:00:22. > :00:23.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme and our weekly
:00:24. > :00:25.coverage of questions to the First Minister.
:00:26. > :00:28.It's an election year - the Assembly election takes place
:00:29. > :00:30.on 4th May this year, and we might have an EU
:00:31. > :00:34.First Minister Carwyn Jones will face questions from AMs
:00:35. > :00:38.for the first time in 2016 shortly, the day after he went head to head
:00:39. > :00:42.with the Ukip leader Nigel Farage in Cardiff in a debate about UK
:00:43. > :00:49.I dare say that debate will get a mention today, as well as
:00:50. > :00:51.questions on the order paper which include how the Welsh
:00:52. > :00:54.Government is coping with winter pressures on the NHS,
:00:55. > :00:57.the recent floods in North Wales as well as questions from the three
:00:58. > :01:08.Don't forget you can follow all the latest on Welsh politics
:01:09. > :01:10.on our twitter feed - we're @walespolitics.
:01:11. > :01:11.Well, business in the chamber is already underway,
:01:12. > :01:18.so let's take a look now at today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:19. > :01:26.Good afternoon. National Assembly of Wales is now in session. The first
:01:27. > :01:30.item this afternoon in questions to the First Minister, question one is
:01:31. > :01:34.Kirsty Williams. Happy New Year, Presiding Officer and First
:01:35. > :01:39.Minister. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh
:01:40. > :01:43.glove's policy on schools federations in Brecon and
:01:44. > :01:46.Radnorshire? We are committed to school to school working as part of
:01:47. > :01:51.a school improvement system which underpins our policy in qualifying
:01:52. > :02:02.for life, and it is for schools and local authorities to decide whether
:02:03. > :02:06.Federation is the best option. Your policy is that Federation can be a
:02:07. > :02:09.viable alternative to school closures, especially in raw areas
:02:10. > :02:13.where school closure may mean young children travelling considerable
:02:14. > :02:20.differences to schools, and recognising schools as wider social
:02:21. > :02:23.aspect is as part of a thriving community. What steps you take to
:02:24. > :02:28.ensure your policy and tension in your documents is carried out by
:02:29. > :02:32.local authorities and they actually give due consideration to Federation
:02:33. > :02:37.as an option rather than simply looking at closure, as they
:02:38. > :02:43.currently do, with the case of small primary schools in Brecon and
:02:44. > :02:46.Radnor. We would encourage any local authority to consider Federation.
:02:47. > :02:51.Schools have had the power to federate by choice since 2010, and
:02:52. > :02:56.to encourage greater Federation in 2014 we have allowed local
:02:57. > :03:00.authorities to federate schools as well as schools themselves. It is
:03:01. > :03:03.certainly an option that local authorities should be looking at
:03:04. > :03:07.whenever they face decisions over schools, we would expect them to
:03:08. > :03:14.give full consideration to the regulations. Question two, William
:03:15. > :03:20.Graham. Will he make a statement on the
:03:21. > :03:24.impact of extreme winter pressures? The NHS always plans for this as the
:03:25. > :03:28.busiest time of year. Health boards and trusts managed effectively into
:03:29. > :03:32.generally. There has been resilience, despite material
:03:33. > :03:36.increases in demand which have provided some peaks in pressure
:03:37. > :03:42.managed locally. I am grateful for his answer. As you recognise we have
:03:43. > :03:46.had an seasonal worship -- weather, particularly mild so little frost or
:03:47. > :03:52.snow resulting in breakages or fractures. We have not had a major
:03:53. > :03:56.flu outbreak. Yet we still have extreme pressure on the health
:03:57. > :04:03.service in South Wales. Does this mean correct resources are not
:04:04. > :04:08.allocated? We have seen an increase on Sundays in A of 25%, there have
:04:09. > :04:14.been higher ambulance calls and arrivals at emergency units. Yet the
:04:15. > :04:19.system has coped. A attendances are often highly in the summer, cuts
:04:20. > :04:23.and grazers, fractures, they do not involve a long stay. In the winter,
:04:24. > :04:27.especially with the damp weather, respiratory conditions are the
:04:28. > :04:32.issue, especially with older people they require a longer stay and
:04:33. > :04:35.sometimes admission to hospital. That is why pressure builds in the
:04:36. > :04:41.winter, especially at this time of year. Despite those pressures, we
:04:42. > :04:45.know that the Ambulance Service and the LHPs have managed and we are
:04:46. > :04:57.confident at their plans. Lindsay Whittle. TRANSLATION: Thank you.
:04:58. > :05:00.Could you outline how well glove efforts clear with social services
:05:01. > :05:07.and primary care providers is working so far to reduce Nasr --
:05:08. > :05:12.unnecessary hospital admissions. Looking at DeLay transfers of care,
:05:13. > :05:19.they are reducing in Wales. -- delayed transfers. The Immediate
:05:20. > :05:24.Care Fund will help in terms of people being able to remain at home
:05:25. > :05:27.and to come home. It is not simply a question, as the member will know,
:05:28. > :05:31.of dealing with pressures as they arise in the hospitals that also
:05:32. > :05:34.being able to ensure that people can go home as quickly as possible. We
:05:35. > :05:41.are seeing a downward trend in Wales. Questions from the party
:05:42. > :05:46.leaders, first we have the leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood.
:05:47. > :05:52.TRANSLATION: Thank you, Presiding Officer, happy New Year. SPEAKS IN
:05:53. > :05:57.ENGLISH. You participated in the first major public debate on the
:05:58. > :06:01.future for Wales in the European Union. You went head to head with
:06:02. > :06:06.the voice of the far right. You think your performance helped or
:06:07. > :06:11.hindered the Welsh campaign to remain in the EU? I will leave that
:06:12. > :06:14.to others. It is a hugely important issue. It is the major
:06:15. > :06:21.constitutional issue we will face this year. I will never stop making
:06:22. > :06:25.the case for Wales' membership of the EU to protect the 200,000 jobs
:06:26. > :06:29.which rely on membership, to recognise the billions of pounds of
:06:30. > :06:32.funding we have had and for access to one of the biggest single market
:06:33. > :06:36.in the world. I will make that case for the next few months.
:06:37. > :06:39.I guess it is of two people to decide whether or not you helped or
:06:40. > :06:45.hindered that case. It is my view that those who try to frighten
:06:46. > :06:50.people into voting a certain weight run the risk of a backlash. People
:06:51. > :06:56.want to hear a positive case for Wales remaining in the European
:06:57. > :07:00.Union rather than a new version of Project Fear. You said last night
:07:01. > :07:05.that EU reform was not on the agenda. Have you given up holding a
:07:06. > :07:12.better Europe, just as you have given building a better Wales? It is
:07:13. > :07:17.the Prime Minister who has set his face in favour of reform, it is for
:07:18. > :07:20.him to deliver the reforms he has suggested. I think there are some
:07:21. > :07:25.areas where the European Union needs to reform, it needs to be more
:07:26. > :07:29.transparent. The commission needs to be less powerful, the parliament
:07:30. > :07:33.more powerful. It can do without moving around between Brussels and
:07:34. > :07:37.Strasbourg, as it does, but she and I will both agree there is a lot
:07:38. > :07:41.long -- wrong with the structure of the UK as well which needs
:07:42. > :07:46.reforming. It is not walking away from the EU, but securing the reform
:07:47. > :07:50.to keep it at the heart of Europe. People are yearning for political
:07:51. > :07:53.change at all levels, they want a positive vision and they are fed up
:07:54. > :07:59.with politicians telling them that this is as good as it gets. A new
:08:00. > :08:03.Europe is possible, I believe, just as a new Wales as possible. But you
:08:04. > :08:10.fail to put that positive vision in that debate last night. We got an
:08:11. > :08:14.insight last night, I think, as to how you intend to approach the
:08:15. > :08:18.period leading to the referendum. I hope you will reflect on the debate
:08:19. > :08:23.last night and give serious consideration to changing tack.
:08:24. > :08:29.Moving on from last night, can you outline to us what contingency
:08:30. > :08:34.planning your Government has or is undertaking for Wales' removal from
:08:35. > :08:40.the European Union? Have you sought legal advice on the ramifications of
:08:41. > :08:43.Wales voting in bits being taken out, and what action will the Welsh
:08:44. > :08:49.Government take in terms of its relationship with the European Union
:08:50. > :08:55.if we are no longer a part of it. In other words, do you have a plan B?
:08:56. > :09:00.The leader of Plaid Cymru and I have had sensible discussions where we
:09:01. > :09:05.have talked about how it might be possible to put in place a
:09:06. > :09:09.cross-party campaign to put the case for Wales' membership of the
:09:10. > :09:13.European Union. She fails to outline how she would have done anything
:09:14. > :09:17.different, what message she would put forward. It seems she has
:09:18. > :09:22.already given up. What she is talking about is what we will do if
:09:23. > :09:26.we leave. I have not given up yet. I will continue to make the case for
:09:27. > :09:30.Welsh membership of the European Union, for Wales' prosperity, for
:09:31. > :09:34.the needs for Wales to be at the heart of Europe. It is not in
:09:35. > :09:39.Sorrento and should he give up, which seems to be the message she
:09:40. > :09:43.puts across. The Leader of the Opposition, Andrew RT Davies. Thank
:09:44. > :09:48.you, Presiding Officer. Happy New Year, First Minister. I think it is
:09:49. > :09:51.correct in the second week of January to wish people are happy New
:09:52. > :09:56.Year, happy New Year to everyone in the chamber. We saw the terrible
:09:57. > :10:00.eagle in North Wales of the flooding. There can be nothing more
:10:01. > :10:03.depressing than walking into someone 's home and seeing their lifetime's
:10:04. > :10:08.possessions thrown outside because of the flooding and the effects,
:10:09. > :10:11.some of those possessions completely irreplaceable. I am sure the natural
:10:12. > :10:17.resources Minister will talk upon this in his statement, in many of
:10:18. > :10:20.the villages and towns affected by the flooding, Nelson time has
:10:21. > :10:23.passed, not for the victims, because they will be living with it for
:10:24. > :10:28.weeks and months ahead, but many public bodies have had the chance to
:10:29. > :10:31.make an assessment. Have you had request from the local authorities
:10:32. > :10:36.for additional support over and above what the Government has made
:10:37. > :10:39.available from the consequential that the Westminster Government has
:10:40. > :10:43.given out for the flooding at this date, and will you be making it
:10:44. > :10:47.available as quickly as possible? Agog at this stage, no, but we have
:10:48. > :10:55.a fund of about ?3.3 million that local authorities can bid into. It
:10:56. > :11:02.is money that'll be made available to deal with schemes like flooding.
:11:03. > :11:12.I visited the North, the flood defences were largely held. Speaking
:11:13. > :11:17.to local representatives, there had been difficulties not just with a
:11:18. > :11:19.river overflowing its banks but ground water was coming through
:11:20. > :11:28.people's houses. That did not happen this time. On the a 55, money was
:11:29. > :11:34.never a problem. The county council has been working to put such a
:11:35. > :11:39.scheme in place. There was never a question of further funding not
:11:40. > :11:46.being made available. I'm happy to see that the scheme can move
:11:47. > :11:50.forward. There is a flood defence in place in one village, they were
:11:51. > :11:55.overtopped again. It was a question with ground water. What an RW is
:11:56. > :12:03.saying is there is a need to look at the in tyre system, the entire area,
:12:04. > :12:07.to stop the flow of water coming in there. The message for us is this,
:12:08. > :12:11.we enter an age where it becomes ever more difficult to predict where
:12:12. > :12:15.flooding might occur. We know there are some areas of Wales that have
:12:16. > :12:23.suffered flooding, Conwy Valley is one such example, bursts NRW and
:12:24. > :12:27.local authorities will need to examine carefully about whether will
:12:28. > :12:32.be pressure and then to deal with it. Thank you for that and said, I
:12:33. > :12:36.appreciate many of these questions may be addressed by the natural
:12:37. > :12:41.resources Minister in his statement. Sums -- some solutions can be
:12:42. > :12:46.brought forward by the rule of development fund, allowing farmers
:12:47. > :12:48.to use land as flood plains. I declare an interest as a farmer in
:12:49. > :12:55.the rural development plan. Elsewhere in the UK, the rules and
:12:56. > :12:58.regulations around ditch clearance, allowing ditches to be cleared
:12:59. > :13:02.without hindrance to allow water capture on their land, will be
:13:03. > :13:07.removed as of April the 1st. Will the Welsh government be taking
:13:08. > :13:11.forward some of these proposals? For many communities it is the big shiny
:13:12. > :13:15.projects that people look at which cost many millions of pounds, I get
:13:16. > :13:23.that, that there are small steps that we can take, and I would
:13:24. > :13:26.suggest using them will development plan to play an active role in flood
:13:27. > :13:31.prevention, and adopting measures in other parts of the United Kingdom to
:13:32. > :13:36.allow with ditch clearance and water containment could be welcomed in the
:13:37. > :13:45.Arsenal to allow communities to stem this flooding problem. It depends on
:13:46. > :13:49.being members of the European Union. He is right to say... I use the
:13:50. > :13:53.common value as an example, you cannot simply guard against flooding
:13:54. > :13:57.by building a wall. The issuing Conwy Valley is there were flood
:13:58. > :13:59.defences around the farmland, so the farmland was protected but the
:14:00. > :14:05.settlements were not. In order to control flooding there are occasions
:14:06. > :14:10.where the farmland must be allowed to float, farmers are part of that,
:14:11. > :14:15.there were discussions with them in advance of that project. You can't
:14:16. > :14:19.channel a body of water and try to build walls are rendered all the
:14:20. > :14:23.time, it will, as ground water, it has to be allowed to float into its
:14:24. > :14:28.natural flood plain to enable houses to be protected. The Conwy Valley is
:14:29. > :14:33.a good example where farmers and the local community work together to put
:14:34. > :14:37.in place an effective flood scheme. Thank you, First Minister. The other
:14:38. > :14:40.issue which happened over the Christmas recess and as recently as
:14:41. > :14:45.yesterday was the road network with the adverse weather that was
:14:46. > :14:49.protected by weather forecasting. In North Wales, for example, around the
:14:50. > :14:55.icy conditions, there were 68 accident yesterday. The M4 in your
:14:56. > :14:59.own area was shut at least half a dozen times, and around the Newport
:15:00. > :15:04.area and equal number to that as well because of the adverse weather.
:15:05. > :15:08.There is an SU in my minds about the way that the trunk road agency in
:15:09. > :15:12.Wales manage these Kieran 's. I would be interested to know whether
:15:13. > :15:16.you will commission a study to see exactly how they are managing the
:15:17. > :15:20.maintenance of these roads to look into these adverse weather
:15:21. > :15:23.conditions that are causing both the flooding and icy conditions, road
:15:24. > :15:28.closures. We can argue about the European Union, the Middle East,
:15:29. > :15:31.global politics, but for most people, when they get outside their
:15:32. > :15:38.front door, they want either to get to work, to get the kids to school
:15:39. > :15:41.or get to a critical appointment. Those in North Wales yesterday could
:15:42. > :15:48.not do that, many people in South Wales could not do it yesterday over
:15:49. > :15:52.the festive period. By simple maintenance, in many issues, these
:15:53. > :15:57.could be resolved. Will you look at how the trunk road agency is
:15:58. > :16:00.engaging so that we can be satisfied? It is not to do with
:16:01. > :16:03.maintenance. I understand that most of the accidents were on local
:16:04. > :16:10.authority roads, although there were some instances on trunk roads. What
:16:11. > :16:14.I am informed by local authorities is that the weather was not
:16:15. > :16:19.predictable. As a result, the roads had not been gritted. In terms of
:16:20. > :16:31.what we saw between Christmas and New Year, I saw the M4 flirted --
:16:32. > :16:37.flooded, something that I have never seen before. We saw the same thing
:16:38. > :16:40.happen on the A55. We face challenges are flooding in areas
:16:41. > :16:44.thought not to be at risk of flooding. That is a challenge for
:16:45. > :16:50.NRW in order to carry out an assessment of where the pressures
:16:51. > :16:54.will come in the future. Gubler now the leader of the Welsh Liberal
:16:55. > :17:00.Democrats, Kirsty Williams. Were military sea and new receipt
:17:01. > :17:05.framework was launched, you said it would transform literacy and new
:17:06. > :17:08.receipt and Wales. Last year, your school impact said the programme had
:17:09. > :17:15.no impact in improving literacy levels. One year on, would you
:17:16. > :17:19.expect progress to have been made? It didn't say that, the findings of
:17:20. > :17:23.the interim report present a positive pig of the early stage in
:17:24. > :17:28.fermentation. Bearing in mind the field work was carried out between
:17:29. > :17:32.September 2013 and December 2014, that is the period in which
:17:33. > :17:35.programmes such as the testing were first introduced to schools. This is
:17:36. > :17:41.an evaluation that has taken place in the very first period of the
:17:42. > :17:45.testing. It shows overall a positive picture. We will continue with the
:17:46. > :17:51.National literacy and new receipt programmes.
:17:52. > :17:57.What devaluation does say, and I quote: they have found no robust
:17:58. > :18:01.evidence to suggest that the literacy and numeracy framework has
:18:02. > :18:07.supported an improvement in pupils' outcomes. It is four years since the
:18:08. > :18:13.programme was launched. Half the time a child will spend in primary
:18:14. > :18:18.school. That is their one chance, First Minister and it is your
:18:19. > :18:22.responsibility. What is your expectation? When will your
:18:23. > :18:28.programmes the real outcomes and real delivery for our school
:18:29. > :18:30.students? The leader of the Liberal Democrats is mistaken. The
:18:31. > :18:36.evaluation took place between September 13 and December 2014, as I
:18:37. > :18:41.said. That is the period in which the programme was first introduced
:18:42. > :18:46.to schools. While good progress has been made, we want to see further
:18:47. > :18:50.progress, that is true. Speaking as a parent, I'm delighted that I am
:18:51. > :18:54.able to see the progress my children are making in school. Many parents
:18:55. > :18:59.take the same view. She asked when we will see improvement. We are
:19:00. > :19:05.seeing the best GCSE results ever in Wales. Not as a result of this, that
:19:06. > :19:08.is true. But it does show that what we are putting in place is improving
:19:09. > :19:14.education and the frameworks will show improvement over the next few
:19:15. > :19:20.years. I am delighted that your children are making progress, but I
:19:21. > :19:23.am interested in everybody's child. Every child in this country deserves
:19:24. > :19:27.to go to a decent school, a school that has not just been put into
:19:28. > :19:32.special measures like one of the flagship schools in your own county
:19:33. > :19:39.borough has been, every child in Wales should go to an outstanding
:19:40. > :19:42.school. The state of the nation report last year said the scale of
:19:43. > :19:45.progress required by Wales to ensure that its children, all our children,
:19:46. > :19:51.can compete academically with others is dramatic. We need dramatic
:19:52. > :19:56.progress from your government for our children. You have had 16 years,
:19:57. > :20:01.that is the second longest running government in modern history. If it
:20:02. > :20:04.cannot be in the first 16 years, when are we going to see the
:20:05. > :20:11.dramatic progress that our country needs? And why should any parent or
:20:12. > :20:17.any people Wales believe and have hoped that your government can
:20:18. > :20:21.deliver it for them? The leader of the Liberal Democrats has wilfully
:20:22. > :20:32.misrepresented what I said. I'm delighted that I am able to see how
:20:33. > :20:38.our children are progressing. If you look at Wales, we have the best GCSE
:20:39. > :20:42.results ever. We see schools being built. No schools were built when
:20:43. > :20:48.her party was in power in Westminster. We see new complaints
:20:49. > :20:52.of schools being built across Wales. We see new primary schools being
:20:53. > :20:57.built across Wales, and we are seeing delivery in education. When
:20:58. > :21:00.her party were in power in Westminster, and major pledge they
:21:01. > :21:05.put forward to the people of Britain is they would not increase tuition
:21:06. > :21:08.fees. That was broken immediately. When it comes to keeping promises,
:21:09. > :21:16.we will not be lectured by the Liberal Democrats. We now move back
:21:17. > :21:21.to questions on paper and question three is Angela Burns.
:21:22. > :21:26.Thank you, presiding officer. Good afternoon, First Minister, will you
:21:27. > :21:31.make a statement on the floods in Wales? Good afternoon. Over the
:21:32. > :21:37.lifetime of this government we will invest ?33 million in coastal and
:21:38. > :21:40.flood management in West Wales. First Minister, when you and your
:21:41. > :21:46.government going to get to grips with planning policy? You have a
:21:47. > :21:50.policy which enables county councils to allow house builders to develop
:21:51. > :21:53.in areas of flood risk, as evidenced by the recent build in my
:21:54. > :21:58.constituency which have been flooded in the last three months, let alone
:21:59. > :22:04.the last few years. However, that same planning policy has been used
:22:05. > :22:06.to stop ?100 billion investment into South Carmarthenshire, on the
:22:07. > :22:12.grounds that the country is building in an area of risk. When you look at
:22:13. > :22:16.the topography, if that this to flood, we would have chunks of
:22:17. > :22:22.Swansea and a significant proportion of Llanelli under water as well. It
:22:23. > :22:26.is a ridiculous and conflicting situation. It has been raised before
:22:27. > :22:31.this disparity in planning policy and the allowing of one thing, not
:22:32. > :22:36.another thing. Houses versus jobs versus lives versus risk. When will
:22:37. > :22:42.you and your government finally get to grips with this and make it
:22:43. > :22:46.coherent and consistent? More rain fell in Caple period than anywhere
:22:47. > :22:52.else in the UK over the last week of December. And yet we did not see
:22:53. > :22:59.flooding there. We did see flooding income we are, why? Because of the
:23:00. > :23:03.failure of her party to invest in flood defences in England. Those are
:23:04. > :23:07.not my words, they are the words of others in the House of Commons
:23:08. > :23:12.committee. There was not enough investment put in. We cannot accept
:23:13. > :23:18.any kind of lecturing from the party opposite because of their failure to
:23:19. > :23:24.invest in flood defences in England. I know it is uncomfortable for them,
:23:25. > :23:33.but there we are, it is the truth. I remember as the Minister responsible
:23:34. > :23:37.for injured using a measure, the Conservatives said we cannot have
:23:38. > :23:43.this policy where you cannot build in an area where there is a one in
:23:44. > :23:49.1000 year flood risk. It is too extreme.
:23:50. > :23:58.It is crucial that local authorities followed the rules and where that
:23:59. > :24:04.does not happen, it is important that they follow the planning
:24:05. > :24:10.guidance which is crystal clear. TRANSLATION: Thank you, Presiding
:24:11. > :24:14.Officer. No party in government has taken climate change seriously
:24:15. > :24:19.enough but that is very important indeed, when turning to the impact
:24:20. > :24:24.of floods in West Wales, a number of businesses and individual homes have
:24:25. > :24:28.been affected in places such as Tenby, Saundersfoot and so on, and
:24:29. > :24:34.we have seen in England that local authorities have been providing
:24:35. > :24:39.grants to enable those to get back on their feet and in Scotland they
:24:40. > :24:45.have provided a grant of ?1500. I was pleased to see that the
:24:46. > :24:50.Institute of Wales has launched a fund to restore things after the
:24:51. > :24:55.flooding today. Is it your intention to support such grants in Wales, to
:24:56. > :25:03.support businesses and help people to get back onto their feet or two
:25:04. > :25:06.get back onto -- or to contribute to the fund? TRANSLATION: This is
:25:07. > :25:12.something we are considering. Some people have insurance and some
:25:13. > :25:14.people have been paid partial payments towards any immediate
:25:15. > :25:19.demands for their homes and businesses. This is something we are
:25:20. > :25:23.considering and I am sure that the Minister will be able to answer
:25:24. > :25:34.these questions in detail during his statement. TRANSLATION: Thank you,
:25:35. > :25:43.Presiding Officer, happy New Year. The drains have been worth their
:25:44. > :25:49.weight is the recent floods. I understand there are further plans
:25:50. > :25:55.to roll out similar schemes across Wales between now and 2020. What
:25:56. > :25:58.plans does the Welsh Government have to undertake a full evaluation for
:25:59. > :26:04.how that scheme has worked in practice, so we can build in as many
:26:05. > :26:09.learning points as possible, to make other locations as resilient in the
:26:10. > :26:13.future? The member is right to point out that controlling flooding is not
:26:14. > :26:18.just about building walls. It is about stemming the flow of water, by
:26:19. > :26:22.planting trees quite often in the Upland areas. I have seen examples
:26:23. > :26:25.in Montgomeryshire where that has happened. Trees absorb the water and
:26:26. > :26:31.help stem the speed of the water coming down the hill tribes. The
:26:32. > :26:34.issue of so-called ASM issue of not building driveways particularly that
:26:35. > :26:40.are in perm or to water. Part of the challenge we face is many of our
:26:41. > :26:45.road surfaces were built at a time when standards were far lower. Water
:26:46. > :26:51.does not soak through the road. It comes off the road, down a camber
:26:52. > :26:54.and into some people's houses. Many of the roads were built to a far
:26:55. > :26:59.lower standard than we would build now. What we try to do is look at
:27:00. > :27:04.sections of the 835 to improve those sections and avoid the risk of
:27:05. > :27:07.flooding. He quite right to point out that there are a number of ways
:27:08. > :27:13.to deal with flooding rather than simply building walls all the time.
:27:14. > :27:20.Question four, Keith Davies. TRANSLATION: Thank you, Presiding
:27:21. > :27:27.Officer. Will the First Minister make a statement on local authority
:27:28. > :27:31.as it transfers? TRANSLATION: It is a matter for the local authority and
:27:32. > :27:37.of course I would expect them to consult in detail with the local
:27:38. > :27:42.communities. TRANSLATION: Thank you, there have been plans to transfer
:27:43. > :27:48.parks to community councils or private organisations including one
:27:49. > :27:52.in Llanelli which engendered a petition signed by over 5000 people
:27:53. > :27:56.to keep the park in public ownership, and that will be
:27:57. > :28:01.presented to the council tomorrow. Do you agree that local authorities
:28:02. > :28:06.should hold consultations with the public on any proposal to transfer
:28:07. > :28:10.assets, and to conduct due diligence of any private organisation that
:28:11. > :28:17.wishes to take part in any such as the transfer?
:28:18. > :28:22.TRANSLATION: Well, the public assets are local authority assets, and so
:28:23. > :28:26.councils should consult with the communities and also with the
:28:27. > :28:32.residents of those communities when they are considering the transfer of
:28:33. > :28:40.assets, and of course they should also undertake a full analysis of
:28:41. > :28:44.the risks, when they transfer public assets to any third party.
:28:45. > :28:51.Guidelines are available from the Welsh Government, namely the
:28:52. > :28:57.guidelines on community asset transfer and that was published by
:28:58. > :29:03.asked last year. First Minister, following the recent
:29:04. > :29:08.government assessment and cos alterations, on protecting assets of
:29:09. > :29:14.community value, what consideration had you given to the 78% of
:29:15. > :29:19.respondents who actually support the power to initiate as a transfer from
:29:20. > :29:24.public sector bodies? Well so far behind in Wales, compared with how
:29:25. > :29:30.the UK government are handling this. In the same consultation, 68%
:29:31. > :29:34.actually reckoned that we should have greater opportunities for a
:29:35. > :29:40.first refusal basis. How are you taking forward the community assets
:29:41. > :29:43.transfer, and why are you not taking forward solid proposals like the
:29:44. > :29:47.community right to bid here in Wales and allow them to make the decisions
:29:48. > :29:52.about how they retain their local assets? The reason why this is being
:29:53. > :29:56.carried on in England at a great rate is because of the massive cuts
:29:57. > :30:04.in funding that the local authorities are receiving. We know
:30:05. > :30:07.they want to cut funding by 12% here in Wales which seems ambitious
:30:08. > :30:13.compared to colleagues elsewhere in England. Our view is where thousands
:30:14. > :30:18.can no longer continue to support assets, we would seek them to seek
:30:19. > :30:27.community solutions, making disposal of assets are key solution.
:30:28. > :30:31.Fortunately, local authorities are not under the same pressure and
:30:32. > :30:40.Wales, as they are in England where the cuts are so large.
:30:41. > :30:44.TRANSLATION: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Keith Davies
:30:45. > :30:47.describes a situation which existed in Carmarthenshire 12 months ago,
:30:48. > :30:51.where the council was led by the Labour Party at that time and
:30:52. > :30:55.threatened clubs and societies at a local level as they did not take
:30:56. > :31:02.responsibility for these assets, that they would face an increase of
:31:03. > :31:06.1000% in the rent that the councils were charging them and Plaid Cymru's
:31:07. > :31:10.opposition managed to overturn that decision and they continue to do
:31:11. > :31:17.that in leading the council. Will you congratulate M indoor in
:31:18. > :31:25.Carmarthenshire for holding a discussion with local clubs and
:31:26. > :31:28.societies about the assets and huge cuts on local authority funding, in
:31:29. > :31:34.a situation where they are facing very difficult situations indeed.
:31:35. > :31:39.TRANSLATION: Well, we can all see in this chamber that Carmarthen Council
:31:40. > :31:42.has changed its leadership and I see now that the member is alluding to
:31:43. > :31:46.the council in a very different way to the way that he talked about the
:31:47. > :31:51.council when the Labour Party were in charge and I'm sure there will be
:31:52. > :31:59.more fun and games over that in the ensuing months. I would say to any
:32:00. > :32:03.county council of course, to consult in great detail with the local
:32:04. > :32:08.people to ensure their voices are heard. Question five, Lindsay
:32:09. > :32:14.Whittle. What special measures is the Welsh Government taking in order
:32:15. > :32:17.to eradicate child poverty by the year 2020? Our child poverty
:32:18. > :32:22.strategy published last year does set out our priorities with tackling
:32:23. > :32:28.child poverty. This includes the roll-out of a healthy child Wales
:32:29. > :32:31.programme, doubling the numbers are accessing flying start, closing the
:32:32. > :32:33.attainment gap and reducing the number of children living in
:32:34. > :32:42.workless households. We know that the UK Tory government
:32:43. > :32:45.policies on tax credits and welfare reform are not helping poorer
:32:46. > :32:50.families and children in Wales to say the least, but can you explain
:32:51. > :32:54.why, after 16 years in office, this Welsh glove has still left Wales
:32:55. > :33:00.with the highest level of child poverty in the United Kingdom?
:33:01. > :33:04.Bearing in mind, his party wearing Government for four years, something
:33:05. > :33:12.that they try to sweep into the cupboard. We don't. I think we
:33:13. > :33:16.should emphasise this. We have a child poverty strategy, it reaffirms
:33:17. > :33:18.our ambition to eradicate child poverty by 2020, we will continue to
:33:19. > :33:25.move towards achieving that ambition.
:33:26. > :33:29.In Swansea East, Flying Start ensures that children started
:33:30. > :33:33.nursery with the developmental age equal to backward logical age.
:33:34. > :33:40.Community First give support by evening homework herbs and holiday
:33:41. > :33:44.support. This he agree that it is important to carry on with these
:33:45. > :33:48.schemes for the benefit of the children? It is right to highlight
:33:49. > :33:52.schemes that this Government has introduced to help many families and
:33:53. > :33:55.children. We will never waver from a commitment, we will always make it
:33:56. > :34:00.to our poorest families and it is at the heart of what we stand for other
:34:01. > :34:06.party. Although the proportion of children living in poverty is at its
:34:07. > :34:11.lowest since the 1980s, Wales has the highest child poverty amongst UK
:34:12. > :34:18.nations, second highest amongst 12 UK regions. This system using a
:34:19. > :34:23.measure of child poverty, which seems to show it reducing, economies
:34:24. > :34:26.are shrinking and families are getting poorer. What consideration
:34:27. > :34:30.have you given to looking at measures being played in England to
:34:31. > :34:34.look at the matters that lead to the underlying causes of poverty such as
:34:35. > :34:42.educational attainment, drug and alcohol abuse and family breakdown
:34:43. > :34:45.and, of course, work with this? The definition of poverty in England has
:34:46. > :34:51.changed in order to make it look better than it actually was. He asks
:34:52. > :34:56.me to deal with what is the fundamental cause of poverty in the
:34:57. > :35:00.UK. It is the conservative Government, no question, with all
:35:01. > :35:04.the policies you have introduced. -- the Conservative Government. One of
:35:05. > :35:09.the problems with people living in poverty is that they are on low pay,
:35:10. > :35:14.his party proposes to cut their pay even further. We used to say in this
:35:15. > :35:18.country that if you get a job, your financial circumstances will
:35:19. > :35:24.improve. The Conservatives will say, even if you get a job, you will not
:35:25. > :35:27.be any better off. That is something no government since 1945 has ever
:35:28. > :35:32.said to its people, and it is shameful that the Tories have done
:35:33. > :35:35.that. The UK Government 's changes to the
:35:36. > :35:41.Social Security system will have serious repercussions on child
:35:42. > :35:44.poverty levels. The data contained in the Bevan foundation 's recent
:35:45. > :35:49.support highlighted the numbers of children in Wales in households in
:35:50. > :35:55.receipt of some sort of benefit. We know that 284,000 children in Wales
:35:56. > :35:59.are in households receiving tax credits, 86% of these children a
:36:00. > :36:03.household where someone works. How is the Welsh Government taking this
:36:04. > :36:08.into account in your strategies to tackle child poverty? Can I thank
:36:09. > :36:11.the member for highlighting the heartlessness of the policy being
:36:12. > :36:15.pursued by the Conservative Government. The Leader of the
:36:16. > :36:19.Opposition laughs, your wasters, the heartlessness of the policies, or
:36:20. > :36:24.vendetta against those on low pay and the help given to those with the
:36:25. > :36:29.most money. We should not be surprised, that is what his party
:36:30. > :36:33.stands for. We are well aware of the disproportionate effect of the UK
:36:34. > :36:38.Government welfare reforms in Wales. We know the impact is not spread
:36:39. > :36:41.equally. We know those households already on the poverty line,
:36:42. > :36:46.families with children and disabled households, disabled households,
:36:47. > :36:50.will be amongst the hardest hit. We will take account of that is part of
:36:51. > :36:54.the child poverty strategy. I can't say we will be able to deal with all
:36:55. > :36:58.the damage that the Conservative Government is doing, but we know
:36:59. > :37:03.that they continue in their vendetta against the lowest paid, the
:37:04. > :37:08.disabled and the children. Will the First Minister make a state went on
:37:09. > :37:13.the role of business improvement districts in Wales? Has been
:37:14. > :37:16.excellent progress, with five areas voting to establish business
:37:17. > :37:20.improvement districts. This is a positive movement with business
:37:21. > :37:25.communities. They work with a range of part is in these areas and
:37:26. > :37:33.provide significant investment to support investment. -- support
:37:34. > :37:37.regeneration. Neath Inspired is the name of the new business district in
:37:38. > :37:39.these town centre, formed with Welsh government funding after a
:37:40. > :37:45.successful balloting of local businesses. The % -- town centre
:37:46. > :37:51.businesses have seen the advantage of priorities, regeneration benefits
:37:52. > :37:59.and local partnerships. Going live on the 1st of April, Neath -- Neath
:38:00. > :38:04.Inspired would result in ?500,000 of additional funding. Can you add what
:38:05. > :38:07.measures the Welsh government is undertaking to promote the formation
:38:08. > :38:12.of more business improvement districts? We are pleased to see the
:38:13. > :38:17.new district is being established, we expect four further ballots in
:38:18. > :38:21.2016. We want to see the conclusion of the whole programme before we are
:38:22. > :38:26.in a position to reflect and consider how we take this forward.
:38:27. > :38:34.What is encouraging is there is plenty of interesting around Wales.
:38:35. > :38:37.In my region, we are already fortunate to have a very formidable
:38:38. > :38:44.business improvement district in Swansea. The success is due in no
:38:45. > :38:47.small part to businesses' ability to work in partnership with the local
:38:48. > :38:51.authority on priorities, often the same of the council but not always,
:38:52. > :38:56.rather than being dominated by the council. With the new bids in Nice
:38:57. > :39:01.and the establishment of a group in Bridgend, would you agree that bids
:39:02. > :39:05.need to be led by local businesses and any suggestion that a council
:39:06. > :39:10.Bliss decisions may be contingent on a bit behaving in a particular way
:39:11. > :39:16.would be inappropriate? Clearly those bids have to chime with the
:39:17. > :39:18.priorities of the local authority. I expect businesses and local
:39:19. > :39:25.authorities to work together, as we have seen in other towns in Wales,
:39:26. > :39:28.to provide benefits for towns. The member has already highlighted the
:39:29. > :39:35.Labour councillor in Swansea and the work done in working with businesses
:39:36. > :39:39.to provide improvements. TRANSLATION: Thank you. Of course,
:39:40. > :39:43.there is huge potential for business improvement districts to give an
:39:44. > :39:47.economic boost to those trading areas, it is entirely right to say
:39:48. > :39:50.that the consultation with businesses within that industry set
:39:51. > :39:55.the foundations for those areas. Would he agree with me that it is
:39:56. > :39:59.crucial to consult with wider stakeholders within those areas,
:40:00. > :40:05.including residents within the community? TRANSLATION: Not just the
:40:06. > :40:14.local businesses are interested in this. Other organisations are
:40:15. > :40:20.interested in order to create the right trading environment or ethos
:40:21. > :40:24.in the area. It is extremely important that orgies work in
:40:25. > :40:30.partnership in order to ensure that the towns themselves are improved
:40:31. > :40:35.for everybody's benefit. Business improvement districts obviously have
:40:36. > :40:37.potential for greater economic and fits, but for many smaller
:40:38. > :40:42.communities or individual high streets within larger cities, not
:40:43. > :40:48.the city centre themselves, perhaps a full business improvement district
:40:49. > :40:52.is a step too far, and then may be benefits to facilitating networking
:40:53. > :40:54.within those local communities that is perhaps short of a business
:40:55. > :41:02.improvement district. I wonder what support the Welsh government can
:41:03. > :41:07.give to local communities like those in Cardiff or other high street
:41:08. > :41:16.areas to develop those networks of informal trading relationships? I
:41:17. > :41:22.bids are important for some length. We have viable places, which helps
:41:23. > :41:27.in terms of developing areas that are particularly important, centres
:41:28. > :41:33.of particular importance, Cardiff high street seems to be doing very
:41:34. > :41:36.well. There are other parts of Cardiff, well field Road is another
:41:37. > :41:41.example, where districts have traditionally been doing very, very
:41:42. > :41:46.well. When we look at a city the size of Cardiff, and many other
:41:47. > :41:51.settings, we don't just look at the centre but we understand there are
:41:52. > :42:01.other retail areas outside of the city centre important to those
:42:02. > :42:07.areas. Question seven. What action is the Welsh Government taking to
:42:08. > :42:13.prevent the repetition of floods in Llanddulas. We know it experienced
:42:14. > :42:18.coastal flooding the storms of 2013. We have put money in towards the
:42:19. > :42:20.construction of coastal flood defences, they have substantially
:42:21. > :42:26.lowered the flood risk in the village. I know three houses were
:42:27. > :42:31.affected by flooding in the course of the last few weeks. Heartbreaking
:42:32. > :42:35.for those involved. We have millions of pounds' worth of support
:42:36. > :42:40.available for local authorities. I would expect, counsel to investigate
:42:41. > :42:46.the sources of flooding and bring forward an appropriate solution.
:42:47. > :42:50.Thank you for the detailed response. Like you, I was very disappointed to
:42:51. > :42:57.note that flooding had re-occurred in Llanddulas, it faces flooding
:42:58. > :43:00.from a river flowing very close to those properties you mentioned.
:43:01. > :43:07.Those households have faced flooding five times since 2010. Even though
:43:08. > :43:11.investment has been put into the coastal defences, part of that
:43:12. > :43:16.flooding has been as a result of coastal problems. Other which was
:43:17. > :43:21.different flooding which affected them over the Christmas period. What
:43:22. > :43:25.discussions is the Welsh government having with Conwy Council to
:43:26. > :43:31.encourage them to bring forward a bit, in conjunction with Welsh Water
:43:32. > :43:36.and Natural Resources Wales, to get the problem sorted once and for all
:43:37. > :43:42.for the families, albeit smaller number, who have been affected. The
:43:43. > :43:46.flooding was caused by surface water from the adjacent highway. The local
:43:47. > :43:50.authority was unable to deploy a pump, we understand, it was already
:43:51. > :43:52.deployed elsewhere. In their assessment, there were more
:43:53. > :43:58.properties at risk in that other area. It is for Conwy Council to
:43:59. > :44:01.bring forward the proposals for consideration, I will of course
:44:02. > :44:06.encourage them to do so in order to help those people affect it.
:44:07. > :44:12.TRANSLATION: There is a more general question rising as to where flood
:44:13. > :44:15.prevention work has taken place in the light of an increasing challenge
:44:16. > :44:19.of climate change, where sea levels are rising. What process is in phase
:44:20. > :44:24.to assess whether the works completed in the last few years are
:44:25. > :44:29.still appropriate as we face the greater challenges of flooding in
:44:30. > :44:37.the future? TRANSLATION: That is not what happened over Christmas stock
:44:38. > :44:41.not in the Conwy Valley or many other areas. It was not the water
:44:42. > :44:48.over topping the walls. We have seen the problem previously in the Conwy
:44:49. > :44:54.Valley, when the water came into the river, and in Aberystwyth we had
:44:55. > :45:01.another problem. That was not the case this time. Having said that,
:45:02. > :45:09.Natural Resources Wales always assess how effective the bag and
:45:10. > :45:14.peers safeguarding communities are, bearing in mind the climate change
:45:15. > :45:22.we are witnessing. TRANSLATION: You referred to the fact that we need to
:45:23. > :45:27.look at the A55. You state that the quality of the road ruled initially
:45:28. > :45:32.is now unacceptable given all the rain that we have seen over the past
:45:33. > :45:39.few months. But also the Wrexham bypass, the A5, they have either
:45:40. > :45:46.been closed temporarily or that have been temporary speed restrictions
:45:47. > :45:51.which create problems for travellers. Will the trunk roads
:45:52. > :45:56.agency look at all the roads in the areas affected to ensure that
:45:57. > :46:05.programmes looking at government expenditure in the future are
:46:06. > :46:08.targeted at the right areas? TRANSLATION: The agency is
:46:09. > :46:13.responsible for the trunk roads, the major roads, and not the local
:46:14. > :46:22.roads, which are the responsibility of the local authorities. As regards
:46:23. > :46:26.the A55 and the M4, although it is Government responsibility, local
:46:27. > :46:31.authorities maintain the roads on behalf of the Government. That is
:46:32. > :46:36.also true of the a 55. We would expect any agency to consider all
:46:37. > :46:40.the risks in every stretch of the road that they are responsible for
:46:41. > :46:46.in order to ensure that they are assessed and to mitigate those
:46:47. > :46:50.risks, ultimately. STUDIO: That was First Minister's
:46:51. > :46:55.Questions for you today, the first 2016. If you want more coverage of
:46:56. > :47:03.the National Assembly you can go online to BBC Wales' Senedd Live
:47:04. > :47:08.page. That is it for the first First Minister's Questions of 2016. An
:47:09. > :47:10.election year. Don't forget, for all the latest political news you can
:47:11. > :47:27.watch Wales Today later at 6:30pm. The Sunday politics will be coming
:47:28. > :47:30.up later, but from all of us, thanks for watching.