:00:26. > :00:32.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of
:00:33. > :00:36.questions to the First Minister. We have had a look at the order paper,
:00:37. > :00:40.and as well as the usual questions on health and the economy, I am sure
:00:41. > :00:47.AMs will want to know what Carwyn Jones thinks of new borrowing powers
:00:48. > :00:50.announced last week. What do you want to talk about? If you want to
:00:51. > :00:52.comment on anything on the programme or other political news, get in
:00:53. > :01:05.touch with us. Business in the chamber is already
:01:06. > :01:09.underway. Let's look at today's questions to the First Minister. We
:01:10. > :01:13.now moved to questions to the First Minister.
:01:14. > :01:17.Question one, Julie Morgan. What actions does the First Minister
:01:18. > :01:23.plan to take to improve the economy of south-east Wales? Our priorities
:01:24. > :01:30.for proving the economy -- improving economy are to provide growth and
:01:31. > :01:35.encourage development of businesses. Is the First Minister able to tell
:01:36. > :01:40.us what will be the timescale for the electrification of the Valley
:01:41. > :01:43.lines, which is obviously very important to revitalise the South
:01:44. > :01:46.Wales valleys, especially in view of the fact that the Office of Rail
:01:47. > :01:52.Regulation is has recently stated that plans by Network Rail are not
:01:53. > :01:59.costed insufficiently close detailed?
:02:00. > :02:03.Network Rail are required to provide the electrification of the Valley
:02:04. > :02:08.lines, with full introduction of services by December 2019.
:02:09. > :02:13.I do understand it -- understand that the Office of Rail Regulation
:02:14. > :02:18.will be looking at this as an output for period five, and I welcome the
:02:19. > :02:22.announcement by the Prime Minister last week of the UK Government's
:02:23. > :02:30.intention to repay the full cost West of Cardiff.
:02:31. > :02:35.First minute, will you commend the announcement by the Prime Minister
:02:36. > :02:38.of the NATO summit to be held in south-east Wales? This is a
:02:39. > :02:43.remarkable achievement, as you will know. It will contribute over ?130
:02:44. > :02:50.million to the economy and possibly lead to the creation of over 2000
:02:51. > :02:57.jobs, possible -- coupled also with the M4 release road. It will
:02:58. > :03:02.certainly help the economy in south-east Wales. Indeed so.
:03:03. > :03:05.This has been high on the list of the Welsh government's priorities
:03:06. > :03:09.for some time and the announcement last week will enable us to get on
:03:10. > :03:11.and do it if that is the final decision.
:03:12. > :03:14.Otherwise, it could not have been considered in the first place.
:03:15. > :03:18.Regarding the NATO conference, that is something I was in discussion
:03:19. > :03:23.with the UK Government about for some weeks and I very much welcome
:03:24. > :03:29.the fact the UK Government have kept me informed of their intention to
:03:30. > :03:34.hold it in Wales. First Minister, we received news
:03:35. > :03:38.yesterday that Sapper exclusions in Bedworth plant was under threat of
:03:39. > :03:41.closure. Explicitly blamed by the company -- company was the market
:03:42. > :03:47.conditions in the UK and further afield. There are 132 jobs at this
:03:48. > :03:52.site, jobs I am sure you will agree we can ill afford to lose. Will you
:03:53. > :03:58.commit to use every effort to engage with the company and the workforce
:03:59. > :04:03.to try to avoid closure? I can, of course. It is worrying
:04:04. > :04:07.news for those who work at the plant and we will be liaising with the
:04:08. > :04:12.company to see what can be done to assist them. Thank you for those
:04:13. > :04:17.comments, and I am sure our thoughts are all with the staff and their
:04:18. > :04:20.families as they face uncertainty into Christmas.
:04:21. > :04:24.I wonder what you can tell us what assessment you have made of the
:04:25. > :04:31.potential impact on jobs for the supply and demand chain for Supper
:04:32. > :04:36.aluminium? These are being examined by
:04:37. > :04:41.officials, the first objective is to see what may be done to assist those
:04:42. > :04:44.who work there. We would all wish to see a situation where potentially
:04:45. > :04:49.those jobs would continue where they are. No one can guarantee that, but
:04:50. > :04:54.we will work hard to make sure that those who work there are provided
:04:55. > :05:00.with a more certain future. What action is the Wolves government
:05:01. > :05:02.taking to prevent the mis-selling of hedging products to small
:05:03. > :05:08.businesses? Regulation of banking products is
:05:09. > :05:12.not a devolved matter, but we do recognise the grief these are
:05:13. > :05:14.causing to Welsh businesses and the Minister for economy, science and
:05:15. > :05:19.transport is meeting with an organisation tomorrow to discuss
:05:20. > :05:25.this issue. According to the campaign group,
:05:26. > :05:31.Billy Banks, this has cost an estimated 4000 jobs and an enormous
:05:32. > :05:36.?1.7 billion in lost revenue to the Treasury.
:05:37. > :05:44.The businesses effective -- affected have to pay an exit fee of the --
:05:45. > :05:47.25% of the initial value. My colleague has worked tirelessly to
:05:48. > :05:51.support the campaign and will be speaking at the meant -- meeting you
:05:52. > :05:56.mentioned tomorrow night. First Minister, will you commend and join
:05:57. > :06:01.this campaign to take a stand against such bad financial
:06:02. > :06:05.practice? I don't think I can add to the answer I gave previously.
:06:06. > :06:09.I understand that the member will also be at that meeting.
:06:10. > :06:15.Clearly it is an important issue for our small and medium enterprises. I
:06:16. > :06:19.note with pleasure that on the 24th of October the UK Government in a
:06:20. > :06:23.House of Commons debate did commit to monitor the interest rate swap
:06:24. > :06:28.agreement more closely. That has been the purview and I certainly
:06:29. > :06:33.welcome their interest. One of my constituents is going to a
:06:34. > :06:41.half to either mortgage their House or see their business quote of --
:06:42. > :06:46.see their business go out of business. What is the FSA doing? Is
:06:47. > :06:50.it that they don't have sufficient presence in Wales, or is it the
:06:51. > :06:57.financial ombudsman who should be capturing these issues before they
:06:58. > :07:00.become such a huge problem two the FSA did identify this issue back in
:07:01. > :07:05.June last year. By the spring of this year the high
:07:06. > :07:09.street banks did commit to undertake reviews with their own customers to
:07:10. > :07:14.whom they sold these products to see if there is a case for compensation.
:07:15. > :07:19.I understand that is now proceeding. Of course, the Minister will be in
:07:20. > :07:24.the meeting with the organisation Bully Banks to see if there is
:07:25. > :07:29.anything we can do as a devolved government to assist businesses that
:07:30. > :07:34.have been affected. TRANSLATION: First minute, the impact of the
:07:35. > :07:39.mis-selling of these kinds of loans is very serious indeed for those
:07:40. > :07:42.businesses and the wider economy. There are tourism businesses,
:07:43. > :07:46.agriculture businesses, business is running care homes who have been
:07:47. > :07:50.directly affected by this in my constituency and others. I am
:07:51. > :07:53.grateful that the Minister for the economy is to meet with
:07:54. > :07:59.representatives tomorrow evening to discuss this further, but will you
:08:00. > :08:02.and your government take this further and make every opportunity
:08:03. > :08:06.with the Treasury and Westminster government to put pressure on them
:08:07. > :08:09.to actually conclude these negotiations to ensure that these
:08:10. > :08:14.businesses are compensated, because they have been so badly affected by
:08:15. > :08:19.this mis-selling two TRANSLATION: Of course we will do that, and I'm sure
:08:20. > :08:23.the Minister will do that after the meeting that she has tomorrow.
:08:24. > :08:26.Compensation has been paid to some businesses until now but of course
:08:27. > :08:30.some of them, the majority, I would think, are still waiting for
:08:31. > :08:33.compensation in the future. The Minister will consider the situation
:08:34. > :08:39.about what the Welsh government can say and do to ensure that businesses
:08:40. > :08:44.receive compensation that they deserve, ultimately.
:08:45. > :08:48.We moved to questions from the Party leaders, first we have the leader of
:08:49. > :08:52.the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams.
:08:53. > :08:55.First Minister, last week the UK Welsh government listened to Welsh
:08:56. > :08:58.businesses and agreed the demolition of stamp duty to the Welsh
:08:59. > :09:01.government. Given the importance of construction
:09:02. > :09:05.to the Welsh economy, how many times in the last 12 months have you
:09:06. > :09:10.personally met with the leaders of private sector firms building houses
:09:11. > :09:13.in Wales? This is a matter for the Minister, primarily, but I have met
:09:14. > :09:19.with people from persimmon homes and others.
:09:20. > :09:22.We are looking for leadership from yourself.
:09:23. > :09:26.The UK Government offers help by Alec -- and equity loans scheme in
:09:27. > :09:30.England and mortgage guarantee scheme across the UK.
:09:31. > :09:35.As of today there is still no scheme offered by the Welsh government to
:09:36. > :09:39.help people secure a mortgage and give people the opportunity to warn
:09:40. > :09:43.their own home and provide a much-needed boost to the
:09:44. > :09:46.construction industry Wales. -- to own their own home. Why does your
:09:47. > :09:49.covenant not have the drive our commitment to help the housing
:09:50. > :09:52.sector? Scheme is being taken forward and it will be announced
:09:53. > :09:58.shortly. You said a lack of leadership, I
:09:59. > :10:01.have said many times I wanted to see stamp duty devolved. I said it
:10:02. > :10:08.forcefully in London and ten days later we saw the demolition of stamp
:10:09. > :10:13.duty. It is an important tool we can use. -- the devolution of stamp
:10:14. > :10:16.duty. This government has shown clear leadership on this issue and
:10:17. > :10:22.with regards to getting these recommendations in plummeted.
:10:23. > :10:26.I wish the First Minister would help home buyers here in Wales.
:10:27. > :10:30.After the collapse of your new by scheme earlier this year, you told
:10:31. > :10:34.me you would be hopefully announcing the start date of Welsh government
:10:35. > :10:38.scheme to help home-buyers as quickly as possible. That was over
:10:39. > :10:43.six months ago. Despite a letter from your housing minister today, we
:10:44. > :10:48.are still left with no firm date for that help and no specific details.
:10:49. > :10:53.When will your government help first-time buyers in Wales?
:10:54. > :10:57.There will be an announcement in the near future, certainly before
:10:58. > :11:01.Christmas. One of the reasons why it has taken longer is because we need
:11:02. > :11:06.to ensure financial institutions want to be part of asking. The UK
:11:07. > :11:12.Government owned banks in a way that we do not. I believe the scheme will
:11:13. > :11:16.be a great success in Wales, as I believe the devolution of stamp
:11:17. > :11:23.duty, so resisted by some on the benches opposite, will make an
:11:24. > :11:28.enormous difference. It took us an ice 11 months to get a response in
:11:29. > :11:31.terms of the silk commission's recommendations. I welcome the fact
:11:32. > :11:34.that we have had that response and I believe we have had that response
:11:35. > :11:37.and I believe really -- be able to do even more to help first-time
:11:38. > :11:42.buyers once the Help To Buy scheme is lodged and once we can get stamp
:11:43. > :11:48.duty properly devolved in order to assist those who need it most.
:11:49. > :11:56.First Minister, last week your government announced an inquiry into
:11:57. > :12:00.practices in the health -- in a local Health Board. This is a
:12:01. > :12:05.long-standing campaign about having a more general campaign across the
:12:06. > :12:12.general inquiry across the whole of Wales, based on the Keogh angry held
:12:13. > :12:15.in England. Why are you single note this Health Board instead of
:12:16. > :12:21.bringing one forward for the whole of the Welsh NHS? -- why are you
:12:22. > :12:25.singling out? The Conservatives are running a general campaign, and that
:12:26. > :12:31.involves trying to run down the Welsh NHS. He has rather let the cat
:12:32. > :12:34.out of the bag they are. We have no proposals for a Keogh style inquiry
:12:35. > :12:40.and we will not assist and in general campaign about the NHS. I
:12:41. > :12:44.have no problem in saying that the Welsh Conservatives are running a
:12:45. > :12:51.campaign. I had the huge privilege and pleasure last eight of meeting
:12:52. > :12:54.one member in the House of Commons and she congratulated me personally
:12:55. > :13:01.on the actions we are taking. First Minister, the situation that people
:13:02. > :13:07.are coming ourselves as elected members across this chamber shows
:13:08. > :13:11.you in a very bad light indeed, and your government in particular, that
:13:12. > :13:17.you are not addressing those concerns and taking them seriously
:13:18. > :13:21.enough to bring forward an inquiry. She identified the issues for the
:13:22. > :13:26.English NHS last week with her report. She also touched on the
:13:27. > :13:30.point that 25% of the -- respondents she received came from Wales. We
:13:31. > :13:43.have some very serious issues that, in fairness, Europe ministers
:13:44. > :13:47.identified. Why can the whole NHS not benefit from such an inquiry
:13:48. > :13:50.that would root out bad practice, celebrate good practice and improve
:13:51. > :13:59.the Welsh NHS two it is a simple question and a simple formula.
:14:00. > :14:06.There are no particular matters within the NHS that deserve an
:14:07. > :14:09.inquiry generally. The health minister has held an inquiry in
:14:10. > :14:15.relation to something very specific. I do not accept the
:14:16. > :14:19.situation exists in Wales where the risen need for the general inquiry.
:14:20. > :14:22.There is a need for it in England because the NHS in England is in
:14:23. > :14:27.crisis because of your government. You only have to see the front page
:14:28. > :14:32.of the Observer to see the disaster waiting people in inward because of
:14:33. > :14:37.the actions of his Party. We will not impose the chaos in England on
:14:38. > :14:41.the people in Wales. There are better outcomes and shorter waiting
:14:42. > :14:48.times in England, first man. You are responsible for the NHS in
:14:49. > :14:52.Wales. It is up to you to look to your conscience to see whether you
:14:53. > :14:58.are doing the job that is expected of you. I will leave you with the
:14:59. > :15:01.quote Ann Clwyd left in her report yesterday. You can bury your head in
:15:02. > :15:10.the sand and pretend everything is well, but it isn't. I think Bevan
:15:11. > :15:18.would be turning in his grave. Was she talking about England? I will
:15:19. > :15:23.also remind the leader of the opposition that Bevan was create --
:15:24. > :15:28.cremated. It is completely fair to point out to the Party opposite what
:15:29. > :15:33.would happen if they were in charge of the health service in Wales, and
:15:34. > :15:38.it is completely legitimate to use the evidence that we see from the
:15:39. > :15:43.NHS in England to see the disaster that will be before the people of
:15:44. > :15:45.Wales if ever they were in power. Waiting times are spiralling in
:15:46. > :16:13.England. The figures are going in We don't do what that happen as the
:16:14. > :16:20.party opposite ever got their hands on the levers of power on the NHS in
:16:21. > :16:29.Wales, crisis and cuts. That is what the Tories stand for. First
:16:30. > :16:36.Minister, a few weeks ago you said devolution needs to be an event. Do
:16:37. > :16:41.you see the announcement last Friday on fiscal devolution as an
:16:42. > :16:46.opportunity to be that event? It is an exceptionally important milestone
:16:47. > :16:51.in history of Wales. The first time we have the ability to vary taxes
:16:52. > :16:57.and be able to borrow. It represents a big step forward, but it could be
:16:58. > :17:03.augmented greatly with a positive response from the UK Government with
:17:04. > :17:07.regard to part two. Thank you for your answer. You have expressed
:17:08. > :17:16.concerns in relation to further powers on income tax with regards to
:17:17. > :17:21.Barnett reform. I have some sympathy about that. We have been outlining
:17:22. > :17:26.the case for reform of it since the 1990s and I'm sure that many members
:17:27. > :17:31.will remember the work of Phil Williams who pressed that point I'm
:17:32. > :17:36.apply again. -- time and time again. We are glad that you agree with us
:17:37. > :17:44.on that point of Barnet reform. Barnet reform will be in the cloud
:17:45. > :17:55.Cymru 2015 election manifesto. Will you commit to Barnet reform being in
:17:56. > :18:05.the Labour 2015 manifesto? I don't think that Barnett is tenable in the
:18:06. > :18:13.long-term. I think we all understand that. But we have made it clear that
:18:14. > :18:16.Wales is underfunded and that underfunding needs to be addressed.
:18:17. > :18:21.It would be good to have that commitment from you, First Minister,
:18:22. > :18:24.because you have had 13 years in government to ensure a new funding
:18:25. > :18:30.formula for Wales and yet nothing was done, so if you're not commit to
:18:31. > :18:33.reforming Barnett, you will not commit to reforming income tax
:18:34. > :18:39.powers, and in the event that Barnett is reformed, will you commit
:18:40. > :18:48.to campaigning for a yes vote in a referendum on Welsh income tax, in
:18:49. > :18:53.that event? The leader of cloud Cymru makes it seem like I am
:18:54. > :18:57.shouting from the rooftops about the Barnett four North. It certainly is
:18:58. > :19:05.my intention in order to see that funding is included in the 2015
:19:06. > :19:08.Labour manifesto. That will be an important part of the manifesto for
:19:09. > :19:17.all parties. When it comes income tax, I have to say that, the funding
:19:18. > :19:19.formula is important because three quarters of the money that would
:19:20. > :19:23.receive would still come from the block grant. Unless that is
:19:24. > :19:27.stabilised and this made fairer, then income tax devolution is of no
:19:28. > :19:32.consequence. What would we do with it? The situation with the rise that
:19:33. > :19:36.as we see the shifting of the block grant from the Tories in London we
:19:37. > :19:42.would then be in the position of having to increase income tax. That
:19:43. > :19:46.is not an attractive option for the people of Wales. I asked myself the
:19:47. > :19:51.question, in a referendum, what would you say to the people of Wales
:19:52. > :19:56.that would make income tax devolution attractive to them? At
:19:57. > :19:58.the moment there are two arguments for it. The absolute priority is to
:19:59. > :20:07.make sure that the funding formula is dealt with firstly. Deal with the
:20:08. > :20:11.?300 million of underfunding before we say that to the people of Wales.
:20:12. > :20:21.We have to get a fair share from Westminster first before we consider
:20:22. > :20:26.income tax devolution. First Minister will you make a statement
:20:27. > :20:34.on Internet safety lessons in schools? These are being made with
:20:35. > :20:39.children in key stages two and three. In includes a programme of
:20:40. > :20:45.study for ICT within the GCSE framework. You may be aware of the
:20:46. > :20:50.campaign from the Internet watch campaign and ChildLine on raising
:20:51. > :21:03.awareness of online dangers to young people, particular sex texting, and
:21:04. > :21:06.the news a bit at that provides advice when children are crested to
:21:07. > :21:14.send explicit images. Many parents are unaware of the risks or how to
:21:15. > :21:17.handle the situation and are often less technology-savvy than their
:21:18. > :21:21.children. What opportunities are there for parents to join in with
:21:22. > :21:26.lessons or to have some form of education about the dangers or the
:21:27. > :21:38.potential dangers of the Internet and what are you doing to promote
:21:39. > :21:44.the new NSPCC and ChildLine Zipit app that can be added to young
:21:45. > :21:51.people's telephones? We have awareness raising activities running
:21:52. > :21:56.from January 2014 -March 2015. We want to build on existing expertise.
:21:57. > :22:01.There was a safer Internet Day being held on 11 February next year. We're
:22:02. > :22:04.what thing with the National Digital learning Council on a series of
:22:05. > :22:08.events to promote the day and we will providing a fun day to support
:22:09. > :22:15.those activities across Wales. -- providing funding. There was plenty
:22:16. > :22:23.of evidence that use of the Internet and social media can enhance a
:22:24. > :22:27.child's ability to relate to the world and it should not be seen as a
:22:28. > :22:29.threat as opposed to more traditional methods but if you ask
:22:30. > :22:35.children what they are most concerned about by mobile phones or
:22:36. > :22:38.online, and that is bullying. That is what concerns them most, so what
:22:39. > :22:43.steps are government taking to make sure that bullying is dealt with,
:22:44. > :22:50.particularly amongst girls, who complain particularly about online
:22:51. > :22:55.bullying. We have a campaign to make sure that children are junk people
:22:56. > :23:01.know what cyber bullying is and that they know where they can receive
:23:02. > :23:06.support -- children and young people. The campaign is still
:23:07. > :23:12.ongoing. We are asking children and young people to play a role to make
:23:13. > :23:18.sure that their schools take part in activities and also, to raise
:23:19. > :23:25.awareness of children and young people, of what they should do, to
:23:26. > :23:29.ensure that, if they are in a situation where they are receiving
:23:30. > :23:39.cyber bullying, that they know how this deal with it. -- who to speak
:23:40. > :23:42.to, and where to go. That campaign proves unsuccessful then legislation
:23:43. > :23:48.would be necessary. Some 47% of children have been the lead through
:23:49. > :23:54.the Internet. Has any assessment in made of the statement made by the
:23:55. > :23:57.children's Commissioner? It depends what kind of legislation we would
:23:58. > :24:05.need and whether that legislation would come under the powers of the
:24:06. > :24:09.Assembly. We have to consider any ideas about legislation to see what
:24:10. > :24:17.we can do, here, and what would need to be done at UK level. Thank you
:24:18. > :24:25.presiding officer. What are the Welsh government powers relating to
:24:26. > :24:32.land registration? It is a non-devolved matter. 4000 homes in
:24:33. > :24:36.my constituency have received letters from the land Registry
:24:37. > :24:43.saying that a gentleman called Stephen Paul Hales, who bought
:24:44. > :24:46.writes some years ago had registered those rights and it has led to
:24:47. > :24:52.concerns amongst the most vulnerable people in my constituency, although
:24:53. > :24:58.this is not a devolved issue, what pressure can the First Minister put
:24:59. > :25:04.on the land Registry to ensure that any powers behind these ancient
:25:05. > :25:09.powers in Wales are done away with in future, and also, to ensure that
:25:10. > :25:14.people cannot eat right and in future, in receiving legal letters
:25:15. > :25:20.of this sort without any word of warning or explanation? Legal
:25:21. > :25:23.letters to scare people, we know that, particularly in situations
:25:24. > :25:30.like this. This is not the first time this has happened. It happened
:25:31. > :25:35.before, about 12 years ago. Somebody who had bought a title and then
:25:36. > :25:40.wanted to exercise their rights to that title, even though this does
:25:41. > :25:45.not come under the powers of the Welsh government, I will consider
:25:46. > :25:49.this situation to see what I can do in terms of writing to the registry,
:25:50. > :25:55.and in the meantime it is important that people take legal advice about
:25:56. > :26:09.the situation that they face as individuals. But, no, this is not
:26:10. > :26:15.something that is there for people -- fair for people. It is surprising
:26:16. > :26:18.that this situation still exists. I will consider this issue. I will
:26:19. > :26:28.write to the member to see exactly what we can do, as a government. 20%
:26:29. > :26:32.of land in Wales and England still remains unregistered. Understanding
:26:33. > :26:37.of course that this is not a devolved issue. How is the Welsh
:26:38. > :26:43.government proactively working with the land Registry to encourage more
:26:44. > :26:47.voluntary registrations in Wales? It is not something we have done as a
:26:48. > :26:53.government. Certainly, it is far easier where people register land
:26:54. > :26:58.otherwise you have a situation where cold cases rely on evidence going
:26:59. > :27:05.back many years, and it is not easy to unravel the issues of ownership
:27:06. > :27:08.that go back many years. There are still some properties in Wales that
:27:09. > :27:13.are not registered. There are still some properties in Wales where some
:27:14. > :27:17.of them did not even have title deeds. Trying to trace those back is
:27:18. > :27:21.not easy. I would certainly encourage all of those who own land
:27:22. > :27:25.to consider whether there land is registered and if they have not done
:27:26. > :27:32.so, to do so at the earliest opportunity. Will you outline the
:27:33. > :27:40.action the Welsh government is taking to reduce respiratory illness
:27:41. > :27:48.in Wales? We have set out the actions we will be taking to help
:27:49. > :27:51.patients with respiratory diseases. Respiratory disease causes one in
:27:52. > :27:57.seven deaths in Wales and is the third largest cause of death for
:27:58. > :27:59.both men and women, with the biggest contributing cause remaining
:28:00. > :28:03.smoking, and that must be a priority. We have a fresh start
:28:04. > :28:07.Wales programme, and a major plank of the campaign to reduce exposure
:28:08. > :28:16.to smoke, for children particularly in cars. Can you see what progress
:28:17. > :28:20.has been made on that campaign? The campaign has been moving forward
:28:21. > :28:26.strongly. There has been evaluation that has taken place. We had the
:28:27. > :28:32.2010 health behaviour in school age children report. In February this
:28:33. > :28:38.year, we carried out a study of primary age children's exposure to
:28:39. > :28:43.smoke in cars and elsewhere, and we have commissioned a report on the
:28:44. > :28:49.effects of smoking in cars carrying children. When that evaluation
:28:50. > :28:55.process is complete, we will then, as we have said before, consider
:28:56. > :29:00.pursuing legislator options, if children's exposure to second-hand
:29:01. > :29:05.smoke doesn't fall before March of next year, so there is lots of
:29:06. > :29:10.evaluation taking place and that date next year is important also
:29:11. > :29:17.after that, we will need to consider whether legislation is appropriate
:29:18. > :29:22.or not. Thank you for your answer. There was a public health Wales Bill
:29:23. > :29:26.on your legislative programme. We know that second-hand smoke is a
:29:27. > :29:32.major problem for children in cars. It can lead to developing a smoking
:29:33. > :29:37.habit later in life and can lead to respiratory problems. When will you
:29:38. > :29:42.pull your finger out and get on with delivering a change in the law which
:29:43. > :29:46.prevents the harm that second-hand smoke can cause the children in
:29:47. > :29:50.small, enclosed places, in cars? This is a major issue which I think
:29:51. > :29:55.could send a powerful message the people of Wales about smoking, and
:29:56. > :30:04.the intention of this government and National Assembly to tackle it? He's
:30:05. > :30:07.doing well at the beginning, but then you lost his way of little
:30:08. > :30:13.towards the end. As we have said many times we want to take a
:30:14. > :30:16.voluntary approach first and if that was not as successful as we would
:30:17. > :30:22.want it to be, then we would look to legislate, as has been the case for
:30:23. > :30:28.years. We have had the campaign and the evaluation and we have given a
:30:29. > :30:31.set date as to when we would want to consider whether legislation is
:30:32. > :30:35.needed or not. What we do not want of course is it partly challenging
:30:36. > :30:38.competence in this field. We believe this is a health issue, not a road
:30:39. > :30:55.traffic issue. First Minister, I am sure you will
:30:56. > :30:57.congratulate the Welsh Rugby union for supporting the quit for Wales
:30:58. > :30:59.campaign launched today. What efforts as the government taking to
:31:00. > :31:02.support this campaign? We support campaigns run by other
:31:03. > :31:08.arts organisations in order to quit smoking. We have another -- a number
:31:09. > :31:11.of campaigns, this is just one of them. We know that anti-smoking
:31:12. > :31:16.campaigns have been successful over the years. It is probably true to
:31:17. > :31:20.say that reducing the figure further can be a difficult nut to crack. Of
:31:21. > :31:24.course, that is all the more reason to look at using encouragement and
:31:25. > :31:33.also using legislation where it is needed. We have the ban we have
:31:34. > :31:38.imposed on smoking in public places and we are looking at legislation to
:31:39. > :31:44.ban smoking in cars with children present. First minute, from your
:31:45. > :31:48.time at rural affairs, you will recall that one sector where
:31:49. > :31:52.respiratory disorders are particularly acute is in the
:31:53. > :31:56.agriculture industry, we are things like Farmer's long arise from the
:31:57. > :32:07.inhalation of spores from fodder and so on. -- farmer's lung. It is
:32:08. > :32:13.difficult to get figures from farmers and growers, and this makes
:32:14. > :32:20.it difficult to look at the problem. What's it -- solution has the
:32:21. > :32:25.government given to look at ways the health of farmers can be monitored
:32:26. > :32:30.to address these disorders two I will provide as much information as
:32:31. > :32:33.we hold with regards to the incidents of respiratory diseases
:32:34. > :32:37.amongst farmers and the nature of those diseases, as well.
:32:38. > :32:42.As part of that correspondence, I will outline to the member of what
:32:43. > :32:45.steps we are taking to raise awareness, and secondly treating
:32:46. > :32:51.those illnesses as they become apparent.
:32:52. > :32:55.Will the First Minister make a statement on his priorities for
:32:56. > :32:59.sport in Wales for the next 12 months, please two they are in the
:33:00. > :33:03.programme for government. Thank you for the short answer.
:33:04. > :33:11.The Welsh government major event unit as one of its objectives as to
:33:12. > :33:14.develop an effective relationship with UK and international media
:33:15. > :33:20.event owners. Will the First Minister advise what progress has
:33:21. > :33:26.been made by the major event unit in developing such relationships? And
:33:27. > :33:28.attracting major sporting events to Wales?
:33:29. > :33:30.We had the Rugby league World Cup, that was launched a week last
:33:31. > :33:36.Saturday. We have some games in the Rugby
:33:37. > :33:41.union World Cup in 2015. The Ashes are coming, we have supported
:33:42. > :33:44.cricket in Wales. There are a number of events than -- the member will be
:33:45. > :33:48.aware of we have attracted over the years by the major events unit and
:33:49. > :33:55.we have a very good record. Where we can work with the UK Government, we
:33:56. > :33:58.will do that. Quite course, we are in competition with other parts of
:33:59. > :34:02.the UK and it is not always possible. But where cooperation is
:34:03. > :34:07.possible we will look to do that, as we did with the Olympics last year,
:34:08. > :34:11.for example. TRANSLATION: First Minister,
:34:12. > :34:14.yesterday I received a letter back from David Sparkes, the Chief
:34:15. > :34:18.Executive of British swimming, regarding the relocation of the
:34:19. > :34:23.elite Paralympic training facilities from Swansea to Manchester. In that
:34:24. > :34:26.letter he admits there was not adequate consultation with sport
:34:27. > :34:31.Wales on the relocation of these facilities, and he also said that,
:34:32. > :34:38.having the coaching there did not demonstrate value for money. That is
:34:39. > :34:43.something that I, as a regional Assembly Member, and quite angry
:34:44. > :34:46.about in terms of the very effective and valuable facilities available in
:34:47. > :34:50.Swansea. What further discussions have you had as a government in
:34:51. > :34:54.order to highlight the fact that we need facilities for the future in
:34:55. > :34:59.the national Welsh swimming pool in Swansea?
:35:00. > :35:03.TRANSLATION: Of course, it is the decision of the governing body to do
:35:04. > :35:08.this, not a decision made by the government. I will write to the
:35:09. > :35:11.member to ensure that she knows what our position is as a government, and
:35:12. > :35:19.of course to consider what we can do to ensure that the swimming pool in
:35:20. > :35:24.Swansea is being used in the way it should be in the future.
:35:25. > :35:31.We will leave First Minister's Questions player, but don't forget
:35:32. > :35:38.you can see more coverage of the National Assembly online from BBC
:35:39. > :35:42.Wales's democracy live page. Our political editor, Nick Servini, has
:35:43. > :35:45.been watching question Time, and joined us from the Assembly
:35:46. > :35:51.newsroom. Plenty of questions on the tax and
:35:52. > :35:55.borrowing announcement we had from David Cameron last week. Are we any
:35:56. > :36:02.clearer where the First Minister stands on this. It was the first
:36:03. > :36:04.opportunity for the Assembly members to discuss that announcement, which
:36:05. > :36:08.the First Minister described as an exceptional milestone, to give the
:36:09. > :36:12.Welsh government powers over taxes like stamp duty for the first time.
:36:13. > :36:17.And an announcement by the UK Government it would set in train a
:36:18. > :36:20.motion that would allow the Welsh government to hold a referendum on
:36:21. > :36:30.income tax if possible, if they wanted in the future. We certainly
:36:31. > :36:35.got an illustration of the way of thinking of the First Minister, in
:36:36. > :36:40.that he is very reluctant to go down the income tax route at present. The
:36:41. > :36:45.standard position is that he will not want to hold a referendum unless
:36:46. > :36:49.the Barnett formula, the formula that decides how much the Welsh
:36:50. > :36:53.government gets from Westminster from the block grant each year, is a
:36:54. > :36:57.reformed. Under questioning -- a questioning -- aggression came from
:36:58. > :37:03.the leader of Plaid Cymru, who asked if he left the Barnett formula is
:37:04. > :37:09.reformed, with the First Minister campaign for a yes vote in the
:37:10. > :37:13.referendum? -- a question came. He said, what would he say to the
:37:14. > :37:17.people of Wales that would make it an attractive proposition to them?
:37:18. > :37:22.He said that at this moment in time, he is struggling to think of those
:37:23. > :37:26.arguments, although he did concede that that may change in the future.
:37:27. > :37:31.I think really a continuation of something we have already seen, that
:37:32. > :37:37.he is very reluctant and refusing to be drawn on where he stands, even if
:37:38. > :37:46.the Barnett formula is reformed and, potentially, paves the way for
:37:47. > :37:51.that referendum. Very briefly, Geraint Davies discussing health
:37:52. > :37:56.today, he has been speaking with Ann Clwyd. That may cause a few
:37:57. > :38:03.sleepless nights for the First Minister. Yes, he said he was in
:38:04. > :38:08.Westminster last night and she had congratulated him on the work he was
:38:09. > :38:13.doing, trying to pressure the Welsh government on trying to improve the
:38:14. > :38:19.NHS in Wales. Thank you very much for that, Nick. That is it for
:38:20. > :38:23.today, I will be back at the same time with more coverage of First
:38:24. > :38:29.Minister's Questions, and if you want more on Welsh politics before
:38:30. > :38:33.then we have the Wales Report, after the 10pm news tomorrow. If you want
:38:34. > :38:40.more run Welsh politics you can catch up with Sunday Politics on BBC
:38:41. > :38:46.One Wales at 11pm. -- at 11am. For all the latest news, don't forget
:38:47. > :38:49.Wales Today later at 6:30pm. After a very lively session of First
:38:50. > :38:54.Minister's Questions there, that is it from me, join me again next week
:38:55. > :38:54.at the same time, thank you very much for watching.
:38:55. > :39:00.Goodbye.