:00:22. > :00:24.Good afternoon and a happy St David's Day to you all.
:00:25. > :00:27.Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of questions
:00:28. > :00:32.According to the order paper, Carwyn Jones can expect questions
:00:33. > :00:37.on treatment referral times, attracting investment and transport.
:00:38. > :00:40.Don't forget, you can keep up to date with all the Welsh political
:00:41. > :00:42.goings-on by keeping an eye on our Twitter feed
:00:43. > :00:47.Well, business in the chamber is underway - so let's take a look
:00:48. > :00:55.now at today's questions to the First Minister.
:00:56. > :01:05.And now we move to the first item, questions to the First Minister.
:01:06. > :01:12.TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister make a statement on referral to
:01:13. > :01:15.treatment times in West Wales? TRANSLATION: I expect all patients
:01:16. > :01:19.to be seen in order of clinical priority, and within Welsh
:01:20. > :01:28.Government weighting targets, to assist this, we have set up a client
:01:29. > :01:32.-- a planned care programme led by clinicians to develop sustainable
:01:33. > :01:37.solutions. TRANSLATION: A surgeon from England contacted me because
:01:38. > :01:44.his mother had been taken into the stroke unit in a Welsh hospital, and
:01:45. > :01:49.he deeply regretted the fact that the physiotherapy service was not in
:01:50. > :01:54.place that for his mother. He said it was entirely inadequate, those
:01:55. > :01:58.were his words. Since then, many staff, patients and families of
:01:59. > :02:04.patients have contacted me, because it is clear that in terms of
:02:05. > :02:07.orthopaedic treatment, that patients are initially referred to the
:02:08. > :02:12.physiotherapy Department rather than being referred to the surgery to
:02:13. > :02:16.part meant, and as a result of that the physiotherapy resources are very
:02:17. > :02:22.few and far between in that health board area. Will you speak to the
:02:23. > :02:25.Minister and Deputy Minister responsible for these issues in
:02:26. > :02:29.order to ensure that this practice ceases and that patients are given
:02:30. > :02:37.the treatment they deserve in this hospital? TRANSLATION: As the member
:02:38. > :02:40.knows, I am not aware of this case, but it is important to be
:02:41. > :02:44.considered. I will ask the Minister to write to the member to respond to
:02:45. > :02:50.those questions posed in the chamber. TRANSLATION: One way of
:02:51. > :02:55.tackling referral to treatment times in West Wales is to tackle
:02:56. > :03:00.recruitment and staff retention problems in the area. In order to
:03:01. > :03:05.address these recruitment problems it is important that we ensure that
:03:06. > :03:09.we have an appropriate number of training places available for
:03:10. > :03:13.doctors and nurses. In these circumstances, can you tell us what
:03:14. > :03:17.you as a government have done to ensure that these places are in
:03:18. > :03:23.place, and how many additional training places have been created
:03:24. > :03:26.over the past year, for example? TRANSLATION: Of course, it is a
:03:27. > :03:31.matter for the deanery to ensure these places are available. Having
:03:32. > :03:39.said that, we have seen the numbers being trained at Morriston Hospital
:03:40. > :03:44.rising, when you think of the trading places in another hospital,
:03:45. > :03:52.as regards to its figures, more patients are being seen and the
:03:53. > :03:55.waiting times are reducing. There has been an 86% reduction in those
:03:56. > :04:01.people waiting over eight weeks for a diagnostic test. They have reduced
:04:02. > :04:06.since last year. Of course, we have seen, for example, a reduction in
:04:07. > :04:12.the numbers waiting more than 36 weeks, and more patients receiving
:04:13. > :04:17.more cancer treatments and also, of course, more people receiving
:04:18. > :04:22.treatment with Thimba targets for cancer treatment that we have set.
:04:23. > :04:27.So the figures that have improved, and we are continuing to work with a
:04:28. > :04:31.profession and the Royal colleges in order to consider what are the
:04:32. > :04:33.opportunities might be available to create training places across the
:04:34. > :04:39.whole of Wales. Will the Minister make a statement
:04:40. > :04:44.on the Welsh government's biotech investment? We have committed to
:04:45. > :04:46.make Wales the best possible environment for life sciences
:04:47. > :04:51.innovation and business growth, we have a strategy to attract biotech
:04:52. > :04:57.investment into Wales including funding, proposition strengthening
:04:58. > :04:59.and development. He will be aware of a critical comment recently but will
:05:00. > :05:07.also know that his predecessor was very keen that we should be a smart
:05:08. > :05:11.small country. How important is this investment to Wales, for the future
:05:12. > :05:14.of this generation and the future? Will he outlined what strategy he
:05:15. > :05:20.intends to employ to make this another success? The life sciences
:05:21. > :05:23.investment fund has 11 investments into nine companies, it has
:05:24. > :05:29.attracted considerable levels of co-investment and significantly
:05:30. > :05:33.raise the global profile of Wales as a location for life science
:05:34. > :05:37.companies. The life sciences hub has been developed, which has welcomed
:05:38. > :05:42.more than 5000 visitors and facilitated more than 80 life
:05:43. > :05:50.science events and 850 meetings and 81 member organisations have joined.
:05:51. > :05:54.He has already referred to the Wales audit office report last week. That
:05:55. > :06:01.confirms that the successful tenderer for delivery of the fund
:06:02. > :06:10.was paid 207 -- ?207,600 for deals in the pipeline in October 10-12, a
:06:11. > :06:15.further ?480,000 thereafter. Finance for Wales as folk confirmation from
:06:16. > :06:21.the Welsh government as regards to confirmation from the Minister that
:06:22. > :06:25.they should pay the additional sum requested, but they refused to do so
:06:26. > :06:31.without confirmation from the Minister. The Welsh government then
:06:32. > :06:38.paid ?370,800 directly to the successful tenderer. That was only
:06:39. > :06:43.?32,000 less than the contract allowed for had he been in position
:06:44. > :06:48.to sign the contract at the time originally intended. Can I ask
:06:49. > :06:53.whether and not the Welsh Government is in a position to explain the
:06:54. > :06:56.reasons for the totality of payment to the successful tenderer under the
:06:57. > :07:00.interim arrangements, and why no deductions were made to the tenderer
:07:01. > :07:05.given that they were unable chewing that period to perform one of the
:07:06. > :07:09.key functions because there was no registration under the Financial
:07:10. > :07:14.Services Authority? Regarding the report, we will consider that and
:07:15. > :07:21.respond in due time, of course, in a comprehensive matter. The Legion of
:07:22. > :07:31.Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood. -- the leader of. TRANSLATION: Happy St
:07:32. > :07:35.David's Day to everyone. IN ENGLISH: I am aware that there
:07:36. > :07:39.will be a statement on the Wales Bill, but on the day of our national
:07:40. > :07:44.patron saint, I think it is important to focus on the matter
:07:45. > :07:48.fully. The Secretary of State for Wales has decided to press pause and
:07:49. > :07:54.delay the bill until the summer. Do you agree that the forthcoming
:07:55. > :07:58.assembly elections are an opportunity to seek a mandate from
:07:59. > :08:04.people on the nature of devolution? Do you agree with Plaid Cymru that
:08:05. > :08:08.it is fair will that should shape the future of devolution and that
:08:09. > :08:14.act, rather than the whim of Westminster? TRANSLATION: We are
:08:15. > :08:20.very much on the same page when it comes to our view of the Wales Bill.
:08:21. > :08:25.I will go into more detail in the statement, suffice to say it is
:08:26. > :08:29.quite clear that the points made by the Welsh government have influenced
:08:30. > :08:33.the course of action that the Secretary of State has taken. The
:08:34. > :08:37.leader of Plaid Cymru is right to say that these things are a matter
:08:38. > :08:41.for the people of Wales, it is for the people of Wales to decide which
:08:42. > :08:45.degree of power they would wish to see. I would agree, but the nature
:08:46. > :08:50.and pace of wealth should devolution has been a clear point of division
:08:51. > :08:54.between your party -- Welsh devolution. Labour MPs, including
:08:55. > :09:00.labour secretaries of state for Wales over many years, have acted as
:09:01. > :09:03.roadblocks on the Welsh devolution journey. Can you give us an
:09:04. > :09:07.assurance today that the current position of the Welsh government is
:09:08. > :09:13.the same as the current position of the Labour Party, and if it is one
:09:14. > :09:19.position, can you please tell us what exactly is your vision for the
:09:20. > :09:23.next stage of Welsh devolution? I will remind the leader of Plaid
:09:24. > :09:27.Cymru that it was the Welsh government, led by Welsh Labour,
:09:28. > :09:31.that deliver the referendum in 2011 in the first place. We campaigned,
:09:32. > :09:35.alongside the other parties, of course, very strongly and very hard
:09:36. > :09:42.to deliver an overwhelming yes vote in 2011. Review of the Welsh Labour
:09:43. > :09:45.Party and the Welsh government is one of the same. The bill was
:09:46. > :09:50.inadequate, it would never be sustainable and we want to see what
:09:51. > :09:59.the Secretary of State would like to do next. To my mind, they were
:10:00. > :10:04.unacceptable. Same with the reservations. The issue of creating
:10:05. > :10:09.a sustainable constitutional framework for Wales cannot be done
:10:10. > :10:13.without addressing these issues. You and I know that it was Plaid
:10:14. > :10:19.Cymru in that government that drove that referendum further...
:10:20. > :10:23.LAUGHTER You were polled to that table, I
:10:24. > :10:27.many instances, kicking and screaming.
:10:28. > :10:33.Welsh devolution has been stalling because of split in Labour. Just as
:10:34. > :10:41.the UK's place in the European Union is under threat because of splits in
:10:42. > :10:44.the Conservative Party. It is no coincidence, First Minister, that
:10:45. > :10:47.the nation with the weakest devolution settlement, the least
:10:48. > :10:51.generous funding arrangements and the least influence is the only
:10:52. > :10:57.nation left with a Labour government. I wonder if you can tell
:10:58. > :11:01.is, is there a single concession that you have won for Walsh
:11:02. > :11:07.devolution during your decade as First Minister that would not have
:11:08. > :11:13.been secured in any event? Put simply, what have you won from
:11:14. > :11:16.Westminster for the people of Wales? The referendum itself, for a start,
:11:17. > :11:22.that gave us the powerless to do what we have done since 2011. --
:11:23. > :11:27.gave us that the powerless to do. A large body of legislation opposed by
:11:28. > :11:30.government that the assembly itself was able to scrutinise properly,
:11:31. > :11:35.because we know that legislation has been the result. We have delivered
:11:36. > :11:42.on the referendum. I regret suggesting that somehow you were
:11:43. > :11:45.reluctant in 2011, you cannot think I was reluctantly spending every day
:11:46. > :11:51.campaigning in favour of a yes vote and, indeed, that Welsh Labour and
:11:52. > :11:54.your party would deliver the votes and the voters needed to make sure
:11:55. > :12:00.this place became a proper legislative. We would continue to
:12:01. > :12:05.make the case to the UK Government that process to continue. She sucks
:12:06. > :12:10.what influence we had, we have major the Secretary of State was not able
:12:11. > :12:12.to proceed with the Wales Bill as proposed, we pointed out the
:12:13. > :12:18.constitutional weaknesses, we pointed out the issues regarding the
:12:19. > :12:32.necessity test, the reservations and, indeed, the Jewish diction and
:12:33. > :12:41.the need for a unique jurisdiction. -- and, indeed, the jurisdiction.
:12:42. > :12:44.Last week we heard from the current member that he had a rousing
:12:45. > :12:51.reception at the Labour Party conference in London no. -- in
:12:52. > :12:55.Llandudno. He got a very good reception here before he was sent
:12:56. > :13:02.packing. The point I would like to ask you, you launch your pledge card
:13:03. > :13:06.at that conference, at this Assembly you have spent a lot of last five
:13:07. > :13:11.years talking about local government reorganisation, you have
:13:12. > :13:20.commissioned report, pieces of work, to look at the best local Government
:13:21. > :13:26.outcome for Wales. If you are re-elected in May, and God help us,
:13:27. > :13:28.the bailiff Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire, can Marvin Schulz,
:13:29. > :13:32.Monmouthshire, Denbighshire and Conway will disappear from the face
:13:33. > :13:40.of the local government map in Wales? -- Pembrokeshire, can Marvin
:13:41. > :13:44.Schulz. He has already given up on the election campaign. An
:13:45. > :13:48.interesting comment. We would seek to move ahead in order to provide a
:13:49. > :13:52.stronger basis for local government in Wales. We have always said that.
:13:53. > :13:56.I take it by your answer you mean that if the people of Wales
:13:57. > :14:03.re-elected you, and I am sure they will not, but if they did, they
:14:04. > :14:10.would be losing the bailiff Glamorgan, can Marvin Schulz,
:14:11. > :14:13.Denbigh, Pembrokeshire, people will lose the services that they depend
:14:14. > :14:14.Denbigh, Pembrokeshire, people will on from those local authorities? But
:14:15. > :15:59.Denbigh, Pembrokeshire, people will in Wales. Although he did bizarrely
:16:00. > :16:12.talk about constituencies I didn't mention. Order. Order. One of the
:16:13. > :16:17.other pledges he talked about was the helped to buy scheme that your
:16:18. > :16:21.government, 18 months after the UK Government brought it forward,
:16:22. > :16:26.brought into Wales. You said it would give a leg up to home buyers
:16:27. > :16:30.in Wales. Well, actually, you are talking about taking two thirds of
:16:31. > :16:35.the budget can be helped to buy scheme out in this financial year.
:16:36. > :16:39.How is taking two thirds of that budget out helping people to get the
:16:40. > :16:43.home that they require across Wales? If you look at the figures, only six
:16:44. > :16:50.people in my constituency benefited from the scheme. In Newport it was
:16:51. > :16:53.300 people. How are you giving home-buyers a leg up when you are
:16:54. > :17:00.taking two thirds of the budget away from people in Wales? The scheme is
:17:01. > :17:05.demand led. We will not do is seek the continued sell-off of public
:17:06. > :17:10.housing which is why we will abolish the right to buy. Otherwise it is
:17:11. > :17:14.like filling a bath with a plug out. That is what the Conservative Party
:17:15. > :17:18.want to do. I am looking at their features and housing. They want to
:17:19. > :17:26.system -- cut the sustainability budget. Just to remind us where they
:17:27. > :17:29.stand on this. I have had to be meant that I am happy to talk about
:17:30. > :17:34.our six pledges to the people of Wales. They are ambitious for Wales
:17:35. > :17:40.and they are six pledges we believe people will be supportive of. We
:17:41. > :17:42.look forward to seeing what the Conservative Party would produce and
:17:43. > :17:49.we are looking forward to their costings because they said they
:17:50. > :17:56.hadn't crashed the numbers. We move to the leader of the Welsh liberal
:17:57. > :18:01.Democrats. We have seen news reports of Doctor shortages across the UK
:18:02. > :18:06.and a poll today that says the NHS is the top concern of people in
:18:07. > :18:10.Wales. Last week you said you are not aware of any patients suffering
:18:11. > :18:15.due to a lack of GPs in North Wales. In response, the chairman of The
:18:16. > :18:19.Royal College of GPs in Wales said, the number of GPs working full time
:18:20. > :18:22.has not increased and GP provision in the North is getting worse.
:18:23. > :18:29.Patients are bearing the brunt of this longer waiting times and
:18:30. > :18:32.pressurised consultations. What makes you think you know better than
:18:33. > :18:37.GPs working on the ground in North Wales? First of all, to an event
:18:38. > :18:40.where we are in terms of doctor numbers in Wales and secondly what
:18:41. > :18:45.we are doing to address challenges in parts of Wales which are there.
:18:46. > :18:51.The number of hospital consultants working in the Welsh NHS increased
:18:52. > :18:58.by nearly 15 -- 50%. The number of medical and dental staff has
:18:59. > :19:11.increased with 27.5%. The number of GPs has increased by 10.5%. Between
:19:12. > :19:15.2013 and 2014, 137 he GPs join the profession in Wales and the number
:19:16. > :19:20.of registered patients per practitioner has followed by 5.5%.
:19:21. > :19:24.That said, there are reports of Wales whether or challenges in
:19:25. > :19:30.attracting GPs. What we are doing is working with the BMA, with the GPC,
:19:31. > :19:34.with The Royal College in order to address those particular issues and
:19:35. > :19:38.to encourage more people to work in those parts of Wales that have
:19:39. > :19:46.experienced this -- difficulties in recruitment. I am glad you
:19:47. > :19:50.acknowledge the figure is 10% for GB increases. The answer you give last
:19:51. > :19:55.week could have been misunderstood when you said you have recruited
:19:56. > :20:01.more than 2000 GPs. We do have a 2006 GPs but we haven't recruited an
:20:02. > :20:04.additional 2000 GPs in the last ten years and your document to state
:20:05. > :20:06.that in of health boards have identified difficulties in
:20:07. > :20:12.recruiting general practitioners and what that means for patients was
:20:13. > :20:22.reflected in your own health survey when 40% of those who responded to
:20:23. > :20:23.the Wales have report said they had difficulty securing a GP
:20:24. > :20:26.appointment. We accept that there are issues with GP recruitment and a
:20:27. > :20:31.knock-on effect for patients getting an appointment or should we conclude
:20:32. > :20:36.that the North Wales GP, in response to your questions, accused you of
:20:37. > :20:44.being removed from reality? Who is right? I do use a GP so it is not
:20:45. > :20:48.like we are removed from reality. There is inconsistency in services
:20:49. > :20:53.across Wales, that is true. There are GP surgeries or it is possible
:20:54. > :20:59.to get an appointment tomorrow and others it is more difficult. We want
:21:00. > :21:02.to make sure that those inconsistencies are ironed out. In
:21:03. > :21:08.fairness, the profession has responded. We see more surgeries
:21:09. > :21:11.open during the core hours, we seek more open in the evenings and that
:21:12. > :21:16.is something we want to work with the profession on to nature that
:21:17. > :21:21.trend continues in the future. We need to ensure we are training more
:21:22. > :21:29.people to become GPs, to work in our health service, but Wales as field
:21:30. > :21:34.-- filled 85% of available places. Based on expected future demands, we
:21:35. > :21:39.need to trim 190 new trainees every year. Given the difficulties of
:21:40. > :21:44.recruiting to existing training places and the fact that those
:21:45. > :21:47.places will not meet future demand for general practitioner services,
:21:48. > :21:53.would you agree with me that the problem will get worse for patients
:21:54. > :21:58.in Wales, not better? I take the point about training as many people
:21:59. > :22:00.as possible but the reality is we have attracted doctors to Wales from
:22:01. > :22:05.other countries and it is always good to be the case. The key to
:22:06. > :22:09.recruiting more GPs is to create the environment for them where they can
:22:10. > :22:13.prosper, where they can innovate, where they can truly be part of the
:22:14. > :22:20.community and work for a community. It is not about money, it is about
:22:21. > :22:25.making sure the freedoms to innovate are there that they want and the
:22:26. > :22:29.freedoms they would want to use. We are looking to recruit abroad. We
:22:30. > :22:33.say a doctors abroad, come to Wales, it is a good working environment and
:22:34. > :22:37.historically over 50 years or more we have recruited from other
:22:38. > :22:42.countries. We will continue to work with the profession to make sure we
:22:43. > :22:45.can attract more GP training places. There is a problem across England,
:22:46. > :22:50.Wales and Northern Ireland in terms of recruiting doctors so it is not a
:22:51. > :22:59.problem that is a junior to Wales. Nevertheless, it is an issue we do
:23:00. > :23:04.with the profession to address. What plans does the Welsh Government to
:23:05. > :23:10.invest in skilled manufacturing jobs in south Wales? We have set out a
:23:11. > :23:14.key role for regional partnerships to advise the government on
:23:15. > :23:18.prioritisation of funding in line with regional employment and skills
:23:19. > :23:22.needs. Both regional skills partnerships in the south of Wales
:23:23. > :23:31.identified manufacturing as a priority. Is there anything the
:23:32. > :23:35.Welsh Government can do to help support after operations at Forest
:23:36. > :23:41.farm in my constituency in Cardiff North? Perhaps to diversify in view
:23:42. > :23:45.of the fact that 86 rooms are being lost, the manufacture of paper
:23:46. > :23:50.products used in the pharmaceutical industry are going to China and some
:23:51. > :23:53.research rooms are being lost and it is not in an assisted area where it
:23:54. > :24:00.is located? Is there anything the government can do to help? We are
:24:01. > :24:03.working with the company to identify alternative employment opportunities
:24:04. > :24:08.for the affected staff within the growing number of life sciences
:24:09. > :24:15.companies in Wales. We supported the creation of the GE innovation
:24:16. > :24:23.villages. Officials are in discussion with GE health care to
:24:24. > :24:31.explore how we can help further to provide opportunities for those
:24:32. > :24:37.whose jobs might be at risk. First Minister, as with any investment in
:24:38. > :24:41.investing in skills, it needs to be investment in developing those
:24:42. > :24:47.skills. What is your government doing to involve the manufacturing
:24:48. > :24:56.sector in designing the national curriculum and increasing uptake of
:24:57. > :24:59.stem subjects? Uptake is important, but skills more generally are
:25:00. > :25:03.important to manufacturing as well. We know Wales is a country where
:25:04. > :25:07.manufacturers want to come. We saw that with Aston Martin last week.
:25:08. > :25:11.After two years of hard work we beat off competition from making the
:25:12. > :25:17.sites to get that investment into the Vale of Glamorgan. In terms of
:25:18. > :25:22.developing further skills, two examples I can give, jobs growth
:25:23. > :25:26.Wales was a scheme born of discussions with S M ease. They were
:25:27. > :25:31.saying they needed to train people, they had jobs but not the jobs or
:25:32. > :25:36.money to train them. That is why it was so successful. We have plans to
:25:37. > :25:42.create 100,000 partnerships for all ages in the coming assembly. Thank
:25:43. > :25:47.you Presiding Officer and on that point I think we would be agreed
:25:48. > :25:55.that we do need new apprenticeships to promote this agenda. Can you
:25:56. > :25:58.provide us with some clarity? You mentioned 100,000 apprenticeships,
:25:59. > :26:05.is that a total by the end of the next assembly, which is the same
:26:06. > :26:10.target as Plaid Cymru court -- or an additional 100,000 on top of the
:26:11. > :26:14.50,000 in place already? We are talking about during the next five
:26:15. > :26:19.years of the assembly. What is important is that we target people
:26:20. > :26:22.of all ages, bearing in mind it is difficult to get a job for life
:26:23. > :26:26.these days and it is extremely important that people have the
:26:27. > :26:34.opportunity to retrain during the working lifetime. Investments like
:26:35. > :26:37.the Aston Martin factory are a fantastic opportunity for local
:26:38. > :26:42.people as long as they can access the opportunities for training and
:26:43. > :26:47.development, but apprentices have said to me that a barrier to them
:26:48. > :26:50.taking on another addition is the financial cost of doing so. What
:26:51. > :26:53.will the Welsh Government the practical terms to make sure
:26:54. > :27:00.apprenticeships are truly open to people of all ages? That is what we
:27:01. > :27:04.intend to do after May. Aston Martin is mentioned as an example. We have
:27:05. > :27:08.been working with Aston Martin to develop the skills that they need
:27:09. > :27:12.for the future, they are confident they can find those skills in the
:27:13. > :27:16.area and we will continue to work with companies in order to ensure we
:27:17. > :27:23.understand what the skills needs are and to meet them. Investment in
:27:24. > :27:27.manufacturing brings the opportunities for good quality
:27:28. > :27:30.apprenticeships and I welcome the Welsh Labour commitment to 100,000
:27:31. > :27:36.extra apprenticeships in the next assembly. Manufacturing apprentices
:27:37. > :27:39.tend to be male, said more needs to be done to encourage women into
:27:40. > :27:46.these rows and the cross-party women in the economy group has put forward
:27:47. > :27:52.suggestions on how we can do this by desegregating data by gender and
:27:53. > :27:56.having more female tutors and mentors. When you look at how we can
:27:57. > :28:00.take these suggestions forward to get the best practitioners and tap
:28:01. > :28:05.into all Welsh talent? Absolutely. It is important that industries that
:28:06. > :28:10.are seen as a traditionally male, that we encourage more women and
:28:11. > :28:14.girls to go into those industries and into apprenticeships. If I can
:28:15. > :28:23.give one example, if we look at the Erebus industrial cadets, they took
:28:24. > :28:33.20 female students with the support of female barbarous mentors and role
:28:34. > :28:39.models. -- air boss. The gender imbalance undoubtedly exists and
:28:40. > :28:44.needs to be addressed. What progress is being made to work in promoting
:28:45. > :28:50.the South East Wales transport plan? The implementation of the plans is a
:28:51. > :28:54.matter for local authorities. We know one of the important aims of
:28:55. > :28:59.the assembly is the economic regeneration of the Southern
:29:00. > :29:02.valleys, working closely with those local authorities, whatever that may
:29:03. > :29:06.be, how will this local transport plan similar economic growth in the
:29:07. > :29:10.South East Wales valleys and do you think we should consider free
:29:11. > :29:15.transport to 16 to 25-year-olds to assist them to increase the
:29:16. > :29:18.deployment opportunities? We need to make sure transport is affordable
:29:19. > :29:21.and available, which is quite immature is so important, to make
:29:22. > :29:26.sure we have faster, more comfortable and more frequent
:29:27. > :29:29.services across the Metro network and I look forward to the
:29:30. > :29:35.cultivation from the UK Government to the City Deal which will help
:29:36. > :29:41.regenerate parts of the South East of Wales.
:29:42. > :29:49.The South East Wales local transport plan forecast a 20% increase in the
:29:50. > :29:57.number of residents commuting to work in the Cardiff region, capital
:29:58. > :30:00.region, in the next 25 years. What consideration has the Welsh
:30:01. > :30:05.government given to the creation of a rail park and ride station similar
:30:06. > :30:09.to Bristol Parkway, which serves as the major rail hub of Cardiff and
:30:10. > :30:16.could also serve Cardiff airport? These are all wrapped up in Metro.
:30:17. > :30:19.We have made it clear that we are ambitious to create a fully
:30:20. > :30:23.integrated transport system encompassing heavy rail, light rail,
:30:24. > :30:33.bus rapid transit, that is moving forward now. Question five, Kirsty
:30:34. > :30:37.Williams. The vice will he make a statement on health care services in
:30:38. > :30:41.Brecon and Radnorshire? We wish to ensure that the people in that area
:30:42. > :30:43.have access to health areas Dellacqua services which are safe,
:30:44. > :30:51.sustainable and deliver best outcomes. Workers well under way
:30:52. > :30:57.which will allow was to bring new services to that community. -- work
:30:58. > :31:02.is. One thing that my constituents would dearly love to have in
:31:03. > :31:07.community hospitals is access to chemotherapy services. At present,
:31:08. > :31:12.many constituents travel well over an hour to access chemo services in
:31:13. > :31:17.the district general hospitals, but there are no clinical reasons why
:31:18. > :31:20.they could not be provided in community hospitals in Brecon and
:31:21. > :31:26.Radnorshire, thus negating the need to travel so far. What will be Welsh
:31:27. > :31:32.government do to work with the local health board to deliver chemotherapy
:31:33. > :31:37.in our local hospitals? I thank the leader of the Lib Dems for the
:31:38. > :31:41.acknowledgement of the investment which forms the first phase in wider
:31:42. > :31:50.refurbishment proposals for essential hospital services in the
:31:51. > :31:54.site. And also enhancing the long-term viability of the hospital.
:31:55. > :31:58.I would add the Health Minister to write on the issue of chemotherapy,
:31:59. > :32:02.I don't know whether there are clinical reasons, whether there are
:32:03. > :32:06.other reasons preventing chemotherapy from being taken forth.
:32:07. > :32:13.I would certainly investigate that and make sure she gets a letter
:32:14. > :32:18.back. TRANSLATION: Brecon and Radnorshire
:32:19. > :32:22.and Mid Wales more generally is one of those areas where there are
:32:23. > :32:27.problems in terms of access to GPs, particularly on evenings and
:32:28. > :32:32.weekends. Now, you are very fond in saying that you have increased the
:32:33. > :32:37.number of GPs 10% over the past ten years, the same increase in England
:32:38. > :32:39.over the same period is 20%, so every time you increase
:32:40. > :32:43.over the same period is 20%, so further behind. What specifically do
:32:44. > :34:30.over the same period is 20%, so you have in place to attract GPs to
:34:31. > :34:32.over the same period is 20%, so change. Thank you. Could you please
:34:33. > :34:36.clarify these are areas of concern for me, that your government will
:34:37. > :34:40.give full consideration to the work being carried out by Aberystwyth
:34:41. > :34:44.University 's river dynamics and hydrology depart and which
:34:45. > :34:49.challenges current thinking on floods in Wales, that the work to
:34:50. > :34:54.rethink and remap the drainage systems in the Upland Forest will
:34:55. > :34:59.proceed urgently. I am told these systems data back to the 1940s. And
:35:00. > :35:03.she will be aware that one hydropower station is already
:35:04. > :35:07.capable of discharging 8 million tonnes of water into the river
:35:08. > :35:12.Conway, another is planned. Will your government be calling the plan
:35:13. > :35:20.for Conway for that ahead of this river? Firstly we can't obviously
:35:21. > :35:24.take the view of one person and want department and say that is the only
:35:25. > :35:33.evidence in a particular area. We need to look at the weight of
:35:34. > :35:36.evidence, it is a matter for NRW. When it comes to flooding, I know
:35:37. > :35:42.the people in the affected area have been happy to see the work. I
:35:43. > :35:45.visited on New Year's Eve. I saw the work for myself, I spoke to local
:35:46. > :35:50.councillors and they demonstrated how the flood defence schemes had
:35:51. > :35:55.helped to make sure that that area did not flood, particularly to the
:35:56. > :35:58.levels in years gone by and particularly when ground water is
:35:59. > :36:03.coming up through houses, against which there is no defence. Local
:36:04. > :36:09.authorities have the responsibility of dealing with flooding. They, of
:36:10. > :36:14.course, are able to bid for grant funding for flood schemes and have
:36:15. > :36:19.done so successfully around Wales. NRW are there to advise how flood
:36:20. > :36:24.schemes should be taken forward. TRANSLATION: Thank you very much.
:36:25. > :36:33.May I return to the statements made by the professor yesterday on what
:36:34. > :36:39.he suggested was that NRW weren't taking into account the historic
:36:40. > :36:45.floods on Welsh rivers? Constituents in my area suffered more than any
:36:46. > :36:49.other part of Wales as a result of flooding on Boxing Day. One of the
:36:50. > :36:54.very obvious problems was the experience of people on the ground
:36:55. > :36:58.and their memories of previous floods. What is characteristic about
:36:59. > :37:04.the public meetings I have attended is that the professionals are not
:37:05. > :37:08.often aware of that at all. I think that the professor has a point. Do
:37:09. > :37:13.you believe that ignoring historic evidence such as this is
:37:14. > :37:20.unacceptable and good practice? TRANSLATION: Well, I don't pretend
:37:21. > :37:24.to be an expert in this field, but what I know is, and I understand
:37:25. > :37:28.this research has been taken and I realise it is important, I am not
:37:29. > :37:33.critical at all, but this is the view of one person and one group of
:37:34. > :37:38.researchers. It is important to consider the work that they have
:37:39. > :37:43.undertaken and that evidence, but no one would expect the direction to
:37:44. > :37:51.change because of one piece of work. What is important is that the work
:37:52. > :37:58.be considered and that the work add to the caucus of evidence which
:37:59. > :38:02.already exist. I am sure you will join me in applauding the UK
:38:03. > :38:09.Government's last-minute change of heart in deciding after all to put
:38:10. > :38:14.in a bid to the EU Solidarity fund for the relief of flood victims. I
:38:15. > :38:18.have been campaigning on this issue since just after the Boxing Day
:38:19. > :38:23.floods occurred as, indeed, has my UK party leader. I wrote to David
:38:24. > :38:29.Liddington and Liz Truss on this matter, both pro-EU ministers. It
:38:30. > :38:35.would appear that the current civil war within the government has at
:38:36. > :38:38.least enabled this wise decision to be agreed. First Minister, what can
:38:39. > :38:44.we now do to ensure that this much-needed money from the European
:38:45. > :38:47.Solidarity fund, were made available, is directed to those that
:38:48. > :38:55.need it most and we have as little as possible caught up in the UK
:38:56. > :38:58.Administration in this regard? We are in discussion with the UK
:38:59. > :39:03.Government on this, the best way to secure the funding is to stay in the
:39:04. > :39:08.EU, clearly. His view and my view are similar on this issue. If the
:39:09. > :39:11.leader of the Welsh Conservatives had his way, the money would not be
:39:12. > :39:18.there at all and those people would not be helped. This is the man who
:39:19. > :39:24.has said he will not debate anything on the EU, there you are. We are
:39:25. > :39:28.still waiting for the article he was going to write to justify selling
:39:29. > :39:31.farmers down the river. But it is important to make sure we are able
:39:32. > :39:37.to access that many to help our people.
:39:38. > :39:42.It is good of you to answer questions, but when he is sitting
:39:43. > :39:46.down here is not asking you a question, so you do not have to
:39:47. > :39:52.respond. Will he make a statement on the Welsh government strategy for
:39:53. > :39:58.small businesses in Taff Ely? Help is available to Business Wales to
:39:59. > :40:05.businesses in Taff Ely and across Wales. Your pledges in respect of
:40:06. > :40:08.the renewal and extension of small businesses has been very well
:40:09. > :40:15.received in the Pontypridd high street. Of course, we have many
:40:16. > :40:18.other small towns with vibrant communities of retail and I wonder
:40:19. > :40:23.if you can outline to what extent that policy would benefit those
:40:24. > :40:27.small businesses and what the benefits might be to the high street
:40:28. > :40:34.in our small towns of south Wales? It will benefit all those who
:40:35. > :40:37.qualify for the relief. We expect three quarters of small businesses
:40:38. > :40:44.to be affected positively, we expect about half not to pay business rates
:40:45. > :40:48.at all. These are difficult times, particularly in the retail sector,
:40:49. > :40:55.for SMEs. We will reduce taxes for small witnesses.
:40:56. > :40:58.First Minister, the Welsh Conservatives have a long-standing
:40:59. > :41:03.policy on business rates to exclude all businesses the rate of a value
:41:04. > :41:07.up to ?12,000 and taper that up to ?15,000. For nine years we have
:41:08. > :41:11.pressed a Welsh Labour government to implement such a business rate
:41:12. > :41:15.relief policy. The members of Pontypridd touched on the policy
:41:16. > :41:19.announced at the conference, will it be as generous as the Welsh
:41:20. > :41:25.Conservative policy or merely an extension of what is currently in
:41:26. > :41:30.place, up to ?6,000 business rate relief? I don't know what the Welsh
:41:31. > :41:34.Conservatives' policy is. He keeps saying latter 's party has
:41:35. > :41:40.policies... What is odd is he keeps saying we have policies, I have just
:41:41. > :41:44.told you, yet when I showed his party's documents showing the cuts
:41:45. > :41:49.they want to make, that is not policy, an old policy, not his
:41:50. > :41:56.policy! We have reduced the policy, it will be a benefit to small
:41:57. > :41:59.businesses across Wales. Small businesses wait to hear what he will
:42:00. > :42:04.say when he has quenched his numbers.
:42:05. > :42:07.Thank you very much, presiding officer. For the First Minister make
:42:08. > :42:11.a statement on the action being taken by the Welsh government to
:42:12. > :42:16.tackle cancer waiting times currently experienced eye patients
:42:17. > :42:20.and South Wales Central. I will try to and say his fifth question.
:42:21. > :42:26.Cancer is a top rarity for the NHS and we are continuing to make
:42:27. > :42:29.progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, more people are
:42:30. > :42:34.being diagnosed, more people are being treated and survival rates are
:42:35. > :42:38.at highest. I am sorry troubles you that I have had five questions, it
:42:39. > :42:50.is called democracy but I appreciate there is not much of that in Labour.
:42:51. > :42:56.The cancer wait times... Ultimately, the national average is only 83%,
:42:57. > :43:00.your own target in Wales is 195% of patients to be referred within the
:43:01. > :43:07.time frame. That target has never been met. Since 2008. -- your own
:43:08. > :43:11.target in Wales is 95%. With Cardiff and the Vale having the worst
:43:12. > :43:16.referral times, what actions are being taken to make sure those times
:43:17. > :43:20.are being looked closer to the Welsh government's own target, so that
:43:21. > :43:23.when someone gets a devastating cancer diagnosis they can be assured
:43:24. > :43:27.they will be put on the right treatment path in the time they
:43:28. > :43:31.expect to be treated in? I have no problem with him as king a lot of
:43:32. > :43:35.questions, but his backbenchers might feel they cannot. He asked
:43:36. > :43:41.about Cardiff and the Vale, Cardiff plays an important role in respect
:43:42. > :43:44.to specialist services, along with more routine services it offers
:43:45. > :43:49.those services, but there is greater pressure on Cardiff and Vale.
:43:50. > :43:52.Referrals have been 17% higher than the previous year, Cardiff has
:43:53. > :43:58.needed to see and treat more patients. There has been an
:43:59. > :44:04.improvement in for December of last year, it ends, the best performance
:44:05. > :44:08.since May. He talks about figures the cancer waiting times, they have
:44:09. > :44:13.consistently been better than England. We have not reached targets
:44:14. > :44:17.because our targets are more officious, but we have consistently
:44:18. > :44:18.shown that if people want to get diagnosis and treatment than the
:44:19. > :44:28.figures in Wales are better. What discussions has he had with the
:44:29. > :44:36.UK Government regarding the actual reorganisation? I don't know what
:44:37. > :44:41.the member means by electoral reorganisation, but I can such
:44:42. > :44:44.discussions have taken place. I am referring to the intention to reduce
:44:45. > :44:51.the number of number of members of Parliament from 40 to 29 in Wales. I
:44:52. > :44:59.have no opposition in principle, but of course Wales is experiencing more
:45:00. > :45:02.than its share of the cuts proposed. There are exceptions to the changes,
:45:03. > :45:05.namely some of the Scottish islands and the Isle of Wight with their
:45:06. > :45:10.status as Ireland's meaning they have the right to remain as distinct
:45:11. > :45:21.constituencies. The same is not true here in Wales. The risk of merging
:45:22. > :45:29.initial morning with most of the population of any other constituency
:45:30. > :45:33.is that it would be a disservice to the island and the mainland. With
:45:34. > :45:42.the first miniature drunk with me in calling four that exemption? The
:45:43. > :45:48.member is asking a very clever question on behalf of his electorate
:45:49. > :45:52.and his constituency and on behalf of Holyhead. I am not in favour of
:45:53. > :45:57.cutting the number of MPs in Westminster because it would be
:45:58. > :46:01.diluting the voice of Wales and the member makes his point very strongly
:46:02. > :46:11.to the boundaries commission once that process takes place. Your first
:46:12. > :46:16.local government Wales built included costs of over ?4 million to
:46:17. > :46:21.undertake foundry reviews even though final directions have not
:46:22. > :46:24.been issued for undertaking these. Could you advise as to the full
:46:25. > :46:31.costings associated with these reviews considering none of us know
:46:32. > :46:34.what the final directions will be? Does this figure include the
:46:35. > :46:42.proposed final directions and Tattie allocated any money in respect of
:46:43. > :46:44.this? I have had discussions with the UK Government at this point.
:46:45. > :46:46.There we are, that was First Minister's Questions.
:46:47. > :46:48.If you want more coverage of the National Assembly you can
:46:49. > :46:50.head online to BBC Wales's Senedd Live
:46:51. > :46:56.And there'll be more on Wales Today at six thirty on BBC1 Wales