Browse content similar to 15/03/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Good afternoon, welcome to the final AM.PM of this series. | :00:23. | :00:25. | |
Today is the last chance for AMs to question the First Minister | :00:26. | :00:28. | |
before the current Assembly comes to an end, ahead of May's elections. | :00:29. | :00:31. | |
Today is the 159th First Minister's questions session of this fourth | :00:32. | :00:36. | |
Assembly - well over 1,000 questions will have been answered by Carwyn | :00:37. | :00:40. | |
And from the Order Paper today I can see there are questions listed | :00:41. | :00:44. | |
on educational standards, mental health and apprenticeships. | :00:45. | :00:47. | |
The opposition party leaders will also have their final chance | :00:48. | :00:50. | |
before the election to pose their questions to Carwyn Jones. | :00:51. | :00:52. | |
Don't forget you can Follow all the latest on Welsh politics | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
on our Twitter feed - we're @walespolitics. | :00:58. | :01:00. | |
Well, business in the chamber is already underway, | :01:01. | :01:02. | |
so let's take a look now at the final First Minister's Questions | :01:03. | :01:04. | |
Good afternoon, National Assembly for Wales is in session and the | :01:05. | :01:19. | |
first item this afternoon, questions the First Minister. Question one is | :01:20. | :01:24. | |
Kirsty Williams. Thank you. Will the First Minister make a statement on | :01:25. | :01:28. | |
educational standards in Brecon and Radnorshire? Education standards in | :01:29. | :01:32. | |
the area in common with standards in Wales as a whole present an | :01:33. | :01:40. | |
improving picture, this includes national and local area. Can I thank | :01:41. | :01:49. | |
the firm for that answer. On many occasions you have said that schools | :01:50. | :01:56. | |
are are providing a good standard of education should not be closed. As | :01:57. | :02:00. | |
you have said there are improvements in standards of education in Brecon | :02:01. | :02:03. | |
and Radnorshire, therefore will you I degree with me that Powys's County | :02:04. | :02:09. | |
Council ill conceived planned to close a National Union of | :02:10. | :02:12. | |
Mineworkers ber of Primary Schools and close some of our High Schools | :02:13. | :02:20. | |
will be, will do nothing to improve the educational attainment levels. I | :02:21. | :02:23. | |
have no constituents have written to you and are looking to the Welsh | :02:24. | :02:26. | |
Government to intervene, if possible, what can you say to those | :02:27. | :02:32. | |
parents who have written to you, concerned that rather than improving | :02:33. | :02:37. | |
educational standards the plans make things worse? . As the member I | :02:38. | :02:41. | |
knows, these are matters for the local authority. As she also knows | :02:42. | :02:47. | |
Welsh minister have a role in certain circumstances so I can't | :02:48. | :02:51. | |
comment on any plans that may be referred to Welsh minister, I know | :02:52. | :02:57. | |
she has expressed the concerns of her constituents, I have expressed | :02:58. | :03:01. | |
the view many times I hope that the LA would take those into account. If | :03:02. | :03:06. | |
the matter is referred to Welsh minister, then these are issues that | :03:07. | :03:14. | |
will be taken into account. First Minister the quality of | :03:15. | :03:19. | |
standards, education standard in Brecon and Radnorshire depend dent | :03:20. | :03:23. | |
on the amount of education funding that is available. On the 17th | :03:24. | :03:27. | |
November 2010, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives when asked how | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
much they would cut e. On the 17th November 2010, the leader of the | :03:32. | :03:33. | |
Welsh Conservatives when asked how much they would cut the education | :03:34. | :03:36. | |
budget by said "It is about 20%." In the light of the refusal of the | :03:37. | :03:41. | |
current leader of the Welsh Conservatives to commit to | :03:42. | :03:45. | |
protecting the education budget we can only assume they would cut it by | :03:46. | :03:52. | |
20% if they were to be in power. What would be the implications if | :03:53. | :03:57. | |
the Tories were to be legislated to power. There will be, it would have | :03:58. | :04:03. | |
a detrimental effect as it would have if Wales, including the | :04:04. | :04:07. | |
constituencies we represent. It would mean for instance 5,000 fewer | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
teacher, it would mean fewer resources for schools and it would | :04:13. | :04:16. | |
mean thatle zoos would not be built in the future. We have confirmation | :04:17. | :04:21. | |
over this that the Leader of the Opposition said he would not protect | :04:22. | :04:27. | |
education spending. In accordance with the members | :04:28. | :04:32. | |
register of interest I should declare I am a member of Powys | :04:33. | :04:36. | |
County Council, governor and former head boy of one of the schools that | :04:37. | :04:45. | |
is threatened with closure. First Minister, I am aware of the current | :04:46. | :04:52. | |
concern in Brecon and Radnorshire round the school reorganise nation | :04:53. | :04:55. | |
proposals. One issue raised by concerned members of the community | :04:56. | :04:59. | |
is the perceived remoteness of cabinet decision making, this is | :05:00. | :05:06. | |
mirrored elsewhere in my region in Pembrokeshire with, that are coming | :05:07. | :05:11. | |
for wad. I would serve greatly the cause of transparency if the leaders | :05:12. | :05:15. | |
faced with such decisions were to desist from the practice of holding | :05:16. | :05:21. | |
informal, unminuted cabinet meetings ahead of formal business session, so | :05:22. | :05:26. | |
as to give communities greater confidence at the transparency of | :05:27. | :05:30. | |
the decisions that are arrived at. I think it is crucial, it is important | :05:31. | :05:35. | |
that where people see decisions is being made, even if they disagree | :05:36. | :05:39. | |
with them, they understand how the decisions came about, and the | :05:40. | :05:43. | |
reasoning behind those decisions. I am not aware of what process was | :05:44. | :05:49. | |
followed in Powys on this occasion but I am aware, as the member | :05:50. | :05:53. | |
pointed out, and the leader of the Liberal Democrat, that this is a | :05:54. | :05:58. | |
particularly controversial issue in Brecon and add nor. What plans does | :05:59. | :06:03. | |
the Welsh Government have to improve mental Health Services in South | :06:04. | :06:07. | |
Wales? One of the Government's priorities is to improve the mental | :06:08. | :06:10. | |
health and wellbeing of people across Wales. Services have been | :06:11. | :06:14. | |
improved through increased funding within the ring-fence every year | :06:15. | :06:17. | |
throughout this assembly term, with over ?15 million of additional | :06:18. | :06:22. | |
funding this year. I thank hem for that response. I am | :06:23. | :06:26. | |
sure he is aware a hospital is closing its doors at the end of this | :06:27. | :06:32. | |
month after 108 years providing mental Health Services for Cardiff | :06:33. | :06:36. | |
and the surrounding area, so it is the end of an era. Does the First | :06:37. | :06:42. | |
Minister agree that the new mental Health Service, the building | :06:43. | :06:45. | |
provided are outstanding, but will he acknowledge the good work that | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
has been down in Whitchurch by the staff over many years for people | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
with mental health problems? I am more than happy to join the member | :06:54. | :06:59. | |
in the praise she has for the staff, present and past who have served the | :07:00. | :07:05. | |
city of Cardiff since 1908. It is time to ensure the facilities we | :07:06. | :07:09. | |
provide are state-of-the-art, that is why of course we see the | :07:10. | :07:16. | |
investment in the new hospital. And of course, it is a facility that | :07:17. | :07:23. | |
will provide the best level of care possible for those who require | :07:24. | :07:27. | |
assistance with their mental health. Thank you very much. Minister, | :07:28. | :07:33. | |
mental Health Services obviously need to evolves as practise and | :07:34. | :07:36. | |
knowledge change, I am concerned that vulnerable people are being | :07:37. | :07:39. | |
caught between understaffed resources and policy changes. | :07:40. | :07:44. | |
Whether it is people with severe and enduring mental Health Services like | :07:45. | :07:47. | |
two of my constituent, one who has to go to a hospital to be in a | :07:48. | :07:52. | |
hospital 200 miles away from that person's home and another 150 miles | :07:53. | :07:56. | |
away or whether it is people like the avenue centre who have severe | :07:57. | :08:02. | |
mental and physical disabilities. The concern that is echoed to me by | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
mental health professionals and the families of people of these kind of | :08:08. | :08:12. | |
people, is they don't believe the services are being holistic enough. | :08:13. | :08:16. | |
It would appear people are being bent to fit the new policies that | :08:17. | :08:21. | |
come through, rather than those policies being adapted to suit their | :08:22. | :08:24. | |
particular vulnerable requirements. What can your Government do ensure | :08:25. | :08:28. | |
through is speedy and effective changes to ensure that some of these | :08:29. | :08:33. | |
more vulnerable people do have tailor packages that best suit them | :08:34. | :08:38. | |
and their families. Well, we of course have increased the budget | :08:39. | :08:41. | |
foremental Health Service, the total spend this year is 600 million up | :08:42. | :08:47. | |
from 510 million and the member will be aware of additional 7.65 million | :08:48. | :08:57. | |
a year to improve and develop childhood mental Health Service, | :08:58. | :09:00. | |
that is a 17% increase. We have announced funding for older people. | :09:01. | :09:04. | |
That is a substantial injection of resources and we would expect the | :09:05. | :09:08. | |
service to wrap round the individual, rather as she has | :09:09. | :09:11. | |
pointed out, for the individual to be made to fit the service. That is | :09:12. | :09:18. | |
not the sort of service would would see provided. We expect it to be as | :09:19. | :09:25. | |
tailored as far as possible to the individual. I was... Debate held | :09:26. | :09:31. | |
last week, however, there was no specific commitment to improving | :09:32. | :09:34. | |
support service and advice and information for families. I wonder, | :09:35. | :09:38. | |
given how important it is, would you look at making that commitment, look | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
at best practise across the UK and assess the support available for | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
people who are either caring for someone with mental ill health or | :09:48. | :09:50. | |
they are concerned about someone in their family who is showing signs of | :09:51. | :09:53. | |
mental distress but they don't know where to go to for help or support. | :09:54. | :09:58. | |
Well, this is one of the reasons, of course, why we have increased the | :09:59. | :10:06. | |
funding for Cahms, we know there has been a great deal of demand for the | :10:07. | :10:12. | |
service. For many parents who have adolescent children who are | :10:13. | :10:14. | |
displaying signs that are difficult for parents to control, that that is | :10:15. | :10:17. | |
the place they will get referred to and in terms of the money we have | :10:18. | :10:23. | |
provided for that service, that money will for example, 2.7 million | :10:24. | :10:27. | |
will go to improving their ability to respond out of hours and at times | :10:28. | :10:32. | |
of crisis. What is crucial that where late in evening, perhaps, | :10:33. | :10:35. | |
there is an issue that a career or parent can't deal with it, that | :10:36. | :10:41. | |
support is available, at a time that is needed for the individual, for | :10:42. | :10:45. | |
the child or young person or for the career or parent. In that way the | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
support for families, both within hours and out of hours is improved. | :10:50. | :10:55. | |
We move to questions from the party leaders, first the Leader of the | :10:56. | :10:58. | |
Opposition Andrew RT Davies. Thank you. First Minister, last week I | :10:59. | :11:03. | |
asked you about the M4 relief road and you said that yes, it was a | :11:04. | :11:07. | |
commitment of yours to build the M4 relief road. Last week we had a | :11:08. | :11:12. | |
report that came out that clearly indicated there had been a | :11:13. | :11:16. | |
considerable up lift in the cost of building such a road, especially the | :11:17. | :11:21. | |
black road identified as this Government's preferred option. Can | :11:22. | :11:27. | |
you ex whine explain why crusade it would be built for less than 1 | :11:28. | :11:34. | |
billion and now a report indicates the build ?1.1 billion. We intend to | :11:35. | :11:40. | |
squeeze of course as far as possible that figure. There has been a change | :11:41. | :11:48. | |
of the eastern end of the proposal, where a, an enhanced scrubbingion at | :11:49. | :11:54. | |
the M 48 is going to be remodelled. That has increased the cost by ?60 | :11:55. | :11:58. | |
million. There is the inclusion of an | :11:59. | :12:03. | |
additional cycle bridge over the proposed motorway to facile they the | :12:04. | :12:07. | |
Newport to Cardiff supercycle way, as well as work on the rain tunnel. | :12:08. | :12:12. | |
So these are issues that have arisen during the course of the scheme. Our | :12:13. | :12:17. | |
perspective we wish to see a relief road being built. I is true to say | :12:18. | :12:22. | |
our preferred route is the black route, we are willing to examine | :12:23. | :12:27. | |
other option, thus far it is difficult to's how they can be as | :12:28. | :12:31. | |
effective as the black root. There is a process that will need to be | :12:32. | :12:35. | |
followed, but what is true is the problem will not go away. It's a | :12:36. | :12:39. | |
major problem, we look at hosting large events, it is an issue that is | :12:40. | :12:45. | |
raised with us, and we are in the same position of wanting to see a | :12:46. | :12:50. | |
relief road being built. Thank you for your answer. Many people will be | :12:51. | :12:54. | |
concerned by the considerable extent of the numbers being talked about | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
and the sudden ?300 million difference between figures bandied | :13:00. | :13:04. | |
round by yourself and now this report confirming a ?1.1 billion | :13:05. | :13:11. | |
price tag to it. One thing is clear, the situation round Newport cannot | :13:12. | :13:14. | |
continue. There is a desperate need for a relief road. Do you agree we | :13:15. | :13:21. | |
many it will be incumbent on which ever Government is formed here to | :13:22. | :13:23. | |
have as part of its transport ever Government is formed here to | :13:24. | :13:29. | |
strategy the delivery of the M4 relief road within its term | :13:30. | :13:31. | |
strategy the delivery of the M4 office? I agree. | :13:32. | :13:33. | |
strategy the delivery of the M4 I know those who advocate the blue | :13:34. | :13:45. | |
route. The difficulty with that is it a dual carriage way not a three | :13:46. | :13:53. | |
lane motorway. Secondly it affects 4,000 host house, some would have to | :13:54. | :13:57. | |
be demolished. There no easy way to resolve the problem, but we do know | :13:58. | :14:05. | |
the problem needs to be resolved. As this is the last First Minister's | :14:06. | :14:08. | |
questions that myself and the First Minister will engage with, before | :14:09. | :14:11. | |
the ebbing will shun, just like to pay tribute to the retiring members | :14:12. | :14:15. | |
who are standing down from the assembly, from all the parties here, | :14:16. | :14:19. | |
while we might have the political theatre within this chamber, I am | :14:20. | :14:23. | |
sure you will agree with me, that everyone does go into public life | :14:24. | :14:30. | |
with the best intention, whatever political affiliation they have, | :14:31. | :14:31. | |
they try and endeavour for political affiliation they have, | :14:32. | :16:26. | |
to echo the comments of leader of the Conservatives in wishing the | :16:27. | :16:30. | |
retiring members well. Especially the members of my group. I do wish | :16:31. | :16:35. | |
all of you well. First Minister, when you were elected as Labour | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
leader seven years ago, you said, I want to be the leader for the whole | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
of Wales to win back Wales, Welsh Labour has to listen and it has to | :16:45. | :16:49. | |
learn. What has been the biggest lesson that you have learned in | :16:50. | :16:55. | |
seven years as First Minister? The lesson you soon learn as a minister | :16:56. | :16:59. | |
is things can't be done as quickly as you would want. She asks, I | :17:00. | :17:05. | |
wondered whether this question would come, back in 2011 it took longer | :17:06. | :17:10. | |
than we would have expected to start the legislative programme. It was a | :17:11. | :17:17. | |
bigger undertaking than was realised. Since then those issues | :17:18. | :17:21. | |
have been resolved and the Assembly has certainly risen to the task of | :17:22. | :17:26. | |
producing sound legislation that has been well scrutinised and 24 acts in | :17:27. | :17:30. | |
that time. That is a significant achievement in a short space of | :17:31. | :17:34. | |
time. Yes, I think it was difficult at the beginning in 2011 to get the | :17:35. | :17:38. | |
legislative programming up and running. So you haven't learned any | :17:39. | :17:46. | |
lessons about growing NHS waiting lists or deteriorating international | :17:47. | :17:50. | |
standing in terms of education or economic stagnation? First Minister, | :17:51. | :17:58. | |
among the many... Comments and feedback that I get from people | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
regarding these sessions, is that you are regularly evasive, that you | :18:04. | :18:14. | |
avoid... Order. That you avoid answering the question and you | :18:15. | :18:18. | |
rarely engage. Given this is the final question session of term, do | :18:19. | :18:24. | |
you regret not being more engaged in these sessions? And do you regret | :18:25. | :18:32. | |
not showing real leadership for this country. The leader of Plaid Cymru | :18:33. | :18:44. | |
make it sound as if I stand here silently. She may not like the | :18:45. | :18:51. | |
answers, we have seen waiting lists coming down, our best GCSE results | :18:52. | :18:57. | |
ever, excellent results at A-level and new schools being built. 150 | :18:58. | :19:01. | |
schools built or planned to be built. We see in further education | :19:02. | :19:08. | |
the education may not nabs allowance -- maintenance allowance has been | :19:09. | :19:13. | |
maintained. Our students are not subjected to extra debt as in | :19:14. | :19:21. | |
England. Our unemployment is lower than London, Scotland and Northern | :19:22. | :19:25. | |
Ireland. That is a significant achievement we have brought jobs | :19:26. | :19:32. | |
into Wales. Aston Martin and there are more to come. We have never been | :19:33. | :19:36. | |
in such a strong position in terms of bringing in investment to Wales | :19:37. | :19:40. | |
and the only thing and she will agree, the only thing that can | :19:41. | :19:45. | |
jeopardise that is the uncertainty over EU membership. You don't accept | :19:46. | :19:50. | |
there are any problems in this country that you're responsible for | :19:51. | :19:55. | |
you, do you? On the day you were elected leader, you said you wanted | :19:56. | :20:01. | |
to listen and to learn. Six years after you became leader, you | :20:02. | :20:05. | |
launched an engagement exercise, with public meeting to listen to | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
people and to learn. Now, I wonder does that mean you spent the first | :20:10. | :20:15. | |
six years neither listening to people or learning? As the sun sets | :20:16. | :20:23. | |
on your government and the fourth Assembly, are you prepared to admit | :20:24. | :20:28. | |
this isn't as good as it gets for our country and will you accept that | :20:29. | :20:33. | |
now is the time for Wales to have a First Minister who will answer | :20:34. | :20:40. | |
questions. Who will engage and who will treat these scrutiny sessions | :20:41. | :20:44. | |
and the Welsh public with the respect they deserve? Well, I | :20:45. | :20:50. | |
mean... I will let other people judge the contrast between the | :20:51. | :20:52. | |
leader of the opposition and the leader of Plaid Cymru. She makes the | :20:53. | :20:57. | |
point it is the last FMQs and she wishes to be seen as an alternative | :20:58. | :21:01. | |
First Minister. The points I make to her are these, I don't believe the | :21:02. | :21:05. | |
answer to the challenges in the health service is a giant health | :21:06. | :21:09. | |
quango based in Cardiff. I don't think that will go down well in the | :21:10. | :21:15. | |
west and the North. A quango that would be so big that it would be | :21:16. | :21:18. | |
almost as big as the government itself. I think that is an | :21:19. | :21:24. | |
abdication of responsibility. The answer to the economic development, | :21:25. | :21:31. | |
despite the success we have had it to reintroduce the WDA and go back | :21:32. | :21:39. | |
to the day of some imagined Nirvana when the WDA was doing better. Their | :21:40. | :21:46. | |
proposals usually involve setting up a giant committee. That is an | :21:47. | :21:50. | |
evasion of responsibility. You can't set up, you can't give away economic | :21:51. | :21:56. | |
development and health and expect to be held accountable as a government. | :21:57. | :22:00. | |
We have had the greatest success, we have had for 30 years in economic | :22:01. | :22:04. | |
development. Because the team we have in place is superb. We were sbg | :22:05. | :22:10. | |
Cesc in -- successful in getting Aston Martin, because as they said, | :22:11. | :22:17. | |
because of our passion and professional. We can't unpick that | :22:18. | :22:26. | |
and set up an agency that would take attention from attracting inward | :22:27. | :22:31. | |
investment. I don't think the idea of a health quango based in Cardiff | :22:32. | :22:39. | |
goes down well. Now the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty | :22:40. | :22:45. | |
Williams. Could I begin by thanking you Presiding Officer for the | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
decades of public service you have given to country, especially in your | :22:51. | :22:54. | |
role as Presiding Officer and wish you well in your future endeavours | :22:55. | :23:02. | |
and could I extend those good wishes to all Assembly members retiring, | :23:03. | :23:08. | |
especially the class of 99 and colleagues who embarked upon the | :23:09. | :23:13. | |
devolution journey. Could I wish them well. First Minister, could I | :23:14. | :23:19. | |
thank you for personal kindness you have always shown me. You have said | :23:20. | :23:30. | |
you have dealt with 2,000 FMFs. You have given precious few answers in | :23:31. | :23:39. | |
that time. But I have greatly enjoyed the encounters across the | :23:40. | :23:47. | |
chamber mostly. So if I can turn to my questions. You promised to make | :23:48. | :23:52. | |
surgeries more accessible to working people, so they could access local | :23:53. | :23:56. | |
GP services in the evenings and Saturdays. The result of the survey | :23:57. | :24:01. | |
I have carried out among GPs says 77% say your policy has failed to | :24:02. | :24:06. | |
improve opening hours and it has not worked and your own survey by your | :24:07. | :24:11. | |
own government demonstrated 40% of people say it is difficult to find, | :24:12. | :24:16. | |
to get a GP appointment. Given that was your No 1 health commitment, why | :24:17. | :24:21. | |
do you feel that GP peoples that you haven't achieved it? Well, I mean, | :24:22. | :24:26. | |
the leader of the Liberal Democrats will forgive me for being sceptical | :24:27. | :24:29. | |
about Liberal Democrat surveys. There are many of us in this chamber | :24:30. | :24:34. | |
who have experience of seeing leaflets that show that the Liberal | :24:35. | :24:39. | |
Democrats are about to take our own seats or council seats and she will | :24:40. | :24:42. | |
know we have had some sport over that issue over the years. Without | :24:43. | :24:48. | |
having seen the survey, or indeed understood how many people responded | :24:49. | :24:51. | |
to it, and clearly I can't comment on it. But bear in mind any | :24:52. | :24:57. | |
scepticism from the beginning. In terms of access to GP appointments, | :24:58. | :25:06. | |
82% of practices are opening from 8 to 6 Monday to Friday. 97% are | :25:07. | :25:14. | |
offering appointments between 5 and 6.30pm. That is the up 20%. 79% | :25:15. | :25:28. | |
offered appoints between 5 and 6pm. Of course, because GPs tend to be | :25:29. | :25:36. | |
independent contractors, and we are reliant on them ensuring they can | :25:37. | :25:40. | |
provide the service they should. But what we have seen is an improvement | :25:41. | :25:45. | |
in GP accessibility in most surgeries in Wales. I'm stung by the | :25:46. | :25:53. | |
First Minister's assertions that you can't trust a Liberal Democrat | :25:54. | :26:02. | |
survey. Absolutely stung. Bar charts maybe, but never a survey. There are | :26:03. | :26:06. | |
those appointments are available, of course they are. But the number of | :26:07. | :26:11. | |
people who want to use those appointments outstrip the number | :26:12. | :26:15. | |
available. That is why 40% of people responding to your government survey | :26:16. | :26:19. | |
say they find it difficult to make an appointment. But just before the | :26:20. | :26:26. | |
last election you said that when the next international education | :26:27. | :26:29. | |
rankings were published, Wales would be further up the listment when they | :26:30. | :26:34. | |
were published it showed Wales was performing the worst for reading and | :26:35. | :26:39. | |
maths and science and you have given up breaking into the top 20 of | :26:40. | :26:43. | |
international nations. Why do you feel you weren't able to meet your | :26:44. | :26:50. | |
pledge with regards to education in Wales that you made at the start of | :26:51. | :27:01. | |
your term in office. We pledged in 2011 that we would apply protection | :27:02. | :27:05. | |
to school spending. We have den that. ?106 million more is | :27:06. | :27:17. | |
available. We introduced the pupil deprivation grant and we have raised | :27:18. | :27:22. | |
the levels of schools that were not performing as we expected them. And | :27:23. | :27:27. | |
we have seen results improving across the board, that makes us | :27:28. | :27:30. | |
suspect the results will improve. We are seeing it with GCSEs and | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
A-levels and we are seeing schools being built across Wales. I was | :27:36. | :27:42. | |
opening a new school and cutting the first sod on the first campus else | :27:43. | :27:47. | |
where. That is the government investing in people. You claimed you | :27:48. | :27:52. | |
needed five more years to complete a decade of delivery. But despite your | :27:53. | :28:01. | |
bluster for all but two quarters of this Assembly, unemployment has been | :28:02. | :28:06. | |
higher than in England, and Scotland and we have the least productive | :28:07. | :28:12. | |
economy and the highest levels of child poverty outside London. If | :28:13. | :28:16. | |
this is what we can expect for the next five years of a Labour | :28:17. | :28:20. | |
government, what hope can there be for those who haven't got a job and | :28:21. | :28:24. | |
whose children are living in poverty. Many of whom have parents | :28:25. | :28:30. | |
in full-time employment, but on wages that can't sus stain that | :28:31. | :28:36. | |
family. There are issues for the UK Government in terms of working | :28:37. | :28:40. | |
families tax credit, that we don't control and other benefits that we | :28:41. | :28:44. | |
don't control and we have deplored what the UK Government has done. | :28:45. | :28:52. | |
They didn't cause the financial crisis, it was reckless lending in | :28:53. | :28:58. | |
the banking sector. We have, she will agree with me on this, we have | :28:59. | :29:04. | |
deplored what has been done there. But we have brought investment into | :29:05. | :29:09. | |
Wales and these are not so jobs as in the 90s that were brought in | :29:10. | :29:15. | |
because people were on low wage would accept low pay. These are high | :29:16. | :29:19. | |
quality, skilled jobs and we want to make sure people have the skills and | :29:20. | :29:24. | |
we have done that through jobs growth Wales and my party has | :29:25. | :29:28. | |
pledged to make sure apprenticeships are able to all ages and of course | :29:29. | :29:34. | |
we have pledged to ensure there are 30 hours of free child care | :29:35. | :29:41. | |
available for working parents. That is a substantial assistance to many | :29:42. | :29:48. | |
working parents and that is the most important way of reducing poverty. | :29:49. | :29:53. | |
Removing hurdles for people who wish to get to work and then ensure they | :29:54. | :29:59. | |
can get to work and thaz rare incomes. Question three, Nick | :30:00. | :30:06. | |
Ramsay. Will the First Minister outline the performance of his | :30:07. | :30:09. | |
delivery units foefr the fourth Assembly term? | :30:10. | :30:19. | |
Can I offer you my God wishes for the future, your advice an guidance | :30:20. | :30:26. | |
has been much appreciated by myself and I know other members in this | :30:27. | :30:29. | |
chamber. First Minister, it is interesting to hear a bit more on | :30:30. | :30:35. | |
the works of the delivery unit, not as shadowy as inspector but it seems | :30:36. | :30:39. | |
to be getting there sometimes. Andrew Davies asked you about the | :30:40. | :30:43. | |
ballooning costs of the M4 black route today. At what point during | :30:44. | :30:47. | |
the development of that road did the delivery unite tell owe that the | :30:48. | :30:54. | |
chosen route would cost in excess of ?1 billion because extra junctions | :30:55. | :30:58. | |
and bridges aside, it has not been that long since you told the chamber | :30:59. | :31:03. | |
the cost would be significantly lower than the 1 billion plus than | :31:04. | :31:09. | |
it appears to be. There are elements of the scheme that have new, | :31:10. | :31:14. | |
particularly regarding the cycle superhigh way, important because it | :31:15. | :31:22. | |
applies with the act. It would be remiss of me not to offer my thanks | :31:23. | :31:26. | |
to the presiding officer. Could o I do that now. I know the chamber has | :31:27. | :31:31. | |
sometimes been unruly, I know the presiding officer has not always had | :31:32. | :31:36. | |
the easiest of tasks, that is the nature of a robust democracy, I have | :31:37. | :31:40. | |
to say to the member, he has to decide whether he is in favour of | :31:41. | :31:43. | |
the relief road north. In this chamber in the past he has given and | :31:44. | :31:51. | |
indication he is sceptical about the need for a relief road. First | :31:52. | :31:56. | |
Minister, it is clear that delivering for the people of Wales | :31:57. | :31:59. | |
has been a key them for your Government during this assembly | :32:00. | :32:03. | |
term, and it was good to see you break the ground for the new | :32:04. | :32:09. | |
Aberdare campus the other week, do you agree this investment will | :32:10. | :32:13. | |
deliver improve access to further education for the people but also | :32:14. | :32:18. | |
make a contribution to helping them realise their potential, which is | :32:19. | :32:22. | |
invaluable, not just for them as individuals but for Wales as a | :32:23. | :32:28. | |
whole? Absolutely. It has been allocated ?11 million towards the | :32:29. | :32:34. | |
scheme. It will provide state-of-the-art facilities for | :32:35. | :32:38. | |
student, remacing the existing buildings which are well past their | :32:39. | :32:43. | |
sell buy date and it is very close to public transport, the railway | :32:44. | :32:48. | |
station, should make it easy for students to travel, to the campus in | :32:49. | :32:52. | |
order to learn there, so, yes, another example of the Welsh | :32:53. | :32:57. | |
Government investing in the future of it. | :32:58. | :33:03. | |
TRANSLATION: The delivery unit is one of the great mysteries of this | :33:04. | :33:08. | |
assembly, First Minister, and it is a source of great sadness for me to | :33:09. | :33:13. | |
have to Leigh this institution without ever understanding exactly | :33:14. | :33:21. | |
what this delivery unit delivers. In best spirit, because you are in high | :33:22. | :33:24. | |
spirits at the end of this term, will you give me a transparent and | :33:25. | :33:32. | |
open answer as to what exactly the delivery unit does? | :33:33. | :33:36. | |
TRANSLATION: Well it implements the governmental programme and that is | :33:37. | :33:40. | |
demonstrated by the evidence, where we have achieved on almost | :33:41. | :33:43. | |
everything in that programme, so that delivery unit was responsible | :33:44. | :33:51. | |
for that. First Minister, how is the Welsh Government supporting | :33:52. | :33:54. | |
apprentice, as a key element in tackling youth unemployment? Well, | :33:55. | :33:59. | |
we recently announced an additional 5 million for apprentices next year, | :34:00. | :34:06. | |
we have of course focussed on growing apprentice numbers for | :34:07. | :34:10. | |
18-year-olds, we have plans post May, if we are given the | :34:11. | :34:14. | |
opportunity, to ensure that the, we create more apprentices for people | :34:15. | :34:20. | |
of all ages. It is an appropriate time to highlight the Welsh | :34:21. | :34:24. | |
Government's success into helping young people into work. It is also | :34:25. | :34:28. | |
appropriate to highlight the work that has been done in Flintshire by | :34:29. | :34:34. | |
Ayr bus and the college, that I are getting young people into | :34:35. | :34:40. | |
apprentice, young people both male and female. A British Gas survey has | :34:41. | :34:49. | |
revealed poor career's advice resulted girls limiting their | :34:50. | :34:53. | |
choices, ruling out apprentice, how will a Welsh Labour Government build | :34:54. | :34:59. | |
on its successes to encourage more young women into taking up | :35:00. | :35:03. | |
apprentices. Equality is a key theme of our work on apprentices. It is | :35:04. | :35:10. | |
why we commissioned a review on barriers to apprentices in 2014. But | :35:11. | :35:21. | |
she mentioned a good examples of, in not, not in her constituency but not | :35:22. | :35:27. | |
far away, where the project has two all girl cohorts, they have given | :35:28. | :35:30. | |
stunt students the opportunity to take part in an industrial | :35:31. | :35:35. | |
engineering project, and that helps to ensure that young girls of that | :35:36. | :35:39. | |
age get the opportunity to see what the job entails, and they will of | :35:40. | :35:45. | |
course then use that experience to make decisions in future for | :35:46. | :35:50. | |
themselves. Hugely important that careers are seen as open to both | :35:51. | :35:54. | |
sex, we understand that and it is through schemes like the industrial | :35:55. | :35:58. | |
cadet scheme and others such as the Ford Saturday club at Bridgend that | :35:59. | :36:03. | |
ensure that what has historically been a weakness, young women going | :36:04. | :36:07. | |
into engineering is addressed through practical experience. | :36:08. | :36:12. | |
Thank you. First Minister, over the past ten year, under your Government | :36:13. | :36:17. | |
Wales has fallen 14 places against other nations, in standards of | :36:18. | :36:21. | |
science, fallen behind nine places in maths and 11 places in reading. | :36:22. | :36:27. | |
More than 30% of 15-16-year-olds have not reached the levels of | :36:28. | :36:31. | |
literacy and numeracy that does allow them to communicate and | :36:32. | :36:35. | |
operate in the workplace, that is according to the figure, one could | :36:36. | :36:39. | |
say that your programme for Government has failed over the past | :36:40. | :36:44. | |
FIA years, this of course leads to disengagement with the education | :36:45. | :36:49. | |
system of young people, a Welsh Conservative Government would see | :36:50. | :36:52. | |
the introduction of, I don't know why you are looking puzzles. -- | :36:53. | :36:59. | |
puzzled. A Welsh Conservative Government. It would foster | :37:00. | :37:07. | |
apprenticeships that lead to sustainable jobs, will you support | :37:08. | :37:19. | |
our policy? The member will have to forgive me scepticism, because | :37:20. | :37:24. | |
slepts a party that got rid of the Future Jobs Fund and removed one of | :37:25. | :37:28. | |
the most important schemes for assisting young people into work | :37:29. | :37:32. | |
that existed, which is why of course we introduced jobs growth Wales, the | :37:33. | :37:37. | |
most successful scheme for creating opportunities for young people, I | :37:38. | :37:41. | |
would argue in Europe, it is why we will build on that ensure there are | :37:42. | :37:45. | |
opportunities available for all age, what she doesn't explain is her | :37:46. | :37:54. | |
leader said that he would only protect one budget, he would not | :37:55. | :37:57. | |
protect the budget foreapprentices, on that basis, what the member is | :37:58. | :38:01. | |
suggesting is there will be a new scheme in place but with no money. | :38:02. | :38:05. | |
We will make sure that what we are planning to do there are | :38:06. | :38:09. | |
opportunities available for all and given the track record, of the | :38:10. | :38:13. | |
Conservatives with their cutting the Future Jobs Fund, the cutting | :38:14. | :38:16. | |
support for those who want education, the cutting of the | :38:17. | :38:19. | |
education maintenance allowing, ensuring that students have to pay | :38:20. | :38:25. | |
more in England, the answer to her question no, we don't agree because | :38:26. | :38:31. | |
their track record is appalling. I am being very generous today. | :38:32. | :38:39. | |
Don't tempt me. TRANSLATION: Thank you, it was a | :38:40. | :38:43. | |
pleasure to meet with David Jones last week, who started an | :38:44. | :38:48. | |
apprenticeship as a fitter in the echo park in Holyhead, he is looking | :38:49. | :38:54. | |
forward to developing his career an accuse near, it is important that | :38:55. | :39:01. | |
companies are attracted into apprenticeship programme, but it is | :39:02. | :39:03. | |
just as important that young people do become aware of the opportunities | :39:04. | :39:07. | |
available to them, through apprenticeships. Will the First | :39:08. | :39:13. | |
Minister therefore acknowledge the damage that is being done in terms | :39:14. | :39:21. | |
offer couraging apprenticeship, apprentices to undertake | :39:22. | :39:23. | |
apprenticeships by cutting the career Wales budget by over 50%, in | :39:24. | :39:27. | |
the time of this Government. Unless they get the right advice, in the | :39:28. | :39:32. | |
right place at the right time, young people aren't go, the pathways | :39:33. | :39:37. | |
available to them. There is no shortage of young people who wish to | :39:38. | :39:42. | |
go for an apprenticeship. We have seen that in a number of areas of | :39:43. | :39:49. | |
Wales, there is no problem with the number of people applying for | :39:50. | :39:53. | |
apprenticeships, if we look at schemes such as jobs growth Wales, | :39:54. | :39:58. | |
it has been very successful. 80% of young people have had the | :39:59. | :40:02. | |
opportunity to go on to further education or into employment. That | :40:03. | :40:07. | |
shows that what we have been doing is very successful and our intention | :40:08. | :40:11. | |
is to ensure this will be enhanced to May to those of all ages. | :40:12. | :40:17. | |
Will the First Minister make a statement on the availability of | :40:18. | :40:19. | |
school places in Cardiff? That would be a matter of course for the | :40:20. | :40:24. | |
Cardiff LEA. Thank you for that answer, such as | :40:25. | :40:29. | |
it was. I must declare an interest in my own son is affected in this | :40:30. | :40:33. | |
situation. You will by a wear, First Minister of the chaos in Cardiff | :40:34. | :40:39. | |
with the allocation of secondary school place, the east of the city | :40:40. | :40:44. | |
is affected particularly. Two weeks after places were to be confirmed | :40:45. | :40:49. | |
many constituent's childrens don't have a place, and those parents are | :40:50. | :40:53. | |
very anxious, First Minister, will you commit to investigate what has | :40:54. | :40:58. | |
gone wrong in Cardiff, this year, with the allocation of secondary | :40:59. | :41:01. | |
school places and will you be prepared to step in, if the local | :41:02. | :41:05. | |
authority still fails to resolve the situation. The local authority are | :41:06. | :41:08. | |
obliged to provide places for children, they have to do that | :41:09. | :41:13. | |
fairly, there have to be criteria in place, that are transparent for | :41:14. | :41:17. | |
people to understand that admission arrangements are being properly | :41:18. | :41:23. | |
implemented. I know one of the issue surrounds Cardiff high school, and | :41:24. | :41:26. | |
pupils I understand, and this has been raised with me by Jane | :41:27. | :41:32. | |
Rathbone, pupils going from the school not being able to go to | :41:33. | :41:40. | |
Cardiff high. That was a change in the catchment area made by her | :41:41. | :41:45. | |
party. That hasn't helped parents. The change that was made by the | :41:46. | :41:48. | |
Liberal Democrat administration in 2011, which seems to be causing this | :41:49. | :41:57. | |
chaos was, was not, was not fair for particularly for theest residents. | :41:58. | :41:59. | |
You out a strong expectation that | :42:00. | :42:41. | |
parents will be involved in consul location and it is hugely important | :42:42. | :42:45. | |
parents understand what the reasoning is when catchment areaings | :42:46. | :42:49. | |
are drawn up. On top of that when it comes to admission, the council are | :42:50. | :44:12. | |
are drawn up. On top of that when it that education provision is adequate | :44:13. | :44:14. | |
when a new housing estate is built. They have the machinery to do it. It | :44:15. | :44:21. | |
is hugely important they use that. TRANSLATION: Who What is the Welsh | :44:22. | :44:27. | |
Government doing to encourage community groups to participate in | :44:28. | :44:33. | |
the process of listing historical buildings? We expert the historic | :44:34. | :44:41. | |
bill to receive Royal Assent. The act will afford greater protection | :44:42. | :44:47. | |
to historic buildings, we are drafting guidance on creating and | :44:48. | :44:52. | |
managing lists of historic assets, of special local interest and the | :44:53. | :44:56. | |
need to encourage community and trust and involvement from the | :44:57. | :44:59. | |
outset. I am sure you will by a wear of the | :45:00. | :45:07. | |
situation of a place if Wrexham, where the council in giving notice | :45:08. | :45:11. | |
of four days have said that they want to demolish the building | :45:12. | :45:17. | |
contrary to the aspirations of the majority of local | :45:18. | :45:24. | |
Will you make it clear to Wrexham council that there is no retirement | :45:25. | :45:35. | |
to demolish the building while they're applying for a 21st Century | :45:36. | :45:39. | |
grant. That is the explanation they are giving, that they don't have is | :45:40. | :45:44. | |
funds to refurbish the buildings and they want to demolish them to create | :45:45. | :45:48. | |
a new school that would be cheaper. Will you make it clear to Wrexham | :45:49. | :45:53. | |
council that there is no expectation upon them to rush into demolition of | :45:54. | :45:57. | |
this historic building. Well, they don't have to do that. And I have | :45:58. | :46:04. | |
stood outside the school with the Wrexham member and I know this is | :46:05. | :46:09. | |
something which is extremely important to the area and people are | :46:10. | :46:16. | |
unhappy with Wrexham council's decision to demolish the building. | :46:17. | :46:22. | |
But the important point is the council realise they don't have to | :46:23. | :46:28. | |
do this. It is a matter for them. It is not something they should try to | :46:29. | :46:34. | |
blame other people for. Because it is something they desire to do. And | :46:35. | :46:39. | |
it is port that they ex-- important that they explain it to people and | :46:40. | :46:42. | |
not try to put the blame on any other body. Thank you. We know that | :46:43. | :46:52. | |
almost every large nineteenth century buildings are listed and | :46:53. | :46:57. | |
many are derelict or abandoned. I can think of three in my | :46:58. | :47:01. | |
constituency which has only two walls which is still listed. | :47:02. | :47:06. | |
Couldn't get to decide which buildings are important and get the | :47:07. | :47:11. | |
money and the investment to preserve these buildings. I have cop certains | :47:12. | :47:15. | |
that some very important buildings are coming, as the First Minister | :47:16. | :47:22. | |
knows, I have a great interest in chapels of nineteenth century and | :47:23. | :47:27. | |
many have collapsing congregations and isn't it important we try and | :47:28. | :47:33. | |
work out what we can preserve and then get the investment to preserve | :47:34. | :47:41. | |
them. He has a area that has the nonconformist cathedral, but the act | :47:42. | :47:45. | |
itself is there and what we see as a result of the act is guidance that | :47:46. | :47:50. | |
will be created. That will mean there will be management of lists of | :47:51. | :47:55. | |
historic assets and of course communities will need to be engaged | :47:56. | :48:00. | |
from the outset. Communities know best which buildings they wish to | :48:01. | :48:05. | |
preserve, that are of particular value to them. Having that list of | :48:06. | :48:10. | |
historic assets would be useful for communities to understand what | :48:11. | :48:13. | |
assets they have and then of course to move forward, looking to utilise | :48:14. | :48:17. | |
or preserve those assets in the future. First Minister I am sure you | :48:18. | :48:27. | |
will welcome the friends of the tinworks who are visiting from my | :48:28. | :48:33. | |
region. They offer support to staff and particularly famous national | :48:34. | :48:37. | |
trust site which helps them be local voices to promote tourism in the | :48:38. | :48:43. | |
area. The scoping work of the hear Taij bill considered the rule of | :48:44. | :48:51. | |
community groups in taking on where appropriate responsibility for local | :48:52. | :48:57. | |
heritage assets. While this wasn't reflected in the bill, what evidence | :48:58. | :49:03. | |
did the government glean during that that would help community | :49:04. | :49:06. | |
organisations be at the forefront of shaping these local lists? Well I | :49:07. | :49:10. | |
was there two months ago as I am sure they were aware. It was my | :49:11. | :49:15. | |
first visit. I think it was hugely impressive. It is a site I have | :49:16. | :49:22. | |
driven past many times. Coming back to what I said before, community | :49:23. | :49:28. | |
involvement in managing lists of historic assets is important and as | :49:29. | :49:34. | |
I have said now on two occasions, it is important that people are engaged | :49:35. | :49:39. | |
as soon as possible in terms of drawing up those lists and in terms | :49:40. | :49:43. | |
of being able to manage those assets in the future. There we are. | :49:44. | :49:48. | |
There we are, that was the last First Minister's Questions | :49:49. | :49:51. | |
It will come to an end at the end of this week, | :49:52. | :49:54. | |
when most of its members will disperse to the four corners | :49:55. | :49:57. | |
of Wales to seek your votes to be allowed to return. | :49:58. | :50:00. | |
Meantime, if you want more more coverage of the National Assembly | :50:01. | :50:02. | |
you can go online to BBC Wales's Senedd Live | :50:03. | :50:04. | |
But that's it for First Minister's Questions. | :50:05. | :50:12. | |
As for AM.PM, though, from all of us on the programme, goodbye. | :50:13. | :50:39. | |
In the last five years, homelessness across the UK has soared. | :50:40. | :50:42. | |
So this is where you sleep every night? Yes. Hm. | :50:43. | :50:45. | |
As part of BBC1's season of Sport Relief, | :50:46. | :50:47. | |
our four celebrities continue to experience life on the streets. | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
And things are about to get even tougher. | :50:52. | :50:54. |