:00:22. > :00:26.Good afternoon and welcome to am.pm on the 200th anniversary of the
:00:26. > :00:28.birth of Charles Dickens. I'm sure you all have Great Expectations of
:00:29. > :00:34.today's programme, and as usual, we'll bring you coverage of
:00:34. > :00:36.questions to the First Minister. Before we do that, just the usual
:00:37. > :00:46.reminder that you can contact us during the programme. There are
:00:46. > :00:56.many ways in which to do that. Twitter is one of those ways. Send
:00:56. > :00:59.
:00:59. > :01:05.Right then, let's take you over to The Chamber now for this week's
:01:05. > :01:14.questions to First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
:01:14. > :01:19.I call the National Assembly of Wales to order. What provision has
:01:19. > :01:29.the Welsh Government made to increase awareness of the benefits
:01:29. > :01:39.of learning to older people? Are we acknowledge the benefits that
:01:39. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :01:50.learning brings to order people through key strategies. -- older
:01:50. > :01:51.
:01:51. > :01:55.people. Two weeks ago I posted a seminar. How do you refer to the
:01:55. > :01:59.statement to in that report that the Government departments do not
:01:59. > :02:08.do enough to join up the different elements of older people's
:02:08. > :02:17.strategy? And that current emphasis on skills in employment has
:02:17. > :02:25.resulted in gaps for older learners, who have retired? The report looked
:02:25. > :02:35.at delivery prior to the publication of the policy. That
:02:35. > :02:35.
:02:35. > :02:45.statement recognises the benefits of non formal learning. My question
:02:45. > :02:49.
:02:49. > :02:54.is rather less condescending towards older people. I am being
:02:54. > :02:59.favour of... Will the First Minister acknowledge the benefits
:02:59. > :03:04.to children of learning by recommending the schools invite
:03:04. > :03:10.older people to recount experiences of growing up in Wales, in order to
:03:10. > :03:16.foster a greater respect of elderly people? In my opinion, that is the
:03:16. > :03:20.benefit of learning to older people. A lot of schools already do this.
:03:20. > :03:24.They in fact elderly members of the community in it for to tell
:03:24. > :03:29.children of what life was like when they were children, and how
:03:29. > :03:34.communities have changed. That is a model which gives the children an
:03:34. > :03:44.extra Duke on life and the history of their community. -- bit extra at
:03:44. > :03:50.
:03:50. > :03:55.the you. What support is the Welsh Government giving to small
:03:55. > :04:01.businesses? Last October, my colleague raised with you that
:04:01. > :04:11.Wales had the lowest business birth rate. What action it is the Welsh
:04:11. > :04:15.
:04:16. > :04:19.Government taking to improve entrepreneurship in Wales? What
:04:19. > :04:29.assessment have you made of their effectiveness in supporting
:04:29. > :04:30.
:04:30. > :04:36.business? There are top centres located across Wales. -- 12. This
:04:36. > :04:46.is in addition to what has been done in terms of recruiting
:04:46. > :04:51.
:04:51. > :04:56.business champions. As you are aware, of supreme importance to
:04:56. > :05:02.small businesses in Wales is broadband speed. A recent report
:05:03. > :05:11.shows that the average broadband speed has risen by 22%. However,
:05:11. > :05:16.the research highlights that areas in North Wales are falling behind.
:05:16. > :05:21.Will you do all you can to ensure Wales gets its fair share of UK
:05:21. > :05:25.funding, to improve internet access speeds? In rolling out faster
:05:25. > :05:33.broadband, we will insure businesses have a platform to
:05:33. > :05:39.attract and retain business? Yes, we well. We have secured �56
:05:39. > :05:42.million for this project. The UK Government has pledged an
:05:42. > :05:52.additional �100 million to create up to 10 at Super connected cities
:05:52. > :05:55.
:05:55. > :06:00.across the UK. The recent report shows that one in every seven shops
:06:00. > :06:05.in our towns is vacant, and of course, this undermines the
:06:06. > :06:09.confidence of the residents of that town. It also undermines the
:06:10. > :06:14.confidence of the business community. What steps is the
:06:14. > :06:23.Government taking to regenerate our high streets? It is important to
:06:23. > :06:28.ensure that businesses to look at high streets, and C there is a
:06:28. > :06:35.market there for them. There are many examples where town centres
:06:35. > :06:39.have been successful. There are a number of examples which have not
:06:39. > :06:46.been as successful, but local authorities need to develop plans
:06:46. > :06:52.to redevelop town centres in order to ensure that we don't go down the
:06:52. > :07:02.same route as America, where homes and businesses are outside towns
:07:02. > :07:07.
:07:07. > :07:11.but nothing is in the town. tough financial times, the public
:07:11. > :07:20.expect the Welsh Government to ensure that taxes are spent wisely.
:07:20. > :07:25.But a government have anything to apologise for? The report will be
:07:25. > :07:31.published on Thursday, and that will be in conjunction with the big
:07:31. > :07:36.lottery fund. But is not the question by it asked. You are not
:07:36. > :07:42.willing to acknowledge any shortcomings, but the Home
:07:42. > :07:50.Secretary has acknowledged that it should have been graded as high
:07:50. > :07:55.risk. You do know that in 2003, but social Justice Minister
:07:55. > :08:00.commissioned a report into financial irregularities. Could you
:08:00. > :08:10.explain to this chain but why that report has not been published, and
:08:10. > :08:10.
:08:10. > :08:15.were you commit to publishing it now. -- to this Chamber. It is not
:08:15. > :08:20.clear whether it that report was made public at the time. But it
:08:20. > :08:26.will be made public. On Thursday, their report will be published it
:08:26. > :08:33.into the current state of affairs. That will be published with the big
:08:33. > :08:40.lottery fund. Following that, there will be an inquiry conducted. Its
:08:40. > :08:47.findings will be made public. answer is scarcely credible! Are
:08:47. > :08:52.you running this country or not?! We are asking for that report to be
:08:52. > :08:57.published now! We need a full picture of what is going on and has
:08:57. > :09:03.gone on, and we need both reports. The report to be published this
:09:03. > :09:08.week will need to be seen in the context of any recommendations made
:09:08. > :09:15.in that report. You are the First Minister of this country! You can
:09:15. > :09:20.decide, hair now, whether to publish that report this week. --
:09:21. > :09:24.here and now. People want to know whether that report made any
:09:24. > :09:34.recommendations of the weather government funding should continue.
:09:34. > :09:37.
:09:37. > :09:43.This is a matter of public interest. What has a government got to hide?
:09:43. > :09:49.The leader at last bringing forward point of view to this Assembly. She
:09:49. > :09:56.also fails to deviate from her script! The report will be
:09:56. > :10:05.published on Thursday, the findings will be published, and the report
:10:05. > :10:09.will be published. We have nothing to hide from the people of Wales.
:10:09. > :10:14.was also listening to the answers you were giving, and this is
:10:14. > :10:18.building up over a period of time. One thing we would welcome it is
:10:18. > :10:21.the statement from the Minister around the allegations made, and in
:10:21. > :10:26.particular on the report that might be published on Thursday, we were
:10:26. > :10:35.told it would be Monday. Will there be a statement from your
:10:35. > :10:41.government? Yes, on Thursday. that this is over such a long
:10:41. > :10:45.period of time, do you not believe there has been inaction of
:10:45. > :10:51.successive governments to address the very real concerns that people
:10:51. > :10:54.have brought forward, time and time again? The human cost of some of
:10:54. > :11:01.the allegations that have been levelled against the management,
:11:01. > :11:09.for example. The report will be published on Thursday, so I think
:11:09. > :11:18.it should be published first before further comment. There has been a
:11:18. > :11:22.report undertaken independently. Some of those allegations have been
:11:22. > :11:27.confirmed. For example, her financial irregularities and
:11:27. > :11:33.bullying of staff. I would suggest that your government hasn't acted
:11:33. > :11:37.in the best interests of protecting public money, or protecting
:11:37. > :11:42.vulnerable individuals working within that organisation. It is
:11:42. > :11:47.imperative that when the report is published, you respond practically
:11:47. > :11:51.to the recommendations involved in that report. You also need to look
:11:51. > :11:55.back over previous reports that will be brought forward, to make
:11:55. > :11:59.sure that the public purse is protected, and the individuals also
:11:59. > :12:06.have confidence that they know the Government is acting in their best
:12:06. > :12:16.interests. I agree that that is important. But there is no evidence
:12:16. > :12:23.
:12:23. > :12:28.to suggest there is any difficulty. The report demonstrates that it
:12:28. > :12:34.there is no change in the Government's education policy over
:12:34. > :12:41.30,000 children, who will be illiterate by 2016, and I am sure
:12:41. > :12:49.you will not be proud of such a record. Well, we have a good record
:12:49. > :12:57.on education in Wales. For example, the foundation stage, and what we
:12:57. > :13:02.are doing regarding security the apprenticeship scheme, namely the
:13:02. > :13:09.job growth programme. That will ensure 4,000 young people will have
:13:09. > :13:14.the opportunity to secure all a apprenticeship. There is a
:13:14. > :13:18.connection between a literacy and the number of young people who
:13:18. > :13:23.leave school and you are not in education, employment or training.
:13:23. > :13:28.Statistics demonstrate that, this year, 15,000 children and young
:13:28. > :13:32.people will fall into this category. I am sure you will agree that is
:13:32. > :13:38.scandalous in Wales in the modern age. Why do you think so many
:13:38. > :13:42.children and young people face such a bleak future? What responsibility
:13:42. > :13:47.are you willing to take for those figures? I don't believe their
:13:47. > :13:54.future is bleak. There are so many things being done to assist them in
:13:54. > :13:59.the future, but we must improve, and that is why the Minister has
:13:59. > :14:07.announced a scheme that to ensure that children improve regarding
:14:07. > :14:14.reading and writing and numeracy. But the truth is that these figures
:14:14. > :14:18.are increasing. You have set a target, in 2006, to reduce the
:14:18. > :14:24.number of children not in education, employment or training, and of
:14:24. > :14:28.course, you missed that target completely. The reality is this:
:14:28. > :14:35.What you are saying is that everything will be fine as long as
:14:35. > :14:40.we implement waters in your programme of government. --
:14:40. > :14:45.implement what is. The reality is, or with thousands of children are
:14:45. > :14:50.illiterate, and thousands of young people without the necessary basic
:14:50. > :14:56.skills, and the fact the economy is going into another recession, you
:14:56. > :15:02.have to do something which is far more positive. So, it won't change
:15:02. > :15:07.direction, or were you do nothing, and condemn another generation to a
:15:07. > :15:17.life of joblessness and hopelessness? -- or would you
:15:17. > :15:20.
:15:20. > :15:24.The minister himself as broad statements before this Assembly a
:15:24. > :15:29.number of times. There is work to be done, but we must ensure that
:15:29. > :15:34.our children get the best start in life, and that is why we are
:15:34. > :15:38.implementing and expanding the Flying Start scheme, and insuring
:15:38. > :15:44.that the clear message is given as regards the scheme already
:15:44. > :15:48.announced, to ensure that children's skills or improved.
:15:48. > :15:54.the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support
:15:54. > :16:04.for the third sector? We remain committed to working for the third
:16:04. > :16:05.
:16:05. > :16:08.sector, it plays an important role. Can I return to an important third
:16:09. > :16:14.sector organisation, and in particular the answers you gave to
:16:14. > :16:18.his Kirsty Williams earlier on? When exactly will the 2003 report
:16:18. > :16:21.be published? Can explain why the report published on Thursday does
:16:21. > :16:26.not deal with the human resource issues which have caused so much
:16:26. > :16:30.distress to so many people? Unless the member has seen the report
:16:30. > :16:34.which I have not, I don't think I can comment. The report will be
:16:34. > :16:39.published on Thursday, the 2003 report will be published together
:16:39. > :16:43.with the findings and the lessons learned exercise. It will then be
:16:43. > :16:50.possible for members and the public to take a full view on the current
:16:50. > :16:55.and historic situation. Will you join me in commending the excellent
:16:55. > :16:59.work of the new �12 million since some -- SIM Dunstan centre in
:17:00. > :17:05.funded no, which provides rehabilitation care to blind
:17:05. > :17:10.veterans and which is open 365 days a year? Do you agree with me that
:17:10. > :17:12.there appears to have been a gross oversight by the Labour lead
:17:12. > :17:16.governments in the Assembly, which have chosen to spend hundreds of
:17:16. > :17:21.millions of pounds each year in direct funding for the third sector,
:17:21. > :17:26.but have not given a panic to support that run care at this
:17:26. > :17:31.centre in North Wales? -- a penny. We you commit today that this
:17:31. > :17:37.mistake will be corrected as a matter of urgency? It is not
:17:37. > :17:43.correct to say veterans has -- have received no support. There is a
:17:43. > :17:48.come apprehensive package. I cannot take any lectures with regards to
:17:48. > :17:51.the party opposite. This morning in the Times and Number Ten source is
:17:51. > :17:57.quoted as saying that Health Secretary should be taken out and
:17:57. > :18:07.shot. I have snow similar plans for the health minister here! -- I have
:18:07. > :18:16.
:18:16. > :18:21.no similar plans. If I may return to the position regarding a... And
:18:21. > :18:27.endorse what Peter Black said, but it is a particularly important
:18:27. > :18:32.Organisation undertaking vital work in Wales, and that the partnership
:18:32. > :18:35.established is especially appointment -- important. Temporary
:18:35. > :18:41.arrangements are in place to ensure that those partners do not lose out
:18:41. > :18:45.financially. However, in addition to looking at the position in 2003,
:18:45. > :18:50.will he also look at the correspondence between the chair of
:18:50. > :18:58.a beamer at the time in 2007, and the Welsh Government, raising a
:18:58. > :19:04.number of issues that was causing him concern in the internal
:19:04. > :19:08.administration? Our except what you say that we must await the
:19:08. > :19:12.publication on Thursday, but we accept that there is a
:19:12. > :19:17.responsibility on behalf of the Welsh Government to ensure that
:19:17. > :19:21.organisations or in receipt of public funds are fit for purpose as
:19:21. > :19:24.regards the allocation of that funding? Yes, and it is
:19:24. > :19:28.exceptionally important that the Government and the public should
:19:28. > :19:35.have confidence in organisations in receipt of public money, which is
:19:35. > :19:38.why I have said that the report will be published on Thursday.
:19:38. > :19:44.Recommendations will be made once the permanent secretary has
:19:44. > :19:48.considered their historic position, and the previous report will also
:19:48. > :19:54.be published. It is very important that there is confidence in the
:19:54. > :20:01.process, and in the organisation itself in terms of what is
:20:01. > :20:05.happening there now and what has happened there in the past. May ask
:20:05. > :20:10.the First Minister when he last met with that the President of the
:20:10. > :20:18.European Commission? I have met him on three occasions, the last time
:20:18. > :20:23.was at the end of January. The next time he meets him, where he once
:20:23. > :20:27.again assured the President of the commission that his leadership as
:20:27. > :20:35.the First Minister of Wales in terms of Wales's active membership
:20:35. > :20:44.of the EU, reflects the interests of colonisation this threat Wales,
:20:44. > :20:50.despite the negative attitudes of the British Prime Minister? I wrote
:20:50. > :20:57.to the President on 21st January last year in order to ensure that
:20:57. > :21:01.he understood how much I relished the relationship between the Welsh
:21:01. > :21:06.Government and the European Union. First Minister, during your
:21:06. > :21:09.meetings with the President of the European Commission, could you
:21:09. > :21:14.outline whether you discussed the trans-European transport network to
:21:14. > :21:19.Wales, in particular the importance of electrifying the route to
:21:19. > :21:24.Swansea? If you have not done so, will you do so? Electrification is
:21:24. > :21:28.a number for the UK Government, not for the European Commission. The UK
:21:28. > :21:33.Government have indicated they will collect a far as far as Cardiff, it
:21:33. > :21:38.is a matter of record here but we want in education to go as far as
:21:38. > :21:43.Swansea. A business case has been produced which we think supports
:21:43. > :21:49.that. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve the local economy
:21:49. > :21:55.in Wales? The programme for Government sets out our priorities
:21:55. > :22:01.for developing the economy. I would like to thank you Konig the
:22:01. > :22:08.business Minister for the announcement last week when she
:22:08. > :22:12.announced... A large number of businesses in my own constituency
:22:12. > :22:19.have closed down in the last month alone. In fact one local resident
:22:19. > :22:24.has recently posted a YouTube video to highlight that the tide is
:22:24. > :22:34.turning into a ghost town. I recommend that you look at that,
:22:34. > :22:41.because it demonstrates the need for urgent action. In terms of
:22:41. > :22:46.towns in Powys, I wonder if you could provide more detail of when
:22:46. > :22:49.that task Finnish group will start? Will it include groups such as the
:22:49. > :22:53.Federation of Small Businesses? Wendy expect the group to start his
:22:53. > :22:57.work? The minister will be producing a written statement in
:22:57. > :23:02.due course, but we want to ensure that such a group will be effective
:23:02. > :23:08.as possible, and that will include as many as those with business
:23:08. > :23:13.interests in your time and the wider area as we can. First
:23:13. > :23:17.Minister, the use of unnatural -- our natural resources in Wales has
:23:17. > :23:21.a potential to boost the economy. Particularly those coming from wind
:23:21. > :23:27.and water resources. Have you written yet to Ed Davey asking for
:23:27. > :23:30.the devolution of all renewable energy projects in Wales? I have
:23:30. > :23:36.not written yet, but it is a matter of record that be constantly call
:23:36. > :23:41.for the devolution of renewable energy products under... Difficulty
:23:41. > :23:51.is that it creates uncertainty with regard to developers. They do not
:23:51. > :23:52.
:23:52. > :23:55.know how to -- who to talk to, where the guidance lies. First
:23:56. > :23:59.Minister, of when talking to businesses and their
:24:00. > :24:04.representatives across mid-Wales, one of the main problems they
:24:04. > :24:09.braise is the lack of an adequate transport infrastructure to import
:24:09. > :24:12.and export goods efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. One recent
:24:13. > :24:18.discussions have you had with your colleague, the minister for local
:24:18. > :24:22.Government and communities, on addressing some of these issues,
:24:22. > :24:27.notably the new town bypass, and also other investment so that
:24:27. > :24:35.businesses are no longer disadvantaged in comparison to
:24:35. > :24:39.their colleagues on their Mfor corridors? Progress has been made
:24:39. > :24:44.in the new town bypass, and physical evidence is there, there
:24:44. > :24:49.is an issue as well with the electricity grid in northern Paris,
:24:49. > :24:54.where there is limited spare capacity for future growth, and a
:24:54. > :24:58.need to update the great anyway, because it is difficult to attract
:24:58. > :25:02.large-scale investment because of the power situation. So it is
:25:02. > :25:07.important to consider the roads, but also broadband. We want to make
:25:07. > :25:11.sure that high-speed broadband is available across Wales by 2015. We
:25:11. > :25:14.know the market will never deliver that, but there is great
:25:14. > :25:22.opportunity for all parts of Wales to be able to benefit from that
:25:22. > :25:28.level of connectivity. What is a Welsh Government doing to improve
:25:28. > :25:34.access to dentistry services in Wales? Access to NHS care has
:25:34. > :25:37.improved significantly in recent years. The programme for Government
:25:37. > :25:46.underlines our manifesto commitment to continued to improve access to
:25:46. > :25:50.dentists. A you may be aware that dental care in my constituency has
:25:50. > :25:56.received a significant boost with the recent opening of the teaching
:25:56. > :26:01.dental unit at a local hospital. With an estimated 1000 people not
:26:01. > :26:06.registered with a dentist, the new unit will provide check ups and any
:26:06. > :26:12.treatment required free of charge. Would you agree with me that the
:26:12. > :26:18.unit is an investment, not only in the standard of dental health, but
:26:18. > :26:23.also in the future dentists who will provide care for people?
:26:23. > :26:28.it will provide services for up to 10,000 patients, provides
:26:28. > :26:31.undergraduate students with the opportunity to find tuned their
:26:31. > :26:38.skills. That practical experience also provides the local community
:26:38. > :26:44.with a much needed service for those without access to an NHS
:26:44. > :26:49.dentist. How do you respond to that resident who said he is tired of
:26:49. > :26:55.paying an excess of �2,000 for private care, and I am now being
:26:55. > :27:01.asked to pay �7,000 for treatment I do not have. My previous four
:27:01. > :27:06.dentists do not provide it. Many phone calls and e-mails to NHS
:27:06. > :27:10.Direct could not establish me an NHS dentist. I have not seen the e-
:27:10. > :27:16.mail, but if you forward it to me I would be more than happy to
:27:16. > :27:26.investigate the circumstances. First Minister, there is no
:27:26. > :27:27.
:27:27. > :27:31.orthodontist service, on the income but then showers. There is now an
:27:31. > :27:36.opportunity to let a new contract that would provide about which
:27:36. > :27:39.services. Do you believe and agreed they should be an orthodontics
:27:39. > :27:44.service for all the junk people of Wales within a sensible distance to
:27:44. > :27:49.them? I think it is important to ensure UN orthodontics service
:27:49. > :27:55.which is as close as possible to people, bearing in mind the number
:27:55. > :28:04.of Orthodontists available. I would hope that they would consider the
:28:04. > :28:08.situation to see whether there is a means of assisting. In my
:28:08. > :28:12.constituency there is also a dental unit, but staffed by postgraduate
:28:12. > :28:17.students, who spend a year there. What support is the Welsh
:28:17. > :28:21.Government giving to these students, to set up practice in Wales and
:28:21. > :28:25.provide more NHS capacity in dentistry? Those who trained in
:28:25. > :28:31.wells are more likely to stay in Wales, so we have increased the
:28:31. > :28:41.number of training places to 74, up from 55 in 2003. Of the most recent
:28:41. > :28:51.available figures, they show that the 74 -- of the 74, 53 remained in
:28:51. > :29:07.
:29:07. > :29:15.Following recent events, the regulators are asked -- are
:29:15. > :29:21.awarding them up through seminars, and consequently, it has improved.
:29:21. > :29:27.I am certain that you are aware of a review in Scotland regarding the
:29:27. > :29:34.market system, regarding it examination boards. Do you have any
:29:34. > :29:38.intention to look at the situation in Wales? No. We know the
:29:38. > :29:48.regulators have to deal with the situation, and in addition to what
:29:48. > :29:55.
:29:55. > :30:00.I said earlier, the senior managers of company macro also manage it. --
:30:00. > :30:05.Welsh Joint Education Committee. Listening to your answer, I am
:30:06. > :30:09.disappointed that you are taking an arm's length approach to this. I am
:30:09. > :30:14.pleased by the first part of your answer that these guidelines have
:30:14. > :30:20.been reviewed, but you must accept there is a big responsibility to
:30:20. > :30:26.see the guidelines are adhered to, and these changes happen. There is
:30:26. > :30:33.concerned that the reputation of education in Wales will fall by the
:30:33. > :30:40.UK, unless your government takes action. Well, there were other exam
:30:40. > :30:45.boards affected in the same wave. I do not accept that education in
:30:45. > :30:50.Wales will suffer at all. While it is not under the direct control of
:30:50. > :30:58.the Welsh Government, I can say the Minister spoke to the chief
:30:58. > :31:03.executive to express concern. He referred to the footage that we saw.
:31:03. > :31:09.He also announced a review of the market structure for qualifications,
:31:10. > :31:18.and this will be conducted over the next three months. The Welsh
:31:18. > :31:23.Government officials also contributed to the initial
:31:23. > :31:29.investigation. In that light of all the unfavourable attention that it
:31:29. > :31:33.has received concerning the allegations, what practical steps
:31:33. > :31:39.that your government taking to assist it to regain their
:31:39. > :31:49.reputation? As I said, I have given it an example of what has happened,
:31:49. > :31:53.
:31:53. > :31:59.and what the Minister has done. Will the First Minister update
:31:59. > :32:04.members on preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games? We have led the
:32:04. > :32:07.effort to engage, co-ordinate and deliver the games, and the
:32:07. > :32:15.opportunity the games will bring it across Wales. The action plan has
:32:15. > :32:22.been referred to in previous months. It focuses on similar opportunities
:32:22. > :32:31.before, during and after the event. In the past, sporting events have
:32:31. > :32:35.been linked to people trafficking. Could I ask what actions the
:32:35. > :32:39.Government is sticking to insure trafficking is not part of our
:32:39. > :32:46.Olympic legacy? It is fair to say that we are ahead of the rest of
:32:46. > :32:50.the UK on this issue. We were the first country in the UK to a point
:32:50. > :32:58.and Andy human traffic cordon 84 stop the current threat assessment
:32:58. > :33:07.is low, based on existing intelligence. -- human traffic
:33:07. > :33:12.cordon 80. It is also correct to say that it is equally a threat in
:33:12. > :33:17.terms of what might happen with the issues you mentioned like sex
:33:17. > :33:27.trafficking. We need to make sure the games bring positive legacies
:33:27. > :33:33.to Wales, and we need to clampdown on negative legacies. I am sure you
:33:33. > :33:39.will agree that the build-up to 2012 provides an excellent
:33:39. > :33:44.opportunity for Wales to benefit from this event. A recent poll
:33:44. > :33:51.found that 57% of respondents thought the Olympics would have a
:33:51. > :33:54.positive affect, compared to 50% of Scots. What avenues or the
:33:54. > :33:59.Government be pursuing in the build up to the Olympics to ensure that
:33:59. > :34:03.young people, all across Wales, increase their level of but as a
:34:03. > :34:08.patient in sport, and that Welsh businesses make the most of these
:34:09. > :34:17.opportunities? I have made reference to the action plan
:34:17. > :34:23.published at the end of 2011. last year's Assembly, the police
:34:23. > :34:30.have lost 300 officers, and are planning their commitment to
:34:30. > :34:38.policing the Olympics. The impact of the reduced numbers, and
:34:38. > :34:43.increase of the Olympics, it will be felt after the event. What it
:34:43. > :34:46.reassurances have the Welsh Government sought, it matters like
:34:46. > :34:52.court appearances and police training will be able to continue
:34:52. > :34:57.during this time, as well as cover for firearms officers, drugs teams,
:34:57. > :35:02.at road policing and officers who investigate domestic violence?
:35:02. > :35:08.These are matters for the Home Office, but if there are examples
:35:08. > :35:15.of officers who feel there will be insufficient cover, I welcome those
:35:15. > :35:20.examples being forwarded to me. I understand that there need to be
:35:20. > :35:30.anonymity. The people of Wales need to know that regular policing
:35:30. > :35:30.
:35:30. > :35:35.functions will not suffer. Will the First Minister make a statement as
:35:35. > :35:38.to what degree the school curriculum of Wales should reflect
:35:38. > :35:44.the language and culture of Wales? The Welsh Government believes
:35:45. > :35:50.strongly that Wales's history, culture and social fabric are
:35:50. > :35:54.linked to the Welsh language. The curriculum provides learners with
:35:54. > :35:59.opportunities to apply their knowledge and understand the
:35:59. > :36:04.cultural and linguistic characteristics of Wales. Thank you
:36:04. > :36:09.for that response. I learnt Welsh have a second language, so I think
:36:09. > :36:14.it is important that every child in Wales has the opportunity to learn
:36:14. > :36:19.some Welsh, an event to go want to become fluent speakers. If you
:36:19. > :36:25.agree with that, what are you doing as a government to improve the
:36:26. > :36:30.situation in the teaching of Welsh as a second language, which has
:36:30. > :36:37.highlighted that the Welsh as a second language is taught most
:36:37. > :36:44.poorly? It is also the subject which has the greatest gap between
:36:44. > :36:52.the achievement of boys and girls. We need to improve that situation.
:36:52. > :37:00.Of course, Welsh is a statutory subject. Every child has to study
:37:00. > :37:04.it until the age of 16. But we do pay attention to be a report, and
:37:04. > :37:11.steps would all be put in place in order to ensure that the teaching
:37:11. > :37:15.of Welsh as a second language is strengthened. I am pleased that the
:37:15. > :37:20.Government has recognised British sign language as a language in its
:37:20. > :37:24.own it right. How are you unsure and this is being reflected in the
:37:24. > :37:30.School Curriculum? Developing communication skills should take us
:37:30. > :37:36.across a whole curriculum. While there are no requirement to teach
:37:36. > :37:43.it, the framework recognises the importance of developing non-verbal
:37:43. > :37:47.communication skills, including a sign language. While education is
:37:47. > :37:53.an end in itself, one of the functions of school link is to
:37:53. > :37:58.improve the child's chance of social mobility. It is not just
:37:58. > :38:03.Welsh as a second language that is experiencing poor uptake, but also
:38:03. > :38:08.modern foreign languages. Do you think that second languages, that
:38:08. > :38:13.could open economic doors, should become core subject? We must be
:38:13. > :38:19.careful about adding to many core subject to the curriculum. It
:38:19. > :38:26.restricts the choices of students. I do agree with you that it is
:38:26. > :38:36.important that children take seriously the study of a third or
:38:36. > :38:42.
:38:42. > :38:52.second European language. How will the Welsh Government support
:38:52. > :38:53.
:38:53. > :38:58.transport for elderly and disabled people? It is a priority. It is
:38:58. > :39:06.often said that age rarely travels alone, and many older people
:39:06. > :39:10.experience mobility difficulties. However, there is an anomaly,
:39:10. > :39:15.whereby people entitled to concessionary travel are not
:39:15. > :39:20.charged for using buses, but can be charged for using community
:39:20. > :39:25.transport. What can you do to address that anomaly? We are
:39:26. > :39:33.looking at other ways to support community transport, and we will be
:39:33. > :39:43.focusing on how the sector can work more effectively with the NHS to
:39:43. > :39:48.deliver non-emergency patient transport services. Can I just ask,
:39:48. > :39:53.what about the situation where people cannot access bus services
:39:53. > :39:59.at all? In my constituency, it is the oldest demographic constituency
:39:59. > :40:04.in Wales. As a result, many people need access to public transport.
:40:04. > :40:08.They have concessionary passes, but they cannot get on buses because
:40:08. > :40:17.there are none. What are you doing to support the expansion of local
:40:17. > :40:27.bus services? There are several options. Authorities can consider
:40:27. > :40:33.whether a subsidised bus services is appropriate. We all know about
:40:33. > :40:37.the very successful bus scheme. There we are, that was First
:40:37. > :40:40.Minister's Questions. And you can see more proceedings from the
:40:40. > :40:50.National Assembly on BBC Wales's Democracy Live online coverage. Our
:40:50. > :40:56.
:40:56. > :41:01.Welsh Affairs editor, Vaughan There was plenty of discussion at
:41:01. > :41:07.there. It seems mounting pressure on the First Minister to produce
:41:07. > :41:12.some evidence that the Government has been looking into this scheme.
:41:12. > :41:22.Yes, it has been one of those slow- burn up stories. It have been in
:41:22. > :41:32.the news before. It was in the news in 2003. Recently, all sorts of
:41:32. > :41:35.internal problems happened - trustees resigning, the chief
:41:35. > :41:45.executive paid offers personal credit card bill. The whole
:41:45. > :41:45.
:41:45. > :41:55.situation has been rising and accusations have been flying. --
:41:55. > :42:02.
:42:02. > :42:09.chief executive paid off. A Ms want to see the results of that
:42:09. > :42:16.investigation published. Also, they want to see the report from 2003,
:42:16. > :42:21.because there are suspicions that the Welsh Government was warned
:42:21. > :42:25.about this company, and did very little about it. That is why it
:42:26. > :42:32.this is moving centre-stage. It is a story that will not go away. I
:42:32. > :42:39.should say that we expect developments quite soon. Carwyn
:42:39. > :42:45.Jones said that his government had nothing to hide. There are links
:42:46. > :42:50.between the Labour Party and this company, on there? Yes, between the
:42:51. > :42:57.chief executive we mentioned. He has tried for Labour nominations.
:42:57. > :43:03.His son was a Labour candidate in the last Assembly elections. He has
:43:03. > :43:08.been a volunteer. The new chair is also a faint -- former Labour
:43:08. > :43:13.councillor. The Conservatives have questioned whether the Labour
:43:14. > :43:17.connections are prejudicing the inquiry. The Government denies this.
:43:17. > :43:20.That's it for today. I'll be back with you tomorrow at 11:30am for