:00:29. > :00:33.Afternoon, welcome to the programme where we will bring you First
:00:33. > :00:40.Minister's Questions. The Assembly breaks for the summer recess this
:00:40. > :00:45.week, but before they go, politicians have a busy week ahead.
:00:45. > :00:50.First, I will tell you you can get in touch with us if you want to
:00:50. > :01:00.know anything about what we are talking about or comments about
:01:00. > :01:05.
:01:05. > :01:08.They are already under way, so let's take a look at questions to
:01:08. > :01:17.the First Minister. The National's Assembly for Wales
:01:17. > :01:22.is in session on the first item is questions to the First Minister.
:01:22. > :01:28.What is the Welsh Government going to teach future generations about
:01:28. > :01:36.the industrial history of Wales? Future generations have an
:01:36. > :01:40.opportunity through informal and formal education. There is the
:01:40. > :01:44.National Museum interpretation programmes. I started my working
:01:45. > :01:49.life in the coalmines and I am proud of the Community's I
:01:49. > :01:55.represent. These communities like many mining communities have seen
:01:55. > :02:01.their fair share of tragedy. Do you agree with the words of the
:02:01. > :02:09.Caerphilly council leader the tragic history throughout the
:02:09. > :02:18.valley, with significant contribution from the coal-mining
:02:18. > :02:23.industry, there should be a Welsh National coal-mining memorial?
:02:23. > :02:28.Universal Colliery in 1913, the worst disaster of them all. I was
:02:28. > :02:34.pleased to be at the launch of the campaign to create a national
:02:34. > :02:38.mining memorial and it was good to see so many people at the launch.
:02:38. > :02:43.The available history curriculum is wide and varied and covers
:02:43. > :02:47.industrial heritage. But many will recognise it when I say schools
:02:47. > :02:52.seemed to concentrate on wartime Europe and the American civil
:02:52. > :03:01.rights movement. What is the Government doing to teach a wider
:03:01. > :03:06.range of topics and concentrate more on Welsh history? Industrial
:03:06. > :03:12.history is central to the history of study which is key stages two
:03:12. > :03:22.and three in schools. It allows further opportunity to develop
:03:22. > :03:22.
:03:22. > :03:26.knowledge and understanding. TRANSLATION: Wales has been a world
:03:27. > :03:32.leader in terms of in a to Viv and industrial developments in the past
:03:32. > :03:35.and it is very important we promote that for the future. At the moments
:03:35. > :03:42.are Committee in the Assembly is scrutinising the Heritage Bill.
:03:42. > :03:47.Would it be possible for young people in schools perhaps, to have
:03:47. > :03:54.more education in terms of what the legislation would mean for them in
:03:54. > :03:57.terms of promoting this particular sector, and in terms of
:03:57. > :04:01.participating in the consultation proposed by Government when they do
:04:01. > :04:06.bring their heritage Bill forward in 2013?
:04:06. > :04:10.TRANSLATION: You would wish to see young people playing a key role in
:04:10. > :04:16.the development and not just the Heritage Bill, but other bills, too.
:04:16. > :04:20.We look forward therefore, to ensuring this would be used to
:04:20. > :04:28.ensure there is an input from young people when the Bill goes through
:04:28. > :04:35.the Senedd. Extending the topic to include also
:04:35. > :04:39.the importance of Welsh agricultural industry and the role
:04:39. > :04:44.that is played alongside the industrial history of Wales and the
:04:44. > :04:51.heavy industries of the South Wales valleys. I have in mind the example
:04:51. > :04:55.of the tram road that is in the Brecon Beacons and in its day
:04:55. > :04:59.transported limestone to the farms of mid-Wales and brought
:04:59. > :05:05.agricultural products down the valley to those communities. First
:05:05. > :05:09.Minister, what can your Government do to ensure the important linkages
:05:09. > :05:11.between the industrial heartlands and the agriculture will
:05:11. > :05:15.communities are understood, particularly in the context of
:05:15. > :05:20.heritage tourism and the potential it has for the Welsh economy?
:05:20. > :05:24.I think the Museum of Welsh life does a good job in illustrating the
:05:24. > :05:29.important role agriculture has played in sustaining people's
:05:29. > :05:34.livelihoods in Wales. And you are right to point out the important
:05:34. > :05:39.link that exists between rural and urban Wales, given the facts so
:05:39. > :05:43.many families who lived in the mining areas had families in rural
:05:43. > :05:48.Wales where the family had originally come from. Leasing no
:05:48. > :05:52.better illustration of that link in the Royal Welsh Show next week when
:05:52. > :05:59.people will be travelling from a them Wales to enjoy the show, and
:05:59. > :06:04.also enjoyed and understand more about agriculture and rural life.
:06:04. > :06:12.Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of acute
:06:12. > :06:17.medical care in the target area? have agreed plans to ensure Neath
:06:17. > :06:22.Port Talbot residents received acute care in the future. I met it
:06:22. > :06:27.with members from the board on Friday and they took time out to
:06:27. > :06:31.tell me about the changes that would be taking place at Neath Port
:06:31. > :06:37.Talbot Hospital in detail. Much of the changes they emphasise his to
:06:37. > :06:41.do with decisions by the Welsh deanery. I would like to clarify
:06:41. > :06:46.who the Welsh Deanery are accountable to and why does it not
:06:46. > :06:49.have to carry out a consultation on its actions? What steps of the
:06:49. > :06:54.Welsh Government taking to discuss with the UK Government that Dr
:06:54. > :06:58.recruitment problems caused by a tightening of immigration rules
:06:58. > :07:03.which has formed a lot of the changes in Neath Port Talbot
:07:03. > :07:06.hospital? The deanery is responsible for postgraduate
:07:06. > :07:12.training and responsible for ensuring medical training is
:07:12. > :07:17.adequate and safe. As far as the deanery of concerned, I have no
:07:17. > :07:24.argument with their right and duty to ensure safe services are
:07:24. > :07:28.provided. You do raise an important point regarding immigration. If
:07:28. > :07:36.immigration is seen as being too Beaumaris as far as the Medical
:07:36. > :07:40.profession is concerned, doctors will go elsewhere. Bewails we have
:07:40. > :07:46.relied on doctor's coming in from elsewhere. We have launched a
:07:47. > :07:53.recruitment campaign in order to attract staff of different
:07:53. > :07:58.seniority is into Welsh hospitals. I am sure he will be pleased the
:07:58. > :08:03.plans are in place to deal with the patient transfer as of the 1st
:08:03. > :08:07.September because of the closure of the queue to medical unit in Neath
:08:07. > :08:11.Port Talbot hospital. Would you be meeting with the UK Government to
:08:11. > :08:15.profess those points, to ensure what we have suffered this it is
:08:15. > :08:21.not repeated and immigration rules allow doctors to be brought in from
:08:21. > :08:26.overseas? This is an issue we have concerns about. Whether it is true
:08:26. > :08:33.or not it is difficult to get into the UK to work as a doctor, is
:08:33. > :08:38.immaterial. The perception is there. When I was in India in April, it
:08:38. > :08:41.was the perception the UK is almost closed in terms of people coming to
:08:41. > :08:50.study here and work here. It is something the UK Government will
:08:50. > :08:57.need to work hard to address. First Minister, we have debated the
:08:57. > :09:03.reasons for closing the acute medical unit and I recognise there
:09:03. > :09:05.are certain issues. My chief issue with the Government is what plans
:09:05. > :09:10.the Government and the Neath Port Talbot Hospital are putting in
:09:10. > :09:17.place to tackle the issue in the long term? We have a wrecked --
:09:17. > :09:22.excellent hospital, what steps are you taking to ensure doctors will
:09:22. > :09:27.remain? It comes under this point in my view, the need to recruit
:09:27. > :09:31.more doctors. It is not just a Welsh problem, it is a problem
:09:31. > :09:36.across the UK. There are several positions in hospitals across Wales
:09:36. > :09:40.that are not filled, not because there is no finance, but no
:09:40. > :09:44.applicants of the correct quality or standing in order to fill those
:09:44. > :09:48.posts, which is why we are continuing with a recruitment
:09:48. > :09:55.campaign in order to ensure we have hospitals that are staffed
:09:55. > :09:59.appropriately and safely in the future. When I met with the health
:09:59. > :10:04.board on Friday, one of the things that became Kier is this might not
:10:04. > :10:10.be the only area in which they might be difficulties in recruiting
:10:10. > :10:14.staff. Thermite the other problems in the future. In reply to another
:10:14. > :10:19.question, you said the UK Government needs to address the
:10:19. > :10:23.immigration problem. But you did not reply as to whether or not you
:10:23. > :10:27.are making representations to the UK Government about how we can
:10:27. > :10:31.improve the perception to make it easier to recruit doctors from
:10:31. > :10:38.abroad to meet the shortages other health boards may come up against
:10:38. > :10:47.in the future? It is important we realise this is increasingly a
:10:47. > :10:51.perception regarding the UK. This isn't an issue just for one
:10:51. > :11:00.specialism, nor is it just for one hospital, although history suggests
:11:00. > :11:05.it is more difficult to recruit and we must be careful to ensure there
:11:05. > :11:11.are sufficient doctors of quality being recruited in the future, in
:11:11. > :11:16.order to keep services we want to see kept. We move to questions from
:11:16. > :11:20.the party leaders. We have the leader of the Welsh Liberal
:11:20. > :11:23.Democrat, Kirsty Williams. recent weeks, half of your labour
:11:23. > :11:30.colleagues have issued press releases highlighting the extra
:11:30. > :11:34.money for the poorer schoolchildren made available by the Budget. This
:11:34. > :11:39.is thanks to a Labour Government, people have been saying. Of course,
:11:39. > :11:42.everyone knows this is thanks to the insistence of the was Liberal
:11:42. > :11:46.Democrats doing budget Nick associations. Will you ensure the
:11:46. > :11:50.other half of your labour colleagues inform their
:11:50. > :11:54.constituents of this excellent Liberal Democrat policy? I am going
:11:54. > :11:59.to be generous today and hope the generosity of spirit will continue
:11:59. > :12:04.tomorrow, and say it is quite right to say it is a Liberal Democrat
:12:04. > :12:12.idea and we were pleased to take it forward. I am pleased there is a
:12:12. > :12:18.high-level activity. Indeed there is. The Labour spin machine has
:12:18. > :12:22.gone into overdrive. The standard press release quotes you are saying
:12:22. > :12:26.The Wash Government is taking practical action to deliver better
:12:26. > :12:31.opportunities for disadvantaged children. The schools minister says
:12:31. > :12:37.it will provide financial assistance to help reduce the
:12:37. > :12:46.impact on educational attainment. I am not aware of any work towards a
:12:46. > :12:53.dated attempts to implement policy. Isn't this Liberal Democrat policy
:12:53. > :13:00.your best achievement this year? accept as part of the budget Nick
:13:00. > :13:05.associations last year, the grant was approved and it was something
:13:05. > :13:09.agreed on between the two parties. It is a policy which we are more
:13:09. > :13:16.than happy to implement and a policy we agree with. As far as we
:13:16. > :13:20.are concerned, we were more than happy to say it is a policy, one of
:13:20. > :13:26.many this Government has adopted to ensure the welfare of the people in
:13:26. > :13:31.Wales is paramount. This time last year you did Whip Labour Assembly
:13:31. > :13:35.members to vote against it. By the time of the budget you were
:13:35. > :13:44.persuaded up of the case, now you are enthusiastic supporters.
:13:44. > :13:50.Despite Labour member voting against, I hope further appropriate
:13:50. > :13:53.can be made. It would be presumptuous to make any
:13:53. > :14:00.assumptions as to what happens in the Budget next year in advance of
:14:00. > :14:05.any talks and of course, the need to come as the Liberal Democrats
:14:05. > :14:13.see it, to extend the pupil grant will form any part of any talks in
:14:13. > :14:18.the future. We moved to the leader of the opposition. Yesterday we had
:14:18. > :14:22.the excellent news of a lecture vocation, the complete package of
:14:22. > :14:27.electrification of the South Wales a Valley lines and all the way to
:14:27. > :14:31.Swansea. I'm sure you want to use this time to congratulate the UK
:14:31. > :14:36.Government on this announcement? is very much welcome and I look
:14:36. > :14:39.forward to seeing the work begin and it represents what we as a
:14:39. > :14:44.Government have argued before. had the announcement of the
:14:44. > :14:47.Heathrow spur, which your predecessor touched on being the
:14:47. > :14:52.most important announcement for 50 years in relation to the Welsh
:14:52. > :14:56.economy. That was before the announcement on a letter vocation
:14:57. > :15:00.of the valley Lines. This level of investment by the UK Government
:15:00. > :15:06.shows commitment to generating economic prosperity in Wales. Do
:15:06. > :15:14.you not agree with that statement? The opening of the Heathrow spur, I
:15:14. > :15:20.hope it happens as soon as possible. It was interesting in those
:15:20. > :15:24.questions seeing members on your bench agreeing, that those two
:15:24. > :15:28.major points will help the Welsh economy. But when we look at the
:15:28. > :15:34.actions of your own Government, is it time you stepped up to the plate
:15:34. > :15:39.in the field of legislation. We have only had one bill in this, we
:15:39. > :15:45.have had to millions of pounds cut out of the health budget, 16%
:15:45. > :15:51.increase in waiting times in Wales and in the field of education, 40%
:15:51. > :15:56.of primary schoolchildren enter into secondary school with below
:15:56. > :16:01.the average reading age. Doesn't this compare poorly with the level
:16:02. > :16:10.of commitment the UK Government has given to Wales in recent days to
:16:10. > :16:14.the inaction of the Government over I look forward to an agreement
:16:14. > :16:18.regarding Barnett and borrowing. I remind the opposition that the
:16:18. > :16:22.electrification between Paddington and Swansea was introduced in June
:16:22. > :16:28.2009 by the Minister of a different government and in May 2010, the
:16:28. > :16:32.then incoming government placed a moratorium on electrification.
:16:32. > :16:37.There is a real announcement of something previously announced by a
:16:37. > :16:40.Labour government. As far as what we are doing, may I remind the
:16:40. > :16:44.leader of the opposition... Order. Carry on.
:16:44. > :16:50.I remind the leader of the opposition that we have the growth
:16:50. > :16:57.fund, the Investment Fund, the micro business loans, Finance
:16:57. > :17:01.Wales's Jeremy fund and the Digital Development Plan, the Welsh Life
:17:01. > :17:06.Sciences fund, the business start- up service. All these are measures
:17:06. > :17:09.that have been taken to improve our economy despite the buffeting it is
:17:09. > :17:15.taking as a result of external influences.
:17:15. > :17:19.Now the leader of Plaid Cymru. You have made it clear that you or
:17:19. > :17:23.opposed to the welfare reform and benefit cuts coming from the
:17:23. > :17:28.coalition at Westminster. These cutbacks are a socially harmful and
:17:28. > :17:32.they are hitting people's pockets and harming the economy. It even
:17:32. > :17:36.though you have got limited resources to deploy a in countering
:17:36. > :17:40.these harmful cuts, do you agree with me that there needs to be a
:17:40. > :17:45.Welsh alternative to austerity if we have any chance of turning
:17:45. > :17:49.around the Welsh economy? I have just outlined the measures we are
:17:49. > :17:53.taking in order to support the economy and as the leader of Plaid
:17:53. > :17:57.Cymru will know, there is a ministerial group assessing the
:17:57. > :18:02.overall effect of welfare changes on Wales.
:18:02. > :18:07.Thank you, First Minister. You will no doubt be aware of the recent
:18:07. > :18:10.warning about council tax benefit cuts. There are concerns about the
:18:10. > :18:15.lack of time available for local authorities to implement any sort
:18:15. > :18:18.of replacement scheme for that. These cuts are also go against the
:18:18. > :18:24.aims of your tackling poverty Action Plan. First Minister, you
:18:24. > :18:28.have committed to taking a stand against Tory cuts so can you tell
:18:28. > :18:32.us why you disagreed with Plaid Cymru's call to buy some breathing
:18:32. > :18:36.space by cancelling these cuts for a year?
:18:36. > :18:41.We haven't disagreed with anything but when you have something thrown
:18:42. > :18:45.at you as a responsibility without the budget following, especially in
:18:45. > :18:48.difficult financial Times, it is exceptionally hard to look up for
:18:49. > :18:53.the money to make up for the short falls created by the UK government.
:18:53. > :18:57.We want to make sure that there is fairness across the whole of the UK
:18:57. > :19:02.and we would urge the UK government to rethink its policy on council
:19:02. > :19:05.tax benefits or to give us the full amount of the Budget to make sure
:19:05. > :19:08.the benefits can continue at the same level.
:19:08. > :19:12.I don't think that is good enough because you said that you would
:19:12. > :19:17.stand up for the people of Wales against Tory cuts. You could have
:19:17. > :19:21.shielded people from these cuts to council tax benefit as an emergency
:19:21. > :19:25.measure get you have chosen not to. You have chosen to have other
:19:25. > :19:29.priorities. Have you failed to deliver on this, you have failed to
:19:29. > :19:34.deliver on Barnett reform so far, you have failed to deliver any kind
:19:34. > :19:40.of fiscal stimulus that would protect jobs in a communities. Can
:19:40. > :19:43.you tell us how you respond to the words of your adviser who said, I
:19:43. > :19:48.don't think the Welsh government has been anything like as active as
:19:48. > :19:52.the Scottish government. As far as an concerned, I have met
:19:52. > :19:55.many times with UK ministers and I met for the prime minister
:19:55. > :19:59.yesterday. As far as Plaid Cymru are concerned, their words would
:19:59. > :20:02.carry more weight if they had any policies at all in terms of
:20:02. > :20:06.economic stimulus so we are waiting for a proposed Bill that they might
:20:06. > :20:10.bring forward but I remind the leader of Plaid Cymru once again of
:20:10. > :20:15.what has been dead to provide the fiscal stimulus. The economic
:20:15. > :20:21.growth fund, B business loan, the finance world fund, the life
:20:21. > :20:25.sciences fund, the business start- up service. I repeat these and at
:20:25. > :20:29.nauseam for some members but it seems Plaid Cymru and listening
:20:29. > :20:33.because week after week, they make the allegation that nothing has
:20:33. > :20:38.been done to help business and stimulate the economy in Wales when
:20:38. > :20:43.the facts show the opposite. We now move back to questions on
:20:43. > :20:47.the Order Paper. Question 3. What action is the Welsh government
:20:47. > :20:52.taking to help separated parents resolve maintenance?
:20:52. > :20:57.This is largely a non devolved area but we do look after the wealth
:20:57. > :21:00.which -- the welfare of children by encouraging them after separation
:21:01. > :21:04.where it is in the child's best interest.
:21:04. > :21:09.It is a largely devolved area but nonetheless an area affecting
:21:09. > :21:13.people across the whole of the United Kingdom. The evidence shows
:21:13. > :21:18.that children who went in contact with -- who are in contact with
:21:18. > :21:22.both parents have a better outlook on life and it is only when it is
:21:22. > :21:26.an safe that they should not have contact with both parents. What can
:21:26. > :21:31.tact have you had with the UK government over the resolution on
:21:31. > :21:35.shared parenting? There was a �50 million scheme launched to support
:21:35. > :21:41.separated parents to work together more effective way.
:21:41. > :21:46.We welcome the response to the justice review. We believe it is a
:21:46. > :21:49.major reform to improve the lives of children and families. A Family
:21:49. > :21:58.Justice Board have been established to drive these reforms and Welsh
:21:58. > :22:01.government has secured seats fought Welsh representatives on the board.
:22:01. > :22:04.Can the First Minister in for almost as to when he will expect a
:22:05. > :22:08.report on the work of the family operational boards in Wales and
:22:08. > :22:13.whether advice and support could be offered by that board to separated
:22:13. > :22:17.parents? I ask this question to help explode the public myth that
:22:17. > :22:21.separated fathers in Wales do not care about their children's future
:22:21. > :22:26.when the reverse is the two. Whatever assistance can be given by
:22:26. > :22:28.the board is welcome. The member is right to point out that many
:22:28. > :22:35.fathers have historically not seen their children through no fault of
:22:35. > :22:38.their Rome. I have represented both parties in divorce proceedings and
:22:38. > :22:42.in years gone by, if there was a determination on behalf of one
:22:43. > :22:46.parent, that the courts wouldn't intervene and that is not
:22:46. > :22:50.satisfactory. The move towards shared parenting, where appropriate,
:22:50. > :22:57.in the interest of the child, is very well go.
:22:57. > :23:02.Question four. Does the delivery unit have
:23:02. > :23:12.measures in place for development? We measure direct investment in
:23:12. > :23:12.
:23:12. > :23:16.terms of GDP, G D HIV. The delivery unit is monitoring the process.
:23:16. > :23:22.Yesterday's decision to electrify it in effect the whole of the South
:23:22. > :23:25.Wales rail network will be a boon to market Wales internationally. We
:23:26. > :23:29.have good rail services in South Wales in terms of their reach and
:23:29. > :23:31.it is important we build on this and remind people what an
:23:31. > :23:36.attractive place South Wales is to do business.
:23:36. > :23:42.Indeed so. The great worry I have is if the line was electrified as
:23:42. > :23:46.far as Cardiff, Cardiff would be seen as the end of the line. The
:23:47. > :23:50.fear is that the Vale of Glamorgan line is that is a diversion line
:23:50. > :23:54.west so if one line was electrified and the other wasn't, that would be
:23:54. > :23:57.an issue. What we don't know is when the work will begin. We know
:23:57. > :24:01.when the work will begin to Cardiff but it would be helpful to know
:24:01. > :24:11.when the work would be begun and finished as far as Swansea and the
:24:11. > :24:11.
:24:11. > :24:17.Valley lines. You have had a meeting with a
:24:17. > :24:22.representative of German industry UK during this last year. It is a
:24:22. > :24:27.body representing German industry is based here in Britain. Are there
:24:27. > :24:31.any ash comes to those meetings, bearing in mind the importance of
:24:31. > :24:36.the German economy to Europe and of course likewise, to us here in
:24:36. > :24:41.Wales? I did meet with him a number of
:24:41. > :24:45.months ago now and of course, Germany is an exceptionally
:24:45. > :24:50.important economy from Wales's point of view. What we are
:24:50. > :24:53.considering at present is whether we need to insure that we should
:24:53. > :24:58.have someone dealing full-time with Germany on behalf of the Welsh
:24:58. > :25:04.government in order to ensure we are able to create a more
:25:04. > :25:07.investment into Wales from Germany. As the Welsh government had any
:25:07. > :25:12.discussions with her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary about
:25:12. > :25:15.the impact of budget cuts on policing and budget safety in
:25:15. > :25:20.Wales? Not with the Inspectorate of
:25:20. > :25:27.Constabulary. There have been conversations with Constable's.
:25:27. > :25:29.Policing is not devolved but we are helping with community support
:25:29. > :25:32.officers. Following the decision by the UK
:25:32. > :25:37.coalition government to cut police funding in Wales and across the UK
:25:37. > :25:41.by 20%, you will be aware that a report at the start of July from
:25:41. > :25:45.the Inspectorate and card -- Inspector of Constabulary revealed
:25:45. > :25:51.that Welsh forces can expect to lose hundreds of frontline officers
:25:51. > :25:53.as part of frontline staff going across England and Wales. The
:25:53. > :25:58.Police Federation say this will have a serious impact on public
:25:58. > :26:03.safety. In contrast to that, can you confirm that this Welsh
:26:03. > :26:06.government will stick to its commitment to support community
:26:06. > :26:08.safety and Kenny also confirm if he has had any support from the
:26:08. > :26:11.Secretary of State for Wales in fighting for the corner of Welsh
:26:11. > :26:16.police for so his? I would urge the Secretary of State
:26:16. > :26:20.to do just that. It is not an issue she has raised with me in terms of
:26:20. > :26:26.her fighting our corner. As far as the committee's report officers are
:26:26. > :26:32.concerned, there are around 200 I there deployed or in training. That
:26:32. > :26:34.was as of last month and that takes us to was the commitment to deploy
:26:34. > :26:39.a 500 community support officers during the course of this the and
:26:39. > :26:44.much. -- this government.
:26:44. > :26:48.North Wales will be one of the 15 areas in the UK tiling
:26:48. > :26:52.neighbourhood justice panels which will allow trained members of the
:26:52. > :26:57.public a say in how low-level criminality and anti-social
:26:57. > :27:01.offenders could make amends for their communities. We confirm if
:27:01. > :27:04.these panels demonstrate a significant reduction in
:27:04. > :27:09.reoffending and anti-social behaviour in North Wales, that you
:27:09. > :27:13.will work with the Ministry of Justice to roll the boards out
:27:13. > :27:16.across Wales? I look forward to seeing the
:27:16. > :27:22.results of the project but it doesn't get away from the fact that
:27:22. > :27:26.fewer police equals more crime. As simple as that. Offenders are not
:27:26. > :27:28.deterred by the speed of the course, they are not deterred by the
:27:28. > :27:32.availability of courts and sometimes even by the sentencing.
:27:32. > :27:36.They are deterred by being caught and if there is less of a risk of
:27:36. > :27:39.them being caught, that means we will see more of ending which is
:27:40. > :27:49.why fewer police officers inevitably means there will be more
:27:50. > :27:50.
:27:50. > :27:56.people to chance their arm, and A few weeks ago, I met with Nick
:27:56. > :27:59.Herbert, the UK police minister, in Westminster about the cuts. I urged
:27:59. > :28:03.him to accept the request from the South Wales police that there
:28:03. > :28:08.should be additional funding for Cardiff in recognition of its
:28:08. > :28:12.status as a capital city. Does the First Minister agree with me that
:28:12. > :28:15.the UK Coalition's failure to properly fund these costs does put
:28:15. > :28:19.additional pressure on frontline policing in Cardiff and it should
:28:19. > :28:22.be addressed? Indeed, there are extra pressures
:28:22. > :28:25.on South Wales police because of the current funding formula and
:28:25. > :28:30.it's important it is re-examined but I never thought I would see the
:28:30. > :28:35.day when I would see a Conservative lead government elected on the
:28:35. > :28:37.platform with fewer police. I never thought I would see the day when I
:28:37. > :28:42.would see Conservatives in this chamber stand behind back. Most
:28:42. > :28:45.people want to live in communities that are safe and that means having
:28:45. > :28:55.sufficient police officers to insure those communities are safe
:28:55. > :28:56.
:28:56. > :28:59.and that is something the UK First Minister, I was under the
:28:59. > :29:06.assumption that Yvette Cooper had made the same kind of commitment to
:29:06. > :29:09.police cuts herself. The question away at is that at a time when
:29:09. > :29:16.there are swingeing cuts in the police budgets, do you agree with
:29:16. > :29:21.me that it is a bad idea to do. Police commissioners to take money
:29:21. > :29:25.away from the basic police service and shouldn't we be in discussion
:29:25. > :29:29.with Westminster on the devolution of the functions of the police
:29:29. > :29:33.forces, not the police forces themselves, but their functions, in
:29:33. > :29:40.order to provide effective policing in Wales?
:29:40. > :29:45.Well, in considering part two of silk, we need to look at that. It
:29:45. > :29:49.is a fair argument and one that is ongoing in terms of devolution and
:29:49. > :29:53.the police service is one of the only major services that is not
:29:53. > :29:57.devolved but in terms of police commissioners, we were against
:29:57. > :30:01.police commissioners. We now know that these actions will take place
:30:01. > :30:06.in November. What we don't know is what kind of impact the
:30:06. > :30:11.commissioners will have in terms of their responsibilities they cannot
:30:11. > :30:19.interfere with day-to-day police business and it is difficult to see
:30:19. > :30:28.what the benefit of the As chaos descends on the Olympics
:30:28. > :30:32.due to the incompetence of the UK government and G4S and it is left
:30:32. > :30:37.to the public sector, it is left to the public sector to try and pick
:30:37. > :30:41.up the pieces, South Wales police are likely to be drafted down to
:30:41. > :30:44.the Olympics... Order, order.
:30:44. > :30:48.Will you be making any representations to ensure that
:30:48. > :30:53.adequate policing and community support is available in Wales
:30:53. > :30:57.whilst our police are travelling to sort out their mess.
:30:57. > :31:01.I am always amazed that the Conservative benches think they can
:31:01. > :31:05.shout and it has an effect. They can't be heard out there. All that
:31:05. > :31:08.can be heard is a low murmur which is as much sense as you would
:31:08. > :31:12.expect to get out of them but as far as the Member for Pontypridd is
:31:12. > :31:18.concerned, it is clear that we should have enough security around
:31:18. > :31:22.the Olympics. The UK government has questions to ask regarding insuring
:31:22. > :31:26.that security is in place and I really hope it is. We all see what
:31:26. > :31:29.has happened over the last few days and it is incumbent the UK
:31:29. > :31:32.government provides assurances to members of the public that
:31:32. > :31:36.sufficient security will be in place for the Olympic Games.
:31:36. > :31:45.Some members are very restless this afternoon. I am not looking at
:31:45. > :31:55.anybody in particular. Andrew RT Davies. Can we move on to the
:31:55. > :32:06.
:32:06. > :32:10.My question was tabled before the statement but I noted that in the
:32:10. > :32:15.statement, the Health Minister set out a three-stage process in which
:32:15. > :32:20.this process would be brought into play and in the first stage, it
:32:20. > :32:26.related during 2012, when she said it would be further reduced with
:32:26. > :32:30.the number of then closing to insure the appropriate distribution
:32:30. > :32:36.of early morning and evening appointments. What is the take-up
:32:36. > :32:39.of that particular stay to? The Government should ensure that
:32:39. > :32:44.access is available to all people in Wales by the end of this
:32:44. > :32:51.government's term. The member has not referred to the survey this
:32:51. > :32:55.carried out but it was curious. 680 g p practices were written to but
:32:55. > :33:02.there are only 476 in the whole of Wales so I do wonder what the
:33:02. > :33:12.accuracy of that survey actually is. We want to work with doctors to
:33:12. > :33:12.
:33:12. > :33:16.make sure we have access to GP On 18th October, you told the
:33:16. > :33:21.National Assembly that there is no cost to extending GP opening hours
:33:21. > :33:24.and in fact, you said if other surgeries in Wales can do it, why
:33:24. > :33:28.can't those surgeries that currently aunt. What you didn't
:33:28. > :33:34.tell the Assembly was that the cost of providing extended hours at the
:33:34. > :33:42.moment to the government is �726,000 per year, or it was in
:33:42. > :33:46.2010. It is now funded as a direct enhanced service. Given the only
:33:46. > :33:50.surgeries who do open for extra hours at the moment do so because
:33:50. > :33:54.they are getting extra cash and given that the NHS is facing
:33:54. > :33:59.record-breaking cuts as a result of your government decisions in
:33:59. > :34:04.Cardiff Bay, how do you anticipate you can achieve the GP access
:34:04. > :34:08.commitment without extra cash? GPs need to work more flexibly. I
:34:09. > :34:13.think that is reasonable. The taxpayer pays for GPs and the
:34:13. > :34:17.taxpayer is entitled to a service they can access more easily. I hear
:34:17. > :34:21.the member opposite talking about record-breaking cuts when only in
:34:21. > :34:27.the last two days we have heard of plans by health trusts in England
:34:27. > :34:32.to cut people's pay. Fact doctors, cut their pay, sacked nurses, cut
:34:32. > :34:36.their pay. He is suggesting that somehow in Wales, things are worse.
:34:36. > :34:46.We know what would happen if his party was in power in Wales, we
:34:46. > :34:49.
:34:49. > :34:52.would see nurses, doctors, porkers Elin Jones.
:34:52. > :35:00.First Minister, it is your government policy to enhance
:35:00. > :35:05.healthcare in the community given a central role to GPs. Do you share
:35:05. > :35:09.my concerns that there are 60% fewer GP training places available
:35:09. > :35:13.in Bronglais Hospital from August this year onwards? There was a
:35:13. > :35:20.serious impact on staffing levels in this hospital and this was
:35:20. > :35:30.related to the shortage of funding from the Welsh deanery.
:35:30. > :35:31.
:35:31. > :35:36.Once again the Deanery has been mentioned. We need to make sure
:35:36. > :35:40.that doctors are trained in a place they can be trained properly so we
:35:41. > :35:44.need to ensure there are sufficient places in Wales to train them.
:35:44. > :35:49.Sufficient placements. Of course, that is why the recruitment
:35:49. > :35:52.campaign is continuing, bearing in mind that Bronglais Hospital is one
:35:52. > :35:57.of the hospitals that is difficult to recruit two. It is important
:35:57. > :36:00.that people will come to Aberystwyth and be trained in
:36:00. > :36:03.Aberystwyth and those senior doctors are there for that to her
:36:03. > :36:07.than. What is the Welsh government doing
:36:07. > :36:11.to tackle substance misuse? We continue to invest over �50
:36:11. > :36:21.million per annum to implement the actions within the ten-year
:36:21. > :36:22.
:36:22. > :36:27.Yesterday I ran into a two drug addicts who were also probably
:36:27. > :36:33.drug-dealers, working in an area which is being beset by people who
:36:33. > :36:36.are dealing in drugs and causing huge anti-social problems to the
:36:36. > :36:41.whole community in that area. I just wondered if you could give me
:36:41. > :36:47.some indication as to how much we can expect substance misuse to rise
:36:47. > :36:51.in line with increased unemployment, as people often turn to drugs
:36:51. > :36:57.because they are depressed and are not properly employed.
:36:57. > :37:01.substance misuse action fund is providing �27.5 million in funding
:37:02. > :37:07.to community safety partnerships to tackle substance misuse and �5.7
:37:07. > :37:13.million to improve substance misuse treatment facilities. A further
:37:14. > :37:21.�17.1 million is ring-fenced for substance misuse services within
:37:21. > :37:29.the health discretionary budgets. First Minister, for every 10
:37:29. > :37:33.alcohol-related car accidents on young male drivers admit to driving
:37:33. > :37:39.after taking drugs. The Crown Communications and Court Bill
:37:39. > :37:42.announced in this year's Queen's Speech announced proposals to
:37:42. > :37:50.tackle drunk-driving. Of what correspondent have you had with UK
:37:50. > :37:56.ministers to protect Welsh interests in this matter? Driving
:37:56. > :38:00.while under the influence of drugs is already an offence, of course.
:38:00. > :38:06.It can sometimes be difficult to assess whether they are on drugs or
:38:06. > :38:11.not. It is easier with the breathalyser and blood tests, which
:38:11. > :38:16.are normally taken at the police station. But we would very much
:38:16. > :38:20.support any moves by the UK government to reduce the number of
:38:20. > :38:30.deaths caused by drug driving and the number of people who drive
:38:30. > :38:31.
:38:31. > :38:36.I accept your answer about the work of the community safety
:38:36. > :38:39.partnerships. What is the Government doing to recover
:38:39. > :38:44.individuals in integrated Peer Support Scheme and do you agree
:38:44. > :38:49.with establishing a recovery champion scheme, wouldn't only
:38:49. > :38:54.benefit substance misusers but provide unstable individuals with
:38:54. > :39:00.the opportunity to contribute to society and support their continued
:39:00. > :39:06.recovery? The first step to recovery is treatment. Waiting
:39:06. > :39:13.times have reduced substantially. The latest published figures
:39:13. > :39:17.between September and October 2011, 7-1 climbs were assessed within 10
:39:18. > :39:22.days of referral and 91% were treated within 10 days of
:39:22. > :39:30.assessment. There are areas where waiting times are higher than we
:39:30. > :39:34.would want. We are working with those area planning boards.
:39:34. > :39:38.Question number eight. Will the First Minister provide an update on
:39:38. > :39:43.the Welsh Government's policies for looked after children in Wales?
:39:43. > :39:46.are progressing with plans to improve the lives of looked at two
:39:46. > :39:56.children which builds on our innovative if programmes to support
:39:56. > :40:01.families, including integrated family support services. The latest
:40:01. > :40:06.year in which figures are available show a further 5% increase in the
:40:06. > :40:11.number of children looked after by local authorities in Wales. It is a
:40:11. > :40:16.trend which has been established for a 20 year period. Would you
:40:16. > :40:22.welcome the decision of the newly elected Labour authority in Cardiff
:40:22. > :40:29.to develop a social impact on, tailored to Welsh circumstances?
:40:29. > :40:33.And if successful it would allow the Welsh authority to re-engineer
:40:33. > :40:41.services to allow families to stay together rather than taking
:40:41. > :40:45.children into care? That approach is very much in line with ours, and
:40:45. > :40:50.we welcome the initiative. It is an initiative which invests in
:40:50. > :40:54.programmes which supports these the rebel groups. Cardiff will need to
:40:54. > :41:02.undertake a proper valuation, but I do look forward to seeing how it
:41:02. > :41:12.develops. STUDIO. That is it from First
:41:12. > :41:15.
:41:15. > :41:20.Minister's Questions until September. As usual, Welsh affairs
:41:20. > :41:23.editor Vaughn Roderick is here. But anyone was watching last week they
:41:23. > :41:30.would have heard us say that was the most exciting First Minister's
:41:30. > :41:36.Questions we would have seen, not so today? It was a bit flat today.
:41:36. > :41:42.Kirsty Williams trying to take the credit she feels is due. He gave it.
:41:42. > :41:52.He disarmed her by saying, sure. Then she came across as petulant
:41:52. > :42:00.and ungracious. Leanne Wood I think had one of her First Minister's
:42:00. > :42:04.Questions. She was responding to what Carwyn Jones was saying. A bit
:42:04. > :42:07.of a surprise none of the opposition leaders or any other
:42:07. > :42:14.members chose to go on the questions surrounding the Health
:42:14. > :42:18.Secretary. - the health minister rather. I would have thought they
:42:18. > :42:22.could have brought the heat up on Lesley Griffiths before the no
:42:22. > :42:27.confidence vote tomorrow. How has the no confidence motion ran out of
:42:27. > :42:33.steam? Assuming all Labour Am's are here and press the right button,
:42:33. > :42:37.they won't lose the vote? Even if the opposition party members are
:42:37. > :42:43.here, and it appears not all of them, maybe, the numbers don't
:42:43. > :42:46.stack up for the opposition to win the vote. A lot of people are
:42:46. > :42:49.beginning to look at Lesley Griffiths appearance before the
:42:49. > :42:56.health committee as being the thing that made beside her long-term
:42:56. > :43:00.future. There are some people on the Labour benches, while they
:43:00. > :43:04.backed Lesley Griffiths, have doubts about her as health minister.
:43:04. > :43:09.There is some talk Carwyn Jones should look at a reshuffle over the
:43:09. > :43:12.summer. It is very low level, but it might be more important to her
:43:12. > :43:17.future on how well she comes across in the health committee, rather
:43:17. > :43:21.than the actual debate in the Chamber. Another person who has
:43:21. > :43:29.been changing around her team, Leanne Wood has appointed Elin
:43:29. > :43:35.Jones as her deputy leader? Yes, Linda maze Johnson said it is
:43:35. > :43:40.better to have somebody inside the tent spitting out. Elin Jones came
:43:40. > :43:47.second in the leadership race, and it is an idea to keep your end of -