:00:27. > :00:34.Good afternoon. Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of
:00:35. > :00:36.questions to the First Minister. After a week away from Cardiff the
:00:37. > :00:45.politicians are back and Carwyn Jones will and the questions on
:00:46. > :00:49.superfast broadband is as well as city regions. You can follow the
:00:50. > :00:57.latest on Welsh politics on our Twitter feed. Business in the
:00:58. > :01:03.Chamber is underway, so let's take a look now at today's questions to the
:01:04. > :01:11.First Minister. Order, order, the National Assembly is in question.
:01:12. > :01:16.Question one. John Griffiths. Will the First Minister make a statement
:01:17. > :01:20.on community volunteering? Volunteers make a vital contribution
:01:21. > :01:27.to our communities, we support volunteers and have given ?6 million
:01:28. > :01:31.to the infrastructure and organisations including ?600,000 in
:01:32. > :01:36.core funding for the Gwent Association for voluntary
:01:37. > :01:40.organisations. I think everybody here would agree that across the
:01:41. > :01:44.length and breadth of Wales volunteers do amazing jobs in so
:01:45. > :01:49.many different ways, and without that contribution many aspects of
:01:50. > :01:54.life in our communities would grind to a halt. Would he agree that we
:01:55. > :01:59.need to reward and support of volunteers. An important way of
:02:00. > :02:04.doing this is the time banking service. It provides free access to
:02:05. > :02:10.leisure, entertainment and other services. We need to support and
:02:11. > :02:15.roll out time bugging across Wales. I find the member for his question.
:02:16. > :02:22.It is a way of recognising people's worth. It is a way of incentivising
:02:23. > :02:29.action and involvement. We have provided a way of incentivising
:02:30. > :02:38.action and involvement. We have 2015 to develop the time banking movement
:02:39. > :02:42.in Wales. First Minister, ahead of Remembrance
:02:43. > :02:46.Sunday it is important that we acknowledge the dedication and hard
:02:47. > :02:52.work of community volunteers across Wales and in my own constituency who
:02:53. > :02:57.tirelessly sell poppies to raise money for the Poppy Appeal this
:02:58. > :03:01.support is vital to the Royal British Legion to give support to
:03:02. > :03:07.service women and their families and reminds us how much has been given
:03:08. > :03:12.by this to this country. We use join me in paying tribute to all those
:03:13. > :03:16.who give their time and energy so that we may remember and support
:03:17. > :03:21.those who have given so much more for our country?
:03:22. > :03:25.Yes, I join the member in those sentiments. It has been a noticeable
:03:26. > :03:30.at this year that there are more poppy sellers than previous years.
:03:31. > :03:38.I've seen many people wearing their poppies. With Remembrance Sunday
:03:39. > :03:45.coming up this Sunday many people's minds will be focused on the
:03:46. > :03:49.sacrifice that has been made. It is encouraging to see more and more
:03:50. > :03:55.poppies sold every year. Julie Morgan.
:03:56. > :03:59.Will the First Minister join me in current graduate in the Cardiff
:04:00. > :04:05.Samaritans which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It is one of
:04:06. > :04:09.the oldest continuously operating charities in South Wales. It gives
:04:10. > :04:12.confidential support at all times to people suffering from emotional
:04:13. > :04:16.distress. Yes, I would, and I thank the member
:04:17. > :04:23.for bringing this milestone to my attention. Also my thanks to the
:04:24. > :04:27.Cardiff and district branch of the Samaritans on behalf of the Welsh
:04:28. > :04:32.government. Without the important work they do many people would not
:04:33. > :04:37.have been able to overcome great difficulty in their lives. It is
:04:38. > :04:40.right to say that there are some people who would not be with us now
:04:41. > :04:46.if it wasn't for the advice they were given.
:04:47. > :04:52.Thank you, dirty Presiding Officer, we all know that the public purse
:04:53. > :04:58.continues and that puts more pressure on volunteers to step into
:04:59. > :05:04.the breach. Would you join me in congratulating Conwy County Borough
:05:05. > :05:08.Council when it comes to the remaining with their library
:05:09. > :05:13.permission. Many libraries have now been transferred to the community.
:05:14. > :05:16.There are several examples of that. Would you join with me in
:05:17. > :05:22.congratulating them on that approach. Can we look at that model
:05:23. > :05:27.specifically when looking at the future of libraries?
:05:28. > :05:34.This is a model that has been developed in other parts of Wales as
:05:35. > :05:39.well, for example a library in Neath Port Talbot, volunteers have taken
:05:40. > :05:44.the library at Briton Ferry over. They have actually secured the
:05:45. > :05:48.future of that library. We know with real is serious
:05:49. > :05:53.pressure on the public purse and it's good to see people taking local
:05:54. > :05:57.resources and keeping them open for the benefit of local people. It's
:05:58. > :06:03.good to see the library survive. It's good to see this model being
:06:04. > :06:08.adopted in other areas. First Minister, last Saturday I
:06:09. > :06:12.visited the headquarters of a hospice at home in our breast lift,
:06:13. > :06:22.a charity which is community-based and offers end of life care to --
:06:23. > :06:27.Aber mistress. It deals with rural hinterland communities. It has
:06:28. > :06:32.already established a high-quality service agenda stands the needs of
:06:33. > :06:37.people at the end of their lives. And the important need for support
:06:38. > :06:42.for their families. Will you join me in praising the hard work of the
:06:43. > :06:47.volunteers of hospice at home Ceredigion, and is subject to daily
:06:48. > :06:55.pressure consider accepting a bit invitation to visit them.
:06:56. > :07:00.I would be pleased to consider the invitation. If a formal invitation
:07:01. > :07:04.goes through the normal channels. What's interesting is that the work
:07:05. > :07:09.that the member describes involves enabling people to stay at home
:07:10. > :07:15.rather than having to go into a hospice. That has been a major
:07:16. > :07:18.change in the NHS. Instead of it being overly hospital-based as a
:07:19. > :07:24.case of stem people are able to stay at home. It is important that their
:07:25. > :07:29.pain is managed in a familiar environment. Of course, that depends
:07:30. > :07:40.on the good work of hospice is at home to give people that option.
:07:41. > :07:43.Question two, Gwyn Price. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh
:07:44. > :07:48.government is supporting local high-street businesses in my
:07:49. > :07:52.constituency? We have a further cap on the
:07:53. > :07:55.business rates multiply and the extension of small business rates
:07:56. > :08:00.relief as well as the enhancement of the Wales retail scheme.
:08:01. > :08:06.Thank you for that answer. On Saturday the 5th of November we
:08:07. > :08:09.celebrate small business Saturday. Last year over 60 million people is
:08:10. > :08:14.shopped in small businesses on the day, what is the government doing to
:08:15. > :08:18.make sure that small businesses are aided in my constituency?
:08:19. > :08:24.What's more businesses need more than anything else is customers.
:08:25. > :08:28.It's important that if people don't use small businesses they will
:08:29. > :08:34.disappear. Small business Saturday is on the 5th of December. Business
:08:35. > :08:38.Wales proposed to support the activity around that Iran including
:08:39. > :08:47.supporting the SPS UK team when they visit Wales. I know that the
:08:48. > :08:52.businesses marketplace initiative will support small businesses on
:08:53. > :08:58.that Saturday by providing trading experiences in Cardiff market as
:08:59. > :09:05.well as phase two showcase and celebrate micro and small Welsh
:09:06. > :09:10.businesses. The entrepreneurship campaign that was launched as part
:09:11. > :09:17.of an integrated support scheme for small businesses in Wales.
:09:18. > :09:23.Thank you, deputy providing officer. The UK Government has announced that
:09:24. > :09:27.is to allow local authorities in England to keep money they collect
:09:28. > :09:32.from business rates, to boost and create jobs in the areas, what
:09:33. > :09:38.studies has the Welsh government undertaken into the potential
:09:39. > :09:41.benefits of this policy on businesses in Wales, will we be
:09:42. > :09:48.considering the same sort of policy here?
:09:49. > :09:55.There is a large pitfall here. Some local authorities would lose out as
:09:56. > :10:00.a result of such a system in Wales. The element of cross subsidy
:10:01. > :10:04.disappears, we would lose about ?4 million a year. We have to consider
:10:05. > :10:08.allowing local authorities the flexibility they need without them
:10:09. > :10:14.losing out in terms of access to a smaller part of money in times of
:10:15. > :10:19.financial difficulty. Well, First Minister, you are right.
:10:20. > :10:24.Too many people are shopping online. Get out should be called. Many of
:10:25. > :10:27.our high streets are home to historic buildings that fall into
:10:28. > :10:35.disuse or distributor as town centres decline. Could these
:10:36. > :10:38.buildings be used again for a purpose and related to traditional
:10:39. > :10:41.shopping as we have come to know it?
:10:42. > :10:48.Local authorities are taking steps to redesign the mix within town
:10:49. > :10:52.centres. In Bridgend there are too many shop units and not enough
:10:53. > :10:58.offices. It means there are not enough office workers in town to
:10:59. > :11:03.provide footfall for units. We are converting some of the shop units
:11:04. > :11:07.into offices and residential units as well. We need to make sure there
:11:08. > :11:12.are people in town centres in the day and evening. There are many town
:11:13. > :11:16.centres which don't have a footfall any longer. They are open between
:11:17. > :11:22.9am and 5:30pm when there is no one around. They come back when the
:11:23. > :11:26.shops aren't open. We need to look at making sure that footfall is
:11:27. > :11:30.there in the day, that means offices. Businesses need to start
:11:31. > :11:39.thinking about whether you're after open 9am until five or whether 11am
:11:40. > :11:43.until 7pm is a better model. I now call the party leaders to
:11:44. > :11:50.question me First Minister, starting with the leader of Plaid Cymru,
:11:51. > :11:55.Leanne Wood. Plaid Cymru welcomes your statement this morning about
:11:56. > :12:00.cutting waiting times for people with mental health issues from
:12:01. > :12:06.trying to dig a 56 to 28 days. I would like to ask you about child
:12:07. > :12:10.and adolescent mental health services in the community. You will
:12:11. > :12:15.be a way that the repercussions for children and young people waiting
:12:16. > :12:19.too long for mental health treatment can be lifelong. What plans do you
:12:20. > :12:22.have two improvement of health services for children and young
:12:23. > :12:28.people? We have an additional ?800,000 in
:12:29. > :12:32.expanding provision for children and adolescents. Health board proposals
:12:33. > :12:36.have been agreed. They will result in the recruitment of more
:12:37. > :12:40.specialist staff across Wales to work with primary care providers and
:12:41. > :12:45.directly support young people in primary care. That is expected to
:12:46. > :12:50.improve in terms of assessment and treatment. Evidence suggests that
:12:51. > :12:55.around one third of young people referred have no mental illness if I
:12:56. > :13:01.can put it that way, a further third have low level difficulty which do
:13:02. > :13:05.not meet treatment thresholds. Expanding primary care means more
:13:06. > :13:08.young people can be assessed and receive appropriate treatment
:13:09. > :13:12.without onward referral being needed. This helps to free up time
:13:13. > :13:19.for those in more need of the services that the agency provide. It
:13:20. > :13:25.is important that we have different ways of helping young people with
:13:26. > :13:28.mental health issues. Some will not need specialist treatment, but we
:13:29. > :13:32.are working with the health minister to make sure that treatment is
:13:33. > :13:37.available. I accept that there needs to be a
:13:38. > :13:43.range of treatments, but perhaps you can shed light on official figures
:13:44. > :13:47.that show that between 2009 and 2014 there was a reduction in spending on
:13:48. > :13:52.child and adult mental health services in primary care of ?2
:13:53. > :13:58.million, leaving the overall spend on those crucial services at ?5.1
:13:59. > :14:01.million. I am aware that the mental health measure in 2012 we
:14:02. > :14:06.categorised some funding streams, and that might mean official
:14:07. > :14:10.statistics don't tell us the full picture, can you give us an
:14:11. > :14:14.assurance that there has not been cut in funding for community mental
:14:15. > :14:19.health services for children and young people over this period? And
:14:20. > :14:25.are you prepared to publish the details and make them available in
:14:26. > :14:29.the library as soon as possible? Varies no reason why that shouldn't
:14:30. > :14:37.be done. In terms of the investment we made in mental health services
:14:38. > :14:41.and, of course, the 7.6 million that has gone in, we will see new
:14:42. > :14:47.services developer for our young people with new services developer
:14:48. > :14:51.for our young people with we will issue guidelines outlining our
:14:52. > :14:56.expectations that all referral should be undertaken within 48 hours
:14:57. > :15:01.by the 1st of April next year. While routine assessment should be taken
:15:02. > :15:02.place within 28 days. That is currently different to the situation
:15:03. > :15:12.that has existed. I'm still not clear as to whether or
:15:13. > :15:18.not you have provided an assurance as to whether or not there's been
:15:19. > :15:24.been cut. Almost two thirds of children are now wait longer than
:15:25. > :15:28.ten weeks for treatment to begin. You have made a welcome announcement
:15:29. > :15:31.to create a more ambitious target for adults experiencing mental
:15:32. > :15:35.health problems and I welcome that but will you now committed to
:15:36. > :15:48.tackling these appalling waiting times for treatment? And will you
:15:49. > :15:50.agree to set appropriate targets and back this up with a firm commitment
:15:51. > :15:52.to an annual real terms increase in funding for child and adolescent
:15:53. > :15:57.mental health services? We will look to allocate the money that is
:15:58. > :16:03.required for child and mental health services. It partially depends on
:16:04. > :16:06.the budget that we see from the government. However, we know we want
:16:07. > :16:15.to see improvement in this area and as I said earlier, we have issued
:16:16. > :16:20.guidelines on our website that referrals should take place within
:16:21. > :16:28.48 hours and routine assessments within 28 days. They are taxing
:16:29. > :16:34.targets but we expect to meet them. First Minister, two months before
:16:35. > :16:38.the commission of public service and government delivery publish an
:16:39. > :16:44.independent report, why did you instruct Sir Paul Williams as to how
:16:45. > :16:49.you wanted his proposals laid out presented and delivered? Unless the
:16:50. > :16:55.reader of the opposition gives more detail, I cannot comment. In e-mails
:16:56. > :17:03.we have had released to us, it clearly shows that an October, 2013,
:17:04. > :17:07.an e-mail sent by him on your behalf stated that you would prefer a
:17:08. > :17:11.series of options for proposals to reorganise local government. The
:17:12. > :17:17.e-mail went on to say that you wanted no heavy steer in favour of
:17:18. > :17:20.any particular option. Remarkably, you said that once the report was
:17:21. > :17:26.finalised, only you and your permanent secretary should be given
:17:27. > :17:32.a copy. Nobody else, not even your local government minister. That
:17:33. > :17:38.e-mail went on the 27th of December. The commission was supposed to
:17:39. > :17:44.independently review public services in Wales. Why did you instruct it to
:17:45. > :17:50.spend ?130,000 commissioning report, and then Pinzi proposals? I am at a
:17:51. > :17:55.loss to understand what the Leader of the Opposition is trying to say.
:17:56. > :18:09.-- and then bin the proposals. I did not want to give them the heavy
:18:10. > :18:13.steer, that is the whole point. I took the view of the Williams
:18:14. > :18:17.Commission that I wanted them to be independent, and to come up with an
:18:18. > :18:19.option, if they could, but they had a free hand to deliver another
:18:20. > :18:22.option. There was no steer, as the e-mail confirms. The principle of
:18:23. > :18:25.the Williams Commission was to be independent. It was left to get on
:18:26. > :18:29.with its work and come forward with proposals. These e-mails clearly
:18:30. > :18:36.show that your officials, and yourself, were supporting the work
:18:37. > :18:42.of the commission, and directing how you wanted the final report to
:18:43. > :18:47.resemble your own thoughts on local government reorganisation. The issue
:18:48. > :18:51.is quite clear, that you and your officials were directing what
:18:52. > :18:54.everyone else thought was an independent commission. Do you not
:18:55. > :18:58.recognise that this is now calling into question any findings of the
:18:59. > :19:06.Williams Commission, as brought forward in the final report? That is
:19:07. > :19:10.an example of someone who asked a question and then realised it was a
:19:11. > :19:13.mistake. Let me make it clear that the Williams Commission asks whether
:19:14. > :19:21.there would be options and my preference was that there should be
:19:22. > :19:24.an option. It was for them to make a decision and they were given a free
:19:25. > :19:29.hand in that. If anyone can point out to me what is wrong with that, I
:19:30. > :19:32.am open to suggestions but this is a scenario where an independent body,
:19:33. > :19:38.with a member of the Conservative Party sitting on it, was not
:19:39. > :19:46.directed in any way by government. There is no point shouting now. They
:19:47. > :19:54.were not given any steer as to what they should be doing. They were left
:19:55. > :19:57.to provide an independent report in any way they saw fit. They were
:19:58. > :20:01.given no heavy steer, as suggested by the e-mail. A perfectly proper
:20:02. > :20:04.way to do this. Can I return to the issue of mental health? You will be
:20:05. > :20:07.aware that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for
:20:08. > :20:15.parity between physical and mental health. The government announcement
:20:16. > :20:27.today that waiting targets will be taken from 52 to 28 days is very
:20:28. > :20:32.welcome. Can you confirm that a patient awaiting therapy will
:20:33. > :20:39.receive that therapy within 28 days? We expect to see that. Thank you for
:20:40. > :20:46.that clarity and commitment. As the government will be aware, setting a
:20:47. > :20:48.target is one thing and meeting it is quite another. Given that your
:20:49. > :20:52.own government's review found that some people are waiting up to two
:20:53. > :20:54.years to access psychological therapy, how many extra
:20:55. > :21:05.professionals and extra patient appointments will be created in
:21:06. > :21:07.order to fulfil your promise that you have made in this chamber that
:21:08. > :21:10.people needing psychological therapy will receive it within 28 days? As I
:21:11. > :21:12.said, and I will give the answer, health proposals have been agreed
:21:13. > :21:15.and they will result in the recruitment of more specialist staff
:21:16. > :21:19.across Wales to work with primary care providers and support young
:21:20. > :21:25.people in primary care as well. Of course, we expect that to improve
:21:26. > :21:29.overall waiting times. I am glad for the clarity. It is really important
:21:30. > :21:33.for someone who has had the courage to go to the primary health care
:21:34. > :21:36.professional today to discuss a mental health issue to know that if
:21:37. > :21:40.they need to have psychological treatment, that they will receive
:21:41. > :21:44.that within 28 days. I think that is a massive step forward if the
:21:45. > :21:49.government is able to achieve that. As we heard earlier, there are over
:21:50. > :21:55.3000 young people in Wales currently on a waiting list. I accept that for
:21:56. > :21:59.many of those young people, they do not need to be in that service at
:22:00. > :22:03.all. Indeed, it is a positive and negative thing to be in that service
:22:04. > :22:09.and to have that label if that child does not need it. But there are many
:22:10. > :22:12.people in that service on a waiting list that desperately need a
:22:13. > :22:19.professional intervention and they need it quickly. Given what you have
:22:20. > :22:24.said about improvements to assessment times, why does the
:22:25. > :22:29.government think that it is acceptable for young people to wait
:22:30. > :22:36.after an assessment for 112 days for treatment, when you expect adults to
:22:37. > :22:39.only way to 28 is now? What we expect with the recruitment of new
:22:40. > :22:45.staff is that we will see waiting times improve. But it is also
:22:46. > :22:52.important to ensure that those who do not need specialist treatment get
:22:53. > :22:57.it quicker and get appropriate treatment in other ways. We're
:22:58. > :23:03.looking to do that as well, as a mission to the leader of Plaid
:23:04. > :23:07.Cymru. But an urgent referral in 48 hours is important, in terms of
:23:08. > :23:15.being able to plan for the treatment and care of a young person, and
:23:16. > :23:21.assessment within 20 days is a significant improvement, something
:23:22. > :23:28.that we are determined to see through, given the findings we have
:23:29. > :23:31.put in place. They're in mind that mental health in England and Wales
:23:32. > :23:32.has been ring fenced since 2009, but we want to make sure that there are
:23:33. > :23:35.more professionals involved in providing specialist advice to
:23:36. > :23:48.children and young people. Will the First Minister make a statement on
:23:49. > :23:50.the services in Wales East? We are looking to improve the access to
:23:51. > :23:59.health services in that area. The United Kingdom Cancer coalition, ten
:24:00. > :24:04.years on, report is tracking how far lung cancer outcomes and services
:24:05. > :24:10.have progressed over the last decade. They say that Wales have the
:24:11. > :24:17.second worst lung cancer survival rate in Europe. How can these issues
:24:18. > :24:23.be addressed, First Minister, in a relatively short period? We have
:24:24. > :24:28.already announced a significant investment, which will help many
:24:29. > :24:31.people. Radiotherapy is showing itself to be very promising when it
:24:32. > :24:38.comes to the treatment of bone cancer. And we know that the key to
:24:39. > :24:42.lung cancer is the future development of gene therapy
:24:43. > :24:47.targeting the individual, and we are fortunate to have the Centre for
:24:48. > :24:50.Cancer genetics, hosting a Nobel Prize winner, putting Wales at the
:24:51. > :24:58.forefront of research into this terrible disease. First Minister, of
:24:59. > :25:04.course these serious conditions are often picked up following routine
:25:05. > :25:09.appointments with the GP. Last week, a family member wanted a routine GP
:25:10. > :25:14.appointment. They rang the surgery and of course it was eight o'clock
:25:15. > :25:22.in the morning. 59 times, they rang the number before 830. Only to find
:25:23. > :25:27.out that the appointments had gone. I have to say, it took some tenacity
:25:28. > :25:31.on the part of the family member. How do you rate the accessibility of
:25:32. > :25:37.nonurgent GP appointments in south-east Wales? Bid in mind that
:25:38. > :25:41.most GPs are independent contractors, I am aware of surgeries
:25:42. > :25:47.where it is possible to book online evening before and possible to get
:25:48. > :25:54.through easily. There are other surgeries where GPs need to ensure
:25:55. > :25:59.that there is consistency of services. There is no reason why GPs
:26:00. > :26:03.shouldn't be able to offer appointments. There is no reason why
:26:04. > :26:11.they should not be able to offer the ability to order a repeat
:26:12. > :26:15.prescription online as well. I've seen good examples of this in
:26:16. > :26:20.Caerphilly, and in my own patch at Bridgend. I encourage all GPs to
:26:21. > :26:25.actually make sure that they are as accessible as they can beat and not
:26:26. > :26:29.just rely on saying that that is the way things were done 20 years ago.
:26:30. > :26:34.That is not a way that things need to be done now. The cornerstone of
:26:35. > :26:39.your plans for south-east Wales health care is the long promised
:26:40. > :26:43.specialist critical care centre. The failure to deliver the project to
:26:44. > :26:47.date, something that was promised to be done before the last election
:26:48. > :26:50.which should be open now and accepting patients, is having a
:26:51. > :26:59.knock-on effect as to where people are getting secondary care and is
:27:00. > :27:01.impacting the ability to recruit and retain trainee GPs in South Powys.
:27:02. > :27:04.They need to undertake an application for paediatrics at the
:27:05. > :27:09.Royal Gwent Hospital, travelling from rural Powys all the way to
:27:10. > :27:13.Gwent to undertake that part of the training, where previously they
:27:14. > :27:19.would only have had to travel to low Hall. This makes it a less
:27:20. > :27:25.attractive proposition to recruit trainee GPs to practices in South
:27:26. > :27:32.Powys. When will the SCCC be delivered? I can confirm that the
:27:33. > :27:36.health board submitted a business case for the SCCC to ourselves on
:27:37. > :27:40.the 15th of October. It was accompanied by an updated programme
:27:41. > :27:45.business case which will look at the wider health care provision for the
:27:46. > :27:53.area and both of those cases are now with the Welsh ministers and will
:27:54. > :27:56.receive full consideration. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh
:27:57. > :28:00.government is helping to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer in
:28:01. > :28:06.Wales? Pancreatic cancer is a dreadful disease and it is usually
:28:07. > :28:13.detected very late. The survival rate past five years is less than 4%
:28:14. > :28:20.as a result of that. In awareness of -- and awareness of Greta cancer is
:28:21. > :28:30.essential for early diagnosis. -- pancreatic cancer. It is pancreatic
:28:31. > :28:35.Cancer awareness month and I have just posted an event with pancreatic
:28:36. > :28:42.Cancer UK today to market. It was clear how devastating this illness
:28:43. > :28:46.is. A recent study found that 71% of respondents in Wales could not name
:28:47. > :28:53.a single symptom on prompted and while survival rates for most forms
:28:54. > :28:56.of cancer have been surviving, survival rates for pancreatic cancer
:28:57. > :29:01.remain low, shockingly so, for the past 40 years. Will you join me in
:29:02. > :29:05.recognising the hard work of pancreatic Cancer UK and the
:29:06. > :29:23.supporters in Wales of raising awareness of this awful illness.
:29:24. > :29:31.It can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be very
:29:32. > :29:36.nonspecific. We are encouraging people, with VCs someone with a
:29:37. > :29:43.condition that isn't resolving, but is difficult to pinpoint, to refer
:29:44. > :29:49.them on for further investigations. My sister-in-law was 44. She was
:29:50. > :29:55.diagnosed, it was very difficult to get that diagnosis. It is a disease
:29:56. > :30:02.that is untreatable when it passes a certain stage. Many will know people
:30:03. > :30:08.who were diagnosed and didn't have much time left. Early diagnosis is
:30:09. > :30:14.absolutely critical. I understand that it is difficult to diagnose but
:30:15. > :30:24.if an unusual pattern is presented in someone bent...
:30:25. > :30:30.Thank you. And thank you for the work my colleague did this afternoon
:30:31. > :30:34.presenting that event for us. I think everyone in the Chamber knows
:30:35. > :30:40.somebody with cancer, don't they? In one form or another it touches all
:30:41. > :30:46.our lives. I wonder if the time has come for us to look more closely at
:30:47. > :30:54.the introduction of on-screen comps for GPs when people go and consult
:30:55. > :30:59.them. And also whether more sophisticated diagnostic tools could
:31:00. > :31:03.be introduced into our GP practices. Our dentists can perform
:31:04. > :31:09.x-rays and put them up on the screen. That don't seem to have a
:31:10. > :31:13.problem taking mobile stands out. Has the time come for technology to
:31:14. > :31:21.help us with diagnosing these more difficult diseases.
:31:22. > :31:26.It is difficult to know because, of course, with many diagnoses a
:31:27. > :31:31.consultant radiologist is needed to read the extreme properly. GPs have
:31:32. > :31:36.some training as part of their general medical training, but would
:31:37. > :31:41.GPs be comfortable, feeling they're able to do that, or would they
:31:42. > :31:48.rather refer to a radiologist? I can't answer that question that's
:31:49. > :31:52.for GPs to answer. We have seen cancer referrals increased greatly
:31:53. > :31:57.in Wales, happily, most of those referrals have led to a resort where
:31:58. > :32:03.no cancer is present. But, better to be safe than sorry. GPs, to be
:32:04. > :32:08.fair, have understood this and are referring people. But what might be
:32:09. > :32:14.missed in parts is not being missed in the future. As with any illness,
:32:15. > :32:19.diagnosis is not an easy thing, it can take some time to diagnose the
:32:20. > :32:25.cancer and even longer to work out a treatment plan. These things are
:32:26. > :32:32.best left to oncologists, but GPs have a critical role being able to
:32:33. > :32:36.refer. Question five, Alan Jones. Will the First Minister make a
:32:37. > :32:42.statement on progress in relation to the availability of superfast
:32:43. > :32:50.broadband in Kennedy Gam? -- Kerry Dion? Before they roll-out began
:32:51. > :32:58.there was no access to superfast broadband in the area so the work is
:32:59. > :33:01.progressing well, and there are 16,615 premises in the local
:33:02. > :33:09.authority area now able to access superfast broadband that is almost
:33:10. > :33:16.half of Ceredigion. We want to ensure that everyone will have
:33:17. > :33:19.access by 2017. This Sunday and area in my
:33:20. > :33:23.constituency was the brightest and sunniest place in Britain since
:33:24. > :33:31.records began. Although the weather was very good there, be broadband is
:33:32. > :33:37.terrible! I had a meeting last week which is served by an exchange where
:33:38. > :33:43.we got written confirmation from Beattie that they would deal with
:33:44. > :33:48.the 96% of homes that received superfast broadband under the
:33:49. > :33:54.contract with the government. Now we understand they won't benefit under
:33:55. > :33:58.this programme you are an from receiving that confirmation. Is it
:33:59. > :34:04.fear that a community like this is misled in this way by BT and will
:34:05. > :34:11.you raise this issue with BT and give the people of this area and the
:34:12. > :34:18.other communities assurance that confirmation will be honoured? Yes,
:34:19. > :34:24.of course, I will write to the member once the details are
:34:25. > :34:32.available. We know that 68 properties in Aberystwyth are now
:34:33. > :34:42.part of broadband superfast broadband. 53% in Bow Street had a
:34:43. > :34:49.good proportion. That is no help to the people in the area the member is
:34:50. > :34:52.speaking about. Will the first minute make statement on his
:34:53. > :35:02.economic priorities for south-east Wales? Supporting jobs is
:35:03. > :35:07.important. Support for skills development and transport and ICT
:35:08. > :35:13.infrastructure. Thank you, First Minister. We recently celebrated
:35:14. > :35:18.back to the future day. In 1955 you could jump on a train in Monmouth
:35:19. > :35:23.and travel down one of the world's most beautiful railways and then
:35:24. > :35:29.connect to the national network at Chepstow. 60 years later Monmouth is
:35:30. > :35:33.not on the Metro map. It is a key component of the future in
:35:34. > :35:40.Monmouthshire, are you looking at ways we can get Monmouth and
:35:41. > :35:45.outlying areas back on the map? , I can't be held responsible for the
:35:46. > :35:50.Beeching cuts, but I take the point that until quite recently it was
:35:51. > :35:56.possible to see wagon station from the area but it has been moved now.
:35:57. > :36:02.There is no reason why Monmouth can't be part of the South East
:36:03. > :36:08.Wales Metro. It cannot be part of the network, whether it is light
:36:09. > :36:13.rail or through faster bus connections, it is not just about
:36:14. > :36:17.heavy rail. I am more than happy to work with the council to see how the
:36:18. > :36:25.Metro network can be extended to Monmouth and indeed, some other
:36:26. > :36:31.parts of Montgomeryshire as well. There is no reason why it can't
:36:32. > :36:38.happen. First Minister, I am sure you will agree that the priorities
:36:39. > :36:41.in south-east Wales are similar to those in my constituency. People
:36:42. > :36:48.need enough to live on. Will the First Minister agree with me that
:36:49. > :36:53.many families in the Pontypridd constituency alone will phase
:36:54. > :36:58.attacks by the tax credit system. The Tories have no mandate, having
:36:59. > :37:02.said before the election they would not cut tax credits, they now have
:37:03. > :37:09.no mandate to inflict this poverty on the people of Wales. Quite
:37:10. > :37:16.right. We all saw the Prime Minister saying he would not cut tax credits.
:37:17. > :37:24.We were told that that wasn't going to happen. The issue of tax credits
:37:25. > :37:29.was not resolved. We say to people that we want to see people in work
:37:30. > :37:38.that pays and when we say actually, it won't pay as much as it did
:37:39. > :37:44.before. In the Economist this week, not exactly a left-wing paper, it
:37:45. > :37:48.makes the point that if tax credits go many families will suffer as a
:37:49. > :37:53.result of that. The message being given by the UK Government is, if
:37:54. > :38:00.you work hard, but your wages are low, we were penalised you for it. I
:38:01. > :38:03.would like to see more businesses taking advantage of the
:38:04. > :38:08.infrastructure in Wales as opposed to crossing the border and bridges.
:38:09. > :38:13.Is it possible to give us more details progress on how you are
:38:14. > :38:20.strengthening and improving Cardiff airport, and how we are promoting
:38:21. > :38:26.the use of this airport as opposed to crossing over to Bristol? In
:38:27. > :38:32.September numbers are 21% up on the previous September. We have similar
:38:33. > :38:38.increases in July and August. I saw the planes coming over my house
:38:39. > :38:48.every five minutes, it was good to see the airports at capacity. It was
:38:49. > :38:51.good to see them busy. We are seeing companies continue to thrive at
:38:52. > :38:58.Cardiff airport. Discussions are taking place with other airlines in
:38:59. > :39:02.terms of long haul flights. Taking it into public ownership was the
:39:03. > :39:06.right thing to do. We were shocked at the state of it when we took it
:39:07. > :39:11.over, we now have an airport that is moving in the right direction, we
:39:12. > :39:17.are seeing great growth in passenger numbers and that is something we
:39:18. > :39:21.expect to see continue. What measures is the Welsh government
:39:22. > :39:27.taking to improve the economic outlook for South Wales Central? We
:39:28. > :39:31.support economic growth for new and existing businesses, infrastructure
:39:32. > :39:35.improvements and supporting Wales as they business and tourism
:39:36. > :39:40.destination. We've just had a successful rugby World Cup. The
:39:41. > :39:49.rugby ball was taken out of Cardiff Castle Wall last night. It was a
:39:50. > :39:52.hugely successful event. It was a huge economic opportunity for
:39:53. > :39:58.businesses the length and breadth of South Wales Central. But they were
:39:59. > :40:03.significant transport issues relating to key matches on road and
:40:04. > :40:08.rail. What measures will be Welsh government be undertaking to assess
:40:09. > :40:11.what changes, if any, they think are appropriate with operators like a
:40:12. > :40:17.Riva trains Wales and the Severn Bridge tolls to ensure a better flow
:40:18. > :40:21.of traffic in and out of the capital city so people don't leave with a
:40:22. > :40:28.negative impression of the journey in and out of Cardiff? First of
:40:29. > :40:33.all, the tunnels don't help in terms of traffic. In terms of the Severn
:40:34. > :40:39.Bridge, there is no reason why those bridges need have told at all in
:40:40. > :40:45.terms of toll barriers. In Dublin there not to toll bridges that are
:40:46. > :40:51.relic Tronic and run by cameras. The Irish government converted them into
:40:52. > :40:55.tolls where you have two pre-pay. You prepay on a website beforehand
:40:56. > :41:02.and you pay within 24 hours of going through. They could all be
:41:03. > :41:11.electronic decontrol. In terms of trains, we made, the difficulty is,
:41:12. > :41:18.given the rail structure we have now there is not much spare capacity.
:41:19. > :41:21.They used to be able to bring rolling stock in for rugby
:41:22. > :41:26.internationals and run them as games are on. That's lack isn't there in
:41:27. > :41:30.the same way, we see situations where Network Rail close the tunnel
:41:31. > :41:36.down and train operators find that they can't get to London,
:41:37. > :41:40.particularly, as quickly as is normal. Trains are drumming
:41:41. > :41:45.properly, this is what happens when you have a system that doesn't have
:41:46. > :41:50.sufficient public control. 20 years ago there was no problem. British
:41:51. > :41:55.rail were able to handle numbers going through Cardiff station. Yes,
:41:56. > :41:59.there are more people now, but the capacity isn't there. Unless we
:42:00. > :42:01.continue to work with sporting authorities like the Welsh Rugby
:42:02. > :42:07.union to make sure they don't have the same experience in the future.
:42:08. > :42:10.The same thing happened in Twickenham. People were left
:42:11. > :42:16.stranded there because the station couldn't cope with the numbers at a
:42:17. > :42:20.particular time. Salt needs to be given to how the British rail system
:42:21. > :42:27.copes with big events. We don't seem to do as well as we should. The
:42:28. > :42:30.Metro clearly is an important piece of infrastructure for the economic
:42:31. > :42:34.outlook of my region, part of that is going to be the development of
:42:35. > :42:44.new station so that people can get the Metro. The plan includes a list
:42:45. > :42:48.of this nation is in my region which might potentially be considered in
:42:49. > :42:53.the future, however, it says that the planning and assessment of those
:42:54. > :42:57.stations is going to take from 2015 to 2020 and beyond, there is no
:42:58. > :43:03.commitment to build a single brick. When will they be built? The Metro
:43:04. > :43:12.has already started in terms of phase one. We are hoping to see
:43:13. > :43:18.another one in 2017. The difficulty is that many of the powers required
:43:19. > :43:25.are default. Particularly in terms of light rail and buses. We don't
:43:26. > :43:30.have the full range of powers that we want, but there is no reason to
:43:31. > :43:35.suspect that they want to prevent the Metro taking shape. The next
:43:36. > :43:39.thing for us will be looking at individual lines and deciding what
:43:40. > :43:44.the best mode of transport is. The building is still there, it is still
:43:45. > :43:49.usable as a station, that is anybody's guess. The eastern part of
:43:50. > :43:54.Cardiff is not well served by the rail network, how cannot be
:43:55. > :43:58.resolved? How do we make sure that if new stations are built on a
:43:59. > :44:03.connected to public transport networks. These form part of our
:44:04. > :44:08.thinking not just in terms of creating the metric system but
:44:09. > :44:13.making sure it is future proof. Thank you, Willie first minute and
:44:14. > :44:18.make a statement on how the Swansea city region's economy is being
:44:19. > :44:22.improved? We are supporting jobs and growth in every part of Wales. We
:44:23. > :44:30.are making good progress in identifying... What role do you see
:44:31. > :44:31.for the successful universities in the area to further develop the
:44:32. > :44:40.local economy? The universities have been very
:44:41. > :44:43.successful. Two weeks ago I was at the opening of the campus, a
:44:44. > :44:46.remarkable investment that would not have happened without European
:44:47. > :44:52.money. That is something we need to emphasise. And also the support of
:44:53. > :44:55.the UK Government. It has had the effect of drawing in some of the
:44:56. > :45:02.best academics and it will draw in the best students. And of course
:45:03. > :45:06.there is a proposal for a new campus on the site, which is a componentry
:45:07. > :45:10.and ambitious the parliament which shows that the investment is going
:45:11. > :45:18.into Swansea to strengthen not just the city's academic ability but its
:45:19. > :45:25.economy as well. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am sure you
:45:26. > :45:28.would agree that for the benefits to be felt across Swansea, the Welsh
:45:29. > :45:35.government should do everything in its power to help local employers
:45:36. > :45:40.make the most of local skills within the workforce. Will the First
:45:41. > :45:46.Minister back calls to scrap the age restrictions on the jobs growth bill
:45:47. > :45:52.scheme so that all members of the community in Swansea have the chance
:45:53. > :46:02.to benefit... You must related to Swansea. To have a chance to benefit
:46:03. > :46:12.in growth of the local economy and do not end up exempt from the
:46:13. > :46:17.current scheme because they are too old. I have listened to four years
:46:18. > :46:25.of the Tories criticising jobs growth Wales. And now they are
:46:26. > :46:28.taking it on court. We work with employers to make sure that they
:46:29. > :46:33.understand the skills and experience that older workers can bring and we
:46:34. > :46:36.also know that young people, especially given they have been
:46:37. > :46:42.hammered by the UK Government at the moment, need an extra leg up, and
:46:43. > :46:45.extra support. That is what this is designed to do, to give that
:46:46. > :46:50.experience at the work environment at a time where everything else that
:46:51. > :46:54.my generation took for granted, and the Prime Minister's generation took
:46:55. > :46:57.for granted, is being removed from them. We will stand by young people
:46:58. > :47:06.as we have always stood by older people. It has already been
:47:07. > :47:11.indicated that the opening of the new campus at Swansea University is
:47:12. > :47:15.a mechanism by which we can look forward to new opportunities in
:47:16. > :47:20.particularly in research and abandonment. What discussions has
:47:21. > :47:23.the government had with the community to attract businesses into
:47:24. > :47:29.this development so that we can develop the high end business skills
:47:30. > :47:40.that we need in the economy? I am aware that the University is in his
:47:41. > :47:48.constant news see -- constituency. I have two examples. The Wales coating
:47:49. > :47:51.and printing centre supports that. And of course, specifically, the
:47:52. > :47:58.academic and industrial consortium led by Swansea University, with BASF
:47:59. > :48:08.has strategic partners. And of course, we support Pacific as well.
:48:09. > :48:11.TRANSLATION: First Minister, the Milford Haven enterprise on the part
:48:12. > :48:20.of the Swansea based city region is the only region in Wales were you
:48:21. > :48:25.have to pay a toll to go from one part of another, ?75 over the
:48:26. > :48:30.bridge. If you look at the trunking of the bridge, are you going to
:48:31. > :48:35.abolish the tolls? That is an interesting question. There has been
:48:36. > :48:38.a toll there for many years, and that is something that we would
:48:39. > :48:41.consider if that is the direction of the road, whether it should be a
:48:42. > :48:45.trunk road or not. We would have to consider the costs of the bridge
:48:46. > :48:50.itself, as regards maintaining the bridge and then, of course, we will
:48:51. > :48:54.take a decision. First Minister, one of the threats to the Swansea Bay
:48:55. > :48:59.region is the current state of the British Steel industry. There are
:49:00. > :49:05.concerns about Tata, which is weathering the storm so far. Can I
:49:06. > :49:07.ask what the UK Government and your government are doing in terms of
:49:08. > :49:12.trying to mitigate the costs that threaten the future of that plan to?
:49:13. > :49:16.Much has been done. The Minister has written to UK ministers five times
:49:17. > :49:23.this year. -- the future of that plant. We have continued to press
:49:24. > :49:27.the UK Government for resignation of the compensation package as soon as
:49:28. > :49:31.possible. -- recognition. These costs are brutal as far as the
:49:32. > :49:34.industry is concerned. We have raised that time and time again with
:49:35. > :49:40.the government to ensure that British high energy manufacturers do
:49:41. > :49:47.not face the penalty of high energy costs, like they are facing at the
:49:48. > :49:54.moment. I can say to the Minister, we are working with the UK
:49:55. > :50:00.Government to look at things like... Wires British Steel not being used
:50:01. > :50:04.in British projects? -- why is British Steel. We will be holding a
:50:05. > :50:10.meeting our self to be chaired by the Minister. And then we will look
:50:11. > :50:13.to continue with the discussion. I understand there is a competitive
:50:14. > :50:20.council meeting in Brussels and was government will be represented on
:50:21. > :50:23.Monday. STUDIO: That was first ministers questions. If you want
:50:24. > :50:30.more coverage of the National Assembly, go online to the Senedd
:50:31. > :50:36.live page. But that is it first ministers questions. Don't forget,
:50:37. > :50:38.all the latest political news at 6:30pm tonight. But from all of us
:50:39. > :50:41.on the programme, thank