:00:21. > :00:25.Good afternoon. Welcome to the first am.pm of the new political
:00:25. > :00:29.term. Our AMs are together in the Senedd for the first time since
:00:29. > :00:35.July. We'll join them there shortly. If you'd like to contact us during
:00:35. > :00:45.the programme, you can send an email or you can tweet us. There's
:00:45. > :00:45.
:00:45. > :00:52.the address on the screen for you. Today's proceedings have started
:00:52. > :01:02.with a minute's silence in memory of the four Miners who lost their
:01:02. > :01:03.
:01:04. > :01:10.lives. The First Minister will also be making a statement. We will also
:01:10. > :01:20.speak to our Welsh Affairs Editor later in the programme. But first,
:01:20. > :01:26.to the Senedd. It is my sad duty today to ask you
:01:27. > :01:36.to stand and observe one minute's silence. The First Minister will
:01:37. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :02:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 63 seconds
:02:40. > :02:46.I now call on the First Minister, Carwyn Jones. Members will be
:02:46. > :02:55.familiar with the key facts surrounding the tragedy of Gleision
:02:55. > :03:02.last week. We now know that a four Miners were trapped by water. Three
:03:02. > :03:07.Miners escaped. We also know that effort to rescue the remaining four
:03:07. > :03:15.trapped were unsuccessful. The four Miners were Charles Breslin, David
:03:15. > :03:20.Powell, Garry Jenkins and Phillip Hill. All were local. I know that
:03:20. > :03:24.all members will join me in offering condolences to the
:03:24. > :03:34.bereaved families. Our thoughts are with them and the wider community
:03:34. > :03:36.
:03:36. > :03:43.shares their loss. There was a time in our history where mining and
:03:43. > :03:49.tragedies were sadly,. We have hoped that, of course, those events
:03:49. > :03:54.were in the past. The incident is a tragic reminder of the dangers
:03:54. > :03:58.associated with the mining industry. The police are leading the
:03:58. > :04:04.investigation it in accordance with the work related deaths protocol
:04:04. > :04:08.agreed with the police, the local authorities, and the Crown
:04:08. > :04:17.Prosecution Service. The Health and Safety Executive is providing
:04:17. > :04:22.technical support. It may be appropriate for them to take the
:04:22. > :04:32.lead in the investigation. I expect a fault report into the causes of
:04:32. > :04:33.
:04:33. > :04:39.the tragedy to be published in due course. -- a full report. I would
:04:39. > :04:45.like to pay tribute to the emergency services who worked at
:04:45. > :04:52.personal risk are to search for the Miners. These include police, fire
:04:52. > :05:02.and ambulance services and rescue services. Mining communities are
:05:02. > :05:05.
:05:05. > :05:10.traditionally close-knit and supportive to those in need. No one
:05:10. > :05:18.can fail to have been impressed by the kindness shown by neighbours at
:05:18. > :05:23.a time of need. I referred to the shared history of coal-mining which
:05:23. > :05:30.still forms a powerful bond among communities in many parts of our
:05:30. > :05:34.country. The tragedy at Gleision is a tragedy for Wales. Thank you
:05:34. > :05:40.First Minister. There has been a great outpouring of grief from
:05:40. > :05:48.around the world, and you will all have received a letter from the
:05:48. > :05:54.Secretary of State for Wales. thank the First Minister for his
:05:54. > :06:00.statement this afternoon? It is entirely appropriate than on our
:06:01. > :06:07.first meeting, we, as a collective, come together to show and was
:06:07. > :06:11.support and our strength as a country in dealing with such issues.
:06:11. > :06:16.-- our support. In a world that is often it numbed with news about
:06:16. > :06:23.deaths, it is something that is taken for granted that it is some
:06:23. > :06:33.thing that happens somewhere else. But the events on Friday emphasised
:06:33. > :06:35.
:06:36. > :06:40.the consequences of a tragedy. I know the area very well. To
:06:41. > :06:47.actually see the location of this Mine really was striking, because
:06:47. > :06:51.it never occurred to me there was a Mine in that area. I'd paid tribute
:06:51. > :06:56.to the excellent work that the emergency services under took on
:06:56. > :07:06.behalf of all concerned in trying to bring a favourable outcome to
:07:06. > :07:07.
:07:07. > :07:13.this tragedy that happened last Thursday and Friday, and indeed, it
:07:13. > :07:18.was enormous pride to see them working hand-in-glove with everyone
:07:18. > :07:22.else to try and bring a satisfactory conclusion to this sad
:07:22. > :07:26.events. The response we saw was a very Welsh response from the
:07:26. > :07:29.community. One thing that Wales is exceptionally good that his
:07:29. > :07:34.rallying around together and supporting people when they need
:07:34. > :07:40.that support. I believe that only in Wales you would find that level
:07:40. > :07:47.of community support and help. If I may pose two questions to you,
:07:47. > :07:53.First Minister. Is there, in your mind, so fish and local support
:07:53. > :07:57.from the local health board and local authorities to make sure the
:07:57. > :08:04.families of the bereaved and survivors have the support they
:08:04. > :08:14.require? -- sufficient local support. With time, adjustment can
:08:14. > :08:20.
:08:20. > :08:26.be made. Secondly, and you alluded to this, when the investigation's
:08:26. > :08:32.conclusions are brought forward, the matters that relate to interest
:08:32. > :08:40.in this Assembly, mainly around planning, you will bring a fault
:08:40. > :08:48.statement to the splendour ring so members may have the opportunity to
:08:48. > :08:58.obviously analyse and ask questions. -- to the plenary. I leave the
:08:58. > :09:07.
:09:07. > :09:15.thoughts and prayers with the family -- families of the bereaved.
:09:15. > :09:19.May I firstly thank the Minister for making the statement today? It
:09:19. > :09:29.is entirely appropriate they should be a statement bearing in mind the
:09:29. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:38.huge tragedy that happened last Thursday and Friday. We had not
:09:38. > :09:43.expected to see such a tragedy unfold. Miners losing their lives
:09:43. > :09:48.underground. We were reminded just how dangerous working underground
:09:48. > :09:56.continues to be, despite all the work that has been done over the
:09:56. > :10:00.years and decades in making things as safe as possible. We, of course,
:10:01. > :10:08.cannot imagine the pain felt by these families in losing a loved
:10:08. > :10:13.one's been such an accident in the Gleision Colliery. But we sent our
:10:13. > :10:18.regards to the family's. The whole community pulled together to
:10:19. > :10:24.support the families, and that is testament to the spirited -- to the
:10:24. > :10:33.spirit but exists in the local community. I was brought up in a
:10:33. > :10:37.nearby valley, and a therefore the information I have of the spirit
:10:37. > :10:42.that exists within the community became apparent in the hours
:10:42. > :10:47.following the accident. I would like to pay tribute to those who
:10:47. > :10:50.risked their lives in the search and rescue operation. While hope
:10:50. > :10:55.existed that the men could have been found alive, they did
:10:55. > :11:00.everything possible to reach them. And Wales is very proud of the work
:11:00. > :11:10.they did. As the First Minister has said, the investigation into the
:11:10. > :11:15.accident must go on. This will give the families and communities
:11:15. > :11:19.answers to many of the questions they surely will have up. I am sure
:11:19. > :11:24.the First Minister will agree we must not reach a hasty conclusions,
:11:24. > :11:31.but we should all remain determined to learn that the lessons of this
:11:31. > :11:36.devastating and tragic accident. One expert has reminded us already
:11:36. > :11:42.that it is impossible to limit risks in working underground, or
:11:42. > :11:52.working within the mining industry. Many of us in this Chamber may have
:11:52. > :11:56.
:11:56. > :12:03.relatives who have lost their lives and mining accidents. While mining
:12:03. > :12:06.camp, and has been made safer, it cannot be made entirely safe. Will
:12:06. > :12:11.the First Minister agree it is the job of government at all levels to
:12:11. > :12:17.make sure that those risks are minimised and eliminated as far as
:12:17. > :12:23.is humanly possible? As we have heard today, members of this
:12:23. > :12:28.Assembly stand together as we mourn the loss of four Miners. We send
:12:28. > :12:33.our condolences to their families. We cannot know their pain, but we
:12:33. > :12:37.can do our utmost to stand by their sides. As the First Minister agreed
:12:37. > :12:41.that the best tribute we can pay to their memory is to make sure that
:12:41. > :12:46.when the investigation is complete, we stand determined to do our best
:12:46. > :12:56.to make sure that for the next generation who venture into the
:12:56. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:03.bowels of the Earth to extract gold, mining is an even safer industry?
:13:03. > :13:08.There will come a time for questions. There will come a time
:13:08. > :13:13.for answers to be sought. It is natural that when we seek a tragedy
:13:13. > :13:19.like this, people want to know how it happened. I don't believe that
:13:19. > :13:24.time is upon us yet. I have listened carefully to the views of
:13:24. > :13:29.the families, and they have asked to be left to grieve in peace. And
:13:29. > :13:33.they must be allowed to do that. There will come at a time, of
:13:33. > :13:39.course, when they need to be a full inquiry, and of course, should
:13:39. > :13:42.there be any lessons from that inquiry that can be learnt by
:13:42. > :13:47.organisations that are within the responsibility of the Welsh
:13:47. > :13:52.government, then I will bring a statement before the Assembly in
:13:52. > :14:02.order for questions to be asked. I joined with the Leader of the
:14:02. > :14:05.
:14:05. > :14:13.Opposition, off-course in expressing condolences. -- of cause.
:14:13. > :14:20.We emphasise those words as possible. These were experienced
:14:20. > :14:25.Miners. It is right to say they are risks with any job, but I don't
:14:25. > :14:30.think anybody expected this tragedy to happen. There were many things I
:14:30. > :14:35.thought I would have to deal with in the course of my role as First
:14:35. > :14:38.Minister, but a mining accident was not one of them. We all believed
:14:38. > :14:42.that mining accidents were a thing of the past, and not something we
:14:43. > :14:52.would all have to face in the future, least of all the families
:14:53. > :14:56.
:14:56. > :14:58.Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. Can I thank the First
:14:58. > :15:02.Minister for his statement here this afternoon.
:15:02. > :15:06.I thank the First Minister for the support that he's personally given
:15:06. > :15:10.to the families during this very difficult time and the role that
:15:10. > :15:15.you have played in recent days in providing that support.
:15:15. > :15:19.May I, on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, join with you,
:15:19. > :15:26.First Minister, in sending our sincere condolences to the families
:15:26. > :15:31.of the men that have so tragically lost their lives. Also the best
:15:31. > :15:40.wishes to the survivors of this horrific accident. I don't think
:15:40. > :15:47.anybody here can begin to imagine the horror and pain suffered by
:15:47. > :15:52.these families in the agonising hours following the knock at the
:15:52. > :15:59.door. It's an horrific experience to lose anybody unexpected and in
:15:59. > :16:04.accidental circumstances, but to have that dragged out over such an
:16:04. > :16:09.extended period in the full glare of the spotlight of media attention
:16:09. > :16:14.must only add to the difficulties of those families. Like you, I
:16:14. > :16:19.would like to thank and pay tribute to all of those that did their
:16:19. > :16:25.utmost in the most difficult of circumstances to bring a more
:16:25. > :16:29.positive end to this horrific incident. The mine's Rescue Service,
:16:29. > :16:33.the police, Fire Service and paramedics who worked tirelessly
:16:33. > :16:37.and with great personal risk and strain to themselves to try and
:16:37. > :16:43.bring those men home alive and their determination even when all
:16:43. > :16:48.hope is lost, to bring those men home for their families.
:16:48. > :16:53.I also think that everybody has been extremely touched by the
:16:54. > :16:58.common humanity of the people of Pontardawe and the area in their
:16:58. > :17:02.response to this. We often hear that in some ways our society and
:17:02. > :17:07.communities have changed. This incident has demonstrated to us
:17:07. > :17:12.that that common humanity and that feeling of belonging has not
:17:12. > :17:16.changed in Welsh communities. It's as alive and well as as it has ever
:17:16. > :17:21.been, and in the most difficult of circumstances, we often see the
:17:21. > :17:25.best of human kind and we saw that in the response. I'm sure, the
:17:25. > :17:29.ongoing support that that community will continue to offer to the
:17:29. > :17:33.families, we will continue to see that. Now is not the time to be
:17:33. > :17:38.able to give definitive answers as to what happened and why it
:17:38. > :17:42.happened. You may be able to let the Assembly know when you expect
:17:42. > :17:50.the reports and investigations to come to a conclusion and when you
:17:50. > :17:53.may be able to come to this chamber to give us an update. In closing
:17:53. > :17:57.today, Presiding Officers, I think maybe perhaps some people have
:17:57. > :18:02.wondered why there has been this response to this specific incident,
:18:02. > :18:05.indeed in recent moths we have seen other work place tragedies where
:18:05. > :18:10.men and women have lost their lives while simply doing their job. This
:18:10. > :18:14.is a reminder of our shared and collective history of our close
:18:14. > :18:18.connections, all of us, to the mining industry, which has not so
:18:18. > :18:22.very -- is not so very, very far away. My father was the first
:18:22. > :18:26.person in his family not to have to go down the pit. It connects us all.
:18:26. > :18:32.That's why we see the response that we have because it's a shared
:18:32. > :18:36.reminder of our shared history and the fact that no man should have to
:18:36. > :18:45.go to work, no matter what industry they're involved in, and not return
:18:45. > :18:50.home safe to their families. There is no time scale yet on any
:18:50. > :18:53.investigation. But of course, it's a matter for those authorities
:18:53. > :18:57.who're responsible for conducting the investigation to do so. When
:18:57. > :19:02.such a report is available, I'm sure that members, of course, will
:19:02. > :19:06.take a deep interest in it. I think, if I may say, that the leader of
:19:06. > :19:11.the Liberal Democrats, has outlined an important issue. There are so
:19:11. > :19:14.many of us in this chamber who come from a mining background. I
:19:14. > :19:19.represent the first generation of my family not to have any miners in
:19:19. > :19:26.it for four generations. There were always men working underground in
:19:26. > :19:32.my family for over a century. My position is no different from many
:19:32. > :19:37.orthis is -- others. We know that mining still has the capacity to
:19:37. > :19:42.touch the heart and strike a cord, not just within Wales, but around
:19:42. > :19:48.the world. We saw the coverage of the tragedy from around the world,
:19:48. > :19:52.messages came from around the world, of support for the families and the
:19:52. > :19:57.community, and it's also true to say that the response of the local
:19:57. > :20:01.community was astonishing in terms of the support they gave to those
:20:01. > :20:04.families at a time of great trouble for them. It was something
:20:05. > :20:08.mepblgsed to me when I visited the families at a very difficult time
:20:08. > :20:12.on the Friday morning when they knew that one of the miners had
:20:12. > :20:19.been killed. They didn't know which of the miners had been killed and
:20:19. > :20:23.the other three families had yet to know. Of course, the news got more
:20:23. > :20:27.difficult and tragic for them as the day went on. The one thing they
:20:27. > :20:31.can be sure of, is that even at this difficult time, when they're
:20:31. > :20:36.still at the very beginning of their grieving as families, that
:20:36. > :20:40.they have so many people from within Wales and from around the
:20:40. > :20:50.world who are standing shoulder-to- shoulder with them, who are
:20:50. > :20:53.
:20:53. > :20:58.thinking of them and certainly Thank you, Presiding Officer and
:20:58. > :21:08.may I thank you First Minister for your statement and your presence in
:21:08. > :21:11.the communities. The accident in the Gleision mine has been a
:21:11. > :21:14.terrible blow for the community, for the families, for my
:21:14. > :21:20.constituency and of course, wider than that. It's right that there
:21:20. > :21:25.should be an investigation, but I agree with you that we must wait
:21:25. > :21:29.for the results of that. This morning, I went to a comprehensive
:21:29. > :21:34.school where two of the pupils, Alex and Scott, have lost their
:21:34. > :21:39.father. To be amongstst the children and young people, it was
:21:39. > :21:45.and did actually cheer me up because I believe, as far as the
:21:45. > :21:49.school is concerned, the children and young people know how to
:21:49. > :21:58.respond. I would like to reflect on the resilience of the families. It
:21:58. > :22:05.was a very, very long wait in the community hall. The atmosphere
:22:05. > :22:08.changed from hope to deeper and keeper anxiety and then to dread,
:22:08. > :22:15.absolute dread. But still, you know, there was a little girl playing
:22:15. > :22:22.with her toys on the floor of that hall. I think in latter years, we
:22:22. > :22:27.have become more relaxed about the impact of pit tragedies. We are no
:22:27. > :22:35.longer living daily with the fear of a mining tragedy. They had to a
:22:35. > :22:41.degree become a thing of the past. This tragedy has, however, brought
:22:42. > :22:47.back very painful memories to many of us. But those memories have also
:22:47. > :22:55.brought a closeness to our communities. That was the way we
:22:55. > :23:00.were. Carwyn, you've mentioned the cave rescue, the diverse mines
:23:00. > :23:04.rescue, the mines rescue are familiar sights not very long ago
:23:04. > :23:08.within our communities, but I think it did bring a real toy the
:23:08. > :23:14.situation to see them there once again. The Fire and Rescue Service,
:23:14. > :23:20.the police and the ambulance, all of them had families of their own
:23:20. > :23:26.thinking about them. The WRVS, the Red Cross, social services,
:23:27. > :23:33.individuals and businesses, a community spirit of support has
:23:33. > :23:39.been very real and abiding in this part of the Neath constituency.
:23:39. > :23:46.We think of the tragic death of the little boy and we also remember the
:23:46. > :23:50.dreadful murder of Catherine and Ben Mullaney. Support for the
:23:50. > :23:55.families of the Gleision Miners, the miners who lost their lives,
:23:55. > :24:02.the three who are able to escape, one of which, of course, is being
:24:02. > :24:08.treated for his injuries in hospital, is local and widespread.
:24:08. > :24:15.I'm sure, First Minister, that you agree with me that we must now
:24:15. > :24:25.offer our support and our condolences, our sympathies, and we
:24:25. > :24:27.
:24:27. > :24:31.must also now respect the need of I listened carefully, of course, to
:24:31. > :24:35.what Gwenda Thomas said, and she was one of those who spent much
:24:35. > :24:42.time with the families over the very difficult experience that they
:24:42. > :24:47.were going through on Thursday and Friday. She mentioned the mine and
:24:47. > :24:52.cave rescue teams. There is one comment that I remember vividly
:24:52. > :24:58.from the Friday. I went to thank the mines rescue team that was made
:24:58. > :25:02.up in the main of men who worked in the drift mine in the Neath Valley.
:25:02. > :25:06.I thanked them for the work they were putting in. One of them said
:25:06. > :25:10.to me "it's not a question of being thanked, there's a man down there
:25:10. > :25:16.who's 6 years old, if he's prepared to two down there and work at 62,
:25:16. > :25:21.then I'm prepared to find him and I'll carry on until I do find him."
:25:21. > :25:27.for me, that summed up, in a few very short sentences, the
:25:27. > :25:33.determination of the mines rescue teams and all the other people
:25:33. > :25:37.there who put so much effort into finding the men.
:25:37. > :25:40.Could I also take this opportunity to thank the First Minister and
:25:40. > :25:42.everyone else who's made contributions today. The tragic
:25:43. > :25:48.events of last week I think are something we all find quite
:25:48. > :25:51.difficult to talk about. Everyone was stunned and saddened by the
:25:51. > :25:56.unexpected turns at the Gleision mine on Thursday and Friday. The
:25:56. > :26:00.villages of the Swansea and Neath Valleys have responded with warmth,
:26:00. > :26:05.generosity and unity. That may come as no surprise because these are
:26:05. > :26:08.places where the word "community" still means something and where
:26:08. > :26:15.friendships with neighbours and friends is a part of every day life.
:26:15. > :26:19.The wider world has been inspired by that to express its own regret
:26:19. > :26:23.and sympathies. However we've all been affected by this terrible news,
:26:23. > :26:26.there are four families who're experiencing this as an intensely
:26:26. > :26:30.painful and completely personal tragedy, four family who is're to
:26:30. > :26:33.endure the inerm nabl wait for information, knowing that events
:26:33. > :26:37.were unfolding before cameras and microphones and who finally faced
:26:37. > :26:42.the worst of truths. So I pay tribute to those families. They
:26:43. > :26:45.were kind enough to speak, not only to all of their friends, but to
:26:45. > :26:50.strangers who came with little to offer but words. How many times
:26:50. > :26:55.must they have had to suspend their anxiety to put others at ease
:26:55. > :26:58.during the 36 hours or so? dignity has been humbling and a
:26:58. > :27:03.privilege to witness. It's the very least we can do for the families
:27:03. > :27:06.and for the survivors and their families to allow them to privacy
:27:06. > :27:09.they've asked for. The work of the miners and the
:27:09. > :27:13.emergency and rescue services remind us that people risk their
:27:13. > :27:17.lives for us and for others and we take it for granted. I joined in
:27:17. > :27:22.the tributes to the courageous team who is put themselves in danger
:27:22. > :27:26.last week. No more could have been asked for them. Our contribution to
:27:26. > :27:30.healing of these wounds and I hope the First Minister agrees, is to
:27:30. > :27:35.insist on improvements to safety procedures. If we can make life
:27:35. > :27:38.safer for rescue services, we must do so. With increased interest in
:27:38. > :27:41.the south-east coalfield, we must make life easier for those who
:27:41. > :27:44.extract fuel. It will not help to dwell in the past, this a failing
:27:44. > :27:49.of today, a clear and present danger and one which must not
:27:49. > :27:51.become part of our future. I hope that the health and safety
:27:51. > :27:56.investigation will give the families the answers they need and
:27:57. > :27:59.I hope that they direct us on the best way to improve safety in this
:27:59. > :28:06.inherently dangerous industry. Thank you.
:28:06. > :28:10.There must be answers, of course, but it's important not to speculate
:28:10. > :28:14.on what happened, ve even though it's perfectly natural to seek
:28:14. > :28:18.answers and to seek answers quickly. There must be a full investigation,
:28:18. > :28:23.all the appropriate authorities are involved in that investigation and
:28:23. > :28:28.it's important that we wait to find out what that investigation
:28:28. > :28:35.revealles in order to ensure that if there are lessons to be learned,
:28:35. > :28:39.that that happens -- reveals in order to ensure. Thank you for
:28:39. > :28:43.today's statement. I wanted to start by quoting what Bob Williams,
:28:43. > :28:48.the Mayor of Pontardawe said over the weekend about what happened at
:28:48. > :28:51.the gleetion mine. He said "when we walk past this place we will think
:28:51. > :28:54.of tonight and remember them. We are here together as friends,
:28:54. > :28:59.family, neighbours and a community to remember four brave men and
:28:59. > :29:04.their grieving families. Time may heal the pain, but will never take
:29:04. > :29:08.away the memories." I think that summed up quite succinctly the
:29:08. > :29:12.tragedy and the effect that had on the community of Pontardawe at the
:29:12. > :29:17.vigil that we had on Sunday night. As others have alieued to here
:29:17. > :29:22.today, it seems sotragically terrible that when so many of the
:29:22. > :29:26.arguments we've had in this chamber are bound up in how we get Wales to
:29:26. > :29:29.work together again. All these decades after the industry that
:29:29. > :29:34.sustained this country and coal would come back and haunt us again
:29:34. > :29:38.in this particular way. Our focus, as many of us have said too, must
:29:38. > :29:41.remain with the families of those men that we have lost and
:29:41. > :29:50.supporting them and the people who're looking after them. I would
:29:50. > :29:53.also like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to the communities
:29:53. > :29:58.around the area of the Swansea Valley whose families and
:29:58. > :30:02.communities have come together to help the families concerned.
:30:02. > :30:06.I'm fortunate enough to live in one of the communities in the area and
:30:06. > :30:09.it's been humbling to see how people have come together. At the
:30:09. > :30:15.time of the accident, is I was at home and there's no protocol for
:30:15. > :30:19.things like this, so I went up, as did Gwenda Thomas, and many others,
:30:19. > :30:24.just to see how the families were. It's very difficult because you
:30:24. > :30:28.don't want to imping on their time and problems, but you want to tell
:30:28. > :30:31.them that you are there for them. If many of us can be there for the
:30:31. > :30:41.families, because it's not going to be something that will go away in
:30:41. > :30:47.
:30:47. > :30:53.the next months or years, it will What we can do positively is to
:30:53. > :31:03.give money to the miners' fund, so we can look forward positively to
:31:03. > :31:03.
:31:03. > :31:13.the future of. I want to finish by commemorating the life of Harry
:31:13. > :31:15.
:31:15. > :31:20.Patterson. I hope this is the last tragedy in the foreseeable future.
:31:20. > :31:25.Can I join with other members in expressing my sadness and
:31:25. > :31:33.condolences to the families of the miners who lost their lives? And
:31:33. > :31:39.also to thank the emergency services, whose commitment and
:31:39. > :31:49.dedication is unquestionable, but keep in terms of trying to resolve
:31:49. > :31:54.this. They worked tirelessly. We cannot express the too much our
:31:54. > :32:01.admiration in their work. It was a tragedy they were not able to pull
:32:01. > :32:05.those miners out alive. What came out of this, for me, was the
:32:05. > :32:14.strength of the communities involved, and the way they came
:32:14. > :32:24.together to support the families and to offer their help and their
:32:24. > :32:28.
:32:28. > :32:34.sympathies and support be put in. Clearly, nobody expected to have to
:32:34. > :32:44.cope with another tragedy as the First Minister alluded to in his
:32:44. > :32:46.
:32:46. > :32:50.statement, it was so unexpected. It wasn't something we expected to
:32:50. > :32:59.happen. The fact everyone came together and reacted the way they
:32:59. > :33:04.did was certainly important to those communities. Can I also
:33:04. > :33:11.echoed the remarks in relation to the funds that have been set up?
:33:11. > :33:17.That fund is very important. I am pleased the UK government has given
:33:17. > :33:22.25% contributions to that fund. We should also be asking more people
:33:22. > :33:27.to commit as much as they can to that, because the money that raises,
:33:27. > :33:37.will be very important in helping those families. It will be
:33:37. > :33:38.
:33:38. > :33:42.important in terms of their future. Thank you. I am very grateful to
:33:42. > :33:48.have the opportunity to contribute to this. The heartbreaking events
:33:48. > :33:54.are a tragic reminder of the risks undertaken by those who work
:33:54. > :34:03.underground. Although a small scale operation, the exposure to danger
:34:03. > :34:07.of was an inevitable ingredient of the industry. As to why this
:34:07. > :34:17.tragedy occurred, we can only speculate, and it would be wrong to
:34:17. > :34:23.
:34:23. > :34:28.draw conclusions from such speculation. Tragically, it we have
:34:28. > :34:34.become accustomed in Wales, given what past, to be the recipients of
:34:34. > :34:41.such a dreadful news from time to time. I remember very well on 21st
:34:41. > :34:50.October, 1966, when as a young boy I was summoned into the Assembly
:34:51. > :34:56.hall in my school, and told of the horrific events. Last Friday, in a
:34:56. > :35:01.similar vein, I listened to the news, hoping and praying that a
:35:01. > :35:11.positive outcome would be announced, but sadly, this was not to be. I
:35:11. > :35:16.
:35:16. > :35:20.want to put on record my thanks to the rescue services. Major incident
:35:20. > :35:25.seems require true professionals. We are fortunately blessed with the
:35:25. > :35:30.best in this respect. Above all, I want to say how sad and I am that
:35:30. > :35:37.this tragedy has occurred, and convey my condolences to the
:35:37. > :35:44.families of the miners who lost their lives. My thoughts are also
:35:44. > :35:48.to Malcolm as he recovers from hospital. I know that in the true
:35:48. > :35:54.tradition of the area, the communities support their families
:35:54. > :35:59.in their loss. However, it is incumbent on us all to ensure they
:35:59. > :36:03.are catered for in their needs, but welfare and financial. I hope that
:36:03. > :36:13.the findings from the inquiry will assist them in coming to terms with
:36:13. > :36:28.
:36:28. > :36:36.this tragic loss. What plans to is the Welsh
:36:36. > :36:46.government have to create jobs in North Wales? My priority is to
:36:46. > :37:02.
:37:02. > :37:07.support a job creation in the whole The site is still vacant. What
:37:07. > :37:13.plans does the Government have to attract investment and jobs to the
:37:13. > :37:22.site, bearing in mind it is crucial in terms of the wider economic
:37:22. > :37:32.regeneration of the Paris? They efforts have been made recently,
:37:32. > :37:32.
:37:32. > :37:42.efforts to attract investment. regeneration of the site. The state
:37:42. > :37:46.
:37:46. > :37:56.of the global economy affect everything. Can I warmly welcomed
:37:56. > :37:58.
:37:58. > :38:03.the announcement of five enterprise zones, which are to be set-up? Will
:38:03. > :38:13.you ensure that enterprise zones set up in Wales serve the interests
:38:13. > :38:15.
:38:15. > :38:19.of the regional economies? A lot of thought has been given to ensuring
:38:19. > :38:24.that does not happen in terms of the geography of enterprise zones,
:38:24. > :38:33.and with regard to the kind of investment we are looking to bring
:38:33. > :38:39.into those areas. May I welcome the Business Minister's announcement on
:38:39. > :38:49.enterprise zones? I am delighted to hear a lot of thought has been
:38:49. > :38:54.
:38:54. > :38:59.given to the regional benefit, perhaps in the light of the lack of
:38:59. > :39:05.detail. Cannot the First Minister provide greater details as to how
:39:05. > :39:10.that assurance will be met, and what reassurance can you provide
:39:10. > :39:15.two businesses in North Wales, many of whom were concerned about the
:39:15. > :39:22.delay on this issue that officials have sufficient motivation and
:39:22. > :39:26.experience to make the most of the opportunities of enterprise zones?
:39:26. > :39:32.The five sides that have been chosen have been chosen for their
:39:32. > :39:36.geography and capacity to attract particular types of investments.
:39:36. > :39:43.The reason why it took until now to make this announcement is because
:39:44. > :39:53.of a lack of clarity on behalf of the UK government. We still have
:39:54. > :40:04.
:40:05. > :40:14.not receive this clarity. Pipe also welcomed the announcement. -- might
:40:15. > :40:16.
:40:16. > :40:23.also welcome. When will these zones be established? It is important
:40:23. > :40:30.that we do get information about capital allowances to insure we
:40:30. > :40:35.provide a comprehensive package, that we need those details from the
:40:35. > :40:38.Treasury. They have not been made available so far. That's where we
:40:38. > :40:41.leave the Senedd for today, but you can watch the upcoming First
:40:41. > :40:45.Minister's Questions on BBC Wales's Democracy Live online coverage. But
:40:45. > :40:55.don't leave us just yet. We'll catch up with our Welsh Affairs
:40:55. > :40:55.
:40:55. > :41:00.editor, Vaughan Roderick, who's here. Let us deal with the tributes
:41:00. > :41:07.paid to the miners who lost their lives last week. They were
:41:07. > :41:13.heartfelt tributes from a lot of the AMs who were there on the day.
:41:13. > :41:23.A lot of politicians spend a lot of time near the Gleision mind over
:41:23. > :41:30.
:41:30. > :41:40.and the weekend -- Gleision mind. He. You have seen a model of what
:41:40. > :41:41.
:41:41. > :41:46.representatives should do when these events happen in their areas.
:41:46. > :41:52.Mining maybe a small industry in Wales, only 400 people work there,
:41:52. > :41:56.but most Welsh families have some sort of family or community
:41:56. > :42:02.connection either with the coal industry, or other underground work.
:42:02. > :42:10.At one time, half of the adult Welsh population worked underground,
:42:11. > :42:15.in the coal industry. It has an emotional resonance. It was
:42:15. > :42:18.absolutely right that they had an opportunity to make those
:42:18. > :42:28.statements to their. If we move on to their bread and butter if you
:42:28. > :42:30.
:42:30. > :42:38.like. The first question and was about enterprise zones. It hasn't
:42:38. > :42:42.gone down well. You also see the opposition parties who have been
:42:42. > :42:52.calling for enterprise zones to be set up in Wales, tried to but a
:42:52. > :42:52.
:42:52. > :42:57.link between that decision like Jaguar-Land Rover not to come here.
:42:57. > :43:02.They will try hard to make that connection, although we understand
:43:02. > :43:10.that Jaguar-Land Rover's decision was made in April. But the
:43:10. > :43:18.Government has now announced these enterprise zones. They are raised
:43:18. > :43:26.eyebrows in Swansea, Newport, etc. It is only issue that will have the
:43:26. > :43:33.legs. Leg does look at other issues. Briefly, the budget. Labour failed
:43:33. > :43:39.to have a majority and struggled to get a budget in through. They will