16/10/2012 am.pm

Good afternoon and welcome to the programme. Coming up, questions to

the First Minister. I will run through in the ways you can get in

touch with us, to comment on anything on the programme or

Businesses already under way in the chamber, so let's catch up with

questions to the First Minister. I the National Assembly of Wales is

now in session. Good afternoon. First Minister, what is the

programme for Government For Wales East and the next few months? It

aims to strengthen the conditions that will enable businesses to

create jobs and sustainable economic growth. Following on from

the recent meeting of Consul for economic renewal, will the First

Minister comment, in particular undertaking it necessary analysis

to determine the export capacity of small and medium-sized businesses?

Does he agree that such a strategy and then marching would provide him

with the required level of details to demonstrate whether the Welsh

Government relationship with UKTI is delivering for Wales? We are

going through a process for a need of representation overseas to make

sure we can maximise our profile What assessment has the First

Minister made of changes in benefits payments? We have shown

some negative effects and further analysis is underway. Thank you for

that response. There are negotiations ongoing between the

Northern Ireland Government and Westminster to make changes to

benefits more flexible in Northern Ireland, to respond to local demand.

Keeping in mind the historic referendum we have reach, what will

you say now about safeguarding benefits for the future? I would

not be in favour of devolving benefits, or what is important is

that the right policies are in place with regard to benefits, not

that benefits should be devolved. Why? Because we're doing a great

deal and money is allocated across the United Kingdom because of the

benefits system. Our group has spent -- been assessing the need to

collect fruits for families that need it. First Minister, would you

agree with me that no matter how humble and know all these emergency

programmes are, they are a damning effect of the current Government's

policy. The food banks are indications of what has happened

over the last two years and a warning to the UK Government that

there needs to be a change of course before they are even more

recipients and need for our food banks. The introduction of a

benefit cap will not affect the disabled or those who are in work

and receiving tax credit. At a rate of �26,000 a year in real terms,

this will be the equivalent of �35,000 before tax. Our recent poll

shows that an opposing these changes, are you saying to this

chamber that your own supporters are wrong? I can say to the people

of Wales, I do not believe it is right that low income families

should be penalised by your Government. Only this morning we

heard that some 2 million people will lose their entitlement to

benefits with regard to their council tax payments. They will be

paying �274 a year more than they are paying now. First Minister, you

know local authorities have the right to issue discretionary

housing payments to help with problems with housing benefit.

Often these a underspent by their local club -- their budgets and

underspent by local councils. What advice would you give to them to

make best use of the money they have available? It is crucial that

they are able to maximise payments. So many people are feeling the

squeeze imposed by the local -- UK Government. I First Minister, there

are reports today from the higher education sector that there are

doubts over to the validity of marking foreign student papers.

What are your thoughts on such allegations that are made today?

far as I'm aware there has been no evidence to support this. There has

been a train of thought in the higher education sector of this

fact is undertaken, with only 11% of the student population coming

from overseas, there has been a perception and now these

allegations have appeared in the press. Do you not believe that

unless these allegations are taken seriously and address, there is a

real issue that the Welsh branded higher education could be devalued,

and therefore there is need to get into this issue and address the

concerns addressed -- raised by students and those involved in the

sector will? It is a UK issuer if there is any such evidence that

supports that we will consider it. One thing that would be helpful

would be the ability for people to see the dissertations made

available across a higher education sector in Wales. Some universities

do do that and that is to be applauded. However, someone has got

some indigestion this afternoon... However... However, it is not

common practice among us all higher education facilities and Wales. We

do not support such a move that those dissertations could be made

available for publican open scrutiny so that these allegations

could be put to rest? If there is any evidence that backs up such

allegations we would support that. We now move to questions from the

leader of Plaid Cymru. First Minister, can you tell us what

progress is being made in preventing the UK Government from

introducing and regional Kaplan benefits? We made clear our

position to any regional Caporn benefits. The shadow works and

Pensions Secretary said at the Labour Party Conference that it

would make much more sense to have a different cap in different parts

of the country. Do you agree with your party's policy to introduce

this cap or not? For I do not agree with their cap. Whilst welfare

decisions are mainly non devolved, all you can do here is mitigates

the decisions that are made. The party of wills would like to see a

network of advice centres set up so we could react to the agenda set by

Westminster. Can you outline what additional support you will be

given to advice then turns -- centre has over their next few

years? We understand that as people become more vulnerable, they will

need more support and more advice and we intend to make sure they get

that. We now move to their leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

national clinical for up, a body set up by a Health Minister to

advise on possible changes to the Health Service had stated that a

relation to plans, those plans has published may not be deliverable

and hospital services will have to close because of a shortage of

doctors. A year ago you'd told me that the answer to this pressing

problem was to launch a campaign that would fill most of those costs.

Can you tell this chamber how that campaign is going? It will take

time to assess a campaign which has been running for a few months. The

difference would wean us and the UK Government is that we have tried to

be proactive with the doctors and Wales. Your Health Minister wrote

to me saying in 2012, January there were 2000 vacancies in Wales. In

June that figure had dropped, but solely to 209 vacancies. At this

rate it would take you 20 years to address the shortage of medics in

Wales. When to you expect your campaign to bear fruit? The first

point is that you talk about than net gain. It would be immensely

helpful if the perception the UK is not a welcome place to come to if

you're not from the UK, it would be helpful if that was not the case.

Any changes to the immigration laws that allow doctors in the past to

come to these countries were changed by the previous Government.

First Minister, the worrying figures have a real impact on

patient care. Patients experienced waiting times because of problems

in recruiting senior medics. That lack of recruitment has led to a

lack of clinical leadership. Five doctors in six months, over 200

vacancies - when will Welsh patients have the doctors in their

hospitals that they need to treat them? We know that this is an issue

that affects the whole of the UK. We have taken steps to address the

issue of recruitment. It is in its early days in terms of analysing

his success. We want to sell wills to doctors as a place to specialise

and enervate, that has been key to what we have been doing as a

Government. I cannot accept this Government, sorry, but the

immigration laws were changed by a previous Government. You cannot

simply say sorry, it was done by a previous Government, there is

nothing we can do. It is time you're Party delivered and

Government. He will the First Minister make a statement on the

progress made in developing the national resources body for Wales?

Yes, the chief executive has been appointed. Staff and stakeholders

have been involved in shipping the body's vision and working. It is

very much on track. Thank you very much for that answer. In the draft

order for the establishment of the resources body, these powers have

been transferred. Given the wider scope of the new body, there is

nothing in the draft which best of buys any limitations to the use of

those powers. Will you clarify this troublesome ambiguity and specify

if your Government intends to limit these surveillance powers to only

those activities that relate to the agency's previous functions or

whether you extend them -- intend to extend them? We would expect

anybody to use their powers reasonably. We want to ensure it

has a sufficient powers ate its disposal to make sure that we have

a vibrant environment but also to ensure economic development can

take place, while ensuring it is What resources will be available in

order to achieve his objectives? are involved in ensuring that when

applications are received, they are dealt with. Resources will be made

available. The objective of the body is to make sure that there is

less duplication and Morse in the vacation of environmental advice. -

- more simplification. Should we not create one natural resource

body otherwise things will be lost? Summer Fisher men have had concerns.

Will he consider giving unique responsibility to the members of

the body to promote specific areas such as fishing? That is an

interesting idea. I will look at that. It is up to every member to

take every aspect of the environment seriously. As a keen

fisherman myself, I understand that we must sit here the Lakes in order

to ensure that we can carry out fishing. -- we must have the Lakes

secured. What about the establishment of a Disability

Commission? We Want To implement the frame of action for independent

living. We think that will deliver positive gains in the future.

government has been keen and quite rightly to establish Commissioners

for all the people, children and recently the Welsh language. Is it

not time to put party politics aside and show a commitment to

having a national voice all citizens, particularly after the

performance of Welsh athletes in the recent Paralympics? Are we

taking more positive action, or not? We have got political dividing

lines on this issue. We will make sure it can be done as quickly as

possible. Engagement has taken place. Groups have been clear that

they want practical action for disabled people living in Wales.

The framework is the next step. What discussions have you and the

Welsh government had with the Department for Welsh -- work and

pensions with regard to a disabled person's ambassador? We welcome the

rights of disabled people and we have had more than a balance in the

other direction. The UK government took the decision to penalise some

of the most vulnerable citizens in society. Sadly, that is

tremendously negative news for many people in factories. Will he

outline how the government plans to look at the police and crime

commissioners? We intend to meet the new commissioners on a

quarterly basis. A meeting has been scheduled for December 3rd. That is

hot off the press. Thank you for that answer. We look forward to

that meeting. In September, South Wales Police announced the closure

of front office desks, including planning, and now there is no front

desk in my constituency. Is there not a role in discussing the cut to

the services with local communities, local government and Welsh

government? Is that part of the Commissioner's role? His job is to

guarantee firstly that there is a broad direction of policy and that

people feel that they had somebody to talk to and people that they can

make representations to the. I can see a role in that. -- to the

individual. And we welcome the role of the police and crime

Commissioner. We congratulate the Government on giving policing to

the people and giving them a clear and accountable representative.

Will he bring forward a formal charter between the Welsh

government, police commissioners and local authorities in Wales,

with a view to working together in co-ordinated fashion to tackle

crime and rehabilitate people lost in the criminal justice system?

There is scope for people to work together and this and other issues

will be raised in the course of the meeting with the minister.

recent decision taken by the police authority team effectively shut

down police stations and establish central facilities to cover large

areas is a matter of concern for my constituents. Taking two police

officers to transport offenders will have a detrimental impact not

just on safety but on tackling anti-social behaviour in the area.

What discussions had he had with the Police Authority? Would you

agree that the problem is the cuts imposed by the coalition

government? We have spoken to the police authority about this. Action

that will be taken. It is right to say that while it is correct that

police officers are far more able to quickly get to the scene of a

crime than police officers on foot, never the less, it would act as a

deterrent, police officers on foot. To remove officers from the front

line in order to transfer suspects to other places clearly would not

assist in dealing with crime on the front line. Good afternoon. Can you

provide an update on your understanding of the situation

between the Welsh government, the UK government and other devolved

administrations? Were have a dispute resolution protocol. That

was recently revised by the joint ministerial committee in September.

Thank you for that answer. You are obviously aware that this deals

with dispute resolutions. I wonder if you can tell us, at any disputes

been formally put to the joint ministerial committee? Either this

government, the Westminster government or any devolved

administrations on any of the issues covered by the current

memorandum? There have been issues referred to the process in the past

year or two. Crew that process, matters can be resolved. Does the

First Minister accept that the process of deciding on any

financial dispute between Wales and the Treasury is problematic because

as the Treasury tends to have an independent system of resolving

disputes? We are discussing this process and it is true to say that

the Treasury is the judge and the jury on issues such as this. It is

more independent but not as independent as we would like it to

be. What is the world government doing to increase the supply of

housing -- the government doing to increase the supply of housing?

are providing 1.2 million this year from the social housing grant to

Denbighshire and funding between 2012 and 2015 to support housing

programmes. That is encouraging. I have been contacted by many

concerned constituents in my area, worried and frightened by the Tory

lead government coalition welfare reform. They are worried that they

will be hit with a bed tax. They are being penalised through no

fault of their own and added to the announcements that young people

cannot apply for housing benefit if they are under 25. Do you agree

that these callous acts provide further evidence that the Tories

are not fit to govern any way? are introducing stringent rules for

working age tenants deemed to be under occupying their homes.

According to statistics, this will impact on 40,000 people in Wales. I

cannot for the life of me understand why people under a

certain age should be penalised by the benefit system. There seems to

be an assumption that some of them live with their parents but what if

they have children in care? What if they come from homes that are

dysfunctional and they have nowhere to go? Surely it will lead to an

increase in homelessness among young people. Last year the Welsh

Cup would supported its 33 people purchasing their houses in the by a

scheme. A scheme has been announced for people to access housing. The

government on another occasion chose not to put money into housing.

Will they all this occasion, now that we have had the announcement,

provide another 16,000 homes for first-time buyers and put the money

this time in that direction, so that 33 can hopefully increase?

difference between delivering something and claiming to deliver

something is where we are at the moment. We have set targets for

affordable homes. And of course we have got a great concern about

people, particularly young people that will be left homeless. Changes

Do we not have homes being forced on a local authorities... May I ask

what the government is doing to insure that as many as possible

people have their local housing needs met? It is extremely

important that happens. It is important that we have a

substantial number of affordable houses but that they are restricted.

There are a number of ways in which affordable houses are the ones that

people want at the moment. It is important to realise that we have

got a shortage of housing in Wales and it is important to offer the

opportunity to give people housing and that they can afford also to

pay, or rent in future. Will he make a statement on the number of

unemployed people in Cardiff? Through the programme for

government we have job creation in Wales and apprenticeships...

appreciate the work being done. I am appalled that one community in

England I have been reading about had just 4% of young people leaving

school in either work, training, or further education. We have not

reached that stage in Wales, happily. But I wonder how we can

galvanise the public, private and voluntary sector across this

country to guarantee that no young person is without a job, training

or education. I commend the work being done by children's charities

working with employers to offer apprenticeships to young people to

enable them to have a chance of getting a job. Can he tell us if

any other such schemes are available to be celebrated?

commend what they are doing and jobs growth in Wales is delivering.

It is on track and will give people the opportunity of a training and

indeed H job. We know that in practical ways such as that, more

young people will have the chance to make a living and that means the

number of unemployed in Wales will drop. Thank you. The central

business district in Cardiff for the Enterprise zone has been eight

key feature. I asked about the government support to Cardiff in

attracting and creating job opportunities. The council's plans

regarding the central business district and the lack of

information on its the Enterprise then is a problem. Is it a

commitment to develop the central business district and further that

support, or is it the case that the Enterprise zone is the

encapsulating body that will deliver the aspirations of the

government and the council and therefore be central business

district initiative is falling by We will be looking to sort that out.

It will have a heavy gurkhas on financial services industries. --

focus. We will work on this point to insure that major finance

initiatives are sorted out in $:/STARTFEED. The party of Wales

favours apprenticeships that lead to full-time work over schemes that

offer a short periods of work experience that then lead people

back to square one. Considering last week's News, and their target

for the Cardiff enterprise zone, a looks like a backward trend is not

going to reverse any time soon. Can you tell us what changes your

Government is going to make to its strategy on unemployment? You have

nearly encapsulated what the Government is doing. On top of that,

we have the all-aged apprenticeship programme. We invested �76 million.

We know that has helped many thousands of people to get

apprenticeships. So why have to agree with what she said, because

she has described what the governments are already doing.

you outline the steps the Welsh Government is taking to help young

people in Wales into employment? would refer to jobs growth Wales as

one way of effectively showing that young people have a chance. It is

encouraging to hear about the job growth wheels programme and how it

is helping young people here in Wales to gain employment. There are

many youngsters benefiting from schemes as well. These are as

diverse as one that I know of running in a school in my

constituency where they have taken on twice school-leaver has into the

work they do and to those that Turlough lot -- running in global

apprenticeship programmes. Can I ask that we continue to endeavour

to do the best we can as a Government to encourage more

businesses to take part in apprenticeship schemes and to give

more young people hope for the future? Absolutely. What young

people need is opportunity. They need skills and ultimately they

need jobs. We have been encouraged that the level of engagement we

have had from the private sector, in terms of the programme. There

are many businesses out there who want to offer apprenticeships but

find themselves in a position where they cannot do it themselves. That

is why these schemes are so important. Do you agree that one of

the most important assets very young person in finding employment

our core skills and numeracy and literacy - that is the foundation

that employers build on on on-the- job training. Can you explain why

their GCSE grades achieved in core subjects by the poorest students in

Wales have been less than half the rate of their other classmates? And

then under five years of Labour administrations, that gap has

widened? The criticism would carry more weight if it did not come from

a party that did not support the regrading. We supported the view

that there should be fairness were Welsh students. But the

Conservative Party decided it would take the side of Michael Gove

instead. An important consideration for helping some young people into

work is the availability of affordable childcare. What he

joined me end congratulating a group which have managed to

overturn a decision to close their nursery and save 35 jobs and a

places for up 135 children. Can I thank him for helping us in

achieving this. The point has to be made that were Government

encourages people to stay and work, it is important that the facilities

are in place to remove any obstacles there may be to allow

them to stay in work. I am glad that the decision has been

overturned. Will the First Minister make a statement regarding the mid-

Wales Connection project? decisions are the responsibility of

UK Government Ministers. As you will appreciate, this project is

slowly progressing because of your Government's insistence to have

large-scale wind farm developments in three areas in Wales. You have

said that of the consents are given to large developments, you would

expect there to be significant benefits to affected communities.

Was starring of the landscape, years of Transport misery,

devaluation of property prices, I see very little in the way of

community benefit for the projects going ahead. Can I ask you what do

you perceive the benefits to be for these communities of these projects

go ahead? -- F these projects. will ignore the limits that have

been imposed. In England there are no developments -- limits at all

for Devon at -- before developments. I take the view the Welsh people

deserve sufficient control over their own resources and I ask the

member opposite and his party to support the Welsh people in that

endeavour. Until recently you only wanted devolution over 100

megawatts. Do you share my disappointment that there has been

no effort to bury this cabling in more sensitive areas? Can I also

ask him, what effect will the proposals for the Irish Development,

which will go through North Wales, have on the mid-Wales Development?

It is very difficult to know what the effect will be. What I hope

does not have an is there are no developments and will -- in England

and Wales has them all. In terms of our Government's position, our

position is under grounding. This is not our decision. With our

discussions with the National Grid, if this goes ahead, there will be

significant mitigation from what they were originally proposing.

That is without prejudice to hour opposition which want to see under

grounding. There is no reason in principle why there should be a

limit. Of course the more resistance there is why the UK

Government, the last force any such limit has. Will you outlined the

priorities for neonatal care in North Wales? To achieve the best

evidence based outcomes for babies. What you are delivering is a

downgrading of Level 3 services. I have attended of a six public

meetings on the future of units. Two counties in North Wales have

the highest rates of infant mortality in they will whole of the

country. Do you agree a would be wrong to lose the level three

service in North Wales and exported across the border into England,

leaving low-level three neonatal care within the North Wales health

at -- authority? These are matters for consultation it at the moment.

In response to a question from my office recently, when we asked

about the numbers of new born babies requiring intensive care,

that was a response that we receive it. Many babies born before that

also need intensive care. Air raises a question of the intention

of outsourcing intensive care to England. Are you confident that the

managers have based their business case on facts and hard evidence?

is important that the health board itself ensure that the listen to

the public and to also the doctors. That is also important, before

coming to any conclusion of the way forward.

You can see more coverage on the We're going to speak to our Welsh

Affairs Editor who is in Cardiff Bay for us. I think the most

exciting thing that happened there was the First Minister's microphone

stop working today. It was a bit of socialism in action. It was a flat

First Minister's Questions and it was one of theirs that was

dominated by UK issues, by British issues, benefit cuts, benefit cuts

-- caps. We had the Health Service cropping up a number of times, that

is part of the course. It was invitations to criticise, to attack

the UK Government ought to described measures to ameliorate

things the UK Government was doing. A sign perhaps that Welsh politics

is in one of its British faces and the moment with British rather than

Welsh issues to the fore. mention of Scottish independence.

What did you think of one tactic of challenging the First Minister's

policy on the regionalisation of benefits. She does not often call

after hen, does she? I that she made a good point. Although it was

a few weeks after the event. She did not land the hammer at the end.

I think the juxtaposition between what the Labour Garman here is

saying and what did party are saying at the UK level is

potentially a bit of an open goal for the opposition. She did not

really hit the back of the net. Some urgent questions this

afternoon - can you tell us about those? The closure of the Abercorn

School is one we should be reaching a very shortly. Thank you very much

for joining us. We will leave it there. You can catch up a lot of

politics with us on BBC Wales. I will be back with Sunday Politics

Wales when we will be looking at the police and Crown Commissioners

elections. We will be back again next Tuesday at the same time. Also