04/06/2013 am.pm


04/06/2013

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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

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Members. Carwyn Jones is being asked about the Welsh Government's

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policies for economic growth and the future of NHS emergency services.

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That is what the politicians are talking about but what do you want

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to talk about? If you want to comment on anything on the programme

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feet, so let's go over to the Item one, first Minister's

:01:09.:01:19.
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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

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best possible support for victims who have been trafficked. Too often,

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rescued victims of human trafficking are treated like illegal immigrants,

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either sent back to their country of origin or unsuitable detention

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centres. Will the First Minister agree that we need to create safe

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havens for victims where they can tell their stories and provide good

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information, in tackling the scourge of human trafficking at every centre

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in Wales? These are matters for the UK government, but it is important

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that people have been trafficked are treated with respect and given

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support. Children's charities and religious winners have expressed

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concern at the legal aid for victims of human trafficking. You join me on

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calling on the UK government to ensure that these most vulnerable

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people are protected? I believe the vulnerable in society should be able

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to receive the legal protection they deserve. We are looking at a

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situation where many small centres in Wales will cease to exist as

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result of the changes being Minister outlined the steps the

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Welsh government is taking to grow the Welsh economy in the next three

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years. You will be aware of all that has been done in terms of the

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different schemes to grow the Welsh economy and that will continue to be

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done. A recent report by the Wales TUC praised the Welsh government for

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the initiatives brought about in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, it

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says these initiatives demonstrate that with the right archbishops and

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-- in place between unions and government we can build a long-term

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manufacturing base in Wales. First Minister, will you take time to

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discuss this important report with your Welsh, colleagues and put in

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place planning to support long-term industrial growth? The document was

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produced with the Council for economic renewal yesterday and was

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discussed there, and all members of the council are considering further

:04:47.:04:57.
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Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds

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a more substantive response to the than 18 months since the Government

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announced its programme to drive forward the Welsh economy, but

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looking around Cardiff enterprise zone it is difficult to see where a

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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

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that enterprise zone? She asked for an example in terms of enterprise

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zones across Wales and I would say that in terms of the business rates

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scheme that we have found in the enterprise zones, if you look at the

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North Wales enterprise zone, 14 approvals have been given with

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regard to that. I call on the party leaders to question the First

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Minister and I start with the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats,

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Kirsty Williams. The Government has missed and joins response times for

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the 11 seconds -- 11 consecutive month and Wales has the worst

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service in the mainland UK. And the accident and emergency performance

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is twice as bad as in England and you have never met government

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targets on that. When will the Government deliver the NHS that the

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Welsh public deserves? In a national survey, the Welsh public are content

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with the NHS, but that does not mean that we are complacent. Looking at

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waiting times for the month ending March this year, these have

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improved, and I'm joins response times have also improved.

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Nevertheless, the trend is in the right direction. It is the opposite,

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of course, in when. In England, 6% of patients wait more than four as

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casualties, and in Wales, the number waiting is more than double that, at

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16%, and worse, 6% of Welsh people wait more than eight hours in

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casualty departments. In England, your label -- Labour colleagues

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accuse the Government of complacency in the face of a crisis. If that is

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the Labour view, isn't the reality that under Labour in Wales, we have

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double the crisis, and from the answer you have just given, double

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the complacency. I would take that with an enormous pinch of salt.

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Casualty waiting times and Angela's response times have improved over

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the month of March. She and the party opposite have cut the NHS by

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�20 billion. Their performance is still better than yours, First

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Minister. Every option for the future of NHS services in South

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Wales assumes the provision of a new specialist centre in Cwmbran. You

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have been promising to build that for the last seven years. It was

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initially said building would start in 2009 and the hospital would be

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operational by 2013. In March 2011, she said construction would start by

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2013, and in May, 2011, the SMB was told, " I am happy to confirm that

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that project has had the go-ahead". It is now 2013 and as of Friday, the

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health minister said he is still considering the outline business

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case. First Minister, when will you get round to building that hospital?

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It is important that the structure of the NHS is correct. And as result

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of that, figures in Wales are going in the right direction in Wales, and

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in the wrong direction in England. And that is much to do with the

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party in government and the party opposite. First Minister, is it

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right that we should forget Wales? As long as he and his party don't.

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am glad everyone on those benches laughed, because that is what the

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health -- shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham has claimed, that

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should forget Wales, and we have the lamentable figures that your

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government has decided over. I want to focus on what your health

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spokesman has said here, around access to drugs. He said, a drug

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that is available in every other home nation of United Kingdom must

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be available to patients here in Wales. We clearly know that that is

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not the case. We have known the past two years, that that is not the

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case, because we have locked horns on this time and time again in this

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Chamber. When are the health ministers words going to be put into

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action so that people are not deprived of the key medicines that

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they require to extend their lives put their cancer into remission?

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These things have to be assessed rationally. The health minister has

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given a recent decision with regard to a drug for cystic fibrosis and

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has made that drug available. He felt it was important there was

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equity between Wales and the other nations of the UK. That will not

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offer comfort to patients who, today, tomorrow and in the near

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future, are going to be denied vital, life-saving drugs that could

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make a radical difference to the outcomes of their diagnosis, and it

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is regrettable that you cannot offer more substance to the comments of

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your health minister. It shows that you are out of the loop. When you

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talk about equitable and equity, isn't it the case that when we hear

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the rhetoric coming from your London colleagues, either the health

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spokesman said that should forget Wales, or the Shadow Chancellor who

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has ripped up the labour conventions of the last 50 years, is it not the

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case that you are not standing up for Wales, and you are completely

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ignored by your colleagues, time and time again? Who do you believe

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follow, do you follow Andy Burnham, or Ed Balls? He talks to me about

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figures. When we broke for Whitsun, he was claiming there was a �500

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million gap in terms of health service funding in Wales. No figures

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provided and he didn't summon whether the figures were correct.

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Completely made up. He came back and then had the barefaced cheek to

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suggest we had a plan for the airport, which was exactly the plan

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that he had in the first place. Margaret thatcher said that the

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lady's not for turning, but he does the biggest U-turns I have seen on

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the floor of this Assembly. Welcome to the party. Has he bothered to

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make that submission to London? Of course he hasn't. Now he said he

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would devolve a passenger duty. I agree with him in that regard, but

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we're has he been for the past few months? We take the lessons from a

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party that does not stand up for Wales, and makes up figures as it

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:14:30.:14:39.

in Wales is your health service. It should be safe in your hands. It is

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fully devolved. Our health service is a wholly-owned entity of the

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Welsh Government. You make the decisions. Under the south Wales

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programme proposals, local communities will lose their local

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Welsh National health services. First Minister, you are in charge of

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health in Wales. You can stop this now. Why don't you? The programme

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board is continuing along the lines of consultation. That will continue.

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First Minister, you can stop this now if you choose. Ambulance arrival

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times show that the worst performing areas in Wales are in the central

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valleys. Travel time and distance is linked with mortality rates. First

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of all, do you accept that point? If you do, how can you justify closing

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accident and emergency services in the very location that has the worst

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ambulance response times in Wales? First of all, I don't accept that

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distance is the main determining factor. It is where you get the

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treatment and what sort of treatment you get. Secondly, she has misled

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us. What she says is that there are plans to close AMD in the -- to

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close AMD services. As she will know, it is in nobody's interest to

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misrepresent the representation. Nor is it in anybody's interest for her

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to claim that she knows better than the dock as you are saying that

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change must happen. First Minister, I have not misled this Assembly.

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Services will close as a result of these proposals in the long term.

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First Minister, I was in a demonstration last Saturday, a

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demonstration that was called to save the services at the Royal, in

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hospital. I spoke to support this. Plaid Cymru cannot support the

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premise of a consultation that pits local amenities and hospital against

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each other. United we stand, divided we fall. Labour backbenchers, MPs

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and even members of your own cabinet are openly campaigning against your

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own policy. Members of the Liberal party are campaigning to cut

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services at your hospital in Bridgend. -- the Labour Party. Will

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you be defending Bridgend Hospital and supporting plans to cut services

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at other hospitals? She has said something that is misleading, untrue

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and wrong. The record will be there for all post rejection. She said

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that AMD services would be lost. That is untrue. No point saying

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consultant led, that is not what she said. She said A&E services and that

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is untrue. Order. I cannot hear the First Minister nor can the people of

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Wales. Order! On this very important issue about reconfiguration of

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hospital services which directly affects our constituents, we will

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hear the First Minister. Unless she has a crystal ball, she is in no

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position to determine how services will be developed. I see this in all

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seriousness, and they have said for many weeks, she is fighting against

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the medicine. It is the doctors themselves who say it has to be

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changed. The doctors themselves. She is saying that she knows better than

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the people of the health service. If she is convinced that she is right,

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then she needs to produce the evidence to show that she is and the

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A&E consultants, who I have spoken to, are wrong. She has failed to do

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that and should be straight with the people of Wales. Order a question

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three. Will be First Minister make a statement on the future of NHS

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services? We expect images Wales to deliver a good service. You have

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just accused that member of misleading us. Do you agree that the

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Labour MPs, including members of your own cabinet, are misleading

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as? In a press release, it was said that A&E services were disappearing

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and Chris Bryant has described the A&E department they as clothing and

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doing what he can to defend it. Do you condemn of them in the same way

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as you have before when people scaremonger about the future of

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services in local hospitals? Chris Bryant is not a minister. The last

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time I looked. The point that is, what has been suggested by the party

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opposite is that A&E services will completely submit. That has never

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been suggested by anyone in this Chamber, only by members of Plaid

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Cymru. What we want to know is why this apparent �500 million deficit

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in the NHS has suddenly mushroomed to 800 million pounds? If you want

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to play hard and fast facts, look no further than the benches opposite.

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Order. We must calm down because people cannot the exchange of that

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is the purpose of this question Time.

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Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds

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SHE SPEAKS WELSH HE RESPONDS IN WELSH

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First Minister, listening to what she said, there was a clear comment

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about the shortage of A&E consultants across the UK. Having

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seen first-hand the difficulties created by unplanned change,

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particularly in my local hospital last summer, do you agree with me

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that the best way of issuing improved outcome for patients is to

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have a planned service which places the patient at the heart of gear,

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provides immediate support of special services? There are two

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choices here. Either one managed change for the better or chaos.

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There is no joy is no choice that say we can put our heads in the sand

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and hope it goes away. I cannot agree with Plaid Cymru and the good

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doctors. There has to be changing order to attract more trainees. They

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want come otherwise. We need to attract more consultants and this is

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in pool were there are a small number of A&E departments. Wheels

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must be seen as a good way to -- good place to train. That is one

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factor. It is quite clear, as consultants have said, unless there

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is change, change that is managed, there will be change that is

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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.

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What plans does the First Minister have to strengthen community

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cohesion? We will publish an updated action plan later this year. That

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will be supporting the main unity cohesion coordinators. -- immunity

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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

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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

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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.

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