Browse content similar to 04/06/2013. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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programme and our weekly coverage of questions to the First Minister. | :00:28. | :00:31. | |
Health and the economy seem to be dominating the minds of Assembly | :00:31. | :00:37. | |
Members. Carwyn Jones is being asked about the Welsh Government's | :00:37. | :00:39. | |
policies for economic growth and the future of NHS emergency services. | :00:39. | :00:42. | |
That is what the politicians are talking about but what do you want | :00:42. | :00:46. | |
to talk about? If you want to comment on anything on the programme | :00:46. | :00:56. | |
:00:56. | :01:09. | ||
feet, so let's go over to the Item one, first Minister's | :01:09. | :01:19. | |
:01:19. | :01:22. | ||
questions. Will the First Minister make a statement on the role of | :01:22. | :01:28. | |
anti-human trafficking coordinator, please? His role is to deliver the | :01:28. | :01:37. | |
best possible support for victims who have been trafficked. Too often, | :01:37. | :01:43. | |
rescued victims of human trafficking are treated like illegal immigrants, | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
either sent back to their country of origin or unsuitable detention | :01:47. | :01:52. | |
centres. Will the First Minister agree that we need to create safe | :01:52. | :01:56. | |
havens for victims where they can tell their stories and provide good | :01:56. | :02:05. | |
information, in tackling the scourge of human trafficking at every centre | :02:05. | :02:15. | |
in Wales? These are matters for the UK government, but it is important | :02:15. | :02:17. | |
that people have been trafficked are treated with respect and given | :02:17. | :02:26. | |
support. Children's charities and religious winners have expressed | :02:26. | :02:32. | |
concern at the legal aid for victims of human trafficking. You join me on | :02:32. | :02:38. | |
calling on the UK government to ensure that these most vulnerable | :02:38. | :02:43. | |
people are protected? I believe the vulnerable in society should be able | :02:43. | :02:46. | |
to receive the legal protection they deserve. We are looking at a | :02:46. | :02:54. | |
situation where many small centres in Wales will cease to exist as | :02:54. | :03:04. | |
:03:04. | :03:43. | ||
result of the changes being Minister outlined the steps the | :03:43. | :03:48. | |
Welsh government is taking to grow the Welsh economy in the next three | :03:48. | :03:52. | |
years. You will be aware of all that has been done in terms of the | :03:52. | :03:58. | |
different schemes to grow the Welsh economy and that will continue to be | :03:58. | :04:07. | |
done. A recent report by the Wales TUC praised the Welsh government for | :04:07. | :04:15. | |
the initiatives brought about in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, it | :04:15. | :04:19. | |
says these initiatives demonstrate that with the right archbishops and | :04:19. | :04:23. | |
-- in place between unions and government we can build a long-term | :04:23. | :04:27. | |
manufacturing base in Wales. First Minister, will you take time to | :04:27. | :04:33. | |
discuss this important report with your Welsh, colleagues and put in | :04:33. | :04:37. | |
place planning to support long-term industrial growth? The document was | :04:37. | :04:41. | |
produced with the Council for economic renewal yesterday and was | :04:41. | :04:47. | |
discussed there, and all members of the council are considering further | :04:47. | :04:57. | |
:04:57. | :04:57. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds | :04:57. | :07:00. | |
a more substantive response to the than 18 months since the Government | :07:00. | :07:04. | |
announced its programme to drive forward the Welsh economy, but | :07:04. | :07:07. | |
looking around Cardiff enterprise zone it is difficult to see where a | :07:07. | :07:11. | |
single brick has been laid in terms of investment. Where do you expect | :07:11. | :07:15. | |
to see the first, new, permanent private-sector job to be created in | :07:15. | :07:23. | |
that enterprise zone? She asked for an example in terms of enterprise | :07:24. | :07:27. | |
zones across Wales and I would say that in terms of the business rates | :07:27. | :07:31. | |
scheme that we have found in the enterprise zones, if you look at the | :07:31. | :07:35. | |
North Wales enterprise zone, 14 approvals have been given with | :07:36. | :07:42. | |
regard to that. I call on the party leaders to question the First | :07:42. | :07:46. | |
Minister and I start with the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, | :07:46. | :07:55. | |
Kirsty Williams. The Government has missed and joins response times for | :07:55. | :07:59. | |
the 11 seconds -- 11 consecutive month and Wales has the worst | :07:59. | :08:04. | |
service in the mainland UK. And the accident and emergency performance | :08:04. | :08:06. | |
is twice as bad as in England and you have never met government | :08:06. | :08:11. | |
targets on that. When will the Government deliver the NHS that the | :08:11. | :08:16. | |
Welsh public deserves? In a national survey, the Welsh public are content | :08:16. | :08:21. | |
with the NHS, but that does not mean that we are complacent. Looking at | :08:21. | :08:24. | |
waiting times for the month ending March this year, these have | :08:24. | :08:29. | |
improved, and I'm joins response times have also improved. | :08:29. | :08:34. | |
Nevertheless, the trend is in the right direction. It is the opposite, | :08:34. | :08:41. | |
of course, in when. In England, 6% of patients wait more than four as | :08:41. | :08:44. | |
casualties, and in Wales, the number waiting is more than double that, at | :08:44. | :08:50. | |
16%, and worse, 6% of Welsh people wait more than eight hours in | :08:50. | :08:56. | |
casualty departments. In England, your label -- Labour colleagues | :08:56. | :09:00. | |
accuse the Government of complacency in the face of a crisis. If that is | :09:00. | :09:07. | |
the Labour view, isn't the reality that under Labour in Wales, we have | :09:07. | :09:13. | |
double the crisis, and from the answer you have just given, double | :09:13. | :09:21. | |
the complacency. I would take that with an enormous pinch of salt. | :09:21. | :09:23. | |
Casualty waiting times and Angela's response times have improved over | :09:23. | :09:29. | |
the month of March. She and the party opposite have cut the NHS by | :09:29. | :09:36. | |
�20 billion. Their performance is still better than yours, First | :09:36. | :09:43. | |
Minister. Every option for the future of NHS services in South | :09:43. | :09:53. | |
:09:53. | :09:55. | ||
Wales assumes the provision of a new specialist centre in Cwmbran. You | :09:55. | :09:58. | |
have been promising to build that for the last seven years. It was | :09:58. | :10:04. | |
initially said building would start in 2009 and the hospital would be | :10:04. | :10:09. | |
operational by 2013. In March 2011, she said construction would start by | :10:09. | :10:16. | |
2013, and in May, 2011, the SMB was told, " I am happy to confirm that | :10:16. | :10:22. | |
that project has had the go-ahead". It is now 2013 and as of Friday, the | :10:22. | :10:25. | |
health minister said he is still considering the outline business | :10:25. | :10:35. | |
case. First Minister, when will you get round to building that hospital? | :10:35. | :10:40. | |
It is important that the structure of the NHS is correct. And as result | :10:40. | :10:44. | |
of that, figures in Wales are going in the right direction in Wales, and | :10:44. | :10:49. | |
in the wrong direction in England. And that is much to do with the | :10:49. | :10:54. | |
party in government and the party opposite. First Minister, is it | :10:54. | :11:03. | |
right that we should forget Wales? As long as he and his party don't. | :11:03. | :11:11. | |
am glad everyone on those benches laughed, because that is what the | :11:11. | :11:15. | |
health -- shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham has claimed, that | :11:15. | :11:21. | |
should forget Wales, and we have the lamentable figures that your | :11:21. | :11:25. | |
government has decided over. I want to focus on what your health | :11:25. | :11:31. | |
spokesman has said here, around access to drugs. He said, a drug | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
that is available in every other home nation of United Kingdom must | :11:35. | :11:40. | |
be available to patients here in Wales. We clearly know that that is | :11:40. | :11:46. | |
not the case. We have known the past two years, that that is not the | :11:46. | :11:51. | |
case, because we have locked horns on this time and time again in this | :11:51. | :11:56. | |
Chamber. When are the health ministers words going to be put into | :11:56. | :11:59. | |
action so that people are not deprived of the key medicines that | :11:59. | :12:07. | |
they require to extend their lives put their cancer into remission? | :12:07. | :12:12. | |
These things have to be assessed rationally. The health minister has | :12:13. | :12:15. | |
given a recent decision with regard to a drug for cystic fibrosis and | :12:15. | :12:22. | |
has made that drug available. He felt it was important there was | :12:22. | :12:26. | |
equity between Wales and the other nations of the UK. That will not | :12:26. | :12:29. | |
offer comfort to patients who, today, tomorrow and in the near | :12:29. | :12:34. | |
future, are going to be denied vital, life-saving drugs that could | :12:34. | :12:38. | |
make a radical difference to the outcomes of their diagnosis, and it | :12:38. | :12:42. | |
is regrettable that you cannot offer more substance to the comments of | :12:42. | :12:47. | |
your health minister. It shows that you are out of the loop. When you | :12:47. | :12:52. | |
talk about equitable and equity, isn't it the case that when we hear | :12:52. | :12:55. | |
the rhetoric coming from your London colleagues, either the health | :12:55. | :12:58. | |
spokesman said that should forget Wales, or the Shadow Chancellor who | :12:58. | :13:03. | |
has ripped up the labour conventions of the last 50 years, is it not the | :13:03. | :13:08. | |
case that you are not standing up for Wales, and you are completely | :13:08. | :13:11. | |
ignored by your colleagues, time and time again? Who do you believe | :13:11. | :13:19. | |
follow, do you follow Andy Burnham, or Ed Balls? He talks to me about | :13:19. | :13:26. | |
figures. When we broke for Whitsun, he was claiming there was a �500 | :13:26. | :13:31. | |
million gap in terms of health service funding in Wales. No figures | :13:31. | :13:35. | |
provided and he didn't summon whether the figures were correct. | :13:35. | :13:41. | |
Completely made up. He came back and then had the barefaced cheek to | :13:41. | :13:45. | |
suggest we had a plan for the airport, which was exactly the plan | :13:45. | :13:48. | |
that he had in the first place. Margaret thatcher said that the | :13:48. | :13:53. | |
lady's not for turning, but he does the biggest U-turns I have seen on | :13:53. | :13:59. | |
the floor of this Assembly. Welcome to the party. Has he bothered to | :13:59. | :14:04. | |
make that submission to London? Of course he hasn't. Now he said he | :14:04. | :14:10. | |
would devolve a passenger duty. I agree with him in that regard, but | :14:10. | :14:13. | |
we're has he been for the past few months? We take the lessons from a | :14:13. | :14:20. | |
party that does not stand up for Wales, and makes up figures as it | :14:20. | :14:30. | |
:14:30. | :14:39. | ||
in Wales is your health service. It should be safe in your hands. It is | :14:39. | :14:44. | |
fully devolved. Our health service is a wholly-owned entity of the | :14:44. | :14:48. | |
Welsh Government. You make the decisions. Under the south Wales | :14:48. | :14:53. | |
programme proposals, local communities will lose their local | :14:53. | :14:59. | |
Welsh National health services. First Minister, you are in charge of | :14:59. | :15:05. | |
health in Wales. You can stop this now. Why don't you? The programme | :15:05. | :15:11. | |
board is continuing along the lines of consultation. That will continue. | :15:11. | :15:19. | |
First Minister, you can stop this now if you choose. Ambulance arrival | :15:19. | :15:22. | |
times show that the worst performing areas in Wales are in the central | :15:22. | :15:27. | |
valleys. Travel time and distance is linked with mortality rates. First | :15:27. | :15:33. | |
of all, do you accept that point? If you do, how can you justify closing | :15:33. | :15:37. | |
accident and emergency services in the very location that has the worst | :15:37. | :15:42. | |
ambulance response times in Wales? First of all, I don't accept that | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
distance is the main determining factor. It is where you get the | :15:45. | :15:49. | |
treatment and what sort of treatment you get. Secondly, she has misled | :15:49. | :15:58. | |
us. What she says is that there are plans to close AMD in the -- to | :15:58. | :16:08. | |
close AMD services. As she will know, it is in nobody's interest to | :16:08. | :16:11. | |
misrepresent the representation. Nor is it in anybody's interest for her | :16:11. | :16:14. | |
to claim that she knows better than the dock as you are saying that | :16:14. | :16:19. | |
change must happen. First Minister, I have not misled this Assembly. | :16:19. | :16:23. | |
Services will close as a result of these proposals in the long term. | :16:23. | :16:28. | |
First Minister, I was in a demonstration last Saturday, a | :16:28. | :16:32. | |
demonstration that was called to save the services at the Royal, in | :16:32. | :16:42. | |
:16:42. | :16:42. | ||
hospital. I spoke to support this. Plaid Cymru cannot support the | :16:42. | :16:47. | |
premise of a consultation that pits local amenities and hospital against | :16:47. | :16:54. | |
each other. United we stand, divided we fall. Labour backbenchers, MPs | :16:54. | :16:58. | |
and even members of your own cabinet are openly campaigning against your | :16:58. | :17:05. | |
own policy. Members of the Liberal party are campaigning to cut | :17:05. | :17:14. | |
services at your hospital in Bridgend. -- the Labour Party. Will | :17:14. | :17:22. | |
you be defending Bridgend Hospital and supporting plans to cut services | :17:22. | :17:27. | |
at other hospitals? She has said something that is misleading, untrue | :17:27. | :17:31. | |
and wrong. The record will be there for all post rejection. She said | :17:31. | :17:39. | |
that AMD services would be lost. That is untrue. No point saying | :17:39. | :17:47. | |
consultant led, that is not what she said. She said A&E services and that | :17:47. | :17:53. | |
is untrue. Order. I cannot hear the First Minister nor can the people of | :17:53. | :17:59. | |
Wales. Order! On this very important issue about reconfiguration of | :17:59. | :18:02. | |
hospital services which directly affects our constituents, we will | :18:02. | :18:07. | |
hear the First Minister. Unless she has a crystal ball, she is in no | :18:07. | :18:11. | |
position to determine how services will be developed. I see this in all | :18:11. | :18:15. | |
seriousness, and they have said for many weeks, she is fighting against | :18:15. | :18:19. | |
the medicine. It is the doctors themselves who say it has to be | :18:19. | :18:23. | |
changed. The doctors themselves. She is saying that she knows better than | :18:23. | :18:29. | |
the people of the health service. If she is convinced that she is right, | :18:29. | :18:33. | |
then she needs to produce the evidence to show that she is and the | :18:33. | :18:39. | |
A&E consultants, who I have spoken to, are wrong. She has failed to do | :18:39. | :18:42. | |
that and should be straight with the people of Wales. Order a question | :18:42. | :18:52. | |
three. Will be First Minister make a statement on the future of NHS | :18:52. | :18:59. | |
services? We expect images Wales to deliver a good service. You have | :18:59. | :19:04. | |
just accused that member of misleading us. Do you agree that the | :19:04. | :19:10. | |
Labour MPs, including members of your own cabinet, are misleading | :19:10. | :19:17. | |
as? In a press release, it was said that A&E services were disappearing | :19:17. | :19:20. | |
and Chris Bryant has described the A&E department they as clothing and | :19:20. | :19:29. | |
doing what he can to defend it. Do you condemn of them in the same way | :19:29. | :19:32. | |
as you have before when people scaremonger about the future of | :19:32. | :19:38. | |
services in local hospitals? Chris Bryant is not a minister. The last | :19:38. | :19:44. | |
time I looked. The point that is, what has been suggested by the party | :19:44. | :19:48. | |
opposite is that A&E services will completely submit. That has never | :19:48. | :19:52. | |
been suggested by anyone in this Chamber, only by members of Plaid | :19:52. | :19:56. | |
Cymru. What we want to know is why this apparent �500 million deficit | :19:56. | :20:04. | |
in the NHS has suddenly mushroomed to 800 million pounds? If you want | :20:04. | :20:09. | |
to play hard and fast facts, look no further than the benches opposite. | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
Order. We must calm down because people cannot the exchange of that | :20:13. | :20:19. | |
is the purpose of this question Time. | :20:19. | :20:29. | |
:20:29. | :20:29. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds | :20:29. | :21:27. | |
SHE SPEAKS WELSH HE RESPONDS IN WELSH | :21:27. | :21:32. | |
First Minister, listening to what she said, there was a clear comment | :21:32. | :21:37. | |
about the shortage of A&E consultants across the UK. Having | :21:37. | :21:40. | |
seen first-hand the difficulties created by unplanned change, | :21:40. | :21:43. | |
particularly in my local hospital last summer, do you agree with me | :21:43. | :21:49. | |
that the best way of issuing improved outcome for patients is to | :21:49. | :21:55. | |
have a planned service which places the patient at the heart of gear, | :21:55. | :21:58. | |
provides immediate support of special services? There are two | :21:58. | :22:05. | |
choices here. Either one managed change for the better or chaos. | :22:05. | :22:10. | |
There is no joy is no choice that say we can put our heads in the sand | :22:10. | :22:15. | |
and hope it goes away. I cannot agree with Plaid Cymru and the good | :22:15. | :22:20. | |
doctors. There has to be changing order to attract more trainees. They | :22:20. | :22:25. | |
want come otherwise. We need to attract more consultants and this is | :22:25. | :22:29. | |
in pool were there are a small number of A&E departments. Wheels | :22:29. | :22:33. | |
must be seen as a good way to -- good place to train. That is one | :22:33. | :22:38. | |
factor. It is quite clear, as consultants have said, unless there | :22:38. | :22:44. | |
is change, change that is managed, there will be change that is | :22:44. | :22:49. | |
unmanaged. People will retire and move on. That is not in the best | :22:49. | :22:59. | |
:22:59. | :23:18. | ||
interests of anyone. HE SPEAKS WELSH | :23:18. | :23:28. | |
:23:28. | :23:39. | ||
HE RESPONDED WELSH Thank you. | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
What plans does the First Minister have to strengthen community | :23:42. | :23:49. | |
cohesion? We will publish an updated action plan later this year. That | :23:49. | :23:58. | |
will be supporting the main unity cohesion coordinators. -- immunity | :23:58. | :24:03. | |
cohesion coordinators. In the aftermath of the terrible murder in | :24:03. | :24:09. | |
Woolwich, Muslim women in Cardiff have told me that they are almost | :24:09. | :24:13. | |
afraid to go out on the street because they fear being the targets | :24:13. | :24:18. | |
of anti-Muslim feelings. Is there any more that the Welsh Government | :24:18. | :24:23. | |
could do to build up relationships between different communities? | :24:24. | :24:28. | |
Anti-Muslim hate is a specific agenda on the next community | :24:28. | :24:31. | |
cohesion network meeting. I will consider the need to coordinate a | :24:31. | :24:38. | |
meeting of the faith communities to discuss anti-Muslim hate ahead of | :24:38. | :24:48. | |
:24:48. | :24:48. | ||
the scheduled meeting. I will monitor it. First Minister, how is | :24:48. | :24:54. | |
the Welsh Government promoting an understanding and respect for | :24:54. | :24:56. | |
difference between and amongst children, particularly through play | :24:56. | :25:01. | |
and education. Particularly insofar as faith and culture is concerned? | :25:01. | :25:09. | |
Within the foundation phase, it is obviously an area for all of us. | :25:09. | :25:13. | |
Concept of fairness and justice are introduced and children are | :25:13. | :25:16. | |
encouraged to think about and respect the feelings of others. It | :25:16. | :25:20. | |
is they were the foundations will be laid to challenge stereotyping later | :25:20. | :25:30. | |
:25:30. | :25:32. | ||
on in life. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, in the wake of | :25:32. | :25:35. | |
the April Jones murder, as you can imagine, after the sentencing the | :25:35. | :25:38. | |
community may have the chance to heal. There have been increased | :25:38. | :25:42. | |
demands, not just locally, that Internet companies such as Google | :25:42. | :25:50. | |
take a tougher action to stab about -- to stamp out pornographic images | :25:50. | :25:54. | |
online. What discussions have you had with the UK government and other | :25:54. | :25:57. | |
devolved administrations so that the strongest British case can be made | :25:57. | :26:01. | |
to these companies that we will no longer be prepared to tolerate this | :26:01. | :26:08. | |
content. -- content? The day to must adopt a zero tolerance policy. | :26:08. | :26:15. | |
have been no recent discussions but we were all deeply shocked at the | :26:15. | :26:18. | |
events surrounding the tragic murder of April Jones. Particularly, those | :26:18. | :26:25. | |
of us who follow the trial in some detail, utterly appalling. Not just | :26:25. | :26:30. | |
for the parents but for her entire family and the entire community. | :26:30. | :26:34. | |
There are some who takes the view that the Internet should be as | :26:34. | :26:38. | |
uncensored as possible. I do not take that view when it comes to, | :26:38. | :26:41. | |
amongst other things, child pornography. I cannot see what | :26:41. | :26:44. | |
possible advantage there is in allowing unfettered access to | :26:44. | :26:50. | |
something that if it were published in a magazine would be a crime. I | :26:50. | :26:53. | |
can't understand that. I am willing to write the member's suggestion to | :26:53. | :26:58. | |
the, well I will write to the Prime Minister, to ask what his response | :26:58. | :27:04. | |
might be after the revelations that emerged in the trial. I certainly | :27:04. | :27:11. | |
would want to pursue this to the greatest extent that I can. I very | :27:11. | :27:14. | |
much agree with Russell Jones's comments and support them | :27:14. | :27:18. | |
completely. However, turning to the question of intergenerational | :27:18. | :27:22. | |
cohesion, could you give me your views, First Minister, as to whether | :27:22. | :27:25. | |
the withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance will help build or hinder | :27:25. | :27:32. | |
social cohesion? There is in no such of suggestion put forward in this | :27:32. | :27:42. | |
:27:42. | :27:53. | ||
regard. ALL MUTTER | :27:53. | :27:57. | |
Do you have any intentions to take any action on the communities first | :27:57. | :28:04. | |
programme or having already started working on this? I would expect the | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
community confusion forum, and also of course the communities first | :28:07. | :28:14. | |
organisations, to work together. The boundaries are not coterminous in | :28:14. | :28:22. | |
that regard. Inevitably, the aim of these organisations are to build | :28:22. | :28:26. | |
strong communities. The need to be opportunities per as many people as | :28:26. | :28:29. | |
possible and cohesion involves breaking down barriers. I would | :28:29. | :28:36. | |
expect a close working relationship. Will the First Minister outline how | :28:37. | :28:40. | |
the Welsh Government is raising an awareness of the potential dangers | :28:40. | :28:45. | |
of rubella? We will continue to support the tremendous efforts of | :28:45. | :28:48. | |
public health Wales and the images in reminding the public of the | :28:48. | :28:52. | |
dangers of rubella and the need for everyone to received two doses of | :28:52. | :28:56. | |
the MMR vaccine. I am most grateful for that reply. Certainly, L members | :28:56. | :29:03. | |
working on the report published today on the increased up date of -- | :29:03. | :29:09. | |
uptake of vaccination. There are so many people who are not vaccinated | :29:09. | :29:13. | |
and they are potentials for passing on rebel at a pregnant woman. Will | :29:13. | :29:17. | |
the First Minister not consider that we should have it campaign to make | :29:18. | :29:24. | |
people aware of this? That is something I'm sure that public | :29:24. | :29:28. | |
health Wales will be considering. What I can inform the member Rob is | :29:28. | :29:32. | |
that the most recent support published by Public Health Wales | :29:32. | :29:36. | |
shows that the uptake of the first dose was 95%. That is the worst time | :29:36. | :29:44. | |
the uptake has exceeded 95%. I am sure that they will be trying to | :29:44. | :29:50. | |
keep that momentum going. It is important of course that momentum is | :29:50. | :29:57. | |
not lost. First Minister, I am sure we all agree that the dangers of | :29:57. | :30:02. | |
rubella to expectant mothers is extremely high and I welcome to have | :30:02. | :30:05. | |
just said. Would you with needle that perhaps the health authorities | :30:05. | :30:09. | |
should be savaged to go into the comprehensive schools and encourage | :30:09. | :30:14. | |
more people to have the MMR injections because clearly their | :30:14. | :30:19. | |
parents didn't have them injected at the appropriate time? It is never | :30:19. | :30:23. | |
too late and I really think that if we can we should be targeting the | :30:23. | :30:28. | |
younger people in our schools who are far more intelligent than, | :30:28. | :30:38. | |
:30:38. | :30:38. | ||
perhaps, some of the debate I have heard in this Chamber today. I think | :30:38. | :30:42. | |
he does himself down, there. In terms of increasing immunisation | :30:42. | :30:50. | |
awareness, we have a work pack which has been produced and distributed | :30:50. | :30:55. | |
across Wales, to every secondary school. I can also say that | :30:55. | :31:01. | |
resources were made available to school nurses on teenager | :31:01. | :31:08. | |
immunisation. So this information is already out there. Will the First | :31:08. | :31:17. | |
Minister make a statement on future community Wales? The Minister will | :31:17. | :31:26. | |
be holding a summit on 13th June, discussing credit unions. Thank you, | :31:26. | :31:32. | |
when does the Welsh government intend to respond to recommendations | :31:32. | :31:40. | |
made in the report in March, which suggested that the system was | :31:40. | :31:47. | |
failing? Consideration has been given of course to the contents of | :31:47. | :31:57. | |
that report. The Minister will be responding on the 13th of June. | :31:57. | :31:59. | |
Would you agree that rather than attacking the Welsh Labour | :31:59. | :32:02. | |
government who are trying their best to support people through these | :32:02. | :32:08. | |
difficult times, the Welsh Liberal Democrats efforts could be best | :32:08. | :32:11. | |
deployed by inklings there Westminster colleagues were | :32:11. | :32:16. | |
collaborating with the Conservatives to inflict the most savage attack on | :32:17. | :32:24. | |
the welfare state that communities have ever seen in Wales? In fairness | :32:24. | :32:30. | |
to Peter Black, has questions where reasonable, but the point is true, | :32:30. | :32:37. | |
nevertheless. Some very savage cuts have been pushed forward by the | :32:37. | :32:45. | |
Tories and the Lib Dems. Would you accept the UK government's credit | :32:45. | :32:50. | |
union expansion project at the only way that credit unions in England | :32:50. | :32:56. | |
and Wales can fulfil their role in supporting resilient communities is | :32:56. | :32:58. | |
to be self-sustaining financial businesses providing a range of | :32:58. | :33:05. | |
other services to a broad range of members, and what does the Welsh | :33:05. | :33:15. | |
:33:15. | :33:15. | ||
government intend to do to support this goal, when credit unions really | :33:15. | :33:20. | |
need time to prepare for transition? This is a matter that we would be | :33:20. | :33:24. | |
taking forward to the 13th of June. It is important that credit unions | :33:24. | :33:30. | |
are self-sustaining. I credit union that cannot sustain itself | :33:30. | :33:40. | |
:33:40. | :33:40. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds | :33:40. | :34:50. | |
financially cannot be a credit statement on what the Welsh | :34:50. | :34:55. | |
government is doing to help people in the private rented sector? | :34:55. | :34:57. | |
committed to improving conditions for people who rent from private | :34:57. | :35:04. | |
landlords. We are proposing a registered scheme for landlords and | :35:04. | :35:11. | |
agents. A scheme that was approved last week. The proposals to improve | :35:12. | :35:16. | |
this sector will make an enormous difference, we believe. | :35:16. | :35:22. | |
increasing number of Wales in our renting privately. What they need is | :35:22. | :35:25. | |
increased security on the measure supporting the new housing bill, | :35:25. | :35:29. | |
particularly with the compulsory licensing scheme, which will provide | :35:29. | :35:34. | |
exactly this. It is inevitable more people will look to the private | :35:34. | :35:37. | |
sector for housing and we need to make sure that those are good | :35:37. | :35:43. | |
quality homes, well maintained by landlords. That is a major priority | :35:43. | :35:53. | |
for us in the Government. Your previous question made it sound like | :35:53. | :35:57. | |
it was a question of choice, but 91,000 households waiting for some | :35:57. | :36:01. | |
kind of help to find rented accommodation. No wonder they turn | :36:01. | :36:08. | |
to private rented landlords. When are we, or you, going to kick the | :36:08. | :36:11. | |
new housing scheme so that some people can get onto the housing | :36:11. | :36:14. | |
ladder, and what are you doing to address that situation of the | :36:14. | :36:18. | |
chronic shortage of housing, because that is ultimately your | :36:19. | :36:21. | |
responsibility and that is why people turn to the private rented | :36:21. | :36:26. | |
sector. We have built 2500 new homes. In terms of the new buys | :36:26. | :36:31. | |
scheme, options are still being explored. The housebuilders are on | :36:31. | :36:37. | |
board, and that is very much our intention. I have to say I am | :36:37. | :36:43. | |
surprised that the Conservative party opposing the idea of oppose -- | :36:43. | :36:50. | |
licensing landlords. First Minister, you will be aware that many people | :36:50. | :36:53. | |
are forced into the private rented sector as a result of the bedroom | :36:53. | :37:00. | |
tax. Many of those people will go into the private rented sector with | :37:00. | :37:07. | |
arrears, and of course a recent report by the charity, shelter, show | :37:07. | :37:15. | |
that private rented accommodation is almost always more expensive than | :37:15. | :37:18. | |
social rented accommodation. The problem here is not that there is | :37:18. | :37:23. | |
not enough accommodation, but that people are being forced into a | :37:23. | :37:27. | |
private rented sector that is unaffordable and will Ashley cost | :37:27. | :37:31. | |
the taxpayer more, as a direct result of the bedroom tax? | :37:31. | :37:37. | |
absolutely agree with that. We will see more of the most vulnerable | :37:37. | :37:41. | |
evicted from their homes because of the bedroom tax. It is inevitable | :37:41. | :37:46. | |
because are so many people who want one bedroomed accommodation. The | :37:46. | :37:49. | |
bedroom tax is a particularly metropolitan solution, as the UK | :37:49. | :37:58. | |
government would see it. It does not work in rural Carmarthenshire | :37:58. | :38:02. | |
Bridgend. Such accommodation does not exist. As I have said before, | :38:02. | :38:06. | |
people find themselves where they either pay more get evicted. That | :38:06. | :38:10. | |
will lead to the housing crisis that is of the UK government's own | :38:10. | :38:20. | |
:38:20. | :38:20. | ||
making. A recent BBC Watchdog investigation exposed the use of | :38:20. | :38:24. | |
unreasonable clauses in tenancy agreements, such as tenants being | :38:24. | :38:29. | |
locked into contracts with landlords for their energy supplier. You | :38:30. | :38:34. | |
mentioned the housing bill. Will you ensure that that Bill outlaws this | :38:34. | :38:42. | |
practice? It is certainly something we would look to do. Whether we have | :38:42. | :38:46. | |
a legislative ability to do it is an open question. But it is something | :38:46. | :38:53. | |
we will investigate. First Minister, I recently had the pleasure of | :38:53. | :38:57. | |
receiving a petition from Aberystwyth University student | :38:57. | :39:03. | |
welfare officer Laura Dickens, and the report that they have compiled | :39:03. | :39:07. | |
surveyed the private rented sector in Aberystwyth, including in some | :39:07. | :39:12. | |
circumstances students being charged for rent for the whole summer | :39:12. | :39:16. | |
period, but being denied permission to occupy premises chewing that | :39:16. | :39:21. | |
time. Such a practice is not acceptable and should not be allowed | :39:21. | :39:29. | |
to continue. This is problematic in rural markets such as Aberystwyth | :39:29. | :39:35. | |
and Bangor, where the rural rental market is limited. What will the | :39:35. | :39:39. | |
Prime Minister do to address this important issue that needs our | :39:39. | :39:44. | |
attention? The practice as she describes it is already unlawfully | :39:44. | :39:49. | |
in reality. It is a breach of the rights of a tenant. I would | :39:49. | :39:54. | |
encourage chiboust to think about entering tenancy agreements, to make | :39:54. | :40:00. | |
sure that they are not bound for the entire calendar year, rather than | :40:00. | :40:04. | |
just the academic year, to ensure that this does not happen. Where it | :40:04. | :40:09. | |
does happen, I would encourage them to take up the issue with the | :40:09. | :40:15. | |
appropriate student union offices. Will the plane -- First Minister | :40:15. | :40:24. | |
update is on the Welsh language project in Patagonia? We continues | :40:24. | :40:26. | |
to support its rag grant through the British Council and its partners. | :40:26. | :40:32. | |
That project aims to old Welsh teaching capacity and increase Welsh | :40:32. | :40:37. | |
line which provision in Patagonia. Thank you for that answer. The | :40:37. | :40:41. | |
programme supported by the Welsh government is doing important work | :40:41. | :40:45. | |
in Patagonia, helping to keep the language alive on the other side of | :40:45. | :40:51. | |
the world. Last year, there were 977 students learning and improving | :40:51. | :41:01. | |
:41:01. | :41:03. | ||
their Welsh, up from 762. 24 of the teachers were local people, which is | :41:03. | :41:06. | |
essential, if the project is to carry on and be built upon. Since | :41:06. | :41:10. | |
the project is such important work, could you clarify what the funding | :41:11. | :41:14. | |
situation will be, and what support will be given in future to this | :41:14. | :41:18. | |
project, and I hope you would agree that given the success of the | :41:18. | :41:23. | |
project, we should not withdraw before it is able to stand on its | :41:23. | :41:28. | |
own feet. We have no intention to terminate this successful project in | :41:28. | :41:34. | |
Patagonia, and it has been strengthened with close links to | :41:34. | :41:41. | |
provide opportunities to socialise in the medium of Welsh with there. | :41:41. | :41:44. | |
That was at times rowdy first Minister's questions, but let's | :41:44. | :41:48. | |
leave it for now. You can see more coverage of the Assembly line | :41:48. | :41:58. | |
:41:58. | :42:01. | ||
through the BBC Wales democracy live Editor, Vaughan Roderick, who's been | :42:02. | :42:04. | |
watching proceedings. Interesting that the party leaders went on | :42:04. | :42:09. | |
health this week. It was a very rowdy and noisy First Minister 's | :42:09. | :42:12. | |
questions, but it was signing officer having to intervene numerous | :42:12. | :42:19. | |
times, and I think that there was an element, maybe by coincidence, maybe | :42:19. | :42:23. | |
by design, of all three opposition parties homing in on this question | :42:23. | :42:30. | |
of health. At times today, Carwyn Jones looked a little bit rattled. | :42:30. | :42:33. | |
Particularly when Darren Miller, the Conservative health spokesman, | :42:33. | :42:38. | |
intervened to compare the remarks made by Leighton Andrews, the | :42:38. | :42:44. | |
education minister, and MP, Chris Bryant, with remarks made by the | :42:44. | :42:51. | |
opposition, which Carwyn Jones dismissed as shroud waving and | :42:51. | :42:53. | |
scaremongering. I thought that he had a little difficulty coming back | :42:53. | :42:58. | |
on that will stop he is normally supremely comfortable at first | :42:58. | :43:02. | |
Minister's questions. I don't think he was today. That is a tricky one | :43:03. | :43:11. | |
for him to handle in future. If he's going to have senior Labour figures | :43:11. | :43:14. | |
campaigning against what will be the Welsh government oppose laws on the | :43:14. | :43:18. | |
NHS. The opposition parties will have taken notice of what happened | :43:18. | :43:28. | |
:43:28. | :43:28. | ||
today. They will sense some vulnerability about this, the moment | :43:28. | :43:34. | |
they saw the Labour constituency parties launching campaigns around | :43:34. | :43:42. | |
A&E at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. So, I suspect we might see an awful | :43:42. | :43:48. | |
lot of attacks, an awful lot of quoting of Chris Bryant, of Mick | :43:48. | :43:52. | |
Andrews, over the coming weeks, so I think it is an interesting | :43:52. | :43:58. | |
development, and it implies a degree of cooperation that we do not often | :43:58. | :44:04. | |
see between the opposition parties in the Chamber. And Labour keep | :44:04. | :44:08. | |
coming back and saying that it is the doctors that are proposing this. | :44:08. | :44:12. | |
This is always the answer from Carwyn Jones, that he has spoken to | :44:12. | :44:19. | |
a & the consultants. But he has got Labour politicians, senior Labour | :44:19. | :44:22. | |
politicians, singing from the same hymn sheet as some of the opposition | :44:22. | :44:30. | |
parties. Is he saying that to his own members as well? That is where | :44:30. | :44:35. | |
the opposition parties will train their fire. If they are | :44:35. | :44:43. | |
scaremongering, aren't your semi-members and MPs doing the same? | :44:43. | :44:53. | |
:44:53. | :44:55. |