:00:27. > :00:28.Good afternoon, welcome to our weekly coverage of questions
:00:29. > :00:30.to the First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
:00:31. > :00:33.We can expect questions today on the Swansea Bay City Region,
:00:34. > :00:38.There could even be a question from the new Independent AM
:00:39. > :00:40.for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Dafydd Elis Thomas!
:00:41. > :00:43.Don't forget you can follow all the latest on Welsh
:00:44. > :00:49.politics on our Twitter feed - we're @walespolitics.
:00:50. > :00:51.Well, business in the Siambr has already started,
:00:52. > :01:01.so let's go over to today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:02. > :01:09.I call the National Assembly to order and the first item is
:01:10. > :01:12.questions to the First Minister. The first question is from Jenny
:01:13. > :01:17.Rathbone. Can you provide an update on the funding needed for the south
:01:18. > :01:21.wales metro? The metro phase two project has been estimated at 730
:01:22. > :01:24.for me and pounds on the final cost will be determined during
:01:25. > :01:32.procurement negotiations. The funding includes match funding from
:01:33. > :01:37.the ER D F. Given that even Alan Cairns announced his enthusiasm for
:01:38. > :01:42.the south wales metro and has recognised the strategic importance
:01:43. > :01:48.of it for providing jobs and growth for the whole of the Southeast Wales
:01:49. > :01:53.area, are you confident the UK Government will give us the money we
:01:54. > :02:03.need to ensure we can deliver this project? Given the Secretary of
:02:04. > :02:07.State for Wales' enthusiasm I would expect in to demonstrate another
:02:08. > :02:13.influence amongst his colleagues in order to deliver the ?125 million of
:02:14. > :02:19.funding that we will lose as a result of the loss of European
:02:20. > :02:26.funding. Enthusiasm is one thing but if the full funding of the South
:02:27. > :02:32.Wales metro is not concede, what is the plan B? The Metro would not be
:02:33. > :02:39.able to proceed with the same ambition. They would also be a Metro
:02:40. > :02:42.but they would be ?125 million less money involved so the reach of the
:02:43. > :02:49.metro and the speed of its expansion will be less. We have heard from
:02:50. > :02:51.those who wish to leave the EU that every single penny of European
:02:52. > :02:56.funding would be guaranteed we expect that promise to be honoured.
:02:57. > :03:00.Could you outline what discussions you had with the UK Government
:03:01. > :03:14.directly with regards to the project? As we have said we expect
:03:15. > :03:18.to see the money to be there and if the money is lost through European
:03:19. > :03:25.funding, at an official level that is readily contact in terms of how
:03:26. > :03:34.we move forward. There is a great deal of official contact that takes
:03:35. > :03:38.place on a regular basis. A simple question, when will the construction
:03:39. > :03:49.phase begin? At the moment we are going through the bidding process
:03:50. > :03:58.and once that process is finalised we expect to see phase two begin but
:03:59. > :04:02.it depends on the franchising in terms of the Wales and Borders
:04:03. > :04:09.franchise, as soon as possible after the bidding process is completed.
:04:10. > :04:16.Will the First Minister provide an update on the legislative programme
:04:17. > :04:20.for the fifth assembly? Yes. I announced the first and let --
:04:21. > :04:30.annual programme on the 20th of June. When the were expect to see
:04:31. > :04:32.the main policy thrust of any new legislation that is passed during
:04:33. > :04:38.the fifth assembly being implement it. How long would you expect it to
:04:39. > :04:44.take from Royal Ascent tourist policy being implement it and being
:04:45. > :04:47.delivered on the ground? Much was made of the social services and
:04:48. > :04:51.well-being bill that was passed with Royal Ascent in April 2014 and yet
:04:52. > :04:57.we're still waiting for policy outcomes from that. Much of it
:04:58. > :05:01.depends on the legislation itself. The Minister has agreed that
:05:02. > :05:08.officials will meet with the National Autistic Society to discuss
:05:09. > :05:12.the society's draft bill. I am confident we have the legislative
:05:13. > :05:20.policy levers to improve the lives of people with autism and their
:05:21. > :05:24.families and carers of course. A fresh action plan will be published
:05:25. > :05:30.next month which will be accompanied with a delivery plan. We have
:05:31. > :05:34.consulted on the draft action plan which addresses priorities for
:05:35. > :05:40.stakeholders. That legislation is still moving forward but as we said
:05:41. > :05:43.last week we will monitor the situation and work with the National
:05:44. > :05:51.Autistic Society and keep the door open for legislation. On the 20th of
:05:52. > :05:55.June the country had only just decided to leave the EU but as a
:05:56. > :06:00.consequence there could be legislative implications here in
:06:01. > :06:06.Wales. What analysis is the government doing to look at the
:06:07. > :06:12.implications based upon the fact we could see more legislation coming
:06:13. > :06:15.from Brussels? It's difficult at this stage to examine what the
:06:16. > :06:19.situation might be given the fact we await the judgment of the Supreme
:06:20. > :06:25.Court potentially in terms of the use of the Royal prerogative and the
:06:26. > :06:34.effect that could potentially have on repealing static laws. Until we
:06:35. > :06:38.see the outcome of that process it is difficult at this stage to know
:06:39. > :06:40.what affect they will be on individual items of legislation
:06:41. > :06:45.passed by the assembly. What we expect will happen is the
:06:46. > :06:50.opportunity will arrive at some point to offer the assembly the
:06:51. > :07:04.opportunity to decide whether it should be bound by E U laws in the
:07:05. > :07:10.future. In launching your legislative programme you mention
:07:11. > :07:15.two pieces of legislation which were a matter of discussion between our
:07:16. > :07:20.own two parties, namely the autism Bill which has been mentioned and
:07:21. > :07:26.another bill relating to the reasonable chastisement of children.
:07:27. > :07:31.Can you confirm that during this assembly term that you as First
:07:32. > :07:37.Minister are still going to bring forward legislation on those two
:07:38. > :07:42.areas? In relation to the second item that is something we want to
:07:43. > :07:50.proceed with the cross-party basis. In terms of autism may I tell him
:07:51. > :07:58.what the two parties agreed back in June. We worked together to consider
:07:59. > :08:03.how best to deliver separate legislation on autism to place the
:08:04. > :08:13.autism spectrum Street -- action plan on a footing. It'll take into
:08:14. > :08:18.account the service and the limitation of the social services
:08:19. > :08:23.and Wales well-being act 2014 I can confirm what I said and confirm what
:08:24. > :08:29.has been agreed between the two parties. Questions from the party
:08:30. > :08:34.leaders and first of all the leader of the Ukip group Neil Hamilton. As
:08:35. > :08:38.the First Minister will no Wales has the lowest number of GPs per
:08:39. > :08:47.thousand patients of any part of the UK. He will know that training
:08:48. > :08:50.places are currently not filled, increasing numbers of GPs are
:08:51. > :08:58.retiring early and there is a growing recruitment crisis. Can he
:08:59. > :09:03.tell the assembly what plans the government has to train a greater
:09:04. > :09:07.proportion of UK doctors in Wales? It is not realistic to think we will
:09:08. > :09:17.be able to train every doctor that practices in Wales. That is true of
:09:18. > :09:21.every health service everywhere in the developed world. We want to make
:09:22. > :09:31.sure we train more doctors, that's true. I don't accept there is a
:09:32. > :09:36.crisis in GP recruitment. On the 20th of October we will be launching
:09:37. > :09:43.our GP recruitment campaign to make sure we attract more students and
:09:44. > :09:49.practitioners to Wales. As he will know since 2004 the percentage of
:09:50. > :09:54.funding in Wales spent on GPs has gone down from over 10% to just over
:09:55. > :09:59.7.5%. In the same time consultation rates have increased by more than
:10:00. > :10:03.20% so GPs are being more hard-pressed in their daily work.
:10:04. > :10:07.Does he agree with me that the independent contractor market is the
:10:08. > :10:12.one which offers better value for money for the NHS overall and does
:10:13. > :10:17.he realise that for every half-hour of patient contact that GPs do they
:10:18. > :10:21.have another half-hour inpatient centred work and another half-hour
:10:22. > :10:31.in administration. If that were to be done by local health boards we
:10:32. > :10:39.would get more bang for every Buckley spent. We should be wary of
:10:40. > :10:45.referring people constantly pushing people in the direction of GPs. We
:10:46. > :10:50.are looking to advise people that for many conditions they should go
:10:51. > :10:56.to the pharmacist or the practice nurse instead of going straight to
:10:57. > :11:03.the GP. It is a matter the GPs as to the way they organise themselves.
:11:04. > :11:10.More and more GPs are not attracted by the independent contractor model.
:11:11. > :11:15.It is a matter for the profession how it organises itself. I don't
:11:16. > :11:26.think the independent contractor model is the only model. I agree
:11:27. > :11:30.with some of the first said but I would like to reiterate some of the
:11:31. > :11:35.points which have been made by other questions today. Does he understand
:11:36. > :11:39.the anger and incomprehension amongst the public at large that
:11:40. > :11:43.Labour AMs were whipped last week to vote against the motion for an
:11:44. > :11:46.autism Bill which was not a legislative proposal itself but in
:11:47. > :11:56.expression of opinion from this assembly. In Haverfordwest on
:11:57. > :12:05.Thursday I was asked this question by members of the public. I have
:12:06. > :12:13.seen some very difficult cases over the years. But what would a Lord
:12:14. > :12:18.deliver for them? What's important is that we work with the National
:12:19. > :12:22.Autistic Society to identify with them what aspects of the draft Bill
:12:23. > :12:26.actually can be delivered in other ways. Why wait years for the bill if
:12:27. > :12:32.there are better ways to deliver better service now. The law is what
:12:33. > :12:36.is required when every other means has shown itself not to be
:12:37. > :12:40.effective. We will work with the society to make sure that we can
:12:41. > :12:42.deliver what we can and what we have already and examine whether there is
:12:43. > :12:50.a need for legislation in the future. The leader of Plaid Cymru,
:12:51. > :12:53.Leanne Wood. For bidders have expressed an interest in running the
:12:54. > :13:01.Wales on the Borders franchise and the associated Metro system. One
:13:02. > :13:05.area needing further scrutiny is the franchise map or the routes which
:13:06. > :13:10.will be operated. We know that the UK Government depart for transport
:13:11. > :13:13.wanted to remove certain routes from the franchise and in particular
:13:14. > :13:18.those which which are served destinations in England. Your
:13:19. > :13:22.Cabinet Secretary has indicated the UK Government was the map broadly
:13:23. > :13:27.unchanged. Do the four bidders know which routes they are bidding for
:13:28. > :13:37.and can you tell us when passengers across Wales will be given site of
:13:38. > :13:42.the next franchise map? First of all, at this moment in time the
:13:43. > :13:56.Welsh Government is prevented from running a franchise for reasons that
:13:57. > :14:00.are not fathomable in logic. If it's right for Scotland it should also be
:14:01. > :14:05.read for Wales. As far as the franchise is concerned in service of
:14:06. > :14:10.the destinations our view is the franchise map should stay as it is.
:14:11. > :14:13.Otherwise there will be no service between Merthyr and the Conway
:14:14. > :14:17.Valley Railway which is run by the Welsh Government. Every service
:14:18. > :14:23.along the North Wales mainline will be run by England. The central Wales
:14:24. > :14:29.line, the heart of Wales line, Cambrian coastline will all be run
:14:30. > :14:39.out of the Welsh franchise which is a ludicrous situation. The renewal
:14:40. > :14:41.of the franchise gives us an opportunity to look at capacity and
:14:42. > :14:46.there is a significant issue with capacity on Valley lines. Everyday
:14:47. > :14:51.commuters face issues of overcrowding and delays. Frequency
:14:52. > :14:56.is an issue as well. On the Treherbert line which I am familiar
:14:57. > :15:04.with their hourly to passing points on that line and we need to go from
:15:05. > :15:12.a single line to aid do a lot line. In the budget today there is
:15:13. > :15:15.capacity so can you say more about that train line and in particular
:15:16. > :15:20.can you tell us when we can expect to see a plan for the retailing of
:15:21. > :15:33.the Treherbert train line? We want to see better frequency and
:15:34. > :15:40.a better quality of Rolling stock on all lines. We want proper
:15:41. > :15:44.signalling, and possibly more passing loops. The question as to
:15:45. > :15:48.whether the entire line should be read you old, whether that would add
:15:49. > :15:53.anything beyond other improvements, is an open question. One thing I can
:15:54. > :15:59.say to you. Plaid Cymru is we are committed to delivering a better
:16:00. > :16:03.system with better frequency on all the Valley lines. I welcome this.
:16:04. > :16:08.When the franchise was last awarded, there was no provision for growth in
:16:09. > :16:12.passenger numbers. There was no capacity within the franchise to
:16:13. > :16:17.increase rolling stock. Can you explain how you will make sure that
:16:18. > :16:21.point is addressed in the next franchise? People travelling on
:16:22. > :16:25.those Valley lines are sick and tired of travelling on decades-old
:16:26. > :16:32.second-hand rolling stock. When you travel elsewhere, there are
:16:33. > :16:35.excellent trains. Do you think train travellers in Wales deserve the
:16:36. > :16:39.service they have to put up with? Now, it could be far better. We have
:16:40. > :16:44.seen improvements at Queen Street station. But I know full well that
:16:45. > :16:49.the quality of trains is poorer. They like air conditioning, they are
:16:50. > :16:54.not pleasant to travel on. The frequency is not good, the capacity
:16:55. > :16:58.is not good. People often have to suffer overcrowding. To the extent
:16:59. > :17:02.some trains pass through some stations to avoid overcrowding.
:17:03. > :17:07.These will be addressed as a result of the franchise negotiations. The
:17:08. > :17:12.franchise will transfer in autumn next year. We're determined to
:17:13. > :17:18.improve capacity, better frequency on all Valley line services. It is
:17:19. > :17:26.an intrinsic part of the Metro to make sure people enjoy a far better
:17:27. > :17:33.service. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew Davies. There
:17:34. > :17:39.is a report out that highlighted the extra costs of child care policy,
:17:40. > :17:43.which could potentially end up costing the Welsh Government with a
:17:44. > :17:46.deficit of a over what you costed through your manifesto. Do you
:17:47. > :17:53.recognise the figures in that report? If you do, how will you make
:17:54. > :17:56.allowances to be able to meet that increased demand that we all
:17:57. > :18:02.recognise that childcare is an important part of the balance many
:18:03. > :18:04.families face on a day-to-day basis? There were several assumptions are
:18:05. > :18:09.new report about how to implement childcare policy. The figures we
:18:10. > :18:12.came up with where based on providing health care for those
:18:13. > :18:16.working 16 hours per week or more. They were figures provided to us by
:18:17. > :18:25.an independent survey, not by ourselves. But I take it from your
:18:26. > :18:27.answer you do except there is a potential for this massive
:18:28. > :18:33.overspend, especially if the scheme is hopefully a rip-roaring success,
:18:34. > :18:37.because, all parties recognise that childcare is a huge issue. Your
:18:38. > :18:42.offer is the one that will be implemented because in Government
:18:43. > :18:46.and is this potential of an overspend of ?110 million that is
:18:47. > :18:51.not small change. In the money you have available as a Government. What
:18:52. > :18:57.allowances are you making to make sure resources are available, so the
:18:58. > :19:01.scheme can be implemented and its full capacity and potential reached
:19:02. > :19:04.at the end of this assembly? We don't accept those figures are
:19:05. > :19:11.correct. We are confident in the figures we have. They are robust.
:19:12. > :19:19.They were not provided by ourselves, beware provided through work we
:19:20. > :19:24.commissioned. So you take it those figures are not correct and you are
:19:25. > :19:28.figures of ?90 million are the costings of that scheme. But if you
:19:29. > :19:32.look at wider commitments in the first five months of this assembly,
:19:33. > :19:38.you have the backing of the black group, the most expensive relief
:19:39. > :19:41.option, the people premium agreed the Education Secretary. The
:19:42. > :19:45.potential for an overspend on childcare policy. We know from the
:19:46. > :19:51.report last week, there is a deficit opening up in NHS funding to a
:19:52. > :19:55.potential tune of ?700 million. In fairness to you, when you are on the
:19:56. > :19:59.campaign trail, you said for every commitment they would have to be a
:20:00. > :20:04.cut. Where will the cuts fall within your programme to deliver on those
:20:05. > :20:11.commitments I have just outlined? That will become apparent during the
:20:12. > :20:15.course of the Budget Statement. That will go through borrowing and not
:20:16. > :20:22.through our own capital but... Budget. That will help us deliver
:20:23. > :20:28.the manifesto promises and that is what we did in 2011. We will keep
:20:29. > :20:36.his promises. Question three, Hannah Blythyn. Can you make a statement on
:20:37. > :20:41.investment and tourism in North Wales? We support this, including
:20:42. > :20:48.capital and development funding as well as marketing and promotional
:20:49. > :20:52.activities. On Friday, I was at eight tourism Association meeting,
:20:53. > :20:56.discussing the value of the tourism economy to North Wales. I welcome
:20:57. > :21:01.the commitment of the Cabinet Secretary to create a culture
:21:02. > :21:04.comment, including new signage to mark up our amazing heritage and
:21:05. > :21:07.tourist assets in the region. First Minister, do you agree with the
:21:08. > :21:13.Valley of this? Can you give an update on the progress of the
:21:14. > :21:18.enhanced signage? I can say that we are developing proposals for new
:21:19. > :21:23.tourism routes across Wales, including doing more to promote
:21:24. > :21:28.culture and heritage attractions across the A55, to encourage people
:21:29. > :21:32.to spend time in the area. We have heard from people who have travelled
:21:33. > :21:44.this route on the way to Ireland. We want more of these to stop. To his
:21:45. > :21:48.representatives have told me the Welsh Government need to respond to
:21:49. > :21:56.the ?40 million provided by visit England for tourism marketing there.
:21:57. > :22:00.And to acknowledge how it proposes to address the funding already being
:22:01. > :22:03.distributed. How do you respond to the concern that Wales needs to be
:22:04. > :22:08.aware of the increased resources close to our borders, such as
:22:09. > :22:15.Chester, Cheshire, Shropshire, Bristol and Bath? With the potential
:22:16. > :22:21.to encourage English staycation and bring overseas visitors to Wales. It
:22:22. > :22:25.is good that more people are visiting Wales from abroad. It has
:22:26. > :22:32.been quite significant over the past year. We market Wales on the basis
:22:33. > :22:37.of themed years. This is the year of adventure. We know the sector is
:22:38. > :22:43.worth ?400 million to the Welsh economy. The North will play an
:22:44. > :22:47.important part in these plans. We are working closely with business in
:22:48. > :22:51.order to make that happen. We want to keep an eye on competitors but we
:22:52. > :22:58.know that the figures we have from tourism, we have been successful in
:22:59. > :23:02.attracting more and more visitors. One of the priorities is to extend
:23:03. > :23:06.the tourism series so we can provide jobs to the people of North Wales
:23:07. > :23:11.throughout the year. Can you tell us what your Government is doing to
:23:12. > :23:14.achieve that? And how you would use any additional resources that could
:23:15. > :23:23.be allocated to tourism to achieve that? You have to have activities
:23:24. > :23:28.available throughout regions, for example, Snowdonia is something we
:23:29. > :23:33.have supported. And it is important to say that tourism should not be
:23:34. > :23:37.completely seasonal because it then creates a situation where people are
:23:38. > :23:46.not in employment throughout the year. By supporting all year round
:23:47. > :23:51.activities, it is important we bring people in throughout the winter as
:23:52. > :23:55.well as the summer. Thank you. First Minister, could we have more detail
:23:56. > :24:00.on how the Welsh Government proposes to market North Wales is a holiday
:24:01. > :24:06.destination, please? We have eight tourism investment support scheme.
:24:07. > :24:11.It funds businesses in the north, totalling ?7.8 billion. It has
:24:12. > :24:19.created 361 jobs and safeguarded another 113. We have the tourism
:24:20. > :24:32.attractive destination programme. We have spent on call when they and at
:24:33. > :24:40.the seafront, a substantial investment of ?30 million, improving
:24:41. > :24:44.the real seafront. We're bringing ?200,000 to the north through the
:24:45. > :24:48.tourism innovation fund and we have invested ?1.7 million in major
:24:49. > :25:00.events, including the slate man and Sandman triathlons. Various
:25:01. > :25:05.festivals, to name a few. Question for, Dai Lloyd. Thank you. We'll be
:25:06. > :25:10.First Minister Michu statement on the demand on primary care services?
:25:11. > :25:14.We have seen an increase in demand on primary care services. We will be
:25:15. > :25:19.lodging an international marketing campaign to encourage more GPs to
:25:20. > :25:27.work in Wales and over ?42 million has been made available to health
:25:28. > :25:36.boards to support the delivery of our primary care plan. Thank you.
:25:37. > :25:43.Many of us attended a BMA meeting last week, where they launched a
:25:44. > :25:49.review of GP practice in 2016 and that painted a picture of the huge
:25:50. > :25:54.pressures on GPs, bearing in mind that a GP would see some 50 patients
:25:55. > :26:01.per day on average and that includes very complex problems because the
:26:02. > :26:06.simple problems have already been separated out these days and it's
:26:07. > :26:09.only the more serious issues that the GP addresses. And of course,
:26:10. > :26:15.it's only those situations where a GP is required. And that's why the
:26:16. > :26:19.pressures are so huge. There are complex patients who can only be
:26:20. > :26:26.seen by GPs. What can you do to reduce these huge pressures on GPs
:26:27. > :26:31.now? Well, the BMA, of course, is part of the work we're undertaking.
:26:32. > :26:35.They're not out with that. And of course they represent our members. I
:26:36. > :26:41.understand that. But we have been working with them to ensure there is
:26:42. > :26:46.a reduction in the pressures on GPs and one example is the collaborative
:26:47. > :26:49.in mid Wales working to ensure services available for people in mid
:26:50. > :26:55.Wales to consider new ways of working. Ultimately, we wish to see
:26:56. > :26:59.more GPs being trained in Wales and working in Wales. That is why the
:27:00. > :27:04.campaign will be launched in two days' time. It is important to
:27:05. > :27:15.provide primary care facilities fit for purpose and that meet demand.
:27:16. > :27:18.Carmen Taff University Council is collaborating to do this. How was
:27:19. > :27:24.the Welsh Government working with partners to improve primary care
:27:25. > :27:29.facilities across Wales? We have developed a proposal for the primary
:27:30. > :27:32.care facility and look to work with all health boards to deliver those
:27:33. > :27:37.kinds of facilities. I have seen them opening all across Wales,
:27:38. > :27:42.modern facilities, where tractors is can give their identities within
:27:43. > :27:45.those buildings, wherever there is access to support services. We will
:27:46. > :27:49.keep working with GPs and health boards to deliver more up-to-date
:27:50. > :27:57.modern health services in the future. Susie Davis. Keeping people
:27:58. > :28:02.out of hospital is bidding demand on primary care places. People in need
:28:03. > :28:06.of social care are more likely to: primary care than the general
:28:07. > :28:09.population. Social care is not all about the GP. I wonder how the Welsh
:28:10. > :28:13.Government is securing the support of non-medical intervention to
:28:14. > :28:18.support the confidence and emotional well-being of people in social care
:28:19. > :28:23.and how you then measure the drop in demand on primary care services.
:28:24. > :28:27.Especially primary and mental health care services. We know how important
:28:28. > :28:32.it is to have support services for people outside hospital. That means
:28:33. > :28:35.ensuring we don't cut spending in social services, as has happened
:28:36. > :28:39.over the border. In Wales, spending on health and social services is
:28:40. > :28:44.ever % higher per head than in England. You cannot divorce the two.
:28:45. > :28:48.You cannot raid one budget to pay for the other. The two run together.
:28:49. > :28:54.That is why we have protected the budgets in Wales and will continue
:28:55. > :28:59.to do so. First Minister, with a growing and ageing population in
:29:00. > :29:02.Wales, we have increased pressure on primary care services. As those of
:29:03. > :29:06.us who signed the urgent prescription for general practice
:29:07. > :29:11.can attest to, workload pressures upon GPs is undermining the safety
:29:12. > :29:14.of patient care. Will the Welsh Government support the BMA request
:29:15. > :29:20.for a local health boards to stop the practice of requiring GPs to
:29:21. > :29:24.deliver tests organised in other parts of the NHS and for the
:29:25. > :29:30.introduction of a national standard for a minimum number of patients a
:29:31. > :29:35.GP can be expected to deal with during the working day? It is
:29:36. > :29:41.normally the case that went GPs use tests from other parts of the health
:29:42. > :29:49.service, it is not a case that they find their time is not compensated.
:29:50. > :29:54.This year, we have seen the recruitment of over 400 additional
:29:55. > :29:56.staff across Wales, including clinical pharmacists, care
:29:57. > :30:00.coordinators and they help to support GPs as part of a GP led
:30:01. > :30:05.multi-professional approach. If you look at Prestatyn, this is a great
:30:06. > :30:09.example of a service that is much improved. It was taken over by the
:30:10. > :30:12.Health Board. A number of practitioners are available for
:30:13. > :30:16.people. They can be delivered to the right one when they arrive at the
:30:17. > :30:31.premises. That is a good model to investigate for the rest of Wales.
:30:32. > :30:39.The government has not yet provided a full response to the Diamond
:30:40. > :30:44.review and that response is being considered and will be announced in
:30:45. > :30:47.due course. If the government 's mind is still open on this matter
:30:48. > :30:52.will the First Minister know that university participation is already
:30:53. > :30:55.high. Mark Drakeford will be setting out later the financial pressures
:30:56. > :31:00.the Welsh Government faces and in response to my party colleagues
:31:01. > :31:06.earlier you were unable to West -- estimated started on the Metro and
:31:07. > :31:10.you heard we had the lowest GP numbers in the UK. In light of that
:31:11. > :31:18.Will the first Mr consider whether providing means tested grants to
:31:19. > :31:22.this group really is a priority? In regard to the Metro that is because
:31:23. > :31:28.of the franchise will be transferred into the autumn of next year so it's
:31:29. > :31:33.difficult to give a start date for phase one. It is to do with phase
:31:34. > :31:39.two and the wavy agreement on the franchise on the map will be
:31:40. > :31:45.determining when the next phase of the Metro will begin. The secretary
:31:46. > :31:54.of education has outlined the broad principles we will be following in
:31:55. > :31:58.regard to the Diamond review. As we move away from the model which has
:31:59. > :32:03.been described as the unsustainable model to model which I assume will
:32:04. > :32:09.be based on Diamond can you confirm whether it is your intention to
:32:10. > :32:12.achieve any financial savings? We want to ensure there is an equitable
:32:13. > :32:17.system in place that uses the funding available and follows the
:32:18. > :32:22.principles we have already set down, namely that we retain the principal
:32:23. > :32:31.that every body should be part of the system to ensure there is a fair
:32:32. > :32:36.and consistent approach to dealing with students, whether they be part
:32:37. > :32:42.time a full-time, and ensuring of course there is investment by the
:32:43. > :32:45.individual and also by the government to ensure they have
:32:46. > :32:52.greater access to higher education. Those are the principles the
:32:53. > :32:58.secretary has cited and those are the ones we will follow. You had an
:32:59. > :33:04.opportunity there to recommit yourself to the commit and both the
:33:05. > :33:08.Liberal Democrats reached which was they would be no negative effect on
:33:09. > :33:12.the high education budget as a result of the pronunciation of any
:33:13. > :33:15.changes. Will you take the opportunity to make that commitment
:33:16. > :33:22.today and you acknowledge Professor Diamond itself has suggested they
:33:23. > :33:28.will be 48.25 million pounds worth of savings each year if these
:33:29. > :33:34.recommendations are permitted today. That is a significant saving. We
:33:35. > :33:38.will look to invest in the universities of course. It is not
:33:39. > :33:46.without strings. We want to make sure that our universities deliver
:33:47. > :33:51.so this is not many universities would get but we want to make sure
:33:52. > :33:58.investment continues to rise in our high education institutions.
:33:59. > :34:06.Question six, Rhun ap Iorwerth. Will the First Minister make a statement
:34:07. > :34:11.on the steps taken when a community cannot be connected under the
:34:12. > :34:16.superfast programme? When the sites ask for accessibility and it's
:34:17. > :34:19.obvious that BT would be providing that service it possible for them to
:34:20. > :34:30.follow other options through the access broadband scheme. Superfast
:34:31. > :34:35.Cymru is built on a system of assisting communities with it is no
:34:36. > :34:37.commercial means of assisting them but they will be alternative means
:34:38. > :34:43.of helping communities outside that category. We should celebrate the
:34:44. > :34:48.thousands of connections that have been made and of the programme but
:34:49. > :34:52.underneath those positives there are communities across Wales that cannot
:34:53. > :35:14.access broadband. The problem is that they are not
:35:15. > :35:19.given an explanation as to why they cant get that access. Would the
:35:20. > :35:26.First Minister agree with me there should be an analysis of cost
:35:27. > :35:31.benefits published by open which so that people first of all can see why
:35:32. > :35:35.there area is too expensive to connect up and secondly as a tool to
:35:36. > :35:39.find an alternative way of providing that connection. It is important
:35:40. > :35:45.that BT should tell communities where it's not possible to link them
:35:46. > :35:51.up with superfast Cymru programme. But it's not because it's not
:35:52. > :35:57.commercial it's because the service is not available. Open Reach
:35:58. > :36:04.duty-bound to say why it's a problem. It is possible for Lott at
:36:05. > :36:12.access broadband Cymru scheme in order to receive funding to assist
:36:13. > :36:19.them. It is important that BT gives the reasons why not. Access to
:36:20. > :36:25.adequate broadband has been a huge issue for us in Pembrokeshire and I
:36:26. > :36:30.do welcome the steps announced by the minister last week to assist
:36:31. > :36:34.those communities that can be connected under the superfast Cymru
:36:35. > :36:40.programme and I understand they would be some engagement activities
:36:41. > :36:42.happening now. Can you tell us how the Welsh Government will promote
:36:43. > :36:48.these developments and specifically for those living in more rural and
:36:49. > :36:53.isolated communities to insure that everyone is aware of this? Another
:36:54. > :37:02.review will be undertaken during the autumn to see what kind of options
:37:03. > :37:07.are available to us publicly to assist some of the communities that
:37:08. > :37:12.don't fit into superfast Cymru. They can still look at the access
:37:13. > :37:24.broadband scheme in order to ensure that access to broadband is
:37:25. > :37:31.available to them. We have moved on since the superfast Cymru initiative
:37:32. > :37:41.was started. There are three other types of broadband or fibre-optic
:37:42. > :37:48.which is 128 times faster than the superfast that we are fitting
:37:49. > :38:02.throughout Wales. What we have is the equivalent of a four way highway
:38:03. > :38:10.merging into a country lane. What are you going to do to ensure that
:38:11. > :38:16.new build premises actually have the connections and also what are we
:38:17. > :38:21.able to do to allow houses that have broadband to the box at the end of
:38:22. > :38:26.the street that actually have the fireball the way to their homes if
:38:27. > :38:35.that's what they require. Can we require developers either through
:38:36. > :38:42.the building regulations to put in place state of the art connections
:38:43. > :38:48.to the boxes. There is a mixture of technologies in place in terms of
:38:49. > :38:54.the system because it lacked investment for so many years. What
:38:55. > :39:01.they are trying to do is to get most people download video, music,
:39:02. > :39:07.documents. It would be the fastest in the world because there are
:39:08. > :39:16.faster systems elsewhere. They require investment. Maybe we should
:39:17. > :39:22.require developers to put in the most up-to-date tech knowledge of
:39:23. > :39:29.possible. Question seven, Bethan Jenkins. With benefits from a
:39:30. > :39:36.comprehensive network of art centres. You will appreciate that
:39:37. > :39:43.across Wales it's one of the first Wales -- ways people can access art
:39:44. > :39:48.and I was concerned that Neath Port Talbot Council has decided to close
:39:49. > :39:58.contact our art centre one day a week. I was there recently to watch
:39:59. > :40:03.a show and I would be very concerned if the centre did close one day a
:40:04. > :40:12.week because they have vital services. Would you join with me in
:40:13. > :40:16.trying to seek assurances from youth but Albert cancel they will not take
:40:17. > :40:22.this decision and will keep the centre open. It is a matter for the
:40:23. > :40:26.council but I hope the job budget will provide councils across Wales
:40:27. > :40:30.with a level of comfort so they feel they do not have to take decisions
:40:31. > :40:50.along the line of you -- the one you have this -- described. The value
:40:51. > :41:03.put on the art centre is huge. The broader role art centres provide as
:41:04. > :41:10.community hubs offering education and general well-being and would he
:41:11. > :41:15.join with me in open that councils across Wales will look at all those
:41:16. > :41:20.considerations. You make a good point about the educational purposes
:41:21. > :41:31.of art centres. Art centres provide employment as well.
:41:32. > :41:39.The arts can actually be used as a way of developing local economies as
:41:40. > :41:50.well so that the number of areas where art centres are important. One
:41:51. > :41:58.way of protecting our community art centres is a similar model to that
:41:59. > :42:03.in England of the Localism Act in order to save community facilities.
:42:04. > :42:08.78% of respondents to your protecting community assets were in
:42:09. > :42:15.favour of such rights. Over the past 18 months you have funded a support
:42:16. > :42:21.officer at a cost of ?56,000 to the taxpayer. Could you advise the
:42:22. > :42:24.chamber today of the outcomes of that post, how many community assets
:42:25. > :42:34.have been transferred as a result of that and how you intend to drive
:42:35. > :42:36.that kind of agenda forward? There are plenty of examples where
:42:37. > :42:41.communities have taken over facilities in Wales. I was in
:42:42. > :42:46.Britain Ferry library recently with the library had been taken over.
:42:47. > :42:55.It's important to distinguish between helping people and forcing
:42:56. > :43:01.them to do so fire the Localism Act. Question it, Rhianon Passmore. Will
:43:02. > :43:06.the First Minister make a statement on the difference of the Ubud
:43:07. > :43:11.decoration or grand is making to the educational outcomes? We see that
:43:12. > :43:17.the part of the grant is strong. It's making a real difference to
:43:18. > :43:21.disadvantaged learners and we are breaking the link between poverty
:43:22. > :43:23.and educational achievement. Statistics released show a further
:43:24. > :43:28.increasing the proportion learners eligible for free school meals
:43:29. > :43:35.achieving five good GCSEs including mathematics and English. This
:43:36. > :43:38.represents the best performance yet I our disadvantaged learners and for
:43:39. > :43:40.the second year the attainment gap between children and young people
:43:41. > :43:46.receiving free school meals has closed. This is further evidence of
:43:47. > :43:50.how successfully the Welsh Government is tackling poverty in
:43:51. > :43:59.Wales. Can you tell me how the Welsh Government continues to build on
:44:00. > :44:06.this success? The Cabinet Secretary has announced a doubling of support
:44:07. > :44:10.to eligible three and four-year-olds. It is a
:44:11. > :44:17.demonstration of our long-term commitment. Will the First Minister
:44:18. > :44:20.make a statement on the evidence -based research that his underlying
:44:21. > :44:26.the Welsh government's economic delivery strategy. We use evidence
:44:27. > :44:36.from a wide range of sources to deliver a more prosperous and secure
:44:37. > :44:40.Wales. Two professors recently carried out research on what works
:44:41. > :44:42.in economic development across the globe and they found a very strong
:44:43. > :44:49.correlation between high levels of spend on schools and economic
:44:50. > :44:53.success. As well as the economic advantages education is a good in
:44:54. > :44:57.itself on benefits all aspect of life. Will the Welsh Government
:44:58. > :45:03.increase funding to our schools in Wales? We have done exactly that. We
:45:04. > :45:12.are seeing new schools being built across Wales. Nothing was ever built
:45:13. > :45:17.in the 1980s. We are seeing more students in buildings that are
:45:18. > :45:20.appropriate for them. Skills and infrastructure are the two areas
:45:21. > :45:28.that are most important to any modern economy. The one question I
:45:29. > :45:33.am always asked by investors is have you got the skills we need to be
:45:34. > :45:34.successful in Wales and of course increasingly the answer to that is
:45:35. > :45:53.yes. Will the First Minister make a
:45:54. > :45:59.statement on the Welsh Government's support for the National Botanic
:46:00. > :46:05.Garden? The Cabinet Secretary for economy and infrastructure is
:46:06. > :46:09.currently considering the findings of the task and Finnish group on
:46:10. > :46:12.this matter and he will meet the Chief Executive officer of the
:46:13. > :46:22.National Botanic Garden to discuss findings. The garden has submitted a
:46:23. > :46:31.bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a Regency garden on the site.
:46:32. > :46:35.Now, it appears that has been successful and has attracted the
:46:36. > :46:42.possibility of private contributions on top of that. But according to the
:46:43. > :46:45.fund, this is conditional upon confirmation of Welsh Government
:46:46. > :46:49.support for the garden, as we are talking about an investment of
:46:50. > :46:53.millions of pounds in Carmarthenshire, can we expect that
:46:54. > :46:58.confirmation will be provided by Government? Well, the garden will
:46:59. > :47:06.receive ?581,000 in revenue funding this year and ?90,000 in capital
:47:07. > :47:10.funding. Having said that, it is important the garden continues to
:47:11. > :47:14.consider raising funds in a commercial way. This has been a
:47:15. > :47:22.problem since its inception because the garden hasn't been able to raise
:47:23. > :47:27.sufficient income on the activities that they carry out. But we wish to
:47:28. > :47:33.collaborate with the garden to ensure there is a sustainable future
:47:34. > :47:34.for the garden and to consider every possible means of funding it for the
:47:35. > :47:38.future. Thank you. There we are - that was
:47:39. > :47:40.First Minister's Questions. If you want more more coverage
:47:41. > :47:44.of the National Assembly you can go online to BBC Wales's Senedd Live
:47:45. > :47:46.page at bbc.co.uk/wales politics. Don't forget for all the latest
:47:47. > :47:49.political news, watch Wales Today at 6:30pm on BBC One Wales and
:47:50. > :47:57.Newyddion at 9pm on S4C. As for AMPM, from
:47:58. > :48:04.all of us, goodbye.