18/10/2016 am.pm

Good afternoon, welcome to our weekly coverage of questions

to the First Minister, Carwyn Jones.

We can expect questions today on the Swansea Bay City Region,

There could even be a question from the new Independent AM

for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Dafydd Elis Thomas!

Don't forget you can follow all the latest on Welsh

politics on our Twitter feed - we're @walespolitics.

Well, business in the Siambr has already started,

so let's go over to today's questions to the First Minister.

I call the National Assembly to order and the first item is

questions to the First Minister. The first question is from Jenny

Rathbone. Can you provide an update on the funding needed for the south

wales metro? The metro phase two project has been estimated at 730

for me and pounds on the final cost will be determined during

procurement negotiations. The funding includes match funding from

the ER D F. Given that even Alan Cairns announced his enthusiasm for

the south wales metro and has recognised the strategic importance

of it for providing jobs and growth for the whole of the Southeast Wales

area, are you confident the UK Government will give us the money we

need to ensure we can deliver this project? Given the Secretary of

State for Wales' enthusiasm I would expect in to demonstrate another

influence amongst his colleagues in order to deliver the ?125 million of

funding that we will lose as a result of the loss of European

funding. Enthusiasm is one thing but if the full funding of the South

Wales metro is not concede, what is the plan B? The Metro would not be

able to proceed with the same ambition. They would also be a Metro

but they would be ?125 million less money involved so the reach of the

metro and the speed of its expansion will be less. We have heard from

those who wish to leave the EU that every single penny of European

funding would be guaranteed we expect that promise to be honoured.

Could you outline what discussions you had with the UK Government

directly with regards to the project? As we have said we expect

to see the money to be there and if the money is lost through European

funding, at an official level that is readily contact in terms of how

we move forward. There is a great deal of official contact that takes

place on a regular basis. A simple question, when will the construction

phase begin? At the moment we are going through the bidding process

and once that process is finalised we expect to see phase two begin but

it depends on the franchising in terms of the Wales and Borders

franchise, as soon as possible after the bidding process is completed.

Will the First Minister provide an update on the legislative programme

for the fifth assembly? Yes. I announced the first and let --

annual programme on the 20th of June. When the were expect to see

the main policy thrust of any new legislation that is passed during

the fifth assembly being implement it. How long would you expect it to

take from Royal Ascent tourist policy being implement it and being

delivered on the ground? Much was made of the social services and

well-being bill that was passed with Royal Ascent in April 2014 and yet

we're still waiting for policy outcomes from that. Much of it

depends on the legislation itself. The Minister has agreed that

officials will meet with the National Autistic Society to discuss

the society's draft bill. I am confident we have the legislative

policy levers to improve the lives of people with autism and their

families and carers of course. A fresh action plan will be published

next month which will be accompanied with a delivery plan. We have

consulted on the draft action plan which addresses priorities for

stakeholders. That legislation is still moving forward but as we said

last week we will monitor the situation and work with the National

Autistic Society and keep the door open for legislation. On the 20th of

June the country had only just decided to leave the EU but as a

consequence there could be legislative implications here in

Wales. What analysis is the government doing to look at the

implications based upon the fact we could see more legislation coming

from Brussels? It's difficult at this stage to examine what the

situation might be given the fact we await the judgment of the Supreme

Court potentially in terms of the use of the Royal prerogative and the

effect that could potentially have on repealing static laws. Until we

see the outcome of that process it is difficult at this stage to know

what affect they will be on individual items of legislation

passed by the assembly. What we expect will happen is the

opportunity will arrive at some point to offer the assembly the

opportunity to decide whether it should be bound by E U laws in the

future. In launching your legislative programme you mention

two pieces of legislation which were a matter of discussion between our

own two parties, namely the autism Bill which has been mentioned and

another bill relating to the reasonable chastisement of children.

Can you confirm that during this assembly term that you as First

Minister are still going to bring forward legislation on those two

areas? In relation to the second item that is something we want to

proceed with the cross-party basis. In terms of autism may I tell him

what the two parties agreed back in June. We worked together to consider

how best to deliver separate legislation on autism to place the

autism spectrum Street -- action plan on a footing. It'll take into

account the service and the limitation of the social services

and Wales well-being act 2014 I can confirm what I said and confirm what

has been agreed between the two parties. Questions from the party

leaders and first of all the leader of the Ukip group Neil Hamilton. As

the First Minister will no Wales has the lowest number of GPs per

thousand patients of any part of the UK. He will know that training

places are currently not filled, increasing numbers of GPs are

retiring early and there is a growing recruitment crisis. Can he

tell the assembly what plans the government has to train a greater

proportion of UK doctors in Wales? It is not realistic to think we will

be able to train every doctor that practices in Wales. That is true of

every health service everywhere in the developed world. We want to make

sure we train more doctors, that's true. I don't accept there is a

crisis in GP recruitment. On the 20th of October we will be launching

our GP recruitment campaign to make sure we attract more students and

practitioners to Wales. As he will know since 2004 the percentage of

funding in Wales spent on GPs has gone down from over 10% to just over

7.5%. In the same time consultation rates have increased by more than

20% so GPs are being more hard-pressed in their daily work.

Does he agree with me that the independent contractor market is the

one which offers better value for money for the NHS overall and does

he realise that for every half-hour of patient contact that GPs do they

have another half-hour inpatient centred work and another half-hour

in administration. If that were to be done by local health boards we

would get more bang for every Buckley spent. We should be wary of

referring people constantly pushing people in the direction of GPs. We

are looking to advise people that for many conditions they should go

to the pharmacist or the practice nurse instead of going straight to

the GP. It is a matter the GPs as to the way they organise themselves.

More and more GPs are not attracted by the independent contractor model.

It is a matter for the profession how it organises itself. I don't

think the independent contractor model is the only model. I agree

with some of the first said but I would like to reiterate some of the

points which have been made by other questions today. Does he understand

the anger and incomprehension amongst the public at large that

Labour AMs were whipped last week to vote against the motion for an

autism Bill which was not a legislative proposal itself but in

expression of opinion from this assembly. In Haverfordwest on

Thursday I was asked this question by members of the public. I have

seen some very difficult cases over the years. But what would a Lord

deliver for them? What's important is that we work with the National

Autistic Society to identify with them what aspects of the draft Bill

actually can be delivered in other ways. Why wait years for the bill if

there are better ways to deliver better service now. The law is what

is required when every other means has shown itself not to be

effective. We will work with the society to make sure that we can

deliver what we can and what we have already and examine whether there is

a need for legislation in the future. The leader of Plaid Cymru,

Leanne Wood. For bidders have expressed an interest in running the

Wales on the Borders franchise and the associated Metro system. One

area needing further scrutiny is the franchise map or the routes which

will be operated. We know that the UK Government depart for transport

wanted to remove certain routes from the franchise and in particular

those which which are served destinations in England. Your

Cabinet Secretary has indicated the UK Government was the map broadly

unchanged. Do the four bidders know which routes they are bidding for

and can you tell us when passengers across Wales will be given site of

the next franchise map? First of all, at this moment in time the

Welsh Government is prevented from running a franchise for reasons that

are not fathomable in logic. If it's right for Scotland it should also be

read for Wales. As far as the franchise is concerned in service of

the destinations our view is the franchise map should stay as it is.

Otherwise there will be no service between Merthyr and the Conway

Valley Railway which is run by the Welsh Government. Every service

along the North Wales mainline will be run by England. The central Wales

line, the heart of Wales line, Cambrian coastline will all be run

out of the Welsh franchise which is a ludicrous situation. The renewal

of the franchise gives us an opportunity to look at capacity and

there is a significant issue with capacity on Valley lines. Everyday

commuters face issues of overcrowding and delays. Frequency

is an issue as well. On the Treherbert line which I am familiar

with their hourly to passing points on that line and we need to go from

a single line to aid do a lot line. In the budget today there is

capacity so can you say more about that train line and in particular

can you tell us when we can expect to see a plan for the retailing of

the Treherbert train line? We want to see better frequency and

a better quality of Rolling stock on all lines. We want proper

signalling, and possibly more passing loops. The question as to

whether the entire line should be read you old, whether that would add

anything beyond other improvements, is an open question. One thing I can

say to you. Plaid Cymru is we are committed to delivering a better

system with better frequency on all the Valley lines. I welcome this.

When the franchise was last awarded, there was no provision for growth in

passenger numbers. There was no capacity within the franchise to

increase rolling stock. Can you explain how you will make sure that

point is addressed in the next franchise? People travelling on

those Valley lines are sick and tired of travelling on decades-old

second-hand rolling stock. When you travel elsewhere, there are

excellent trains. Do you think train travellers in Wales deserve the

service they have to put up with? Now, it could be far better. We have

seen improvements at Queen Street station. But I know full well that

the quality of trains is poorer. They like air conditioning, they are

not pleasant to travel on. The frequency is not good, the capacity

is not good. People often have to suffer overcrowding. To the extent

some trains pass through some stations to avoid overcrowding.

These will be addressed as a result of the franchise negotiations. The

franchise will transfer in autumn next year. We're determined to

improve capacity, better frequency on all Valley line services. It is

an intrinsic part of the Metro to make sure people enjoy a far better

service. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew Davies. There

is a report out that highlighted the extra costs of child care policy,

which could potentially end up costing the Welsh Government with a

deficit of a over what you costed through your manifesto. Do you

recognise the figures in that report? If you do, how will you make

allowances to be able to meet that increased demand that we all

recognise that childcare is an important part of the balance many

families face on a day-to-day basis? There were several assumptions are

new report about how to implement childcare policy. The figures we

came up with where based on providing health care for those

working 16 hours per week or more. They were figures provided to us by

an independent survey, not by ourselves. But I take it from your

answer you do except there is a potential for this massive

overspend, especially if the scheme is hopefully a rip-roaring success,

because, all parties recognise that childcare is a huge issue. Your

offer is the one that will be implemented because in Government

and is this potential of an overspend of ?110 million that is

not small change. In the money you have available as a Government. What

allowances are you making to make sure resources are available, so the

scheme can be implemented and its full capacity and potential reached

at the end of this assembly? We don't accept those figures are

correct. We are confident in the figures we have. They are robust.

They were not provided by ourselves, beware provided through work we

commissioned. So you take it those figures are not correct and you are

figures of ?90 million are the costings of that scheme. But if you

look at wider commitments in the first five months of this assembly,

you have the backing of the black group, the most expensive relief

option, the people premium agreed the Education Secretary. The

potential for an overspend on childcare policy. We know from the

report last week, there is a deficit opening up in NHS funding to a

potential tune of ?700 million. In fairness to you, when you are on the

campaign trail, you said for every commitment they would have to be a

cut. Where will the cuts fall within your programme to deliver on those

commitments I have just outlined? That will become apparent during the

course of the Budget Statement. That will go through borrowing and not

through our own capital but... Budget. That will help us deliver

the manifesto promises and that is what we did in 2011. We will keep

his promises. Question three, Hannah Blythyn. Can you make a statement on

investment and tourism in North Wales? We support this, including

capital and development funding as well as marketing and promotional

activities. On Friday, I was at eight tourism Association meeting,

discussing the value of the tourism economy to North Wales. I welcome

the commitment of the Cabinet Secretary to create a culture

comment, including new signage to mark up our amazing heritage and

tourist assets in the region. First Minister, do you agree with the

Valley of this? Can you give an update on the progress of the

enhanced signage? I can say that we are developing proposals for new

tourism routes across Wales, including doing more to promote

culture and heritage attractions across the A55, to encourage people

to spend time in the area. We have heard from people who have travelled

this route on the way to Ireland. We want more of these to stop. To his

representatives have told me the Welsh Government need to respond to

the ?40 million provided by visit England for tourism marketing there.

And to acknowledge how it proposes to address the funding already being

distributed. How do you respond to the concern that Wales needs to be

aware of the increased resources close to our borders, such as

Chester, Cheshire, Shropshire, Bristol and Bath? With the potential

to encourage English staycation and bring overseas visitors to Wales. It

is good that more people are visiting Wales from abroad. It has

been quite significant over the past year. We market Wales on the basis

of themed years. This is the year of adventure. We know the sector is

worth ?400 million to the Welsh economy. The North will play an

important part in these plans. We are working closely with business in

order to make that happen. We want to keep an eye on competitors but we

know that the figures we have from tourism, we have been successful in

attracting more and more visitors. One of the priorities is to extend

the tourism series so we can provide jobs to the people of North Wales

throughout the year. Can you tell us what your Government is doing to

achieve that? And how you would use any additional resources that could

be allocated to tourism to achieve that? You have to have activities

available throughout regions, for example, Snowdonia is something we

have supported. And it is important to say that tourism should not be

completely seasonal because it then creates a situation where people are

not in employment throughout the year. By supporting all year round

activities, it is important we bring people in throughout the winter as

well as the summer. Thank you. First Minister, could we have more detail

on how the Welsh Government proposes to market North Wales is a holiday

destination, please? We have eight tourism investment support scheme.

It funds businesses in the north, totalling ?7.8 billion. It has

created 361 jobs and safeguarded another 113. We have the tourism

attractive destination programme. We have spent on call when they and at

the seafront, a substantial investment of ?30 million, improving

the real seafront. We're bringing ?200,000 to the north through the

tourism innovation fund and we have invested ?1.7 million in major

events, including the slate man and Sandman triathlons. Various

festivals, to name a few. Question for, Dai Lloyd. Thank you. We'll be

First Minister Michu statement on the demand on primary care services?

We have seen an increase in demand on primary care services. We will be

lodging an international marketing campaign to encourage more GPs to

work in Wales and over ?42 million has been made available to health

boards to support the delivery of our primary care plan. Thank you.

Many of us attended a BMA meeting last week, where they launched a

review of GP practice in 2016 and that painted a picture of the huge

pressures on GPs, bearing in mind that a GP would see some 50 patients

per day on average and that includes very complex problems because the

simple problems have already been separated out these days and it's

only the more serious issues that the GP addresses. And of course,

it's only those situations where a GP is required. And that's why the

pressures are so huge. There are complex patients who can only be

seen by GPs. What can you do to reduce these huge pressures on GPs

now? Well, the BMA, of course, is part of the work we're undertaking.

They're not out with that. And of course they represent our members. I

understand that. But we have been working with them to ensure there is

a reduction in the pressures on GPs and one example is the collaborative

in mid Wales working to ensure services available for people in mid

Wales to consider new ways of working. Ultimately, we wish to see

more GPs being trained in Wales and working in Wales. That is why the

campaign will be launched in two days' time. It is important to

provide primary care facilities fit for purpose and that meet demand.

Carmen Taff University Council is collaborating to do this. How was

the Welsh Government working with partners to improve primary care

facilities across Wales? We have developed a proposal for the primary

care facility and look to work with all health boards to deliver those

kinds of facilities. I have seen them opening all across Wales,

modern facilities, where tractors is can give their identities within

those buildings, wherever there is access to support services. We will

keep working with GPs and health boards to deliver more up-to-date

modern health services in the future. Susie Davis. Keeping people

out of hospital is bidding demand on primary care places. People in need

of social care are more likely to: primary care than the general

population. Social care is not all about the GP. I wonder how the Welsh

Government is securing the support of non-medical intervention to

support the confidence and emotional well-being of people in social care

and how you then measure the drop in demand on primary care services.

Especially primary and mental health care services. We know how important

it is to have support services for people outside hospital. That means

ensuring we don't cut spending in social services, as has happened

over the border. In Wales, spending on health and social services is

ever % higher per head than in England. You cannot divorce the two.

You cannot raid one budget to pay for the other. The two run together.

That is why we have protected the budgets in Wales and will continue

to do so. First Minister, with a growing and ageing population in

Wales, we have increased pressure on primary care services. As those of

us who signed the urgent prescription for general practice

can attest to, workload pressures upon GPs is undermining the safety

of patient care. Will the Welsh Government support the BMA request

for a local health boards to stop the practice of requiring GPs to

deliver tests organised in other parts of the NHS and for the

introduction of a national standard for a minimum number of patients a

GP can be expected to deal with during the working day? It is

normally the case that went GPs use tests from other parts of the health

service, it is not a case that they find their time is not compensated.

This year, we have seen the recruitment of over 400 additional

staff across Wales, including clinical pharmacists, care

coordinators and they help to support GPs as part of a GP led

multi-professional approach. If you look at Prestatyn, this is a great

example of a service that is much improved. It was taken over by the

Health Board. A number of practitioners are available for

people. They can be delivered to the right one when they arrive at the

premises. That is a good model to investigate for the rest of Wales.

The government has not yet provided a full response to the Diamond

review and that response is being considered and will be announced in

due course. If the government 's mind is still open on this matter

will the First Minister know that university participation is already

high. Mark Drakeford will be setting out later the financial pressures

the Welsh Government faces and in response to my party colleagues

earlier you were unable to West -- estimated started on the Metro and

you heard we had the lowest GP numbers in the UK. In light of that

Will the first Mr consider whether providing means tested grants to

this group really is a priority? In regard to the Metro that is because

of the franchise will be transferred into the autumn of next year so it's

difficult to give a start date for phase one. It is to do with phase

two and the wavy agreement on the franchise on the map will be

determining when the next phase of the Metro will begin. The secretary

of education has outlined the broad principles we will be following in

regard to the Diamond review. As we move away from the model which has

been described as the unsustainable model to model which I assume will

be based on Diamond can you confirm whether it is your intention to

achieve any financial savings? We want to ensure there is an equitable

system in place that uses the funding available and follows the

principles we have already set down, namely that we retain the principal

that every body should be part of the system to ensure there is a fair

and consistent approach to dealing with students, whether they be part

time a full-time, and ensuring of course there is investment by the

individual and also by the government to ensure they have

greater access to higher education. Those are the principles the

secretary has cited and those are the ones we will follow. You had an

opportunity there to recommit yourself to the commit and both the

Liberal Democrats reached which was they would be no negative effect on

the high education budget as a result of the pronunciation of any

changes. Will you take the opportunity to make that commitment

today and you acknowledge Professor Diamond itself has suggested they

will be 48.25 million pounds worth of savings each year if these

recommendations are permitted today. That is a significant saving. We

will look to invest in the universities of course. It is not

without strings. We want to make sure that our universities deliver

so this is not many universities would get but we want to make sure

investment continues to rise in our high education institutions.

Question six, Rhun ap Iorwerth. Will the First Minister make a statement

on the steps taken when a community cannot be connected under the

superfast programme? When the sites ask for accessibility and it's

obvious that BT would be providing that service it possible for them to

follow other options through the access broadband scheme. Superfast

Cymru is built on a system of assisting communities with it is no

commercial means of assisting them but they will be alternative means

of helping communities outside that category. We should celebrate the

thousands of connections that have been made and of the programme but

underneath those positives there are communities across Wales that cannot

access broadband. The problem is that they are not

given an explanation as to why they cant get that access. Would the

First Minister agree with me there should be an analysis of cost

benefits published by open which so that people first of all can see why

there area is too expensive to connect up and secondly as a tool to

find an alternative way of providing that connection. It is important

that BT should tell communities where it's not possible to link them

up with superfast Cymru programme. But it's not because it's not

commercial it's because the service is not available. Open Reach

duty-bound to say why it's a problem. It is possible for Lott at

access broadband Cymru scheme in order to receive funding to assist

them. It is important that BT gives the reasons why not. Access to

adequate broadband has been a huge issue for us in Pembrokeshire and I

do welcome the steps announced by the minister last week to assist

those communities that can be connected under the superfast Cymru

programme and I understand they would be some engagement activities

happening now. Can you tell us how the Welsh Government will promote

these developments and specifically for those living in more rural and

isolated communities to insure that everyone is aware of this? Another

review will be undertaken during the autumn to see what kind of options

are available to us publicly to assist some of the communities that

don't fit into superfast Cymru. They can still look at the access

broadband scheme in order to ensure that access to broadband is

available to them. We have moved on since the superfast Cymru initiative

was started. There are three other types of broadband or fibre-optic

which is 128 times faster than the superfast that we are fitting

throughout Wales. What we have is the equivalent of a four way highway

merging into a country lane. What are you going to do to ensure that

new build premises actually have the connections and also what are we

able to do to allow houses that have broadband to the box at the end of

the street that actually have the fireball the way to their homes if

that's what they require. Can we require developers either through

the building regulations to put in place state of the art connections

to the boxes. There is a mixture of technologies in place in terms of

the system because it lacked investment for so many years. What

they are trying to do is to get most people download video, music,

documents. It would be the fastest in the world because there are

faster systems elsewhere. They require investment. Maybe we should

require developers to put in the most up-to-date tech knowledge of

possible. Question seven, Bethan Jenkins. With benefits from a

comprehensive network of art centres. You will appreciate that

across Wales it's one of the first Wales -- ways people can access art

and I was concerned that Neath Port Talbot Council has decided to close

contact our art centre one day a week. I was there recently to watch

a show and I would be very concerned if the centre did close one day a

week because they have vital services. Would you join with me in

trying to seek assurances from youth but Albert cancel they will not take

this decision and will keep the centre open. It is a matter for the

council but I hope the job budget will provide councils across Wales

with a level of comfort so they feel they do not have to take decisions

along the line of you -- the one you have this -- described. The value

put on the art centre is huge. The broader role art centres provide as

community hubs offering education and general well-being and would he

join with me in open that councils across Wales will look at all those

considerations. You make a good point about the educational purposes

of art centres. Art centres provide employment as well.

The arts can actually be used as a way of developing local economies as

well so that the number of areas where art centres are important. One

way of protecting our community art centres is a similar model to that

in England of the Localism Act in order to save community facilities.

78% of respondents to your protecting community assets were in

favour of such rights. Over the past 18 months you have funded a support

officer at a cost of ?56,000 to the taxpayer. Could you advise the

chamber today of the outcomes of that post, how many community assets

have been transferred as a result of that and how you intend to drive

that kind of agenda forward? There are plenty of examples where

communities have taken over facilities in Wales. I was in

Britain Ferry library recently with the library had been taken over.

It's important to distinguish between helping people and forcing

them to do so fire the Localism Act. Question it, Rhianon Passmore. Will

the First Minister make a statement on the difference of the Ubud

decoration or grand is making to the educational outcomes? We see that

the part of the grant is strong. It's making a real difference to

disadvantaged learners and we are breaking the link between poverty

and educational achievement. Statistics released show a further

increasing the proportion learners eligible for free school meals

achieving five good GCSEs including mathematics and English. This

represents the best performance yet I our disadvantaged learners and for

the second year the attainment gap between children and young people

receiving free school meals has closed. This is further evidence of

how successfully the Welsh Government is tackling poverty in

Wales. Can you tell me how the Welsh Government continues to build on

this success? The Cabinet Secretary has announced a doubling of support

to eligible three and four-year-olds. It is a

demonstration of our long-term commitment. Will the First Minister

make a statement on the evidence -based research that his underlying

the Welsh government's economic delivery strategy. We use evidence

from a wide range of sources to deliver a more prosperous and secure

Wales. Two professors recently carried out research on what works

in economic development across the globe and they found a very strong

correlation between high levels of spend on schools and economic

success. As well as the economic advantages education is a good in

itself on benefits all aspect of life. Will the Welsh Government

increase funding to our schools in Wales? We have done exactly that. We

are seeing new schools being built across Wales. Nothing was ever built

in the 1980s. We are seeing more students in buildings that are

appropriate for them. Skills and infrastructure are the two areas

that are most important to any modern economy. The one question I

am always asked by investors is have you got the skills we need to be

successful in Wales and of course increasingly the answer to that is

yes. Will the First Minister make a

statement on the Welsh Government's support for the National Botanic

Garden? The Cabinet Secretary for economy and infrastructure is

currently considering the findings of the task and Finnish group on

this matter and he will meet the Chief Executive officer of the

National Botanic Garden to discuss findings. The garden has submitted a

bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a Regency garden on the site.

Now, it appears that has been successful and has attracted the

possibility of private contributions on top of that. But according to the

fund, this is conditional upon confirmation of Welsh Government

support for the garden, as we are talking about an investment of

millions of pounds in Carmarthenshire, can we expect that

confirmation will be provided by Government? Well, the garden will

receive ?581,000 in revenue funding this year and ?90,000 in capital

funding. Having said that, it is important the garden continues to

consider raising funds in a commercial way. This has been a

problem since its inception because the garden hasn't been able to raise

sufficient income on the activities that they carry out. But we wish to

collaborate with the garden to ensure there is a sustainable future

for the garden and to consider every possible means of funding it for the

future. Thank you. There we are - that was

First Minister's Questions. If you want more more coverage

of the National Assembly you can go online to BBC Wales's Senedd Live

page at bbc.co.uk/wales politics. Don't forget for all the latest

political news, watch Wales Today at 6:30pm on BBC One Wales and

Newyddion at 9pm on S4C. As for AMPM, from

all of us, goodbye.