:00:21. > :00:24.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme. It's not been the best
:00:24. > :00:28.weather for campaigning has it? The local elections are of course on
:00:28. > :00:31.Thursday, and Assembly Members I'm sure will be glad of a sit down in
:00:31. > :00:35.the dry chamber for First Minister's Questions. We'll take
:00:35. > :00:37.you over to the Senedd in a moment. Don't forget that you can contact
:00:37. > :00:47.us throughout today's programme via Twitter, we're @walespolitics or
:00:47. > :00:56.
:00:56. > :01:01.I call the National Assembly for Wales to order. By Tim one.
:01:01. > :01:05.Questions to the First Minister. Russell George. -- item one.
:01:05. > :01:08.Will the First Minister make a statement on how the government is
:01:08. > :01:11.improving the lives of people in Montgomeryshire?
:01:11. > :01:15.We are improving the lives of people in Montgomery shot by
:01:15. > :01:18.delivering on our programme for government.
:01:18. > :01:22.Normal load carrying replacement turbine blades came across the
:01:22. > :01:27.border this morning on its way to an existing wind farm. What
:01:27. > :01:33.concerns me is that traffic Wales were unaware this load was coming
:01:33. > :01:37.across. People had to contact them. The load did cause disruption,
:01:37. > :01:45.particularly during rush-hour as it went through New Town. First
:01:45. > :01:50.Minister, are you concerned that poor communication relating to
:01:50. > :01:54.traffic Wales affected mid-Wales traffic structure and it could
:01:54. > :01:59.potentially been 4,000 of these abnormal loads over seven years?
:01:59. > :02:06.Clearly, it is important we are aware of the passage of an abnormal
:02:06. > :02:10.vehicle. I will investigate the matter.
:02:10. > :02:14.First Minister, I recently spent an excellent morning litter picking
:02:14. > :02:20.and installing bird boxes with a group of volunteers who are
:02:21. > :02:24.committed to improving their local area. Will you join me in paying
:02:24. > :02:28.tribute to the work of these and other volunteers who give freely of
:02:28. > :02:31.their time and worked tirelessly to insure the have communities to be
:02:31. > :02:37.proud of? Indeed so. We know that volunteers
:02:37. > :02:41.contribute much to life in Wales and we have had schemes that we
:02:41. > :02:49.have supported over the years and I fully applaud the work carried out
:02:49. > :02:55.in Newtown. This Minister, the fact that Dairy
:02:55. > :02:58.Crest were able to vary the price at which they bide milk from
:02:58. > :03:02.farmers by two pence per litre overnight when the farmers
:03:02. > :03:06.themselves are tied to the contract for long periods has had a
:03:06. > :03:11.detrimental effect on the dairy industry in Bonn, Russia and beyond.
:03:11. > :03:16.What are you doing to insure the dairy market is there to farmers in
:03:16. > :03:20.Wales? This is obviously not something the
:03:20. > :03:24.farmers is -- the farmers are going to welcome but there are other
:03:24. > :03:29.companies they could speak to. It is difficult to know the nature of
:03:29. > :03:34.their contract because the price has been varied without their
:03:34. > :03:40.agreement. What I will do, of course, is raised this issue with
:03:40. > :03:45.Alun Davies, Minister for Agriculture, so that he may assess
:03:45. > :03:51.what we as a government can do to assist farmers.
:03:51. > :03:55.Question two, for Gething. What action is the Welsh government
:03:55. > :03:59.taking to support people in Wales? We are working with partnerships in
:03:59. > :04:04.Wales to insure a joined-up approach to crime, anti-social
:04:04. > :04:09.behaviour, substance abuse and youth offending.
:04:09. > :04:15.I have recently been talking to a number of police officers as
:04:15. > :04:19.constituents and in my day job. They speak to me about the reality
:04:19. > :04:23.of the 20% cut in police funding. The South Wales Police Federation
:04:23. > :04:29.say, we have a very demoralised police service despite being
:04:29. > :04:34.committed to putting the best service that we can in. There are
:04:34. > :04:36.hundreds of police officers going on a national mark on 10th May.
:04:37. > :04:40.Against that backdrop, they are keen to hear this government is
:04:40. > :04:45.keeping its promises. Can you confirm the progress this
:04:46. > :04:53.government has made on keeping our pledged to put in place what he
:04:53. > :04:58.Esso's. -- PS those. 30% of the planned total work
:04:58. > :05:04.already deployed and that is within one year of the government's life.
:05:04. > :05:09.We plan to deliver on 500 police officers.
:05:09. > :05:12.In terms of community safety, First Minister, I'm sure you would agree
:05:12. > :05:21.that public transport services are extremely important. I have just
:05:21. > :05:25.met with villagers who have understood that they are to use a
:05:25. > :05:33.local bus service. That part of the route is particularly dangerous.
:05:33. > :05:39.Willie contact Arriva trains -- will you contact Arriva trains to
:05:39. > :05:44.put pressure to reinstate it? I will of course refer to Carl
:05:44. > :05:51.Sargeant, the Minister. Questions from party leaders. The
:05:51. > :05:55.first this afternoon is leader of the opposition, Andrew RT Davies.
:05:55. > :05:57.First Minister, why did the chair of pure science advisory council
:05:57. > :06:03.resigned from the TB eradication programme?
:06:03. > :06:08.That is a matter for Professor Pollock. He has contributed greatly
:06:08. > :06:12.to farming and rural Sciences in Wales over the years.
:06:12. > :06:16.You know full well that the reason he stated that he was resigning was
:06:16. > :06:20.that he said, I was disappointed the Minister was adopting a
:06:21. > :06:25.strategy that was not justified by the scientific evidence. That was
:06:25. > :06:30.his quote on his resignation letter. Given that you as First Minister in
:06:30. > :06:32.response to this question and in your programme for government, have
:06:32. > :06:38.highlighted that the cause of action the government will take
:06:38. > :06:43.will be science led, do you not take this advice the professor has
:06:43. > :06:47.said as his reason for advising has cast doubt on the decision your
:06:47. > :06:51.government has taken to deal with bovine TB that we have in Wales?
:06:51. > :06:57.We have taken a science led approach and had to consider the
:06:57. > :07:04.state of the current law. That, of course, provides a certain level to
:07:04. > :07:08.badgers, a level of protection to badgers. I have to reiterate that
:07:08. > :07:15.the intention is to eradicate bovine TB in the long term and that
:07:15. > :07:18.is what we will do. The eminent professor has indicated
:07:18. > :07:22.that the decision taken by your Government was not based on the
:07:22. > :07:26.science and was based, actually, and political considerations. That
:07:26. > :07:31.is entirely fair because you are in government and you can make those
:07:31. > :07:36.decisions. It is misleading to the communities that have been blighted
:07:36. > :07:40.for many years now and also to the public purse, because the actions
:07:40. > :07:45.that your government will undertake will impose a significant extra
:07:45. > :07:52.burden on the public purse, estimated to be �3.6 million, by
:07:52. > :07:56.pursuing an unscientific approach to eradicating bovine TB. Is it
:07:56. > :07:59.therefore safe to realise from the decisions taken by your government
:07:59. > :08:03.that you have taken a political decision here, not a science based
:08:03. > :08:12.decision? Not in the slightest. I am not sure
:08:12. > :08:16.Professor Pollock said that. Professor Pollock is a respected
:08:16. > :08:19.figure and continues to be a respected figure. As ministers, the
:08:19. > :08:24.only consideration we took into account were the science and the
:08:24. > :08:27.law. That is it. The politics did not come into it.
:08:27. > :08:31.The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams.
:08:31. > :08:35.First Minister, a report published today by the Stroke Association
:08:35. > :08:40.states that around 11,000 people in Wales have a stroke each year or
:08:40. > :08:44.get Wales remains the only part of the UK without a dedicated
:08:44. > :08:51.comprehensive stroke strategy and why is that the case?
:08:51. > :08:57.We are developing a stroke delivery plan. This will set out plans to
:08:57. > :09:02.tackle stroke and help the NHS to achieve this.
:09:02. > :09:04.You say that you are now making progress but it is two years since
:09:04. > :09:09.the health well-being and local government committee published its
:09:09. > :09:14.own report into stroke services in Wales and its first recommendation
:09:14. > :09:18.was that the Minister develops a stroke strategy, a comprehensive
:09:18. > :09:25.stroke strategy. Why has it taken so long to implement such an
:09:25. > :09:29.important health initiative? You have to bear in mind we have
:09:29. > :09:32.launched a Wales wide project which aims to improve the help available
:09:32. > :09:37.for stroke survivors when they return from hospital, which is an
:09:37. > :09:41.important issue. We respect the health board and expect them to
:09:41. > :09:47.work together to meet the needs of patients. The recommendation is to
:09:47. > :09:50.insure there is a comprehensive delivery plan.
:09:51. > :09:54.Presiding Officer, I note the First Minister can give no explanation as
:09:54. > :09:59.to why two years later this important health initiative has not
:09:59. > :10:02.been taken forward in a timely matter but I'm glad he mentions the
:10:02. > :10:08.issue of after-care. Many stroke patients feel that once they leave
:10:08. > :10:13.the hospital setting, they are abandoned. Would you now agree with
:10:13. > :10:17.me that it's time we accepted that a one size fits all model of
:10:17. > :10:21.services is outdated and instead implement a tailored social care
:10:21. > :10:26.system that uses personal budget to ensure individuals who have
:10:26. > :10:31.suffered a stroke can choose their own packages of care?
:10:31. > :10:34.There needs to be consistency of approach across Wales and this will
:10:34. > :10:39.help standardise care in the months following a patient's destroyer
:10:39. > :10:43.from hospital and the viewers of stroke patients and their carers
:10:43. > :10:48.will be incorporated as part of that framework to help shape
:10:48. > :10:52.services in future. We now move to leader of Plaid
:10:52. > :10:56.Cymru. Prior to the last elections last
:10:57. > :11:00.May, you gave a clear promise to the people of Wales at a Welsh
:11:00. > :11:05.Labour government would not downgrade district general
:11:05. > :11:09.hospitals and today the BBC has recorded that your government has a
:11:09. > :11:14.plan to undermine public confidence in the Welsh NHS so you can go
:11:14. > :11:18.ahead with your plans to downgrade hospitals. You have an opportunity,
:11:18. > :11:23.First Minister, to set the record straight. Will you tell us ahead of
:11:23. > :11:29.next Thursday's local elections, does your government plan to
:11:29. > :11:32.downgrade hospitals or centralise services?
:11:32. > :11:36.It is an exceptionally serious allegation to make about the BBC
:11:36. > :11:40.that they have published a news story claiming we are trying to
:11:40. > :11:45.undermine the health service. I've seen what they have reported and it
:11:45. > :11:48.isn't at all what they said. The cut was let out of the bag by the
:11:48. > :11:52.leader of Plaid Cymru when she talked about the local elections.
:11:52. > :11:58.We want to make sure health services are safe. No hospital is
:11:58. > :12:04.under threat. No hospital is ever under threat in Wales. In a price
:12:04. > :12:08.can be Preseli, they say as far as this -- in a plied can read press
:12:08. > :12:17.release, they say this is a scaremongering tactic and the
:12:17. > :12:20.people of Wales worried that people will sink to the steps to get their
:12:20. > :12:27.way. Were they looking in the mirror?
:12:27. > :12:30.There was no denial in the report by the BBC today. Is it the case
:12:30. > :12:36.that your government intends to scaremonger in order to undermine
:12:36. > :12:43.public confidence in NHS services? Is the BBC scaremongering? On the
:12:43. > :12:47.1st February, this year. Can we listen to Leanne Wood,
:12:47. > :12:53.please? On the 1st February, at this health
:12:53. > :12:57.service -- the Health Minister said she denied she knew the plans with
:12:57. > :13:02.regard to health Configuration. Last week she said she was awaiting
:13:02. > :13:06.plans within the next two months. If that is true, how could your
:13:06. > :13:11.Minister and government no what case to make to the people of
:13:11. > :13:18.Wales? There are no plans in place from
:13:18. > :13:22.the NHPs. This was commissioned by a government report and it contains
:13:22. > :13:25.information that we cannot ignore. It is simply the case we want to
:13:25. > :13:33.improve the health service and mortality rates in the NHS. If that
:13:33. > :13:38.is not a priority for Plaid Cymru, they should say so. The leader has
:13:38. > :13:42.stepped back from the allegation she made about the BBC and I repeat
:13:42. > :13:47.what she didn't hear the first time. No hospital in Wales is under
:13:47. > :13:50.threat. We want to make sure there are centres of excellence across
:13:50. > :13:54.Wales that provide safe and sustainable services for all the
:13:54. > :13:59.people of Wales. First Minister, you say you have no
:13:59. > :14:03.final plans. Will you publish the plans that you have? Were you admit
:14:03. > :14:08.that you have tried to keep it under wraps until after the local
:14:08. > :14:12.elections and now you have been caught out? It is time for some
:14:12. > :14:17.honesty. If your government is making the case, what exactly are
:14:17. > :14:22.you making the case for? What services do you intend to step out
:14:22. > :14:31.of Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli or Bronglais Hospital or
:14:31. > :14:36.as the team I Lord in Wrexham? -- or the hospital in Wrexham? You
:14:36. > :14:40.know that there are a big concerns locally about the future of our
:14:40. > :14:45.district general hospitals. First Minister, why won't you come clean?
:14:45. > :14:49.I'm amazed to hear her say this is apparently secret. We published it
:14:49. > :14:54.on the website. Let me make something quite clear. She talks
:14:54. > :14:59.about scaremongering but there were canvassers for Applied can really
:14:59. > :15:04.saying that they would close the accident and emergency in Llanelli.
:15:04. > :15:10.People in an arrest growth have been told Bronglais Hospital will
:15:10. > :15:15.close -- in Aberystwyth. If that isn't scaremongering, what is? Next
:15:15. > :15:18.have honesty in their election leaflets and let's be saying to the
:15:18. > :15:24.people of Llanelli and Aberystwyth, there is no threat to those
:15:24. > :15:28.hospitals. There never was a threat. We want to make sure they are
:15:28. > :15:34.centres of excellence because we as a government can about health, we
:15:34. > :15:44.care about access to services, out comes and lives. Unfortunately,
:15:44. > :15:47.
:15:47. > :15:53.Pyecombe we seem to care about Thank you. We now move to question
:15:53. > :15:57.three. Will the First Minister make a statement on the delivery for
:15:57. > :16:03.programme for government? We are making good progress and the first
:16:03. > :16:07.will we report will be published at the end of this month. From now on
:16:07. > :16:13.the you rides and measure places the important duty on your
:16:13. > :16:17.government to have due regard for the UN Convention on the rights of
:16:17. > :16:24.the child. How would you demonstrate what your government is
:16:24. > :16:31.doing to uphold those rights? what the new law imposes on us and
:16:31. > :16:35.of course we will be looking for to insure that the whites are worked
:16:35. > :16:38.through. All that we do it as a government and during the course of
:16:38. > :16:48.the debate on the report of the programme for government there will
:16:48. > :16:52.be an opportunity for members to question asked. I know that many
:16:52. > :16:58.families in my own constituency are benefiting from flying start and I
:16:58. > :17:01.welcome the additional �55 million investment to support its expansion.
:17:02. > :17:07.Which is obviously going to help deliver better outcomes for
:17:07. > :17:11.children living in poverty in Wales. I was pleased to visit the Action
:17:11. > :17:16.for children family centre recently and this is a community based drop
:17:16. > :17:21.in and service which offers a range of family support services and
:17:21. > :17:25.advice to children, parents and carers. With due join with me in
:17:25. > :17:29.commending the work of the centre and we doing great that by
:17:29. > :17:34.investing in those early years of a child's life, this is an investment
:17:34. > :17:40.in their future. That is why we are looking to double the families who
:17:40. > :17:45.are able to get the support on the programme. We know very well in
:17:45. > :17:48.addition to the new duties that will be imposed on us by the
:17:48. > :17:51.measure regarding children and young people and their rights,
:17:51. > :18:01.taken together this will prove a significant step forward for young
:18:01. > :18:05.children. First Minister, your programme for government pledged to
:18:05. > :18:10.review what entrepreneurial support is needed by small firms to thrive
:18:10. > :18:14.and grow. We know that the independent review panel into the
:18:14. > :18:19.impact of business relief rate in Wales is due to report this month.
:18:19. > :18:23.If that panel recommends they should be a reduction in business
:18:23. > :18:27.rates for businesses, will you give those businesses an assurance that
:18:27. > :18:37.you will implement that recommendation? We will await any
:18:37. > :18:43.recommendations before commentating -- commenting. 30 months ago, and
:18:43. > :18:47.the healthy eating measured received royal consent. If that
:18:47. > :18:53.measure is not being commenced, when do you intend to commence the
:18:53. > :19:03.measure? We had to wait for appetite for life to finish the
:19:03. > :19:06.
:19:06. > :19:10.programme and provide evidence. Will you outline your priorities
:19:10. > :19:15.for the wonder airier over the net course of the next year? Those
:19:15. > :19:20.priorities are to deliver on our programme for government. We are
:19:20. > :19:25.one of the areas that will suffer greatly if the coalition presses
:19:26. > :19:31.ahead and imposes regional pay on Wales. Can you outline what steps
:19:31. > :19:36.the Welsh Government has taken to put the argument against regional
:19:36. > :19:41.pay and what steps the government is taking to mitigate the argument
:19:41. > :19:46.that is being put forward for regional paid to be imposed?
:19:46. > :19:52.continue to make the case very strongly. We believe regional pay
:19:52. > :20:00.is inappropriate not just Bolwell but the whole of the UK. One of the
:20:00. > :20:05.areas that has been let down by successive Welsh government
:20:05. > :20:11.programmes is wander. Sadly the outcomes have not been as desired.
:20:11. > :20:15.Figures are fairly disappointing. Given that the commissioner for the
:20:15. > :20:19.European Union was over last week and talking about quantifiable
:20:19. > :20:25.results in the next round of funding, what goals will be set for
:20:25. > :20:31.your government to ensure that the next two opportunities from not be
:20:31. > :20:37.another missed one? We will continue to seek an increase in GDP
:20:37. > :20:41.and to continue with the increase we have seen in G D H five. We need
:20:41. > :20:50.the UK government to do its bit and reverse its disastrous economic
:20:51. > :20:56.policies. Unemployment is a big programme - a problem. Jobs we can
:20:56. > :21:02.ill afford to lose our rat risk in Wales with a threatened closure of
:21:02. > :21:06.seven out of nine Remploy factories. These factories could close as
:21:06. > :21:10.early as July. With the clock ticking, can you tell us what your
:21:10. > :21:14.government is doing to secured their future and can you tell us
:21:14. > :21:19.whether or not you have pushed the idea of devolving the Remploy
:21:19. > :21:24.budget to Wales and whether you have explored ways of making more
:21:24. > :21:30.financially viable by making sure they get more public procurement
:21:30. > :21:34.contracts? We have written to the UK government asking for the
:21:34. > :21:38.devolution of the budget for went wide. That has been refused. We are
:21:38. > :21:42.looking at other options particularly how we can help to see
:21:42. > :21:46.the jobs saved through the establishment of social enterprise
:21:46. > :21:51.because so many of these factories have full order books. We will
:21:51. > :21:58.continue to fight for those workers who are being let down by the UK
:21:58. > :22:03.government. You will be aware that one there have been spending a
:22:03. > :22:10.considerable amount of time and money redeveloping the centre of
:22:10. > :22:16.Pontypridd. But local traders were staggered that one existing town
:22:16. > :22:22.centres are struggling, their development plan includes plans for
:22:22. > :22:28.a new town centre. Local residents do not want it, local businesses do
:22:28. > :22:34.not want it, it cuts or against evidence this Assembly has seen.
:22:34. > :22:41.Will you call for these plans to be reviewed? The Welsh Government has
:22:41. > :22:46.a role in terms of where their LDPs are called in or not. You have a
:22:46. > :22:52.good record in terms of developing the open environment, particularly
:22:52. > :22:56.the redevelopment that has taken place in Pontypridd town-centre.
:22:56. > :23:02.Will the First Minister outlined the Government's's policy to reduce
:23:02. > :23:09.smoking? The tobacco control action plan aims to drive down smoking to
:23:09. > :23:14.16 % by 2020. Could he outlined how his government is to tackle the
:23:14. > :23:20.increase in smoking she should? Recent research has indicated that
:23:20. > :23:28.it during a typical one hour session, a smoker inhales over 100
:23:28. > :23:32.full strength cigarettes equivalent. It is currently unregulated. I have
:23:32. > :23:36.to say they have been no discussions but I will raise the
:23:36. > :23:44.matter with the Chief Medical Officer. I am aware of the
:23:44. > :23:50.technique involved in issue Show pipes. I have seen them. They run a
:23:50. > :23:57.number of establishments that are fed the pipes but unable to take if
:23:57. > :24:00.the offer up with the Chief Medical Officer. Following a visit by young
:24:00. > :24:05.ambassadors from ash last week to the Assembly, using Assembly
:24:05. > :24:09.Members to take wide in a consultation in pay and packaging
:24:09. > :24:13.for cigarettes, what proposals does the First Minister have to help
:24:13. > :24:22.young people who may have already started smoking to help young
:24:22. > :24:26.people to stop? Star Smoking Wales provides support to young people
:24:26. > :24:31.who classify themselves as smokers to help them stop smoking. These
:24:32. > :24:36.sessions are delivered on a one to once basis. The service also offers
:24:36. > :24:41.brief intervention training to individuals who work with young
:24:41. > :24:48.people to raise the health effects of smoking to ensure they are aware
:24:48. > :24:53.of the support available. First Minister, the scientific evidence
:24:53. > :24:58.is clear that smoking in cars is very damaging to the health of
:24:58. > :25:02.children. Why then will you not start a process now of legislating
:25:03. > :25:08.to ban smoking in cars were children are present? What we have
:25:08. > :25:12.said there is a campaign to reduce the number of smokers his mode in
:25:12. > :25:19.cars. When children are present, if that does not work, it will
:25:19. > :25:24.legislate. William Powell. Will the First Minister outline his plans to
:25:24. > :25:31.develop the Welsh tourism industry? The programme for government sets
:25:31. > :25:35.out proposals to develop those. Thank you. Last week I had the
:25:35. > :25:40.opportunity to attend a conference on sustainable tourism. During
:25:40. > :25:46.which the important matter of overseas of Wales as a destination
:25:46. > :25:51.for was a topic of concern. One of the concerns raised was that your
:25:51. > :25:56.government has in recent times drastically reduced the Budget and
:25:56. > :25:59.the privatisation given to the marketing of Wales, to the overseas
:25:59. > :26:05.market for tourists. I wonder whether you would make a statement
:26:05. > :26:09.as to whether these concerns are well-founded and also confound your
:26:09. > :26:17.understanding of the importance of Wales as a destination for a
:26:17. > :26:26.overseas tourists? Visit Wales has been allocated 15.3 million for
:26:26. > :26:31.2013. Of that, 18.6 has been marketed for marketing. -- 8.6. I
:26:31. > :26:36.spent some time talking to tourism operators to see what would work in
:26:36. > :26:44.terms of promoting Wales in those markets and some of the ideas they
:26:44. > :26:48.gave us will be implemented. First Minister, our communities have
:26:48. > :26:53.successfully created a tourism industry based on mountain biking
:26:53. > :27:02.and walks. To build upon this, the local council is seeking the views
:27:02. > :27:06.of people for a bike bus to transport public and their bikes.
:27:06. > :27:13.Promoting greener travel and tourism. Do you welcome the Labour
:27:13. > :27:18.controlled authorities proposal to organising this bike bus? It has
:27:18. > :27:26.been refreshing to see the development of tourism in the
:27:26. > :27:32.valleys full step I opened the Centre of their some seven or eight
:27:32. > :27:38.years ago now and utilised the Forestry that is in the area, it
:27:38. > :27:42.has meant a substantial increase in the number of tourists visiting.
:27:42. > :27:46.First Minister, you will be aware that caravan parks offer
:27:46. > :27:51.accommodation in the tourism industry across Wales, not least in
:27:51. > :27:55.my own constituency. Last week, you indicated that he would publish the
:27:55. > :27:59.contents of a letter to the Chancellor that you intended to
:27:59. > :28:03.write on the issue of the VAT arrangements for static caravans
:28:03. > :28:08.and I wonder if you have actually written to the Chancellor of now? I
:28:08. > :28:11.was disappointed to know that the business minister had not done so
:28:11. > :28:19.as of this week and I wonder whether you was shared the contents
:28:19. > :28:23.of that letter? The letter has gone. I will give consideration to the
:28:23. > :28:29.contents being shared. There is nothing startling in their because
:28:29. > :28:34.as you would expect, I had made the case expressing my concerns about
:28:34. > :28:37.the imposition of VAT on static caravans but I am sure that the
:28:37. > :28:42.member will also make representations within his party,
:28:42. > :28:49.because it was a Conservative Chancellor who imposed this VAT in
:28:49. > :28:53.the first place. Will the First Minister outline his Government's
:28:53. > :28:57.policies to improve health care outcomes amongst the population of
:28:57. > :29:02.North Wales? It is there in the programme. There are a number of
:29:02. > :29:12.health services that rely on charities to meet patients' needs,
:29:12. > :29:18.like the Pamela's North Cove fanned -- fund. And the work of the North
:29:18. > :29:21.Wales Chrysalis trust. What are you doing to support these charities to
:29:21. > :29:26.provide core services and without which, patients would be forced to
:29:26. > :29:31.pay privately or to travel to England to receive treatment?
:29:31. > :29:35.Ferrar number of ways in which charities are supported. Some are
:29:35. > :29:39.supported by the local health boards, there are those who will be
:29:39. > :29:43.supported by other funding streams but we recognise the good work that
:29:43. > :29:51.is done by charities that we would not want to add to their burden
:29:51. > :29:57.while recognise the good work that First Minister, I was at the
:29:57. > :30:05.opening of another trestle trust food bank in Malta on Friday.
:30:05. > :30:08.Having enough to eat his a basic when it comes to good health. The
:30:08. > :30:13.chairman said that clients are faced with impossible choices
:30:13. > :30:18.between paying the rent and buying food and putting it on the table.
:30:18. > :30:23.He said thousands are going hungry in 21st century Britain. When you
:30:23. > :30:28.assure me the Welsh government will do its best to continue mitigating
:30:28. > :30:32.the effects of policies of other places on our citizens and protect
:30:32. > :30:36.them as much as we can in future? I can give that assurance. We know
:30:36. > :30:40.that nearly 90% of the cuts that have been made in benefits have yet
:30:40. > :30:45.to be implemented but there are people suffering great hardship as
:30:45. > :30:50.a result, people who, through no fault of their own, have worked all
:30:50. > :30:54.of their lives in many cases, and now it means that poverty will
:30:55. > :31:02.increase and the sad story that the number has referred to will be when
:31:02. > :31:07.we hear for many years to come. A Presiding Officer, one of the
:31:07. > :31:12.problems facing the health service in North Wales, as in the wet -- in
:31:12. > :31:15.the rest of Wales, is the lack of consistency between the health
:31:16. > :31:22.service and social services and of course between primary care and the
:31:22. > :31:26.secondary or acute care. As we could reduce the number of urgent
:31:26. > :31:30.or emergency cases going to hospital if that relationship was
:31:30. > :31:36.improved, what steps is the government taking to ensure that
:31:36. > :31:42.happens? We want all local health board to
:31:42. > :31:46.work closely with local authorities to insure no problems are caused
:31:46. > :31:52.because of a lack of collaboration between the two organisations. I
:31:52. > :31:57.would expect them to work closely together to insure that when one
:31:57. > :32:03.leaves hospital and is able to return home, they can do that in a
:32:03. > :32:10.reasonable timescale. First Minister, the BBC report this
:32:11. > :32:14.morning as regards to changes within the health service confirms
:32:14. > :32:19.that although government will receive reports from local health
:32:19. > :32:26.boards until the end of this month, the changes will be implemented in
:32:26. > :32:28.August. Is that timetable accurate and do you believe this is
:32:28. > :32:31.efficient for effective consultation on these far-reaching
:32:31. > :32:36.changes? We want to ensure people have
:32:36. > :32:39.plenty of time to express their opinions on these changes as
:32:40. > :32:44.regards to the report itself. It wasn't a government report but the
:32:44. > :32:48.conclusions contained within the report our conclusions we must take
:32:48. > :32:52.note of and must ensure that the health service is safe and
:32:52. > :32:58.sustainable at the end of the day and that means decisions will have
:32:58. > :33:00.to be made in order to ensure that is the case.
:33:00. > :33:04.Will the First Minister make a statement on employment levels in
:33:04. > :33:08.Islwyn? In common with the rest of the UK,
:33:08. > :33:12.the labour market in Islwyn remains difficult.
:33:12. > :33:17.I know how hard you government is working to preserve jobs in the
:33:17. > :33:24.valleys. I joined Leighton Andrews on a visit to Remploy to discuss
:33:24. > :33:29.options for saving jobs on the site. Do you agree with me that this
:33:29. > :33:33.attitude is a stark contrast to the UK Government who have attempted to
:33:33. > :33:40.pull the rug from under this diligent group of workers could
:33:40. > :33:44.smack it is astonishing that at a time of difficulty in terms of
:33:44. > :33:48.people trying to find jobs that the UK government would decide to
:33:48. > :33:53.remove employment for those who find it most difficult to find jobs.
:33:53. > :33:56.We will always stand up for Remploy workers. I have outlined what the
:33:56. > :34:00.Minister has done and we will continue to fight any proposals
:34:00. > :34:05.that would lead to them losing their jobs.
:34:05. > :34:10.I have tried not to mention the fight at a forest of the employee
:34:10. > :34:14.in my remarks which was caused by the Labour government. I agree with
:34:14. > :34:20.what my colleague in Islwyn has said. There are three factories in
:34:20. > :34:23.my region of Remploy about to close. What efforts will the Welsh
:34:23. > :34:27.government be making with local authorities and other potential
:34:27. > :34:29.employers in order to seek opportunities for alternative
:34:29. > :34:34.employment and even training as well?
:34:34. > :34:38.We will explore any option that will be of benefit to the Remploy
:34:38. > :34:42.workers. Whether that means opportunities in local authorities
:34:42. > :34:46.or local authorities becoming customers in order to ensure a full
:34:47. > :34:53.order book for continuing employment for those who work in
:34:53. > :34:58.Remploy factories. We will leave no stone unturned.
:34:59. > :35:02.Presiding Officer, First Minister. A boost to employment levels in
:35:02. > :35:07.Islwyn and elsewhere is to extend the provision of super-fast
:35:07. > :35:12.broadband. Will you join me in welcoming news that BT is making
:35:12. > :35:17.super-fast broadband available to more than 21,000 homes and
:35:17. > :35:22.businesses in Blackwood and parts of Newport? That opens up new
:35:22. > :35:26.opportunities for small and medium- sized enterprises in the area. I
:35:26. > :35:33.would be grateful if you start a similar development in other areas.
:35:33. > :35:36.I we are installing super-fast broadband by 2015.
:35:36. > :35:40.What assessment has the Welsh government made of the impact of
:35:40. > :35:43.the recession on third sector organisations in Wales?
:35:44. > :35:48.We have arrangements in place to monitor the impact that the current
:35:48. > :35:52.economic climate is having on third sector organisations in Wales and
:35:52. > :35:56.that work is a fundamental part of the arrangements we have put in
:35:56. > :35:58.place. There is considerable concern from
:35:58. > :36:02.many Third Sector organisations that changes to the funding
:36:02. > :36:07.structure, particularly to supporting people, where the
:36:07. > :36:15.funding is going via the local authorities but small, at the
:36:15. > :36:20.creative organisations that serve specific groups are going to be
:36:20. > :36:24.locked out as there is a shortage of funding and these small groups
:36:24. > :36:27.are not represented around the table for these advisory bodies at
:36:27. > :36:31.Welsh government level. What can you tell us to allay those
:36:31. > :36:35.anxieties. The Minister for Local Government
:36:35. > :36:38.and communities will shortly be making an assessment of how these
:36:38. > :36:47.services will be taken forward in light of the unprecedented
:36:47. > :36:51.challenges facing these providers. First Minister, as the business
:36:51. > :36:55.Minister recognises, social enterprises are actually businesses
:36:56. > :37:00.and eligible for business loans and grants. Banks don't always feel the
:37:00. > :37:05.same. First Minister, the prime Minister is establishing the "big
:37:05. > :37:09.society" to fund soft loans for Social entrepreneurs. Do you
:37:09. > :37:13.welcome that policy? Anything that enables organisations
:37:13. > :37:22.to have access to capital is welcome. It is a shame not more is
:37:22. > :37:27.being done by the UK government to help hard-pressed enterprises.
:37:27. > :37:33.According to an inquiry by the WC BA, although confidence is growing
:37:33. > :37:36.in the third sector, there is concern that a number of
:37:36. > :37:40.organisations think their financial situations is going to suffer in
:37:40. > :37:45.the next 12 months. What can you do to assist these organisations that
:37:45. > :37:51.do feel as though they are facing such pressure as?
:37:51. > :38:00.Well, a report will be given to the third sector partnership council
:38:00. > :38:04.this month as regard to the problems that they encounter after
:38:04. > :38:10.the changes to welfare payments. They will be a statement from the
:38:10. > :38:16.Minister as regards to some of the organisation's that give advice to
:38:16. > :38:21.people. What plans does the Welsh
:38:21. > :38:30.government have to support licensed premises?
:38:30. > :38:34.We continue to seek to support a licensed premises to in Wales. We
:38:35. > :38:39.have initiatives to lobby the UK government to increase minimum unit
:38:39. > :38:42.price for alcohol which will help pubs, bearing in mind the problems
:38:42. > :38:48.they face at the present time because of the unfair competition
:38:48. > :38:52.from supermarkets. The level of payments that pubs pay
:38:52. > :38:58.for Sky subscriptions are based on their ratable value and many of
:38:58. > :39:02.them pay over �1,000 per month for various services. A number of
:39:02. > :39:06.services are given a significant business rate relief from the Welsh
:39:06. > :39:11.government. We used support the campaign that I have launched in
:39:12. > :39:15.North Wales to call on Sky to charge a subscription cost based on
:39:15. > :39:19.the level of tax that those businesses pay, rather than they
:39:19. > :39:23.are ratable value? That would insure a more viable situation for
:39:23. > :39:29.many pubs? I would be happy to support
:39:29. > :39:33.anything which reduces the charges that pubs have to make to Sky. I
:39:33. > :39:39.know this is an old problem and something that has been raised
:39:39. > :39:44.previously. It is important to ensure sustainable pubs in future,
:39:44. > :39:50.that they are able to receive Sky services at an affordable price as
:39:50. > :39:54.compared to their position. Can I ask the First Minister if he
:39:54. > :39:59.has had further discussions with the national government in
:39:59. > :40:08.Westminster over attempting to tackle binge drinking in Wales and
:40:08. > :40:11.also, can I also tell him and others that if you are a main
:40:11. > :40:16.member of a cricket club, you get Sky at half price?
:40:16. > :40:21.I won't comment on whether that is a proper arrangement or not. He
:40:21. > :40:25.raises an important point on how we stop binge drinking. We work with
:40:25. > :40:30.the UK government on changed for life for Wales which is to cover
:40:30. > :40:34.alcohol misuse prevention. Whilst it is exceptionally important to
:40:34. > :40:39.reduce the amount of alcohol people drink, particularly binge drinking,
:40:39. > :40:45.we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water all
:40:45. > :40:51.the beer. Thus causing many local pubs which are the heart of the
:40:51. > :40:55.communities, to close down. We know that pubs around exceptionally
:40:55. > :40:59.important part of any community and we need to be careful not to
:40:59. > :41:02.support any blanket policy which jeopardises their opportunity to
:41:02. > :41:06.exist. We leave it there this week. There
:41:06. > :41:16.is more from the National Assembly on our Democracy Live online
:41:16. > :41:17.
:41:17. > :41:22.As usual, our Welsh Affairs Editor, Vaughan Roderick, is here. Primed
:41:22. > :41:26.like a coiled spring ahead of the local elections. We had a bit of an
:41:26. > :41:31.election spat between Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood but not much
:41:31. > :41:35.election talk. Quite surprising, really. I
:41:35. > :41:38.expected the three party leaders to go with some of their showcase
:41:38. > :41:43.policies for the local elections, but we would hear the Conservatives
:41:43. > :41:48.talk about freezing business rates or Council Tax. We didn't have much
:41:48. > :41:54.of that. It seemed a normal First Minister's Questions.
:41:54. > :41:57.Do you think that is a deliberate ploy? They want to let the election
:41:57. > :42:00.carry on and instead try and score some political points against the
:42:00. > :42:06.First Minister or was it a missed opportunity?
:42:06. > :42:10.I'm not sure but I suspect the politicians here think the results
:42:10. > :42:15.in the local elections are a set in stone by now. It is difficult to
:42:15. > :42:21.see anything happening on a Welsh basis, a national basis or a eight
:42:21. > :42:26.UK basis, that could really alter or many vote Snell. All sorts of
:42:26. > :42:31.technical squeezes are being carried out but the political
:42:31. > :42:36.context seems to be set. We have seen some poll results
:42:36. > :42:41.today that you can tell us about? This is by YouGov, commissioned by
:42:41. > :42:47.the Centre for Welsh governance in the University of Cardiff. It is an
:42:47. > :42:51.interesting poll but local polling is always interesting. It tends to
:42:51. > :42:53.confirm what we always expect, there is a big rise in the support
:42:54. > :43:00.for Labour and Labour could be looking to do well on Thursday
:43:00. > :43:04.night. I think reading too much into a national poll for what our
:43:04. > :43:09.local battles could be risky. On election night, I will be in
:43:09. > :43:12.Caerphilly, covering it for our coverage. Where will you be?
:43:12. > :43:16.The BBC in Cardiff with live coverage of the results as they
:43:16. > :43:22.come in. That is it for today. We are back
:43:22. > :43:26.tomorrow, less than 24 hours for you to wait for our programme at