09/10/2012 am.pm

Good afternoon, a welcome to the programme. We will bring you

comprehensive coverage of First Minister's questions at shortly and

we have a crack team of reporters to pick through what the

politicians have to say for themselves. If you want to comment

on anything on the programme or any of the political news, you can

reach us on Twitter. Or you can send us an e-mail. Business in the

chamber is already under way for the afternoon, so let's take a look

at questions to the First Minister. The National Assembly is now up in

session and the first item on the agenda is questions to the First

Minister. First Minister, what consideration has the Welsh

Government given to the impact of the UK Government's welfare reforms

on the people of Wales. We have given a great deal of consideration

to this. First Minister, there has been a massive cut in welfare

spending and more is in the pipeline. Has any further

consideration been given to what the impact will be if this

Government decides to make the poorest paid by reducing a further

�10 billion of welfare benefits making the poorest and most

vulnerable suffer in our society? Many of the people who claim

benefit, particularly housing benefit, are in work. Effectively

the state is subsidising the low- pay they get paid by their

employers. Those people work very hard. The UK Government seems not

to make any distinction between anybody on low income. According to

them they are all scroungers. There are plenty of people who work hard

who need benefits and there are many unemployed looking for jobs

who need the support of the state at this time and they deserve the

support of the state when times are difficult for them. The UK

Government is currently evolving the council tax benefit scheme to

local authorities enhancing the UK localism agenda, whilst at the same

time saving �490 million. Your Government has decided against this

initiative on the grounds it could bring about a postcode lottery. Yet

several of the Welsh Government initiatives, for example council

tax paid to pensioners, follow the exact localism principles. How do

you account for this blatant contradiction? Why didn't the UK

Government give us the full Budget when they devolved council tax?

They have left us �20 million short. Unlike the UK Government we are not

prepared to pass the responsibility to local councils so they can be

blamed instead of that UK Government. At least devolve the

whole budget rather than top slicing it by around 10%. SPEAKS

WELSH. TRANSLATION: We do not agree with any cap on benefits as

regarding where people live. At the cross-party group on disability

this morning I was horrified to hear a woman at saying how she is

having to scavenge bins out of supermarkets to feed herself. Do

you share my horror that this is how some people with disabilities

are living and it will only get worse? Absolutely because these

people have been targeted by the UK Government. On Saturday I saw

people raise their awareness of a food bank. Is this the Tory and

Lib-Dem Britain that we live in? Where have we come? We are going

backwards and when we see the economic figures now which suggests

the deficit is worse than Greece's, I think people are perfectly

entitled to ask whether direction of the UK Government is taking us.

Would the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's

policy of inward investment and international trade. TRANSLATION:

In my first conference I out lined the options to boost Welsh exports

further and to attract more investment into Wales by overseas

companies. TRANSLATION: Regarding the way it is moving forward, does

the First Minister accept that there is a challenge in India in

particular because the market in science and pharmaceuticals is

competitive, but generally can the First Minister tell us which of the

nine growth sectors does he believe demonstrates the greatest potential

for inward investment and trade and does he accept that energy and

environmental services are one of the most important sectors?

TRANSLATION: We are pleased with the response in India and also the

investments Itar-Tass. We continue to visit Nations so we maintain the

momentum and strengthened the offices we have abroad to ensure

that we work closely with everyone. I know the First Minister is well

aware of health care in my constituency in Cardiff North. Does

he welcome the new cell therapy in laboratories that are in the

process of being developed? Does he not agree this is an excellent

example of inward investment? much so. This will provide capacity

for future business growth and we have confidence in the Cardiff

operation. First Minister, according to the UK trade and

investment the number of active foreign direct investment projects

in Wales where only 23 last year. His is below the number of projects

in any region of other devolved nations of the UK. Indeed, the 23

projects in Wales represent only 1.6% of the United Kingdom total.

What is the Welsh Government doing to attract more foreign direct

investment in Wales? Does he regret the decision that he abolished the

Welsh Development Agency which would probably go down in history

as the worst policy decision made in Wales in living memory? What do

you say about this? There is an interest on behalf of Professor

Morgan. The figures in the UK are not entirely our own figures and

the latest figures are far more optimistic. With regard to the

development agency, what did it bring in? In the 70s and 80s lots

of jobs came to us on the basis Wales was the cheapest place to go

in terms of paying people and that was their policy it. It started to

fall apart 10 years ago. The 21st century deserves 21st century

solutions. We now move to questions from the party leaders. First we

have the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams.

Last year Labour's manifesto said the community's first programme had

made huge strides in the generating deprived areas and tackling poverty

in providing training and skills and improving the health of local

people, generating businesses in tourism and improving community

safety. It communities first was such a success, why has your

Government had to go back to the drawing board on it? Not at all, we

are seeking to improve it. reality is you have spent 11 years

and �300 million on communities First and now you have had to

reduce the 150 projects to 50 cluster areas. In 2009, the Wales

Audit Office said it was unlikely to deliver objectives without

significant change. The Public Accounts Committee said it had

failed to deliver good value for money and the Government management

of the programme was to blame. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said

your flagship policy had led to only marginal improvements in the

poorest communities. In your own analysis, why did communities First

failed to deliver? It would help me if she was to indicate whether she

is against communities First or not? I the areas in her own

constituency the ones that she is criticising? We want to further

strengthen communities and I have been around Wales and I have seen

the difference it makes to communities in many parts of Wales

as well. We will move forward with communities First in order to

strengthen the partnerships further. 11 years, �300 million to make

these poorest communities better off and buy all independent

analysis you have failed to do so. In my own constituency Communities

First has been characterised by into nursing warfare. A decade ago

you set about it that the goal was for better education and skills

training, more job opportunities, improved health and well-being and

to make communities safer, yet you have not be able to offer any

statistics that prove any of those points, but by 2010, you're telling

me in this chamber it was not necessarily an economic development

programme, it was about capacity building. Why should the people of

our poorest communities now believe that the new Communities First will

do better than its failed predecessor? I have seen

Communities First areas in Wales and I have seen hope given to those

communities. I went to Wrexham where older people were saying they

felt safer to walk the streets and they were happy to see their

community rejuvenated. It was a message I got from many other parts

of Wales. We in the Labour Party will never believe it was a waste

of money. We now move to questions from the opposition. Last Wednesday,

First Minister, week tabled a debate in this chamber on neonatal

services, a very important debate, a debate that is going on around

the whole of Wales and many members have been lobbied by health

professionals and constituents. Your Government and your group

chose to abdicate responsibility on that debate. Why was that? No, we

did not. That is rubbish. The presiding officer gave the

indication that the debate was perfectly in order and you were

entitled to table amendments to any debate that if you felt there was

an issue around the legality of the debate which would have precluded

your ministers, you could have deleted that point and spoke on

part of the motion that many residents have raised with Assembly

members will stop your health minister chose to tweeted in the

debate, or her press officer did. That was the level of engagement

from your Government to a very serious issue in Wales. Is your

Government so void of any ideas and is your group so disrespectful of

this institution that you are not prepared to debate the issues? It's

his party deliberately misled the public on days into thinking that

the debate was something Welsh ministers could vote on and it is

not the case. It is an established principle of public law that

weather is an ongoing consultation any opinion voiced by ministers

prejudices that consultation and renders it void. I know this is not

understood by Conservatives because we saw the mess they made over

solar panels. They took a decision when the consultation was ongoing

and the court said you cannot do that. You cannot express a view

until the consultation is finished. That is a long-established area of

public law and I am not prepared for ministers to act illegally

despite what the opposition may want. What a load of rubbish. Again

the default position going to Westminster again instead of

dealing with the issues that you and your ministers that

responsibility for. More galling is the instruction you would have

given to your group not to vote on that. I have had help professionals

come and say how this place was brought into disrepute by your

group. I can hear the Deputy First Minister talking away there. Do not

listen to those people, please. your Government so void of ideas

and so disrespectful of this institution and above all a

democracy in Wales that you offer absolutely nothing? He cannot go

off the script. If he gets the answer he does not like, he has got

to stick to the script. His own Prime Minister suggested his party

should take part in an insurgency it. That is an organised movement

involving armed conflict. Is he the Che Guevara of Wales? You can see

these people apparently who talk about democracy back at the same

time want to take part in armed conflict. We take no lessons from

him at all. I listened very carefully to what David Jones the

Secretary of State said and I took great notice. I very much

appreciated the way in which he put forward the case for Wales. He

talks Wales down and he has got a lot to learn from the next

We now reached the end of the bilateral talks between the Welsh

and UK governments. You said you wanted the Barnett floor to be set

at 115 Key. Is that still an indicator of success? You can

expect an announcement in the next few days. I warned in June that the

calculations regarding Welsh needs required Updating as several years

had passed. Did you asks you several servants to investigate

this and provide updated figures and can you tell us which figures

you used as the basis for your discussions? -- your civil servants.

There have been a number of detailed discussions and there will

be in the next month regarding the conclusion of those discussions in

about two weeks. The party of Wales estimated the under-investment in

Wales is now around �540 million per year, that is money which

should be invested in our hospitals and schools, and shops. De Barnett

formula has squeezed that money out of Wales and fair funding is only

achievable on and lead spaces. Did you make that argument in your

discussions with the UK government? Of course it has been established

for a while. We would like to see full reform and in the absence of

that we would like to see an adequate Barnett formula. The

leader of Plaid Cymru plot about the Barnett formula, if she had her

way, they would not be one. We would not be part of the UK. We are

standing up for Wales and at the same time ensuring that Wales is

very much part of the UK. That message resonates with the people

of Wales. We move to the questions on the paper. Questions 3 and 4

have been withdrawn. Question 5. Will the First Minister make a

statement on the last government's appetite for life policy?

agenda for improving the food and drink provided throughout the

school day is contained in that. There are new standards that will

become statutory in all schools next year. For many children, the

school breakfast and school dinner are the only meals they may get in

the day. The recommended calorie intake is 1,800 calories in

children aged 5-10 but you guidelines, they would ensure that

child gets only 650. I have had complaints that the guidelines are

overly restrictive. In some schools there have been a 20% drop-off as a

result. We have a look at those guidelines again so as to enable an

element of flexibility for schools as how to meet the needs of pupils?

There are regulations we will introduce next year. We want to

ensure that the food and drink provided in our schools makes a

positive contribution towards giving children and young people

healthy had balanced diet. Before I ask my question, can I thank you

for your comments made and for all the members who have come together

in a united way over the tragic events that occurred in Machynlleth.

Others will join with me in the praise an aberration of the

emergency services and the vast number of volunteers who have

helped and come forward and our bottom prayers are very much with

the parents, family and friends of April Jones. How much progress has

the Government made with the establishment of a national

database to gather information on individual schools' Food Programme?

First of all, can I join with the member in what he has said. I know

all members will share the views he expressed. The trustee that

occurred within his own constituency. We understand. -

Write the tragedy. In terms of the national database, we await further

information. TRANSLATION: With Russell George's

comments, could I ask, free school meals are linked to the number of

specific benefits and qualifications for free school

meals is dependent on the benefits. Those are going to be swept away by

the Westminster government over the next year or so. Plaid Cymru would

ensure that children who need school meals will continue to

receive them. What steps are you taking to ensure that the most

deprived children in Wales still get a healthy meal? We are going to

protect them, this is something we are dealing with. We have not

received every answer yet from the UK government, but we wish to

ensure that all those presently eligible will continue to be so.

TRANSLATION: Were he make a statement on the provision of

proper and services? -- Wilkie.

The next generation brought current project her and the broadband

support scheme will ensure that 97% of Welsh people will have access to

proper and by 2015. We need to ensure that 96% of homes in Wales

to have access to proper and by 2015. You have told me that your

government is considering assisting that 4% of homes that will not be

able to access problem. How do you intend to support those? We are

looking at present at exactly where these homes are. Once that analysis

is complete, a statement will be made on the way to assist them.

First Minister, any public money used to strengthen broadband should

go to those areas where broadband is because at present. In a new

contract, will you give them guidance in order to ensure the

initial first investment goes to those communities that are

currently suffering the weakest broadband service? A great deal of

this is dependent on the technology available at the time. In some

areas, that will be available, we need to roll it out and use it. In

other places, the technology will not exist. What we have discovered

is that some are been areas of Wales are without broadband because

of faulty telephone exchanges, but we wish to insure that everyone

gets this as soon as possible. -- ensure. Well first Minister

outlined the last government. Plans to grow the economy in North Wales?

Those plans are set out. As you are aware, this week we have had more

devastating news about how fragile the UK economy is. As a consequence,

the Tory government in the UK believes we can cut our way to

economic growth. Infrastructure is crucial to economic growth. With

this regard, in North Wales, the airports, in Manchester, Liverpool

and Birmingham are crucial. As the UK are much reduced the airport

capacity across the UK, will you ensure that the needs of North

Wales are taken into account and that new capacity is opened up in

the Midlands and North West? fully understand that for many

people, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool are convenient airports.

Much of the future depends on what position is taken on Heathrow. I am

on record as saying that I think the idea of a new national airport

somewhere of the Thames estuary is never going to work. It is too far

away for most people in the west of Britain. I think we should consider

Anglesey airport, who want to see that developed as a gateway to the

North West of Wales. For example, it would be useful to have air

passenger duty devolved to ensure that Cardiff and Agassi airport has

potential to act as there focus of economic growth. -- Anglesey

airport. First Minister, tourism is a massive contributor to the North

Wales economy. We have many thousands of visitors who come to

experience the natural beauty of the landscape in North Wales. But

there is an area of North East Wales which is relatively

undiscovered, the caladium range. There is no duty to promote it

because it is not an National Park. Although it is a protected

landscape. Will you give consideration, working with the

Minister for the Environment, to look at this issue to see whether

he can be addressed in order to get the maximum benefit for this area

for our local economy? There was an answer to this question the week or

- like the week before. But it look with the regard to walking tours

and. The husk what case we have we have presented to the UK come up

with regards to be a letter vocation of the North Wales will

line? We welcome that the decision that has been taken on South Wales

in the valleys. It is very important that consideration is now

given to North Wales and also other parts of Wales. We want to see the

UK government publishing the long term plans that will show where

electricity - like a letter vocation comes. -- electrification.

The renewal fund, they have been reports that includes �20 million

from the sale of land and resources. There are a number of organisations

complaining that the funds are not available. Can you tell us what

exactly the fund has achieved, how many clubs from that fund and how

many jobs have been created directly from that? -- how many

drugs. If he could write to me with examples of where people have been

unsuccessful in the grant application, I will reply. Have you

had any discussions with companies and businesses in Wales about the

impact of rising energy prices? have had many discussions on this.

I certainly met in London with high energy users once again where they

express their concerns to me. I have raised the issue several times

with the UK government. I have recently written again to the

Secretary of State for business, innovation and skills to reiterate

that priority must be given to reducing energy prices. Thank you.

I am aware of the discussion you have had with companies like Tata.

But it is clear that the Welsh Government used the situation with

concern that has fears about investment and the future should

the situation continue. Can I ask that you continue to discuss with

the UK government what they can do and to act with urgency of what is

an urgent situation? I have emphasised this point many times.

The difficulty is, as we see energy prices may go up again, members of

the public and businesses cannot see what market exists in energy.

There is no transparency, no market information for the consumer to

know which tariff to choose because there is a plethora of tariffs.

That is the problem. A market has been created where no such market

actually exists for most people. Innately more transparency and

competition. -- there needs to be. There needs to be measures in place

to ensure that energy prices become more competitive. First Minister,

you stated business and industry will play a key role in driving

transition to a low carbon economies. We recognise that we

must do all we can to create a sustainable environment for the

necessary long-term investment. Can I ask, when will the Government be

delivering on this policy are looked upon as a broad range of

renewable technologies beyond wind, which will achieve what was said

yesterday, and increased home energy sector which will benefit

both business and individual consumers? I would be more happy to

see development of wave and tidal energy in Wales. The problem is, we

cannot put money on the table, like the Scots can. They are able to

provide subsidies at a far higher level than those that exist in

Wales. So wave and tidal technology is going to Scotland. The problem

is, we have no control over this. We should have control in the

future so we can properly develop wave and tidal energy in Wales,

creating jobs in Wales at a level TRANSLATION: Scottish Power have

been offering a bilingual service for a few years. Would you join

with me and tell these companies that it is quite reasonable to

receive a bilingual service in Wales and the people in Wales

should be treated in the same manner. TRANSLATION: It is quite

reasonable and I see this as some sort of excuse. We in Wales are a

bilingual nation and I do not see why they should have an impact on

prices in Wales. If they will increase prices because of the

Welsh language, it would not work. It is important to say that the

correct language is used. Supermarkets had put up a sign in

Irish Galic rather than in Welsh. They should be considered by the

big companies. It is critical that we packed our energy intensive

industries, but we do not lose sight of the underlying cause. The

energy companies continue to rake in huge and swelling profits from

energy intensive companies and from us as taxpayers to subsidise those

costs and from us again as domestic consumers. Can I ask you whether

you have had discussions with the UK Government about the

strengthening of the regulatory framework to force the gas and

electric giants to pass on the wholesale price cuts to their

customers? The fact is that it is regulated and it does not work. We

have seen is in many areas. A market working properly sees proper

competition and consumer choice and none of these things apply when it

comes to the energy market and that is why it sardine is a regulator.

The fact that energy prices are so high speaks for itself. As far as

industry is concerned it is a serious issue and will hamper

severely our chances of bringing investment into Wales and the rest

of the UK in future if the UK carries on being non-competitive in

terms of its energy costs. While the First Minister outline what

action he believes the worst Government needs to take next in

order to establish city regions in Wales? We have arranged a briefing

sessions for Assembly members tomorrow. What consideration has

the Welsh Government given in terms of the governance and

accountability structure for any city regions? Have we looked at how

it places like Greater Manchester being so successful as a city

region, but also those sub regions like Bolton not losing their own

identity and does he not agree that those areas do not get consumed

into the larger region? We have to make sure there is a proper and

effective governance at all levels when it comes to service delivery

and we will ensure the city regions become a reality and deliver

effectively. Good afternoon. In terms of the next city regions I am

interested in what action your Government has to take over the

planned electrification of the South Wales lines. Paucity regions

to work in South Wales people need to travel across South Wales with

ease and speed. Specifically what are you doing to ensure a review of

and bringing strategic transport investment forward on day one so we

have an integrated transport system? One of the things that is

important is when the electrified network is in place for the Ballets

and particularly further west that it is seen as a Metronet work for

the whole of South Wales. For that to be run effectively a thought

needs to be given to what sort of organisation needs to be in place.

There might be other models out there, but it is clear there would

have to be a collective organisation that would be able to

run the matter as a whole. party of Wales believes the

potential of Cardiff, and we are committed to this, what you want to

see is the benefits and shared around the wider South Wales area.

We also believe passionately in our smaller towns and their potential

as well. Any plans put into action will always take into account and

involve the local authorities and the businesses in our smaller towns

and cities in the area, particularly Newport, and those

towns whose proximity to Cardiff can sometimes be seen as a

disadvantage, do you agree? I would hope that being close to Cardiff is

not a disincentive to investment, but it is important there is as

much consultation as possible and that is what the Government will be

seeking to do. Well the First Minister make a statement on his

priorities for the residents of South Wales in the next few months?

Last week, regrettably the AA announced they were relocating some

of the jobs they had in the City of Cardiff, 400 in total, and that is

troubling news given that Cardiff has been identified as an

Enterprise Zone. The Welsh Government allocated some �30

million in fairness, yet if you try to access information on support

for Cardiff, there is precious little information out there to

support businesses to stay within Cardiff. Indeed the AEA are

locating many of these jobs to the North East, a similar economic

region to Cardiff. Are you able to indicate what support you are

giving to get businesses to relocate to Cardiff and support

job-creation measures? There are a number of ways in which we are

doing that. We have the grace fund, -- growth fund, the life science

funds and schemes which will bear fruit for Wales in the future.

Unfortunately we know what has happened with the AA announcement.

We regret that and we will give an update on that on 4th October. It

is worth emphasising that over the last two-and-a-half years

employment in Wales has increased by over 3500. Wales now has the

lowest level of economic activity since records began in 1992. That

illustrates the Welsh Government's economic policies are bearing fruit.

45 jobs in my constituency are under threat and the statutory

consultation period is now under way. Union representatives inform

me that as well as losing defence contracts and number of others have

also been lost. This is a very long-standing employer and I am

sure you will agree that the news is a huge blow to the workers

involved and the area as a whole. I have contacted the business

minister, but will you ensure the factory receive the appropriate

support and advice Park officials. At officials have already spoken to

the company on Friday. They have indicated they will be happy to

talk to us and a meeting will take place on 10th October. The First

Minister, I listened carefully to your answer about the job losses at

a earlier. Despite this, the jobs situation is pretty grim and those

400 job losses in that call centre in Cardiff, there are jobs we

cannot afford to lose. The AA has created 200 jobs over the border in

Newcastle at the same time as getting rid of 400 jobs in Cardiff.

These private sector jobs are valuable not only to people in

Cardiff, but also to people who commute from the valleys. Can you

tell us what assessment your Government has made of the reasons

behind this decision to invest in Newcastle as opposed to Cardiff?

These are issues that have been discussed with AA at the moment.

But it is the reality that we have the different funds that I have

mentioned and on top of that the �38.9 million economic stimulus. It

is a reality that the jobs in Wales are being created and three-and a-

half 1000 opportunities have been created. Skills growth in Wales

will support the creation of jobs. It is regrettable jobs appear to be

going at the age even though the consultation period is not yet up

and we will do all that we can to help those workers who may be made

redundant. We have put in place a detailed programme to help the

economy. That is set for a First Minister's Questions and you can

see more coverage of the National Assembly on lie-in. We have been

watching First Minister's Questions. Good afternoon, Brian. Why don't we

pay through what the leaders had to say? There was a bad-tempered

exchange between Andrew Davies and the Conservative leader very

credible of the Government's response to the debate a hat last

week. They debate last week was around neonatal care and there has

been a lot of concern raised about the provisions of neonatal care

across the whole of Wales will stop Carwyn Jones's position is this is

currently being consulted on and it would be inappropriate for

ministers to discuss this and it would be illegal, he says, and he

is not prepared to allow ministers to act illegally. That was

dismissed by Andrew Davies who said it was rubbish. It descended from

there into something slightly more farcical, actually, with Carwyn

Jones Bennett up a comment that was made by David Cameron last week

that the Tory conference when he said the Welsh Conservatives should

lead an insurrection against Labour. He described Andrew Davies as the

Che Guevara of Wales. A I'm not sure he will be pleased with that.

Kirsty Williams attacked the Government over what has been the

Labour Government's flagship scheme Communities, First to target

improvement in the poorest communities. It was a very precise

question and it was very effective because of that. She brought up a

lot of independent analysis that she said proved this flagship

policy had not been particularly successful in her view and in the

view of some of the people who looked into it. She brought up the

figures of 11 years and the �300 million that had been spent. But

Carwyn Jones absolutely battered that off saying it had been a huge

success across the whole country. For I suppose sometimes the chamber

comes together behind an issue and they certainly did that today we

first saw George for Montgomerie share raising the support

volunteers had given to the search for a prop Jones, the missing five-

year-old from Machynlleth. It was a very moving comment from Rassau

George. Machynlleth is in his constituency and he paid tribute to

those people who have gone a long, including the police who have been

looking for April Jones. That sentiment was also echoed by Carwyn