:00:26. > :00:32.Hello. Welcome to the programme. We have First Minister's questions
:00:32. > :00:37.coming up for you later. We will meet the new Plaid Cymru leader,
:00:37. > :00:41.and she will take on a Carwyn Jones. I will resist the temptation to
:00:41. > :00:51.take a more aggressive stance with you to get in touch with us, I am
:00:51. > :01:03.
:01:03. > :01:10.sure a gentle reminder it will do Item one, First Minister's
:01:10. > :01:17.questions. Question one is withdrawn, questioned two. Will the
:01:17. > :01:21.First Minister outline the world's government's priority.
:01:21. > :01:25.approaches are outlined in the programme for government. In your
:01:25. > :01:30.most recent trip to America you had these Proteas in mind, can you
:01:30. > :01:34.explain why you travelled across the Atlantic to seek investment
:01:34. > :01:44.when they are American terms already -- American firms already
:01:44. > :01:47.
:01:47. > :01:50.interested in Wales. Your government seems completely
:01:50. > :01:57.oblivious to inward investment and only wants to work in partnership
:01:57. > :02:00.with itself. What is going wrong with your message and your actions
:02:00. > :02:08.to investors? Could you tell us what you're doing about this,
:02:08. > :02:12.please? I can say that if you think the way to attract investment in
:02:12. > :02:16.Wales is not to go anywhere, that is not a sustainable model for the
:02:16. > :02:25.future. It is important to meet with those who are already
:02:25. > :02:31.investing in Wales along with potential investors. The biomass
:02:31. > :02:36.site in Port Talbot needs to be sold because the company have not
:02:36. > :02:39.developed of the area. Have your officials had any discussions on
:02:39. > :02:45.negotiations with the company because there is concern, great
:02:45. > :02:50.concern locally, because the site has not yet been sold? I have not
:02:50. > :03:00.personally played a role in this. I will look at it to see what the
:03:00. > :03:06.
:03:06. > :03:11.latest situation is. Leader of Plaid Cymru. Thank you. First
:03:11. > :03:14.Minister, I am sure you will share my concern about recent GDP figures
:03:14. > :03:19.which showed that West Wales and the Valleys have fallen further
:03:19. > :03:24.behind the European average. Wales remains the poorest nation within
:03:24. > :03:28.the UK. Tomorrow, George Osborne is set to exacerbate the situation
:03:28. > :03:36.further by announcing that public sector workers in Wales should take
:03:36. > :03:41.a big hit. When the people of our they should need their politicians
:03:41. > :03:46.to join together, the parties of this Assembly are able to unite in
:03:46. > :03:51.a common goal. We you therefore join me and divide the other party
:03:51. > :03:54.leaders to stand together in a united position in order to stop
:03:54. > :03:59.this UK government from putting further pressure on household
:03:59. > :04:02.incomes in Wales? Can I welcomed the leader of Plaid Cymru to her
:04:03. > :04:08.new position. I look forward to working with her where we can do
:04:08. > :04:14.that. She may have heard me on Radio 5 on Saturday morning express
:04:14. > :04:20.my very strong views about regional pay. I believe it will have a
:04:20. > :04:25.detrimental effect on Wales. I welcome her stance. I would be more
:04:25. > :04:31.than happy to call on the other party leaders in this Chamber to
:04:31. > :04:35.condemn them any moves towards regional pay. The thank you.
:04:35. > :04:38.Therefore can I urge you at this time ahead of tomorrow's
:04:38. > :04:43.announcement to make a specific commitment to a ridge of meeting
:04:43. > :04:48.this afternoon between the four of us in this Chamber so that we can
:04:48. > :04:51.immediately seek agreement in Wales on cross-party statements which
:04:51. > :04:56.will there be presented to the Chancellor ahead of the budget
:04:56. > :05:00.announcement tomorrow? The this afternoon may be a bit difficult
:05:00. > :05:08.given my timetable. We should wait and see what the other party
:05:08. > :05:13.leaders actually say. Thank you. Will you agree with me that public
:05:13. > :05:18.sector cuts have already hit the private as well as the public
:05:18. > :05:24.sector hard? Unless we stop these plans they risk further depressing
:05:24. > :05:28.for the Welsh economy by undermining productivity. We you
:05:28. > :05:31.join Plaid Cymru in stating clearly that what is needed now is a
:05:31. > :05:36.stimulus for the wealth -- Welsh economy and not further
:05:36. > :05:41.constrained? I welcome Plaid Cymru's support for our position as
:05:41. > :05:49.a government. There are various difficulties with this suggestion
:05:49. > :05:59.of regional pay. If we have two people living next door to each
:05:59. > :05:59.
:05:59. > :06:04.other, or want... It is a policy that is designed to reduce the
:06:04. > :06:08.living standards of those in the poorest parts of the UK and to
:06:08. > :06:17.increase the wealth gap. I look forward to hearing what the other
:06:17. > :06:22.party leaders have to say on this matter. Kirsty Williams. Thank you.
:06:22. > :06:32.Can I formally offer my congratulations to Plaid Cymru's
:06:32. > :06:34.
:06:34. > :06:38.new leader? It is an important step in the equality of women in Wales.
:06:38. > :06:44.Last week, we saw a new figures show that GDP per capita in West
:06:44. > :06:48.Wales and the Valleys has fallen from 79 % to 68.4 % at the EU
:06:48. > :06:52.average. We hear a lot in the media about the state of the Greek
:06:52. > :06:56.economy. Are you not ashamed that these figures show that most parts
:06:56. > :07:02.of Greece are doing better than most parts of Wales? We need a
:07:02. > :07:05.government with the same ambition that our rugby team showed!
:07:05. > :07:11.figures are three years out of date. That is the first thing I would
:07:11. > :07:15.like to point out. We know that the plans to cut the pay of thousands
:07:15. > :07:22.of public sector workers in Wales would mean for GDP would drop
:07:22. > :07:28.further. I asked the Leader of the Liberal-Democrats if he would
:07:28. > :07:32.condemn any of these plans. Either the First Minister has develop the
:07:32. > :07:37.skills of a clairvoyant recently or he has seen the Budget. I suspect
:07:37. > :07:41.that neither is true! As for regional pay, I have long been
:07:41. > :07:49.opposed to regional pay. When I think that Westminster is getting
:07:49. > :07:52.things wrong I will stand up and say so. When Labour were doing
:07:52. > :07:59.outrageous things to the people of Wales during their time in charge,
:07:59. > :08:04.we did not hear a squeak out of him! In 2002, Rhodri Morgan stated
:08:04. > :08:08.that the huge amount of funding was Welsh Labour's big chance to bring
:08:08. > :08:13.the Welsh standard of living up that of the European average. 10
:08:13. > :08:19.years and more than �6 billion later, what went wrong the First
:08:19. > :08:24.Minister? I read today that Lib-Dem ministers have been banging the
:08:24. > :08:30.table at a Cabinet meeting to mark the passing of the coalition's NHS
:08:30. > :08:38.reforms. Having been offered the opportunity to declare absolutely
:08:38. > :08:42.clearly that she is against moves towards regional pay she has
:08:42. > :08:50.singularly failed to do so. The people of Wales will judge the
:08:50. > :08:55.Liberal Democrats on that fact. thought this session was entitled
:08:55. > :08:59.this questions to the First Minister. If the First Minister
:08:59. > :09:03.would like to swap places with myself, I will be happy to take him
:09:03. > :09:07.up on the offer! Your failure to answer these questions this
:09:07. > :09:11.afternoon is alarming. The European money given to your government is
:09:11. > :09:15.meant to sure that Wales becomes a relatively better off. The vast
:09:15. > :09:20.majority of European regions that have received the same money have
:09:20. > :09:24.made that happen. They have got relatively better off. The people
:09:24. > :09:28.of Wales are entitled to askew as their First Minister why our
:09:28. > :09:33.country is not one of them. What lessons can we draw to ensure that
:09:33. > :09:36.should Wales qualify for yet another round of additional funding,
:09:36. > :09:41.we will be rather more successful than we have been over the last 10
:09:41. > :09:47.years. For the leader of the Liberal Democrats can snarl as much
:09:47. > :09:51.as she wants to. One of the reasons why the people in Wales will feared
:09:51. > :09:55.deterioration in living standards, if which -- if what we read in the
:09:55. > :10:05.papers is correct, is because of the introduction of regional pay,
:10:05. > :10:08.cuts in the rates of pay across Wales and an 18 % cut in wages for
:10:08. > :10:11.public sector workers. The Liberal Democrat leader was given the
:10:11. > :10:19.opportunity to stand up for the people of Wales and she has
:10:19. > :10:22.singularly failed to do so. Leader of the opposition. Thank you. With
:10:22. > :10:28.your indulgence if I could welcome the new leader to Plaid Cymru and
:10:28. > :10:37.the role that she will undertake. I wish her well in her endeavours. I
:10:37. > :10:44.think it is safe to say from our exchanges that there are some
:10:44. > :10:49.differences between the two of us! What is the problem with a brand of
:10:49. > :10:53.Wales? We need to make sure that we develop a unique selling point and
:10:53. > :10:59.make sure that people have a clear image of what will the stands for
:10:59. > :11:01.and the opportunities that exist here. You are therefore in
:11:01. > :11:05.agreement with your business minister when she taught in the
:11:05. > :11:09.committee last week about the government not getting the brand of
:11:09. > :11:18.Wales are right. By have highlighted over the last three
:11:18. > :11:22.weeks how or inward investment figures have been deteriorating
:11:22. > :11:26.rapidly and how the tourist numbers are falling year-on-year. Is it not
:11:26. > :11:34.the case that your government needs to be proactive flea-market in
:11:34. > :11:40.Wales? The comments he made about Cardiff airpark -- Cardiff airport
:11:40. > :11:46.to give out of the wrong image. Can you map out what your government
:11:46. > :11:53.will be doing to improve the image and brand of Wales? Let's start
:11:53. > :11:59.with Cardiff airport. He must be the only person in Wales that think
:11:59. > :12:03.that Cardiff airport is doing well. The situation there cannot continue.
:12:03. > :12:08.It is not doing well. The present owners are not running it along the
:12:08. > :12:12.model that they should be. There is great potential in Cardiff airport
:12:12. > :12:16.with the right owners. If you really think that the airport at
:12:16. > :12:23.the moment is doing well and it is a credit to Wales, I cannot agree
:12:23. > :12:28.with you. It could do so much better. That is why they go to
:12:28. > :12:34.countries like the United States in order to understand -- in order
:12:34. > :12:41.that they understand what needs to be done. It is also to attract more
:12:41. > :12:45.tourists. We have been pro actively supporting any endeavours to
:12:45. > :12:49.improve the brand of Wales, but you're knocking of Cardiff airport
:12:49. > :12:54.and the staff that work tirelessly to improve the passenger experience
:12:55. > :12:58.at that airport, based on two government reports, 2007 and 2009,
:12:58. > :13:03.but clearly indicated that if the government at that time would have
:13:03. > :13:07.supported better route structures, we could have a far better
:13:07. > :13:17.proposition to offer people access in Wales. If you look at the GDP
:13:17. > :13:21.
:13:21. > :13:29.figures for Wales, it just shows that we are falling further behind.
:13:29. > :13:36.Is it not the case, First Minister, that your team are only delivering
:13:36. > :13:40.wooden spoons for Wales? As far as the airport is concerned, business
:13:40. > :13:45.people week after week after week for many months have complained to
:13:45. > :13:49.me about the airport. Not about the staff, but about the airport. I
:13:49. > :13:53.have met the owners of the airport twice and I have put these points
:13:53. > :14:00.to them and I have been met with a shrug of the soldiers. That is not
:14:00. > :14:05.good enough. I have seen situations myself where people have been
:14:05. > :14:10.locked in the baggage hall. This is not good. The owners need to run it
:14:10. > :14:14.properly or pass it over to those who are interested and wish to run
:14:14. > :14:20.it properly, develop it, and make the terminal building more
:14:20. > :14:23.attractive. That is absolutely crucial. When it comes to GDP, I
:14:23. > :14:27.notice once again that the leader of the opposition was given the
:14:27. > :14:35.opportunity to condemn regional pay and once again he has failed to do
:14:35. > :14:39.so. Question three. Thank you. Will the First Minister give an overview
:14:39. > :14:46.of the Welsh government's actions to ensure an affordable cost of
:14:46. > :14:51.living? Prices have increased faster than wages and we are
:14:51. > :14:55.working across government to maximise support in services. We
:14:55. > :15:01.want to provide these services to households and communities to meet
:15:01. > :15:08.the mounting financial pressures on them. Thank you. More than ever of
:15:08. > :15:14.affordable living is an important issue. Welsh government are doing
:15:14. > :15:21.all sorts of things in order to alleviate poverty. For the Save the
:15:21. > :15:26.children report talked about the additional cost of 12 % that
:15:26. > :15:30.families on low incomes pay for services and goods compared to
:15:30. > :15:33.family's on higher incomes. In addition to this, the Welfare
:15:33. > :15:39.Reform Bill from the Westminster government will have a detrimental
:15:39. > :15:49.effect on such families. What further action does there was
:15:49. > :15:49.
:15:49. > :15:59.government intend to take in order When the next financial year starts,
:15:59. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:03.many families will be affected detrimentally. We also know that
:16:03. > :16:10.the welfare reform Bill currently going through Parliament, there
:16:10. > :16:14.will be a huge negative impact and that is why the minister
:16:14. > :16:21.responsible for this area has been considering the impact on Wales
:16:21. > :16:26.over the last few months. First Minister, can you explain how your
:16:26. > :16:32.Government's decision not to pass on a council tax freeze in Wales is
:16:32. > :16:38.designed to help people here meet their bills? Gutting For paid by 18
:16:38. > :16:46.% isn't there to help them, is it? You are keen to do that. Let's look
:16:46. > :16:55.at the where the money was spent. A young recruits programme, skills
:16:55. > :16:58.growth Wells copper capital investment in schools, social
:16:58. > :17:03.housing will, our investment in enterprise zones. This tells us
:17:03. > :17:07.that when we invest in people, in jobs, in skills and make sure
:17:07. > :17:16.people of all, the Tories don't care. Interested in money but not
:17:16. > :17:21.in people. A welcome your comments on regional pay. -- I welcome. Is
:17:21. > :17:26.it right than to be Welsh teacher or a Welsh nature -- a nurse should
:17:26. > :17:29.be paid what less in Wales than in other parts of United Kingdom?
:17:29. > :17:33.I don't. It's crucial that people are paid what they deserve for
:17:33. > :17:38.their jobs and they should not be penalised on the basis of where
:17:38. > :17:42.they live. As we know already, we don't even know if there are
:17:42. > :17:51.suggestions are being made upon where they work or where they live.
:17:51. > :17:55.You could have to people living next door to each other and they
:17:55. > :18:02.are paid to fragments. It's ludicrous, ill thought-out but to
:18:02. > :18:08.because of this UK government. discussions has the world
:18:08. > :18:18.government have -- hand with Welsh Water companies? We work closely
:18:18. > :18:19.
:18:19. > :18:27.with the relevant sewerage... They have a duty to provide access to a
:18:27. > :18:36.public sewer. Thank you. A number of residence in the Vale of Clwyd
:18:36. > :18:40.are struggling to Secure sewerage connection. Section 101 A of the
:18:40. > :18:44.Water Act of 1996 states that water companies must provide such a
:18:44. > :18:46.connection and the Environment Agency will have the final say on
:18:46. > :18:51.the applications. Despite these commitments, my constituents are
:18:51. > :18:58.suffering as a result of the Welsh Water's failure to act in a timely
:18:58. > :19:00.manner and have been told that they will possibly wait until 2015. What
:19:00. > :19:03.assessments have to read of the actions being made by water
:19:03. > :19:08.companies to meet their duties under this legislation? Am aware
:19:08. > :19:18.that there are several ongoing applications. -- I am aware. Bosch
:19:18. > :19:23.
:19:23. > :19:26.must have to have power to enforce... Because of the
:19:26. > :19:31.enforcement powers that Welsh ministers have, I cannot comment on
:19:31. > :19:39.specific cases but I hear clearly the representations that you made
:19:39. > :19:43.on the heart of your constituents. There is no small amount of unease
:19:43. > :19:49.in rural areas of your Government's priorities for water management.
:19:49. > :19:54.Wells has had the compulsory registration of septic tanks,
:19:54. > :20:04.whether it is necessary for compliance. -- Wales. Crieff Hydro
:20:04. > :20:06.
:20:06. > :20:11.Government's recent -- we have had your government recent application.
:20:11. > :20:15.Will you confirm that any future single environment body will
:20:16. > :20:18.approach water regulation, that is proportionate to the risks involved,
:20:19. > :20:27.and six to collaborate with other possible with a Welsh housebuilders
:20:27. > :20:30.and Londoners? Of course, these bodies are designed to streamline
:20:30. > :20:40.these processes without weakening the commitment to protecting the
:20:40. > :20:45.environment. Many housing estates have been built, particularly in
:20:45. > :20:49.rural areas, over the years without roads and sewerage being up to the
:20:49. > :20:55.standards so there can be adopted by the local authority. Now the law
:20:55. > :21:01.has changed, it puts more emphasis on water companies to adopt this
:21:01. > :21:09.private sewerage. I welcome fact. - - I welcome that. What are you
:21:09. > :21:14.going to do during the... To ensure builders don't get away it in
:21:15. > :21:20.future with building to a standard that can be adopted? This is an
:21:20. > :21:24.exceptionally important issue and there have been examples of this
:21:24. > :21:27.for guarding houses built in the 60s and 70s, were the roads and
:21:27. > :21:31.sewerage systems have not been adopted by anyone under
:21:31. > :21:36.construction companies are no longer available for no longer in
:21:36. > :21:46.existence. If we need to strengthen the legislation regarding this, it
:21:46. > :21:48.we will of course consider that as part of the bill. Will the First
:21:49. > :21:52.Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policy
:21:52. > :21:55.priorities for more for us? Yes, they are set out in the programme
:21:56. > :22:01.for government. I am grateful. Research by the Cardiff Business
:22:01. > :22:09.School has found that between 2003 and 2010, Wells was the only part
:22:09. > :22:14.of the UK to you -- lose a share of inward investment. -- Wales. Do you
:22:15. > :22:21.agree that the abolition of the WDA will probably go down in history as
:22:21. > :22:24.the worst policy decision mating whales in living memory? The
:22:24. > :22:29.responsibility for the deterioration of the Welsh brand
:22:29. > :22:33.and its impact on investment in North Wales lies solely with the
:22:33. > :22:37.Welsh have a government. It's amazing that what we saw from the
:22:37. > :22:47.Tories in the 80s, all the decisions that they took which
:22:47. > :22:58.
:22:58. > :23:02.wrecks lives, it is the WDA they care about the most. We heard this
:23:02. > :23:05.week that 22 Kramer that unions in Wales have seen an increase in
:23:05. > :23:10.their membership. -- 22 credit unions. In North Wales in
:23:10. > :23:15.particular, we seem lending increased by over 20 % in the last
:23:15. > :23:19.year. Given the Money Advice Trust have said demand for debt advice
:23:19. > :23:25.would increase by 22 % by 2014 and Wells, would you do all you coming
:23:25. > :23:35.collaboration with Minister for communities to increase the profile
:23:35. > :23:38.
:23:38. > :23:48.offered by local credit unions? -- Wales. They have received support
:23:48. > :23:56.
:23:56. > :24:00.be be... You will be aware that the local pub is often fell last pub
:24:00. > :24:03.for communities it communities in many of our rural Trinity's. What
:24:03. > :24:08.is your government going to ensure the viability of those pubs,
:24:08. > :24:14.particularly where that pub is the final community centre in that
:24:14. > :24:21.community? I have seen this has already occurred in a number of
:24:21. > :24:29.villages. I've got an invitation on my table to visit my local pub.
:24:29. > :24:33.There are examples where the local committee has taken the pub over.
:24:33. > :24:41.The way to deal with this is to ensure first of all that the
:24:41. > :24:46.planning system is doing enough to assist taverns but that is only
:24:46. > :24:50.part of the story because we know with many of the major brewery
:24:50. > :24:59.companies, they are pressurising those people who are running those
:24:59. > :25:04.pubs and because of that, they have to close down. The place to begin
:25:04. > :25:14.it is by ensuring that the planning system assists the pubs as far as
:25:14. > :25:14.
:25:14. > :25:17.possible. The will the first minister make a statement on the
:25:17. > :25:25.development of relabel and services in Wales? We are placing that at
:25:25. > :25:32.the heart of our care. There will be plundered a regional basis. It
:25:32. > :25:37.should ensure that examples of good practice are shared across Wales.
:25:37. > :25:47.As you will be aware, they have been shown to be effective in
:25:47. > :25:48.
:25:48. > :25:53.reducing costs. This is to be called home care but it has changed.
:25:53. > :25:59.Can you confirm how you expect to develop that more co-ordinated
:25:59. > :26:04.service across boundaries, against a backdrop of having a major social
:26:04. > :26:07.services bill? We know that integration of services across
:26:07. > :26:10.health and social services must be taken forward as a faster pace if
:26:10. > :26:16.services are going to be sustainable. The Bill will contain
:26:16. > :26:23.strengthen powers to ensure the NHS and other authorities are working
:26:23. > :26:28.in partnership. That will include the use of budgets. A last month I
:26:28. > :26:34.had the pleasure of speaking at the launch of the British Red Cross
:26:34. > :26:37.befriending service, emphasising integration between the health and
:26:37. > :26:40.voluntary sector to enable her older people to remain independent
:26:40. > :26:47.for long of stock production is a government taking to ensure that
:26:47. > :26:52.where Ray -- the services are delivered, public sector bodies
:26:52. > :26:56.commissioned them there? We know there is a lot of good work being
:26:56. > :27:00.done by the third sector. We have recognised that but it would not be
:27:00. > :27:04.right for care that is being provided by the public sector
:27:04. > :27:07.simply to be passed on to the third sector in a way that causes the
:27:07. > :27:16.third sector to have a burden placed upon them. We want to make
:27:16. > :27:24.sure that the care is available where appropriate. Relabel it is
:27:24. > :27:27.about helping people to do things for themselves. Were you commit to
:27:27. > :27:30.making signposts into these services part of the health checks
:27:31. > :27:35.for the over-fifties so we can make sure all low-level support can be
:27:35. > :27:38.put in place. Developmental work is continuing in line with a timetable
:27:38. > :27:48.outlined in the programme for government for the implementation
:27:48. > :27:49.
:27:49. > :27:54.plan from 2013 onwards. This is an issue that will be considered.
:27:54. > :27:57.very pleased that you acknowledged the services available to people to
:27:57. > :28:02.enable them to return to their homes at present are inconsistent
:28:02. > :28:07.throughout Wales. I'm very pleased that the strategy and the bill is
:28:07. > :28:12.trying to address that. The you agree that privatisation of the
:28:12. > :28:15.home care services twits what you are endeavouring to do at risk
:28:16. > :28:19.because it will mean that local authorities will not have complete
:28:19. > :28:25.control over those services in order to use them in the way that
:28:25. > :28:28.you obviously wish them to be used. This is a service that should be
:28:28. > :28:32.available and the public sector and should be delivered by the public
:28:32. > :28:40.sector. I don't see a better service such as this should be
:28:40. > :28:47.delivered by a private firm. What discussions have the first Mr had
:28:47. > :28:50.regarding the Swansea so -- coastguard centre? I recently met
:28:50. > :28:55.with the Save the or coastguard committee to discuss a way forward,
:28:55. > :29:01.following the announcement to close the station. As you know, there has
:29:01. > :29:04.been a strong campaign against the closure of the coastguard centre
:29:04. > :29:14.and we are grateful to you for meeting with the campaign has
:29:14. > :29:14.
:29:14. > :29:18.recently, where you said that you would ask the Prime Minister to
:29:18. > :29:21.fund some independent risk assessment. May I ask, have you
:29:21. > :29:25.received any response to that request? Have you had an
:29:25. > :29:35.opportunity to speak to the first minister in Scotland and Northern
:29:35. > :29:35.
:29:36. > :29:39.Ireland? If the letter has been sent to Whitehall, stating that we
:29:39. > :29:45.would be willing to fund a risk assessment but we have not received
:29:45. > :29:49.a response to date. Once we receive that response, that would be the
:29:49. > :29:56.appropriate time to speak to Scotland and Northern Ireland, to
:29:56. > :30:03.see how have they half progressed with this difficult issue. Thank
:30:03. > :30:08.you, Deputy presiding officer. There is continuing cross-party
:30:08. > :30:14.discontent with the UK shipping Minister's decision to close down
:30:14. > :30:19.the centre at Swansea. Any movement towards a change of heart would be
:30:19. > :30:22.welcome. In the meantime, could I also ask you to ask the shipping
:30:22. > :30:27.minister when are we likely to see concerted action on his promise to
:30:27. > :30:30.further improve the coastal rescue service management and leadership
:30:30. > :30:34.of frontline volunteer coastguard? Delivery on those improvements
:30:34. > :30:42.should go ahead in any event. this is a strange situation the
:30:42. > :30:46.time being asked to question a Westminster Minister by a member of
:30:46. > :30:53.that same party. By accept it is a cross-party campaign. I have
:30:53. > :30:58.written to the Secretary of State and asked that a full and
:30:58. > :31:08.independent assessment is carried out. When I receive a reply, I will
:31:08. > :31:08.
:31:08. > :31:13.Can I also joined with the cross- party consensus in seeking out your
:31:13. > :31:17.support on this particular issue? There is disquiet in the Swansea
:31:17. > :31:24.area and across the South Wales coast about the closure of his
:31:24. > :31:27.coastguard centre. Can I ask that when you come to look at this risk
:31:27. > :31:31.assessment, and I very much welcomed the letter that you have
:31:32. > :31:37.written, can you particularly focus on the loss of local knowledge?
:31:37. > :31:42.This is a big concern for many of those using the seas around this
:31:42. > :31:50.area. The impact that that will have in particular on the potential
:31:50. > :31:57.safety of those mariners on the seas. Those points have been made.
:31:57. > :32:01.They were made again recently in a meaty -- meeting with the committee.
:32:01. > :32:11.The first thing to do is ensure that that independent risk
:32:11. > :32:11.
:32:11. > :32:17.assessment is carried out. Christian Aid. -- question eight.
:32:17. > :32:22.What steps is the government taking to tackle the increasing problem of
:32:22. > :32:28.homelessness among young people in Wales? We have a ten-year
:32:28. > :32:33.homelessness plan. There is a strong emphasis on prevention. That
:32:33. > :32:39.includes front line homelessness projects, and a review of
:32:39. > :32:44.homelessness legislation. Thank you. I am aware of your review of the
:32:44. > :32:48.legislation and I understand that that is due in 20th July 12. I
:32:48. > :32:58.understand that the proposed date for a new draft Bill is some time
:32:58. > :33:01.
:33:01. > :33:05.in 2013. Homelessness has increased by 15 % of the last two years. In
:33:05. > :33:08.view of these increasing numbers of young people in Wales suffering the
:33:08. > :33:16.degradation of homelessness, will you please ensure that action is
:33:16. > :33:21.taken before that proposed date of some time in 2013 to introduce a
:33:21. > :33:28.draft Bill that will address this major social problem. I speak as a
:33:28. > :33:35.past housing professional. legislation is one of the tools to
:33:35. > :33:43.be used. We are also investing money in innovative work to address
:33:43. > :33:53.the reasons for homelessness. We will invest in services to help
:33:53. > :33:54.
:33:54. > :33:58.young people sustain their tennis's. Family mediation services we also
:33:58. > :34:02.know will help to prevent homelessness and we have for the
:34:02. > :34:07.national programme for action that has been put in place to bring
:34:07. > :34:10.empty properties back into use. There is an active programme in
:34:10. > :34:14.place to deal with homelessness and of course legislation will be
:34:14. > :34:20.introduced. That legislation will focus on where areas can be
:34:20. > :34:25.strengthened in the future. Eric Pickles indicated that there will
:34:25. > :34:29.be a consequence of the government's welfare reform
:34:29. > :34:36.proposals and that over 20,000 people could be made homeless. Has
:34:36. > :34:42.there been any similar assessment of people in Wales? We know that
:34:42. > :34:48.the impact will be significant and we are jointly funded an impact
:34:48. > :34:52.assessment which will deliver a report in the next 12 months.
:34:52. > :34:56.way to tackle homelessness in Wales is to reduce the number of
:34:56. > :35:01.properties that are empty and to make them fit for habitation. Some
:35:01. > :35:06.have been empty for a considerable period of time. Would you join me
:35:06. > :35:09.in congratulating new port city council on the success of their
:35:09. > :35:19.empty homes strategy which has seen the number of private sector
:35:19. > :35:19.
:35:19. > :35:27.dwellings empty for more than six months for by 134 since 2010.
:35:27. > :35:32.welcomed the work that Newport Council have done. Poor health can
:35:32. > :35:40.be both a cause and a consequence of homelessness. What assessment
:35:40. > :35:46.has the Welsh government made of how effective the action plans are
:35:46. > :35:52.in reducing this problem? Progress today has been variable. We expect
:35:52. > :36:02.this to be taken forward with our support. We are funding the work
:36:02. > :36:04.
:36:04. > :36:09.with local health boards to continue this work. Will you make a
:36:09. > :36:16.statement on recent measles outbreaks in Wales? 41 cases of
:36:16. > :36:23.measles had been diagnosed in March. That compares to 19 cases in the
:36:23. > :36:29.whole of Wales in 2011. The majority of Wales have had no
:36:29. > :36:32.vaccination. I first raised the issue of an increasing number of
:36:33. > :36:41.measles cases in Wales last year and as you said there rum more and
:36:41. > :36:51.more happening most recently. I have heard today are much harder my
:36:51. > :36:52.
:36:52. > :37:00.own constituency in Flint suffering from measles. -- of her child. The
:37:00. > :37:06.latest figures show that 89.6 % of children living in Wales have
:37:06. > :37:11.received two doses of the vaccine. This is still below the recommended
:37:11. > :37:16.level. How will the Welsh government's efforts to encourage
:37:16. > :37:23.take up be implemented and what success have you had? Uptake rates
:37:23. > :37:29.have increased. At five years of age of the uptake of the first days
:37:29. > :37:33.of the vaccine is slightly above the target level. -- the first dose.
:37:33. > :37:40.The uptake rate of the second dose is also going in the right
:37:40. > :37:50.direction. We will focus on providing parents with information
:37:50. > :37:53.
:37:53. > :37:59.and reassurance. Many will be concerned that at least one health
:37:59. > :38:02.worker has been infected with measles recently. There will be
:38:02. > :38:09.great concern about that because you would expect workers in the
:38:10. > :38:14.health sector to have had all of the vaccinations. What steps is the
:38:14. > :38:24.government taking to a sure that all health workers dealing with
:38:24. > :38:26.
:38:26. > :38:32.measles has been properly vaccinated against this disease?
:38:32. > :38:37.That is a fair point to make. exceptionally important that those
:38:37. > :38:42.working with children would have been vaccinated. They should be
:38:42. > :38:50.sure that they are vaccinated against these diseases. I will
:38:50. > :38:53.discuss this with the Minister for Health. First Minister, it is
:38:53. > :38:58.welcome news that the rate of immunisation is improving and has
:38:58. > :39:04.been improving for the past few years. But it is very concerning
:39:04. > :39:11.that not a single Welsh local authority is hitting the 95 % of
:39:11. > :39:15.recommendation. Public health Wales have been advocating the importance
:39:15. > :39:20.of checking the immunisation status of pupils on entry to primary and
:39:20. > :39:27.secondary school in order to improve the coverage. What is your
:39:27. > :39:37.government doing about that particular recommendation?
:39:37. > :39:40.
:39:40. > :39:46.second vaccine is at 80 % at the moment. An updated focus -- booklet
:39:46. > :39:50.on immunisation has been published and they have been distributed to
:39:50. > :39:56.pharmacists and doctors surgeries. What discussions has the Wells
:39:56. > :40:02.government had with the UK government on the need to boost
:40:02. > :40:04.capital investment in Wales? have been making the case
:40:04. > :40:09.consistently for increased capital investment in Wales and for
:40:09. > :40:15.borrowing powers to boost investment. The Minister of Finance
:40:15. > :40:22.and the leader of the House met the Secretary earlier to press for
:40:22. > :40:32.action in the Budget. As we look forward to the Chancellor's Budget
:40:32. > :40:35.
:40:35. > :40:38.tomorrow, in terms of capital investment do you agree that the
:40:38. > :40:42.investment infrastructure is critical in supporting economic
:40:42. > :40:46.growth? Can I ask what it is that you want to hear the Chancellor
:40:46. > :40:50.announced tomorrow in terms of fairer funding for Wales and access
:40:50. > :41:00.to borrowing to a sure that Wales can continue to invest in capital
:41:00. > :41:01.
:41:01. > :41:06.projects for the future? -- agreed to insure. It would be excellent to
:41:06. > :41:11.hear that the Welsh government would have borrowing powers along
:41:12. > :41:18.the same lines as the Scottish and Irish government.
:41:18. > :41:23.We have been asked why our coverage of First Minister's Questions is
:41:23. > :41:32.not live. It is down to a scheduling issue. If you want to
:41:32. > :41:36.watch it live, you can see on online coverage. I can promise no
:41:36. > :41:44.swearing or fighting for the next few minutes between ourselves and
:41:44. > :41:51.our Welsh Affairs Editor. Leanne Wood's first Minister's Questions,
:41:51. > :41:55.her camp had promised a more aggressive approach to Labour.
:41:55. > :41:59.suspect that what that was about was about safety first. She
:41:59. > :42:04.probably just wanted to get through the first of these things. They are
:42:04. > :42:08.quite nerve-racking at first. The easiest way to get through it was
:42:08. > :42:18.asking the First Minister about something that he did agree she
:42:18. > :42:20.
:42:20. > :42:26.knew he would agree with. Leanne Wood chose to discuss regional pay.
:42:26. > :42:32.That meant that Kirsty Williams went in very hard, very aggressive
:42:32. > :42:37.on of the GDP figures. She really hit the First Minister hard. I do
:42:37. > :42:40.think that those questions about GDP and the questions about
:42:40. > :42:47.regional pay, and less the Chancellor draws back in the Budget
:42:47. > :42:54.tomorrow, and there is a suggestion that he might not be as aggressive,
:42:54. > :42:59.those issues other two issues that could come into play a major role
:42:59. > :43:05.in Welsh politics in the next few years. Thank you. Kirsty Williams
:43:05. > :43:09.was not very happy with the First Minister's answers on GDP figures.