19/01/2016 am.pm

Good afternoon, welcome to the programme and our weekly

coverage of questions to the First Minister.

The ususal mixed bag of questions for Carwyn Jones today.

According to the Order Paper we can expect questions on payments

to farmers, tackling poverty and the Trade Union Bill

Following yesterday's news that some 750 steel jobs will go at Tata

We're also expecting there to be exchanges on that subject.

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

Well, business in the chamber is already underway so let's take

a look now at today's questions to the First Minister.

Good afternoon. The National Assembly for Wales is in session. It

gives a great pleasure to announce in accordance with standing order

26.75, both the rented homes Wales Bill and the regulation of social

care bill were given Royal assent on the 18th of January. We now move to

the first item on the agenda, questions to the First Minister.

Westie and one. What specific steps is the Welsh Government taking to

support farmers who are waiting for payments and other basic payment

scheme? Within a payments window commencing

the 1st of December last year and which will end on the 30th of June,

we've already paid 73% of businesses and are promptly processing

remaining claims. Farmers who have not received payments by the end of

January will receive a letter updating them on progress and when

they should expect payment. As you have said, a quarter of Welsh

farmers are still waiting and I'm sure many of us will have received

messages from some of them who are facing a very dire financial

situation as the results of the waiting for payment. People are

facing hardship and the Deputy minister has asked us to deferred

cases to her. Also in cases once the Deputy minister has look that those

cases and it is clear the payments were not receive any time soon,

would you be able to consider developing some method of providing

some part payment at an earlier date in order to ensure the welfare of

those individuals or the livestock suffers. We are willing to look at

anyway of ensuring they are paid. One of the problems with, for

example, the cross-border farms is we haven't yet received the details

of the data from the body in England, we expect to receive that

next month. We must ensure we do continue to pay the farmers. We are

doing much better than England. 18% has been paid in Scotland. 67%, I'm

sorry, in Scotland. We hope that payments will be made as soon as

possible. First Minister, last year you will be aware that the deputy

minister wrote to me to state that your government had the right to

make payments under this scheme from the middle of October onwards but

you decided not to do that. Don't you accept it would've been sensible

to have started to make these payments at that point ensure your

officials had more time to concentrate on those complex cases

and then more farmers would have received their payments in full? No,

I don't access that bearing in mind there is a higher percentage of

farmers having been paid in Wales than in England. We are doing far

better than Scotland. I believe the system that has been adopted is one

which is robust and it demonstrates that come as is evident by the fact,

the majority of those farmers have been paid. There are some difficult

cases which are still outstanding. But we're very confident the

situation will improve yet again over the ensuing weeks. I'd draw

members attention to make register of interests in terms of my own

family farming partnership. In last weeks written statement, your deputy

minister for farming and pushed farmers to "To resist the temptation

to phone the customer contact centre to chase payments." While I

understand the time and resources are limited, given the extreme

stress certain farmers are under, would you reiterate today it is

important that farmers can make contact with the advice centres if

they are in a situation where they think there has been in regularity

or whether they wish specific issues to raise because of the potential

stress which many of them are under as we have heard in previous weeks.

I would urge farmers to track the progress of their claims using our

PW Botha online. It does -- our PW Botha online. It will provide

information quickly. There is also the liaison service there. Question

number two. What are the Welsh Government 's's

plans for improving the provision of social care in Wales?

In Wales we regulate for success yesterday I see other new

legislation, the regulation and spectrum of social care act as it is

now. We continue to support the provision of effective citizen

centred social care. The new legislative bill to protect our

budget allows the sector to meet the challenges ahead.

Thank you, First Minister. While we welcome additional money in the

budget of social services cuts in other areas are impacting on social

care. Your government has cut funding to many organisations in

receipt of the sustainable social service grants and change the way

grants are awarded to care and repair agencies. The way your

government is awarding grants is endangering the provision of social

care and will have an impact on the NHS by increasing delayed transfer

of care. Therefore, will you look again at the grand awarding process

and ensure those organisations in receipt of grants designed to help

the most vulnerable in society are able to plan for the future.

I can say that in the draft budget on the 8th of December and

additional ?21 million was included in that state it is in recognition

of the pressures on social services in Wales. In England there was a

court of 11.5% in the social services budget. We see, for

example, the latest figures from the Treasury, the combined spending on

social services was 7% higher than in England. A care fund is helping

to avoid unnecessary hospital and residential admissions, making sure

there are no delays in hospital discharges and that's fun to promote

independent living. We have made our financial commitment to social

services, we will not pass the blame onto local government which is what

is happening under the government in England and we will continue to fund

social services in Wales in the way our people would expect.

First Minister, as you have just said, despite the challenges caused

by Tory funding cuts to Wales things are much better here because of the

steps this government has taken to protect social services. Can I ask

whether you are aware of the recent Guardian survey which found the vast

majority of social workers are happy in their roles in Wales, 87%,

compared to 69% in the south-west of England. Would you agree because

alteration announced by the minister this morning on ending Zebo our

contracts and ensuring domiciliary workforce is well paid it is another

step forward to make sure social care is a positive career in Wales.

I thank the member for the question. It is a sign the recognition the

profession has shown. The survey showed Wales is a place, a nation,

where social workers recognised and valued. It is a better place to be

and social workers in Wales are the happiest in the UK. Our research is

welcome. It shows where you invest in those who work in social care

their morale increases and importantly the service they provide

to the public improves as well. Elin Jones. First Minister, four times in

this Assembly Government and the Labour block has voted against the

place of a ban on zero hours contracts. Perhaps it like to

explain to the Assembly why you prefer to vote against the

introduction of this Assembly and in your term of government and to

postpone it until the next Assembly by introducing a consultation only

on this important issue during your time as First Minister.

We didn't have any kind of a problem as regards the principal of it. That

is fine. We wanted to ensure that zero hours contracts and a thing of

the past. But that would mean adding to the bill is going through the

Assembly and also they would be greater risk that those bills would

be referred to the Supreme Court. There is a direct way of doing this,

did so the United Kingdom government, if they want to refer

any bill to the courts that is a matter to them. We didn't want to

endanger any major bill, that was our concern.

We move now to questions from the party leaders stop now the Leader of

the Opposition, Andrew RT Davies. We all witnessed the terrible news

yesterday coming out of the Talbot and other plants across Wales and

the rest of the UK. One job loss is one too many, devastating news for

the families and the individuals, highly skilled individuals, who have

given a lifetime service to the steel industry. There have been UK

summits, Welsh summits, event at the fifth minister held a steel summits

with the industry. Can you tell is what tangible efforts were made

after that summer to offer support from the Welsh Government in

particular business rates to the steel industry in Wales?

The Minister will make a statement on this later on this afternoon.

This is difficult news for Pavel that. Can it be to be to the end

stunting -- difficult news for the Port Talbot area. What Tata have

told this is there is an issue with oversupply of steel. That is a

matter for the European Commission to resolve. The strong pound, Tata

Telesis not helpful in terms of exporting steel from the UK. There

is sues with regard to high energy costs which the UK Government has

recognised. We accept as business rates were devolved in April last

year. The Minister will indicate that a review will go ahead with

urgency to see what we can do to help Tata with business rates. Is

this rates are never going to be enough in terms of the kind of money

that is going to be made available. Bash business rates. Above all else,

Tata wanted to feel, they have told us, they need to feel the UK

Government really and truly believes that is a future full steel in the

UK. First Minister, that is a future for

steel in the UK, I believe that. Any advancing economy has to retain its

steel industry and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who

wanted to argue their case to make sure we have a strong steel industry

in Wales and the rest of the UK. It is vital we stand shoulder to

shoulder, that is a vital board meeting in Mumbai next month where

the truth the board will discuss whether actions taken to date to

warrant further investment and further positive decisions in the

Port Talbot steelworks but also at the site they have across Wales and

across the UK. It is a fact the chief executive, I take your point

about business rates on their own would not be the solution to this

problem, imports and dumping and energy costs are important parts of

the equation. The chief executive of Tata Europe they'd pointed to

business rates as being one one of the blocks they require to be

addressed in the war will support they require. It is important is

when we look at this chamber and what this government can do, we look

to what you will be announcing maybe after tomorrow's meeting or sooner,

about business rates. I do put the question again to you. Is there any

respite available to steel producers here in Wales on business rates

because there is self-serve steel in Cardiff as well and it couldn't be

offered to just one steel producer, it would have to be offered to the

industry. That issue makes it expensive. What I can say is the

Minister is writing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking

him to designate Port Talbot as an enterprise zone. That will mean

assistance in terms of capital allowances. That'll mean we will be

able target business rate relief and we look forward to the Chancellor of

the Exchequer agreeing we should be able to do that here in Wales. We

recognise of course that we need to work on business rates. The UK

Government also has to recognise there are factors here which are

outside their control. There are two unique factors that affect the steel

industry only in Britain that don't affect the steel industry elsewhere

in Europe. Once is the strength of currency, there is less of the UK

Government, they are not powerless, that is less they can do about that.

That is something we have been lobbying the UK Government about for

four years. They recognised last than this is an issue. We will work

with the UK Government, the last thing those who have seen their jobs

at risk is a political battle taking place. We have to understand the

challenges for this is a government, then are major challenges for the UK

Government and indeed there are challenges for the European

Commission. I look forward to working with you

and any other politicians on this and I will be joining in those

discussions and correspondence with the Chancellor to see what help we

can offer, particularly building on our 5-point plan for steel. I do

want to ask you a question on another issue that is in the news to

date around the Royal College of emergency medicine, and the pressure

that accident and emergency departments in Wales are facing. We

know that across the United Kingdom, there are pressures on accident and

emergency departments, but I do not believe there is a single country

that is as understaffed in that department as the report identified

today. In the Freedom of information requests we had returned from health

boards across Wales, in June of this year, the full-time equivalent or

the staffing measure that was used was only being met by 40 -- at 45%.

Can you answer hope the government will respond to the report around

accident and emergency staffing levels? First of all, the comment

that was made today, it is worth saying that the doctor who made the

comment also said this is a problem that is across the UK, not just in

Wales. He also said we are able to fill junior doctor training posts in

Wales. We have done that to maximum numbers. It is true to say it is

always a challenge to recruit A consultants. There are pressures at

this time of year and we plan for that. We are grateful to our medical

staff for all the do at this time of year. We will work with the Royal

College its self to attract even more doctors. We have already

increased the mother of accident and emergency consultants in Wales. We

will continue to do more. The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats,

Kirsty Williams. The news from Tata steel would be devastating to

hundreds of families and it is vital that the Welsh government does all

that it can to help those workers the train to find other jobs and

maintain salaries. When the steelworks closed in Newport number

of years ago, the Welsh government set up Newport unlimited to try and

mitigate against the job losses in steel and try to build resilience

within the community. Do you have any similar plans to establish such

asked scheme to address these significant job losses in the steel

industry? Yes, these are all issues that will be discussed at the

meeting that takes place tomorrow. I have already mentioned the request

that we are making for an enterprise zone. What we don't know is what

books but will be between voluntary and compulsory redundancies. We

don't know how many people will be in need of retraining and further

help. But we have a track record, we have done this and other places in

2001 when there were more significant job losses. Tomorrow

will be the start of a short process in order to develop our action plan.

I was dismayed to read comments yesterday from yourself that you

felt you had done everything that you could to help the steel

industry. I'm glad that today there are more initiatives being pursued

by the government to try and ensure that there is a future. Can I return

to the issue of business rates? Your government has had full control of

business rates since last year. In November of this year, you said that

your government would proactively look at the abolition of business

rates on plant and machinery. No today, to tell us that the Minister

has written to the Chancellor of the extractor. The problems of the steel

industry have been around for a very minute months. Redcar and Scunthorpe

will win a source that our steelworkers would be next. Why did

the Minister wait until the job losses had been announced before

writing to the Chancellor of the extractor to pursue the issue of an

enterprise zone and when would you be in a position to make a positive

announcement around business rates for Tata? I am surprised at the tone

of the question. To hear she is dismayed. It is an unfortunate

phrase are not and the spirit that I would argue has been so today by the

Leader of the Opposition. We were not aware of what the scale of the

announcement would be until the end of last week. She is right to say

that we do there were challenges for the steel industry, but in terms of

the skill of the job losses, we were under way until the end of last

week. It is right to say that Tata have asked us to join with them and

emphasising to the UK Government how important energy costs and prices is

to them, the cost of infrastructure projects as well. The tidal lagoon

is a huge product with great opportunities for school, -- or

steel, each S2 as well. Those schemes have not gone ahead.

Tomorrow's emphasis will be on helping people, or making sure that

we understand what he can do to help those affected and we will then look

at how we can encourage the UK Government, and the European

Commission, to make sure that we see the establishment of a level playing

field where we do not see the low-cost imports coming into the

European union, and that the costs are dealt with quickly. It was not

just be the workers at Tata that will be fearful of their futures

today. But also those working for people working in the supply chain

and the businesses and the keys communities that will be affected

and concerned about the knock-on effect to their businesses and their

employment prospects. Figures published yesterday showed that

confidence amongst small businesses in Wales has fallen back into

negative numbers for the first time in August to back years. They are

losing confidence in our economy. -- first time in almost two Mac

years. How can they get the confidence to invest and look to a

brighter future? Many small businesses depend on larger

businesses for their existence. If we look at the plant at Port Talbot,

it does sustain jobs for a number of contractors and it goes without

saying the announcement yesterday was unwelcome. We have to balance

about against the good job announcements we have had this year,

for instance in the creative industries. Yesterday was difficult

news. We will work with partners to help them further through finance,

and the leader of the Liberal Democrats is correct in that the

emphasis has to be on sustainable steel industry Wales. Port Talbot is

one of the most sophisticated plants in Europe. It has had lots of

investment, it has a thin plastic workforce, it has the ability to

produce high-quality steel. What it doesn't have is a level playing

field and that is something that a number of levels of government have

address. We will return to steal later in the

session. I would like to go back to the question of health. It is clear

from your response to recent concerns that you think Welsh

patients should just put up with the current state of the Welsh NHS. One

point that has been made by that Doctor is that in Wales staff

turnover and emergency medicine is getting worse. We have not been able

to recruit new consultants at the same level here as in other

countries. I wonder if you can tell us how many health boards are out

recruiting now for emergency consultants? I heard in your answer

earlier that you said there has been an increase in spending in A

consultants and according to your own fingers but is almost ?1

billion. If you can't show results from this, does not called into your

management? First of all, what I said was the number of consultants

had increased over the last five years. We will continue to do more

to recruit, health boards are actively recruiting to code the

cancers, but there are shortages, not just in Wales but across the UK.

That is encouraging that we are able to fill the junior doctor training

posts in Wales. We did at last year to maximum numbers. That means that

we're doctors trained in Wales, they are more likely to stay in Wales. It

is quite clear, given the junior doctors strikes in Wales, junior

doctors see Wales as our good place to begin a developer careers. If you

look at A, the Times on loan, people here are waiting longer than

in England or in Scotland. If the situation with regard for recruiting

consultants is the same throughout the UK, why are patients in Wales

waiting longer than anyone else? In England, A include the walk in

centres which are not totally departments, and that helps them

produce figures in a different way. We do not use walk in centres as a

way of making our figures appear better. The plans have held this

winter. We have not seen what we saw in England last year in A The

pressures are there, that is true and those pressures need to be

addressed, but I do not the comments of the Royal College, they are

positive in terms of the engagement they have with the Welsh government,

positive in terms of recruitment of junior doctors and, of course,

recognising the fact that there are difficulties across the UK and

beyond in terms of recruitment and that is a challenge for all levels

of government. These sound like excuses, and weak excuses. These are

not new problems. The problem is that your government has

consistently failed to title -- to tackle. Plaid Cymru has set out

plans to counter your centralisation plans. Our plans to train and

recruit 1000 extras doctors will improve outcomes for patients. Our

proposals to fully integrate health and social care will heal with the

bureaucratic nightmare that that Doctor has highlighted. We all know

what you are against. You consistently rubbish you ideas that

will improve outcomes for people, although, usually, a few years down

the line our proposals are usually accepted by yourself. Is it not time

to come round to addressing the crisis in NHS of recruitment ASBO as

the need to fully integrate health and social care?

This money, I understand from your party's press conference, the

suggestion was that the Welsh government can borrow up to ?1

billion. Isolating you know, that is not the way to deal with the

situation. Order. Order. First Minister. First Minister. Is my

microphone on? And the context of that, I turn to what you said about

doctors. Order. I am sorry, First Minister.

First Minister, I'm sorry. First Minister! First Minister. First

Minister. First Minister. Your microphone has been turned off. I'm

trying to get some quiet so we can you what you are saying. The

Minister has not answered his question yet. We have to wait until

he has finished. I will move on having used that

context to deal with the point she raises. There is an issue with the

recruiter she says on A consultants. She is correct. A

thousand doctors does not address the issue of A consultants. It

will not help in recruiting consultants now to the Welsh NHS. We

will focus on recruiting consultants now rather than saying it doesn't

matter, everything will be fine in ten years' time. That is not good

enough. There is no need to be patronising. I would appreciate it

if members could lead the chair here what is going on this afternoon so

please could you stop shouting across the chamber. We now move back

to the questions on paper. Well the First Minister provide an update on

the Welsh Government 's commitment to tackling poverty among older

people in Wales. We are committed to tackling poverty for including older

people, for example so far, in the current financial year our

supporting people programme has helped over 43,000 older people to

live independently. A funding allocated to age Wales enabled them

to respond to over 17,000 requests for advice in the first half of this

financial year. Last week we heard an announcement made by the

Conservative government in the UK to devolve the attendance allowance to

Wales. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK

Government on the devolution of these welfare benefits and do you

share my concern that the fund could be cut for -- before it is devolved

similar to the devolution of council tax benefits? Thank you for the

question. There are a number of its use here. We haven't asked for the

devolution of this allowance. There's been no discussion on this.

I don't know what the United Kingdom government's plans are. What we do

know are, if we look at the council tax benefit funding was taken out of

the budget before it was allocated to us. There was a gap in the

butchers before it even arrived. We don't know in which way the funding

would be allocated. What we do know is 71%, as regards the UK

percentage, we note that 71% of the people are in receipt of it actually

come from Wales. If we got the right Barnett Formula allocation then that

might assist. Thank you for that answer. Will you join me in

congratulating the UK Government on its introduction of a triple lock

for pensioners in terms of the increase in the state pension. Do

not also want to reflect, when you talk about council tax, they've had

a council tax freeze in England and its pensioners haven't been able to

enjoy such a freeze here in Wales. That has left pensioners hundreds of

pounds worse off under your government than under a government

in England which is frozen council tax. Freezing council tax in England

is a myth. We no half councils have ignored it. It couldn't afford to

keep their budgets going and the settlement his party delivered. When

you type about a council tax freeze, when that leads to a destruction of

social care for older people that is something we will support. Council

tax is 17% lower than in England. That is the price of a Conservative

government in England, 17% increase in council tax. When it comes to

attendance allowance we've had no discussions with this. The UK

Government must not devolve it as the same basis of council tax

benefit when it took a cut of the money before the many arrived in

Wales. -- money. One of the main reasons older the Bill have two

exist on... You mentioned Age Cymru but the

charities are available as well. What efforts are the Welsh

Government are doing to help older people gain access to help?

We do support a range of support providers. We can try to reach the

individuals and families which are in most need of support. We to make

sure that range of advice services available to suit the needs of

everyone. Face-to-face advice is particularly important for older

people so we want to maintain this service. Question number four. Will

the First Minister make a statement on the impact of the Welsh

Government 2016-17 budget and university research projects.

Universities receive a range of funding to support research

projects. How do you counter the criticism

that the ?20 million reduction in the education budget for HEFCW will

curtail the money spent on part-time education. Overall income to the

sector from private and public sector is ?1.3 billion. We maintain

this budget reduction is a relatively small one. In his dream

at letter to HEFCW, the Minister will provide a strong steer on how

the budget should be applied. We will listen to your representations

from the sector in the meantime but it is up to the council to allow the

allocation of resources. When it comes to the search, they have had

to the minute pound grant income for a ?10 million input. Number two has

had ?70 million from a fund. There are many other sources of income

available to higher education and the figures that are being talked

about in terms of addiction, add to be set against the public sector for

top HEFCW is quite clear on this because David Bellini has e-mailed

all the Welsh universities on the 15th of January saying the

following. You have to look at cuts in funding.

You are cutting HEFCW's funding which in terms will cut research

from 80 million this year to 50 million or less for next year. In

your final year as First Minister, are you proud that you have

withdrawn funding from research in universities and doesn't this

demonstrate your university funding policy is an utter failure. No, I do

not. I've written to the figures are you do do to earlier. Namely, the

monies that go to our fund. We search the research has increased

and grown in Wales of the past years because these schemes have been

established. The funding has been drawn from other sources. I declare

an interest my husband works for some to university. Cardiff

University generates ?6 for every pound spent on it. Cats for that one

institution alone but taken June ?20 million out of the local economy in

my region. Cardiff University Binks of itself in one single institution,

in miserable impact in Wales's TVA and export figures. That assessment

stirs the Welsh Government make on impact for cuts in budgets from the

education and skills department on the output it expects to see in the

Welsh economy and the economy, science and transport budget? It is

difficult, it is difficult for the further education sector. The cuts

were higher in Scotland. The cuts are relatively small although they

will need to be managed. HEFCW have the job of ensuring our universities

are funded but as I mentioned, we will be having a steer to accrue one

in terms of how the cuts to its budget should be applied. Question

number five. Will be First Minister make a statement on the

constitutionality of the UK Government imposing the Trade Union

Bill on Wales without the consent of this Assembly? We will have a motion

next Tuesday. The UK Government should respect the will of the

Assembly and revise the bill accordingly.

Thank you. The Welsh trade union Congress has released legal advice

that stays the UK Government's conclusion in the bill provisions

are not... How damaging is this imposition of the Welsh Trade Union

Bill to labour relations in Wales? Hugely. Our view is this falls

within our devolve competence which is why there is an LCM coming. I

would hope the UK Government respects the bill of this Assembly

elected by the people of Wales I believe the three parties, at least

two parties in the chamber, would field this does come within the

devolve competence and we will do all we can in order to press that

point home. We will take steps to overturn the appeal of those

legislation should that become law in those areas that we feel are

within our competence. Mohammed O. One of the proposals under the Trade

Union Bill is that union members will have two opt in to pay a

political levy instead of opting out as at present. Is it not the case,

First Minister, this is your concern and proposal is not under the true

spirit of the Constitution of the Trade Union Bill. The whole point of

the Trade Union Bill is to undermine the opposition party, that is what

this is about. I don't see equivalent revision for businesses.

I do not see how shareholders in individual companies as some have

asked their view as to whether there should be a political contribution

to his party. One rule for them and one rule for everyone else. It is

our view there are sections... We don't support the Trade Union Bill

as it is but there are sections which fall within devolve

competence. Let's see if the party opposite agree with that, this is a

matter for the people of Wales will they do as they're told from London.

Simon Thomas. Thank you. Plaid Cymru agrees with

you, First Minister. There are parts of this bill which are within the

responsibility of this Assembly and that is -- it is appropriate it

comes before the Assembly. If Westminster legislates anyway

because it is a convention, of course, rather than part of because

that Touche and as such, you have mentioned you would look at

legislating in this area to do away with those sections of the bill that

are devolved to Wales. It will happen in the next Assembly. If that

does happen, are you willing to fight that corner, whoever the First

Minister is in the Supreme Court? Of course. If you are asking me what I

believe will happen, the Assembly will vote against the LCM and the

United Kingdom government proceed regardless and insists the bill

itself should come into Wales and also devolved public services. Then

of course this is a matter for the next government, if the bills comes

before the Assembly in order to get rid of some of the sections of the

bill appertaining to the devolved issues, if that goes through as it

stands then it'll be difficult to do that as an Assembly. The legal

position at the moment gives the people of Wales the opportunity to

invert part of the bill that has not been agreed by this Assembly and

would have to look then at the new bill.

I commend the government 's's stands it has taken in supporting

democratic race in the United Kingdom. Leaving aside this

agreement that may exist between different parties over the merits or

demerits of de bill itself, there is a broader constitutional issue

around which everyone in this chamber can unite and that is the

silk convention has to be upheld. Attempts to hold legislation on

Wales, on areas that are clearly matters for this Assembly, is

constitutionally wrong and what we should be expressing from this

chamber is unity on the constitutional position which is the

Trade Union Bill should not be opposed on this Assembly.

And Bill makes it pretty clear to my mind that this is an issue where the

assembly has devolved powers. We have made this point to the UK

Government. That is something they will have to explain. But if it

comes to the point where that Bill is passed, we will seek to introduce

a bill in the strainer to overturn the sections of the bill that impact

in devolved areas. It is a matter for the UK Government if they then

wish to go to the Supreme Court in order to frustrate the will of this

democratically elected assembly. 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... But that's it for First

Minister's Questions. Don't forget, for all the latest

political news, watch Wales Today later today at 6.30 on BBC1 Wales

and Newyddion at nine on S4C. As for AMPM though, from all of us

on the programme, goodbye.