Browse content similar to 17/07/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Afternoon, welcome to the programme where we will bring you First | :00:29. | :00:33. | |
Minister's Questions. The Assembly breaks for the summer recess this | :00:33. | :00:40. | |
week, but before they go, politicians have a busy week ahead. | :00:40. | :00:45. | |
First, I will tell you you can get in touch with us if you want to | :00:45. | :00:50. | |
know anything about what we are talking about or comments about | :00:50. | :01:00. | |
:01:00. | :01:05. | ||
They are already under way, so let's take a look at questions to | :01:05. | :01:08. | |
the First Minister. The National's Assembly for Wales | :01:08. | :01:17. | |
is in session on the first item is questions to the First Minister. | :01:17. | :01:22. | |
What is the Welsh Government going to teach future generations about | :01:22. | :01:28. | |
the industrial history of Wales? Future generations have an | :01:28. | :01:36. | |
opportunity through informal and formal education. There is the | :01:36. | :01:40. | |
National Museum interpretation programmes. I started my working | :01:40. | :01:44. | |
life in the coalmines and I am proud of the Community's I | :01:45. | :01:49. | |
represent. These communities like many mining communities have seen | :01:49. | :01:55. | |
their fair share of tragedy. Do you agree with the words of the | :01:55. | :02:01. | |
Caerphilly council leader the tragic history throughout the | :02:01. | :02:09. | |
valley, with significant contribution from the coal-mining | :02:09. | :02:18. | |
industry, there should be a Welsh National coal-mining memorial? | :02:18. | :02:23. | |
Universal Colliery in 1913, the worst disaster of them all. I was | :02:23. | :02:28. | |
pleased to be at the launch of the campaign to create a national | :02:28. | :02:34. | |
mining memorial and it was good to see so many people at the launch. | :02:34. | :02:38. | |
The available history curriculum is wide and varied and covers | :02:38. | :02:43. | |
industrial heritage. But many will recognise it when I say schools | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
seemed to concentrate on wartime Europe and the American civil | :02:47. | :02:52. | |
rights movement. What is the Government doing to teach a wider | :02:52. | :03:01. | |
range of topics and concentrate more on Welsh history? Industrial | :03:01. | :03:06. | |
history is central to the history of study which is key stages two | :03:06. | :03:12. | |
and three in schools. It allows further opportunity to develop | :03:12. | :03:22. | |
:03:22. | :03:22. | ||
knowledge and understanding. TRANSLATION: Wales has been a world | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
leader in terms of in a to Viv and industrial developments in the past | :03:27. | :03:32. | |
and it is very important we promote that for the future. At the moments | :03:32. | :03:35. | |
are Committee in the Assembly is scrutinising the Heritage Bill. | :03:35. | :03:42. | |
Would it be possible for young people in schools perhaps, to have | :03:42. | :03:47. | |
more education in terms of what the legislation would mean for them in | :03:47. | :03:54. | |
terms of promoting this particular sector, and in terms of | :03:54. | :03:57. | |
participating in the consultation proposed by Government when they do | :03:57. | :04:01. | |
bring their heritage Bill forward in 2013? | :04:01. | :04:06. | |
TRANSLATION: You would wish to see young people playing a key role in | :04:06. | :04:10. | |
the development and not just the Heritage Bill, but other bills, too. | :04:10. | :04:16. | |
We look forward therefore, to ensuring this would be used to | :04:16. | :04:20. | |
ensure there is an input from young people when the Bill goes through | :04:20. | :04:28. | |
the Senedd. Extending the topic to include also | :04:28. | :04:35. | |
the importance of Welsh agricultural industry and the role | :04:35. | :04:39. | |
that is played alongside the industrial history of Wales and the | :04:39. | :04:44. | |
heavy industries of the South Wales valleys. I have in mind the example | :04:44. | :04:51. | |
of the tram road that is in the Brecon Beacons and in its day | :04:51. | :04:55. | |
transported limestone to the farms of mid-Wales and brought | :04:55. | :04:59. | |
agricultural products down the valley to those communities. First | :04:59. | :05:05. | |
Minister, what can your Government do to ensure the important linkages | :05:05. | :05:09. | |
between the industrial heartlands and the agriculture will | :05:09. | :05:11. | |
communities are understood, particularly in the context of | :05:11. | :05:15. | |
heritage tourism and the potential it has for the Welsh economy? | :05:15. | :05:20. | |
I think the Museum of Welsh life does a good job in illustrating the | :05:20. | :05:24. | |
important role agriculture has played in sustaining people's | :05:24. | :05:29. | |
livelihoods in Wales. And you are right to point out the important | :05:29. | :05:34. | |
link that exists between rural and urban Wales, given the facts so | :05:34. | :05:39. | |
many families who lived in the mining areas had families in rural | :05:39. | :05:43. | |
Wales where the family had originally come from. Leasing no | :05:43. | :05:48. | |
better illustration of that link in the Royal Welsh Show next week when | :05:48. | :05:52. | |
people will be travelling from a them Wales to enjoy the show, and | :05:52. | :05:59. | |
also enjoyed and understand more about agriculture and rural life. | :05:59. | :06:04. | |
Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of acute | :06:04. | :06:12. | |
medical care in the target area? have agreed plans to ensure Neath | :06:12. | :06:17. | |
Port Talbot residents received acute care in the future. I met it | :06:17. | :06:22. | |
with members from the board on Friday and they took time out to | :06:22. | :06:27. | |
tell me about the changes that would be taking place at Neath Port | :06:27. | :06:31. | |
Talbot Hospital in detail. Much of the changes they emphasise his to | :06:31. | :06:37. | |
do with decisions by the Welsh deanery. I would like to clarify | :06:37. | :06:41. | |
who the Welsh Deanery are accountable to and why does it not | :06:41. | :06:46. | |
have to carry out a consultation on its actions? What steps of the | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
Welsh Government taking to discuss with the UK Government that Dr | :06:49. | :06:54. | |
recruitment problems caused by a tightening of immigration rules | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
which has formed a lot of the changes in Neath Port Talbot | :06:58. | :07:03. | |
hospital? The deanery is responsible for postgraduate | :07:03. | :07:06. | |
training and responsible for ensuring medical training is | :07:06. | :07:12. | |
adequate and safe. As far as the deanery of concerned, I have no | :07:12. | :07:17. | |
argument with their right and duty to ensure safe services are | :07:17. | :07:24. | |
provided. You do raise an important point regarding immigration. If | :07:24. | :07:28. | |
immigration is seen as being too Beaumaris as far as the Medical | :07:28. | :07:36. | |
profession is concerned, doctors will go elsewhere. Bewails we have | :07:36. | :07:40. | |
relied on doctor's coming in from elsewhere. We have launched a | :07:40. | :07:46. | |
recruitment campaign in order to attract staff of different | :07:47. | :07:53. | |
seniority is into Welsh hospitals. I am sure he will be pleased the | :07:53. | :07:58. | |
plans are in place to deal with the patient transfer as of the 1st | :07:58. | :08:03. | |
September because of the closure of the queue to medical unit in Neath | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
Port Talbot hospital. Would you be meeting with the UK Government to | :08:07. | :08:11. | |
profess those points, to ensure what we have suffered this it is | :08:11. | :08:15. | |
not repeated and immigration rules allow doctors to be brought in from | :08:15. | :08:21. | |
overseas? This is an issue we have concerns about. Whether it is true | :08:21. | :08:26. | |
or not it is difficult to get into the UK to work as a doctor, is | :08:26. | :08:33. | |
immaterial. The perception is there. When I was in India in April, it | :08:33. | :08:38. | |
was the perception the UK is almost closed in terms of people coming to | :08:38. | :08:41. | |
study here and work here. It is something the UK Government will | :08:41. | :08:50. | |
need to work hard to address. First Minister, we have debated the | :08:50. | :08:57. | |
reasons for closing the acute medical unit and I recognise there | :08:57. | :09:03. | |
are certain issues. My chief issue with the Government is what plans | :09:03. | :09:05. | |
the Government and the Neath Port Talbot Hospital are putting in | :09:05. | :09:10. | |
place to tackle the issue in the long term? We have a wrecked -- | :09:10. | :09:17. | |
excellent hospital, what steps are you taking to ensure doctors will | :09:17. | :09:22. | |
remain? It comes under this point in my view, the need to recruit | :09:22. | :09:27. | |
more doctors. It is not just a Welsh problem, it is a problem | :09:27. | :09:31. | |
across the UK. There are several positions in hospitals across Wales | :09:31. | :09:36. | |
that are not filled, not because there is no finance, but no | :09:36. | :09:40. | |
applicants of the correct quality or standing in order to fill those | :09:40. | :09:44. | |
posts, which is why we are continuing with a recruitment | :09:44. | :09:48. | |
campaign in order to ensure we have hospitals that are staffed | :09:48. | :09:55. | |
appropriately and safely in the future. When I met with the health | :09:55. | :09:59. | |
board on Friday, one of the things that became Kier is this might not | :09:59. | :10:04. | |
be the only area in which they might be difficulties in recruiting | :10:04. | :10:10. | |
staff. Thermite the other problems in the future. In reply to another | :10:10. | :10:14. | |
question, you said the UK Government needs to address the | :10:14. | :10:19. | |
immigration problem. But you did not reply as to whether or not you | :10:19. | :10:23. | |
are making representations to the UK Government about how we can | :10:23. | :10:27. | |
improve the perception to make it easier to recruit doctors from | :10:27. | :10:31. | |
abroad to meet the shortages other health boards may come up against | :10:31. | :10:38. | |
in the future? It is important we realise this is increasingly a | :10:38. | :10:47. | |
perception regarding the UK. This isn't an issue just for one | :10:47. | :10:51. | |
specialism, nor is it just for one hospital, although history suggests | :10:51. | :11:00. | |
it is more difficult to recruit and we must be careful to ensure there | :11:00. | :11:05. | |
are sufficient doctors of quality being recruited in the future, in | :11:05. | :11:11. | |
order to keep services we want to see kept. We move to questions from | :11:11. | :11:16. | |
the party leaders. We have the leader of the Welsh Liberal | :11:16. | :11:20. | |
Democrat, Kirsty Williams. recent weeks, half of your labour | :11:20. | :11:23. | |
colleagues have issued press releases highlighting the extra | :11:23. | :11:30. | |
money for the poorer schoolchildren made available by the Budget. This | :11:30. | :11:34. | |
is thanks to a Labour Government, people have been saying. Of course, | :11:34. | :11:39. | |
everyone knows this is thanks to the insistence of the was Liberal | :11:39. | :11:42. | |
Democrats doing budget Nick associations. Will you ensure the | :11:42. | :11:46. | |
other half of your labour colleagues inform their | :11:46. | :11:50. | |
constituents of this excellent Liberal Democrat policy? I am going | :11:50. | :11:54. | |
to be generous today and hope the generosity of spirit will continue | :11:54. | :11:59. | |
tomorrow, and say it is quite right to say it is a Liberal Democrat | :11:59. | :12:04. | |
idea and we were pleased to take it forward. I am pleased there is a | :12:04. | :12:12. | |
high-level activity. Indeed there is. The Labour spin machine has | :12:12. | :12:18. | |
gone into overdrive. The standard press release quotes you are saying | :12:18. | :12:22. | |
The Wash Government is taking practical action to deliver better | :12:22. | :12:26. | |
opportunities for disadvantaged children. The schools minister says | :12:26. | :12:31. | |
it will provide financial assistance to help reduce the | :12:31. | :12:37. | |
impact on educational attainment. I am not aware of any work towards a | :12:37. | :12:46. | |
dated attempts to implement policy. Isn't this Liberal Democrat policy | :12:46. | :12:53. | |
your best achievement this year? accept as part of the budget Nick | :12:53. | :13:00. | |
associations last year, the grant was approved and it was something | :13:00. | :13:05. | |
agreed on between the two parties. It is a policy which we are more | :13:05. | :13:09. | |
than happy to implement and a policy we agree with. As far as we | :13:09. | :13:16. | |
are concerned, we were more than happy to say it is a policy, one of | :13:16. | :13:20. | |
many this Government has adopted to ensure the welfare of the people in | :13:20. | :13:26. | |
Wales is paramount. This time last year you did Whip Labour Assembly | :13:26. | :13:31. | |
members to vote against it. By the time of the budget you were | :13:31. | :13:35. | |
persuaded up of the case, now you are enthusiastic supporters. | :13:35. | :13:44. | |
Despite Labour member voting against, I hope further appropriate | :13:44. | :13:50. | |
can be made. It would be presumptuous to make any | :13:50. | :13:53. | |
assumptions as to what happens in the Budget next year in advance of | :13:53. | :14:00. | |
any talks and of course, the need to come as the Liberal Democrats | :14:00. | :14:05. | |
see it, to extend the pupil grant will form any part of any talks in | :14:05. | :14:13. | |
the future. We moved to the leader of the opposition. Yesterday we had | :14:13. | :14:18. | |
the excellent news of a lecture vocation, the complete package of | :14:18. | :14:22. | |
electrification of the South Wales a Valley lines and all the way to | :14:22. | :14:27. | |
Swansea. I'm sure you want to use this time to congratulate the UK | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
Government on this announcement? is very much welcome and I look | :14:31. | :14:36. | |
forward to seeing the work begin and it represents what we as a | :14:36. | :14:39. | |
Government have argued before. had the announcement of the | :14:39. | :14:44. | |
Heathrow spur, which your predecessor touched on being the | :14:44. | :14:47. | |
most important announcement for 50 years in relation to the Welsh | :14:47. | :14:52. | |
economy. That was before the announcement on a letter vocation | :14:52. | :14:56. | |
of the valley Lines. This level of investment by the UK Government | :14:57. | :15:00. | |
shows commitment to generating economic prosperity in Wales. Do | :15:00. | :15:06. | |
you not agree with that statement? The opening of the Heathrow spur, I | :15:06. | :15:14. | |
hope it happens as soon as possible. It was interesting in those | :15:14. | :15:20. | |
questions seeing members on your bench agreeing, that those two | :15:20. | :15:24. | |
major points will help the Welsh economy. But when we look at the | :15:24. | :15:28. | |
actions of your own Government, is it time you stepped up to the plate | :15:28. | :15:34. | |
in the field of legislation. We have only had one bill in this, we | :15:34. | :15:39. | |
have had to millions of pounds cut out of the health budget, 16% | :15:39. | :15:45. | |
increase in waiting times in Wales and in the field of education, 40% | :15:45. | :15:51. | |
of primary schoolchildren enter into secondary school with below | :15:51. | :15:56. | |
the average reading age. Doesn't this compare poorly with the level | :15:56. | :16:01. | |
of commitment the UK Government has given to Wales in recent days to | :16:02. | :16:10. | |
the inaction of the Government over I look forward to an agreement | :16:10. | :16:14. | |
regarding Barnett and borrowing. I remind the opposition that the | :16:14. | :16:18. | |
electrification between Paddington and Swansea was introduced in June | :16:18. | :16:22. | |
2009 by the Minister of a different government and in May 2010, the | :16:22. | :16:28. | |
then incoming government placed a moratorium on electrification. | :16:28. | :16:32. | |
There is a real announcement of something previously announced by a | :16:32. | :16:37. | |
Labour government. As far as what we are doing, may I remind the | :16:37. | :16:40. | |
leader of the opposition... Order. Carry on. | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
I remind the leader of the opposition that we have the growth | :16:44. | :16:50. | |
fund, the Investment Fund, the micro business loans, Finance | :16:50. | :16:57. | |
Wales's Jeremy fund and the Digital Development Plan, the Welsh Life | :16:57. | :17:01. | |
Sciences fund, the business start- up service. All these are measures | :17:01. | :17:06. | |
that have been taken to improve our economy despite the buffeting it is | :17:06. | :17:09. | |
taking as a result of external influences. | :17:09. | :17:15. | |
Now the leader of Plaid Cymru. You have made it clear that you or | :17:15. | :17:19. | |
opposed to the welfare reform and benefit cuts coming from the | :17:19. | :17:23. | |
coalition at Westminster. These cutbacks are a socially harmful and | :17:23. | :17:28. | |
they are hitting people's pockets and harming the economy. It even | :17:28. | :17:32. | |
though you have got limited resources to deploy a in countering | :17:32. | :17:36. | |
these harmful cuts, do you agree with me that there needs to be a | :17:36. | :17:40. | |
Welsh alternative to austerity if we have any chance of turning | :17:40. | :17:45. | |
around the Welsh economy? I have just outlined the measures we are | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
taking in order to support the economy and as the leader of Plaid | :17:49. | :17:53. | |
Cymru will know, there is a ministerial group assessing the | :17:53. | :17:57. | |
overall effect of welfare changes on Wales. | :17:57. | :18:02. | |
Thank you, First Minister. You will no doubt be aware of the recent | :18:02. | :18:07. | |
warning about council tax benefit cuts. There are concerns about the | :18:07. | :18:10. | |
lack of time available for local authorities to implement any sort | :18:10. | :18:15. | |
of replacement scheme for that. These cuts are also go against the | :18:15. | :18:18. | |
aims of your tackling poverty Action Plan. First Minister, you | :18:18. | :18:24. | |
have committed to taking a stand against Tory cuts so can you tell | :18:24. | :18:28. | |
us why you disagreed with Plaid Cymru's call to buy some breathing | :18:28. | :18:32. | |
space by cancelling these cuts for a year? | :18:32. | :18:36. | |
We haven't disagreed with anything but when you have something thrown | :18:36. | :18:41. | |
at you as a responsibility without the budget following, especially in | :18:42. | :18:45. | |
difficult financial Times, it is exceptionally hard to look up for | :18:45. | :18:48. | |
the money to make up for the short falls created by the UK government. | :18:49. | :18:53. | |
We want to make sure that there is fairness across the whole of the UK | :18:53. | :18:57. | |
and we would urge the UK government to rethink its policy on council | :18:57. | :19:02. | |
tax benefits or to give us the full amount of the Budget to make sure | :19:02. | :19:05. | |
the benefits can continue at the same level. | :19:05. | :19:08. | |
I don't think that is good enough because you said that you would | :19:08. | :19:12. | |
stand up for the people of Wales against Tory cuts. You could have | :19:12. | :19:17. | |
shielded people from these cuts to council tax benefit as an emergency | :19:17. | :19:21. | |
measure get you have chosen not to. You have chosen to have other | :19:21. | :19:25. | |
priorities. Have you failed to deliver on this, you have failed to | :19:25. | :19:29. | |
deliver on Barnett reform so far, you have failed to deliver any kind | :19:29. | :19:34. | |
of fiscal stimulus that would protect jobs in a communities. Can | :19:34. | :19:40. | |
you tell us how you respond to the words of your adviser who said, I | :19:40. | :19:43. | |
don't think the Welsh government has been anything like as active as | :19:43. | :19:48. | |
the Scottish government. As far as an concerned, I have met | :19:48. | :19:52. | |
many times with UK ministers and I met for the prime minister | :19:52. | :19:55. | |
yesterday. As far as Plaid Cymru are concerned, their words would | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
carry more weight if they had any policies at all in terms of | :19:59. | :20:02. | |
economic stimulus so we are waiting for a proposed Bill that they might | :20:02. | :20:06. | |
bring forward but I remind the leader of Plaid Cymru once again of | :20:06. | :20:10. | |
what has been dead to provide the fiscal stimulus. The economic | :20:10. | :20:15. | |
growth fund, B business loan, the finance world fund, the life | :20:15. | :20:21. | |
sciences fund, the business start- up service. I repeat these and at | :20:21. | :20:25. | |
nauseam for some members but it seems Plaid Cymru and listening | :20:25. | :20:29. | |
because week after week, they make the allegation that nothing has | :20:29. | :20:33. | |
been done to help business and stimulate the economy in Wales when | :20:33. | :20:38. | |
the facts show the opposite. We now move back to questions on | :20:38. | :20:43. | |
the Order Paper. Question 3. What action is the Welsh government | :20:43. | :20:47. | |
taking to help separated parents resolve maintenance? | :20:47. | :20:52. | |
This is largely a non devolved area but we do look after the wealth | :20:52. | :20:57. | |
which -- the welfare of children by encouraging them after separation | :20:57. | :21:00. | |
where it is in the child's best interest. | :21:01. | :21:04. | |
It is a largely devolved area but nonetheless an area affecting | :21:04. | :21:09. | |
people across the whole of the United Kingdom. The evidence shows | :21:09. | :21:13. | |
that children who went in contact with -- who are in contact with | :21:13. | :21:18. | |
both parents have a better outlook on life and it is only when it is | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
an safe that they should not have contact with both parents. What can | :21:22. | :21:26. | |
tact have you had with the UK government over the resolution on | :21:26. | :21:31. | |
shared parenting? There was a �50 million scheme launched to support | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
separated parents to work together more effective way. | :21:35. | :21:41. | |
We welcome the response to the justice review. We believe it is a | :21:41. | :21:46. | |
major reform to improve the lives of children and families. A Family | :21:46. | :21:49. | |
Justice Board have been established to drive these reforms and Welsh | :21:49. | :21:58. | |
government has secured seats fought Welsh representatives on the board. | :21:58. | :22:01. | |
Can the First Minister in for almost as to when he will expect a | :22:01. | :22:04. | |
report on the work of the family operational boards in Wales and | :22:05. | :22:08. | |
whether advice and support could be offered by that board to separated | :22:08. | :22:13. | |
parents? I ask this question to help explode the public myth that | :22:13. | :22:17. | |
separated fathers in Wales do not care about their children's future | :22:17. | :22:21. | |
when the reverse is the two. Whatever assistance can be given by | :22:21. | :22:26. | |
the board is welcome. The member is right to point out that many | :22:26. | :22:28. | |
fathers have historically not seen their children through no fault of | :22:28. | :22:35. | |
their Rome. I have represented both parties in divorce proceedings and | :22:35. | :22:38. | |
in years gone by, if there was a determination on behalf of one | :22:38. | :22:42. | |
parent, that the courts wouldn't intervene and that is not | :22:43. | :22:46. | |
satisfactory. The move towards shared parenting, where appropriate, | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
in the interest of the child, is very well go. | :22:50. | :22:57. | |
Question four. Does the delivery unit have | :22:57. | :23:02. | |
measures in place for development? We measure direct investment in | :23:02. | :23:12. | |
:23:12. | :23:12. | ||
terms of GDP, G D HIV. The delivery unit is monitoring the process. | :23:12. | :23:16. | |
Yesterday's decision to electrify it in effect the whole of the South | :23:16. | :23:22. | |
Wales rail network will be a boon to market Wales internationally. We | :23:22. | :23:25. | |
have good rail services in South Wales in terms of their reach and | :23:26. | :23:29. | |
it is important we build on this and remind people what an | :23:29. | :23:31. | |
attractive place South Wales is to do business. | :23:31. | :23:36. | |
Indeed so. The great worry I have is if the line was electrified as | :23:36. | :23:42. | |
far as Cardiff, Cardiff would be seen as the end of the line. The | :23:42. | :23:46. | |
fear is that the Vale of Glamorgan line is that is a diversion line | :23:47. | :23:50. | |
west so if one line was electrified and the other wasn't, that would be | :23:50. | :23:54. | |
an issue. What we don't know is when the work will begin. We know | :23:54. | :23:57. | |
when the work will begin to Cardiff but it would be helpful to know | :23:57. | :24:01. | |
when the work would be begun and finished as far as Swansea and the | :24:01. | :24:11. | |
:24:11. | :24:11. | ||
Valley lines. You have had a meeting with a | :24:11. | :24:17. | |
representative of German industry UK during this last year. It is a | :24:17. | :24:22. | |
body representing German industry is based here in Britain. Are there | :24:22. | :24:27. | |
any ash comes to those meetings, bearing in mind the importance of | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
the German economy to Europe and of course likewise, to us here in | :24:31. | :24:36. | |
Wales? I did meet with him a number of | :24:36. | :24:41. | |
months ago now and of course, Germany is an exceptionally | :24:41. | :24:45. | |
important economy from Wales's point of view. What we are | :24:45. | :24:50. | |
considering at present is whether we need to insure that we should | :24:50. | :24:53. | |
have someone dealing full-time with Germany on behalf of the Welsh | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
government in order to ensure we are able to create a more | :24:58. | :25:04. | |
investment into Wales from Germany. As the Welsh government had any | :25:04. | :25:07. | |
discussions with her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary about | :25:07. | :25:12. | |
the impact of budget cuts on policing and budget safety in | :25:12. | :25:15. | |
Wales? Not with the Inspectorate of | :25:15. | :25:20. | |
Constabulary. There have been conversations with Constable's. | :25:20. | :25:27. | |
Policing is not devolved but we are helping with community support | :25:27. | :25:29. | |
officers. Following the decision by the UK | :25:29. | :25:32. | |
coalition government to cut police funding in Wales and across the UK | :25:32. | :25:37. | |
by 20%, you will be aware that a report at the start of July from | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
the Inspectorate and card -- Inspector of Constabulary revealed | :25:41. | :25:45. | |
that Welsh forces can expect to lose hundreds of frontline officers | :25:45. | :25:51. | |
as part of frontline staff going across England and Wales. The | :25:51. | :25:53. | |
Police Federation say this will have a serious impact on public | :25:53. | :25:58. | |
safety. In contrast to that, can you confirm that this Welsh | :25:58. | :26:03. | |
government will stick to its commitment to support community | :26:03. | :26:06. | |
safety and Kenny also confirm if he has had any support from the | :26:06. | :26:08. | |
Secretary of State for Wales in fighting for the corner of Welsh | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
police for so his? I would urge the Secretary of State | :26:11. | :26:16. | |
to do just that. It is not an issue she has raised with me in terms of | :26:16. | :26:20. | |
her fighting our corner. As far as the committee's report officers are | :26:20. | :26:26. | |
concerned, there are around 200 I there deployed or in training. That | :26:26. | :26:32. | |
was as of last month and that takes us to was the commitment to deploy | :26:32. | :26:34. | |
a 500 community support officers during the course of this the and | :26:34. | :26:39. | |
much. -- this government. | :26:39. | :26:44. | |
North Wales will be one of the 15 areas in the UK tiling | :26:44. | :26:48. | |
neighbourhood justice panels which will allow trained members of the | :26:48. | :26:52. | |
public a say in how low-level criminality and anti-social | :26:52. | :26:57. | |
offenders could make amends for their communities. We confirm if | :26:57. | :27:01. | |
these panels demonstrate a significant reduction in | :27:01. | :27:04. | |
reoffending and anti-social behaviour in North Wales, that you | :27:04. | :27:09. | |
will work with the Ministry of Justice to roll the boards out | :27:09. | :27:13. | |
across Wales? I look forward to seeing the | :27:13. | :27:16. | |
results of the project but it doesn't get away from the fact that | :27:16. | :27:22. | |
fewer police equals more crime. As simple as that. Offenders are not | :27:22. | :27:26. | |
deterred by the speed of the course, they are not deterred by the | :27:26. | :27:28. | |
availability of courts and sometimes even by the sentencing. | :27:28. | :27:32. | |
They are deterred by being caught and if there is less of a risk of | :27:32. | :27:36. | |
them being caught, that means we will see more of ending which is | :27:36. | :27:39. | |
why fewer police officers inevitably means there will be more | :27:40. | :27:49. | |
:27:50. | :27:50. | ||
people to chance their arm, and A few weeks ago, I met with Nick | :27:50. | :27:56. | |
Herbert, the UK police minister, in Westminster about the cuts. I urged | :27:56. | :27:59. | |
him to accept the request from the South Wales police that there | :27:59. | :28:03. | |
should be additional funding for Cardiff in recognition of its | :28:03. | :28:08. | |
status as a capital city. Does the First Minister agree with me that | :28:08. | :28:12. | |
the UK Coalition's failure to properly fund these costs does put | :28:12. | :28:15. | |
additional pressure on frontline policing in Cardiff and it should | :28:15. | :28:19. | |
be addressed? Indeed, there are extra pressures | :28:19. | :28:22. | |
on South Wales police because of the current funding formula and | :28:22. | :28:25. | |
it's important it is re-examined but I never thought I would see the | :28:25. | :28:30. | |
day when I would see a Conservative lead government elected on the | :28:30. | :28:35. | |
platform with fewer police. I never thought I would see the day when I | :28:35. | :28:37. | |
would see Conservatives in this chamber stand behind back. Most | :28:37. | :28:42. | |
people want to live in communities that are safe and that means having | :28:42. | :28:45. | |
sufficient police officers to insure those communities are safe | :28:45. | :28:55. | |
:28:55. | :28:56. | ||
and that is something the UK First Minister, I was under the | :28:56. | :28:59. | |
assumption that Yvette Cooper had made the same kind of commitment to | :28:59. | :29:06. | |
police cuts herself. The question away at is that at a time when | :29:06. | :29:09. | |
there are swingeing cuts in the police budgets, do you agree with | :29:09. | :29:16. | |
me that it is a bad idea to do. Police commissioners to take money | :29:16. | :29:21. | |
away from the basic police service and shouldn't we be in discussion | :29:21. | :29:25. | |
with Westminster on the devolution of the functions of the police | :29:25. | :29:29. | |
forces, not the police forces themselves, but their functions, in | :29:29. | :29:33. | |
order to provide effective policing in Wales? | :29:33. | :29:40. | |
Well, in considering part two of silk, we need to look at that. It | :29:40. | :29:45. | |
is a fair argument and one that is ongoing in terms of devolution and | :29:45. | :29:49. | |
the police service is one of the only major services that is not | :29:49. | :29:53. | |
devolved but in terms of police commissioners, we were against | :29:53. | :29:57. | |
police commissioners. We now know that these actions will take place | :29:57. | :30:01. | |
in November. What we don't know is what kind of impact the | :30:01. | :30:06. | |
commissioners will have in terms of their responsibilities they cannot | :30:06. | :30:11. | |
interfere with day-to-day police business and it is difficult to see | :30:11. | :30:19. | |
what the benefit of the As chaos descends on the Olympics | :30:19. | :30:28. | |
due to the incompetence of the UK government and G4S and it is left | :30:28. | :30:32. | |
to the public sector, it is left to the public sector to try and pick | :30:32. | :30:37. | |
up the pieces, South Wales police are likely to be drafted down to | :30:37. | :30:41. | |
the Olympics... Order, order. | :30:41. | :30:44. | |
Will you be making any representations to ensure that | :30:44. | :30:48. | |
adequate policing and community support is available in Wales | :30:48. | :30:53. | |
whilst our police are travelling to sort out their mess. | :30:53. | :30:57. | |
I am always amazed that the Conservative benches think they can | :30:57. | :31:01. | |
shout and it has an effect. They can't be heard out there. All that | :31:01. | :31:05. | |
can be heard is a low murmur which is as much sense as you would | :31:05. | :31:08. | |
expect to get out of them but as far as the Member for Pontypridd is | :31:08. | :31:12. | |
concerned, it is clear that we should have enough security around | :31:12. | :31:18. | |
the Olympics. The UK government has questions to ask regarding insuring | :31:18. | :31:22. | |
that security is in place and I really hope it is. We all see what | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
has happened over the last few days and it is incumbent the UK | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
government provides assurances to members of the public that | :31:29. | :31:32. | |
sufficient security will be in place for the Olympic Games. | :31:32. | :31:36. | |
Some members are very restless this afternoon. I am not looking at | :31:36. | :31:45. | |
anybody in particular. Andrew RT Davies. Can we move on to the | :31:45. | :31:55. | |
:31:55. | :32:06. | ||
My question was tabled before the statement but I noted that in the | :32:06. | :32:10. | |
statement, the Health Minister set out a three-stage process in which | :32:10. | :32:15. | |
this process would be brought into play and in the first stage, it | :32:15. | :32:20. | |
related during 2012, when she said it would be further reduced with | :32:20. | :32:26. | |
the number of then closing to insure the appropriate distribution | :32:26. | :32:30. | |
of early morning and evening appointments. What is the take-up | :32:30. | :32:36. | |
of that particular stay to? The Government should ensure that | :32:36. | :32:39. | |
access is available to all people in Wales by the end of this | :32:39. | :32:44. | |
government's term. The member has not referred to the survey this | :32:44. | :32:51. | |
carried out but it was curious. 680 g p practices were written to but | :32:51. | :32:55. | |
there are only 476 in the whole of Wales so I do wonder what the | :32:55. | :33:02. | |
accuracy of that survey actually is. We want to work with doctors to | :33:02. | :33:12. | |
:33:12. | :33:12. | ||
make sure we have access to GP On 18th October, you told the | :33:12. | :33:16. | |
National Assembly that there is no cost to extending GP opening hours | :33:16. | :33:21. | |
and in fact, you said if other surgeries in Wales can do it, why | :33:21. | :33:24. | |
can't those surgeries that currently aunt. What you didn't | :33:24. | :33:28. | |
tell the Assembly was that the cost of providing extended hours at the | :33:28. | :33:34. | |
moment to the government is �726,000 per year, or it was in | :33:34. | :33:42. | |
2010. It is now funded as a direct enhanced service. Given the only | :33:42. | :33:46. | |
surgeries who do open for extra hours at the moment do so because | :33:46. | :33:50. | |
they are getting extra cash and given that the NHS is facing | :33:50. | :33:54. | |
record-breaking cuts as a result of your government decisions in | :33:54. | :33:59. | |
Cardiff Bay, how do you anticipate you can achieve the GP access | :33:59. | :34:04. | |
commitment without extra cash? GPs need to work more flexibly. I | :34:04. | :34:08. | |
think that is reasonable. The taxpayer pays for GPs and the | :34:09. | :34:13. | |
taxpayer is entitled to a service they can access more easily. I hear | :34:13. | :34:17. | |
the member opposite talking about record-breaking cuts when only in | :34:17. | :34:21. | |
the last two days we have heard of plans by health trusts in England | :34:21. | :34:27. | |
to cut people's pay. Fact doctors, cut their pay, sacked nurses, cut | :34:27. | :34:32. | |
their pay. He is suggesting that somehow in Wales, things are worse. | :34:32. | :34:36. | |
We know what would happen if his party was in power in Wales, we | :34:36. | :34:46. | |
:34:46. | :34:49. | ||
would see nurses, doctors, porkers Elin Jones. | :34:49. | :34:52. | |
First Minister, it is your government policy to enhance | :34:52. | :35:00. | |
healthcare in the community given a central role to GPs. Do you share | :35:00. | :35:05. | |
my concerns that there are 60% fewer GP training places available | :35:05. | :35:09. | |
in Bronglais Hospital from August this year onwards? There was a | :35:09. | :35:13. | |
serious impact on staffing levels in this hospital and this was | :35:13. | :35:20. | |
related to the shortage of funding from the Welsh deanery. | :35:20. | :35:30. | |
:35:30. | :35:31. | ||
Once again the Deanery has been mentioned. We need to make sure | :35:31. | :35:36. | |
that doctors are trained in a place they can be trained properly so we | :35:36. | :35:40. | |
need to ensure there are sufficient places in Wales to train them. | :35:41. | :35:44. | |
Sufficient placements. Of course, that is why the recruitment | :35:44. | :35:49. | |
campaign is continuing, bearing in mind that Bronglais Hospital is one | :35:49. | :35:52. | |
of the hospitals that is difficult to recruit two. It is important | :35:52. | :35:57. | |
that people will come to Aberystwyth and be trained in | :35:57. | :36:00. | |
Aberystwyth and those senior doctors are there for that to her | :36:00. | :36:03. | |
than. What is the Welsh government doing | :36:03. | :36:07. | |
to tackle substance misuse? We continue to invest over �50 | :36:07. | :36:11. | |
million per annum to implement the actions within the ten-year | :36:11. | :36:21. | |
:36:21. | :36:22. | ||
Yesterday I ran into a two drug addicts who were also probably | :36:22. | :36:27. | |
drug-dealers, working in an area which is being beset by people who | :36:27. | :36:33. | |
are dealing in drugs and causing huge anti-social problems to the | :36:33. | :36:36. | |
whole community in that area. I just wondered if you could give me | :36:36. | :36:41. | |
some indication as to how much we can expect substance misuse to rise | :36:41. | :36:47. | |
in line with increased unemployment, as people often turn to drugs | :36:47. | :36:51. | |
because they are depressed and are not properly employed. | :36:51. | :36:57. | |
substance misuse action fund is providing �27.5 million in funding | :36:57. | :37:01. | |
to community safety partnerships to tackle substance misuse and �5.7 | :37:02. | :37:07. | |
million to improve substance misuse treatment facilities. A further | :37:07. | :37:13. | |
�17.1 million is ring-fenced for substance misuse services within | :37:14. | :37:21. | |
the health discretionary budgets. First Minister, for every 10 | :37:21. | :37:29. | |
alcohol-related car accidents on young male drivers admit to driving | :37:29. | :37:33. | |
after taking drugs. The Crown Communications and Court Bill | :37:33. | :37:39. | |
announced in this year's Queen's Speech announced proposals to | :37:39. | :37:42. | |
tackle drunk-driving. Of what correspondent have you had with UK | :37:42. | :37:50. | |
ministers to protect Welsh interests in this matter? Driving | :37:50. | :37:56. | |
while under the influence of drugs is already an offence, of course. | :37:56. | :38:00. | |
It can sometimes be difficult to assess whether they are on drugs or | :38:00. | :38:06. | |
not. It is easier with the breathalyser and blood tests, which | :38:06. | :38:11. | |
are normally taken at the police station. But we would very much | :38:11. | :38:16. | |
support any moves by the UK government to reduce the number of | :38:16. | :38:20. | |
deaths caused by drug driving and the number of people who drive | :38:20. | :38:30. | |
:38:30. | :38:31. | ||
I accept your answer about the work of the community safety | :38:31. | :38:36. | |
partnerships. What is the Government doing to recover | :38:36. | :38:39. | |
individuals in integrated Peer Support Scheme and do you agree | :38:39. | :38:44. | |
with establishing a recovery champion scheme, wouldn't only | :38:44. | :38:49. | |
benefit substance misusers but provide unstable individuals with | :38:49. | :38:54. | |
the opportunity to contribute to society and support their continued | :38:54. | :39:00. | |
recovery? The first step to recovery is treatment. Waiting | :39:00. | :39:06. | |
times have reduced substantially. The latest published figures | :39:06. | :39:13. | |
between September and October 2011, 7-1 climbs were assessed within 10 | :39:13. | :39:17. | |
days of referral and 91% were treated within 10 days of | :39:18. | :39:22. | |
assessment. There are areas where waiting times are higher than we | :39:22. | :39:30. | |
would want. We are working with those area planning boards. | :39:30. | :39:34. | |
Question number eight. Will the First Minister provide an update on | :39:34. | :39:38. | |
the Welsh Government's policies for looked after children in Wales? | :39:38. | :39:43. | |
are progressing with plans to improve the lives of looked at two | :39:43. | :39:46. | |
children which builds on our innovative if programmes to support | :39:46. | :39:56. | |
families, including integrated family support services. The latest | :39:56. | :40:01. | |
year in which figures are available show a further 5% increase in the | :40:01. | :40:06. | |
number of children looked after by local authorities in Wales. It is a | :40:06. | :40:11. | |
trend which has been established for a 20 year period. Would you | :40:11. | :40:16. | |
welcome the decision of the newly elected Labour authority in Cardiff | :40:16. | :40:22. | |
to develop a social impact on, tailored to Welsh circumstances? | :40:22. | :40:29. | |
And if successful it would allow the Welsh authority to re-engineer | :40:29. | :40:33. | |
services to allow families to stay together rather than taking | :40:33. | :40:41. | |
children into care? That approach is very much in line with ours, and | :40:41. | :40:45. | |
we welcome the initiative. It is an initiative which invests in | :40:45. | :40:50. | |
programmes which supports these the rebel groups. Cardiff will need to | :40:50. | :40:54. | |
undertake a proper valuation, but I do look forward to seeing how it | :40:54. | :41:02. | |
develops. STUDIO. That is it from First | :41:02. | :41:12. | |
:41:12. | :41:15. | ||
Minister's Questions until September. As usual, Welsh affairs | :41:15. | :41:20. | |
editor Vaughn Roderick is here. But anyone was watching last week they | :41:20. | :41:23. | |
would have heard us say that was the most exciting First Minister's | :41:23. | :41:30. | |
Questions we would have seen, not so today? It was a bit flat today. | :41:30. | :41:36. | |
Kirsty Williams trying to take the credit she feels is due. He gave it. | :41:36. | :41:42. | |
He disarmed her by saying, sure. Then she came across as petulant | :41:42. | :41:52. | |
and ungracious. Leanne Wood I think had one of her First Minister's | :41:52. | :42:00. | |
Questions. She was responding to what Carwyn Jones was saying. A bit | :42:00. | :42:04. | |
of a surprise none of the opposition leaders or any other | :42:04. | :42:07. | |
members chose to go on the questions surrounding the Health | :42:07. | :42:14. | |
Secretary. - the health minister rather. I would have thought they | :42:14. | :42:18. | |
could have brought the heat up on Lesley Griffiths before the no | :42:18. | :42:22. | |
confidence vote tomorrow. How has the no confidence motion ran out of | :42:22. | :42:27. | |
steam? Assuming all Labour Am's are here and press the right button, | :42:27. | :42:33. | |
they won't lose the vote? Even if the opposition party members are | :42:33. | :42:37. | |
here, and it appears not all of them, maybe, the numbers don't | :42:37. | :42:43. | |
stack up for the opposition to win the vote. A lot of people are | :42:43. | :42:46. | |
beginning to look at Lesley Griffiths appearance before the | :42:46. | :42:49. | |
health committee as being the thing that made beside her long-term | :42:49. | :42:56. | |
future. There are some people on the Labour benches, while they | :42:56. | :43:00. | |
backed Lesley Griffiths, have doubts about her as health minister. | :43:00. | :43:04. | |
There is some talk Carwyn Jones should look at a reshuffle over the | :43:04. | :43:09. | |
summer. It is very low level, but it might be more important to her | :43:09. | :43:12. | |
future on how well she comes across in the health committee, rather | :43:12. | :43:17. | |
than the actual debate in the Chamber. Another person who has | :43:17. | :43:21. | |
been changing around her team, Leanne Wood has appointed Elin | :43:21. | :43:29. | |
Jones as her deputy leader? Yes, Linda maze Johnson said it is | :43:29. | :43:35. | |
better to have somebody inside the tent spitting out. Elin Jones came | :43:35. | :43:40. | |
second in the leadership race, and it is an idea to keep your end of - | :43:40. | :43:47. |