there is an assessment of risk.

Decisions are taken to accept that risk if deemed necessary,

and then of course we move on to see if the circuit of Wales

can become a reality.

That is what governments do, look at risk and decide

if it is acceptable, because ultimately the prize might

be one that is something that is worth having.

We are not at that stage yet, we are still looking to see

whether the circuit of Wales can produce that has a single model.

The auditor general was specifically in what he's looking at,

the tranche of money that the Welsh covered has spent to

date, ?9.3 million.

That is a significant sum of money.

No one is disputing that the overall scheme could have a massive

impact of regeneration, but you are accountable

for the way money is allocated.

I have highlighted to you two examples in the report.

One buying a motorcycle firm in Buckinghamshire that went

bankrupt for ?300,000.

What bids will you accept if you are accepting bids like that?

And two, that you infringe state aid rules by putting

the loan guarantee in place.

Both of which you have not apologised for or

you haven't discounted to say it is incorrect.

What exactly can we expect from the Welsh government given

that there is a litany of examples where officials advice were totally

ignored and ministers disposed of high-value land,

officials were discounted and the public lost out

through losing money when overall sales were concluded,

and this is the same example were public money has been put

in jeopardy as the auditor general has pointed out.

How can we have any confidence that your government is working

positively to either form a positive conclusion on this

agreement, or that you will end up putting more public money at risk?

The agreement is one that we would want to be positive,

we are not looking to put more public money in.

We are looking to work with a private investigator

for the future of these things which is under discussion.

I remind the leader of the Welsh Conservatives that

sometimes you have to take a decision to benefit

people in the future.

Last week, we saw the decision by Qatar Airways to fly

into Cardiff airport.

That airport would be shut if he'd had his way.

He was questioning the fact that the Welsh government

bought the airport.

We have seen great passenger growth, huge opportunities for Wales

as a result of that.

Let him apologise for the fact that he's willing to put 1000 jobs

at risk in the Vale of Glamorgan by letting the airport close.

On top of that, we have unemployment that is lower than England,

lower than Scotland, lower than Northern Ireland.

We have a situation where the five companies that have grown most

in Wales over the past year are companies that we as a Welsh

Government have helped, the fact that we have had the best

foreign investment figures in 30 years.

The reality is that we create jobs when the Tories destroy them.

TRANSLATION: What is the Welsh Government doing

to support the housing needs of people in Pembrokeshire?

We are making significant investment in all types of housing

in Pembrokeshire and across Wales.

This includes continued investment in social housing

and help-to-buy Wales as well, and schemes to make

homeownership more successful and support innovation.

Thank you for that response.

I recently met representatives of the housing association

to discuss the housing needs of people in Pembrokeshire that

would mean providing affordable housing for local people

with at least a third of the residents over 50

years of age to bridge between the generations.

So would you agree with me therefore that we should be encouraging

projects of this sort, and if so, can you tell me

what support the Welsh government is providing to projects such

as this one?

Of course, it would be interesting if the officials

could meet our officials to understand better

the model that they have, and I'm sure should they want to do

that, we would welcome a meeting.

Thank you.

The problem of second homes and holiday homes is a particular

problem in Pembrokeshire as it is in a number of areas that

are popular with visitors and tourists and people looking

to retire to those areas, and it overheats the local housing

market in terms of the incomes available to local people,

particularly young people, there are whole streets in Tenby

where nobody is living for most of the year.

So what can the Government do to assist in that context?

Plaid Cymru has proposed that planning regulations could be used

in certain communities in order to ensure that there is a change

of use when a home leaves a permanent occupation and becomes

a holiday home.

Is that a consideration for Government?

This is something that has been discussed and considered previously,

but it is much more difficult in practice rather than in principle

as regards what kind of definition you place on a second home.

But having said that, I understand what the member

is saying about the impact on communities, and we have

ensured that there is more social housing available,

and other considerations have been made such as trusts to acquire

land that people can construct their own home,

and also sharing of property equity, and in the future, we can maybe look

at how to purchase houses from the private market

so that the houses are available particularly in villages,

so there are a number of ways in which we can secure a future

for those people who wish to live and remain in those communities,

but perhaps we need to think more imaginatively than the traditional

ways of thinking to date.

What assessment has the First Minister made

of the benefit to Wales if the UK Government were to borrow more

to invest at the current low rates?

Any increase in public expenditure in comparable areas

would be more money in Wales to support our priorities.

I thank the First Minister for that answer.

In household terms, has he outlined a response to the earlier question,

we are used to the idea of balancing the books, managing

income and outgoings, and critically managing debt,

whether on the mortgage on our home or our family car.

Government borrowing is far more complex,

but the basic principles remain, including managing your debt at any

given time, yet classic economics recognises that for Government

roaring there are times, especially when the cost of rain

-- cost of borrowing is as low as it is now,

when borrowing can be used

to reverse austerity and bring growth, and by bringing growth,

ensuring that the deficit remains at the same percentage of GDP.

So isn't it time, I say to the First Minister,

for the UK Government to change its approach

for the good of the country, for Wales and the UK,

or for the good of the country, is it time to change

the UK Government?

All governments borrow.

Margaret Thatcher borrowed every single year, but they used that

to pay the tax decreases,

that was unsustainable.

The issue is, borrow money to invest in capital infrastructure,

and secondly, borrow in a way that is prudent so the debt doesn't

become unmanageable.

The problem we have at the moment is the Government in London

is completely without vision, doesn't know what it wants

to do, has no vision for investment in infrastructure.

We were promised electrification

of the Southwest mainline, no clarification on HS2,

just dithering from the government when it comes to funding essential

capital in four structure.

Countries that do not invest in their infrastructure decline.

They cannot compete with other countries around the world,

and the problem we have

with the current UK Government is they are unwilling to invest.

Minister, let's get a little bit of sanity back into this question,

borrowing is of course an important tool in any government's tool box,

important tool for the Welsh government.

The levels of borrowing proposed by the Labour Party

in the UK are eye-watering, and in your heart of hearts,

you know that.

The last thing this country needs, the last thing the UK needs,

the last thing that Wales needs is for Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party

to ratchet up the debt once again and for us to end up in the same

kind of position we have been in every time the UK has been

in every time the Labour Party has been in government.

Britain's best years are always under Labour,

look at where we were the start of the last decade, much, much

better, look at where we are now.

We are in a much better position than we were in the 1980s,

when the Tories main manufacturing product was high unemployment!

They took Wales to a level of unemployment well beyond 10%.

We need competent economic policies, which the Tories have

never ever given us.

So it is hugely important we have a UK Government that

understands the value of investment, capital investment, has

a vision for the country and doesn't keep on saying,

we need stable and strong leadership.

Let me tell you, that involves doing leadership debates,

talking to ordinary people, not having events that are closed

off to the regional press, as was the case in Cornwall today,

and a Prime Minister who is strong and not one who acts

If we followed the logic of the First Minister,

now is the time to take advantage of historically low interest rates,

then why is it that his own government's finance secretary

is limiting the financing through the mutual investment model

to a billion, not increasing it to the 10.5 billion suggested

by Gerry Holding, senior adviser to his government?

Isn't this yet another example of the Labour Party saying one thing

in its British manifesto and doing a different thing in Wales?

That is the kind of hypocrisy that has given democratic

politics a bad name!

Says the man described as the last prophet of Wales,

in his election leaflet, who am I to argue!

That is on his leaflet!

There you are, he asked a question, the reality is, 1.5 billion,

we will borrow up to a level that is proven, 1.5 billion,

in devolved terms, is a prudent level of borrowing.

The enterprise zone

is an important lever.

It is hugely important, we know the zone is a compelling

proposition for investment.

Thank you for that answer.

It was established to the closure of the steelworks following

the original decision by Tata to set up a UK operations.

It is important we diversify manufacturing and other

manufacturing within Port Talbot, but it is believed to be

within the Port Talbot enterprising, what analysis has the Welsh

government undertaken to consider the impact that building a prison

in that enterprise zone will have on attracting new businesses,

and attracting growth to build a stronger economy based

on high-tech ability?

A negative outcome will fail to sell the land government

to the department of justice?

We have not committed that analysis yet, what I can say,

to reassure him, I have a prison in my constituency, in fact,

built while I was ward councillor in my ward.

It has not had an negative impact at all, it employs a large

number of people locally, it has provided work for a large

number of contractors.

While I can well understand some of the constituents being concerned,

and those are represented, the experience in Bridgend,

in fact, a housing estate is being built next to it,

as we speak.

The prison becomes integrated into the life of the community

and in fact can be a job creator.

The Swansea-based city region, steel, which has been signed

in Swansea, is set to trigger ?1.3 billion worth of investment

in the region, the proximity of the University as you have

mentioned already and the emphasis on steel-based supply chain

within the enterprise zone, the enterprise zone bought also

hopes to create opportunities and promoting innovation

and entrepreneurship in advanced manufacturing and materials,

what kind of help can we expect from Welsh government to help

the local steel sector take advantage of RND,

and commercialisation is in those of the two sectors,

in order to protect the economy?

We have been working with Swansea University in terms

of RND and we have been working with Tata to move RND

into South Wales, and we want to make sure there is as much taking

place in Wales as possible.

There are great opportunities there for Tata.

We believe there are great opportunities with the lagoon,

that is widely supported in the chamber, and I do hope that

whatever happens after, we will have the creation of 1000

jobs in the area, which will be hugely, a huge catalyst

in terms of job creation within the enterprise zone.

I heard your response to David Rhys, but I did not hear

whether you as First Minister have a government that would be

supporting the prison in Port Talbot, I recognise

what you say about Bridgend, but you will understand,

the prison in Port Talbot, if it is built, will be

significantly overcapacity and is not something that we think

will add benefit to the local economy.

I have had concerns from local people with regards to the fact that

many of them are trying to rent out space of over 10,000

square feet input all but, small businesses wanting to develop,

now moving to your area, I'm sure you are pleased to hear that,

but they cannot stay in Port Talbot.

Could you not be focusing on the real everyday issues that

small businesses are facing rather than imposing a super

prison on Port Talbot?

Prisons are not devolved, we will examine any and all

consequences of building a prison, so if people are moving to Bridgend

then the prison has not affected their decision.

We will consider these things carefully.

It is important the UK Government makes very clear what it feels

the prison can deliver, capacity but the local comic,

and they will make the case for the prison and we will examine

carefully what the case is.

Will the First Minister outline the wealth government's

plans to improve access to primary health care?

Yes, through modernising primary care services,

we will have access continuing to approve when local issues arise,

local needs will continue to be met.

In my constituency, we have experienced big problems with GP

retention and recruitment.

It is of particular concern in the Rhondda,

because we have an ageing population and an ageing GP population.

We saw the closure of 80 surgery last year.

Less than a fortnight ago, other surgery patients were told

to go out of the ward, because GP cover could not be

arraigned for that particular day, causing a lot of concern in an area

where appointments are difficult to come by at the best of times.

With all the problems in the NHS in England,

why is recruitment such a problem in Wales?

Doctors should be falling over themselves to come and work in Wales

but you failed to capitalise on that situation.

Do you also regret that after 18 years of Labour

running the NHS in Wales, we still have one of the worst

patient doctor numbers in the whole of the EU?

We have more GPs than ever before and we are getting to a situation,

we are at the stage, more GPs are coming to work

in Wales, hugely important that the structure of the general

practice is attractive.

It is a reality in my mind that more and more GPs want to be salaried,

not buy into a practice, debt from medical school,

why would they fork out more money?

It is not an attractive proposition for many of them.

That will be attractive for some, that is the important part

of the NHS for years to come.

Because of unforeseen circumstances, cover was not

there in the particular instance you outlined, I can understand

people being frustrated about this part of the practice,

but nevertheless, there is a grants surgery there are,

but we have seen a 16% increase in the number of GP

places fell so far.

?42 million will be provided additional.

And, importantly, work is being taken forward in Cynon Taf,

working across practices in one cluster.

Surgeries that are quite small and find it difficult to provide

cover, at the level that would be expected these days,

are able to work together in order to provide conference of cover

that people need.

Comprehensive cover.

Patients need not only access to good GP surgeries

and the GPs but also they need a quality of access.

We all accept and there is a growing recognition that GPs should be left

to deal with the more complex cases and those with multiple

comorbidities, and we welcome the growth in having counsellors

in GP surgeries, in having palliative care services and so on.

I wonder what discussions your government may have had on extending

the appointment time, because if a GP who is already under

enormous pressure as to see a patient with complex health care

issues, comorbidities or, and write up those notes,

the standard ten minutes is a very difficult thing for them

to undertake all that work in.

I wonder if your government has had any consideration

of the particular matter?

Can I welcome first of all what the member

said about not piling, not piling all the pressure on GPs.

A good number of cases that appear for GPs don't need a GP,

which is why it is hugely important we choose well.

We see, when practices are taken over, they become multidisciplinary,

people directed to a nurse, to a pharmacist, as appropriate,

rather than everybody piling onto the GP.

The challenge for the smaller practices is to be able to take

pressure off themselves, by working with other practices,

to provide more wider and to list it services between them,

so for example, is it reasonable for a season Racing or had

a practice to employ nurses and physiotherapist, no,

what working at other practices, it becomes far more viable

for that to happen.

But she does not do this in fairness, it is important

to think that primary care is not just about GPs, it is making sure

people get the right level of care at the right time.

You release more time for GPs if you take pressure off GPs,

then they have more time to meet the patients.

Future opportunities for them as Asians relocating to Wales

from the south-east of England?

The large proportion of recent investment from companies

headquartered elsewhere in the UK have indeed come from London

and the south-east of England.

I thank the First Minister for that response, does the First Minister

support the call from the leader of Cardiff Council for the UK

Government, to the UK Government, for Channel 4 to be

a gated to Cardiff?

In view of the success of the media industry in Cardiff,

and as part of the consultation that is now going on about

the future of Channel 4?

Yes, I do, very much, it has a great deal to offer

in terms of media services, we have seen huge growth

in the creative industry, not just in Cardiff but we have seen

huge growth in the media in Cardiff, and Cardiff would be an ideal

headquarters for Channel 4.

Will the First Minister make a statement...

LAUGHTER On the appropriate magnitude of borrowing,

for Welsh government in the UK context?

Is readjusting myself there, and we will maximise all the tools

available to support the economy and public services in Wales

including making best use of the ?1 billion of borrowing power

was secured through the new fiscal framework.

First Minister, whether the question is 1 billion or 1.5 billion

of borrowing for Wales, or 500 billion of borrowing

for the UK, your answer seems to be the same,

let's borrow, it is cheap.

There seemed to be less consideration to how

we would pay back the money, or what would happen

if interest rates go up.

Do you seriously believe it is appropriate for the UK

to borrow 300 times as much as Wales, and if so,

is your position any more credible than Jeremy Corbyn's?

The UK has far more physical tools available to it than the Welsh

government in terms of the way in which it can borrow,

in terms of taxation policies available to it,

we know that...

We know your party that you said over on that side

of the chamber with, we know it will not rule out

a rise in income tax, I appreciate that honesty,

but I think it is right to say that even the Conservative Party

is considering increasing income taxes in order to provide more

money the public purse.

They've been asked several times to rule it out and several times it

has not been ruled out.

Borrowing for infrastructure investment is important,

it must be prudent, it must be affordable, what is affordable

is many times more than what is affordable for Wales

because of the tools at the UK's disposal

and its ability to raise money.

Was done in the 40s, when situation was far worse than this,

the infrastructure was rebuilt, the UK got back on its feet,

if it can be done in the 40s, when borrowing rates were higher,

why is it so unreasonable to say it cannot be done now?

What assessment has the First Minister made the impact

of trade union 2016, coming into force

in March this year.

Our assessment of the trade union act is that it risks undermining

public services and the economy and it is dangerous and damaging.

I thank you for the answer, I share your opinion.

Do you agree that by forcing public sector employees to publish

information on facility time, time taken off work

from work duties,

we can their rights and their working conditions,

and what First Minister is the Welsh government doing to help protect

workers' rights across Wales?

We of course have taken forward legislation in this

Assembly to do just that, in areas we believe our devolved,

it is a bureaucratic imposition, on public sector employers

that they have to do this, it is not something the private

sector is required to do, also,

it seems to indicate somehow the current UK Government sees

public sector workers as somehow not as good as those

in the private sector, that seems to be what they are saying somehow,

they are spending all their time,

facilities time, not doing real work, that is not the case,

huge amounts of work goes into the public sector.

That is why, this legislation was so unnecessary.

What other was government plans for making Wales a fair work nation?

I'm in discussion with social partners, so that

more people have access

to good work and secure income, today I'm working with social

partners, to establish the establishment of

a fair work commission.

He made this announcement in his Labour Party conference

speech back in the spring, and it is disappointing given

developments at UK level that this commission has not been established.

According to the most recent data I have been able to find,

Wales is among the least fair nations in terms of work in these

islands, 45,000 people classed as being low paid self-employed,

60% of temporary workers want to become or get

permanent jobs, 42,000 people are on zero hours contract.

When he eventually gets round to establishing

a fair work commission, can he deliver a commitment that

part of the terms of reference will be to review all previous

and current trade union legislation is related to devolved areas

so that we Wales can take the spirit that the government has shown

in raising to the 2016 trade union Bill, and amend all aggressive

anti-trade union legislation.

I would not like to prejudge the discussion tomorrow,

but I take on board one he has said, it is hugely important that we get

support and buy in from all sectors of industry as we look at fair work.

In addition to working with social partners I have already asked

the public policy to undertake work, specifically in terms

of defining what fair work is.

We have an idea of what it looks like, but it is important to define

it as strongly as possible in order for the commission's

work to be effective.

STUDIO: That was this afternoon's First Minister's Questions,

if you want more coverage of the National Assembly,

go to the website.