:00:23. > :00:26.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of
:00:27. > :00:29.questions to the First Minister. I've had a look at the Order Paper
:00:30. > :00:32.and Carwyn Jones can expect questions on policing, business
:00:33. > :00:35.rates and energy bills. I also expect he'll face questions over
:00:36. > :00:38.today's news that Wales has fallen behind the rest of the UK
:00:39. > :00:41.significantly in reading, Maths and science for the third time in the
:00:42. > :00:48.PISA international education results. That's what I think the
:00:49. > :00:52.politicians will be talking about - what do you want to talk about? If
:00:53. > :00:55.you want to comment on anything on the programme or any other political
:00:56. > :00:59.news get in touch with us. You can reach us via Twitter - we're
:01:00. > :01:03.@walespolitics - or send us an email to am.pm@bbc.co.uk. Well, business
:01:04. > :01:13.in the chamber is already underway so let's take a look now at today's
:01:14. > :01:17.questions to the First Minister. The National Assembly is now in
:01:18. > :01:23.session. Questions to the first Minister, question one. What recent
:01:24. > :01:28.discussions have the first Minister had to policing in Wales? I have not
:01:29. > :01:35.had any recent discussions personally. We hold regular meetings
:01:36. > :01:41.with the Chief Constable 's and Police and Crime Commissioner 's.
:01:42. > :01:46.Thank you. With policing devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, items
:01:47. > :01:50.such as border controls and terrorism, does he agree with me
:01:51. > :01:57.that policing should be devolved to Wales? There is a very strong case
:01:58. > :02:00.to devolving policing to Wales. They're the only emergency service
:02:01. > :02:06.that have not been devolved, and it makes sense as the fire service and
:02:07. > :02:13.the ambulance service, the evidence that the Welsh government has given.
:02:14. > :02:21.Can you confirm whether you participated in any form into the
:02:22. > :02:25.future of policing, and specifically whether you agree with the Labour
:02:26. > :02:31.Party recommendation on one police force in Wales? There are three
:02:32. > :02:40.recommendations. One recommendation is one police force for Wales, I
:02:41. > :02:45.don't think we can go for that. Thank you, I was pleased to hear
:02:46. > :02:51.your response just a few moments ago. I was discussing with a senior
:02:52. > :02:53.police officer in North Wales, they told us they were eager to
:02:54. > :02:57.collaborate a lot more with the fire service but there was a feeling that
:02:58. > :03:00.the Welsh Government did not want to see that happen because only one of
:03:01. > :03:05.those services, namely the fire service, had been devolved. Given
:03:06. > :03:11.your support to the devolution of policing, does not make sense --
:03:12. > :03:17.doesn't it make sense that this would assist in that sort of
:03:18. > :03:23.collaboration at all levels? There is collaboration now, of course.
:03:24. > :03:27.They do communicate, emergency services are part of the resilience
:03:28. > :03:30.to emphasise that fact. The police work very closely with us as a
:03:31. > :03:36.government, that is why in our opinion it would be a wise move to
:03:37. > :03:43.move to a situation where what is now happens is done formally in the
:03:44. > :03:45.future. Will the first Minister make a statement on the Welsh
:03:46. > :03:52.Government's priorities for the environment? The Autumn statement
:03:53. > :03:58.set out our priorities for the environment. Will you join me in
:03:59. > :04:04.commending the Minister for Housing and regeneration for doing the right
:04:05. > :04:08.thing by the people, rejecting plans that would have threatened the
:04:09. > :04:12.viability of the school, jeopardised the World Heritage Site and blighted
:04:13. > :04:16.an entire community? As we look to the future, will you now work with
:04:17. > :04:19.the Minister to draw upon the very important lessons from this case,
:04:20. > :04:26.ensuring that communities never again have to ensure years of
:04:27. > :04:32.crippling uncertainty, particularly when we are meant to protect them. I
:04:33. > :04:39.am aware of the number of occasions the issue has been raised. She has
:04:40. > :04:45.made her views and reviews of her constituents very clear. Given the
:04:46. > :04:47.fact we're still in the six-week period for legal challenge on this
:04:48. > :04:52.decision, I cannot comment on the application itself. With regard to
:04:53. > :04:59.the planning generally, we have a planning reform Bill that is being
:05:00. > :05:14.taken forward now, with phone -- further consideration being given.
:05:15. > :05:23.LDP provides for a large number of housing, a lot of that housing is on
:05:24. > :05:29.greenfield sites. How does that fit with your environmental policies? It
:05:30. > :05:35.is for the Minister to decide what action he may or may not wish to
:05:36. > :05:45.take with regard to any LDP. A similar question to my colleague, so
:05:46. > :05:51.far, we have a good rating for air quality, but with more homes to be
:05:52. > :06:03.built there, what safeguards can be put in place? I don't see how there
:06:04. > :06:10.is necessarily a correlation between housing and air pollution. We would
:06:11. > :06:12.expect any local authority on developing its LDP to assess the
:06:13. > :06:20.need for housing in any particular area, and to produce an LDP that
:06:21. > :06:24.takes into account all the planning guidance the Welsh Government has
:06:25. > :06:31.issued. I called up on party leaders to question the first Minister.
:06:32. > :06:37.Thank you. First Minister, today we had the disappointing news that the
:06:38. > :06:41.PISA results have been depressingly bad again. Today's educationist
:06:42. > :06:45.tomorrow's economy. With the figures we have seen today at the Falls and
:06:46. > :06:52.performance, does it not make for bleak reading and a bleak future for
:06:53. > :06:55.our economy? First of all, I have to say that even though we have seen
:06:56. > :07:02.some improvement, the figures are disappointing overall. That cannot
:07:03. > :07:09.be got away from. Nevertheless, we should Member that the PISA results
:07:10. > :07:13.are, asset of tests, they are not a reflection of the education system
:07:14. > :07:17.as a whole. I can remind members of what has been put in place since
:07:18. > :07:24.2009, with the last set of PISA results, the National literacy and
:07:25. > :07:29.numerous reprogram, the changes that have been made to supporting
:07:30. > :07:33.professional development, particularly performance management
:07:34. > :07:45.of teachers. And the development of the induction process for newly
:07:46. > :07:49.qualified teachers. 150 trainees have been placed in secondary
:07:50. > :07:58.schools that have been targeted as having a high percentage of pupils
:07:59. > :08:00.living in deprived communities. We have published new leadership
:08:01. > :08:04.standards as well and developed leadership capacity. We have
:08:05. > :08:12.strengthened school accountability through banding and stock takes. We
:08:13. > :08:19.have Learning Wales, the national model for regional learning, and
:08:20. > :08:25.they complain that I don't give answers, there is no sense
:08:26. > :08:31.complaining about it. One of the improvements has been in attendance
:08:32. > :08:36.and behaviour. It'll take time for these measures bear full fruit. The
:08:37. > :08:46.previous Education Minister and this one said we wish to be in the top 20
:08:47. > :08:52.by... I think that is the longest answer I have ever had in First
:08:53. > :08:55.Minister's Questions, and to say there has been some improvements,
:08:56. > :09:01.whichever way you cut it, first Minister, these figures today are
:09:02. > :09:04.depressingly bad, but depressingly familiar from a Labour first
:09:05. > :09:08.Minister whose party has been running education here in Wales for
:09:09. > :09:15.14 years. The previous Education Minister, the letter he put out in
:09:16. > :09:21.2010, clearly thought the same when he's not these results cannot be
:09:22. > :09:24.argued away or excused. He went on to say that the results cannot be
:09:25. > :09:30.excused on the basis of socio economic status or bilingual nature
:09:31. > :09:35.of our nation or education system. The list you gave us no doubt could
:09:36. > :09:43.have been read at any juncture when previous PISA results have been
:09:44. > :09:48.reported. The problem is that educationalists, students and
:09:49. > :09:53.parents are fed up of listening to Labour's excuses. How can we
:09:54. > :09:56.genuinely have confidence that what you outlined their in your answer
:09:57. > :10:03.will make a difference this time around? If you listened to the
:10:04. > :10:07.answer, I said this is what has been put in place since 2009. The second
:10:08. > :10:10.point I would make is we have constantly said it will take time
:10:11. > :10:15.for these measures to have an effect. But what exactly does he
:10:16. > :10:19.quibble with in terms of what I have just read out as an answer to him?
:10:20. > :10:24.What would he have done differently, how does he explain that his party
:10:25. > :10:29.wants to cut education spending, and how that would help to improve these
:10:30. > :10:34.results in the future. If he had some credibility on this point in
:10:35. > :10:37.terms of a developed alternative, if he had some credibility in terms of
:10:38. > :10:44.wanting to increase school spending as we are doing, we are protecting
:10:45. > :10:47.school spending in Wales, then he might have some credibility. Added
:10:48. > :10:51.the interesting for the chamber to understand what he disagrees with in
:10:52. > :10:57.terms of what the government is doing and why he thinks that
:10:58. > :11:00.education spending should be cut. I think it is quite shameful that on a
:11:01. > :11:06.day when we have had more damning evidence of educational failure
:11:07. > :11:12.under Labour, you cannot show any humility to the people of Wales are
:11:13. > :11:17.dependent on education as a root out from poverty, as a route to good
:11:18. > :11:22.jobs and developing an economy fit for the 21st-century. Are you
:11:23. > :11:28.telling me, first Minister, that the previous education ministers before
:11:29. > :11:32.2009. It wholly wrong and will you apologise on their behalf as the
:11:33. > :11:38.leader of Welsh Labour, and what, when the new results come out, can
:11:39. > :11:42.we expect will you now take control and ultimately put your reputation
:11:43. > :11:45.on the line, but we will see the improvement we require in 2015 to
:11:46. > :11:53.make the economic prospects of this country better? If you want, you
:11:54. > :11:57.should reflect on your position. Can I say in response to the Leader of
:11:58. > :12:03.the Opposition, I went to a comprehensive school. I have a stake
:12:04. > :12:09.in the state system, that is what I am proud of. It is a shameful
:12:10. > :12:12.reflection, that of all the prime ministers and first Minister is
:12:13. > :12:18.there have ever been, only one has come from comprehends of, and that
:12:19. > :12:26.is me. His party has made it worse. He sits there with his aide Tony and
:12:27. > :12:30.Prime Minister, lecturing us about state education. He did not listen
:12:31. > :12:37.to what I said, there is no point in whining about it. These results are
:12:38. > :12:42.not good enough. These results are not good enough. These results have
:12:43. > :12:46.to be improved on, reading has improved, but we still have to make
:12:47. > :12:52.sure that there is improvement in the future. I offered him the
:12:53. > :12:55.opportunity to comment on what we as a government are doing, he could
:12:56. > :13:00.give no view. I offered him the opportunity to justify the appalling
:13:01. > :13:06.cuts that he wants to impose on schools in Wales, he failed to
:13:07. > :13:13.justify those cuts. He makes a lot of noise, but he has no substance
:13:14. > :13:18.and no policies. We accept their responsibilities, we accept that we
:13:19. > :13:22.must work with teachers, and with parents, in order to continue to
:13:23. > :13:27.improve the education system in Wales. And we have seen an
:13:28. > :13:31.improvement in GCSE results this year. That is why we will continue
:13:32. > :13:38.to deliver for the people of Wales, even as the party opposite shout and
:13:39. > :13:45.don't want to do anything more than cut education spending. This is --
:13:46. > :13:49.suggest the word class war. They want to cut spending for the poorest
:13:50. > :13:53.in society, cut spending on state schools, and that's what the Tories
:13:54. > :13:59.stand for. We accept responsibility for these results, we have put in
:14:00. > :14:01.place a system that will help to improve education in Wales, whereas
:14:02. > :14:10.on the Conservative benches, we get empty rhetoric. Order, this is not a
:14:11. > :14:19.library, far less a monastery, but there is far too much shouting going
:14:20. > :14:22.on and not enough listening. First Minister, you're the leader of this
:14:23. > :14:27.country, and you are failing to show leadership on this. You said that
:14:28. > :14:33.your term of office would be all about delivery, and you told us, I
:14:34. > :14:37.expect to see improvement in our PISA results in December. It is now
:14:38. > :14:44.December. Today you have delivered the worst set of PISA results in
:14:45. > :14:50.western Europe. Are you now going to take full responsibility for those
:14:51. > :14:55.results? As I said, we do accept, as a government, but there needs to be
:14:56. > :15:01.improvement with regard to PISA, as indeed yours party did when you were
:15:02. > :15:06.in government. There has been some improvement, it is far from enough.
:15:07. > :15:11.There needs to be more improvement in terms of reading and mathematics.
:15:12. > :15:17.We know that is true of the entirety of the UK. I don't use that as an
:15:18. > :15:21.excuse, because I see the figures in front of me as far as Wales is
:15:22. > :15:26.concerned. I have already outlined what we as a government have put
:15:27. > :15:29.forward in order to deal with the situation and to improve these
:15:30. > :15:35.results in 2015. Unless there is something in the government's
:15:36. > :15:41.programme, which I all ears about, which needs to be improved, this is
:15:42. > :15:48.how we intend to improve it. 43rd and Maths, 41st and reading, as a
:15:49. > :15:54.parent, I do not accept that any of our children are any less capable
:15:55. > :15:59.than the children in Scotland, in Ireland or in England. Now Scotland
:16:00. > :16:05.also has large pockets of deprivation, it is substantially
:16:06. > :16:09.outperforming Wales. Even though it has the same set of tools for
:16:10. > :16:16.delivering those results. If the Scottish Government can deliver good
:16:17. > :16:19.results, why can't you? It is a challenge for us, we have to ensure
:16:20. > :16:24.that by 2015 we deliver those results. Two of the education
:16:25. > :16:32.ministers have said that what we have put in place will take time to
:16:33. > :16:35.work its way through. Who knows in England what they will need to do
:16:36. > :16:39.there? As far as Wales is concerned, we have said that what
:16:40. > :16:43.was put in place would take some time to have its fullest effect. We
:16:44. > :16:47.have seen improvement in reading, but overall it is not good. We need
:16:48. > :16:55.to make sure that things improve in 2015. Let's look at implementation.
:16:56. > :17:05.There have been delays in implementation. These delays mean
:17:06. > :17:11.that we will miss your government's 2015 improvement targets. Isn't it
:17:12. > :17:15.the case First Minister that if your government was a local authority, it
:17:16. > :17:21.would now be in special measures? Can you tell us this afternoon, why
:17:22. > :17:28.should parents continue to trust your government with their
:17:29. > :17:35.children's education? Because we deliver school spending that is not
:17:36. > :17:41.there in other parts of the UK. The gap with England has been closed.
:17:42. > :17:46.The education maintenance allowance has been kept in Wales. We have
:17:47. > :17:49.ensured students in Wales can go in to university without an enormous
:17:50. > :17:57.debt over their heads when they leave. We have to remember the PISA
:17:58. > :18:05.one -- results show that it is the ability to take exams. We have the
:18:06. > :18:09.figures we know that show that things are moving in the right
:18:10. > :18:15.direction, but there is a need for government working with teachers,
:18:16. > :18:20.because the government cannot deliver it on its own, to ensure
:18:21. > :18:24.there are improvements in future. The reality is that we have a
:18:25. > :18:37.programme in place, parties can say what is wrong with those programmes,
:18:38. > :18:42.we have put in place a programme by government that contains education
:18:43. > :18:47.programmes that moves towards improvement towards 2015 and we are
:18:48. > :18:53.confident in that. I speak as someone who came from the system. We
:18:54. > :18:58.have a very generous procedure in this chamber for the leaders of the
:18:59. > :19:04.non-government parties to question. I do not want to hear heckling in
:19:05. > :19:07.stereo while I am listening to the response of the First Minister. I
:19:08. > :19:19.call on Kirsty Williams. First Minister has shone a spotlight
:19:20. > :19:25.and on that international stage, under the glare of that spotlight,
:19:26. > :19:31.the abject failure of Labour's education policies have been exposed
:19:32. > :19:38.for everyone to see. As a labourer Assembly Members for 14 years, as a
:19:39. > :19:40.cabinet member for 14 years, and now as First Minister of our nation I
:19:41. > :19:56.you not ashamed? No. Complacent, complacent. You have
:19:57. > :20:01.said it was the -- your ambition to be in the top 20. We are barely in
:20:02. > :20:07.the top 40. Why have you consistently promised me, this
:20:08. > :20:12.chamber and the Welsh public, when questioned, that we would see
:20:13. > :20:20.improvements this year? We did see an improvement but not enough this
:20:21. > :20:25.year. I say that very clearly. Let's go through it again, she did not
:20:26. > :20:27.listen the first time round. The National literacy and numeracy
:20:28. > :20:31.programme, the national support programme, supporting professional
:20:32. > :20:41.developments, leadership development, strengthening
:20:42. > :20:44.accountability, were all put in place since 2009. It will take more
:20:45. > :20:51.time for these improvements to have been fooled force. But I say to the
:20:52. > :20:56.Leader of the Lords rolled them is, if you do not like it, what would
:20:57. > :21:05.you change? -- Liberal Democrats. Let's be clear of the results. Two
:21:06. > :21:11.months ago in this very chamber you said to me, I expect to see an
:21:12. > :21:15.improvement in our First Minister results in December. If you see what
:21:16. > :21:19.we have done as a government, you will understand why I believe we
:21:20. > :21:25.will make improvements. How can you as the First Minister be so out of
:21:26. > :21:30.touch, ignorant and blissfully unaware as to the reality of the
:21:31. > :21:36.situation that you could make that statement two months ago that is so
:21:37. > :21:45.off the mark? I have never heard a more arrogant statement. I have
:21:46. > :21:51.children in school like her. I do not go on and on about it. The
:21:52. > :21:58.reality of the situation is that unlike her party who is detached
:21:59. > :22:02.from reality in London, she talks to us about being detached from
:22:03. > :22:07.reality, I meet with people on the weekend, I see what my children have
:22:08. > :22:10.in school, that makes me more than aware of the education system. I
:22:11. > :22:14.came through the state system as well and I am aware of what it can
:22:15. > :22:21.deliver and what our aspirations for it in the future. I have offered the
:22:22. > :22:27.opposition party, they have quite rightly help me to account on these
:22:28. > :22:31.results. It is my responsibility to explain what we are doing in order
:22:32. > :22:36.to improve results in the future. But it is also the responsibility
:22:37. > :22:40.for the opposition parties to outline what they would do
:22:41. > :22:46.differently. Not once have we heard a suggestion as to how things would
:22:47. > :22:48.be done differently. We accept our responsibilities, they do not. In
:22:49. > :23:00.that regard they have said no lead field. Question three. Can the First
:23:01. > :23:13.Minister make a statement on business rates in South Wales? Yes.
:23:14. > :23:17.The proposed redevelopment of Newport city centre is greatly
:23:18. > :23:24.welcome and will benefit business in the long term. However, the current
:23:25. > :23:28.demolition work has caused major disruption to pedestrian access and
:23:29. > :23:35.bus stop locations, thereby reducing footfall. Will the First Minister
:23:36. > :23:40.join me in supporting Newport's chamber in of trade in their efforts
:23:41. > :23:44.to get business rates reduced for city centre traders are firstly
:23:45. > :23:50.affected by the redevelopment of this work? These are matters to be
:23:51. > :23:55.discussed with the city council in Newport. I am sure they consider
:23:56. > :24:02.proposals, affordable proposals, that will help regenerate the city
:24:03. > :24:08.centre. I am sure you will be aware that this weekend marks the first
:24:09. > :24:11.small business Saturday in the UK. I hope you will agree that increased
:24:12. > :24:16.financial powers for Wales gives us an opportunity to revitalise our
:24:17. > :24:23.town centres and in the run-up to Christmas are you willing to give
:24:24. > :24:31.some cheer to businesses by rate relief? What will change things will
:24:32. > :24:38.be the fooled evolution of business rates to Wales. That will allow us
:24:39. > :24:50.to have more tools at our disposal. -- complete demolition. What is the
:24:51. > :24:55.Welsh government doing to promote the living wage amongst employers in
:24:56. > :25:04.Wales? We encourage employers to adopt the living wage. The Welsh
:25:05. > :25:09.government is currently consulting on the draft public services
:25:10. > :25:14.workforce bill. What assurances can you give that guidance from the
:25:15. > :25:17.Welsh government in paying staff in the public sector are living which
:25:18. > :25:23.will be a key element in the eventual bill and can you make it
:25:24. > :25:25.clear that your procurement policy that is employed in Wales will be
:25:26. > :25:34.given priority for securing contracts? It is not to do with
:25:35. > :25:40.living wages but the two tier code. We have agreed to bring the living
:25:41. > :25:44.wage in the public sector under the rematch of the council itself when
:25:45. > :25:51.it will be considered with broader issues. I can further tell the
:25:52. > :25:58.member that the council meeting yesterday did consider looking at
:25:59. > :26:02.the living wage and there are possibilities that the council may
:26:03. > :26:08.consider in the future, support for the lowest paid employees, flexible
:26:09. > :26:21.working, development of urgency is, sharing best practice and
:26:22. > :26:28.management. -- development of abilities. We must ensure that we do
:26:29. > :26:33.not have a detrimental cost to businesses. The fact is that the
:26:34. > :26:38.amount of income tax paid by someone on the national minimum wage has
:26:39. > :26:43.actually fallen by 70% since the UK coalition government came to power
:26:44. > :26:47.in 2010. Do you support their efforts to change the tax system to
:26:48. > :26:52.benefit the lower paid? I think those would have more effective war
:26:53. > :26:57.was done to help them with living costs. Food costs have been
:26:58. > :27:03.astronomical as have energy bill costs. Were people have seen even
:27:04. > :27:07.modest pay increases they have been more than swallowed up by the cost
:27:08. > :27:12.of living increases that they have had to pay out. The reality is that
:27:13. > :27:23.people 's incomes continue to be squeezed as they have an -- done in
:27:24. > :27:26.the last four years. Doing it through the tax system is not
:27:27. > :27:33.enough, more must be done with the basic cost of living. That is why I
:27:34. > :27:40.applaud what my party has done with energy costs. What plans does the
:27:41. > :27:45.First Minister have two increased the lights at Cardiff airport?
:27:46. > :27:49.Operational matters are the responsibility of the airport board.
:27:50. > :27:55.We have seen an increase of the number of flights in the airport.
:27:56. > :28:11.And we have new routes announced as well. Is the First Minister aware
:28:12. > :28:17.that we had a wonderful hat-trick scored in Spain at the weekend.
:28:18. > :28:21.There are no direct flights for football fans to go there. What can
:28:22. > :28:28.the first Minister do to ensure that for all fans from Cardiff can fly
:28:29. > :28:34.directly to Madrid? I hope that fans from Madrid will come to see Cardiff
:28:35. > :28:39.city. It is right to say there is no current direct route. The airport
:28:40. > :28:43.discusses many routes with many operators, it has to be a commercial
:28:44. > :28:50.rate. In the meantime it is possible for fans to travel via Amsterdam
:28:51. > :29:03.with KLM or fly through the Barcelona have. -- hub. Two years
:29:04. > :29:10.ago you said it would be relatively easier -- easy to establish an error
:29:11. > :29:15.link with air China. He said this would be a key priority for you.
:29:16. > :29:23.What progress has been made by the government? There is an issue with
:29:24. > :29:41.regard to the need to lengthen the runway. It is a remarkable question
:29:42. > :29:45.from the Tories. We had the Leader of the Opposition parting saying
:29:46. > :29:50.that if it closes, tough luck. Let British Airways maintenance go. What
:29:51. > :29:57.have we seen since it has been bought. It could -- 8% increase in
:29:58. > :30:03.passenger numbers. That is action compared to the idleness of the
:30:04. > :30:10.Tories. First Minister, it was disappointing that long haul Air
:30:11. > :30:13.Passenger Duty was not included in the tax raising powers recommended
:30:14. > :30:18.for devolution, especially when we have seen how Belfast airport has
:30:19. > :30:28.benefited from such powers. I wonder if you regret when colleagues put in
:30:29. > :30:37.an amendment in the Finance Bill to transfer long haul airport tax. If
:30:38. > :30:42.another such amendment on the devolution of Air Passenger Duty is
:30:43. > :30:47.put forward again, will you make sure that you guarantee at least
:30:48. > :30:50.some of your Labour Party colleagues will be there in Westminster to
:30:51. > :30:55.support you next time around? The reality is that the government has
:30:56. > :31:04.made it clear that we support the devolution of all Air Passenger
:31:05. > :31:12.Duty. It raises over ?1 million in Wales. It could have a real effect
:31:13. > :31:16.on the airport. Bristol's traffic profile is short-haul business
:31:17. > :31:22.destinations, so it would not affect them. When the Conservatives argue
:31:23. > :31:25.as they don't that it would be unfair on Bristol because Bristol
:31:26. > :31:30.takes priority over Wales in the thinking of the Secretary of State,
:31:31. > :31:36.particularly if we won to see the full devilish and of Air Passenger
:31:37. > :31:43.Duty, in regard to long hall, something the present government
:31:44. > :31:48.have failed to deliver. I was glad to see the new season flights
:31:49. > :31:52.returning to Cardiff. But the sad fact remains that passenger numbers
:31:53. > :31:58.at the airport at 50% what they were five years ago. What is your
:31:59. > :32:11.benchmark in terms of success for routes? It has to make a profit. It
:32:12. > :32:17.will have gone a million, an 8% rise as I have said. New routes that have
:32:18. > :32:23.never been flown before from Cardiff have come into place, such as
:32:24. > :32:30.Grenoble. That is encouraging. It is a very tough market, but the airport
:32:31. > :32:37.board are extremely able and willing to look at new routes. It is not to
:32:38. > :32:44.be sniffed at in a competitive market. Will the First Minister make
:32:45. > :32:59.a statement about the number of people using prepaid meters? In
:33:00. > :33:06.2012, there were 270,094 households on prepaid meters in Wales. Ofgem
:33:07. > :33:12.figures are not provided for constituency or local authority
:33:13. > :33:16.areas. Independent experts estimate that prepaid meters can cost
:33:17. > :33:26.customers extra in fuel costs. Is this not an acceptable --
:33:27. > :33:28.unacceptable? It is wholly unacceptable for those who are
:33:29. > :33:36.finding it difficult to pay their fuel costs. The figures seem high,
:33:37. > :33:41.but we meet regularly with Ofgem, and I have asked them to make sure
:33:42. > :33:47.they take action people are not paying more than they need to. Will
:33:48. > :33:51.the First Minister agree with me that the recent announcement made by
:33:52. > :34:00.the UK government to reduce energy bills by an average of ?50 a year is
:34:01. > :34:02.impractical -- is a practical step which would benefit tens of
:34:03. > :34:08.thousands of households across Wales? Will he also agree with me
:34:09. > :34:12.that the onus is now on the energy companies to do more to help
:34:13. > :34:19.families this winter, particularly those with low incomes and those on
:34:20. > :34:26.prepaid tariffs? The response of the UK government is a direct response
:34:27. > :34:31.to my own party about freezing energy prices. Suddenly we had an
:34:32. > :34:37.announcement there would be a 50% the crease. But it is hardly a
:34:38. > :34:42.substantial amount to contribute to people 's pockets. Far better to
:34:43. > :34:46.freeze prices as proposed by a very sensible Labour government in
:34:47. > :34:53.waiting rather than a knee jerk reaction of a dying government in
:34:54. > :34:58.Westminster. First Minister, are you aware that the UK government will be
:34:59. > :35:05.redefining fuel poverty, resulting in about 800,000 people suddenly no
:35:06. > :35:12.longer being classed as fuel customers, they will not be better
:35:13. > :35:15.off. Can you give assurances that your government will not be
:35:16. > :35:21.manipulating the figures by redefining the fuel poor? That is
:35:22. > :35:27.not something we want to do. The Conservatives have form on this.
:35:28. > :35:33.Where figures are awkward, get rid of the figures, that is the way the
:35:34. > :35:36.Conservatives have always operated. How was the Welsh Government
:35:37. > :35:41.safeguarding older people in their homes? We are taking action to
:35:42. > :35:46.safeguard older people in their homes, including action on rogue
:35:47. > :35:54.traders and doorstep crime, and support. How will the West
:35:55. > :36:00.government -- Welsh Government actively intervene to tackle
:36:01. > :36:06.inconsistent provision across Wales, to protect older people from scams
:36:07. > :36:16.and swindles on the doorstep. Research shows that Cardiff has not
:36:17. > :36:24.produced a new ones and 2010. -- a new one since 2010. We have plans to
:36:25. > :36:31.extend no cold calling zones to deter rogue traders. Residents
:36:32. > :36:36.should report it to their local trading standards department, which
:36:37. > :36:42.should follow action. The figures vary across the whole of Wales, but
:36:43. > :36:51.most local authorities have a substantial number of dwellings
:36:52. > :36:58.included in no cold calling zones. 38,500 dwellings across the whole of
:36:59. > :37:01.Wales. Thank you. One of the outcomes of these aggressive methods
:37:02. > :37:04.of selling is that people, particularly older people, are less
:37:05. > :37:08.willing to change energy providers because of the experience they have
:37:09. > :37:13.of feeling under threat when an offer is made to them. And they pay
:37:14. > :37:18.more for their energy than they should. Do you believe that the
:37:19. > :37:25.current local authorities are sufficiently robust? If you do, why
:37:26. > :37:31.do you believe the situation arises so regularly? The problem is when
:37:32. > :37:38.people telephone people, when they ring up and offer people some kind
:37:39. > :37:42.of agreement, that cannot be controlled on a local level or on a
:37:43. > :37:49.Welsh level. We do have the TBS system, but not everybody is part of
:37:50. > :37:53.that, so people do tend to get three or four calls each evening. I am one
:37:54. > :37:56.of those people. I just put the phone down on them. The problem
:37:57. > :38:02.should be considered on a British level, in order to ensure that we
:38:03. > :38:06.have a situation where if people say they do not want people to phone
:38:07. > :38:10.them up, but that doesn't happen. At present, it is a voluntary system,
:38:11. > :38:20.and I do not believe that is adequate for the future. Thank you,
:38:21. > :38:27.First Minister. The proposed definition in the new bill mentioned
:38:28. > :38:33.at risk adults, where they do need to receive care or support. They
:38:34. > :38:38.have stated that this is too narrow definition. Would you be willing to
:38:39. > :38:44.reconsider this definition, bearing in mind that there could be an adult
:38:45. > :38:50.under threat within his or her home, but does not receive support at
:38:51. > :38:55.present. The new definition would not apply to those people at
:38:56. > :39:03.present. Naturally, we are very eager and happy to discuss parts of
:39:04. > :39:11.the bill itself with any party. As I believe that there are in excess of
:39:12. > :39:17.500 amendments, we understand that some organisations have received the
:39:18. > :39:24.support of various parties in order to ensure that the bill is passed.
:39:25. > :39:32.We will be very willing to listen to any views. What discussions is the
:39:33. > :39:41.first Minister had -- has the First Minister had with local authority
:39:42. > :39:47.leaders with regard to the housing? He is leading on the housing account
:39:48. > :39:52.revenue subsidy. He has met with local authority housing leaders,
:39:53. > :39:56.keeping them informed of progress. Of course, First Minister, there are
:39:57. > :40:03.two sides to this. First of all, local authorities must see where
:40:04. > :40:11.they stand in terms of the changes to the HRA S, and there is important
:40:12. > :40:18.negotiation happening the Treasury on this. Will the Minister lead
:40:19. > :40:20.those negotiations in order to safeguard the interests of local
:40:21. > :40:28.authorities in Wales, and enable local authorities to reinvest in
:40:29. > :40:36.building homes to rent? Of course. Local authorities have a wonderful
:40:37. > :40:39.opportunity with the changes on the horizon. Of course, we will support
:40:40. > :40:43.and promote them in the construction of houses. They will be able to save
:40:44. > :40:52.money ultimately because of these changes. Thank you, deputy presiding
:40:53. > :41:01.officer. The Member has mentioned debt. What will the situation be in
:41:02. > :41:04.terms of the debt currently held by local authorities in Wales? What
:41:05. > :41:12.role will the Welsh Government play in that regard? Well, the changes of
:41:13. > :41:20.course will ensure that the transfer of ?73 million of housing revenue
:41:21. > :41:24.from the United Kingdom will come to an end. But it will ensure that
:41:25. > :41:32.local authorities will be able to self fund in future. And we believe
:41:33. > :41:39.that there will be a way of saving approximately ?30 million each and.
:41:40. > :41:45.Will the first Minister outline the impact of Welsh Government health
:41:46. > :41:49.policies on South Wales? The impact can be seen by the improvement in
:41:50. > :41:56.life expectancy, treatment levels and high levels of patient
:41:57. > :42:02.satisfaction. But he will know that Monmouth has the lowest ambulance
:42:03. > :42:10.response time for emergency calls. A is a place where dignity is
:42:11. > :42:18.compromised. Our health board how -- has the highest level of waiting
:42:19. > :42:27.times. Urgent action is called for. When can we expect improvement in
:42:28. > :42:31.the quality of service? We have seen ambulance response time targets hit.
:42:32. > :42:40.We are in a position where answer waiting times have improved, the
:42:41. > :42:46.same as England in effect. There is a limit to what can be achieved
:42:47. > :42:51.considering the amount of space there and the age of the building.
:42:52. > :42:56.The business case has been outlined for development. The health board is
:42:57. > :43:07.providing -- preparing a robust business case. There we are, we'll
:43:08. > :43:11.leave First Minister's Questions there but don't forget that you can
:43:12. > :43:13.see more coverage of the National Assembly online from BBC Wales's
:43:14. > :43:20.Democracy Live page at bbc.co.uk/walespolitics. That's it
:43:21. > :43:24.for today. We'll be back at the same time next week with more coverage of
:43:25. > :43:27.First Minister's Questions. If you want more Welsh politics before
:43:28. > :43:30.then, there's y Sgwrs on S4C at 9:30pm tomorrow evening and the
:43:31. > :43:36.Sunday Politics on BBC One Wales at 11 on Sunday. As for today, though,
:43:37. > :43:41.from all of us on the programme, goodbye.