14/06/2016 am.pm

Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of questions

According to the Order Paper, we can expect questions on a range

of subjects, including local development plans,

opencast mining and, as you might expect,

Don't forget you can keep right up to date with all the Welsh political

goings-on by keeping an eye on our twitter feed.

Well, the session in the Senedd got underway a little while ago

and before the first question was asked, Assembly Members observed

a minute's silence for the victims of the recent Orlando attack.

I called the Assembly to order and before we move to questions for the

First Minister and following the vigil held outside yesterday

evening, on behalf of the Assembly, I would like to convey our

condolences to those who were affected by the Orlando shootings.

Today our thoughts are with the injured and the families and friends

who have been bereaved. As an Assembly, we aspire to a world free

of hate of discount. I ask members to be standing for a minute's

silence to commemorate them. Questions to the First Minister.

Neil McEvoy. Will the First Minister make a

statement on local development plans? They are an essential part of

our planning system. Thank you. First Minister, the integrity of and

the people of Wales' confidence in this Assembly is based on being able

to believe what is set in this chamber. In April 2012, you stated

in public that Labour would implement its local development

plan. Labour's plans included allowing big business to concrete

huge swathes of greenfield sites and, as a result, I published that

you had announced plans to concrete Cardiff by stating your party would

implement its plans. You said in this chamber on April 20 four, 2012,

my publications were untrue and a blatant lie. Your words, not mine.

Can you bring yourself to a question? Last week, you stated that

you did not say what you have already said on the record. Can you

bring this to a question? Do you think it is at all acceptable for

Wales' First Minister to come here and deny what you have already said?

Will you set the record straight? The member lives in a land of

fantasy. He did not even ask a proper question. There is no point

of order. I have no idea what that was all about. This is not Cardiff

Council chamber, this is the National Assembly for Wales. What we

are talking about is 22 development plans across South Wales which do

not connect very well and the Welsh Assembly has already introduced the

planning act 2015 to resolve those issues. A strategic development plan

could involve all ten local authorities and it is certainly the

case that with the Cardiff City Region, ten local authority leaders

are already on board, involved and supportive. There is the First

Minister agree with me for the need to take such an approach into

serious consideration? And can it only be achieved by working

together, not being party political and tribal, like Neil McEvoy is

being? There is a huge challenge for the entire area of south Wales and

Cardiff can't be expected on its own to provide housing for the entire

region. That is why it makes perfect sense. The ten local authorities

should work together to have a strategic plan that goes beyond the

local development plans which, of themselves, can never be enough to

satisfy the demand with the success we wish. Mark Isherwood. You are not

being heard. Local development plans don't build any houses. Given that

local plans produced in consultation with the community in England, how

will your government engaged with the home builders Federation

regarding the statement in its Welsh election paper, building

communities, boosting investment. The results can be seen in the most

recently published data on planning permission which shows that since

the start of 2013, the number of private units granted planning

permission in Wales has increased by 4%, while increasing by more in

England? We have seen a significant increase in the number of houses

being built in Wales over the last two years. It seems the plans in

England are aimed at blocking housing development. What we need is

a properly regulated development plan so people can see which

development will take place and I don't believe the local development

plans are sufficient over the wider economic area which is why strategic

plans have a great deal of force and are a great deal of help when it

comes to planning for the future. Bethan Jenkins. Will the First

Minister make a statement on opencast mining in Wales? There are

serious issues relating to opencast mining and the restoration of sites.

We know that in 1994, the UK Government did not require operators

to set aside enough money for restoration and so the UK Government

have a moral responsibility to work with us to make sure that sites are

restored. You will know that Neath put a council has a partial

restoration of Mark opencast area but that is partial restoration and

many of the residents they are concerned about the future and avoid

not being restored and with it being in Celtic Energy's fans, for the

full restoration to take place. Can you give a commitment today, First

Minister, whether you could seek to bring people together to look to

restore that eventually because people are concerned, especially as

key people within the Council are concerned now about how that will be

restored if there are any flooding problems within that void. I agree

with the concerns she expresses. She will know there was an effect on my

constituency as well. In 1994, when privatisation took place, those

companies who took over former British Coal site were excluded from

putting aside finance for restoration and that is why we are

where we are now. Partial restoration is welcome but it is not

full restoration and there must be full restoration. Given that it was

the UK Government that created this problem, there is no doubt in my

mind they have irresponsibly teach work with us to resolve the problem.

Lynne Neagle. I am sure members across the chamber will be pleased

to welcome with me the withdrawal of an opencast application in my

constituency and I am very grateful to the group that visited the site

last year and whose objections led to the application being withdrawn

but most communities cannot the light on the protection of being in

a world Telecom digits site and they need to rely on us as a National

Assembly and the protection we give them -- of being in a World Heritage

site. I can assure a member that a focused review was announced by the

Minister prior to the UK Government's announcement on

coal-fired power stations and that review will proceeds because we know

it is important that the planning guidance is as up-to-date as

possible. Suzy Davies. Members will note that the past restoration plans

are pretty unpopular. None of us would wish to see the history behind

that repeated, but we were talking about this in some detail over a

year ago now. The local authority asserts there is no alternative to

the plans so is the Welsh government holding direction, a whole year

later, an indication of a case that there is an alternative to what is

being suggested by Newport all but, and if not, what statutory

time-limit preventing... The site at the moment is in the case study of a

company that in reality does not exist. It is registered in the

British Virgin Islands and I have no confidence that organisation would

continue to exist if action was taken against it. To my mind, it is

important the UK Government recognises its responsibilities.

This was created not by the current UK Government but by a UK Government

in 1994. There is no doubt the amount of money we're talking for

the full restoration of one site is huge. It cannot be reasonable to

expect the local authority nor the Welsh government to meet the full

costs of that restoration. I know: the party leaders to

question the First Minister. The Ukip group leader, Neil Hamilton.

The First Minister will no that Welsh farming is in crisis. In some

sectors, like Derry, it is done by as much as half stop this is caused

to a great extent by a collapse in prices but or administrative

reasons, in particular the chaos in the payments system, the basic

payments scheme. And there is a particular problem for cross-border

farmers. With land in England as well as Wales. When hundreds of them

have still not been paid and indeed the information they provided a year

ago has not been validated doc-mac bigger-mac I want to hear an

important question on farming. Allow the member to be heard. I would ask

what further progress has been made with the payments agency in England

to get these problems sorted out. The vast majority of payments in

Wales have been made, over 90%, if I recall correctly. There are some

cross-border forms that await payment because we are awaiting data

from the payments agency. Until that is available, it is not possible to

make full payment. We hope it will be resolved swiftly. I fully agree,

but it is quite extraordinary that two Government agencies cannot find

the means by which to talk to each other electronically, whereas this

happens quite naturally in the private sector. I wonder what he can

do to try to integrate the administrative arrangements between

England and Wales in this respect. Partners on the border are in dire

financial straits. The solution is not in our hands. We await data from

the rural payments agency. We can only pay once that data is made

available. The payment schemes are radically different because the

nature of Welsh farming is different to the nature of farming across much

of England. Soon the data is available, of course we will pay our

farmers. Another problem that needs to be addressed is with the growth

of bovine TB. In my region, cases of cattle slaughter I up -- are up.

With the nonavailability of vaccine, the preferred option is not

available, so what can the Welsh Government do to try to cope with

the problem of bovine TB? He is correct that the vaccine is not

available at present. The Minister has held a meeting this week to look

at this issue. There is a need to move forward when dealing with

bovine TB, cannot be left to proceed and the Minister is examining what

science led approach can be taken in order to make sure there is a

reduction in the presence of bovine TB and in time, eradication. The

Leader of the Opposition, Leanne Wood. I'm sure you will have shared

the warm feelings that I felt on seeing images of the Welsh fans in

France, singing and linking arms with fellow fans. They were

ambassadors for our nation and I thought those images captured

something about the naturalness of our place as Wales within Europe,

singing with Slovakians. As we approach the final week of the

campaign, families will be gathering this weekend to work out the best

options for them. Good information is vital to enable people to make a

fully informed choice. What can you and your Government do in the final

week to make sure that people vote on accurate information and not on

the basis of myth and propaganda? We cannot send information has a

government, that is covered by the purdah, but as politicians we can

make our case. I will be making the case that Wales is better off in the

UK and in Europe. Well, maybe not in the UK, as far as she is concern!

But better in Europe. We agree on our unity within Europe. Let's just

leave it at that for now. We are in Wales the most export intensive

nation within the UK. We have a balance of trade payments surplus in

terms of goods with the EU and that is not the case for the UK.

Uncertainty will therefore impact more upon Welsh businesses and the

Welsh economy will be affected disproportionately here. I'm keen to

understand what your Government's contingency plans are there is a

vote to leave the EU. Can you please outline what plans you how to

mitigate the worst effects for the Welsh economy and Welsh businesses,

especially exporting businesses, in the event of a vote to leave the EU?

It is very difficult to reach a contingency plan when there is such

uncertainty. Nobody knows what would happen if we were to vote to leave.

Last week they said it didn't matter if there was a trade deal at all.

For me, I have seen both campaigns, at the end of the day it comes down

to, why would we put an unnecessary hurdle over which we would have to

jump before us when it comes to attracting investment? It is a huge

advantage to have free access to an enormous market, the EU. The UK is a

10th of that market. To lose that access or to jeopardise that simply

puts another wall in front of us when it comes to attracting

investment and exporting. The last thing we need to do is to make it

harder to export what we produce in Wales and harder to attract

investment into Wales. I share your concerns and I think we need to

think carefully about what happens in the event of a vote to leave next

week. Former Prime Ministers Blair and Major waded into the debate,

saying that one or the other likely consequences of a vote to leave

would be the break-up of the UK. I accept our parties have very

different views on that but I'm sure we both agree that we want to stop a

situation whereby Wales is at the total mercy of a Tory government

that we have never, ever in this country voted for. What contingency

plans do you have for Wales if we find ourselves part of a rump UK,

where we would risk facing a Tory Government or an even more

right-wing Government than the present one on a permanent basis?

What plans do you have two protect and promote Wales' best interests in

this scenario? Again, it is impossible to predict what would

happen. There are serious consequences for Northern Ireland.

The peace process is based on EU membership. What happens with the

peace process is difficult to predict. The border with open with a

motorway over, that border would be the border between the UK and the

EU, it would need border control and customs control. It is a hugely

difficult thing for the people who live on that island. It is difficult

to know what the people of Scotland might think, but at the very least,

there needs to be a full reassessment of the relationship

between the nations of the UK. The current constitution does not work,

the concept of Parliamentary sovereignty does not work, I think

they need to move towards a system of shared sovereignty. But there is

no question that if there is a vote to leave, the UK will not carry on

as before. It cannot do so if it wishes to remain stable. The leader

of the Welsh Conservatives. Last week in response to my questions on

the deal you stop with the Lib Dems, you indicated your government would

be making available an additional ?42 million to meet that commitment

over and above the Labour manifesto commitment of ?109 to education. You

also said that if you have the responsibility of the Severn Bridge

tolls, you would abolish the tolls and that itself could crystallise

between 15 and ?29 and you have personally put a lot of political

capital to the most expensive option for the M4 relief road, which is

anything from ?1 billion upwards. What has been uncovered that gives

you confidence that you will suddenly find all this new money to

meet these commitments you are making in the opening weeks of this

fifth Assembly? So he is against more spending on education and

against the abolition of the bridge tolls and against the M4 relief

road. Three things which apparently he was in favour of last week! We

addressed the UK Government for the devolution of the tolls and we would

expect there to be a fair settlement to reflect that so we can get rid of

this tax on people coming into Wales. It is not unreasonable to ask

the question, what will have to give in your spending commitments to meet

your new commitments? I have identified ?42 million you committed

to last week. A potential liability of 15 to ?20 million if you get rid

of the bridge tolls. And also if you built the Black root, up to ?1.2

billion liability that you will have to finance. I do not think that is

unreasonable. People in Wales ask those very questions, if the big

capital project in South East Wales gets the go-ahead, what will have to

give in their own errors? So I put the question again, where are you

going to find this money to meet those commitments you have given on

the record, because you only have a set amount of money available to

you? Can you answer a simple question? Borrowing it, that is the

whole point. The money will be borrowed. The point of that is to

make sure that we are able to do it. And secondly, through borrowing the

money it does not eat into the roads budget. It means road schemes

elsewhere are protected in Wales, they can move forward, and that is

on the basis of the M4 relief road would not take a chunk out of the

roads budget. So it is possible to do both, as the Prime Minister has

said. I fully understand you can borrow, but paying back has a cost

in itself. But I also asked about the education commitment. Which we

welcome. I also made a comment about the 15 to ?20 million you would have

to meet if you abolished the tolls, so, how will you meet those

liabilities? Those are perfectly legitimate questions. In total, it

is an extra ?60 million you will have to find from the Welsh block

grant. Some commitments we dubbed will have to give. -- some

commitments will have to give. From our position of opposition, it is

our job to ask you these questions and I would hope you would have the

answers that we would require to satisfy our constituents. Or are you

just making it up as you go along? I have stood here in the chamber

listening to the Leader of the Opposition has he was then saying

that they would make spending commitments across the board, not

knowing where that money would come from. It is a legitimate question

and there are two answers. First, yes, we will have to examine some

current spending commitments. That will happen during the course of the

budget process because the money will have to come from somewhere.

Second, even though we will see real terms cuts in the block grant, there

will be an uplift in the amount of money available. So there will be

extra money, even if it isn't sufficient to cover inflation. So

there will be difficult decisions to take, but we are confident the money

can be found and that will be completed in the budget process.

What will be the main benefits to Wales of EU mothership during the

fourth A reminder of our main news. ? I understand your bush may have

given permission for questions to be group. We know in recent years, EU

funds have supported significant investments to the Welsh economy

have labour market. Scientists and universities in Wales have spoken

out strongly about the importance of remaining in the EU. Is the First

Minister aware that Cardiff University alone has received 2020

funding for projects at a value of ?16 million and that this money

enables the University to build working relationships with experts,

leading experts all over the European Union to develop important

and ground-breaking research such as testing innovative vaccines for type

one diabetes, solar powered water purification and working out how the

brain works. Do we want to throw all these opportunities await? No, we do

not. Our world model, it is important to have as much access to

brainpower as possible as well. In Swansea, the new campus is being

built partially with the help of European money. Cutting ourselves

off is not the way to advance science in the UK. Thank you. As the

First Minister knows, if the British state remains a member of the

European Union, it will hold the presidency of the Council for six

months next year. That would be a golden opportunity to start the

process of renewing Europe and creating a partnership that worked

better for our citizens. With the First Minister agree that in order

to ensure that presidency is one that is held jointly between the

various governments of the UK with Wales playing a key role, and even

considering holding a European summit in Wales?

We must ensure that the UK is still part of the European Union after

next week. It is very important that we should be positive about what the

European Union has done, namely that it has brought democracy to Eastern

European countries, funding has gone to those areas that needed it,

namely investment in a number of parts of Europe that would not have

seen such investment previously. It would be a stream the odd if they UK

took the European Union presidency on the way out of the union and of

course it is important after the referendum next this stage that the

positive message is preached, if you like, not just across Wales but the

whole of Europe. First Minister, you may have seen a Leave broadcast last

week that Britain's contributions to the European Union will be spent on

the NHS, also on Welsh regional aid, also guaranteed payments to farmers

and now, wonder of magic money, it is going to preserve the amounts

going to Welsh universities. Do you agree with me a better way to

preserve these valuable contributions to our economy is to

vote to Remain in the European Union next Thursday? The member puts it

well and I could not improve on that. He is right to say, we have

certainty now. We have no certainty if we choose to leave next Thursday.

It is a jump off the edge of a Cliffe. I noticed today, I saw a

letter signed by various backbenchers and ministers from

London saying that funding would be guaranteed. They have no such power

to offer that guarantee. Those who signed this letter have no more

power to deliver on it than my children's pet cat. Given that one

of the Labour Party's great benefits of belonging to the European Union

is the workers' rights legislation supposedly emanating from Brussels,

perhaps the First Minister would like to comment on the rights of

those workers formerly employed at the Bosch plant bordering his

constituency? And perhaps reflect on the flat it was British many used in

regional aid which actually built the brand-new plant in Hungary,

which cost them their jobs, along with all their workers' rights. The

issue was that the factory did move to Hungary. Most of the people

employed there found jobs elsewhere very quickly. Another company now

own the site and they are developing very quickly. But we are successful

in attracting investment from other countries so it does work both ways.

Yes, we need to make sure that those who suffer most from globalisation

are protected. That has been a weakness because globalisation has

not been an unmitigated benefit for all workers. Whatever happens on

Thursday, the idea that we must live in an age of austerity for ever and

workers' rights are consistently whittled away would be difficult

because the people of Britain would not accept that. I don't see that

leaving the European Union and putting us in the hands of those who

signed the letter who are wild free-market ears is the way forward.

But the days when we could say to people globalisation is all a good

thing have gone and we have to make sure that across Europe, people's

rights are protected, workers' rights are protected, and people

truly feel governments are on their side and many governments have lost

their way. The previous member talked about one business. I would

like to draw attention to the fact that 770 businesses have been

created across Rhondda cannot have, thanks to European Union funding.

They employ local people and contribute to the local economy.

First Minister, do you agree with me that our continued membership of the

European Union and the support it provides are essential to

contributing an environment where businesses in Wales can thrive? I

do. European many we have seen come into Wales was money that was not

provided by successive British governments. It did not come to

Wales. This is extra money the Tories in the 80s and 90s would not

provide for Wales. We still have a situation where the Barnett formula

has not been addressed properly. What would happen if it was not

there? That money would end up back in the Barnett formula or being kept

in London and the regions of England as well as in Scotland would not see

that money, it would be kept in Whitehall. I don't buy this argument

that somehow this is money that would come to Wales, I think this

money, if it does exist at all, that would sit in Whitehall and we would

not see every penny that we get now and that is dangerous for the people

of Wales. Dafydd Elis-Thomas. Mark Reckless. The First Minister said

earlier that he did not want exported to face unnecessarily high

hurdles. In setting up the challenges for the steel industry,

he has emphasised his view that the pound has been too high. Would he

therefore welcome a more competitive level for the pound, including

against the euro? It depends what you mean by competitive. If it is

going to plummet, that would drive inflation because we import so much.

More than anything else, what the industry needs is a market and if it

cannot enter the European steel market without a tariff being

imposed, the steel industry does not have a future. They UK is not big

enough to drive that demand. What concerns me more than anything, I

don't believe there is a plan for what happens if we leave. Nigel

Farage has said it does not matter if there is a trade deal or not.

That is disastrous for the UK economy. We export half of what we

produce. Half of it to the EU. Half our exploits go there. Coming the

other way, it is 7%. It may be a higher figure financially but we

exported far more than comes back in. What worries me is our export

market would be jeopardised, Welsh lamb would be hit by a double whammy

where it would cost more to sell Welsh lamb on the continent and yet

I sit -- your party wants to trade with New Zealand, which means floods

of New Zealand lamb flooding into Wales. Better, I say, that we don't

have the barriers to export that leaving the European Union would be

put in place, better not to have that and better to have a situation

where we are able to export freely and we are able to get access to

those funds. We will not get those funds and that guaranteed access if

we leave. Lynne Neagle. Will the First Minister outlined how the

Welsh Governance Centre or the development of business in Wales? We

are delivering on a range of actions to develop businesses and help them

prosper. There is no escaping the fact that the outcome of the

referendum next week will have a huge impact on businesses in Wales.

If you just takes jobs growth Wales, a government programme, which with

the support of European Union funds has enabled smaller boy is to take

on people and has helped support more than 15,000 young people into

work over the last few years alone. I'm sure you will have seen

yesterday a letter sent -- signed by ten top business figures in Wales.

It argues the case for Britain to remain in the EU. Would you agree

with me and those leading Welsh business figures that Welsh

businesses are stronger, safer and better off in the European Union? I

would. Half of what we export rose to the EU. You interfere with that

market at your peril. Many of our largest employers are part of a

European operation. That is why access to the European market is

essential for them. They have no incentive to stay in the UK if they

can't access the European market. The market is too small if they

can't access the European market. We are able to export freely at the

moment. We have farmers who are dependent on exports to the EU. It

is absolute crucial that we say, we are a positive, confident country,

we do not need to hide behind walls, we don't need to put our heads in

the sand and a sign of that confidence is being part of

something bigger, ensuring the prosperity of all. Adam Price. One

of the government's aims is to enhance the level of Public

Procurement Bill and Welsh businesses and it is an aim that

Plaid Cymru would agree with. But if that is the case, why has business

Wales cap the number of tender advisers down from 12 or 14 a few

years ago down to Two or three now and what impact is the First

Minister think that will have on the ability of businesses in the public

sector in Wales? We will make sure that a development back is

established and use that structure to strengthen and in harms the

advice that is available to businesses. It is an age-old problem

that regard is accessing pretty woman and accessing capital and we

have worked very hard with businesses to make -- accessing

pretty woman and accessing -- accessing pretty woman. The seven

valley effect was launched nearly two years ago covering the seven

Valley area and I should declare an interest in having an involvement in

the project. It has helped people start and grow businesses in my

constituency. Funding has been supported by the Welsh government

but it is due to come to an end in August and additional funding is

being sought to secure the future of the service. Will you convey --

commit the Welsh government to looking at how the success of this

project can be looked at as a blueprint to help enterprises in

other communities in other parts of Wales and can I also ask that you

join me to visit people who have benefited from this project next

time? If the member will write to me with that invitation I will consider

it. He makes a strong case for the scheme that he has mentioned. We are

always keen to make sure that we look at schemes that have worked

effectively across Wales to see how they can be rolled out across the

rest of the country. Darren Millar. Will the First Minister outlined the

Welsh government's priorities for the NHS. They are set out in our

manifesto. One of the commitments you gave during the election period

was that in 100 days you would consult on whether the Betsy to the

University health board ought to be divided into two or more health

organisations. Have you abandoned that commitment or are we going to

see a proposal come forward? We have not abandoned the commitment to

consult people on the future structure of the health service in

the north. That remains in place. Rhun ap Iorwerth. Among Plaid

Cymru's priorities in this Assembly is pressing for real measures to

tackle recruitment within the health service, as is reflected in the

post-election compact, but will the First Minister acknowledge and agree

with me that in the meantime, the contribution made by health

professionals from the European Union is dealing with the

recruitment problem we have in the health service at present with a

threat to that from the campaign to Leave. The member is right to say

that medicine and nursing is a global market. People travel the

world with the qualifications they have and there are number of nurses

and doctors working in the NHS in Wales from other European Union

countries or they are out with the European Union, for example the

nurses in Bridgend that come from the Philippines. Without those

people, we would not have a health service in Wales or the rest of the

United Kingdom either. It is extremely important that no

obstacles are placed in their way to stop them from coming to Wales or

the rest of the UK, because it will be the patients who suffer. I

received a letter from one of my constituents who is a health worker

who has been working in the NHS for 19 years and he expresses his

concerns about the health board. He says the service is floundering for

lack of strategic direction. He goes on to say the effect of this means

that individuals are now burned out and looking for early retirement.

What is the Welsh government going to do to fix the situation and

deliver the health service that the people of North Wales deserve? The

member's comments would have been fair at one time but I do think they

are thin now. We put the health board into special measures, we know

they have problems. I don't think the comments are correct now. We

have seen significant improvements. The delivery of services in the

area. And rightly so because it was quite clear that the local health

board was not working as it should. It's silly was in communicating with

people as it should. The situation has improved markedly but it is

important to take on board the comments of those who work in the

health service to make sure that every possibility for improvement is

taken. Well the First Minister make a

statement, sorry, will the issue guidance to local councils to act

proportionately when exercising regularity powers? Decoder sex good

practice in our regulatory functions should be exercised. -- the code

sets out. Is he aware of the problems being faced by a union in

North Wales, where having been closed for several months on account

of flooding, or the bank holiday weekend, the landlady decided

because it was sunny to put out tables and chairs for drinkers to go

outside, but unfortunately, a killjoy from the County Council came

around and told her to remove the tables because they were technically

on a highway. This is a prime example of the kind of heavy-handed

actions which local authorities take which discourage business and wealth

creation. I was not aware of. -- of it. He has caught me in terms of the

detail. I will write to him, of course. This is an important issue

to the union and I understand that. I will investigate this issue and

will provide a full answer. First Minister, regulatory services are a

very important service and evaluable key area of local government.

Environment or health, Trading Standards, food safety, public

protection, regulatory housing provisions to name just some. But

much of the new legislation passed in the last term has placed even

more obligations on our departments and there is only 1% of council

spend on average being spent on these services across Wales on an

annual basis. How will you work with the new Cabinet member, Cabinet

Secretary for local government, who I like very much forward to

shadowing over this Assembly term, how will you work with him to ensure

our regulatory departments have the appropriate and adequate funding in

order to keep our constituents actually safe? It will not come as a

surprise when I say I work closer with the Cabinet Secretary for

Finance and Local Government. We will provide an appropriate level of

funding. Will you make a statement on your Government's plan to

increase the number of Welsh speakers in Wales? Ensuring the

Welsh language in Wales prosperous remains a priority and we will

continue to set out the priorities and focus on increasing people's use

of the language. We also want to improve planning and develop things

through technology and increase Welsh language education. Very

pleased to hear that. But your manifesto did set a target of 1

million speakers by 2015 and that is an excellent thing and I

congratulate you on setting such a target. Which means that 34 years

hence, we will have double the number of Welsh speakers that we

have at present. But how are you going to proceed to do that, and

what are the action plans you will be taking, and on what will you be

focusing, what is the timetable for that action? And would you agree

with me that it appears to the public that the political ambition

does not exist, bearing in mind that you have now moved the Welsh

language out of the Cabinet. The Minister with responsibility for the

Welsh language, and I do not doubt his commitment and passion for the

language, but he is not essentially part of the Cabinet by now, so one

could be rather sceptical or doubtful about this ambition by now.

Do you agree with that? How will you progress matters and how can you

convince me that the Welsh language is a priority of this,? The Welsh

language is a priority for me as one who comes from an entirely Welsh

speaking family and has children attending a Welsh school. So this is

something that is prospering across government although there is a

minister with individual responsibility for the language,

there will be a full statement during Eisteddfod week on the

details of how we will progress in this area but we need to make sure

there is more Welsh language education available. In some parts

of Wales, it is difficult to access Welsh reading skills, particularly

Welsh medium comprehensives, which are occasionally a long way from

where people live. That is why there are plans in place to ensure that

changes and to ensure the new National centre, which will assist

Welsh line which were adults to prosper, does work effectively.

There will be a full statement during August. Will the First

Minister join me in wishing the language centre in my constituency

that is just launch -- has been launched, and will he agree it is a

basic aim of the languages that are in to develop through the medium of

Welsh? -- for businesses to develop through the medium of Welsh? I very

much welcome the development of the centre. Of course, the Swansea

Valley is an area which has gone from being a majority of Welsh

speakers to an area where the Welsh language tends to be spoken at the

top of the Valley, which has happened in a period of 30 years and

that is a serious decline. It is important to ensure the Welsh

language is viable beyond that area, further afield, in order to ensure

the Welsh heritage of the area is revitalised. According to the

language use survey of 2013 and 2015 that was commissioned by your last

Government, it has demonstrated that only about 50% of the people asked

in Camara venture, in Cardiganshire, were supportive of the language.

What is your Government intent to do to ensure that businesses are given

greater support to promote the Welsh language? The pilot project is

taking place so that businesses do not feel it is too difficult to

ensure the Welsh language service is provided. And also to demonstrate

this is something which will be commercially beneficial so they can

provide services to those who wish to use the Welsh language, or those

who feel it is important that service should be available, so we

will consider the outcomes of a project to see how we can ensure

that businesses see the commercial benefits of using the Welsh language

within their own businesses. Finally, question nine. Could we

have an update on the implementation of childcare support for working

parents? We are committed to offering 30 hours of free childcare

to three at four-year-old working parents. The most generous offer in

the UK. The delivery plan will be put in place shortly. I welcome your

commitment to working parents. It is a huge issue for my constituents.

Whilst it is fantastic we are offering the most ambitious

childcare support in the UK, it is important it works for the lives of

working parents today. What assurances can you give a child

carer support will be flexible and its delivery will take into account

and look at the needs of working parents? One thing I have to say is

the intention is not to displace existing childcare providers. It

will help them because it will mean they have a greater source of income

than is the case now and in many parts of Wales, the provision for

childcare is nonexistent. So we will have to stimulate the childcare

provision in many parts of Wales. For many parents, three and four

years old, that is when people are looking to go back to work so that

is the time it is most expensive to get access to childcare. Thank you

for increasing the provision you referred to for working families are

something which should be welcomed. But you will be aware it would be

desirable to expound the provision to all families, because that would

create opportunities for parents who currently are not working to return

to the workplace. What consideration will you give to extending their

provision? We have asked a company to look at this to see what is the

best way of delivering this. According to their evidence, the

most effective way would be to target working people, because of

the fact that people who do not work at present have informal networks to

assist them with childcare. What we want to ensure is that we encourage

people back into the labour market so then they will get free

childcare. That is the principle behind the scheme as it stands. In

England, there is already an entitlement for 15 hours of

childcare each and every week, versus the entitlement to just ten

hours in Wales. Some local authorities are providing more than

that but it is not something which is across the board. Given there is

already a second rate deal for parents here in Wales, can I ask you

for a clear timetable by which you expect to be able to transition to

this 30 hours and can we see an immediate jump to the 15 hours so at

least we have a level plain field between England and Wales? Us all

the commitment was made by his party in the election. We were clear what

we were offering to working parents and it was reflected in the respect

of the results for the parties, I would argue. We will roll this out

as what was our main pledge of our five first pledges as soon as we

can. There we are, that was

First Minister's Questions. If you want more coverage

of the National Assembly, you can head online to

BBC Wales' Senedd Live page at And before I go, there is just time

to mention a special BBC Wales EU debate that will be taking place

in Swansea later this week, That's the BBC Wales EU debate,

this Friday at nine o'clock. As for am.pm though, from all of us

on the programme, goodbye.