05/02/2013 am.pm

Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of questions to the

First Minister. The row that erupted over the online health

checks for the over-fifties is likely to be raised. The Welsh

Government is accused of backtracking on a manifesto

commitment to offering annual check-ups. Carwyn Jones is being

asked about the impact of the UK Government's cuts to housing

benefit. We want to hear from you. You can comment on anything on this

programme or anything politics are Business in the Chamber has already

kicked off so let's go over there now.

Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's infrastructure

plans for North Wales in the next 12 months? Yes, the plant set out

how we will invest �15 billion over the next decade. -- �15 million.

One of the key aims of the Active Travel Bill is to create safe

routes for cycling and walking. What steps are the Welsh Government

taking to ensure delivery of strong and effective road cycling

training? We introduced the national standing for cycling

training in Wales and we provided funding for authorities to deliver

training to young people. We have an initiative involving officers

working intensively with pupils and a maximum of 12 schools a year,

aiming to change travel habits to cycling. The Secretary of State for

Wales, David Jones MP, has previously highlighted the

importance of the future rail electrification to the North Wales

main line to secure -- to sustain our economy. He has subsequently

put together a working group of public and private sector officials,

chaired by Councillor to Evans of Denbighshire County Council. -- Huw

Evans. Will you also commit over the next 12 months to work with the

Welsh Office, the UK Government and in particular are this particular

working group to drive this project Ford? Test -- I spoke at an event

organised by the Wales office yesterday in order to make sure the

business community were aware. I am sure the First Minister is aware

that the two main issues that concern businesses that are seeking

the major capital plans, the thing that is worrying bees companies is

the procurement process. What are you going to do to simplify the

process? There are steps we can take. Their arrears are billed to

be put before the Assembly before the start of next year, which will

be the Planning Bill. We understand that it is extremely important that

the system should be made to work more swiftly and that people have

done opportunity to express their views on planning proposals.

transport come -- Transport Minister has committed to the

electrification of the railway lines in North Wales but many of

the plans are dependent on investment in the areas of Chester

and crew mack. -- Crewe. Is it possible to have a steering

committee in place? Electrification is a matter for the UK Government

and it is sensible to electrify to Crewe, because that is where the

electrified line currently earns. We are happy to work would be UK

Government and we hope they will bring plans for as quickly as

possible. -- work with the UK Government. Will the First Minister

make a statement on his economic priorities over the next 12 months?

My priorities are outlined in the programme for Government. I am sure

you would agree that in rural Stitcher and see -- constituency

like mine, broadband services are crucial to improving the economy.

Your Government has recently introduced a programme outlining

the 14 local authorities to be included and unfortunately

Pembrokeshire is not included. Can you tell us what criteria were used

to decide what local authorities would receive this assistance and

can you make sure that those areas in my constituency and that can't

access broadband week -- currently will not be left behind? It is true

to say, as regards Pembrokeshire, it will benefit from this scheme in

due course. The enterprise zone in Pembrokeshire, that will be an area

that will benefit from broadband very soon. We understand of course

that it is very important that enterprise zones have access to

broadband. Four what plans does the First Minister have to encourage

more inward investment, particularly from the US, in view

of the fact that American companies are so successful here and the fact

that they see Wales and the UK as a gateway to Europe? It is important

that we have a presence in the US, we have officers in New York and

Washington and I will be in San Francisco next week. We hope to end

bed or some want full-time working in California. -- to place some of

full time. I don't believe that the UK will leave the European Union.

The growth in the UK economy is contracting and there is a general

belief among economists that George Osborne has got it wrong and many

economists by now agree and repeat the Plaid Cymru mantra that there

is a need to invest in infrastructure. When will you be

making an announcement as regards alternative means of fund raising

for these capital schemes that are so vital for Wales and to promote

the economy? I have already made a statement on plans such as the

plans in the heads of the valleys, and we seek now the comments of the

Silk Commission being taken forward by the UK Government as soon as

possible, which will mean that we can borrow more in order to spend

more on capital projects. I am sure that attracting more business and

tourism to Wales would be a major priority for your Government in the

next year. In March of last year the business Minister stated that

she felt we had not got the brand right for Wales and she was putting

staff in place to support a new brand. What progress has been made?

That work is now coming to a conclusion. I call the leader of

the Welsh Liberal Democrat, Kirsty Williams. -- Liberal Democrats.

in November of 2011, the Health Minister said that health checks

led by GPs and nurses for the over- fifties are a firm commitment from

the Welsh Government. Now we understand that they are to be sent

to all website instead. What will it offer that is not already

offered by NHS Direct Wales website and other websites? It is the first

stage in a process that will allow doctors and other professionals to

identify patients that need GP care. People will fill in the form on the

website, the information will be collected through the website, and

it will allow a GPs and other health practitioners to identify

and contact those patients who most need -- most need help. It is

simply part of the process to fulfilling our commitment. I look

forward to seeing the details of how bad computer system is actually

going to work and ensuring confidentiality of patient records,

and that the information is only seen by the appropriate individual.

Let's move to another promise of yours, to address the lack of

critical care beds in Wales. Can you tell me which European

countries have a lower number of critical care beds per head of

population? We want to make sure we have a health service that is safe

and sustainable, so there are plans being brought forward by the local

health boards in terms of the future of the health service in

Wales. We will be -- we believe we will have sufficient critical care

beds for the population. Let me answer for you, there is not a

single country that has less critical pick -- critical care beds

than Wales. You have essentially ditched free healthcare checks

over-fifties, you wait longer for an ambulance in Wales done any part

of mainland UK, urgent cancer targets have never been met since

he became First Minister. Is it any wonder that the Welsh NHS is, on

your watch, and to use your words, on the brink of collapse? That is a

selective use of the word that was used over the weekend. What I said

was that in future the NHS will be at the point of collapse if changes

are not being made. We don't need lessons from the Lib Dems in terms

of policy. Not two weeks ago they were suggesting that at two pence

cut in income tax could be made up by increasing environmental taxes.

That would leave a black hole of �160 million. We need no lessons

from the party opposite. Questions from the Leader of the Opposition.

Last week -- last week he told the South Wales Argus that your biggest

fear was the passage of time. My biggest fear is York savage health

cuts. Last week we also found that that student numbers here in Wales

had fallen, unlike other parts of the United Kingdom. Is that not a

great concern for you? That is not right. How many times is he going

to get the statistics wrong? We are planning a future for the Welsh NHS

did his party is creating across the border. -- but his party is

creating a crisis for. You are responsible for the cuts to the NHS.

Yesterday we saw a manifesto commitment jettisoned for health

checks over 50s. You claimed that the manifesto was the best

presented and best cost managed manifesto put before the people of

Wales. What we see in your higher education policy is a failing

policy because we do actually see student numbers falling here in

Wales. 2.1 % less students were enrolled in Welsh universities.

Those figures came out of Newcastle stop -- came out if UCAS. Your

policy is not delivering for some of the most disadvantaged in our

society. The Leader of the Opposition seems to claim that if

you charge people more and, more people will use a service. But

figures show a significant increase in the number of students from

other parts of the UK. Selective use of figures, as he did it last

week. He was wrong on the figures that he used, because we double-

checked. He needs to make sure that if he uses figures to get them

$:/STARTFEED. The overall figure was down. The figures are used last

week were correct because you were unable to correct them. The fact

that the most disadvantaged in society are unable to benefit from

your open chequebook policy and that is on top of the report that

your education minister had to deal with the last week, that indicated

fewer schools are achieving good or excellent inspections, mediocre

teacher performance and problems across all sectors. Is it not the

fact that you should be frightened of what your education minister is

delivering for the students of Wales which is mediocrity and

fading to lift standards across our education, across the whole of

Wales. He is delivering for the young people of Wales. He is

looking to improve literacy, a new procedure, he is looking to

fragment the system. He said last week, exports in Wales have fallen

by 5%. Wrong. The figure is actually for 0.1 %. He selectively

chose the figures for a quarter are not for a year. If he looks at the

early figures he will see exports have gone up substantially. He got

his figures from! Even on his own admission. The reality is when we

look at the party opposite, we look at a different party because we

know this predecessor led the party close to the door of government and

he led them away, as far away as possible. I am not wanting to

regurgitate last week's argument. My figures are correct! Order a! We

now move to questions from the leader of Plaid Cymru. The UN would.

I am sure people in Wales are much more enlightened after that

exchange. I asked you in 20th November 11 if you agreed there

should be a quarterly published whilst D D P figure alongside the

UK's and at that time you said that you do agree that you need to

insure that Welsh GDP figures are available. That is something we are

looking at now have to insure those figures can be made available for

Wales. Can you give us an update, please? It is still being examined

by the Chief of Commerce, the Office of National Statistics. It

will be useful for us to be able to have access to more up-to-date

figures but these are not figures that we produce. The latest figures

show a third down turn in the UK economy but we do not know in Wales

because we do not have a GDP indicator to show whether or not

our economy is performing well and that his information we need to

know in order to change policy if things are not going well. What we

do know about our economy is that about 50,000 more unemployed people,

there are 50,000 more people under employed than there were before the

recession. We are clearly not making the best use of our

resources. It is 14 months since I asked you for does Welsh GDP

figures. Will you ensure they will be published so we can increase

your Government's economic performance? We cannot ensure

figures are produced if there are no -- we do not control the figures

produced. We have figures for those who are economically active, we

have figures for those who have benefited -- benefited from a jobs

growth Wales. They have a plenty of indicators upon which the

government can be judged. There are a number of indicators and what we

do know is that everything in the garden is far from rosy despite

what you say here and that the Welsh economy has been in decline

for 20 years. You might recall doing an interview with Swiss radio

four. During that you said, the best way of expressing our identity

and letting the world No we exist is to do world -- well in the World

Cup. When you have an NHS which is in your own words on the verge of

collapse, a failing education system, and no way of knowing

whether or not the country you lead is still in recession or not, is

this really the height of your ambition for Wales? Again a

selective use of a phrase that was used in terms of projecting Wales's

identity abroad. She forgets that a member of her own party was the

economics minister for four years. Clearly forgotten. I work closely

with him and I do not blame him for the economic situation because I

know the world economy has suffered. It is naive to think we can wrap

ourselves in a bubble in Wales and see our economy get back to the way

it was before 2008. It will take time and it is naive to suggest one

party has all the answers. The indicators are there. We also have

in place a number of schemes to help businesses in Wales, we have

the world economic growth fund, the loans for micro businesses fund, we

are a very proactive government, we have many schemes in place and

these are the things that set us apart from the chaos that exists

under the Tories and Lib Dems elsewhere in the UK. We now move

back to questions on the paper. What is the Welsh Government doing

to enhance local accountability through the wash planning system?

The planning system must approach - - work the most appropriate level

of government. I am keen to pursue the reason why the Welsh Government

is taking such a stance in not providing additional financial

resources to Powys County Council to defend its planning permission.

Before Christmas a spokesperson for the Welsh government said, it must

be remembered that the decision to object to the wind farm

applications referred to his Tiley down to Powys County Council. They

were of the implications when they decided to reject the schemes. Your

Government's perceived view is that the council should have taken the

cost into account and approved in appropriate applications bickered

it not meet the cost of Appeal. I do believe in local democracy and

the distance yourself from these comments made on your behalf?

money up its claims it needs is in order to make its obligations. Why

should the Welsh taxpayer pay for something of the -- that Whitehall

should be paying for? It is not our job to provide finance for a local

authority that is fighting something by the UK government. It

would be far more profitable if he pursued the UK government and asked

them for funding to help Powys County Council to deal with

something that they themselves caused and the first place!

Minister, many people in Wales believe that accountability in the

planning system would be enhanced if we in Wales had an independent

planning inspectorate for Wales. Is it your intention to introduce

that? There are disadvantages and advantages in regards to having a

separate inspection system. Whether they would be an advantage is

difficult to see. What happens is that the inspectors use planning

guidance from Wales and I believe they do follow that, but I do not

believe there is a case for a separate inspectorate just for the

sake of being different. What is important is that the inspector and

use guidance from Wales. I am sure you will agree that town and

community councils play a vital role in assisting the determination

of planning applications as principal consul Tees? In that

context, in the event that such a council were to object to a

particular application, do you feel there is any merit in such an

application automatically triggering full planning committee

consideration? This would in my view serve to enhance transparency

for the determination of such an application, rather than a decision

being made by planning officers. This is something that could be

considered as part of the Planning Bill process. What assessment has

the Welsh Government made of the actions being taken by local

authorities in Wales to mitigate the impact of cuts in essential

housing benefits? We have contacted all local authorities to ascertain

what has been undertaken. Of the 16 that have responded, five have

undertaken a bespoke impact assessment but clearly there needs

to be a more proactive response from other local the authorities in

Wales to insure that the most vulnerable people are placed in the

best position possible. iniquities of the coalition's

policy in relation to housing benefit cuts have been well

rehearsed here. Will you join with me in commending the efforts of

Cardiff and other Labour councillors in Wales to deploy

every flexibility they are able to assemble so that foster parents are

not forced to give up their vital work, because of the lack of a

bedroom or grandparents are not forced to give up the care of

grandchildren where that care means the parents are able to go to work

and that families who are working hard with their local authority or

with their housing association to find affordable accommodation on

not forced into smaller and more expensive private sector

accommodation because of the dogmatic actions of an inflexible

and ideologically driven administration in London?

member makes his point very strongly and I can only reiterate

what he has said. I was struck by the delegation of the Prime

Minister received in terms of gay marriage from his constituency

chairs. I was stopped by the fact that they said they could not

reconcile themselves to a gay marriage because of their moral

values. Where are their moral values when it comes to taking

money away from the most vulnerable? They have their values

wrong and I find it sickening that families, grandparents, foster

carers, and young people will suffer as a result of their warped

moral values. There was no heart and supply crisis but there is now.

Nine to 1,000 households on waiting lists, house building at its lowest

level since the 1920s, that is the reason why this is happening. Do

you share my concern that despite your previous Welsh government

accepting the recommendation of the community and cultures Committee on

affordable housing that the Welsh Government seeks to promote a

positive image of the private sector as a first-choice and that

working with social letting agencies and credited landlords had

built in housing benefit changes, that many local authorities are

still due to meet them. They are only just now having meetings about

them. Two years after that warning went out and two years after the UK

government wrote to every council in England and Wales with the

guidance on the new discretionary housing payments. Are you coming to

the question? I have no idea what that question was. I have no idea.

I heard a speech for a long time, I heard no question at all. I did

hear him say that the private rented sector should be the first

choice. I see no reason why they should be the first port of call

but in 2011, 2489 additional affordable housing was made across

Wales. We are ensuring that affordable housing is available to

people even as his party tries to force people out of their homes.

First Minister, may I refer you specifically to the issue of the

additional bedroom tax. I have more than one elector who has placed in

a position now where they have invested money to convert an

additional bedroom because of the disability, to allow them to stay

in their own homes and now they are going to be taxed and I have

received a reply from Westminster say that is the position, despite

the fact that this person has endeavoured to ensure they can stay

in their own homes by using their own money to adapt that bedroom for

their disability. A I agree entirely. Demonstrates that if the

people who will suffer are those who are disabled, are older, those

people who want to remain in their homes but the UK government do not

care about those people. We see that all they want to do is to make

more and more cuts and what will happen is if there are cuts in

benefits, that will mean that more people will become homeless and

where does the money come from to help them? The Russian government.

It is away for the UK government to save money but that passes a burden

on to the Russian government and that is unfair, not only for the

Welsh Government, but it is unfair for those people who will be

The bedroom tax is causing despair amongst many of my constituents.

Many are visiting Citizen's Advice Bureaux because they are lifeline

in supporting some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people

in our communities. Will you continue to support third sector

providers like the bureaux, who are playing a vital role in supporting

our hard-hit communities? Absolutely. We are providing

funding to Citizens Advice, Marie - - Citizen's Advice Wales. We have

provided help for third sector organisations in order to provide

advice at a time when so many people are in need of advice for

the first time. What progress is being made by the Welsh Government

to increase the activity of credit unions in Wales in providing low-

interest loans for people who would otherwise be dependent on payday

loans? As part of our commitment to tackle poverty, our funding has

helped credit unions to provide loans to thousands of excluded

adults in the last two years. represent this Assembly on the

British Irish parliamentary inquiry on to credit unions and I listened

with envy as to how Irish credit unions have 16 billion euros ready

to invest in Ireland. Will you commit to a real campaign to be

sustained over a long period of time with a budget to ensure that

credit unions are expanded here in Wales and will you join with me in

input -- in applauding good practice by registered social

landlords? They play a vital role in expanding credit unions to their

run tenants on low incomes. Ireland, the credit unions have

been going for much longer and they are much bigger institutions. There

lies the ambition for our credit unions in time. Six credit unions

are taking part in a project to support tenants to make regular

payments to their social landlords are using credit union rent

accounts, so we have worked hard with credit unions to achieve the

best coverage around Wales and to make sure people use their credit

unions. Savings with credit unions have increased by 29 % in the last

two years. Following on from Lindsay Whittle's question, I know

you are a big supporter of credit unions, but the loss of the funding

from September of this year presents a significant problem to

those, to all credit unions, not just those in our region. With the

loss of a significant five-figure sum and a? Over the European

funding -- query mark over the European funding, what guarantees

can you give to increase support so that people do not have to rely on

payday loans? Credit unions are flying already. Membership is

51,000 already, an increase of 26 % in two years. To a great extent

credit unions are now self- sufficient but we have the

opportunity to work with them over the next few years. Last autumn

credit unions were told by was Government officials that they

can't necessarily expect Welsh Government support to achieve

sustainability past September of 2013. Does that mean the loss

Government is no longer concerned with building on the investment

they have made? Credit unions continue to grow. It seems to me

that they are in a far stronger financial position than they were,

so what we have to examine is whether there is and need to

financially support them at the same level in the future and to see

what kind of support might be needed. Inevitably quickened expect

them in time to become self- supporting. -- we can expect.

Swansea council is using a -- providing information on the local

credit union. Will you join with me in congratulating Swansea council

and join with me in urging public and private sector employees to use

payslips supporting credit unions and to try to get people off the

very expensive grade-A -- payday loans? I will. I know that

publicity materials are regularly circulated to NHS organisations and

local authorities to explain the benefits of credit union membership.

Will the First Minister make a statement on what the Welsh

Government can do to stop children accessing age inappropriate

material online? We can't stop it completely because we don't control

the internet but we do recommend that service providers encourage

parental controls and we are working to make sure that resources

are available to protect children. I speak to parents in my

constituency who work about their children's on-line activities and

they often don't know where to start to make the world a safer

place. -- make the internet. How can we make parents more aware of

ways to block these sites? Has we are providing bilingual school

packs that can be accessed through the website. -- we are providing. I

know certainly the children's commissioner is also working to

raise awareness of the issue. I think one of the best ways of doing

this is to make sure that working through schools parents are able to

be informed if they don't already know of what can be done in order

to restrict internet access to harmful sites. I was just wondering

whether the Welsh Government has any of its own guidelines on what

it considers age appropriate? A quick search of the Web on sites

such as the Daily Mail can see that there are story after story about

women's bodies and that can pull out their imperfections and women

reading this websites may feel that they have problems with their self-

esteem but may lead on to mental health problems in the future. Is

this something you can look into? I have called for confidence and

well-being and lessons in schools previously, but this is a growing

problem amongst young people. difficult to restrict access in the

home and often difficult to understand what is age appropriate

contact -- content. For example, the certification system used to

for video games is very different from the certification used for

films. Some of the staff are available for children is very

different. It is important that we are in a position to educate

children are and adults as well, but the Government has been asked

to hold discussions on this matter, and formulate what will become was

Government policy in terms of what inappropriate material and its

access online. I will report back on the progress of that. May I

highlight what the children's commissioner said, that children

and young people don't see much of a distinction between their run

line and off-line lives. The First Minister will know that today is

safer internet day. Can he suggest how he will encourage safety where

children are concerned? It is important that parents understand

what their children are accessing and St, particularly through

websites such as Facebook. -- accessing and saying. I believe

that working with schools we will be able to inform more children and

parents about what is age appropriate material. In a survey

published today for internet saved the day, children and young people

tell us that they are just as disturbed by images of animal

violence as they are by pornography and bullying. How are you working

to make sure that should -- teachers are aware of the breadth

of material that can cause children distress? We have an all Wales

learning platform launched in December of last year. That

platform allows us to centrally host safety resources and they will

be available for students in Wales to access and there will be help

for teachers to raise awareness around safety for children and

parents will stop we will have to leave it for now. Don't forget you

can see more coverage of the Assembly online through the

Democracy Live page. Let's pick up with some of that with our

political correspondent, Thomas Livingstone. Kirsty Williams, the

Lib Dem leader, referring to the row over online health checks for

the over-fifties. Yes, this was a policy that Labour stood in their

policy manifesto in 2011, the idea being that the over fifties would

be able to go to their GP for an annual health check to see if they

needed any further treatment. The Government has decided this is not

going to happen a tall and people will be referred to a website where

they will be able to carry out the cheques themselves to all intents

and purposes. I think Kirsty Williams probably ask to be key

question - how will this be different from the vast range of

staff already out there on the internet. It was interesting to see

the other two party leaders approaching this story in a very

different ways. Andrew RT Davies decided that after listening to

Kirsty Williams there was no real purpose in repeating them and he

asked on a different range of suspects -- subjects. A Leanne Wood

from Plaid Cymru tried to develop a narrative that perhaps there was

not much drive coming from Carwyn Jones' Government, drawing together

problems in education, the health service and do GDP figures. She

says that Wales does not have enough data about its economic

performance to draw sensible conclusions and she tried to draw

the three things together, suggesting that Carwyn Jones needs

to be doing a bit more with his position. Both Kirsty Williams and

Leanne woods -- Leanne Wood picked up on the collapse of the NHS and

Les there was some reform. Sunday Carwyn Jones said that if

the changes in the way hospital services are delivered do not go

ahead, the service will be on the brink. With Labour having been in

charge since 1999, any changes on this scale will give rise to

questions, why hasn't it been done before? Isn't it an admission that

you. -- got it wrong? The question was raised a couple of times by AMs

and Carwyn Jones said, you need to listen to everything I said, not

just the word collapse. It was a bit more fiery today, the last

couple of weeks have been quite subdued. Yes, the exchanges between

Carwyn Jones and Andrew RT Davies were quite feisty, going back over

what has happened in the last couple of weeks. That is it for