:00:37. > :00:41.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme. At his Cheltenham
:00:41. > :00:51.Festival week, and the runners and riders in the fight for the Plaid
:00:51. > :00:51.
:00:51. > :00:57.Cymru leadership race will win this week as well. You can get in touch
:00:57. > :01:07.with us via the usual channels, on Twitter, @walespolitics. Or send us
:01:07. > :01:09.
:01:09. > :01:17.They are off on this -- they are off in the chamber, I do not make
:01:17. > :01:21.this stuff up on the have! Good afternoon. I called the
:01:21. > :01:31.National Assembly for Wales to order. Item one, questions to the
:01:31. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :01:36.Will the First Minister outline the Welsh minister's plans to encourage
:01:36. > :01:39.the use of alternative energy sources within public buildings?
:01:39. > :01:47.Our first priority is to improve the energy efficiency in buildings,
:01:47. > :01:53.we have invested nearly �6 million to save energy efficiency over two
:01:53. > :01:57.years. I am sure the First Minister is aware that last Conservative
:01:57. > :02:02.controlled Monmouth Show planning - - County Council has installed
:02:03. > :02:10.planning applications for two installed solar panels on council
:02:10. > :02:16.buildings, which will bring savings through reduced bills, all at the
:02:16. > :02:21.same time as freezing council tax. I am sure you would welcome the in
:02:21. > :02:24.-- join me in welcoming these efforts, also, how would you roll
:02:24. > :02:29.out this environmental best practice across Wales? It is not
:02:29. > :02:33.for me to comment on individual planning application, but I welcome
:02:33. > :02:38.the commitment shown by any local authority in order to reduce its
:02:38. > :02:43.carbon footprint and encourage the use of renewable energy. I am glad
:02:43. > :02:48.that Monmouthshire council is following the lead of Labour
:02:48. > :02:52.Bridgend council in freezing council tax. With fuel prices past
:02:52. > :02:55.rising over the last decade, more efficient use of our energy in
:02:55. > :02:59.public buildings is not only desirable but essential. It is
:02:59. > :03:04.disappointed that the gas fuelled power station in Pembrokeshire was
:03:04. > :03:09.given the go-ahead, despite strong objections from the Countryside
:03:09. > :03:12.Council of Wales, based on the potential impact of waste heat on a
:03:12. > :03:15.Special Area of Conservation. Apart from jeopardising the local
:03:15. > :03:20.environment, the planning consent was not a sustainable decision, as
:03:20. > :03:23.there was no insistence on using that waste heat. Will you give us
:03:23. > :03:27.an undertaking that you and your minority government will do
:03:27. > :03:32.everything in its power to insure second-rate technology will not be
:03:32. > :03:36.allowed on projects like this in the future? It has received
:03:36. > :03:40.permission following due consideration by the Environment
:03:40. > :03:43.Agency and I bear in mind the mind -- that there are a substantial
:03:44. > :03:50.number of people who work there who would have had your words very
:03:50. > :03:55.carefully. Question 2 has been withdrawn. Questions from the party
:03:55. > :04:00.leaders, first, the leader of bright -- Plaid Cymru, UN wigs --
:04:00. > :04:05.Ieuan Wyn Jones. TRANSLATION: Thank you very much, thank you for the
:04:05. > :04:10.opportunity to contribute, if I may say so, for the final session for
:04:10. > :04:16.me for me as leader as Plaid Cymru. As the first Minister agree with me
:04:16. > :04:22.that this assembly has strengthened over the past 12 years, not least
:04:22. > :04:27.because of the decision to insure for legislative powers a year ago?
:04:27. > :04:36.As a clear majority of the people of Wales now believe that this is
:04:36. > :04:39.the institution where important decisions, the policy areas which
:04:39. > :04:48.UN on divorce, do you agree it is important that we continue with
:04:48. > :04:53.this campaign to strengthen this institution? TRANSLATION: May I
:04:53. > :04:57.begin paying tributes to the leader of Plaid Cymru to the service he
:04:57. > :05:01.has given his party, and the person who was jointly in government with
:05:01. > :05:08.me for four years, and will last two years of that government, both
:05:09. > :05:13.of us, we have dealt with the waves of -- the way of government in
:05:13. > :05:21.coalition. I read that the leader of Plaid Cymru had asked 639
:05:21. > :05:25.questions during his period here, that his 639 of the First Minister.
:05:25. > :05:33.I hope that some of the answers were the right ones during that
:05:33. > :05:39.period. Once again, may I thank him for what he has done in this
:05:39. > :05:44.chamber, as a person who has the respect of all the parties here.
:05:44. > :05:47.May I wish him well for the future. Two on to his question, I agree
:05:47. > :05:53.completely -- to answer his question, I agree completely with
:05:53. > :05:57.his view that Wales has progressed a great deal since 1999. We saw
:05:57. > :06:01.that in the referendum last year, and now we need to consider the
:06:01. > :06:06.steps ahead to strengthen Wales and the assembly. TRANSLATION: Thank
:06:06. > :06:11.you very much, I appreciate those very kind words. Although there
:06:11. > :06:17.will be differences between the parties on pace, the extent and
:06:17. > :06:21.speed on change in securing greater powers for the National Assembly,
:06:21. > :06:27.does the first Minister agree with me that we should not be seeking
:06:27. > :06:30.constitutional change for its own sake? But all of us should share an
:06:30. > :06:34.aspiration to improve the lives of the people of Wales, to steer a
:06:34. > :06:40.course through these difficult economic times, to strengthen our
:06:40. > :06:43.economy, to help -- make our health service the best it can be, and
:06:43. > :06:47.make sure our children have the best start in their lives through
:06:47. > :06:51.having an education system for which we can all be proud.
:06:51. > :06:54.believe the case has been made in many areas for further devolution
:06:54. > :06:58.of powers that could be used for the benefit of the people of Wales.
:06:58. > :07:05.We have discussed at length in this chamber the issue of borrowing,
:07:05. > :07:14.issues surrounding the depletion of some taxation -- devolution of some
:07:14. > :07:20.taxation. Secondly, issues the issue of devolution of energy
:07:20. > :07:23.control. There are many areas where further devolution will be of
:07:23. > :07:30.benefit to the Welsh people. It is far from the case that it is a map
:07:30. > :07:33.map -- matter of achieving powers for the sake of it. There are clear
:07:33. > :07:43.demonstrations where powers could be gained for this institution for
:07:43. > :07:48.the good of the power -- people. TRANSLATION: Of. We have already
:07:48. > :07:52.acknowledged and accepted that this is the very last question, question
:07:53. > :07:59.number 639, as you suggested, some of the answers have been
:07:59. > :08:03.comprehensive and some of the questions have also been
:08:03. > :08:07.comprehensive and Wise. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone
:08:07. > :08:15.for the courtesy they have given. It has been issued privilege for me
:08:15. > :08:18.-- it has been a huge privilege for me to take such a huge role in
:08:18. > :08:22.Welsh politics, and be part of the development of the first parliament
:08:22. > :08:29.Wales has had for six centuries. Nobody could ask for more than that.
:08:29. > :08:35.TRANSLATION: I do not believe that I can endorse everything that UN
:08:35. > :08:43.Wynne-Jones has said, can I say once again I wish him well. In this
:08:43. > :08:47.assembly and for the insuring years. If I may, with your indulgence,
:08:47. > :08:50.plate -- pay tribute to the leader of Plaid Cymru for the service he
:08:51. > :08:56.has given to his country, this institution which he is right to
:08:56. > :09:00.identify has matured over the years, since he has been here to will the
:09:00. > :09:04.present day, and hopefully for the rest of this term as well. The
:09:04. > :09:07.people of Anglesey who he has served with such diligence as well.
:09:07. > :09:12.The party of Plaid Cymru greatly benefited from your stewardship as
:09:12. > :09:16.leadership, and I was grateful to receive cried -- kind words when I
:09:16. > :09:19.was elected as leader of the Welsh Conservative group, and I look
:09:19. > :09:24.forward to continuing to work with you in this institution for the
:09:24. > :09:28.betterment of Wales. First Minister, how many bills has your government
:09:28. > :09:33.submitted to this constitution -- institution for scrutiny since the
:09:33. > :09:40.election? They well know that there are bills which have been submitted
:09:40. > :09:48.and others to try in paper form -- in white paper form. You know full
:09:48. > :09:52.well that you have only submitted one bill for looking at by this
:09:52. > :09:57.institution. The similar Scottish parliament has submitted 10 bills.
:09:57. > :10:00.This is a level of inactivity which is showing lethargy by your
:10:00. > :10:03.government in its ability to use the new powers for the benefit of
:10:03. > :10:08.the people of Wales. Why is it the case that your government has been
:10:08. > :10:13.so slow to use the tools that the people of Wales conferred on you on
:10:13. > :10:16.the referendum last here? Far from it, you can only see what has been
:10:16. > :10:20.done in terms of the economic stimulus package that has been
:10:20. > :10:25.announced, a great deal of work has been put into brilliant white
:10:25. > :10:29.papers or consultation including important legislation such as the
:10:30. > :10:36.organ donation Bill, which cannot be rushed, and will get full
:10:36. > :10:39.scrutiny on the floor of this House. -- of this House. The government
:10:39. > :10:43.elected in Scotland have brought 10 bills before the Scottish
:10:43. > :10:48.Parliament for their consideration. Your government has chosen only to
:10:48. > :10:51.Bill -- bring one Bill. You have spoken time and time again for
:10:51. > :10:54.Scottish independence, constitutional reform,
:10:54. > :10:58.constitutional Convention, and yet the tools that your government have
:10:58. > :11:02.given, you have failed to use. You have spoken so much about British
:11:02. > :11:05.independence, I thought you might have been a late entrance to the
:11:05. > :11:12.Plaid Cymru leadership debate! What we need from your government, what
:11:12. > :11:15.we need from your government, his activity to make sure that those
:11:15. > :11:20.tools that the people of Wales conferred on this institution, and
:11:20. > :11:23.this institution from -- conferred on a government, to bring forward
:11:23. > :11:31.legislation which would ultimately allowed the people of Wales to
:11:31. > :11:34.benefit from those bills. Is this not a damning indictment of the
:11:34. > :11:40.inactivity of your government, and more so, the delivery unit that to
:11:40. > :11:47.talk so much about, delivering for be people of Wales? He has become
:11:47. > :11:53.an apologist for the SNP, I never thought I should say that. I do
:11:53. > :11:59.wonder if I should include tributes to him, to see whether it would be
:11:59. > :12:02.his last questions, you never know from week to week! We have brought
:12:02. > :12:06.forward controversial -- we have brought forward that legislation
:12:06. > :12:14.and avoided a decision which is controversial and wrong, unlike
:12:14. > :12:21.other governments in the UK. May I to take this opportunity to pay
:12:21. > :12:26.tribute to the stead fuss and unstinting word of Ieuan Wyn Jones,
:12:26. > :12:30.for his work for Wales, and insuring the early years of this
:12:30. > :12:34.devolution project were as successful as they have been. He
:12:34. > :12:38.has played no small part in achieving that. I would always --
:12:38. > :12:42.also like to thank him for his personal kindness and courtesy you
:12:42. > :12:47.have shown me since I became an assembly member in 1999, and
:12:47. > :12:51.especially our working relationship since I became leader of the
:12:51. > :12:54.Liberal Democrats two years ago. I it would like to wish you well for
:12:54. > :13:00.your remaining years on the backbenches. I suspect and hope
:13:00. > :13:04.that you will be equally as troublesome! As previously does he
:13:04. > :13:14.have moved to the back benches have been, to the people who have
:13:14. > :13:19.
:13:19. > :13:22.On 2nd February 1920 11, we were told by your education minister
:13:22. > :13:26.that he was setting, and I quote, some clear targets for our
:13:26. > :13:31.education system. He said, we should aim to be in the top 20 of
:13:31. > :13:36.the school systems measured in 2015. Is that still your government's
:13:36. > :13:41.target, and can you give us an incorrect -- interim target for way
:13:41. > :13:47.you expect us to be in the 2012 Investment -- assessment? It is our
:13:47. > :13:52.target, and we expect to fulfil it in 2015. I am glad you have
:13:52. > :13:54.confirmed your target for 2015, but as you know, there will be further
:13:54. > :14:00.assessments this year. Your education minister last week said,
:14:00. > :14:05.and I quote, most of our reforms would not have kicked in with a
:14:05. > :14:09.sufficient degree of time to make a real improvement by 2013. First
:14:09. > :14:14.Minister, is this an example of your government getting debt
:14:14. > :14:20.excuses in early? I give you another opportunity to state now
:14:20. > :14:24.what are your targets for the 2012 assessment. As I have said, the
:14:24. > :14:27.Education Minister has looked at 2015 at the target. I do not think
:14:27. > :14:32.anyone can suggest that the education minister has sat back, he
:14:32. > :14:37.has been active in insuring we have a suitable and strong education
:14:37. > :14:44.system in the years to come. I take it by your lack of an answer that
:14:44. > :14:48.your government has no targets for the 2012 assessment. The education
:14:48. > :14:51.assessment -- minister warned in a keynote speech that local
:14:51. > :14:56.authorities had a year to start my demonstrating that they were
:14:56. > :14:59.delivering, and if they had not shown signs, and more radical
:14:59. > :15:03.restructuring of educational delivery on a regional basis should
:15:03. > :15:08.follow. First Minister, it you expect education authorities to
:15:08. > :15:12.turn things around in one year, can we not expect. Education minister
:15:12. > :15:22.to improve your -- hour result in three is? If he does not, we you
:15:22. > :15:23.
:15:23. > :15:26.Given that he said 2015 was the target, we stand by that. Local
:15:26. > :15:32.Education authorities are in the front line of delivering education
:15:32. > :15:36.services, so we expect them to demonstrate improvement quickly. We
:15:36. > :15:43.will keep to our announced a target. Can I add my personal thanks to
:15:43. > :15:46.Ieuan Wyn Jones? He has led his party with charm and wit. I look
:15:46. > :15:54.forward to him being on the backbench and setting a good
:15:54. > :15:58.example to the others. We now move to question three. What is the
:15:58. > :16:03.Welsh Government doing to support older people leaving hospital care?
:16:03. > :16:07.older people leaving hospital care? We have issued guidance emphasising
:16:07. > :16:13.important management for the discharge process for older people.
:16:13. > :16:21.We have to ensure that support services are available to them.
:16:21. > :16:27.There is a hospital scheme in my constituency. There is a
:16:27. > :16:32.befriending scheme to support 150 people. After hospital discharge,
:16:32. > :16:39.they have been able to get back into the community life. Do you
:16:39. > :16:47.believe that it is a work is so -- essential social services that are
:16:47. > :16:52.crucial in this area at and that harsh cuts will be severe for this?
:16:52. > :17:00.Many people will look at the service changes proposed in England
:17:00. > :17:06.and be very grateful that they live in Wales. Two the a moment of
:17:06. > :17:09.maximising people's ability to live independently can generate so --
:17:09. > :17:14.significant savings by reducing hospital admissions and the
:17:14. > :17:21.admissions. I recently met with a number of older people who were
:17:21. > :17:27.certainly able. How does the Welsh Government respond to the call for
:17:27. > :17:31.the importance of social and physical interventions to be
:17:31. > :17:41.recognised and the need for or consistent levels of we opponent
:17:41. > :17:43.
:17:43. > :17:50.across the whole of Wales? -- the ability to beat the table. -- be
:17:50. > :17:57.re-able. It is important that people have company and help during
:17:57. > :18:04.rehabilitation. It is an important part of the process of dealing with
:18:04. > :18:09.people as they get older. First Minister, the Welsh government
:18:09. > :18:12.funded rapid response adaptation programme provided by eight care
:18:12. > :18:22.and repair is supporting more older people than ever in my constituency.
:18:22. > :18:22.
:18:22. > :18:25.The local office tells me there is a 73% -- tells me that 73% of
:18:26. > :18:32.referrals helped people returned to their homes from hospital. Would
:18:32. > :18:37.you agree with me that I increasing this week and significantly
:18:37. > :18:41.decrease the need for hospitals at the admissions? Absolutely. People
:18:41. > :18:46.naturally want to be at home and not in hospital. What is being done
:18:46. > :18:51.there is an example of assisting people to return home, to spend
:18:51. > :18:55.their lives at home, rather than being in a hospital setting whether
:18:55. > :19:05.hospital can provide excellent care, but it is not the same as being at
:19:05. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:24.home. TRANSLATION: -- to what extent can examples of best
:19:24. > :19:30.practice be reproduced? People in the community are benefiting from
:19:30. > :19:34.the programme that you mentioned. People across Wales should see it
:19:34. > :19:43.as a good example of what can be done for across institutional
:19:43. > :19:49.working to deliver better service. TRANSLATION: First Minister, I
:19:49. > :19:59.recently revisited the acute response team incur more than sure
:19:59. > :20:03.
:20:03. > :20:10.in the Prince Philip hospital. Last year, 420 people received service
:20:10. > :20:14.which meant they did not have to have a lengthy stay in hospital.
:20:14. > :20:20.Would you agree with me that this is a very good example of how to
:20:20. > :20:26.avoid long stays in our hospitals? I would agree with that. It is an
:20:26. > :20:32.excellent example. It is a similar programme to the one that I
:20:32. > :20:40.mentioned in Gwent. I know that the Minister for health and social
:20:40. > :20:47.services wants to see projects like this rolling out across Wales.
:20:47. > :20:54.are the Welsh Government's priorities for 2012? They are set
:20:54. > :21:00.out in our programme for government. Last week, a survey was published
:21:00. > :21:06.highlighting the importance of steel making to the Welsh economy.
:21:06. > :21:11.The payment is more than double the minimum wage and there is full and
:21:11. > :21:19.long-term employment. What discussions has the Welsh
:21:19. > :21:24.government had to reassure people that he's important companies are
:21:24. > :21:31.supported our and can deliver for our economy? I have had several
:21:31. > :21:35.meetings. We recognise the importance of Tata steel and they
:21:35. > :21:39.are committed to Wales. These are difficult times in the industry,
:21:39. > :21:46.there is no getting away from that. But the sheer volume of investment
:21:46. > :21:54.that Tata Steel has put in Port Talbot is an example to me that the
:21:54. > :21:58.see a long-term future there. the sea. First Minister, we have
:21:58. > :22:04.active -- debated whether your priorities are in accord with the
:22:04. > :22:08.good people of Wales and we can do no more to -- than agree to differ
:22:08. > :22:16.on many priorities. But in the past there had been a focus on
:22:16. > :22:23.bureaucracy and not delivery. Would you enlighten us as to whether
:22:23. > :22:30.delivery is being monitored over bureaucracy at long last? With
:22:30. > :22:40.regard up to the views of the people of your constituency, I
:22:40. > :22:40.
:22:40. > :22:48.can't Ole highlight the election result. -- I can only highlight.
:22:48. > :22:53.TRANSLATION: Last week, I asked you a question about a certain issue
:22:53. > :22:57.and you said it was a matter for the local authority. Campaigners
:22:57. > :23:01.are concerned about fitness levels in the context of the fact that
:23:01. > :23:05.there is no swimming pool or facilities in the local area.
:23:05. > :23:10.National targets are in place and if those targets are not achieved
:23:10. > :23:16.in this area, what will you do in terms of making sure the local
:23:16. > :23:19.authority achieves their targets? TRANSLATION: We expect local
:23:19. > :23:25.authorities to monitor targets and meet them, but this is a matter for
:23:25. > :23:29.them to decide by listening intently to the local people.
:23:29. > :23:39.TRANSLATION: What steps is the First Minister taking to improve
:23:39. > :23:40.
:23:40. > :23:45.the lives of the residents of mid- and west Wales? Last week, you
:23:45. > :23:52.Education Minister announced that secondary schools in Barnes 4 and 5
:23:52. > :23:58.would receive �10,000 each. In my constituency, this means less than
:23:58. > :24:01.�15 per head per pupil. What improvements do you expect to see
:24:01. > :24:07.in education standards, given this sum and how will you ensure that we
:24:07. > :24:13.don't actually end up rewarding failure in our schools? That is a
:24:13. > :24:18.very odd stands to take, in my view. The Minister's aim is to ensure
:24:18. > :24:22.that the weaker schools are able to catch up with the strongest. There
:24:22. > :24:27.is something fundamental about social justice there. It is not a
:24:27. > :24:30.matter of rewarding failure but assisting schools to ensure the
:24:30. > :24:39.level of education is one that is acceptable across the whole of
:24:39. > :24:45.where else. A single house -- not a single household in my constituency
:24:45. > :24:49.will benefit from the council tax freeze. You were given 40 million
:24:49. > :24:55.to help people avoid the council tax hike, but you have spent the
:24:55. > :25:00.money elsewhere. Do you accept that because of this decision, GP pull
:25:00. > :25:05.of mid-Wales will have been put at a disadvantage compared to
:25:05. > :25:12.households in England and Scotland? Bridgend have done it, see you have
:25:12. > :25:19.to take it up with the local authority. But the 40 million was
:25:19. > :25:24.used to finance land reclamation to create jobs. And to finance capital
:25:24. > :25:30.projects which will health -- help to strengthen the Welsh economy.
:25:30. > :25:34.The party opposite mention enterprise zones every week, but
:25:34. > :25:38.apparently they are pet projects. Some of our councils have frozen
:25:38. > :25:48.council tax already. It just shows that the Tories fritter their money
:25:48. > :25:50.
:25:50. > :25:54.Our priorities for at developing the economy across Wales is set out
:25:54. > :25:58.in our programme for government. Motivated workforces are crucial.
:25:58. > :26:05.Can he tell us what he can do to ease the pressure on mothers in
:26:05. > :26:11.Wales who would like to work but are struggling to do so. -- do so?
:26:11. > :26:16.A campaign was launched today to highlight the problems of the
:26:16. > :26:20.universal child care credit form of us. We are committed to this. We
:26:20. > :26:26.are working with the Job Centre and family information services to
:26:26. > :26:35.increase awareness and take up of above -- available financial
:26:35. > :26:45.support for childcare. We made a commitment to increase funding.
:26:45. > :26:50.
:26:50. > :26:54.Businesses are one of the largest things which we must consider. Will
:26:54. > :27:02.the First Minister advise what consideration he has given to the
:27:02. > :27:09.policy which will greatly develop business in Wales? Are there will
:27:09. > :27:14.be a report in due course. Will the First Minister maker said --
:27:14. > :27:18.statement on the Severn Barrage? There is a potentially important
:27:18. > :27:25.source of renewable energy. There are environmental issues to be
:27:25. > :27:29.dealt with. Would you care to speculate on a timescale? It is
:27:29. > :27:37.very difficult because it is not within our control. Ultimately, of
:27:37. > :27:43.course, the UK government had responsibility in this area. I have
:27:43. > :27:48.met with representatives of the project. They have put forward an
:27:48. > :27:54.interesting scheme but it requires further work at this stage. That
:27:54. > :28:00.will ultimately require the backing of the you key government. Thank
:28:00. > :28:03.you. As we all know, any seven energy scheme would have huge
:28:03. > :28:07.consequences for energy creation and job creation in England and
:28:07. > :28:13.Wales. Can I ask if you have had any more useful discussions with
:28:13. > :28:19.the UK government or private sector about potential renewable energy
:28:19. > :28:24.schemes in the Severn tidal range? I met with representatives on 23rd
:28:24. > :28:33.January. They have met with Government officials before that an
:28:33. > :28:40.sense. We are interested in the project and we look forward to it
:28:40. > :28:44.been developed over the core us of time. -- being developed over the
:28:44. > :28:49.course of time. TRANSLATION: It is not clear from your responses, but
:28:49. > :28:58.are you in favour of a Severn Barrage or not? TRANSLATION: Well,
:28:58. > :29:01.having a proper batch, of course. It is important that the right
:29:01. > :29:07.scheme proceeds, considering the environmental issues that are part
:29:07. > :29:14.of any project. We wish to see a project being taken forward and we
:29:14. > :29:19.would be supportive of the right project. What discussions has the
:29:19. > :29:23.First Minister had with the UK Government regarding the impact of
:29:23. > :29:31.the welfare reform bill on Wales? We have repeatedly raised concerns
:29:31. > :29:41.on the impact of the bill on wheels within this chamber and with
:29:41. > :29:43.
:29:43. > :29:47.Westminster. You will no doubt be aware of the cuts reported. You
:29:47. > :29:54.will soon have responsibility for the social fund. How do you plan to
:29:54. > :30:03.use those powers to mitigate against the worst impacts?
:30:03. > :30:09.devolution of this would allow was to look at making sure those in
:30:09. > :30:12.most need to have access to the money for. Last week's News of the
:30:12. > :30:16.closure of the Remploy factory in Wrexham came as a genuine shock to
:30:16. > :30:21.the people of north-east Wales. There were many in my constituency
:30:21. > :30:26.who work there. I was astonished at the way the announcement was made
:30:26. > :30:29.and the lack of respect for those who worked there. Could you update
:30:29. > :30:34.the assembly on any discussions you have had recently with the UK
:30:34. > :30:40.Government on this issue? There have been numerous that --
:30:40. > :30:45.discussions that have taken place between the Minister responsible in
:30:45. > :30:48.London and the Education Minister here. A formal request was made of
:30:48. > :30:54.the devolution for the budget regarding Remploy and that was
:30:54. > :30:59.refused. We regret that very much. It is important that the jobs are
:30:59. > :31:04.available within Remploy and suggesting that the money could
:31:04. > :31:08.somehow be diverted it to help them trained elsewhere depends on jobs
:31:08. > :31:17.being available elsewhere. That is not the case. We know that Remploy
:31:17. > :31:21.it provides training and jobs for First Minister, returning to the
:31:21. > :31:25.original question in relation to welfare reform, in a discussion for
:31:25. > :31:30.the UK government, can you confirm that you have offered your support
:31:30. > :31:33.to those aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill that will reduce the
:31:33. > :31:36.abuse of the benefit system? Do you support the principle that there
:31:36. > :31:40.should always be an incentive to work for those who were able to do
:31:40. > :31:44.so? Of course they should. There should also be jobs available, they
:31:44. > :31:47.should also be training opportunities available. There
:31:47. > :31:51.should also be jobs available in Remploy that will not be available
:31:51. > :31:54.in the future, that is the whole point. People should be rewarded
:31:54. > :31:59.credit for the work they do, which is why we cannot understand in
:31:59. > :32:04.April, people on modest incomes will be hammered harvests when it
:32:04. > :32:09.comes to the loss of hat -- Tax Credit, -- hammered hardest. At the
:32:09. > :32:14.same time, reducing income tax for those earning over �50,000 per year.
:32:14. > :32:18.We stand for social justice, people who are able to pay do pay, and
:32:18. > :32:24.those people who are working hard but been taxed hardest by the
:32:24. > :32:30.coalition government in London, and not in the position that they will
:32:30. > :32:39.be in a pool where they are hammered the hardest, that is what
:32:39. > :32:44.we object to. We are developing a mental health
:32:44. > :32:48.strategy for Wales, focusing on well-being and services. Thank you,
:32:48. > :32:53.First Minister. Recent minister -- research has shown that mental ill
:32:53. > :32:59.health costs the Welsh economy an estimated �7.2 billion per year.
:32:59. > :33:09.Onto the bat, the immeasurable human cost. King you give -- can
:33:09. > :33:17.
:33:17. > :33:23.The the strategy will provide air at improvement in mental well-being,
:33:23. > :33:27.it will ensure that people are able to deal more with crisis. There
:33:27. > :33:31.will be an improvement in child welfare, we want to insure people
:33:31. > :33:38.in Wales are better informed about mental health and the options
:33:38. > :33:41.available to sustain good mental health. Whilst I welcome the new
:33:41. > :33:47.mental health strategy, or one of the issues that has been flagged up
:33:47. > :33:55.as a concerned by experts that there -- has been the fact that
:33:55. > :33:59.there is insufficient baseline data in terms of the Me and ethnic
:33:59. > :34:03.minority population, and the prevalence of mental ill-health
:34:03. > :34:07.within those populations. Clearly there is some evidence that
:34:07. > :34:10.suggests that black groups in particular have a higher prevalence
:34:10. > :34:14.of mental ill health, I wonder what is being done within the confines
:34:14. > :34:18.of the strategy to insure that there is hard to reach groups are
:34:18. > :34:23.actually able to access the support services they need. As with any
:34:23. > :34:26.strategy, when it is consulted upon, we will need to insure that the
:34:26. > :34:30.plant at a contained in the strategy reach out to as many
:34:30. > :34:34.groups as possible. In order to do that, we will examine within the
:34:34. > :34:42.strategy itself but the best way is in order to insure for that happens
:34:42. > :34:45.-- that that happens. TRANSLATION: First Minister, not only within the
:34:45. > :34:50.health port Follett that house camp -- steps can be taken to improve
:34:50. > :34:54.mental House, -- the health portfolio. Will you give us an
:34:54. > :34:57.assurance that under the new mental health strategy, you will be giving
:34:57. > :35:01.responsibility to all ministers in your government to promote mental
:35:01. > :35:06.health? TRANSLATION: This is something we expect of every
:35:06. > :35:13.minister anyway, and we must also consider what has been done under
:35:13. > :35:17.the measure that was passed in the assembly before the last election.
:35:17. > :35:23.TRANSLATION: Will be First Minister outline the Welsh government's
:35:23. > :35:31.plans to promote the use of Welsh in predominantly English speaking
:35:31. > :35:35.areas of Wales? TRANSLATION: The world government's the new Welsh
:35:35. > :35:38.language strategy recognises the importance of promoting the use of
:35:38. > :35:43.Welsh across Wales, especially socially amongst young people. That
:35:43. > :35:46.is true UN -- in those areas where the majority who are English
:35:46. > :35:56.speakers, and in the areas that have many Welsh speakers but are
:35:56. > :36:00.
:36:00. > :36:06.under pressure. TRANSLATION: Would the First Minister join with me in
:36:06. > :36:16.congratulation for best for seat on the new programme for learners of
:36:16. > :36:16.
:36:16. > :36:21.Wells -- S4c? I am sure this will help operating the language in
:36:21. > :36:26.areas where English is mostly spoken. The member has already
:36:26. > :36:30.benefited from the fact that that programme is now broadcast, and of
:36:31. > :36:34.course, we welcome any method of insuring that there is a growth in
:36:34. > :36:40.the numbers of Welsh speakers, but also its growth in the number of
:36:40. > :36:46.people who use the Welsh language and a daily basis. One of the
:36:46. > :36:50.problems in English-speaking areas is the provision of leisure
:36:50. > :36:53.activities for Welsh-speaking. In my town, we have the facilities
:36:53. > :37:01.provided, will the First Minister join with me in welcoming such
:37:01. > :37:04.initiatives? Does he believe these initiatives create the
:37:04. > :37:08.opportunities for people to realise that they can speak Welsh in
:37:08. > :37:12.leisure as well as it -- in a cross from? That is the challenge, but
:37:12. > :37:19.there are many people who speak Welsh who only speak it in the
:37:19. > :37:21.classroom, do not speak it at home or in the communities. Your town
:37:21. > :37:29.has Welsh speakers in the communities, that is not true of
:37:29. > :37:33.many other plants -- part of Wales. Your example is greats, volunteers
:37:33. > :37:36.coming together at two provide was speaking activities for young
:37:36. > :37:43.people and to show that the language has an existence outside
:37:43. > :37:48.of the classroom. TRANSLATION: Minister, I attended the opening of
:37:48. > :37:53.a hall in Nice last week, not a single word of Welsh was this bacon
:37:53. > :37:57.-- spoken through that opening ceremony. I am going to understand
:37:57. > :38:03.that one band were asked to sing in English and famous -- and refused
:38:03. > :38:07.and did not participate. Where are we going to encourage those areas
:38:07. > :38:11.where it less than 6% of people speak Welsh, unless the local
:38:11. > :38:16.council speaks -- takes it seriously? TRANSLATION: And do not
:38:16. > :38:19.know of the fact behind that, but I it would expect any opening of the
:38:20. > :38:25.kind that you're talking about to have at least some Welsh element,
:38:25. > :38:32.considering that the area to the north of that to place has a great
:38:32. > :38:40.many Welsh speakers. And also, the valley where a high percentage
:38:40. > :38:45.speak Welsh every day. Position macro First Minister, our language
:38:45. > :38:50.is a key part of our heritage. I am sure you would agree that it is
:38:50. > :38:54.important that it extends not only to the predominantly Welsh-speaking
:38:54. > :38:58.communities, but also families that have not made use of the language.
:38:58. > :39:02.I welcome the emphasis of new media in our strategy, I believe it will
:39:02. > :39:09.go a long way in terms of extending the use of that language. Would you
:39:09. > :39:15.agree that it is important also to continue to support mixed language
:39:15. > :39:19.areas? That is true, the aim of the strategy is to consider what needs
:39:19. > :39:21.to be done in order to promote the language, but also to understand
:39:21. > :39:28.that the way of doing that is different in different parts of
:39:29. > :39:33.Wales. Some methods in some places will be different to Bridgend, for
:39:33. > :39:38.example. We must ensure that children who speak Welsh are
:39:38. > :39:42.familiar with hearing Welsh in the home and in the community, and that
:39:42. > :39:46.the -- they use the Welsh language with each other. That remains a
:39:46. > :39:54.challenge, and in addition to that, insure those children who live in
:39:54. > :40:00.areas that are predominantly English should see that there is a
:40:00. > :40:04.use for the Welsh language outside the classroom. TRANSLATION: First
:40:05. > :40:09.Minister, giving your response to the Deputy presiding officer, your
:40:09. > :40:13.government notes a target on how many young people should be
:40:13. > :40:18.educated through the medium of Welsh within a few years' time. Are
:40:18. > :40:22.you content with the strategies that have been prepared to buy the
:40:22. > :40:28.local councils, where there are not targets within individual tack --
:40:28. > :40:32.counted on that issue? TRANSLATION: We would expect every county to
:40:32. > :40:36.insure that there are sufficient places available in Welsh medium
:40:36. > :40:41.schools, considering the fact that in many parts of Wales, there has
:40:41. > :40:45.been a growth in the number of children attending Welsh medium
:40:45. > :40:49.schools, although there has been a fall in the number of children in
:40:49. > :40:53.the population generally. We would expect local authorities to plan
:40:53. > :40:58.for growth in Welsh-language education, and also to insure that
:40:58. > :41:03.those places that -- are made available.
:41:03. > :41:08.That was first Minister's questions, you can see more of proceedings for
:41:08. > :41:17.National Assembly on our democracy live online coverage.
:41:17. > :41:23.To the relative calm of the Plaid - - the am.pm paddock, our very own
:41:23. > :41:28.Arkle, Vaughan Williams joins us. Ieuan Wyn Jones's final questions,
:41:28. > :41:31.quite a reflective mood from him. As you would expect, a party leader
:41:31. > :41:36.for very long time. Easily the longest serving of the current set
:41:36. > :41:42.of party leaders. He looked back over the whole period from now to
:41:42. > :41:46.the beginning of the assembly in 1999. And tried to reach some sort
:41:46. > :41:50.of consensus. It is all very amiable, he laid out his stall, he
:41:50. > :41:55.was helped by the other party leaders come and he now retire to
:41:55. > :41:58.the backbenches. We have seen this sort of performance before when a
:41:58. > :42:04.party leader backs down bass steps down. A lot of the arguing, a lot
:42:04. > :42:10.of the noise we seat in the chamber is synthetic. The browny people
:42:10. > :42:16.generally get on quite well. You only see it at the end -- generally,
:42:16. > :42:21.people get on quite well. We saw Leanne Wood asking what his
:42:21. > :42:26.minority government was going to our -- do, that has quite pointed!
:42:26. > :42:31.Carwyn Jones's government has exactly half the AMs, whether it is
:42:31. > :42:36.majority or minority or both is a slight his theological question! It
:42:36. > :42:40.is interesting that she went in on the Pembrokeshire gas station. That
:42:40. > :42:45.was a pretty hard edged ecological question to ask, it does divide
:42:45. > :42:50.opinion. As one or two other AMs pointed out, is it the case that
:42:50. > :42:58.everyone in her party agrees with her? Remploy was a big story last
:42:58. > :43:02.week, took up a lot of the AMs' time in the chamber. Carwyn Jones
:43:02. > :43:05.said his government had been speaking to the relevant UK
:43:05. > :43:09.Minister, suggesting they have asked for money to take over the
:43:09. > :43:12.money to run Remploy and they are not going to get it, they are
:43:12. > :43:16.disappointed. Did they think they were going to get it? What they
:43:16. > :43:20.asked for was the Welsh share of the Remploy money, but the whole
:43:20. > :43:23.point of the government statement in Westminster last week is that
:43:24. > :43:29.there is no more Remploy Bunny, that is going to be used for
:43:29. > :43:36.something else. -- Remploy money. The Budget has not been cut, it is
:43:36. > :43:39.still there and win friends to help disabled people. Theoretically the
:43:39. > :43:44.Welsh government thought they would get their Barnett share of that
:43:44. > :43:48.money and use it to save some of the Remploy factories, I did not
:43:48. > :43:52.think that was ever going to happen. If the UK government has announced
:43:52. > :43:58.a policy on a policy area which is not devolved, why we did give money