Browse content similar to 19/02/2013. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Good afternoon. Welcome to the programme and our | :00:24. | :00:27. | |
weekly coverage of questions to the First Minister. After the half-term | :00:27. | :00:30. | |
break it looks like the economy is taking centre stage today with | :00:30. | :00:32. | |
Assembly Members asking Carwyn Jones about his recent trade | :00:32. | :00:37. | |
mission to San Francisco and the importance of broadband. | :00:37. | :00:40. | |
There are also questions on health and education, with the issue of | :00:40. | :00:44. | |
music teaching being raised. That's what I think the politicians | :00:44. | :00:46. | |
will be talking about, what do you want to talk about? | :00:46. | :00:50. | |
If you want to comment on anything on the programme or any other | :00:50. | :01:00. | |
:01:00. | :01:02. | ||
Well, business in the chamber is already underway, so let's take a | :01:02. | :01:10. | |
look now at today's questions to the First Minister. | :01:10. | :01:14. | |
National Assembly for Wales is now in session. The first item is | :01:14. | :01:24. | |
questions to the First Minister. Question 1. | :01:24. | :01:27. | |
Thank you. Will the first minister make a statement on the recent | :01:27. | :01:32. | |
publication of the GMB report confirming that 100 the 11th Welsh | :01:32. | :01:37. | |
workers were on the consulting associations construction industry | :01:37. | :01:41. | |
blacklist. It is appalling that such a backlist exists and we | :01:41. | :01:46. | |
condemn its use because we know that it leads to these | :01:46. | :01:50. | |
discriminatory treatment of members of trade unions of those perceived | :01:50. | :01:55. | |
to be health and safety activists. Thank you for that response. This | :01:55. | :01:58. | |
shameful practice was only uncovered thanks to the campaigning | :01:58. | :02:03. | |
and support provided by trade unions. Assurances have been given | :02:03. | :02:06. | |
that the blacklist in practice was isolated and has now ended but in | :02:06. | :02:10. | |
my view those should be treated with scepticism. Will the Welsh | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
government consider revising the kill me guidelines in a similar | :02:14. | :02:17. | |
manner to the French Ministry of Defence to provide for real and | :02:17. | :02:21. | |
meaningful financial penalties for any firms making use of such a | :02:21. | :02:26. | |
blacklist in the future. It is not clear there is news -- be used -- a | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
need for new guidance but we will review the situation and we will | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
issue fresh guidance to remind public sector organisations about | :02:34. | :02:38. | |
how to address those issues when contracting. Whether there is a | :02:38. | :02:41. | |
need for procurement guidance is something we will bear in mind to | :02:41. | :02:47. | |
ensure that this practice does not develop or take root in Wales. | :02:47. | :02:57. | |
:02:57. | :02:59. | ||
concerned and I think there are 35% on this list with only 32% in the | :02:59. | :03:04. | |
nation. This is reported as illegal activity but over 40 companies have | :03:04. | :03:09. | |
checked the list. What legal advice has the world's Government obtained | :03:09. | :03:13. | |
or is it Sea King regarding those claims of illegality and what | :03:13. | :03:18. | |
action might it be able to take alone or with other organisations | :03:18. | :03:24. | |
on that basis? We are awaiting the outcome of the UK's government | :03:24. | :03:27. | |
discussion with the information commissioner and depending on the | :03:27. | :03:34. | |
outcome we will determine whether further action is required in Wales. | :03:34. | :03:36. | |
Will the first minister make a statement on what the Buzz | :03:36. | :03:39. | |
government is doing to support economic development? We have a | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
number of schemes that are designed to facilitate economic development | :03:43. | :03:51. | |
in Wales in these difficult economic times. There was an | :03:51. | :03:56. | |
increasing in the iron production in Port Talbot last week. The | :03:56. | :04:00. | |
couple of weeks ago the Secretary of State for business Vince Cable | :04:00. | :04:03. | |
told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee that the UK government | :04:03. | :04:07. | |
are dealing with the problem of the steel industry on an ad hoc basis. | :04:07. | :04:16. | |
He admitted that what discussions are you having with Vince Cable and | :04:16. | :04:23. | |
his colleagues to ensure policies that benefit the iron industry. | :04:23. | :04:32. | |
welcome your acknowledgement if the important matters facing the steel | :04:32. | :04:35. | |
industry. I have discussed on a number of occasions with the | :04:36. | :04:38. | |
Business Secretary the importance of the steel industry to the | :04:38. | :04:42. | |
economy of Wales and also the current challenges faced by the | :04:42. | :04:48. | |
industry in these times. You will no doubt share my concern at the | :04:48. | :04:50. | |
British Retail Consortium figures showing that high street food for | :04:50. | :04:54. | |
has fallen dramatically recently in Wales. Wales has the highest | :04:54. | :04:58. | |
vacancy rate in the UK. Welsh Conservatives have highlighted the | :04:58. | :05:01. | |
problem and I know your government has accepted the recommendations of | :05:01. | :05:05. | |
the enterprise and business committee. When we get on with the | :05:05. | :05:09. | |
job of saving the Welsh High Street? I could equally say, what | :05:09. | :05:15. | |
will party do about it as well? We have commissioned research by a | :05:15. | :05:19. | |
member of your party and we await the result of that research which I | :05:19. | :05:28. | |
am sure will be wholly sensible. Thank you very much. He warned that | :05:28. | :05:32. | |
cutting the European Union budget will lead to hundreds of millions | :05:32. | :05:35. | |
of pounds being lost that would otherwise have gone to promoting | :05:35. | :05:40. | |
and strengthening the Welsh economy. Your fellow Labour member has asked | :05:40. | :05:46. | |
the UK prime minister whether he would like to thank Labour members, | :05:46. | :05:50. | |
including Welsh Labour members, for voting in favour of cutting that | :05:50. | :05:54. | |
exact same budget and helping David Cameron to get his own way in | :05:54. | :05:59. | |
Europe on the budget. Are you willing to condemn him for what he | :05:59. | :06:06. | |
is doing to Wales? Well, our standpoint as a government is clear. | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
Wales will be losing out, Scotland will lose at and Northern Ireland | :06:10. | :06:12. | |
will lose that and I am therefore not in favour of the agreement that | :06:12. | :06:17. | |
has been reached. Of course we understand that England will be | :06:17. | :06:21. | |
doing better. The question is what is the Prime Minister doing? Is he | :06:21. | :06:26. | |
standing up for Wales? The answer to that is no. As I am sure you | :06:26. | :06:31. | |
will agree, one of the key ways in which economic development can be | :06:31. | :06:38. | |
fostered is through a full and effective access to business to | :06:38. | :06:41. | |
financial services, particularly small businesses. This is | :06:41. | :06:44. | |
increasingly difficult, particularly in rural Wales with | :06:44. | :06:49. | |
the tide of bank branch closures and the insufficient coverage of | :06:49. | :06:54. | |
the internet. In this context, would you please provide the update | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
on the work you're Government is currently doing to liaise with the | :06:58. | :07:01. | |
banking and financial services sector to ensure that businesses | :07:01. | :07:06. | |
have more effective access to funding and also that alternative | :07:06. | :07:09. | |
sources of finance such as the business credit unions that have | :07:09. | :07:13. | |
been so successful in the United States and Scandinavia are given | :07:13. | :07:19. | |
due consideration. We have such a review being conducted in terms of | :07:19. | :07:22. | |
the availability of funding to small and medium-sized businesses | :07:22. | :07:26. | |
in Wales for the there on the high street or not and the report is due | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
in the autumn. The outcome of that review will inform us what we need | :07:29. | :07:36. | |
to do in the future in order to assist them further. We now move to | :07:36. | :07:42. | |
questions from the party leaders. Firstly Andrew RT Davies. Thank you. | :07:42. | :07:46. | |
Wales has the highest High Street vacancy rate in mainland Britain. | :07:46. | :07:50. | |
Can the First Minister tell us why that is the case? We know it is a | :07:50. | :07:53. | |
problem across the whole of the UK. There are changes in consumer | :07:53. | :07:58. | |
behaviour particularly in regard to internet purchase in. Once again it | :07:58. | :08:03. | |
is clear that the policy is to pass the buck and blame other people. In | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
October he said he wanted to ensure the vibrancy of our town centres in | :08:07. | :08:12. | |
the future, yet, as the UK's deadly pulls ahead on the High Street, | :08:12. | :08:16. | |
Wales is falling backwards and in his leadership. Some months ago we | :08:16. | :08:19. | |
presented our vision for the high street that had key policy | :08:19. | :08:23. | |
objectives that could be adopted readily to improve the economic | :08:23. | :08:26. | |
footfall of our high streets which include a night time strategy, | :08:26. | :08:31. | |
ensuring fairness by splitting the business rate multiplier, | :08:31. | :08:35. | |
encouraging free car parking and reforming the planning system. Why, | :08:35. | :08:39. | |
compared to our vision for the High Street, has the first Mr's | :08:39. | :08:44. | |
government been so inactive in this field? None of these things will | :08:44. | :08:49. | |
work without a customer base and that will not work and appear until | :08:50. | :08:54. | |
they have money to spend and their former happen until the government | :08:54. | :08:58. | |
was policies in place. If people have no money to spend in the shops | :08:58. | :09:02. | |
at their customers. That is the reality of the situation. He talks | :09:02. | :09:07. | |
and leadership, what has begun? I have spent my time selling Wales do | :09:07. | :09:13. | |
the world and all he does his car and moan and sit on his backside. - | :09:13. | :09:18. | |
- Kop. We touched on high streets today and the devastating figures | :09:18. | :09:21. | |
that came out yesterday are indicating that the rest of the UK | :09:21. | :09:26. | |
is replacing stock that is close in on its high street but in Wales the | :09:26. | :09:29. | |
vacancy rate is increasing dramatically against the rest of | :09:29. | :09:34. | |
the mainland UK. Is it not typical that this first minister talks of | :09:34. | :09:37. | |
delivery but he does not care about the private sector, he does not | :09:37. | :09:42. | |
care about small business and he's certainly does not care about the | :09:42. | :09:46. | |
Welsh and St? Is it not the case that all we have seen him deliver | :09:46. | :09:52. | |
his boarded-up shops, empty streets and unemployed -- unemployment | :09:52. | :09:58. | |
consistent... It is good to hear the good that the it -- it is good | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
to hear the real First Minister chuckling away, could be allowed to | :10:01. | :10:08. | |
stand in to say a few words this afternoon without is prompting? | :10:08. | :10:15. | |
Unemployment constantly above the UK average. Is this not poor | :10:15. | :10:21. | |
delivery on behalf of Carwyn Jones's Labour government here in | :10:21. | :10:26. | |
Wales? Where was the promise for better delivery? That went a bit | :10:26. | :10:31. | |
off the rails, as we can see. He sits there and complains and then | :10:31. | :10:35. | |
he criticises anything we do to sell Wales abroad. The Prime | :10:35. | :10:38. | |
Minister is in India and so he should be, I fully support the | :10:38. | :10:42. | |
factory is in India selling Britain. He wants to open doors and make | :10:42. | :10:46. | |
sure we are open for business. He wants to say that Wales should not | :10:46. | :10:51. | |
be doing these things. We should not be in America and India and | :10:51. | :10:56. | |
China selling Wales, or the does his cop about it. Where is the | :10:56. | :11:00. | |
evidence from the Silk Commission? He has not presented yet because he | :11:00. | :11:03. | |
is waiting for the Prime Minister to come back from India so he can | :11:03. | :11:07. | |
have the permission to submit the evidence. The reality is this, | :11:07. | :11:13. | |
isn't it? When it comes to leadership and it comes to my party, | :11:13. | :11:21. | |
I lead, he is on a lead. He posed a question about the Silk Commission, | :11:21. | :11:26. | |
I hope you will allow me to answer it. There is a ruling that you | :11:26. | :11:32. | |
allow leaders to respond. No, I think... I did not make the ruling. | :11:32. | :11:39. | |
I think that was a rhetorical question. We now move to the leader | :11:39. | :11:49. | |
:11:49. | :11:51. | ||
of pride comfrey, Leanne Wood. -- Plaid Cymru yesterday your | :11:51. | :11:55. | |
government introduced a report into the second report from the sale | :11:55. | :11:59. | |
commission. Given the way your MPs have voted against the Welsh | :11:59. | :12:04. | |
national interest on matters like Europe and benefits and tax, the | :12:04. | :12:10. | |
obvious question must they are the MPs signed up to your agenda on | :12:10. | :12:15. | |
Silk? Which of the proposals in yesterday's document will | :12:15. | :12:22. | |
definitely be included in Labour's 2015 election manifesto? We do not | :12:22. | :12:27. | |
know yet what the Silk Commission will recommend. We have submitted | :12:27. | :12:32. | |
our evidence and we wait the evidence of other parties and away | :12:32. | :12:37. | |
to the final recommendations of Silk. I am pleased that you have | :12:37. | :12:41. | |
you turned and backed a policy that Plaid Cymru has long supported and | :12:41. | :12:46. | |
that is the transfer of powers over policing which would bring us into | :12:46. | :12:50. | |
line with Scotland and Northern Ireland are already have those | :12:50. | :12:56. | |
powers. In July 2011 your minister said, and I quote, I was certainly | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
not want to take any function away from Westminster without the | :13:00. | :13:06. | |
appropriate funding. I believe, at the moment, Policing is in that | :13:06. | :13:10. | |
bracket. The First Minister -- but First Minister, what about other | :13:10. | :13:14. | |
powers? What about powers over the probation service that faces | :13:14. | :13:18. | |
privatisation and the moment? Is it your position that our criminal- | :13:18. | :13:23. | |
justice system is better off in the hands of Tory ministers and West | :13:23. | :13:27. | |
ministers - and Westminster than Welsh ministers here? We have | :13:27. | :13:29. | |
believed for a long time that it is possible for Policing to be | :13:29. | :13:33. | |
separated out from the rest of the system as the police are an agency | :13:33. | :13:37. | |
of a criminal justice. We have not taken the view it is a possible to | :13:37. | :13:41. | |
separate out bits of the rest of the justice system without taking | :13:41. | :13:44. | |
on board a poor lot. Probation depends on sentencing policy, | :13:44. | :13:49. | |
sentencing policy depends on legislative control, and the | :13:49. | :13:51. | |
control ultimately of the courts and the sentences passed by the | :13:52. | :13:56. | |
courts. It is the same with the Prison Service which is not self | :13:56. | :14:00. | |
contained. They would need to either build more prisons, as you | :14:00. | :14:04. | |
know there is no women's prison in Wales. Also we would have to do | :14:04. | :14:08. | |
that or put ourselves in a position of being over a barrel in terms of | :14:08. | :14:13. | |
the English pressures -- English prison system who would charge for | :14:13. | :14:17. | |
Welsh inmates. On top of that it is quite true that we do not have the | :14:17. | :14:21. | |
policy capacity as yet in government to deal with criminal | :14:21. | :14:25. | |
justice, that would have to be built over time. In Policing we | :14:25. | :14:31. | |
have that capacity. We have taken a rational and sensible approach. | :14:31. | :14:36. | |
Would we want to see for budgetary transfers accompany any transfer of | :14:36. | :14:42. | |
policy? The answer to that is definitely yes. The shadow minister | :14:42. | :14:46. | |
for Policing refused to support you on your call for the devolution of | :14:46. | :14:50. | |
policing powers. Sadly there was nobody there from your government | :14:50. | :14:54. | |
this morning to defend your position. He did not answer my | :14:54. | :14:58. | |
question when I asked it to you earlier so I will ask you again. | :14:58. | :15:02. | |
Will you give us your word today that your bosses in London will | :15:02. | :15:06. | |
support the document that your Government published yesterday and | :15:06. | :15:10. | |
that they will implement those policies should Labour win the next | :15:10. | :15:16. | |
UK general election and that those proposals would be in your party's | :15:16. | :15:26. | |
:15:26. | :15:45. | ||
And she raises an important question, we will aim to anti- -- | :15:45. | :15:54. | |
we will aim to take policing to more local matters. Serious crimes | :15:54. | :16:00. | |
and counter-terrorism will need to be resolved. I heard nothing in the | :16:00. | :16:10. | |
:16:10. | :16:10. | ||
interview which cut across what the Welsh government has admitted. | :16:10. | :16:16. | |
Yesterday your government asked for increased powers over a long list | :16:16. | :16:25. | |
of issues, drink-driving, licensing, policing, of water, youth justice. | :16:25. | :16:30. | |
Given that is such a long list, William admits that when Labour | :16:30. | :16:32. | |
designed the current system a few years ago, they did not get it | :16:32. | :16:42. | |
exactly right. I believe the system that was designed reflected the | :16:42. | :16:46. | |
views at that time. We know from the opinion polls that the opinions | :16:46. | :16:51. | |
have changed again. It is part of the organic development of | :16:51. | :16:56. | |
government in Wales. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have supported | :16:56. | :17:01. | |
further devolution, and in spirit of building a cross-party consensus | :17:01. | :17:06. | |
to see whales move forward, I will ensure that my party makes a | :17:06. | :17:14. | |
positive submission to Silk. Will you, as the leader of your party, | :17:14. | :17:17. | |
ensure that Labour makes a submission of supporting the extra | :17:17. | :17:24. | |
powers? I cannot make that submission for her, but we have | :17:24. | :17:28. | |
submitted evidence as a Welsh Labour government. That evidence is | :17:28. | :17:34. | |
detailed and clear. Don't worry about my party's evidence to the | :17:34. | :17:44. | |
:17:44. | :17:45. | ||
commission! I am much more worried about your party's submission to | :17:45. | :17:54. | |
the Silk Commission. I look forward to seeing your submission of. First | :17:54. | :17:57. | |
Minister, you why the first minister, and as leader of the | :17:58. | :18:03. | |
Labour Party, proposing the devolution of police, and I take it | :18:03. | :18:07. | |
that a great deal of policy work, and analysis, has gone into | :18:07. | :18:13. | |
developing that policy, which is a rational and sensible. Given that | :18:13. | :18:22. | |
it is so rational and sensible to devolve policing, why doesn't the | :18:22. | :18:31. | |
Welsh policing Minister give it a ringing endorsement? I repeat the | :18:31. | :18:36. | |
answer I gave before, she is arguing against the devolution of | :18:36. | :18:44. | |
policing. This is the evidence of a Welsh Labour government, having | :18:44. | :18:48. | |
considered the reality of the situations. We know full well that | :18:48. | :18:52. | |
it is important for the aspirations of the people of Wales that we | :18:52. | :18:56. | |
provide leadership in that regard. I look forward to the evidence that | :18:56. | :19:00. | |
her party produces, and even to the evidence from the Welsh | :19:00. | :19:07. | |
Conservative Party. Both parties, and indeed others, have taken the | :19:07. | :19:17. | |
:19:17. | :19:17. | ||
lead from a Welsh Labour government. Will the first minister outline how | :19:17. | :19:27. | |
:19:27. | :19:29. | ||
they are monitoring Appetite for Life? Many bodies have submitted | :19:29. | :19:39. | |
:19:39. | :19:40. | ||
reports, we also have nutritional analysis. This is not yet | :19:40. | :19:44. | |
compulsory, I understand it will become so in the next financial | :19:44. | :19:51. | |
year. Given that the outcome is fairly next, from the evidence that | :19:51. | :19:56. | |
I have gathered, there has been a drop-off in the take up a free | :19:56. | :19:59. | |
school meals. There are complaints about the over restrictive nature | :19:59. | :20:05. | |
of the system. Have you carry out any research as to how this can be | :20:05. | :20:11. | |
made more local, and how people can use this system to ensure that the | :20:11. | :20:18. | |
take up goes up, and more children are eating healthy school meals? | :20:18. | :20:21. | |
Responsibility for school meals lies with local law authorities, or | :20:21. | :20:29. | |
school governing bodies. We are contacting them to remind them of | :20:29. | :20:32. | |
their responsibilities regarding food products, particularly in | :20:32. | :20:41. | |
light of the events of the last week. Appetite for Life is part of | :20:41. | :20:50. | |
a broader agenda, and how the well- being of our family's affects them. | :20:50. | :20:55. | |
Has the Labour Party and the government Rodda back on their | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
commitment to how they are going to legislate for the banning of | :20:59. | :21:03. | |
hitting a children? I fell to see what this has to do with the | :21:03. | :21:11. | |
current subject. -- I fail to see. I know that one of the initiatives | :21:11. | :21:21. | |
:21:21. | :21:29. | ||
in Appetite for Life is about right nutrition. Some youths also suffer | :21:29. | :21:34. | |
from eating disorders, I wonder if there are any plans to expand the | :21:34. | :21:39. | |
programme to acknowledge this group of people who are falling through | :21:39. | :21:49. | |
:21:49. | :21:51. | ||
the programmes. Appetite for Life is designed for schools. She asked | :21:51. | :21:58. | |
the question about how the analysis is done in turn the nutrition -- in | :21:58. | :22:03. | |
terms of nutrition. They have to analyse their lunchtime provisions. | :22:03. | :22:12. | |
There is a specialised area or, as software is already available. | :22:12. | :22:18. | |
Ferrar requirements for local authorities. The analysis of the | :22:18. | :22:24. | |
nutrition can be done to the higher standards. What is the Welsh | :22:24. | :22:33. | |
government doing to promote the teaching of music? We knowledge D | :22:33. | :22:37. | |
benefits of music but young people. -- we acknowledge the benefits of | :22:37. | :22:45. | |
music. It is a statutory it requirement are to stage free. -- | :22:45. | :22:54. | |
it is a statutory requirement up to stage up to read. Music has played | :22:54. | :23:02. | |
a big part in the development of children, this is the being | :23:02. | :23:09. | |
threatened by Newport council's cuts. What are you doing to help | :23:09. | :23:14. | |
safeguard services like Gwent music support, so they can do their best | :23:14. | :23:19. | |
for the next generation? It is the sole responsibility of the local | :23:19. | :23:23. | |
authority to decide the level of support they are to give. That is | :23:23. | :23:27. | |
based on their own understanding of local needs and priorities. It is | :23:27. | :23:36. | |
for them to answer for their particular decisions. Not only is | :23:36. | :23:40. | |
quite facing cuts, but there are also cuts in Cardiff, there are | :23:40. | :23:47. | |
cuts being introduced by Labour councils. When there were cuts to | :23:47. | :23:52. | |
the Welsh language Festival, you stepped in and provided funding to | :23:52. | :23:55. | |
make up that deficiency, what would you do for the rest of Wales, given | :23:55. | :24:00. | |
these cuts to music services? Do you agree with Carl Jenkins, who | :24:00. | :24:06. | |
has described these cuts as being extremely detrimental to the Welsh | :24:06. | :24:12. | |
culture and heritage? We would expect the local authorities to | :24:12. | :24:19. | |
ensure that there breeze of sufficient funding available. To | :24:19. | :24:27. | |
ensure that they raise sufficient funding. I would expect local | :24:27. | :24:35. | |
authorities to it make sure that music is available to young people. | :24:35. | :24:40. | |
The thing that worries me the most about the 100% cut proposed by | :24:40. | :24:44. | |
Cardiff council, it a threatens the support for music education for | :24:44. | :24:49. | |
people whose parents are not able to pay for rid themselves. Many of | :24:49. | :24:56. | |
us benefited from a system that was the best of and -- the best of the | :24:56. | :25:00. | |
world. What are you going to do to make sure that those vulnerable | :25:00. | :25:05. | |
children are still able to access that system? These are matters for | :25:05. | :25:10. | |
local authority is, I cannot answer for any local authority in Wales. | :25:10. | :25:19. | |
The -- authorities. What assessment has the Welsh government made for | :25:19. | :25:27. | |
the portance a broad band to the Welsh economy? -- the importance. | :25:27. | :25:33. | |
We knowledge that broadband supports jobs in Wales. -- we | :25:34. | :25:41. | |
acknowledge. Wrexham industrial estate is one of the major | :25:41. | :25:46. | |
manufacturing centres in Wales, but the broadband connections are so | :25:46. | :25:49. | |
appalling, one business member has told the he has to travel home in | :25:49. | :25:57. | |
order to download and upload files. As a result, he is considering | :25:57. | :26:04. | |
relocating. Transport links have been improved, may I ask what you | :26:04. | :26:11. | |
are doing to improve the internet connection, there are 8,000 workers | :26:11. | :26:20. | |
employed there? 96% of businesses a throughout Wales will have access | :26:20. | :26:25. | |
to super-fast broadband by the conclusion of 2015, this is | :26:25. | :26:30. | |
something which is vital in order to attract businesses, and keep | :26:30. | :26:38. | |
them in Wales. There is a long- standing issue with the Updating of | :26:38. | :26:48. | |
:26:48. | :26:58. | ||
Welsh exchanges. -- updating. There have been delays to upgrades, I was | :26:58. | :27:05. | |
told it would be done by 2012, then 2013, now 2014. Can the first | :27:05. | :27:10. | |
minister make representations with BT over this issue, because we are | :27:10. | :27:17. | |
suffering from the economic impact? By more where these problems. I | :27:17. | :27:24. | |
have suffered it for myself in Bridgend. It does require | :27:24. | :27:29. | |
government intervention, as the Member knows, that is why we are | :27:29. | :27:36. | |
introducing a programme to make access available by the end of 2015. | :27:36. | :27:41. | |
It is not just broadband connections that are vital for the | :27:41. | :27:46. | |
economy, in my constituency, a simple mobile phone signal can be a | :27:46. | :27:51. | |
very difficult thing to obtain. Businesses in brat on have been | :27:51. | :28:01. | |
:28:01. | :28:04. | ||
affected by poor services. -- Breacon. We have supplied 17 pages | :28:04. | :28:09. | |
are complaints about the poor phone service in the area, will you join | :28:09. | :28:14. | |
with her to make representations to the company to make sure no more of | :28:14. | :28:22. | |
my constituents are affected? is absolutely right when she points | :28:22. | :28:26. | |
out the poor level of service, sometimes in the middle of Cardiff, | :28:26. | :28:35. | |
our bigger city. We are lagging behind some of the other parts of | :28:35. | :28:41. | |
the UK. It is something we will continue to make representations | :28:41. | :28:47. | |
about today's private companies. There is an opportunity in terms of | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
technology, as I understand, to use other ways to transmit the mobile | :28:51. | :28:55. | |
phone signal. It is something that I have discussed with telecoms | :28:55. | :29:03. | |
providers. Will the first minister make a statement on his recent | :29:03. | :29:07. | |
visit to San Francisco? I have issued a written statement | :29:07. | :29:11. | |
yesterday, there were 19 Welsh companies that become feed me on | :29:11. | :29:15. | |
the trade mission. The purpose of the visit was a threefold, to | :29:15. | :29:20. | |
promote business, to raise the profile of trading, and to open | :29:20. | :29:30. | |
:29:30. | :29:32. | ||
doors. Congratulations on what seems to have been a very | :29:32. | :29:36. | |
successful mission, and thank you for keeping us informed on Twitter, | :29:36. | :29:41. | |
that was very interesting. What reporting mechanisms are they to | :29:41. | :29:45. | |
ensure that the 19 companies that were represented on the mission, | :29:45. | :29:49. | |
and the Welsh government officials are able to follow up on be Leeds | :29:49. | :29:56. | |
that they were following in the United States, and also to pursue | :29:56. | :30:02. | |
the companies that were interested in investing in Wales? These will | :30:02. | :30:06. | |
be available on the international trading board, which I chair. We | :30:06. | :30:12. | |
will get feedback as we find out how things develop. We are very | :30:12. | :30:16. | |
content on the way things have gone. Some companies will pursue matters | :30:17. | :30:26. | |
:30:27. | :30:33. | ||
I was pleased at the end of your visit that you said there would be | :30:33. | :30:38. | |
a Welsh government employee based in San Francisco. I put this | :30:38. | :30:44. | |
suggestion to you and I am glad you took some sensible advice in | :30:44. | :30:48. | |
employee Welsh employees to promote Wales in the American market. One | :30:49. | :30:52. | |
tangible results can we expect to see in the next 18 months for this | :30:52. | :30:57. | |
employee based in San Francisco and what goals have you said that | :30:57. | :31:02. | |
individual? Are they have not been appointed yet. The process is still | :31:02. | :31:06. | |
in process. The leader of the opposition cannot have it every way. | :31:06. | :31:09. | |
First he says we should not have trade missions but then he says | :31:09. | :31:13. | |
there should be people based in countries around the world. If the | :31:13. | :31:18. | |
at his way we would sit at home all day and do nothing to help Wales. | :31:18. | :31:25. | |
Fortunately for him that is not what the Prime Minister says. I | :31:25. | :31:28. | |
agree that he sees a leading trade delegations a vital part of his job | :31:28. | :31:32. | |
and so do I and they'll I should do the same for Wales. The Tories | :31:32. | :31:36. | |
could not even bring themselves to welcome the 100 plus jobs that have | :31:36. | :31:40. | |
just been brought to Wales. They could not welcome it, it was one | :31:40. | :31:48. | |
piece of good news too far even for them. First Minister, may I very | :31:48. | :31:53. | |
warmly welcomed the 100 jobs coming to Wales as a result of your visit | :31:53. | :31:57. | |
to San Francisco. We are very pleased that you went there and | :31:57. | :32:00. | |
very pleased that you lead the delegation there and it is clear | :32:00. | :32:06. | |
that you lead that a delegation. On other international issues it is | :32:06. | :32:10. | |
not as clear who is in the lead on behalf of the Labour Party. You say | :32:10. | :32:17. | |
one thing here, and I welcome it, as regards the European budget. You | :32:17. | :32:20. | |
and Alun Davies have been crystal clear about the views of the | :32:20. | :32:23. | |
world's government but Wayne David has a very different view, asking | :32:23. | :32:30. | |
the Prime Minister -- congratulated the Prime Minister and giving him a | :32:30. | :32:36. | |
mandate to cut the budget. You said that your stance is clear. You | :32:36. | :32:39. | |
unclear, your personal view is clear, but what is the view of the | :32:39. | :32:43. | |
Labour Party in Wales on this? lead the Labour Party in Wales and | :32:43. | :32:47. | |
I can give you the view of the Labour Party and state clearly that | :32:47. | :32:54. | |
in terms of foreign visits I have led a number of delegations abroad | :32:54. | :32:58. | |
and some other ministers carry out the same function, that is exactly | :32:58. | :33:05. | |
what we need to do to ensure that Wales is sold globally. Ally in the | :33:05. | :33:12. | |
Welsh government plans -- peas outlined the was government plans | :33:12. | :33:17. | |
for the Vale of Clwyd. We have problems on dog breeding, micro | :33:17. | :33:23. | |
shift -- micro shift -- micro chipping and pig welfare. Last week | :33:23. | :33:28. | |
I took the opportunity to spend a day with an inspector from the | :33:28. | :33:31. | |
RSPCA. I thoroughly enjoyed that day even though it was snowing in | :33:31. | :33:38. | |
the north-east part of Wales. On that day when I spent time with | :33:38. | :33:44. | |
them I saw first-hand what the RSPCA do in construction -- in | :33:44. | :33:46. | |
combination with Dogs Trust encouraging people to be more | :33:47. | :33:51. | |
responsible with the dogs their own. Many people have told me that they | :33:51. | :33:54. | |
want to see dog licensing re introduced as a way of responsible | :33:54. | :33:59. | |
dog ownership. Has your government had any discussions about how we | :33:59. | :34:04. | |
intend to look at dog licensing for the future? Not directly in terms | :34:04. | :34:09. | |
of dog licensing, in terms of the way it was done in the past. We are | :34:09. | :34:13. | |
considering introducing regulations to require the compulsory microchip | :34:13. | :34:18. | |
in and registration of all dogs in Wales as part of our road map or a | :34:18. | :34:22. | |
dog welfare. We have already consulted on the subject and we | :34:22. | :34:28. | |
will be publishing the results surely. As the vice chairman of the | :34:28. | :34:33. | |
Assembly Halls group and Angela Burns is the chairman, we are aware | :34:33. | :34:38. | |
of concerns raised by this issue of issues such as General equine | :34:38. | :34:45. | |
welfare, fly grazing and, of course, the horse passport regime in Wales. | :34:45. | :34:49. | |
I have written to every local authority regarding this and I have | :34:49. | :34:58. | |
had for 21 responses. It is fair to say there are some in consistency | :34:58. | :35:03. | |
is. Please stick to the Vale of Clwyd. The Vale of Clwyd being a | :35:03. | :35:08. | |
classic example where there has only been one prosecution and this | :35:08. | :35:12. | |
was Prix 2009. Other councils have stated there is a distinct lack of | :35:12. | :35:18. | |
funding, combined with a deficit of detailed guidance across Wales. In | :35:18. | :35:21. | |
light of the recent horse meat contamination into the human food | :35:21. | :35:26. | |
chain and given that only recently the UK government has highlighted | :35:26. | :35:31. | |
the vital importance of equine traceability... Are you coming to | :35:31. | :35:37. | |
the question? Yes. Police immediately, on the Vale of Clwyd | :35:38. | :35:44. | |
now. Will you, First Minister, all work with the Deputy Minister for | :35:44. | :35:48. | |
Agriculture, but also the minister for local government to address the | :35:48. | :35:51. | |
shortcomings in order that Wales can play its own park as regards | :35:51. | :35:56. | |
animal welfare, accurate food labelling and most important | :35:56. | :36:06. | |
:36:06. | :36:09. | ||
improve food safety. Yes. Climate change and changes in the way that | :36:09. | :36:15. | |
rivers are cleans obviously now contributing to far more examples | :36:15. | :36:19. | |
of flooding on agricultural land. Can I ask you what assessment the | :36:20. | :36:25. | |
Welsh government has made on the impact of this on animal health, | :36:25. | :36:28. | |
particularly farm animal and the welfare of farm animals. I was a on | :36:28. | :36:32. | |
a farm in the Vale of Clwyd last year where agricultural land has | :36:32. | :36:38. | |
been under water since September. Well, this is a topic which the | :36:38. | :36:42. | |
minister is considering in detail. We know that in some parts of Wales | :36:42. | :36:48. | |
there has been flooding on a farm land because the towns and villages | :36:48. | :36:55. | |
were flooded previously been the Conwy Valley which is an example of | :36:55. | :36:59. | |
that. There has been very heavy rain in the past few months and, of | :36:59. | :37:04. | |
course, if the farmers have problems, it is important they | :37:04. | :37:08. | |
raise them with fake unions and they can then be discussed with the | :37:08. | :37:11. | |
minister. Will the First Minister make a statement outlining the | :37:11. | :37:15. | |
benefits to Wales arising from his recent visit to San Francisco. | :37:15. | :37:19. | |
refer the member to the response I gave earlier to the Member for | :37:19. | :37:25. | |
Cardiff North. It is important we capitalise on the opportunities of | :37:25. | :37:28. | |
opening an office in San Francisco provides us with. It is perfectly | :37:28. | :37:32. | |
right that the Government has to account for foreign trips and as | :37:32. | :37:35. | |
the leader of the opposition says, such globe-trotting has to serve a | :37:35. | :37:41. | |
purpose and amount to more than winter sun surging. In 20099 Tories | :37:41. | :37:46. | |
visited Brussels and Madrid at a cost of �12,000 and more recently | :37:46. | :37:51. | |
five of them visited Brussels again at a cost of over �500. Is the | :37:51. | :37:57. | |
first minister able to outline any benefits to Wales for these trips | :37:57. | :38:01. | |
other than providing the members with a wonderful time? I think | :38:01. | :38:06. | |
there are great dangers in constantly running any line that | :38:06. | :38:10. | |
questions the need for overseas visits. They are absolutely | :38:10. | :38:14. | |
essential for government and I do regret the line that is always | :38:14. | :38:17. | |
taken by the Welsh Conservatives in this regard and I know that members | :38:17. | :38:23. | |
may from time to time benefit from overseas visits. In terms of winter | :38:23. | :38:28. | |
sun, San Francisco was in -- was full of of Folkert in the time I | :38:28. | :38:32. | |
was there and. And in Istanbul when I was there it had just thought | :38:32. | :38:36. | |
from snowfall and rain. And there was no chance in Dublin of a winter | :38:36. | :38:41. | |
sun. It does detract from the situation. When the Prime Minister | :38:41. | :38:46. | |
visits India he does not get asked why he it is going there. Nor does | :38:46. | :38:49. | |
the Mayor of London. It is a problem that exists within Welsh | :38:50. | :38:55. | |
politics and Welsh journalism in my view. I would like to get away from | :38:55. | :39:00. | |
any suggestion that somehow any visit carried out by any member or, | :39:00. | :39:04. | |
indeed, any member of the Government is questionable in the | :39:04. | :39:12. | |
beginning. Members will know that is not the case. In your statement | :39:12. | :39:16. | |
yesterday you said that you would it be keeping in touch with | :39:16. | :39:20. | |
businesses over the ensuing months to monitor how some of the contact | :39:20. | :39:25. | |
that you made in San Francisco are developing. Can you elaborate on | :39:25. | :39:30. | |
how you intend to work with the Welsh businesses following that | :39:30. | :39:35. | |
visit, to ensure that they are in the best possible situation to take | :39:35. | :39:39. | |
advantage of that trade mission. Businesses will be able to keep in | :39:39. | :39:43. | |
touch with officials and officials will assist them in working with | :39:43. | :39:49. | |
the new office in San Francisco to develop those markets in California. | :39:49. | :39:56. | |
Your announcement of the partnership between an industry in | :39:56. | :40:00. | |
Carmarthenshire and California was a very welcome and I welcome the | :40:00. | :40:03. | |
jobs it brings with it. Do you agree that this is exactly the kind | :40:03. | :40:07. | |
of innovative Welsh company we need to be showcasing on the Welsh stage | :40:07. | :40:11. | |
if to establish Wales as a Goto country for investment in cutting | :40:11. | :40:16. | |
edge technology and research and development. Absolutely, it is a | :40:16. | :40:20. | |
technology that is unusual but it is a technology in which we have | :40:20. | :40:23. | |
expertise in Wales. I very much welcomed when I was there and the | :40:24. | :40:29. | |
deal was signed and the assurance that the more than 100 jobs would | :40:29. | :40:39. | |
:40:39. | :40:39. | ||
come to Wales. How does the world's government monitor the | :40:39. | :40:44. | |
implementation of recommendations to reports to assembly committees? | :40:44. | :40:49. | |
The response the Department -- of the departments are responsible for | :40:49. | :40:54. | |
monitoring the implementation of accepted recommendations. As we | :40:54. | :40:57. | |
discuss the transfer of greater powers to the assembly, are you | :40:57. | :41:01. | |
personally happy with the way in which those departments monitor the | :41:01. | :41:07. | |
situation? You know of the report of the committee about a fortnight | :41:07. | :41:13. | |
to go about fraternity -- maternity care, which is perhaps they | :41:13. | :41:16. | |
reflection of reports over the last decade and shows a lack of action | :41:16. | :41:20. | |
from the government's point of view, so should you look again at the way | :41:20. | :41:24. | |
in which some of these departments monitor the way in which they work? | :41:24. | :41:27. | |
Ministers are responsible, in terms of what is done, and they are | :41:28. | :41:33. | |
accountable to the assembly as a whole. That is the way of ensuring | :41:33. | :41:41. | |
that recommendations, where they are excepted is implemented. We are | :41:41. | :41:45. | |
still awaiting recommendations on participation in the arts, which | :41:45. | :41:50. | |
were made by the culture committee of the last assembly. We are still | :41:50. | :41:54. | |
awaiting the implementation of the recommendations and we are awaiting | :41:54. | :41:57. | |
the implementation of the recommendations made by the Welsh | :41:57. | :42:02. | |
Language Commission and the Children's Commissioner. Do you | :42:02. | :42:07. | |
believe that the recommendations, independent recommendations, or | :42:07. | :42:14. | |
none government recommendations, are implemented quickly enough? | :42:14. | :42:17. | |
There is a process in place to ensure that recommendations are | :42:17. | :42:27. | |
delivered and a sister has been in place for many years. I can assure | :42:27. | :42:30. | |
the first Mr that if the Welsh government does not implement or | :42:30. | :42:34. | |
take action on the reports of the environment as sustainability | :42:34. | :42:37. | |
committee that the minister who has not taken action would be called | :42:37. | :42:41. | |
back to the committee as a matter of urgency to account for their | :42:41. | :42:44. | |
actions. That is a very strong response to make and the response | :42:44. | :42:49. | |
was given by the member. Will the First Minister make a statement on | :42:49. | :42:54. | |
the impact of traffic flow for the variable speed limit system on the | :42:54. | :43:00. | |
M4 between junctions 24 and 28? Current indications suggest that | :43:00. | :43:03. | |
congestion is less severe are following the system being | :43:03. | :43:07. | |
installed. It minimises rather than fully alleviate the queuing at | :43:07. | :43:10. | |
results on the Net were happy times. A full assessment will be | :43:10. | :43:14. | |
undertaken once sufficient information has been gathered to | :43:14. | :43:18. | |
provide a statistically reliable assessment. The first Minister will | :43:18. | :43:21. | |
know that particular stretch of the motorway has involve a lot of minor | :43:21. | :43:25. | |
accidents almost since its inception. We also look at the | :43:25. | :43:29. | |
complain that vehicles do not maintain lane discipline, | :43:29. | :43:33. | |
particularly at those junctions where there are a number of | :43:33. | :43:37. | |
intersections. That, of course, would give rise to potential | :43:37. | :43:41. | |
charges of driving without due care and can take -- to care and | :43:41. | :43:44. | |
attention if people do not keep to the lines. It is tempting for | :43:44. | :43:48. | |
people to jump the queue, as seen on many motorways, but it is | :43:48. | :43:53. | |
crucial that drivers understand the reason why these variable speed | :43:53. | :43:57. | |
limits are in place is in order to keep traffic flowing. When people | :43:57. | :44:02. | |
try to jump the queue they impede the flow of that traffic. There we | :44:02. | :44:06. | |
are. We'll leave First Minister's Questions there, but don't forget | :44:06. | :44:09. | |
that you can see more coverage of the National Assembly online from | :44:09. | :44:19. | |
BBC Wales's Democracy Live page. That is it for today. I will be | :44:19. | :44:23. | |
back at the same time next week with more coverage of First | :44:23. | :44:26. |