Browse content similar to 05/07/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Good afternoon and will come to the programme. The first Minister's | :00:24. | :00:31. | |
Questions is coming up in a moment. We also have the latest news on the | :00:31. | :00:33. | |
so-called Liberal Democrats to. If you would like to send us your | :00:33. | :00:40. | |
comments about any of the stories will be talking about, please do. | :00:40. | :00:50. | |
:00:50. | :00:54. | ||
The contact details are on the screen. Vaughan Roderick is here | :00:54. | :01:00. | |
with the latest on the Liberal Democrat to, Vaughan -- you have a | :01:00. | :01:09. | |
piece of paper in your hand. This is the report from the Standards | :01:09. | :01:13. | |
Commissioner setting out facts of the case against Andrew Roberts and | :01:13. | :01:21. | |
John Dixon. In the first case of Aled Roberts, he sets out what | :01:21. | :01:27. | |
happened quite simply. He sets out a pattern of events where Aled | :01:27. | :01:36. | |
Roberts did attempt to check whether he was part of the pricing | :01:36. | :01:42. | |
tribunal in North Wales and was misled by the fact that the Welsh | :01:42. | :01:45. | |
link on the Electoral Commission website had not been updated to | :01:45. | :01:52. | |
take in a change in the list. Gerard Elias says that he is | :01:52. | :01:57. | |
convinced that Aled Roberts did everything that could reasonably be | :01:57. | :02:03. | |
expected of any candidate to make sure that he was within the rules. | :02:03. | :02:11. | |
What about John Dixon? The findings on John Dixon are more problematic. | :02:11. | :02:17. | |
The job he was barred from taking was with the Care Council and he | :02:17. | :02:22. | |
was paid �3,000 here. He also admits that he did not look at the | :02:22. | :02:30. | |
list. He assumed he was OK. He had stood in parliamentary and local | :02:30. | :02:35. | |
elections before and assumed that because it was things like the army | :02:35. | :02:39. | |
and the Civil Service, that the job in the care council would not count. | :02:39. | :02:47. | |
That seems to be a less convincing case. It is in the hands of the | :02:47. | :02:50. | |
Assembly Members now will take a vote tomorrow. Do we know whether | :02:50. | :02:54. | |
that but will go ahead? It might be put back for a week because this | :02:54. | :03:01. | |
report only came out this morning. Talking to Assembly Members, it | :03:01. | :03:05. | |
seems clear to me that any hope John Dixon had of returning to the | :03:05. | :03:12. | |
Assembly must be fading now. As far as Aled Roberts is concerned, I | :03:12. | :03:15. | |
think it would be a knife-edge affair but I suspect he would be | :03:15. | :03:22. | |
out as well. But after reading this report, some Assembly Members might | :03:22. | :03:29. | |
change their minds. While we have been chatting, the first Minister's | :03:29. | :03:38. | |
Questions has been taking place so we will catch up with that now. | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
What are the Government's plans to increase the number of jobs located | :03:43. | :03:47. | |
in a different regional offices? are reviewing the situation at | :03:47. | :03:52. | |
present but we do want to ensure a large percentage of jobs are | :03:52. | :04:02. | |
:04:02. | :04:03. | ||
outside of Cardiff. The intention of opening regional offices was to | :04:03. | :04:10. | |
devolve jobs from Cardiff and not to centralise jobs across North | :04:10. | :04:14. | |
Wales in one central position. May I ask whether you are discussing | :04:14. | :04:18. | |
plans to close the Carnarvon officer present and how many | :04:18. | :04:22. | |
Government jobs have been devolved from Cardiff to Llandudno? | :04:22. | :04:29. | |
situation has not changed since I spoke with the former Deputy First | :04:29. | :04:32. | |
Minister before the election. There will be a statement by the end of | :04:32. | :04:38. | |
the month. Do you accept that members of the public in North | :04:38. | :04:41. | |
Wales may feel justified in suspecting that the previous | :04:41. | :04:48. | |
Assembly Government was engaging in an exercise in PR in opening its | :04:48. | :04:53. | |
multi-million pounds offices in Llandudno Junction, with the | :04:53. | :04:58. | |
promise of 650 jobs being brought to the region? In the light of the | :04:58. | :05:02. | |
news that the Government is considering a plans to close other | :05:02. | :05:06. | |
Assembly offices in Bangor, Co Cavan, Mold, St Asaph the Wrexham, | :05:06. | :05:15. | |
can you confirm that not only staff but also those attempting to access | :05:15. | :05:25. | |
:05:25. | :05:25. | ||
advice at the centres will be forced to travel? What assessment | :05:25. | :05:31. | |
have you made of the likely number of redundancies? The redundancies | :05:31. | :05:39. | |
are not something we've looked at. Some offices will be closed as a | :05:39. | :05:45. | |
result of the opening of the offices in Llandudno and avarice it. | :05:45. | :05:55. | |
:05:55. | :06:02. | ||
-- Aberystwyth. We are considering the situation very carefully. | :06:02. | :06:08. | |
is responsible for the strategy of locating offices for the last | :06:08. | :06:13. | |
Government? Is it you as First Minister or the Civil Service? If | :06:13. | :06:17. | |
you are responsible, were you take the opportunity today to say a word | :06:18. | :06:22. | |
of encouragement to people in mid- Wales and less with that every | :06:22. | :06:28. | |
regional office there will stay open? I am responsible and as I | :06:28. | :06:32. | |
have said, the situation has not changed since I spoke to the Deputy | :06:32. | :06:40. | |
First Minister before the elections. What is the Government doing to | :06:40. | :06:45. | |
provide community safety in Wales? We work closely with the community | :06:45. | :06:50. | |
safety partnerships in Wales to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, | :06:50. | :06:59. | |
substance misuse, violence against women and domestic abuse. I am sure | :06:59. | :07:06. | |
that many of us and the last election heard a vocal campaign | :07:06. | :07:11. | |
from the Police Federation about safety initiatives. They noted that | :07:11. | :07:16. | |
crime fell significantly under the last UK Labour Government. Many of | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
us share concern about the loss of frontline jobs because of funding | :07:21. | :07:27. | |
cuts. In my constituency, we've had several cases of anti-social | :07:27. | :07:37. | |
:07:37. | :07:43. | ||
behaviour. People want to see an on-street present. -- presence. | :07:43. | :07:53. | |
:07:53. | :08:01. | ||
are aiming to begin deployment of PCAS rose from 2012. One of the | :08:01. | :08:10. | |
concerns in my constituency is with regard to unmanned level crossings. | :08:10. | :08:16. | |
An American tourist was killed 10 years ago and it took six years for | :08:16. | :08:26. | |
:08:26. | :08:26. | ||
a package to put -- to be put together. With the introduction of | :08:26. | :08:33. | |
the hourly service on the Cambrian Line, there will be more frequent | :08:33. | :08:43. | |
:08:43. | :08:47. | ||
trains running at greater speeds. What specific planning processes is | :08:47. | :08:52. | |
your Government putting in place to ensure the overall risk of | :08:52. | :08:58. | |
accidents is mitigated? We work closely with a Network Rail to make | :08:58. | :09:05. | |
sure the crossings we have a safe. They have been some accidents and | :09:05. | :09:08. | |
fatalities at different level crossings across Wales over the | :09:08. | :09:17. | |
past 10 or 15 years. Crossings need to be as safe as possible and we | :09:18. | :09:27. | |
will be guided by Network Rail. Thousands of families across Wales | :09:27. | :09:32. | |
live in housing provided by councils and housing associations. | :09:32. | :09:36. | |
A vast majority look after their homes and take great pride -- pride | :09:36. | :09:40. | |
in their properties. Unfortunately, a small number are not so | :09:40. | :09:50. | |
:09:50. | :09:53. | ||
responsible. What efforts are you making to ensure that we better | :09:53. | :09:59. | |
enforced tenancy agreements? We are working with all social landlords | :09:59. | :10:09. | |
to tackle problems of anti-social behaviour. Wrexham has recently | :10:09. | :10:11. | |
become the first of its authority in Wales to meet the Wales housing | :10:11. | :10:21. | |
:10:21. | :10:29. | ||
management standard and that is something that we will come. Paul | :10:29. | :10:34. | |
Davies. Last week, you denied that waiting lists are getting worse | :10:34. | :10:39. | |
under your watch. But official figures show that 227,000 patients | :10:39. | :10:44. | |
were waiting to start treatment in the NHS when you became First | :10:44. | :10:50. | |
Minister. 341,000 are now waiting. That is a rise of 50 %. Were you | :10:50. | :11:00. | |
:11:00. | :11:05. | ||
now apologised to the people of Extra money was put into | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
Orthopaedic Surgery at some months ago. And it comes to deferral | :11:09. | :11:14. | |
treatment times, we are doing better than England. It is as | :11:14. | :11:24. | |
:11:24. | :11:27. | ||
simple as that. When it comes to wait over 52 weeks, 13,400 patients | :11:27. | :11:37. | |
in Wales wait more than 52 weeks. In Wales that figure is 600. People | :11:37. | :11:44. | |
in Wales have much to be grateful for when it comes to the NHS. | :11:44. | :11:54. | |
:11:54. | :11:55. | ||
Clearly the Welsh First Minister does not want to talk about the NHS. | :11:55. | :12:02. | |
The First Minister has been asked on numerous occasions about the | :12:02. | :12:09. | |
Welsh NHS. He then went on to talk about the NHS in England. There are | :12:10. | :12:13. | |
another and 14,000 more patients waiting for treatment than they | :12:13. | :12:19. | |
were when you became First Minister. The First Minister told us last | :12:19. | :12:24. | |
year that we have to make sure there is enough money available for | :12:24. | :12:28. | |
the health service over the next three years. Can the First Minister | :12:28. | :12:34. | |
explain why if there was enough money in November that an extra �65 | :12:34. | :12:39. | |
million has been put in to try and stem the tide in waiting lists was | :12:39. | :12:44. | |
a lot --. We know orthopaedic waiting-lists have increased. They | :12:44. | :12:51. | |
run increase in demand for services because people are living longer. | :12:51. | :12:58. | |
We have made resources available to deal with that. I am more than | :12:58. | :13:04. | |
happy to talk about treatment times. I am more than happy to talk about | :13:04. | :13:11. | |
the fact that GPs in Wales are more happy to work in Wales. The Labour | :13:11. | :13:15. | |
Party needs to understand the scales of the challenges facing the | :13:15. | :13:25. | |
:13:25. | :13:25. | ||
health service. The government's chosen auditors say plans for | :13:25. | :13:31. | |
efficiency savings will not be enough. When the First Minister | :13:31. | :13:35. | |
brings his much delayed legislative programme to this Chamber next week, | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
will you ensure it contains specific proposals to meet an | :13:39. | :13:47. | |
increased demand in the Welsh NHS? It is a question of careful | :13:47. | :13:52. | |
management and prudent government. We have put forward a Budget that | :13:52. | :14:02. | |
:14:02. | :14:08. | ||
is a good Budget. We have shown that GPs in Wales do not want to | :14:08. | :14:14. | |
pursue plans being pursued elsewhere. The Welsh government | :14:14. | :14:20. | |
needs to act to reduce the demand on the Welsh NHS at the moment. | :14:20. | :14:23. | |
Five and a half 1,000 people die every year from tobacco related | :14:23. | :14:32. | |
illnesses. The NHS in Wales spent �500 million a year treating | :14:32. | :14:39. | |
diabetes. Can the First Minister confirm that his legislative | :14:39. | :14:43. | |
programme will contain specific measures to help reduce demand for | :14:43. | :14:49. | |
the NHS by shifting the focus to preventative health? This is an | :14:49. | :14:52. | |
enormous change of tail compared to what we were hearing before the | :14:52. | :15:01. | |
election. Many organisations talked about a cosy relationship with the | :15:01. | :15:10. | |
government. If you have bad housing, you have bad health. You have to | :15:10. | :15:20. | |
:15:20. | :15:22. | ||
make sure that we look at health in the round. We will look at the | :15:22. | :15:31. | |
causes of bad health rather than the sticky plaster approach. | :15:31. | :15:35. | |
23rd June you suggested you would send me a car be of your manifesto | :15:35. | :15:39. | |
so that I could understand what your policies were. I have now read | :15:39. | :15:45. | |
the manifesto and I now know in general terms what you are | :15:45. | :15:51. | |
proposing to do on health. But it is still the position that does a | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
very generalised statements that need to be turned into delivery | :15:54. | :16:01. | |
target and an opportunity for us to scrutinise those properly. If there | :16:01. | :16:05. | |
is no information there about what your priorities are in terms of | :16:05. | :16:10. | |
time skiers, we have to pick up bits and pieces from other sources. | :16:10. | :16:15. | |
I read an article written by the Minister for Health on 23rd May | :16:15. | :16:19. | |
when she said it reduced Budget from Westminster means we need to | :16:19. | :16:24. | |
focus our priorities and where savings can be made. Can you tell | :16:25. | :16:29. | |
us what those priorities are and what savings you have identified? | :16:29. | :16:35. | |
There are challenges and this is true. It is a challenge the NHS has | :16:35. | :16:42. | |
to face. People need to get treatment as close to their homes | :16:42. | :16:50. | |
as possible. We want to make sure we get best value for money from | :16:50. | :16:54. | |
the NHS. People need to get the treatment they need as close to | :16:54. | :17:00. | |
their homes as possible. I have invited you again to tell us what | :17:00. | :17:03. | |
your priorities are and what the savings are and frankly you have | :17:03. | :17:10. | |
not told us. Let us examine a specific item which was contained | :17:10. | :17:16. | |
in your manifesto. You said that waiting times in accident and | :17:16. | :17:20. | |
emergency at to be reduced. Can you tell us today what your target for | :17:20. | :17:27. | |
reduction is and when is that to be achieved? We are working on the | :17:27. | :17:32. | |
targets as we speak. They will be targets and a delivery plan will be | :17:32. | :17:36. | |
produced in due course. Those targets will be able to be | :17:36. | :17:40. | |
scrutinised by this Assembly. That is quite proper. One of the | :17:40. | :17:45. | |
problems that exists in accident and emergency is that some | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
departments are too small for the numbers will go through those | :17:49. | :17:54. | |
departments from time to time. That is why we have put in place things | :17:54. | :18:00. | |
to deal with that problem. Again, we do not have exactly what your | :18:00. | :18:05. | |
targets are. We do not know how we can scrutinise how effective that | :18:05. | :18:10. | |
policy is. Is it not true that we are in the third month of this | :18:10. | :18:14. | |
government and we still do not know what your priorities in the field | :18:14. | :18:18. | |
of health are and what you would tend to achieve by when and how the | :18:18. | :18:24. | |
money will be spent. I have tried to to work out what you have been | :18:24. | :18:29. | |
saying on health because I have been on your government website. | :18:29. | :18:34. | |
There are 20 press statements there. Apart from making statements about | :18:34. | :18:38. | |
what had been agreed by the last government, there is very little | :18:38. | :18:46. | |
there about your direction of travel. We have had no debate on | :18:46. | :18:52. | |
health policy. We have only a responded to a commission. There | :18:53. | :18:56. | |
are are no plans to have this debate before the recess. Given | :18:56. | :19:01. | |
that 40% of your Budget is spent on health, the you not think the | :19:01. | :19:08. | |
people of Wales are entitled to know what you plan Sark? -- plans | :19:08. | :19:18. | |
:19:18. | :19:18. | ||
are? The target continues to be above the 90% level. We know in | :19:18. | :19:27. | |
terms of emergency departments, before our target has seen 91% of | :19:27. | :19:37. | |
:19:37. | :19:38. | ||
people seen within that target. In terms of other services, targets | :19:38. | :19:43. | |
are similar. I understand you are responding to questions. But we | :19:43. | :19:48. | |
want the government to set out its programme. It is not right that the | :19:48. | :19:53. | |
opposition parties have to ask questions and tried out this | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
information bit by bit. It is clear to me you want to reach the recess | :19:56. | :20:02. | |
without having said too much but you hope that nobody notices. But | :20:02. | :20:06. | |
people are or were read out there because they want to know what the | :20:06. | :20:11. | |
sense of direction of travel is. I agree with the point made by Paul | :20:11. | :20:15. | |
Davies that waiting-lists are getting longer. We need to improve | :20:15. | :20:20. | |
treatment for patients suffering from strokes and heart attacks. We | :20:20. | :20:24. | |
also need to improve the dignity of people who need palliative care. | :20:24. | :20:30. | |
All those art crucial for the people of Wales. I am now giving | :20:30. | :20:34. | |
you a final opportunity, we before the recess set out what your plans | :20:34. | :20:38. | |
are for the health service in Wales so that we can have proper | :20:38. | :20:43. | |
scrutiny? Saying nothing is a recipe for your cover with to be | :20:43. | :20:48. | |
severely criticised. -- for your government to be severely | :20:48. | :20:58. | |
:20:58. | :21:00. | ||
It is all based and ideas that have come from that the Government's | :21:00. | :21:10. | |
:21:10. | :21:11. | ||
manifesto. I was happy and proud to work alongside the party opposite | :21:11. | :21:18. | |
in Government and secured a Yes vote in March. But there were no | :21:18. | :21:28. | |
:21:28. | :21:30. | ||
ideas on their part as to how that money would be used. Order. When it | :21:31. | :21:34. | |
came to the party opposite, there was nothing in their manifesto | :21:34. | :21:43. | |
about how we should take for our new powers. Leader of the Welsh | :21:44. | :21:49. | |
Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams. You have spent a great deal of time | :21:49. | :21:54. | |
since the election talking about the need for delivery and your key | :21:54. | :21:58. | |
mechanism for ensuring this delivery was the commitment in your | :21:58. | :22:01. | |
manifesto to establish a First Minister's delivery unit at the | :22:01. | :22:06. | |
heart of the last Government. On 23rd June, I tabled a series of | :22:06. | :22:12. | |
written questions asking the basic details of how this unit was to be | :22:12. | :22:22. | |
:22:22. | :22:23. | ||
set up. The answer to all those questions came back in a single | :22:23. | :22:27. | |
statement that you would make a statement before the end of this | :22:27. | :22:37. | |
:22:37. | :22:38. | ||
term. Could you confirm that is the case? There will be a statement. | :22:38. | :22:42. | |
am glad the Minister has given a verbal commitment to the Chamber | :22:42. | :22:46. | |
this afternoon because it is not done the business statement that is | :22:46. | :22:55. | |
currently published on the website. During the election, the delivery | :22:55. | :23:05. | |
:23:05. | :23:07. | ||
unit, you said, would enable you to publish issues around a performance. | :23:07. | :23:12. | |
Given that a statement is fast approaching, I am sure you'll be | :23:12. | :23:20. | |
able to give us more information. How regularly and how often will | :23:20. | :23:25. | |
you publish reports full-year delivery unit? And would be | :23:25. | :23:30. | |
available for Assembly can -- committee to scrutinise? For will | :23:30. | :23:40. | |
:23:40. | :23:42. | ||
be as much transparency as possible. -- there will be. The unit is now | :23:42. | :23:48. | |
ready and will continue its work during the course of the recess. | :23:48. | :23:52. | |
do regret that now the Minister has clarified her intention that we are | :23:53. | :23:58. | |
only to get a written statement. The First Minister has set his | :23:58. | :24:01. | |
reputation and delivery and he has set up the delivery unit as the key | :24:01. | :24:07. | |
mechanism for ensuring that happens. Given that it is -- this is such an | :24:07. | :24:11. | |
important new development, it would not be unreasonable that such a | :24:11. | :24:15. | |
statement detailing how that unit will work, what its form and | :24:15. | :24:19. | |
function and its relationship with this Chamber will be, would be | :24:19. | :24:25. | |
appropriate for this floor. Perhaps the first Mr could tell us what the | :24:25. | :24:30. | |
relationship will be but how it intends to work with outside bodies. | :24:30. | :24:33. | |
Local a authorities spend over �4 billion each year at delivering | :24:33. | :24:41. | |
services on behalf of the large population. Could the First | :24:41. | :24:43. | |
Minister tell us what the relationship will be between the | :24:43. | :24:49. | |
delivery unit and bodies such as that. It is designed to make sure | :24:49. | :24:59. | |
:24:59. | :25:00. | ||
the Welsh Government delivers on its targets. I am more than happy | :25:00. | :25:08. | |
to be scrutinised over the delivery unit. If I could press you finally | :25:08. | :25:14. | |
on how the delivery unit will prioritise its work, you will be | :25:14. | :25:17. | |
aware that there has been a vacuum in recent weeks about what the | :25:17. | :25:21. | |
Government's priorities for tackling the many problems that a | :25:21. | :25:28. | |
face and the last Government at present. In a written statement, | :25:28. | :25:32. | |
will you be clear as to what the priorities for the delivery unit | :25:32. | :25:37. | |
will be in ensuring that receipt the turnaround in performance of | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
the health service, the education system and the Welsh economy? Could | :25:41. | :25:47. | |
you apply those properties in that written statement. The objective is | :25:47. | :25:57. | |
:25:57. | :25:57. | ||
to make sure that all arms of Government are working effectively. | :25:57. | :26:05. | |
The delivery unit is answerable to meet and it'll work to my | :26:05. | :26:08. | |
department and I will be accountable for the decisions taken | :26:08. | :26:18. | |
:26:18. | :26:20. | ||
by the delivery unit. We now move back to members questions. Question | :26:20. | :26:25. | |
3, Gwyn Price. What is the Welsh Government doing to have been | :26:25. | :26:29. | |
people into work? Getting young people into work is a key priority | :26:29. | :26:39. | |
:26:39. | :26:42. | ||
for us. We are committed to establishing a Welsh jobs fund. | :26:42. | :26:47. | |
Upon being elected to the Assembly, the first group of menace -- | :26:47. | :26:57. | |
:26:57. | :26:57. | ||
visitors I welcomed was a group of young people from Crosskeys College. | :26:57. | :27:01. | |
But the jobs market is uncertain. EU agree that what is important for | :27:01. | :27:06. | |
the students and Gen people in Wales is that they are equipped | :27:06. | :27:11. | |
with the skills necessary to compete in this jobs market. Can | :27:11. | :27:13. | |
you outline the steps you Government is taking to make sure | :27:13. | :27:18. | |
this happens? I mentioned the world's jobs fund which is due to | :27:19. | :27:25. | |
commence fully by April next year. The traineeship programme will | :27:25. | :27:28. | |
begin on the 1st August. Steps to employment and pathways to | :27:28. | :27:35. | |
apprenticeships together represent a significant commitment to making | :27:35. | :27:40. | |
sure that young people have the opportunities they deserve. It was | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
a very good question posed by the Member for Islwyn. Can I directed | :27:45. | :27:52. | |
attention to the fact that the number of young people in one | :27:52. | :27:56. | |
category has gone up despite initiatives by your Government like | :27:56. | :28:00. | |
the future jobs fund. Would you agree with me that in order to deal | :28:00. | :28:04. | |
with the problem of youth unemployment, you have to deal with | :28:04. | :28:09. | |
unemployment as a whole. We need to stimulate real growth in the | :28:09. | :28:18. | |
private sector. Your Government has done very little to achieve that. | :28:19. | :28:23. | |
You are right to say that we need policies to stimulate growth. It's | :28:23. | :28:33. | |
:28:33. | :28:36. | ||
a shame that your colleagues in Westminster don't see it that way. | :28:36. | :28:39. | |
The reason why the Welsh jobs fund is being introduced is because of | :28:39. | :28:44. | |
the fact for future jobs fund was go up by your Government. So many | :28:44. | :28:50. | |
young people were left on the scrapheap as result. We were to | :28:50. | :28:54. | |
make sure young people have opportunities but we need the UK | :28:54. | :29:01. | |
Government to play its part as well. We have heard about the public | :29:01. | :29:05. | |
sector and the private sector but I would like to ask you what to | :29:05. | :29:09. | |
Government plans to do to support the third sector in this very | :29:09. | :29:14. | |
important area. You will be aware of the work of the Prince's Trust | :29:14. | :29:22. | |
in promoting jobs and apprenticeships. Do you see scope | :29:22. | :29:29. | |
for increasing the support of the third sector? We have shown over | :29:29. | :29:36. | |
fears that we have been supportive of the third sector. We know the | :29:36. | :29:39. | |
third sector performs a useful role in Welsh society. It is important | :29:39. | :29:44. | |
to realise that the third sector is voluntary and it's important that | :29:44. | :29:50. | |
the third sector does not have to take on board responsibilities that | :29:50. | :29:52. | |
were previously the responsibilities of the state. The | :29:53. | :29:57. | |
third sector needs to play its role in Welsh society but does not have | :29:57. | :30:07. | |
:30:07. | :30:07. | ||
responsibilities thrust on it without necessary funding. Will the | :30:07. | :30:10. | |
First Minister outline the Government's plans to tackle Welsh | :30:10. | :30:15. | |
-- youth unemployment in Wales? have outlined the matters we're | :30:15. | :30:21. | |
taking forward but in addition to that, on 12th January, the Minister | :30:21. | :30:27. | |
for skills publish the youth action plan and it focuses on dealing with | :30:27. | :30:31. | |
unemployed and people and helping them to gain skills and work | :30:31. | :30:38. | |
experience. I am keen to bring to your attention the good work | :30:38. | :30:48. | |
:30:48. | :30:49. | ||
carried out by the lifelong training service in my constituency. | :30:49. | :30:58. | |
This support 1,500 young people and adults. -- they support. In light | :30:58. | :31:02. | |
of the commitment to training and people across Wales, would you | :31:02. | :31:05. | |
agree that we need to continue developing a mix of opportunities | :31:05. | :31:15. | |
:31:15. | :31:20. | ||
we and people in Wales? -- for We have to make sure support is | :31:20. | :31:30. | |
:31:30. | :31:33. | ||
tailored to the individual as much as possible. First Minister, we all | :31:33. | :31:38. | |
agree that youth unemployment is still too high in Wales. The | :31:38. | :31:43. | |
reasons for this is varied and complex. With regard to training, | :31:43. | :31:48. | |
the state that in January said the plan should not duplicate or divert | :31:48. | :31:58. | |
:31:58. | :31:59. | ||
mainstream provision offered by the W D P. Could you confirm that | :31:59. | :32:09. | |
:32:09. | :32:12. | ||
highly effective organisations will not be at side lying but encouraged | :32:12. | :32:22. | |
:32:22. | :32:23. | ||
to will provide? We know the third sector is doing very good work. We | :32:23. | :32:28. | |
have to plug the gap that has effectively been left by the UK | :32:28. | :32:38. | |
:32:38. | :32:41. | ||
government. Caerphilly County Borough Council is setting up the | :32:41. | :32:46. | |
funding of work experience are trainee funding to address the | :32:46. | :32:51. | |
issue of youth unemployment. We commend the Plaid Cymru Council for | :32:51. | :33:00. | |
this initiative? I commend all councils will take action to deal | :33:00. | :33:08. | |
with youth unemployment. Will the First Minister explain how the | :33:08. | :33:13. | |
Welsh government's Social Justice prerogatives to help alleviate the | :33:13. | :33:23. | |
:33:23. | :33:23. | ||
impact of a legal aid cuts made by the UK government? We cannot | :33:23. | :33:28. | |
compensate for UK government decisions that will have a | :33:28. | :33:34. | |
detrimental impact in Wales and will inevitably lead to the court | :33:34. | :33:40. | |
system in Wales becoming more expensive. The legal aid cuts will | :33:40. | :33:44. | |
impact on the most vulnerable in our society. The impact on the | :33:44. | :33:50. | |
committees in the party plead committees will mean women at | :33:50. | :33:54. | |
family matters are those in debt will have little access to the law. | :33:54. | :33:59. | |
I welcome the support the Assembly has given to citizens' advice over | :33:59. | :34:04. | |
the years and other bodies. Does the Minister agree that access to | :34:04. | :34:14. | |
:34:14. | :34:15. | ||
the law is a basic human right? people cannot get adequate access | :34:15. | :34:21. | |
to will the law than the system is failing. The cuts in legal aid will | :34:21. | :34:29. | |
lead to just such a situation. Where litigants in person present | :34:29. | :34:39. | |
their case, the cases quite often become a tool or three times longer. | :34:39. | :34:43. | |
While there may be savings in legal aid, they will be a logjam in the | :34:43. | :34:53. | |
:34:53. | :34:54. | ||
court system as the court deals with cases which will take longer. | :34:54. | :35:01. | |
It was the Blair government that scrapped the scheme which provided | :35:01. | :35:11. | |
:35:11. | :35:11. | ||
legal aid for council tenants in unfit properties. Do you welcome | :35:11. | :35:17. | |
the private sector plans as part of the enterprise project in Flint | :35:17. | :35:27. | |
which offers free legal advice and staffed by solicitors? Hopefully, | :35:27. | :35:31. | |
they will open five or six days a week for anyone wants to come to | :35:31. | :35:36. | |
them for help. If you do feel this is a way of helping the most | :35:36. | :35:44. | |
vulnerable, what role could be welcome at play in promoting this? | :35:44. | :35:52. | |
We will promote any body that offers advice. But there is a | :35:52. | :35:56. | |
difference between providing initial advice and taking a case to | :35:56. | :36:00. | |
court. I would be surprised if any organisation would have the | :36:00. | :36:08. | |
resources to represent people in court. Cases can last many days. | :36:08. | :36:11. | |
There are difficulties in saying to someone I will give you free advice | :36:11. | :36:16. | |
and you have eight case but there is no money to fund the court case. | :36:16. | :36:23. | |
That, in reality, is what many people are facing. Does the First | :36:23. | :36:28. | |
Minister agree that certain groups in Wales will be disproportionately | :36:28. | :36:36. | |
affected by these legal aid cuts? 63% of legal-aid clients receive | :36:36. | :36:39. | |
help in welfare benefits are disabled. It is -- it has already | :36:39. | :36:45. | |
been said that women will be disproportionately affected. Does | :36:45. | :36:50. | |
he not agree that these proposals would turn the clock back 40 years? | :36:50. | :37:00. | |
:37:00. | :37:02. | ||
Yes, they will. There is no doubt about that. Divorce and child | :37:03. | :37:11. | |
contact are to all areas where people need advice and guidance. | :37:11. | :37:16. | |
People would come to court and they needed experienced counsel present | :37:16. | :37:20. | |
to make sure they could come to terms with their differences which | :37:20. | :37:28. | |
were often substantial. They would have to find a conclusion without | :37:28. | :37:36. | |
using children or many as weapons. The life prospects of the children | :37:36. | :37:44. | |
and parents will be bleak without this speciality. You outlined the | :37:44. | :37:53. | |
problems that will arise as a result of this as one experienced | :37:53. | :38:01. | |
lawyer said it case that used to take 25 minutes being debated | :38:01. | :38:06. | |
between Lions would now take up to five hours. In rural areas, there | :38:06. | :38:12. | |
is an additional problem. Courts are being closed. There is a | :38:12. | :38:17. | |
combination of cases that will be taking longer and courts closing | :38:17. | :38:23. | |
and less resources available for those cases. During the election, | :38:23. | :38:29. | |
you and your party would say you would defend the people of Wales | :38:29. | :38:33. | |
from the West is the Coalition cuts. What are you going to do to defend | :38:33. | :38:41. | |
the people of Wales against these? There are not enough courts. We | :38:41. | :38:46. | |
said in a one manifesto that we would stand by the people of Wales | :38:46. | :38:54. | |
and ensure we're are in a position to do that. In terms of the corpse, | :38:54. | :39:00. | |
what is important is that there was a time in this country that people | :39:00. | :39:10. | |
:39:10. | :39:11. | ||
thought justice was for the people. Now, people have to seek justice. | :39:11. | :39:15. | |
With the First Minister outplaying the Welsh government's plans to | :39:15. | :39:24. | |
export the introduction of a living wage in Wales? The issue of low pay | :39:24. | :39:27. | |
there is a significant problem for many families across the country. | :39:27. | :39:33. | |
One of Welsh Labour's key manifesto commitments was to explore how a | :39:33. | :39:40. | |
living wage could be implemented. We did not agree with me that the | :39:40. | :39:46. | |
introduction of a living wage is a major social issue and it will help | :39:46. | :39:51. | |
to reinforce the message that work pays? It should ensure that more | :39:51. | :40:00. | |
people become of benefits. You are correct. We are considering this at | :40:00. | :40:10. | |
You can see more proceedings for the National Assembly on democracy | :40:10. | :40:20. | |
:40:20. | :40:25. | ||
For Roderick is still with us. We have a sit there for the Electoral | :40:25. | :40:31. | |
Commission. It appears Labour seemed to be making an apology. | :40:31. | :40:35. | |
They are apologising for a rare error. That was their failure to | :40:35. | :40:42. | |
update the Welsh link on their website which is what Gerard Elias | :40:42. | :40:51. | |
found caused the problems for Aled Roberts. Learned their also point a | :40:51. | :40:58. | |
finger at the Assembly for not updating and informing them. At the | :40:58. | :41:03. | |
end of the day, it is a matter for the Assembly to vote on. The legal | :41:03. | :41:13. | |
:41:13. | :41:21. | ||
I mentioned to one Labour Assembly Member earlier that Kirsty Williams | :41:21. | :41:25. | |
had said in a press conference this morning she did not want to see | :41:25. | :41:29. | |
party politics anywhere near this vote and the Labour Assembly | :41:29. | :41:33. | |
Members said, if she was -- if the show was on the other foot, the | :41:33. | :41:40. | |
Liberal Democrats would be making something of it. I think that is | :41:40. | :41:44. | |
the case. If I had to call it at the moment, I think John Dixon has | :41:45. | :41:50. | |
chances are fading, at the moment I would suspect that Aled Roberts | :41:50. | :41:56. | |
would get the support of the majority of the Assembly Members on | :41:56. | :42:05. | |
the opposition benches. The problem comes with the Labour group. There | :42:05. | :42:09. | |
is a very firm feeling in the Labour group that it is more bother | :42:09. | :42:15. | |
than it's worth. One thing might change that view and that is this. | :42:15. | :42:22. | |
On the basis of the Gerard Elias report, the Lib Dems say they're | :42:22. | :42:28. | |
taking leader -- legal advice because it could be that the | :42:28. | :42:34. | |
assembly's dishes and could be challenged. The legal advice given | :42:34. | :42:41. | |
to Labour says fear is no legal problem if you admit there is no | :42:41. | :42:51. | |
legal problem. It gives Assembly Members plenty to think about. | :42:51. | :42:57. | |
Let's look back on first Minister's Questions. How has the new system | :42:57. | :43:06. | |
bedded down? I still find it a bit odd. It seems sort of artificial | :43:06. | :43:12. | |
but it does run. You had to out of the three more are less going on | :43:12. | :43:18. | |
the same sort of line on health. But yet you still see that | :43:18. | :43:21. | |
closeness from the period when plight can have -- Plaid Cymru were | :43:21. | :43:26. | |
in Government with Labour. I thought Ieuan Wyn Jones felt a bit | :43:26. | :43:30. | |
embarrassed to open an attack on Carwyn Jones and Carwyn Jones said | :43:30. | :43:34. |