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credit unions will not be able to do a mass service unless they widely

expand their client base aeons the higher risk small value lending.

What are you doing to help expand customer bases to a larger

audience? Credit unions in Ireland have been in place for a lot longer

than in Wales but since October of 2010 ?4 million has been provided

for the access to a project which has helped more than 23,000 people

in Wales. I am pleased that the focus from this Welsh government has

been to support credit unions and I know certainly from my own area that

the work they are doing, helping particularly young savers, but the

situation is still that payday loans, payday lenders are still able

to advertise in a way that credit unions are not, therefore there is

not a level playing field. What more can this government do to make sure

credit unions or on a level playing field? -- are on. These are matters

outside the competence of the government or the Assembly but I

have no doubt that as we see credit unions grow we will support them to

make sure they are able to provide a wider range of services. It is

important to show that they are financially self-sustaining before

they move on. Although local credit unions play a vital role, we heard

that the recent North Wales credit union had to come together through

merger and amalgamation to deliver sustainability. What discussions has

the Welsh government had with the Association of credit unions, to

which the North Wales credit union belongs, to drive forward fewer but

larger credit unions with border reach? -- more broad. We could not

be in a situation in years to come when credit unions need revenue

funding or substantial capital funding on a regular basis so it is

important that where such mergers can take place to put them on a

firmer footing that they are examined closely by those credit

unions. In my region of Mid and West Wales credit unions have all to

their membership in part through the development of payments deduction

schemes. -- built them in Bishop. Given the advantages that accrue to

people across Wales, what is the government prepared to do to help

this? We have funded the access to financial services Project, which

has helped people to access credit, and where viable schemes come to our

attention we will see what financial support we can give them. The access

to credit unions has continued to grow. Of September of last year they

are 34 million so we know they are performing an invaluable function.

Andrew RT Davies. First Minister, your government has

announced today another ?50 million for the health service, reinforcing

our calls for additional resources for the NHS. Is this not another

bailout? I hear your front bench laughing, but why have you made this

extra money available? I am surprised that the Leader of the

Opposition does not welcome more money for health. We will continue

to ensure that the Welsh service is properly funded. If you had listened

to us at the start, it would not require these bailouts, and the

managers and staff could actually plan procedures that would get rid

of the waiting lists that are going up. Another point we have been

pushing on is an enquiry and the genuine concerns that people have

over care in our hospitals. It is fair to say that the majority, the

vast majority have a very positive experience, but you see it in your

own hospital, that time and time again relatives are coming forward

and identifying a failure in the care they relatives have had at

hospitals across Wales. Will you not now commit to undertaking an enquiry

that will look independently at many of the proposals that have come out

of England and see whether there is scope to reduce them? They are far,

far worse in England. We are aware of the issues it raised -- issues

raised but the vast majority of people in the Welsh NHS have a very

good standard of care. The patient service suggest that satisfaction

rates are close to 90%. That is not a basis for a widespread enquiry. We

have had cuts in education and... Economic spending, 30% cut. Local

government, 20% cut under his government. I am sure that there are

many taxpayers in Wales to a very glad we didn't take his advice. --

who are very glad. It was 12% that you said and this week we are going

back to 20%. I go back to the point that I make about a significant

minority of relatives and patients highlighting real concerns. And FOI

to your government suggests that the complaint is the director general 's

office received would take 16,683 hours to answer. They receive

thousands of phone calls a day on this issue. I access the point you

make and it is a credit to our clinicians that most people have a

very positive experience. -- accept the point. But you can't get away

from the fact that a significant minority are not enjoying a positive

experience and an enquiry looking at the whole of the Welsh NHS would be

the best way to address the issues I have highlighted today. I simply

don't accept what he has to say. He argues against himself. The vast

majority of people get excellent treatment most of the time. He says

he does not deny that and I give him credit for that but it is right to

say that complaints have been made, I am aware of the complaints, and

they must be investigated, nobody could argue against that. I will be

meeting my constituents with a view to look into that situation

regarding their position. I have to say of course that I welcome the

fact that ABMU have commissioned an independent review and it must of

course be allowed to take its course to provide the right level of

evidence so the local health board takes action. Some in this chamber

call for a public enquiry at the drop of a hat. As far as the public

enquiry is concerned, there is the cost, probably ?1 million, but it

would take or so -- also about two years. The reality of the situation

is that these families want answers quickly and I want to make sure the

process provides those answers quickly. I believe they want

thousands is as quickly as possible. First Minister, the weather is in

the headlines again. Many of our communities are struggling from

previous weather events. Officials are liaising with European officials

to help address the immediate needs of affected communities. Can you

please tell us what progress has been made in this respect? A letter

has been sent to or Paterson asking to see a slice of money for Wales.

In relation to the current weather effects, the chief scientist at The

Met office has said that all the evidence suggests a link to climate

change. Do you accept this and do you also accept that these

conditions are likely to get worse? It is clear to me that climate

change is happening and it is influenced by the way in which we

live our lives and it strikes me that the overwhelming evidence

supports that conclusion. The BBC highlights a report that says ?135

million should be spent every year to maintain current flood defences.

The Minister for natural resources said that a managed retreat from

coastal areas is not current government policy but he has also

previously said that the Government cannot simply protect the whole

coast as it is today. Given that this is a contradiction, could you

provide some clarity on this question? Are you or are you not

actively considering the managed retreat from coastal areas? This is

not our current thinking. There is a shoreline management plan which

deals with this issue but also highlights the challenges in terms

of defending our communities against extreme weather. I would say that

even though the weather has been very similar in Wales, because of

investment we have had an, we have not seen the devastation that

England has seen. In England flood defence budgets were cut. In Wales

we have got on with protecting communities. The leader of the Welsh

Liberal Democrats. First Minister, last year, following the publication

of another very disappointing set of education results, I asked you when

we would expect to see improvement and you gave me a list, a long list.

The National literally, literacy and numeracy plant, strengthening

accountability, learning Wales, a national model for the regional

working and dealing with attendance and behaviour. Despite that, you

went on to say that it would take a little bit more time before these

improvements have their full force. In the last two weeks, we have seen

the announcement of two more initiatives. Why should the pupils

and parents of Wales have any more faith in these initiatives than any

of the others that you have recently announced over the years of your

government's failure to tackle educational standards? The gap in

exam results is closing. We have some very good schools but we have

some that are in need of improvement. That is why we

introduced schools challenge Wales and I'm sure she will join me in

welcoming that initiative. I would welcome an improvement in

educational standards and a programme that will actually deliver

it. Schools challenge is based on a model launched in England over a

decade ago will stop a Labour government is taking programmes

forward to improve educational attainment but in that decade a full

cohort of Welsh children have gone through the Welsh education system

and have missed out. Is this not more evidence of what you described

in your own words as taking your eye off the ball? I welcome the Liberal

Democrats praising a Labour initiative. I notice the

Conservative Party supported it and I believe Plaid Cymru did as well. I

don't accept that a whole cohort of children have missed out because we

have very good schools and we have an excellent local education

authority. But we don't have consistency and that's why this is

so important to make sure that those at the bottom are brought up to the

kind of standard people expect and should want to see. That is why we

introduced the programme. There is no escaping the fact that if we

continue the situation where six are in special measures, we will never

see an improvement that we want to see in future. That must be tackled

as well as moving forward with those initiatives already announced. This

is not Simon Thomas's question Time. Will you listen carefully, please?

First Minister, that is one excellent LVA. Surely you cannot be

proud of that record? A clear way forward was promised for Welsh

schools. It was suggested that challenge schools will be identified

as underperforming as measured by banding and a range of deprivation

related factors. Recently, it emerged that school banding will be

supplemented by a new national school improvement and

categorisation system and that is in addition to the existing

categorisation we already have. Rather than a clear way forward, we

have three methods of categorising schools. Could you explain to Welsh

parents which of these three methods will be used for choosing the

schools in the challenge programme and when can we expect to see those

schools named and announced? Why shouldn't parents have the ability

to compare schools? Absolutely right. We have one excellent local

education authority amongst 22. Six of them in special measures. He was

a question for her. Local education authorities, six of them, have

failed. The 22 current authorities were set up by the Conservatives in

the mid-1990s. Those local authorities are not providing

consistent education so here's the point I want to make. What is most

important, the education of children or STV? Will she supports the

strengthening of education or is a voting system more important to her?

We moved back to questions on the paper. Andrea R T Davies. What is

the Welsh government doing to help employment in South Wales Central?

Encouraging new employment continues to be a key priority for us. One of

the key things is to advertise what South Wales Central has to offer. We

have two enterprise zones. I took a KLM flight out of Wales to Amsterdam

recently and there was not one single advertisement there to show

what Wales could offer if they chose to move here. Not one. Can you look

into this to make sure that offer is addressed, because we are losing a

captive audience and we are losing virginity to promote what we have to

offer future employers? There are adverts at the airport. There is a

substantial amount of promotion for Wales in terms of tourism, Welsh

produce, a business destination. Certainly, if he has the

opportunity, I would encouraging to see what has been done there. Will

the First Minister join me in welcoming the report of the

International baccalaureate organisation that is about to sign a

lease for an office in my constituency thereby securing 300

highly skilled jobs that would have been lost had the announcement been

carried through that it was quitting Cardiff for Amsterdam? I welcome the

fact that they are staying. Some 20 years ago my wife worked for them.

It is important for Wales that a major educational organisation wants

to remain in Wales and commit itself in the way it has. Plaid Cymru

continues to work on plans for new jobs and that has been a priority

throughout my leadership. We are also committed to safeguarding jobs

which is why we visited Cardiff docks as part of our European

election campaign launch. Cardiff docks welcome ships from throughout

the EU on a daily basis and it must demonstrate why it is a benefit for

Wales to be an integrated heart of the European Union. We accept a lot

needs to change within the EU but given that 150,000 Welsh jobs depend

on our access to the EU single market and that 43% of exports went

to the EU last year, will you join with me and the party of Wales in

affirming the importance of EU membership to the Welsh colony? --

economy? I will, of course. Certainly, she and I are on the same

page but in terms of membership of the EU. It is the reality that we

have so many jobs in Wales that are reliant on EU membership. EU

subsidies go to our farmers. They would not be able to access our

substantial market or receive subsidies. That is the reality. We

would seek a number of large companies leave Wales and go closer

to the EU market, which is ten times the size of the UK market. It is

already the case that we have had investors who are questioning

whether to come to Wales. The uncertainty over EU membership.

Access to that market 500 million is most important thing for many

investors. As this building nears completion when we anticipate a

return on that investment and how many jobs to you expect created at

that location? We are looking to see jobs created in all enterprise

zones. Some are more advanced than others. The site more than

Snowdonia. There are exciting plans for Snowdonia as Wells. A

substantial number of jobs will be provided and safeguarded in future.

Certainly better than the performance has been in England.

Will the First Minister make a statement on the recent Wales audit

report regarding unlawful payments in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire

cancels? I welcome to publication of the reports and it is important that

it is dealt with in all seriousness. Pembrokeshire Council's decision

constituted in directors commission. In Carmarthenshire the report was

drafted and presented by a senior officer. In addition, the executive

board... First Minister, those are pretty serious findings and the

total lack of corporate governance within are local authorities and I

can tell you this has cast shock waves across Carmarthenshire and

Pembrokeshire but also within my own local authority where they do

practice good governance. Will you come to the question, please? First

Minister, will you show strong leadership as opposed to Europe

Minister for local government and actually supports the calls for some

real action on this so that we can actually restore public confidence

in our local authorities? Yes, we will. It is inappropriate that

councils are paying as they are. I am not angling for a pay rise but I

suspect people be surprised to say that the chief executive of

Pembrokeshire errands 65,000 more than the First Minister. It is

difficult to justify that and there are serious questions councils have

to answer. We will give further consideration on what needs to be

done to restore public confidence. TRANSLATION: I am pleased that you

find the findings of the audit to be a extremely important. It is

entirely unacceptable for the findings of the order to to be

challenged. They should accept those findings and take action. They are

ignoring devolution because they are returning to the 1972 act and

entirely ignoring the 2006 order passed in this place. Will you

contact the leader of the council and tell him to comply with the

report? TRANSLATION: It is important for any local authority to consider

the law, for any local authority to consider any report that comes from

the auditor, and not just think it is something that can be put to one

side, and I don't think any local authority should be in that

situation. It is very important that Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire

deal with this situation and act on it. Will the first Minister detail

how outcomes are agreed and monitored with commissioners

appointed by him? They are agreed independently. It is imperative that

commissioners are built to be independent but a number of

commissioners are on different levels of tenure, from seven years

down to four, some or appointed by the Queen, some by you, some by the

Assembly, and it is very unclear how they can be truly held to account

apart from an annual report that we may debate here. How might we

monitor them? This is public money, they are performing a public service

and they need to be totally accountable. I can say that we are

considering whether it is time now for a full independent review

regarding the children's Commissioner. There is an anomaly.

No decisions have been taken in terms of those appointments but I

refer what I have said about the children's Commissioner and in time

the same will have two apply to the others. TRANSLATION: If you are to

conduct a review, can I ask you to consider the responsibility of the

Children's Commissioner. At present the system where is -- whereby their

research -- whereby there is a Children's Commissioner in England.

It is an anomaly and our opinion is that the Commissioner should be the

same situation in Wales as in England. That will be something, if

there was chamber support, we would be willing to consider that again

with the UK government. TRANSLATION: Wilbur first Minister make a

statement on his support for the economy in Wales? -- will the first

Minister. We have taken wide measures to support growth.

Construction output shows that the economy in Wales is recovering

well, with overall employment at a record high. TRANSLATION: Being a

member of the European Union, as you have mentioned, it is a massive

contribution to the Welsh economy. In Carmarthenshire over 1200 jobs

have been created by the European regional development fund. Do you

agree that it is extremely important that the Welsh government is

committed to keeping Wales an active partner in Europe? TRANSLATION: It

is very important. It would only damage the Welsh economy if we were

to leave Europe, have access to one of the biggest markets in the world,

at a time when the economy is growing. As we have said as a

government, we always make the case but membership of the European Union

is important for the Welsh economy. You will be aware of the comments by

the director of CBI Wales concerning the M4 around Newport. Is it at risk

of losing out in the risk for investment if the corridor is not

improved? -- is Wales at risk. Early access to borrowing powers granted

to us by the UK government will enable us to put together a package

to finance the improvements needed around the M4. TRANSLATION: Your

Minister for the economy visited a Siemens factory the other day. It is

a very important employer in the area. EU companies employ a large

number of people here. Would you agree that the anti-rhetoric that

the Conservatives and UKIP partake in puts at risk the future of

workers in Wales? -- anti-EU. Yes, a number of companies or only in Wales

because they have access to the European market. If there was any

barrier to that access, some would leave. Whilst inside the European

Union, when your market is in the European Union, they would move to

the European Union if Britain was not part of that market. Our

membership of the European Union is vital for the future and economy of

Wales. TRANSLATION: Wilbur first Minister make a statement on the

priorities for the fishing sector? -- will the. We have set out a

marine strategic plan, launched in November last year. Is he aware of

the real economic potential of increasing shellfish production in

Wales? The long-term viability of the industry is at risk because of

the current seven-year licence is being offered to Fishermens. --

licences. -- fishermen. Now is the time to put down mussel seed but

investors are being put off. Will you act to end delays within

government in bringing in revised fishing orders so we can plan for a

prosperous and sustainable future for the industry? I can tell him

that we are looking to reach a decision on the issues holding up

the current border application form before the end of this month. We

have heard much about the impacts of storms on infrastructure but of

course the storms have meant many of our fishermen have been unable to

leave port in order to undertake that activity, to go fishing, and

those problems are being replicated around the UK coast as this wave of

storms hits. What consideration has your government made to looking at

the impact on the fishing industry in Wales and have you made any

assessment of the damage to the fishing grounds, particularly in

relation to shellfish in Wales as a result of the storms? Not as yet,

but of course that would have to happen after the threat of major

storms has gone. A full assessment of damage, whether to coastal

defences or the fishing industry, will have to be made once we can be

reasonably sure that these current spate of windy weather has

disappeared. -- the current spate. Will he make a statement on how the

Welsh government supports members of the Citizens Advice Bureau network?

We have two millions pounds of annual funding for the network. --

two millions. I hope I don't need to document the financial position that

the Citizens Advice Bureau network is finding itself in Powys. I

understand that they have to make savings but I think cutting funding

for the network would be a short-term negative step. Powys has

missed out on communities first funding last year, one of only three

authorities not to receive this funding. Therefore can I ask is

there any additional Welsh government support they have

identified at this stage that the service in Powys may benefit from?

What discussions have your officials had to mitigate this vital service?

Was lobbying in his role as a counsellor there but I understand

the point. -- he was lobbying. We can plug the gaps through legal aid

kits but we are keen to make sure that any funding we make available

is used in the most effective way possible. I can say of course that

last May we published the advice service review and it made a number

of recommendations in terms of advisers being able to identify ways

in which services can be provided in the future. We know every local

authority is facing tough decisions but do you support my view that

councils must prioritise and protect services affecting people worst

affected by the Tory cuts? The fact is that the Citizens Advice Bureau

is a lifeline for people in financial trouble for those affected

by the bedroom tax and other cruel reforms by the Tory government. The

Powys Citizens Advice Bureau is the only one covering the whole of Powys

and the council must do everything in their power to protect that. I

agree with her. It is important that the council carefully examines its

budget whilst considering the need to make sure that proper advice is

available in Powys in these difficult Financial Times.

We will have to leave first Minister's Questions there but don't

forget you can see more coverage live at the BBC democracy live page.

We will be back at the same time next week with more coverage of

first Minister's Questions. We have the Wales report with Hugh Edwards

after the ten o'clock News on BBC Wales.

# ..Fast as lightning... # Hurgh!

I've just had a sushi-gasm. # ..Huh... #

It's our Thai jungle curry. It's fabulous.

from Ontario in Canada. Dara Howell takes the gold. Devin Logan, from

the United States, in silver-medal position. And her fellow