:05:39. > :05:42.credit unions will not be able to do a mass service unless they widely
:05:43. > :05:46.expand their client base aeons the higher risk small value lending.
:05:47. > :06:01.What are you doing to help expand customer bases to a larger
:06:02. > :06:06.audience? Credit unions in Ireland have been in place for a lot longer
:06:07. > :06:16.than in Wales but since October of 2010 ?4 million has been provided
:06:17. > :06:24.for the access to a project which has helped more than 23,000 people
:06:25. > :06:28.in Wales. I am pleased that the focus from this Welsh government has
:06:29. > :06:35.been to support credit unions and I know certainly from my own area that
:06:36. > :06:39.the work they are doing, helping particularly young savers, but the
:06:40. > :06:44.situation is still that payday loans, payday lenders are still able
:06:45. > :06:49.to advertise in a way that credit unions are not, therefore there is
:06:50. > :06:53.not a level playing field. What more can this government do to make sure
:06:54. > :07:01.credit unions or on a level playing field? -- are on. These are matters
:07:02. > :07:06.outside the competence of the government or the Assembly but I
:07:07. > :07:12.have no doubt that as we see credit unions grow we will support them to
:07:13. > :07:17.make sure they are able to provide a wider range of services. It is
:07:18. > :07:27.important to show that they are financially self-sustaining before
:07:28. > :07:35.they move on. Although local credit unions play a vital role, we heard
:07:36. > :07:39.that the recent North Wales credit union had to come together through
:07:40. > :07:46.merger and amalgamation to deliver sustainability. What discussions has
:07:47. > :07:49.the Welsh government had with the Association of credit unions, to
:07:50. > :07:56.which the North Wales credit union belongs, to drive forward fewer but
:07:57. > :08:13.larger credit unions with border reach? -- more broad. We could not
:08:14. > :08:18.be in a situation in years to come when credit unions need revenue
:08:19. > :08:23.funding or substantial capital funding on a regular basis so it is
:08:24. > :08:27.important that where such mergers can take place to put them on a
:08:28. > :08:33.firmer footing that they are examined closely by those credit
:08:34. > :08:40.unions. In my region of Mid and West Wales credit unions have all to
:08:41. > :08:47.their membership in part through the development of payments deduction
:08:48. > :08:58.schemes. -- built them in Bishop. Given the advantages that accrue to
:08:59. > :09:04.people across Wales, what is the government prepared to do to help
:09:05. > :09:12.this? We have funded the access to financial services Project, which
:09:13. > :09:17.has helped people to access credit, and where viable schemes come to our
:09:18. > :09:26.attention we will see what financial support we can give them. The access
:09:27. > :09:32.to credit unions has continued to grow. Of September of last year they
:09:33. > :09:42.are 34 million so we know they are performing an invaluable function.
:09:43. > :09:47.Andrew RT Davies. First Minister, your government has
:09:48. > :09:50.announced today another ?50 million for the health service, reinforcing
:09:51. > :10:00.our calls for additional resources for the NHS. Is this not another
:10:01. > :10:06.bailout? I hear your front bench laughing, but why have you made this
:10:07. > :10:08.extra money available? I am surprised that the Leader of the
:10:09. > :10:17.Opposition does not welcome more money for health. We will continue
:10:18. > :10:24.to ensure that the Welsh service is properly funded. If you had listened
:10:25. > :10:28.to us at the start, it would not require these bailouts, and the
:10:29. > :10:33.managers and staff could actually plan procedures that would get rid
:10:34. > :10:40.of the waiting lists that are going up. Another point we have been
:10:41. > :10:45.pushing on is an enquiry and the genuine concerns that people have
:10:46. > :10:51.over care in our hospitals. It is fair to say that the majority, the
:10:52. > :10:56.vast majority have a very positive experience, but you see it in your
:10:57. > :10:59.own hospital, that time and time again relatives are coming forward
:11:00. > :11:05.and identifying a failure in the care they relatives have had at
:11:06. > :11:11.hospitals across Wales. Will you not now commit to undertaking an enquiry
:11:12. > :11:15.that will look independently at many of the proposals that have come out
:11:16. > :11:24.of England and see whether there is scope to reduce them? They are far,
:11:25. > :11:33.far worse in England. We are aware of the issues it raised -- issues
:11:34. > :11:36.raised but the vast majority of people in the Welsh NHS have a very
:11:37. > :11:43.good standard of care. The patient service suggest that satisfaction
:11:44. > :11:58.rates are close to 90%. That is not a basis for a widespread enquiry. We
:11:59. > :12:05.have had cuts in education and... Economic spending, 30% cut. Local
:12:06. > :12:10.government, 20% cut under his government. I am sure that there are
:12:11. > :12:20.many taxpayers in Wales to a very glad we didn't take his advice. --
:12:21. > :12:25.who are very glad. It was 12% that you said and this week we are going
:12:26. > :12:30.back to 20%. I go back to the point that I make about a significant
:12:31. > :12:47.minority of relatives and patients highlighting real concerns. And FOI
:12:48. > :12:52.to your government suggests that the complaint is the director general 's
:12:53. > :13:00.office received would take 16,683 hours to answer. They receive
:13:01. > :13:05.thousands of phone calls a day on this issue. I access the point you
:13:06. > :13:13.make and it is a credit to our clinicians that most people have a
:13:14. > :13:16.very positive experience. -- accept the point. But you can't get away
:13:17. > :13:21.from the fact that a significant minority are not enjoying a positive
:13:22. > :13:24.experience and an enquiry looking at the whole of the Welsh NHS would be
:13:25. > :13:31.the best way to address the issues I have highlighted today. I simply
:13:32. > :13:35.don't accept what he has to say. He argues against himself. The vast
:13:36. > :13:39.majority of people get excellent treatment most of the time. He says
:13:40. > :13:44.he does not deny that and I give him credit for that but it is right to
:13:45. > :13:50.say that complaints have been made, I am aware of the complaints, and
:13:51. > :13:56.they must be investigated, nobody could argue against that. I will be
:13:57. > :14:00.meeting my constituents with a view to look into that situation
:14:01. > :14:08.regarding their position. I have to say of course that I welcome the
:14:09. > :14:13.fact that ABMU have commissioned an independent review and it must of
:14:14. > :14:18.course be allowed to take its course to provide the right level of
:14:19. > :14:23.evidence so the local health board takes action. Some in this chamber
:14:24. > :14:28.call for a public enquiry at the drop of a hat. As far as the public
:14:29. > :14:39.enquiry is concerned, there is the cost, probably ?1 million, but it
:14:40. > :14:43.would take or so -- also about two years. The reality of the situation
:14:44. > :14:46.is that these families want answers quickly and I want to make sure the
:14:47. > :15:00.process provides those answers quickly. I believe they want
:15:01. > :15:04.thousands is as quickly as possible. First Minister, the weather is in
:15:05. > :15:12.the headlines again. Many of our communities are struggling from
:15:13. > :15:19.previous weather events. Officials are liaising with European officials
:15:20. > :15:22.to help address the immediate needs of affected communities. Can you
:15:23. > :15:33.please tell us what progress has been made in this respect? A letter
:15:34. > :15:49.has been sent to or Paterson asking to see a slice of money for Wales.
:15:50. > :15:56.In relation to the current weather effects, the chief scientist at The
:15:57. > :16:03.Met office has said that all the evidence suggests a link to climate
:16:04. > :16:12.change. Do you accept this and do you also accept that these
:16:13. > :16:16.conditions are likely to get worse? It is clear to me that climate
:16:17. > :16:19.change is happening and it is influenced by the way in which we
:16:20. > :16:26.live our lives and it strikes me that the overwhelming evidence
:16:27. > :16:32.supports that conclusion. The BBC highlights a report that says ?135
:16:33. > :16:38.million should be spent every year to maintain current flood defences.
:16:39. > :16:42.The Minister for natural resources said that a managed retreat from
:16:43. > :16:45.coastal areas is not current government policy but he has also
:16:46. > :16:50.previously said that the Government cannot simply protect the whole
:16:51. > :16:54.coast as it is today. Given that this is a contradiction, could you
:16:55. > :16:59.provide some clarity on this question? Are you or are you not
:17:00. > :17:08.actively considering the managed retreat from coastal areas? This is
:17:09. > :17:11.not our current thinking. There is a shoreline management plan which
:17:12. > :17:14.deals with this issue but also highlights the challenges in terms
:17:15. > :17:19.of defending our communities against extreme weather. I would say that
:17:20. > :17:24.even though the weather has been very similar in Wales, because of
:17:25. > :17:28.investment we have had an, we have not seen the devastation that
:17:29. > :17:35.England has seen. In England flood defence budgets were cut. In Wales
:17:36. > :17:45.we have got on with protecting communities. The leader of the Welsh
:17:46. > :17:48.Liberal Democrats. First Minister, last year, following the publication
:17:49. > :17:53.of another very disappointing set of education results, I asked you when
:17:54. > :18:04.we would expect to see improvement and you gave me a list, a long list.
:18:05. > :18:07.The National literally, literacy and numeracy plant, strengthening
:18:08. > :18:10.accountability, learning Wales, a national model for the regional
:18:11. > :18:16.working and dealing with attendance and behaviour. Despite that, you
:18:17. > :18:21.went on to say that it would take a little bit more time before these
:18:22. > :18:26.improvements have their full force. In the last two weeks, we have seen
:18:27. > :18:35.the announcement of two more initiatives. Why should the pupils
:18:36. > :18:40.and parents of Wales have any more faith in these initiatives than any
:18:41. > :18:43.of the others that you have recently announced over the years of your
:18:44. > :18:59.government's failure to tackle educational standards? The gap in
:19:00. > :19:02.exam results is closing. We have some very good schools but we have
:19:03. > :19:06.some that are in need of improvement. That is why we
:19:07. > :19:13.introduced schools challenge Wales and I'm sure she will join me in
:19:14. > :19:16.welcoming that initiative. I would welcome an improvement in
:19:17. > :19:21.educational standards and a programme that will actually deliver
:19:22. > :19:26.it. Schools challenge is based on a model launched in England over a
:19:27. > :19:30.decade ago will stop a Labour government is taking programmes
:19:31. > :19:35.forward to improve educational attainment but in that decade a full
:19:36. > :19:40.cohort of Welsh children have gone through the Welsh education system
:19:41. > :19:44.and have missed out. Is this not more evidence of what you described
:19:45. > :19:50.in your own words as taking your eye off the ball? I welcome the Liberal
:19:51. > :19:55.Democrats praising a Labour initiative. I notice the
:19:56. > :20:02.Conservative Party supported it and I believe Plaid Cymru did as well. I
:20:03. > :20:06.don't accept that a whole cohort of children have missed out because we
:20:07. > :20:13.have very good schools and we have an excellent local education
:20:14. > :20:17.authority. But we don't have consistency and that's why this is
:20:18. > :20:20.so important to make sure that those at the bottom are brought up to the
:20:21. > :20:25.kind of standard people expect and should want to see. That is why we
:20:26. > :20:34.introduced the programme. There is no escaping the fact that if we
:20:35. > :20:37.continue the situation where six are in special measures, we will never
:20:38. > :20:41.see an improvement that we want to see in future. That must be tackled
:20:42. > :20:53.as well as moving forward with those initiatives already announced. This
:20:54. > :21:08.is not Simon Thomas's question Time. Will you listen carefully, please?
:21:09. > :21:16.First Minister, that is one excellent LVA. Surely you cannot be
:21:17. > :21:20.proud of that record? A clear way forward was promised for Welsh
:21:21. > :21:26.schools. It was suggested that challenge schools will be identified
:21:27. > :21:30.as underperforming as measured by banding and a range of deprivation
:21:31. > :21:34.related factors. Recently, it emerged that school banding will be
:21:35. > :21:39.supplemented by a new national school improvement and
:21:40. > :21:41.categorisation system and that is in addition to the existing
:21:42. > :21:46.categorisation we already have. Rather than a clear way forward, we
:21:47. > :21:52.have three methods of categorising schools. Could you explain to Welsh
:21:53. > :21:57.parents which of these three methods will be used for choosing the
:21:58. > :22:06.schools in the challenge programme and when can we expect to see those
:22:07. > :22:08.schools named and announced? Why shouldn't parents have the ability
:22:09. > :22:16.to compare schools? Absolutely right. We have one excellent local
:22:17. > :22:25.education authority amongst 22. Six of them in special measures. He was
:22:26. > :22:33.a question for her. Local education authorities, six of them, have
:22:34. > :22:38.failed. The 22 current authorities were set up by the Conservatives in
:22:39. > :22:43.the mid-1990s. Those local authorities are not providing
:22:44. > :22:48.consistent education so here's the point I want to make. What is most
:22:49. > :22:56.important, the education of children or STV? Will she supports the
:22:57. > :23:03.strengthening of education or is a voting system more important to her?
:23:04. > :23:13.We moved back to questions on the paper. Andrea R T Davies. What is
:23:14. > :23:18.the Welsh government doing to help employment in South Wales Central?
:23:19. > :23:27.Encouraging new employment continues to be a key priority for us. One of
:23:28. > :23:35.the key things is to advertise what South Wales Central has to offer. We
:23:36. > :23:43.have two enterprise zones. I took a KLM flight out of Wales to Amsterdam
:23:44. > :23:50.recently and there was not one single advertisement there to show
:23:51. > :23:59.what Wales could offer if they chose to move here. Not one. Can you look
:24:00. > :24:04.into this to make sure that offer is addressed, because we are losing a
:24:05. > :24:11.captive audience and we are losing virginity to promote what we have to
:24:12. > :24:20.offer future employers? There are adverts at the airport. There is a
:24:21. > :24:27.substantial amount of promotion for Wales in terms of tourism, Welsh
:24:28. > :24:30.produce, a business destination. Certainly, if he has the
:24:31. > :24:39.opportunity, I would encouraging to see what has been done there. Will
:24:40. > :24:44.the First Minister join me in welcoming the report of the
:24:45. > :24:51.International baccalaureate organisation that is about to sign a
:24:52. > :24:54.lease for an office in my constituency thereby securing 300
:24:55. > :25:02.highly skilled jobs that would have been lost had the announcement been
:25:03. > :25:11.carried through that it was quitting Cardiff for Amsterdam? I welcome the
:25:12. > :25:17.fact that they are staying. Some 20 years ago my wife worked for them.
:25:18. > :25:20.It is important for Wales that a major educational organisation wants
:25:21. > :25:30.to remain in Wales and commit itself in the way it has. Plaid Cymru
:25:31. > :25:35.continues to work on plans for new jobs and that has been a priority
:25:36. > :25:39.throughout my leadership. We are also committed to safeguarding jobs
:25:40. > :25:46.which is why we visited Cardiff docks as part of our European
:25:47. > :25:51.election campaign launch. Cardiff docks welcome ships from throughout
:25:52. > :25:54.the EU on a daily basis and it must demonstrate why it is a benefit for
:25:55. > :25:59.Wales to be an integrated heart of the European Union. We accept a lot
:26:00. > :26:07.needs to change within the EU but given that 150,000 Welsh jobs depend
:26:08. > :26:12.on our access to the EU single market and that 43% of exports went
:26:13. > :26:17.to the EU last year, will you join with me and the party of Wales in
:26:18. > :26:29.affirming the importance of EU membership to the Welsh colony? --
:26:30. > :26:35.economy? I will, of course. Certainly, she and I are on the same
:26:36. > :26:40.page but in terms of membership of the EU. It is the reality that we
:26:41. > :26:51.have so many jobs in Wales that are reliant on EU membership. EU
:26:52. > :26:55.subsidies go to our farmers. They would not be able to access our
:26:56. > :27:01.substantial market or receive subsidies. That is the reality. We
:27:02. > :27:07.would seek a number of large companies leave Wales and go closer
:27:08. > :27:11.to the EU market, which is ten times the size of the UK market. It is
:27:12. > :27:15.already the case that we have had investors who are questioning
:27:16. > :27:20.whether to come to Wales. The uncertainty over EU membership.
:27:21. > :27:34.Access to that market 500 million is most important thing for many
:27:35. > :27:37.investors. As this building nears completion when we anticipate a
:27:38. > :27:42.return on that investment and how many jobs to you expect created at
:27:43. > :27:48.that location? We are looking to see jobs created in all enterprise
:27:49. > :27:55.zones. Some are more advanced than others. The site more than
:27:56. > :28:01.Snowdonia. There are exciting plans for Snowdonia as Wells. A
:28:02. > :28:04.substantial number of jobs will be provided and safeguarded in future.
:28:05. > :28:19.Certainly better than the performance has been in England.
:28:20. > :28:24.Will the First Minister make a statement on the recent Wales audit
:28:25. > :28:32.report regarding unlawful payments in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire
:28:33. > :28:43.cancels? I welcome to publication of the reports and it is important that
:28:44. > :28:53.it is dealt with in all seriousness. Pembrokeshire Council's decision
:28:54. > :28:59.constituted in directors commission. In Carmarthenshire the report was
:29:00. > :29:09.drafted and presented by a senior officer. In addition, the executive
:29:10. > :29:14.board... First Minister, those are pretty serious findings and the
:29:15. > :29:18.total lack of corporate governance within are local authorities and I
:29:19. > :29:22.can tell you this has cast shock waves across Carmarthenshire and
:29:23. > :29:29.Pembrokeshire but also within my own local authority where they do
:29:30. > :29:37.practice good governance. Will you come to the question, please? First
:29:38. > :29:41.Minister, will you show strong leadership as opposed to Europe
:29:42. > :29:49.Minister for local government and actually supports the calls for some
:29:50. > :29:55.real action on this so that we can actually restore public confidence
:29:56. > :30:02.in our local authorities? Yes, we will. It is inappropriate that
:30:03. > :30:05.councils are paying as they are. I am not angling for a pay rise but I
:30:06. > :30:11.suspect people be surprised to say that the chief executive of
:30:12. > :30:15.Pembrokeshire errands 65,000 more than the First Minister. It is
:30:16. > :30:25.difficult to justify that and there are serious questions councils have
:30:26. > :30:33.to answer. We will give further consideration on what needs to be
:30:34. > :30:40.done to restore public confidence. TRANSLATION: I am pleased that you
:30:41. > :30:49.find the findings of the audit to be a extremely important. It is
:30:50. > :30:52.entirely unacceptable for the findings of the order to to be
:30:53. > :31:01.challenged. They should accept those findings and take action. They are
:31:02. > :31:06.ignoring devolution because they are returning to the 1972 act and
:31:07. > :31:09.entirely ignoring the 2006 order passed in this place. Will you
:31:10. > :31:19.contact the leader of the council and tell him to comply with the
:31:20. > :31:22.report? TRANSLATION: It is important for any local authority to consider
:31:23. > :31:29.the law, for any local authority to consider any report that comes from
:31:30. > :31:32.the auditor, and not just think it is something that can be put to one
:31:33. > :31:36.side, and I don't think any local authority should be in that
:31:37. > :31:39.situation. It is very important that Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire
:31:40. > :31:49.deal with this situation and act on it. Will the first Minister detail
:31:50. > :31:57.how outcomes are agreed and monitored with commissioners
:31:58. > :32:07.appointed by him? They are agreed independently. It is imperative that
:32:08. > :32:10.commissioners are built to be independent but a number of
:32:11. > :32:17.commissioners are on different levels of tenure, from seven years
:32:18. > :32:22.down to four, some or appointed by the Queen, some by you, some by the
:32:23. > :32:26.Assembly, and it is very unclear how they can be truly held to account
:32:27. > :32:32.apart from an annual report that we may debate here. How might we
:32:33. > :32:35.monitor them? This is public money, they are performing a public service
:32:36. > :32:43.and they need to be totally accountable. I can say that we are
:32:44. > :32:47.considering whether it is time now for a full independent review
:32:48. > :32:55.regarding the children's Commissioner. There is an anomaly.
:32:56. > :33:01.No decisions have been taken in terms of those appointments but I
:33:02. > :33:10.refer what I have said about the children's Commissioner and in time
:33:11. > :33:17.the same will have two apply to the others. TRANSLATION: If you are to
:33:18. > :33:21.conduct a review, can I ask you to consider the responsibility of the
:33:22. > :33:30.Children's Commissioner. At present the system where is -- whereby their
:33:31. > :33:43.research -- whereby there is a Children's Commissioner in England.
:33:44. > :33:47.It is an anomaly and our opinion is that the Commissioner should be the
:33:48. > :33:55.same situation in Wales as in England. That will be something, if
:33:56. > :34:01.there was chamber support, we would be willing to consider that again
:34:02. > :34:09.with the UK government. TRANSLATION: Wilbur first Minister make a
:34:10. > :34:18.statement on his support for the economy in Wales? -- will the first
:34:19. > :34:21.Minister. We have taken wide measures to support growth.
:34:22. > :34:24.Construction output shows that the economy in Wales is recovering
:34:25. > :34:31.well, with overall employment at a record high. TRANSLATION: Being a
:34:32. > :34:46.member of the European Union, as you have mentioned, it is a massive
:34:47. > :34:51.contribution to the Welsh economy. In Carmarthenshire over 1200 jobs
:34:52. > :34:54.have been created by the European regional development fund. Do you
:34:55. > :34:58.agree that it is extremely important that the Welsh government is
:34:59. > :35:06.committed to keeping Wales an active partner in Europe? TRANSLATION: It
:35:07. > :35:11.is very important. It would only damage the Welsh economy if we were
:35:12. > :35:14.to leave Europe, have access to one of the biggest markets in the world,
:35:15. > :35:24.at a time when the economy is growing. As we have said as a
:35:25. > :35:30.government, we always make the case but membership of the European Union
:35:31. > :35:36.is important for the Welsh economy. You will be aware of the comments by
:35:37. > :35:48.the director of CBI Wales concerning the M4 around Newport. Is it at risk
:35:49. > :35:57.of losing out in the risk for investment if the corridor is not
:35:58. > :36:02.improved? -- is Wales at risk. Early access to borrowing powers granted
:36:03. > :36:06.to us by the UK government will enable us to put together a package
:36:07. > :36:21.to finance the improvements needed around the M4. TRANSLATION: Your
:36:22. > :36:35.Minister for the economy visited a Siemens factory the other day. It is
:36:36. > :36:47.a very important employer in the area. EU companies employ a large
:36:48. > :36:52.number of people here. Would you agree that the anti-rhetoric that
:36:53. > :37:07.the Conservatives and UKIP partake in puts at risk the future of
:37:08. > :37:10.workers in Wales? -- anti-EU. Yes, a number of companies or only in Wales
:37:11. > :37:15.because they have access to the European market. If there was any
:37:16. > :37:22.barrier to that access, some would leave. Whilst inside the European
:37:23. > :37:31.Union, when your market is in the European Union, they would move to
:37:32. > :37:35.the European Union if Britain was not part of that market. Our
:37:36. > :37:42.membership of the European Union is vital for the future and economy of
:37:43. > :37:49.Wales. TRANSLATION: Wilbur first Minister make a statement on the
:37:50. > :37:58.priorities for the fishing sector? -- will the. We have set out a
:37:59. > :38:06.marine strategic plan, launched in November last year. Is he aware of
:38:07. > :38:10.the real economic potential of increasing shellfish production in
:38:11. > :38:13.Wales? The long-term viability of the industry is at risk because of
:38:14. > :38:23.the current seven-year licence is being offered to Fishermens. --
:38:24. > :38:30.licences. -- fishermen. Now is the time to put down mussel seed but
:38:31. > :38:37.investors are being put off. Will you act to end delays within
:38:38. > :38:42.government in bringing in revised fishing orders so we can plan for a
:38:43. > :38:53.prosperous and sustainable future for the industry? I can tell him
:38:54. > :38:58.that we are looking to reach a decision on the issues holding up
:38:59. > :39:07.the current border application form before the end of this month. We
:39:08. > :39:10.have heard much about the impacts of storms on infrastructure but of
:39:11. > :39:19.course the storms have meant many of our fishermen have been unable to
:39:20. > :39:24.leave port in order to undertake that activity, to go fishing, and
:39:25. > :39:31.those problems are being replicated around the UK coast as this wave of
:39:32. > :39:35.storms hits. What consideration has your government made to looking at
:39:36. > :39:42.the impact on the fishing industry in Wales and have you made any
:39:43. > :39:46.assessment of the damage to the fishing grounds, particularly in
:39:47. > :39:51.relation to shellfish in Wales as a result of the storms? Not as yet,
:39:52. > :39:56.but of course that would have to happen after the threat of major
:39:57. > :40:02.storms has gone. A full assessment of damage, whether to coastal
:40:03. > :40:08.defences or the fishing industry, will have to be made once we can be
:40:09. > :40:16.reasonably sure that these current spate of windy weather has
:40:17. > :40:20.disappeared. -- the current spate. Will he make a statement on how the
:40:21. > :40:26.Welsh government supports members of the Citizens Advice Bureau network?
:40:27. > :40:44.We have two millions pounds of annual funding for the network. --
:40:45. > :40:49.two millions. I hope I don't need to document the financial position that
:40:50. > :40:56.the Citizens Advice Bureau network is finding itself in Powys. I
:40:57. > :41:00.understand that they have to make savings but I think cutting funding
:41:01. > :41:06.for the network would be a short-term negative step. Powys has
:41:07. > :41:12.missed out on communities first funding last year, one of only three
:41:13. > :41:16.authorities not to receive this funding. Therefore can I ask is
:41:17. > :41:20.there any additional Welsh government support they have
:41:21. > :41:26.identified at this stage that the service in Powys may benefit from?
:41:27. > :41:37.What discussions have your officials had to mitigate this vital service?
:41:38. > :41:42.Was lobbying in his role as a counsellor there but I understand
:41:43. > :41:49.the point. -- he was lobbying. We can plug the gaps through legal aid
:41:50. > :41:53.kits but we are keen to make sure that any funding we make available
:41:54. > :41:59.is used in the most effective way possible. I can say of course that
:42:00. > :42:04.last May we published the advice service review and it made a number
:42:05. > :42:12.of recommendations in terms of advisers being able to identify ways
:42:13. > :42:19.in which services can be provided in the future. We know every local
:42:20. > :42:27.authority is facing tough decisions but do you support my view that
:42:28. > :42:32.councils must prioritise and protect services affecting people worst
:42:33. > :42:37.affected by the Tory cuts? The fact is that the Citizens Advice Bureau
:42:38. > :42:42.is a lifeline for people in financial trouble for those affected
:42:43. > :42:50.by the bedroom tax and other cruel reforms by the Tory government. The
:42:51. > :42:54.Powys Citizens Advice Bureau is the only one covering the whole of Powys
:42:55. > :43:03.and the council must do everything in their power to protect that. I
:43:04. > :43:06.agree with her. It is important that the council carefully examines its
:43:07. > :43:09.budget whilst considering the need to make sure that proper advice is
:43:10. > :43:15.available in Powys in these difficult Financial Times.
:43:16. > :43:23.We will have to leave first Minister's Questions there but don't
:43:24. > :43:30.forget you can see more coverage live at the BBC democracy live page.
:43:31. > :43:40.We will be back at the same time next week with more coverage of
:43:41. > :43:44.first Minister's Questions. We have the Wales report with Hugh Edwards
:43:45. > :43:46.after the ten o'clock News on BBC Wales.
:43:47. > :43:54.# ..Fast as lightning... # Hurgh!
:43:55. > :43:56.I've just had a sushi-gasm. # ..Huh... #
:43:57. > :43:59.It's our Thai jungle curry. It's fabulous.
:44:00. > :44:58.from Ontario in Canada. Dara Howell takes the gold. Devin Logan, from
:44:59. > :44:59.the United States, in silver-medal position. And her fellow