:00:27. > :00:30.Hello. Welcome to the programme. It is our weekly coverage of questions
:00:30. > :00:36.to the First Minister. Plenty of tax inquest yesterday. Carwyn Jones
:00:36. > :00:39.will face an questions also about tax after yesterday's publication
:00:39. > :00:44.of the Silk Commission. The report recommended Welsh Ministers should
:00:44. > :00:49.in future have some responsibility over income tax and take control of
:00:49. > :00:51.some of the smaller taxes. That is what I think the
:00:52. > :00:55.politicians will be talking about today. What do you want to talk
:00:55. > :01:05.about? If you want to comment on anything on the programme or any
:01:05. > :01:06.
:01:06. > :01:10.other political news, get in touch. The address is on the screen.
:01:10. > :01:13.Business in the Chamber is already under way but let's take a look at
:01:13. > :01:21.questions to the First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
:01:21. > :01:26.Good afternoon. The National Assembly for Wales is now in
:01:26. > :01:31.session. The first item is questions to the First Minister.
:01:31. > :01:33.Good afternoon, First Minister. Will the First Minister outline how
:01:33. > :01:42.the programme for government is improving the lives of people in
:01:42. > :01:46.the south-west. The potential downgrading of accident and
:01:46. > :01:50.emergency services in Bridgend leave many in South Wales West to
:01:50. > :01:53.feel that their lives will not be improved as questions of access to
:01:53. > :01:58.those centralised services inevitably arise. One of the
:01:58. > :02:01.drivers of the downgrading is the lack of consultants. There is no
:02:02. > :02:05.shortage of undergraduates in Wales, how can the Welsh government help
:02:05. > :02:15.direct them to follow postgraduate Groats in specialisms we actually
:02:15. > :02:18.need to in Wales? The I am fully aware, as I live in Bridgend. With
:02:18. > :02:22.regard to accident and emergency, there is a shortage of specialists
:02:22. > :02:26.across the UK. It is an unattractive specialism in some
:02:26. > :02:32.ways because of the hours involved. It would certainly help if you go
:02:32. > :02:38.government were to revise its Visa regulations in order to make the UK
:02:38. > :02:46.more welcoming -- UK government. Historically, the NHS has relied on
:02:46. > :02:50.doctors from outside the UK. A situation seems to be improved.
:02:50. > :02:58.Will the First Minister make a statement on the Wash government's
:02:58. > :03:04.public procurement policy in North Wales? -- Welsh government for.
:03:04. > :03:07.will maximise the expenditure across Wales. That is the policy.
:03:07. > :03:12.am sure we would all agree with that but construction companies in
:03:12. > :03:17.North Wales are very unhappy with the decision to create what is
:03:17. > :03:23.called a framework vehicle. That is across North Wales for the 21st
:03:23. > :03:33.century schools programme. In a letter to representatives, your
:03:33. > :03:35.
:03:35. > :03:40.Finance Minister stated... But in another letter to the same group
:03:40. > :03:44.from the chief executive of Denbighshire, leading this group,
:03:44. > :03:48.he says the authorities have been advised by Welsh government of
:03:48. > :03:55.grant funding for the 21st century schools programme being conditional
:03:55. > :04:01.on councils agreeing to collaborative procedures. Is he
:04:01. > :04:05.telling the truth? Well, the Government is working with
:04:05. > :04:09.businesses and public bodies across North Wales to ensure that there
:04:09. > :04:14.are further opportunities available to businesses in terms of
:04:14. > :04:21.procurement, in terms of the 21st century schools programme, I know
:04:21. > :04:25.that far you Wales are providing support to councils to ensure that
:04:25. > :04:30.their procurement strategies are the correct ones -- Value Wales.
:04:30. > :04:33.And that they adopt the correct policies in terms of insuring that
:04:33. > :04:39.opportunities are available to businesses in North Wales. We are
:04:39. > :04:43.working with councils in North Wales and the Minister for finance
:04:43. > :04:48.will be publishing a procurement policy statement before Christmas
:04:48. > :04:52.explaining what we expect from public bodies in this area.
:04:52. > :04:55.First Minister, many businesses in North Wales hoping to benefit from
:04:55. > :04:59.public sector investment are repeatedly disappointed that your
:04:59. > :05:03.government overlooks the region where it allocates its capital
:05:03. > :05:09.investment. North Wales has 20 % of the population of Wales and
:05:09. > :05:13.receives just 13 % of the capital funding. Do you understand why so
:05:13. > :05:17.many people in North Wales believe that there are ignored by your
:05:17. > :05:22.government and we commit to delivering capital investment in
:05:22. > :05:25.North Wales that disproportionate to the population living there?
:05:25. > :05:28.do not believe we have a disadvantage in the north in any
:05:28. > :05:31.way. This is something the Tories would like to do. A lot of people
:05:31. > :05:39.in North Wales say to me that they will feel disadvantaged giving the
:05:40. > :05:44.UK government's changes in welfare benefits. They certainly do look to
:05:44. > :05:54.the Wash government to protect the interests of Wales against the
:05:54. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :05:58.interests of the UK government -- In 20th February 12, the Government
:05:58. > :06:03.announced they were changing the public procurement practice in
:06:03. > :06:08.Wales, referred specifically to simplifying the pre- qualification
:06:08. > :06:12.requirements. Mention was made by the Finance Minister at the time
:06:12. > :06:17.regarding the database and advances that have been made. Are you able
:06:17. > :06:24.to tell us when you will be publishing new data to show whether
:06:24. > :06:31.or not that advance has been sustained? We are committed to
:06:31. > :06:39.adopting key procurement policies. And our communities benefit
:06:40. > :06:44.approach to procurement will -- will fully monitor this approach.
:06:44. > :06:49.We now move to questions to the party leaders. First is the leader
:06:49. > :06:55.of Plaid Cymru, pride -- Leanne Wood. In 2008, asked
:06:55. > :07:02.representatives of energy companies whether or not they met to discuss
:07:02. > :07:04.prices. Those decisions have been strong enough that the FSA is
:07:04. > :07:08.conducting and investigation and that an European Union wide
:07:08. > :07:12.investigation is now likely. The UK government is making an
:07:12. > :07:16.announcement today on social tariffs. First Minister, what
:07:16. > :07:24.powers to the last government have to intervene over the energy market
:07:24. > :07:28.in Wales? -- Welsh government. I had a meeting last week that it -
:07:28. > :07:33.- together with some of the energy suppliers. If there has been price
:07:33. > :07:36.rigging by the energy companies, that will have heard not just Welsh
:07:36. > :07:43.householders but companies and public sector institutions in Wales
:07:43. > :07:47.as well. As a result of another rigging scandal over the into
:07:47. > :07:51.banking rate, a fine of �290 million was levied on Barclays but
:07:51. > :07:57.none of that money was returned to those people directly affected by
:07:57. > :08:00.that. What action do you think is appropriate for energy companies if
:08:00. > :08:03.they are found guilty of market rigging? I think the appropriate
:08:03. > :08:09.the authority should take the strongest possible action against
:08:09. > :08:14.them. Members of the public feel there is no competition in the
:08:14. > :08:18.energy market. They feel they are paying too much for energy. And the
:08:18. > :08:21.energy companies do have a job to do in explaining to people how it
:08:21. > :08:26.is they are making substantial profits while of course seeing
:08:26. > :08:32.consumer prices rise. Thank you for that constructive response, First
:08:32. > :08:38.Minister. UK Energy Minister has confirmed to MPs that any fines
:08:38. > :08:42.resulting from this will be paid to the energy regulator and not to
:08:42. > :08:46.energy consumers. In the same way as the Barclays fine was paid to
:08:46. > :08:52.the FSA. I were to put -- suggest an option taken by the city of
:08:52. > :08:57.Baltimore. They had been leading a class-action against 16 US and UK
:08:57. > :09:01.banks exist 20th June 11. It is unlikely that families or companies
:09:01. > :09:04.in Wales would be able to go to court to reclaim the inflated
:09:04. > :09:08.companies that they have paid to energy companies, the size
:09:08. > :09:12.differential is too great. But if market-rigging is confirmed then
:09:12. > :09:16.the Welsh public sector will have been major losers. If this
:09:16. > :09:21.transpires, will the Welsh government lead 8 group litigation
:09:21. > :09:24.order co-ordinated with the Welsh public sector Andy encourage
:09:25. > :09:29.participation of what householders and businesses against the bar --
:09:29. > :09:35.energy companies? I am not sure what the point was that you are
:09:35. > :09:43.making but I will try to answer it as best I can. Is there a way of
:09:43. > :09:46.money being recouped to the Welsh public sector? As a result of any
:09:46. > :09:53.price rigging should that be true? The first step is for the
:09:53. > :10:03.appropriate investigations to be made. And then of course, thought
:10:03. > :10:03.
:10:03. > :10:08.can be given to how compensation that is appropriate can be made.
:10:08. > :10:13.Kirsty Williams. First Minister, the National Assembly can make laws
:10:13. > :10:17.unspent money but it is the only legislature or in the world without
:10:17. > :10:23.pause over tax pit -- taxation. The Silk Commission are set out a
:10:23. > :10:26.blueprint with support across the political spectrum. You support
:10:26. > :10:33.borrowing powers us of the minor taxes set out in the report and you
:10:33. > :10:39.have also been claw -- clear that Wales is a fair funding formula. --
:10:39. > :10:45.needs. Do you broadly endorse the package as a whole? Yes, I do.
:10:45. > :10:48.Thank you for a clarification. Recommendation 18 of the Silk
:10:48. > :10:52.Commission says the transfer of income tax powers to the Wash
:10:52. > :10:56.government should be conditional upon resolving the fair funding
:10:56. > :11:01.issue -- Welsh government. What discussions have you had with the
:11:01. > :11:04.Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Shadow
:11:04. > :11:11.Chancellor to ensure that all parties commit to introducing a
:11:12. > :11:17.fair funding formula to enable this to an Apple by 2020? I have had
:11:17. > :11:27.exhaustive discussions with the UK government. The UK government will
:11:27. > :11:31.
:11:31. > :11:41.not wish to revisit Barnett foreman Will the Shadow can't -- Chancellor
:11:41. > :11:41.
:11:41. > :11:46.commit to a fair funding formula? All four parties in Cardiff have
:11:46. > :11:50.worked together to ensure that the Silk Commission in the first place
:11:50. > :11:54.was set up and two in -- agree its term of reference and all party
:11:54. > :11:58.nominees have worked together on the commission to forge a consensus
:11:58. > :12:01.on a future direction and a way forward for Wales. I now believe it
:12:01. > :12:08.is essential that the UK and the Wash Government's work quickly and
:12:08. > :12:12.corporate very to implement all of the findings -- Welsh government.
:12:12. > :12:19.We be making representations to the UK government to ask for a
:12:19. > :12:25.legislative slot way Wales Bill in the spring of 2014 as recommended
:12:25. > :12:29.by the Silk Commission. In answer to the first question, I can say
:12:29. > :12:39.they have been discussions by T Pass with figures in the Labour
:12:39. > :12:51.
:12:51. > :12:58.Party outside of Wales regarding Nevertheless, I do welcome her
:12:58. > :13:01.commitment to the reform. In regard to the second point, I have already
:13:01. > :13:04.raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Wales. I
:13:04. > :13:08.have made it clear there is a need for a legislative slot to be found
:13:08. > :13:13.before the end of the 2015 Parliament. He is sympathetic to
:13:13. > :13:17.that. He has indicated it does not mean of course that the UK
:13:17. > :13:22.government were necessary except every recommendation at this stage.
:13:22. > :13:28.I hope every recommendation is accepted however. I look forward to
:13:28. > :13:38.seeing a legislative slot being made available as well as possible.
:13:38. > :13:39.
:13:39. > :13:43.Andrew RT Davies. We fully recommend -- welcomed the
:13:43. > :13:47.recommendations made yesterday and I treat -- pay tribute to the
:13:47. > :13:52.members of that commission, in particular Nick Bourne. He played
:13:52. > :13:56.an active part. The key thing about fiscal responsibility is that word
:13:56. > :14:01.responsibility. And we have had a decade where we have had a period
:14:01. > :14:11.of spending without responsibility. Money has arrived and we have
:14:11. > :14:16.looked at the of rope and spent it. Do you not believe it is critical
:14:16. > :14:21.that we moved to a climate that incurs responsibility on the watch
:14:21. > :14:24.government for the money that it spends? -- Welsh government.
:14:24. > :14:34.Leader of the Opposition makes it sound as if we are not elected in
:14:34. > :14:36.
:14:36. > :14:40.this Chamber. It is ironic of course but de Silk
:14:40. > :14:43.Commission was set up by a former Secretary of State for Wales who
:14:43. > :14:46.did suggest there should be greater accountability which is ironic
:14:46. > :14:50.given the fact she was not accountable in any way to the
:14:50. > :14:53.people of Wales. I do not accept there is somehow power without
:14:53. > :15:01.responsibility. As the Leader of the Opposition knows, we are more
:15:01. > :15:06.than happy as a government to take forward the recommendations. As per
:15:06. > :15:09.usual, I did not hear any word of the bellyaching by the Minister. I
:15:09. > :15:17.am sure that the regional members on his own benches which allow him
:15:17. > :15:19.to govern will have heard its words. And certainly, it is not in our
:15:20. > :15:25.position to divide and rule much like the Labour Party do by trying
:15:25. > :15:28.to divide and rule in Wales by the rhetoric he gave today. I asked him
:15:28. > :15:36.a very simple question about this possibility. Time and time again,
:15:36. > :15:41.we have had from the First Minister speeches on constitutional matters,
:15:41. > :15:46.legal jurisdiction, and yet on the very simple question of
:15:46. > :15:48.responsibility, financial responsibility, or he can do today
:15:48. > :15:54.his belly ache and tried to divide members in this institution. I
:15:54. > :16:03.think that is quite a damning indictment on the first Mr's
:16:03. > :16:08.response to the Silk Commission. It is unfortunate when a leader of
:16:09. > :16:15.the opposition cannot do anything but stick with his cigarette. We'll
:16:15. > :16:22.look for work to his party taking forward the recommendations of the
:16:22. > :16:32.The Silk Report for work. Sticking to this get is one thing I can
:16:32. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :16:37.never be accused of a! We are fully supportive of the recommendations
:16:37. > :16:43.of the The Silk Report. The time frame is important. There are some
:16:44. > :16:52.recommendations that could call for work. The likes of business rates
:16:52. > :16:58.and the business rate multiplier. Especially when you think that
:16:58. > :17:03.nearly 99 out of 100 businesses in Wales are qualified as small
:17:03. > :17:13.businesses. Could some of the smaller recommendations that could
:17:13. > :17:15.
:17:15. > :17:21.make a big difference to Welsh Business p implemented? As we are
:17:21. > :17:27.fair, there are the problems around Cardiff Airport, but the aspect of
:17:27. > :17:32.business rates for small businesses are very important. This is
:17:32. > :17:39.something which has to be taken for three legislative vehicle through
:17:39. > :17:47.the United Kingdom government. We would expect to see the
:17:47. > :17:54.recommendations of the The Silk Report taken for work. -- for a
:17:54. > :18:03.word. Good the First Minister make a statement on how the Welsh
:18:03. > :18:09.government is helping entrepreneurs? We have got the
:18:09. > :18:18.regional centre and the entrepreneur's conference. People
:18:18. > :18:21.always tell me about the rising transport costs been very damaging.
:18:21. > :18:31.Members of the business community say any scrapping of the charges
:18:31. > :18:35.
:18:35. > :18:45.would make a huge difference to them. Once the contract comes to an
:18:45. > :18:54.end, it is entirely wrong that any tolls are simply set and there is
:18:54. > :18:59.no looking at them again. That would be entirely wrong. These
:18:59. > :19:09.should be reviewed and the likes of tolls could then be used to improve
:19:09. > :19:13.
:19:13. > :19:18.our major roads. First Minister, one essential condition for
:19:18. > :19:23.business to his five is for them to have a supply of well-qualified
:19:23. > :19:28.school leavers. According to a recent survey, four out of five
:19:29. > :19:38.small businesses did not think that Welsh school leavers do not have
:19:39. > :19:39.
:19:39. > :19:43.the necessary literacy and numeracy skills. What is the government
:19:43. > :19:53.doing to ensure that enough people leave school with the
:19:53. > :19:57.
:19:57. > :20:07.qualifications which best suit them for being able to find employment?
:20:07. > :20:14.We support entrepreneurial programmes and support young people
:20:14. > :20:21.been entrepreneurs. We are the cheap as part of the United Kingdom
:20:21. > :20:26.to pit the supermarket. Clearly this is unacceptable. Now you take
:20:26. > :20:33.up look at business rate so we can plant beneficial measures to draw
:20:33. > :20:43.up small businesses and then come back to this Senedd and tell us how
:20:43. > :20:45.
:20:46. > :20:55.successful you have been in that? What consideration as the First
:20:56. > :20:59.
:20:59. > :21:04.Minister given to reviewing TAN 18? Were a will of course consider any
:21:04. > :21:14.recommendations that come out of the public inquiry currently going
:21:14. > :21:14.
:21:14. > :21:24.on into public transport. Of all the horses in it Wales, three-
:21:24. > :21:26.
:21:26. > :21:35.quarters of them are in Caernarfon Shire. Bridle path stuck been
:21:35. > :21:42.opened and the deserve great credit for that. Would you consider
:21:42. > :21:49.including horse riders as part of the vulnerable users of power
:21:49. > :21:56.highways. Would you be willing to ensure that their plight is also
:21:56. > :22:06.recognised? I will consider that. The men but does raise an important
:22:06. > :22:09.
:22:10. > :22:19.point. I was not anticipating that question! This is more in the
:22:20. > :22:21.
:22:21. > :22:27.essence of TAN 18. The active transport Wales Bill is at an early
:22:27. > :22:33.stage. There are obviously concerns about that that it is trying to do
:22:33. > :22:37.a great number of things, the integration of lime juice into the
:22:37. > :22:43.transport system. It strikes me that this will need review if we
:22:43. > :22:51.are to assist the effective implementation of the active
:22:51. > :22:56.transport bill. We due in To undertake that, if it would help,
:22:57. > :23:01.he would review this as soon as possible? We would do anything to
:23:01. > :23:09.assist the passage and implementation of any bill.
:23:09. > :23:19.present, the emphasis is on the drafting of it. But we do want to
:23:19. > :23:35.
:23:35. > :23:45.insure that it works in tandem with The people of Montgomerie Shire are
:23:45. > :23:52.
:23:52. > :24:01.hoping that the postponement of the power station proposal will lead to
:24:01. > :24:05.a fuel fill a review into the situation. We do not want costly
:24:05. > :24:13.wind farms and paused on a or communities. People are saying that
:24:13. > :24:20.enough is enough. Do you agree with that? The United Kingdom government
:24:20. > :24:24.has responsibility for good connections. His comments should be
:24:24. > :24:29.directed against that particular minister. As regards the sub-
:24:29. > :24:35.station, that is the matter for the county council, not for the Welsh
:24:35. > :24:41.government. Montgomerie Shire is one of the most beautiful parts of
:24:41. > :24:45.Wales, perfectly suited for rural cycling. The organisers of the Tour
:24:45. > :24:50.the France, along with British cycling, art looking to bring the
:24:50. > :24:57.event back to the British Isles in the next few years. What are you
:24:57. > :25:01.doing to securing a possible bid to bring the Tour the France to Wales.
:25:01. > :25:11.His, and I can confirm that we have been working with partners as
:25:11. > :25:16.
:25:16. > :25:21.regards the joint bed for the next few years. The Minister for wind
:25:21. > :25:31.turbine said it there is an important point to be looked at.
:25:31. > :25:31.
:25:32. > :25:39.Would the First Minister look to Scotland, which has power over
:25:39. > :25:49.energy in its entirety. With the Welsh gunmen be making the
:25:49. > :25:51.
:25:51. > :25:59.strongest case possible -- the Welsh government make the strongest
:25:59. > :26:06.case possible with regards to controlling that. There is a
:26:06. > :26:15.complete shambles taking place in the London as regards energy policy.
:26:15. > :26:20.We have said that we need to devolve this. We think we need to
:26:20. > :26:28.have control over major energy projects, so we can show what the
:26:28. > :26:35.economic benefits for the country. The current situation where this is
:26:35. > :26:43.controlled by central government is not fair. The what can be achieved
:26:43. > :26:47.by the local growth Sones initiative. Which infrastructure
:26:47. > :26:52.projects within the county is the government prepared to prioritise,
:26:52. > :27:00.to assist in the successful delivery of that? I am thinking
:27:00. > :27:10.particularly of the station project and also the hourly service on the
:27:10. > :27:10.
:27:10. > :27:16.main train line? That is part of the national transport plan. As
:27:16. > :27:23.regards the increase in service, that has been problematic. The
:27:23. > :27:31.frequency on the line will be improved as soon as possible, as
:27:31. > :27:39.part of the national transport plan. Does this not once again emphasised
:27:39. > :27:44.the need for the Welsh government to take action on the
:27:44. > :27:48.recommendations of the sustainability of the environment
:27:48. > :27:56.issues? And I have an issue and from the First Minister that it is
:27:56. > :28:03.still a priority of the Welsh government policy to actually work
:28:03. > :28:09.on the constructive response to the report? Yes, of course. We did
:28:09. > :28:16.accept many of the recommendations, but it is very difficult to isolate
:28:16. > :28:23.them individually. We see the people in England, Northern Ireland
:28:23. > :28:27.and Scotland able to do so because they have improved powers. That
:28:27. > :28:31.will be the government's stand in the future, that Wales should be
:28:31. > :28:38.treated in the same manner as the other countries within the United
:28:38. > :28:45.Kingdom. The will the First Minister make a statement on the
:28:46. > :28:52.condition of the ambulance service in South Wales? Yes, they have
:28:52. > :28:56.achieved the 65 % national response standard. There are aware proposals
:28:56. > :29:06.with regard to restructuring services in South Wales. That will
:29:06. > :29:12.have an impact. This relates particularly to accident and
:29:12. > :29:19.emergency. Has he had discussions with the NHS in Wales as regards to
:29:19. > :29:26.the possible impact of these proposals? I am having
:29:26. > :29:31.consultations as regards that. I expect the ambulance trust to be
:29:31. > :29:41.fully involved in further discussions. Cannot take that a bit
:29:41. > :29:44.
:29:44. > :29:52.further. - Michael can I take that a bit further. What steps are being
:29:52. > :30:01.taken to make sure that lost ambulance source will not be the
:30:01. > :30:09.outcome of this? We are very aware of the possibility of lost
:30:09. > :30:19.ambulance time. We are speaking to representatives from all the
:30:19. > :30:19.
:30:19. > :30:23.In recent weeks, we have seen stations closing due to lack of
:30:23. > :30:31.manpower. It is a miserable state of affairs. The consultation
:30:31. > :30:34.referred to earlier were due to start in January. Should that
:30:34. > :30:39.consultation be delayed until we have a much clearer picture of the
:30:39. > :30:48.state of the ambulance service following bad review? We know that
:30:49. > :30:52.doctors themselves are saying that it is not sustainable in the future
:30:52. > :30:56.to carry on exactly as we are. We must plan to have services that are
:30:56. > :31:00.both safe and sustainable and that is why it is absolutely crucial
:31:00. > :31:06.that the plans are put in place now to ensure the -- that is the case
:31:06. > :31:11.in the future. Will the First Minister make a statement on the
:31:11. > :31:16.actions to reduce child poverty in Wales? Questions seven and 11 will
:31:16. > :31:20.be grouped. It is a fundamental priority for the Welsh government.
:31:20. > :31:30.The creatures in the tackling poverty Action Plan for Wales. --
:31:30. > :31:30.
:31:30. > :31:34.it features. Tour of the objectives reflect the importance of fiscal
:31:34. > :31:38.levers. Yesterday, the Silk Commission identified some of those
:31:38. > :31:48.levers may be transferred to the Wash divide. That may not be until
:31:48. > :32:00.
:32:00. > :32:04.Good progress has been made on the tackling poverty Action Plan. There
:32:04. > :32:08.have been exhaustive discussions with the UK government. Ministers
:32:08. > :32:14.have discuss their concerns about the implications for the people of
:32:14. > :32:17.Wales. I certainly raised this myself with the Minister for
:32:17. > :32:21.education and skills and the Minister for education and skills
:32:21. > :32:30.has raised questions about the implementation of the UK government
:32:30. > :32:35.reforms in Wales. First Minister, the secretary
:32:35. > :32:38.staked, Iain Duncan-Smith, has recently set out his belief that
:32:38. > :32:42.the benefits system ought not to provide any additional help for
:32:42. > :32:49.families what does with more than two children -- Secretary of State.
:32:49. > :32:55.Lord has been suggested as policy will be extended to free school
:32:55. > :33:05.meals. We provide an assurance that in Welsh Schools at least no child
:33:05. > :33:11.will be sent away hungry -- will The member is absolutely right to
:33:11. > :33:14.point out that as things stand at the moment, where families are on
:33:14. > :33:19.benefits and they have more than two children, the first two
:33:19. > :33:23.children will be fed in school and subsequent children will not be.
:33:23. > :33:26.That is the extent of the humanity that exists at the moment. I can
:33:26. > :33:34.assure the member that the scenario he has outlined will not happen in
:33:34. > :33:39.Wales. First Minister, you will agree that
:33:39. > :33:47.Wales has the highest child poverty in the United Kingdom and a survey
:33:47. > :33:51.carried out by the Prince's Trust in 2011 looked into children's
:33:51. > :33:56.views. 10 % of young people growing up in Wales felt that people like
:33:56. > :34:01.them do not succeed in life. 12 % imagining that they would end up on
:34:01. > :34:11.benefits at some point in their lives. In your action plan, we your
:34:11. > :34:17.
:34:17. > :34:21.action plan hope to change those attitudes? It will indeed.
:34:21. > :34:24.Policies that his party is a pause, I can say to him, there are
:34:24. > :34:31.differences between -- on these benches is -- benches and his party.
:34:31. > :34:36.They want to remove those opportunities. Minister, as the
:34:36. > :34:39.chart of the Act targets and measures apply right across the UK,
:34:39. > :34:49.we your covenant be responding to the UK government's consultation on
:34:49. > :34:52.
:34:52. > :35:00.how to measure child poverty -- We'll outline your view one those
:35:00. > :35:10.changes. How do you think child poverty is best measured questioned
:35:10. > :35:13.
:35:13. > :35:20.-- when governments tried to change the way in which government --
:35:21. > :35:30.polity is measured, there is a sneaking suspicion they outright a
:35:31. > :35:33.
:35:33. > :35:37.cover-up figures they are First Minister, you will be aware
:35:37. > :35:41.that there are areas of �46 million in child support payments owed to
:35:41. > :35:48.parents in North Wales alone. This money would make a significant
:35:48. > :35:52.contribution to reducing child poverty. Across Wales, the figure
:35:52. > :35:58.stands at �207 million. What representations has your government
:35:58. > :36:01.made to the UK government to ensure this huge and growing legacy of
:36:01. > :36:09.payment does get paid to watch pennants -- parents as soon as
:36:09. > :36:12.possible? Her party suggested charging people to ensure that
:36:12. > :36:15.children received the payments they were due. It is no good saying that
:36:15. > :36:19.payments should be made for a child of -- child support, she is right
:36:19. > :36:22.that should happen, but saying that the charge should be made on people
:36:22. > :36:26.if they wish to pursue the money that is rightfully theirs, she
:36:26. > :36:31.should not be surprised if people find they cannot actually get the
:36:31. > :36:36.money they are entitled to. She is right to point out that absent
:36:36. > :36:40.parents sometimes should pay for their children at every obstacle
:36:40. > :36:45.must be ruled by the UK government in order to make sure that children
:36:45. > :36:50.get the money that they deserve. have been an elected representative
:36:50. > :36:56.of some kind for 37 continuous years. For the first time on Sunday
:36:56. > :37:02.at my home, a gentleman knocked my door and said, I do not have enough
:37:02. > :37:11.money to purchase an alert as the token. Can you help me? One of your
:37:11. > :37:17.key priorities is from a workless household -- it is one of your
:37:17. > :37:21.three key targets, what is the progress please? We are making good
:37:21. > :37:24.progress if you look at the figures. The levels of economic activity in
:37:24. > :37:34.Wales on the Wadham they have been in history. It is also right to say
:37:34. > :37:44.at the level of unemployment is coming down. -- are lower than they
:37:44. > :37:45.
:37:45. > :37:52.There is progress but there is more work that will be done to make sure
:37:52. > :37:55.that situation does not occur in the future. Will the First Minister
:37:55. > :38:01.make a statement on his priorities regarding transporting the next 12
:38:01. > :38:04.months? Yes, they are to be found in the national transport policy.
:38:04. > :38:10.One of the priorities must be to tackle levels of overcrowding on
:38:10. > :38:13.rail services in Wales. You will be aware that �13.2 million has been
:38:13. > :38:17.spent lengthening platforms at rail stations across the valleys lines
:38:17. > :38:20.and yet in the last five years, no investment has been made to
:38:21. > :38:24.actually buy new rolling stock to provide those larger trains. Over
:38:24. > :38:29.the next couple of years, as electrification projects take place
:38:29. > :38:33.across the UK, releasing these are rolling stock units, will the Welsh
:38:33. > :38:38.government be bidding to get some of those diesel units to help
:38:38. > :38:42.tackle overcrowding whilst we are waiting for our own electrification
:38:42. > :38:48.project to begin? These are things we are looking at. In the longer
:38:48. > :38:52.term, we know that the franchise will come to an end in 2018. We
:38:52. > :38:59.want to explore innovative possibilities in terms of a
:38:59. > :39:02.franchise being run in the future. It is not me -- mean that we need
:39:02. > :39:06.to have sufficient control over the awarding of the franchise. We
:39:06. > :39:08.understand that the rail network is more and more heavily used. That is
:39:08. > :39:13.something we welcome and we understand that. We are looking at
:39:13. > :39:17.ways to endure more rolling-stock does become available before
:39:17. > :39:21.electrification takes place -- to ensure. With the electrification of
:39:21. > :39:24.the Valley's lines in the pipeline, would he agree it is essential that
:39:24. > :39:30.there is a single passenger transport authority for the south-
:39:30. > :39:33.east region with real powers on the lines of Manchester and Glasgow and
:39:33. > :39:38.doesn't he think this is essential that we start planning for that?
:39:38. > :39:43.There are a number of possibilities being explored at the moment. When
:39:43. > :39:47.the valley Lines in their greatest definition are electrified, that
:39:47. > :39:53.does create an opportunity to create a proper South Wales metro
:39:53. > :39:58.network that will be properly integrated, it will need to be pop
:39:58. > :40:06.rebranded and Italy to be run as an integrated network. -- and it will
:40:06. > :40:08.need to be. We are looking at a number of options to ensure that
:40:09. > :40:14.effective -- and effective system is put in place.
:40:14. > :40:19.We will leave it there. Do not forget, you can see more coverage
:40:19. > :40:29.online from BBC Wales's Democracy Live page. The address is on the
:40:29. > :40:31.
:40:31. > :40:34.screen. An afternoon. Let's concentrate now
:40:34. > :40:39.on the Silk Commission. I don't know if it caught your attention.
:40:39. > :40:42.But that Carwyn Jones put in -- putting the ball in the UK's court,
:40:42. > :40:47.asking them to implement all the recommendations are some as
:40:47. > :40:51.possible, perhaps in a hope that they are unable to do that? -- as
:40:51. > :40:56.soon as possible. There was a real development went Carwyn Jones said
:40:56. > :41:00.very firmly that he wanted legislative -- a legislative slot
:41:00. > :41:03.in Westminster to bring recommendations into law before the
:41:03. > :41:07.next general election. That is a bitter but look -- stronger than he
:41:07. > :41:12.said in his initial comments to the press yesterday and two television
:41:12. > :41:17.where he was sort of indicating the reservations he had about the Silk
:41:17. > :41:20.Commission. The lack of fair Funding. Today, it was a different
:41:20. > :41:24.attitude. It was, we can sort that out because there is a referendum
:41:24. > :41:29.to be held but let's get this into law. I thought he was sounding a
:41:29. > :41:36.lot keener on the Silk Commission today that he sounded initially
:41:36. > :41:40.yesterday. We heard Kirsty Williams and Andrew RT Davies. Leanne Wood
:41:40. > :41:45.went on a different tack today. What did you make of that? It was
:41:45. > :41:48.an odd decision. She was going first, I would have thought it was
:41:48. > :41:53.her opportunity to claim some always ship over the Silk
:41:53. > :41:57.Commission, to say that this is something Plaid Cymru has been
:41:57. > :42:04.leading -- ownership. He went on this issue of price fixing. It is
:42:04. > :42:07.an important issue for people at home but it did seem a strange time
:42:07. > :42:10.to do it when she had the opportunity going first at first
:42:10. > :42:14.Ministers questions to lead off on the Silk Commission and she very
:42:14. > :42:19.must have left that to Kirsty Williams. She did what I thought
:42:19. > :42:23.Leanne Wood should have been doing. They took up the timetable for the
:42:23. > :42:30.Silk Commission. Carwyn Jones is looking for a slot before the end
:42:30. > :42:35.of the 2015 Parliament. People I have been talking to are asking,
:42:35. > :42:38.when will the Welsh government be responsible for income tax? If it
:42:38. > :42:42.were all to go through, one would have a deep -- when would we expect
:42:42. > :42:47.this to come into play? resuming the Government does give a
:42:47. > :42:53.legislative slot, the Secretary of State for Wales wants one, so he is
:42:53. > :42:57.probably likely to get it. They were talking of a referendum in
:42:57. > :43:02.2017 in the report and the powers coming in 2020. I think that isn't
:43:02. > :43:04.-- ambitious. I think it will take longer than that. There was a
:43:04. > :43:14.suggestion from Kirsty would use that Labour might win the next
:43:14. > :43:18.election. Carwyn Jones welcome that. -- Kirsty Williams. Nothing what
:43:18. > :43:22.was interesting was Kirsty Williams was trying to embarrass Carwyn
:43:22. > :43:27.Jones because it Ed Balls is not committed -- convinced of the need
:43:27. > :43:32.to change the Barnett formula. But I don't think a change of