:00:27. > :00:29.Good afternoon, welcome to the programme and our weekly
:00:30. > :00:38.coverage of questions to the First Minister.
:00:39. > :00:41.We're expecting Carwyn Jones to be quizzed on cancer detection rates,
:00:42. > :00:43.Natural Resources Wales and standards of care in health
:00:44. > :00:47.Don't forget you can Follow all the latest on Welsh politics
:00:48. > :00:50.on our twitter feed, we're @walespolitics.
:00:51. > :00:55.Well, business in the chamber is already underway,
:00:56. > :01:03.so let's take a look now at today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:04. > :01:12.Assembly members observed a member -- like a minute of silence in
:01:13. > :01:17.memory of Jo Cox and there was an opportunity for members to pay
:01:18. > :01:23.tribute to the Yorkshire MP. Call the National Assembly to order. On
:01:24. > :01:28.behalf of the National Assembly for Wales, I wish to express our
:01:29. > :01:32.heartfelt simply to the family, friends and colleagues of Jo Cox MPs
:01:33. > :01:39.who died so tragically last week. Jo Cox was killed in the course of her
:01:40. > :01:42.public duty, gratefully serving her constituents as a democratically
:01:43. > :01:49.elected member of Parliament. The shock and sadness of this loss had
:01:50. > :01:52.been felt greatly right across the United Kingdom and the many who
:01:53. > :01:59.attended a vigil in her memory outside this Senedd building are
:02:00. > :02:03.testament to that. Her loss has been felt both deeply as a personal
:02:04. > :02:09.tragedy for those who knew and loved but also an attack on our democratic
:02:10. > :02:16.life. We will continue to uphold the values that Jo Cox stood for,
:02:17. > :02:19.compassion, tolerance, and respect, in her honour. Before I asked for
:02:20. > :02:25.statements from party leaders, and as we stand to honour Jo Cox's life,
:02:26. > :02:34.let others do so by recalling the words of a poem read in this Chamber
:02:35. > :02:40.only two weeks ago today. We give thanks there are no bullet holes in
:02:41. > :02:44.the pillars of this house. Just a cloud of witnesses who maintain us
:02:45. > :02:46.in all manner of beliefs. May we therefore remember Jo Cox. Member of
:02:47. > :03:40.Parliament. Thank you. I now invite party
:03:41. > :03:45.leaders and others to say a few words, beginning with the First
:03:46. > :03:52.Minister, Carwyn Jones. With Jo Cox or Joe Leadbetter or little jewel as
:03:53. > :03:56.many would have remembered her, she led a full and brilliant life. She
:03:57. > :03:58.was well-known in Labour and developed a passion for
:03:59. > :04:04.International development and social justice. There is little doubt that
:04:05. > :04:08.the attack on Jo Cox was political in nature. It was an unforgivable
:04:09. > :04:10.and brutal attack not just on a female politician going about her
:04:11. > :04:14.work, but against everything she stood for. But it is not the
:04:15. > :04:21.politics we should reflect on today. It is the person. She had very many
:04:22. > :04:25.friends in Wales and everyone knew her political career was going to be
:04:26. > :04:28.something special, not because of her ambition, but because of her
:04:29. > :04:36.fierce determination, her decency, and to absolute fundamental desire
:04:37. > :04:38.to get things done. That meant offering the hand of friendship
:04:39. > :04:45.across the political divide. Tomorrow would have been Jo's 42nd
:04:46. > :04:49.birthday, and there will be events across the world where people will
:04:50. > :04:53.repeat that phrase that has already become a mantra. We are far more
:04:54. > :05:00.united and have far more in common than that which divides us. Jo's
:05:01. > :05:05.life was cut short, but it was a life lived in full and a life that
:05:06. > :05:10.has given us inspiration. It is that inspiration we must focus on today.
:05:11. > :05:21.And in the future. And not just the devastating events that took place
:05:22. > :05:26.last Thursday. I never met Jo Cox, but I am sure I am not alone in
:05:27. > :05:31.identifying with aspects about what we have heard about her and with
:05:32. > :05:35.some of the politics that she represented. Rather than use my
:05:36. > :05:42.words today, I would prefer to use hers. In her maiden speech in
:05:43. > :05:45.Westminster, Jo Cox MP said, "Our communities have been deeply
:05:46. > :05:51.enhanced by immigration. Be it of Irish Catholics, across the
:05:52. > :05:59.constituency, or of Muslims from India or from Pakistan, principally
:06:00. > :06:03.from Kashmir. While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time
:06:04. > :06:06.and time again as I travel around my constituency is that we are far more
:06:07. > :06:14.united and have far more in common with each other than that which
:06:15. > :06:18.divides us. Now, it remains to be proven beyond all reasonable doubt
:06:19. > :06:22.whether she was killed for holding these beliefs. But it seems to me
:06:23. > :06:28.that the most fitting tribute we can play to this woman is to remember
:06:29. > :06:38.her words and in her memory, for all of us to work for a society and a
:06:39. > :06:44.politics which is free from heat. I now call the leader of the Welsh
:06:45. > :06:50.Conservatives. I make no pretence to a non-Jo Cox, but the events last
:06:51. > :06:53.Thursday mortified us all. Pure evil visited Jo Cox Hunter family last
:06:54. > :06:58.week and her constituency when she was going about her job, which she
:06:59. > :07:01.cared passionately about anything she said in her own words that it
:07:02. > :07:05.was a job which she thought was a job that she had been groomed for
:07:06. > :07:09.life to achieve success for the communities that she represented and
:07:10. > :07:14.the causes that she helped the two. Then she certainly took those causes
:07:15. > :07:21.right to the heart power in Parliament and worked across the
:07:22. > :07:24.political divide and proved when politicians do work together, we
:07:25. > :07:28.actually achieve far more. One thing we must remember is that a family
:07:29. > :07:32.today will not feel the warmth and love of a mother and also a wife,
:07:33. > :07:38.and they are the ones who have lost the most in all of this. But we as a
:07:39. > :07:43.society are far poorer for losing such an individual is Jo Cox. And we
:07:44. > :07:48.should never let the flame that she let go out and stand up for the
:07:49. > :07:53.beliefs and causes that she fought for and make sure that the evil that
:07:54. > :08:01.visited this country, her constituency, and her family last
:08:02. > :08:05.week, triumphs. I now call on the leader of the UK group, Neil
:08:06. > :08:09.Hamilton. I would like to associate myself and my party with everything
:08:10. > :08:14.that has been said here today and like Andrew Davis, I did not know Jo
:08:15. > :08:17.Cox. She was clearly a very remarkable person on the threshold
:08:18. > :08:20.of what I am sure would have been a very successful political career.
:08:21. > :08:25.The impact of her tragic death would not have achieved the huge publicity
:08:26. > :08:30.that it has, but for the nature of her personality, and although I did
:08:31. > :08:33.not know her, I did know the last member of Parliament to be
:08:34. > :08:38.assassinated, Ian Gow, very well, so I do understand from personal
:08:39. > :08:42.experience the effect upon those who knew her. Rachel Reeves said
:08:43. > :08:45.yesterday in the House of Commons that what Andrew Davies has just
:08:46. > :08:50.reminded us of that this is a personal tragedy as well inasmuch as
:08:51. > :08:53.Batley and Spen may acquire a member of Parliament, but those poor
:08:54. > :08:57.children will not acquire a new mother and that certainly should
:08:58. > :09:00.affect us all and we should go forth, I think, in our different
:09:01. > :09:04.parties and in our different ways in the spirit in which Jo Cox lived her
:09:05. > :09:10.life and fought her politics. Compassion and respect and first and
:09:11. > :09:17.foremost, respect for the whole of human kind and I think that in her
:09:18. > :09:29.death she will achieve far more than any of us will achieve in our lives.
:09:30. > :09:32.Jo Cox MP, a passionate activists and unwavering humanitarian and a
:09:33. > :09:38.committed feminist, a friend, daughter, sister, wife, mother and
:09:39. > :09:41.MP for Batley and Spen, the Yorkshire community in which she
:09:42. > :09:44.grew up. Jo Cox was one of us and we were profoundly shocked and
:09:45. > :09:48.devastated and moved by that murder, but today is a time to remember the
:09:49. > :09:52.incredibly significant and valuable contribution that Jo Cox made in an
:09:53. > :09:58.all too short time with us. I was only lucky enough to meet Jo briefly
:09:59. > :10:03.to the Labour's women's movement so I sought guidance today from those
:10:04. > :10:07.who knew Jo far, far better than I. Jo achieved so much before entering
:10:08. > :10:12.the House of Commons, with Oxfam and the European Parliament and
:10:13. > :10:16.encouraging women into politics. She was chair of the Labour women's
:10:17. > :10:20.network from 2010 to do part of a group of women with big ambitions to
:10:21. > :10:24.develop the organisation to support Labour women from all walks of life
:10:25. > :10:30.into the body and into public life. The focus and determination that Jo
:10:31. > :10:32.ought to drive forward and actually get things done was the focus and
:10:33. > :10:39.determination that she brought to everything that she did. A friend
:10:40. > :10:42.and colleague of Jo wrote in the last few days how she supported and
:10:43. > :10:46.empowered other women by half holding you upright and half shoving
:10:47. > :10:50.you forward. The alliances that Jo built on what she achieved in her
:10:51. > :10:52.months as an MP is testament nodded to the tenacity and the depth of
:10:53. > :10:57.experience she brought to the issues that she focuses on the courses that
:10:58. > :11:00.you champion, but also to her personality. Friends have cheered
:11:01. > :11:03.how Jo was let them sleep positive and the bundle of energy, a force of
:11:04. > :11:07.nature that enjoyed life to the full. They have written how in
:11:08. > :11:11.reflecting on Joe's life, it is not just what she did but how she did
:11:12. > :11:14.it. The power of common action and not to simply believing in her
:11:15. > :11:20.ideals but loving them and doing something to advancing every single
:11:21. > :11:24.day. To me, Jo Cox personified everything a politician should be,
:11:25. > :11:29.and let us go forward in her own words shaping our deeds that we have
:11:30. > :11:41.far more in common with each other than that which divides as. I thank
:11:42. > :11:46.you all and we now move to the first item on our agenda today. Questions
:11:47. > :11:52.to the First Minister. The first question is from Vicki Howell. First
:11:53. > :11:57.Minister, what actions is the Welsh Government taking to improve cancer
:11:58. > :12:00.detection rates? We will continue with our population screening
:12:01. > :12:04.programme as well as improve our support to GPs to better recognise
:12:05. > :12:09.symptoms and improve the access to testing. Thank you, First Minister.
:12:10. > :12:12.Last week, was screening awareness week, a European wide project to
:12:13. > :12:17.raise awareness of the role of screening in tackling cervical
:12:18. > :12:20.cancer. Whilst mortality rates for cervical cancer are dropping, there
:12:21. > :12:24.is also a slight decline in screening uptake and I am
:12:25. > :12:29.particularly concerned that one in 325 to 29-year-olds do not attend
:12:30. > :12:33.their smear tests. How can the Welsh Government encourage Welsh women of
:12:34. > :12:36.all ages but younger women in particular to attend these rulings
:12:37. > :12:40.that could save their lives? Well, the screening engagement team of
:12:41. > :12:43.Public Health Wales is working with our local public health teams and
:12:44. > :12:48.with health boards and with primary-care clusters to consider
:12:49. > :12:51.screening uptake in each region and has plans specific activities to
:12:52. > :12:54.improve uptake including social media activity and there will be
:12:55. > :13:05.specific focus on the groups in each region where uptake is at its
:13:06. > :13:11.lowest. Thank you. It is not unusual for a GP to fail to diagnose the
:13:12. > :13:15.symptoms of cancer on the first appointment, but if a diagnosis is
:13:16. > :13:18.ultimately made following a second or third appointment, does the First
:13:19. > :13:23.Minister agree that the clock should start thinking in terms of when
:13:24. > :13:25.treatment starts from the time of that first appointment? Because
:13:26. > :13:34.Swift treatment for patients is the most important thing, not hitting
:13:35. > :13:38.Government targets. Well, it is the patient who is important in this,
:13:39. > :13:41.but may I say about diagnostic tests for example that we are seen a
:13:42. > :13:48.significant improvement in the past year. The figures from April 2016
:13:49. > :13:56.are 26% less than April of last year. And the same is true for the
:13:57. > :14:03.July figures. What is important is that the whole thing is dealt with.
:14:04. > :14:10.First Minister, young children between zero and 14 are twice as
:14:11. > :14:19.likely to be diagnosed from emergency presentation for cancer. I
:14:20. > :14:24.would like you to consider the children's charity who called for a
:14:25. > :14:28.refreshed Wales Cancer delivery plan intended for later this year to
:14:29. > :14:32.improve initial and ongoing training for children and young people's
:14:33. > :14:35.house. They should report on the level of access GP practices have
:14:36. > :14:43.two paediatric and young people health expertise to help this issue.
:14:44. > :14:47.To be between zero and 14 years of old when you are rushed to uni is
:14:48. > :14:51.not acceptable and I think your government needs to look out to
:14:52. > :15:01.address that situation. -- rests to A Many cancers present themselves
:15:02. > :15:04.at A Children I suspect, I am not medically qualified, it is always
:15:05. > :15:10.assumed it will be something else. It is difficult for GPs to diagnose
:15:11. > :15:14.cancer, but as part of the refreshment of the Cancer delivery
:15:15. > :15:17.plan we were locked at what can be done to assist GPs and other primary
:15:18. > :15:25.cable fresheners to improve the ability to detect cancer where it's
:15:26. > :15:30.possible, as quickly as possible. Diolch, Llywydd.. As someone who
:15:31. > :15:35.survived cancer I can tell you from first-hand experience that early
:15:36. > :15:39.diagnosis is key to survival. GPs are the front line in the fight
:15:40. > :15:43.against cancer and are critical for early diagnosis. First Minister,
:15:44. > :15:48.Cancer Research UK from that there is a huge variation in GP's direct
:15:49. > :15:52.access to diagnostic tests and Wales. What will your government do
:15:53. > :16:00.over the next five years to ensure that every GPU has access to vital
:16:01. > :16:03.diagnostic tests? Well, I think I answered this question in response
:16:04. > :16:09.to the question posed by the previous member. Reducing diagnostic
:16:10. > :16:13.waiting times is a priority for this government. You will see from the
:16:14. > :16:19.figures I mentioned earlier that diagnostic waiting times are
:16:20. > :16:22.reducing quickly in Wales. Question two, Bethan dragons. Will he First
:16:23. > :16:32.Minister make a statement on the latest survey of staff at Natural
:16:33. > :16:37.Resources Wales? Yes. It's a big file, as you can see. I am aware of
:16:38. > :16:40.staff survey results. It is a matter for the board of Natural Resources
:16:41. > :16:47.Wales that the Cabinet Secretary has met with the chair and Chief
:16:48. > :16:52.Executive of Natural Resources Wales, and outlined the
:16:53. > :16:57.disappointment with the figures. Thank you, for that answer. The
:16:58. > :17:01.survey indicates that there is a problem with senior management and
:17:02. > :17:05.it is far worse than last year. I have had constituents who contacted
:17:06. > :17:08.me, they don't wish to be named, they are fearful for the comments
:17:09. > :17:12.they have sent me. They said they had a meeting with the director and
:17:13. > :17:16.their leaders last week, this included in-depth analysis of survey
:17:17. > :17:21.results which made for worse reading than those published. I think that
:17:22. > :17:25.the feeling from that meeting was that the problems were with lower
:17:26. > :17:29.management, and they should go off and fix it to themselves. Although
:17:30. > :17:33.they see it more as something that needs to be fixed from the top.
:17:34. > :17:44.First Minister, how will this be done given that it is an
:17:45. > :17:46.organisation, as you say, that is arms length from yourself? How will
:17:47. > :17:48.you achieve the ?150 million savings over ten years, when, as I believe
:17:49. > :17:51.from staff, processes and contracts that are now in place cost more than
:17:52. > :17:56.when they were filled by the legacy organisation?
:17:57. > :18:00.There is a responsibility on the chair and Chief Executive to make
:18:01. > :18:04.sure staff feel valued. I notice that overall staff were more
:18:05. > :18:08.satisfied than they were last year. But, it is right to say that when we
:18:09. > :18:13.drill down underneath those figures in terms of management, career
:18:14. > :18:17.development and understanding the organisation's directionally figures
:18:18. > :18:21.are not as good. I mentioned earlier on the Cabinet said she has met with
:18:22. > :18:24.the chair and chief executive. It has been made clear to them that
:18:25. > :18:28.they must drive positive change from the top. They have to make sure that
:18:29. > :18:33.people do feel more valued within organisation.
:18:34. > :18:37.Paul Davies. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister according to
:18:38. > :18:41.the survey there is great concern that staff in Batley and Spen feel
:18:42. > :18:49.that they don't have access to learning and personal development
:18:50. > :18:53.opportunities -- Batley and Spen. People need these opportunities.
:18:54. > :18:57.Given that Natural Resources Wales is accountable to your government
:18:58. > :19:05.how will we ensure that the staff in this organisation can access
:19:06. > :19:15.training and learning? Well, although it is an arm's-length body
:19:16. > :19:20.Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales, of course, has a
:19:21. > :19:25.clear interest in ensuring that the body works as Richard the Minister,
:19:26. > :19:32.or the Cabinet Secretary has responsibility in this. To ensure
:19:33. > :19:36.that the career paths of individuals are developed and are available to
:19:37. > :19:43.people as they required. Diolch, Llywydd. The Plaid Cymru
:19:44. > :19:47.member opposite is right to draw the First Minister pass macro attention
:19:48. > :19:52.to the recent survey asked Natural Resources Wales. The results are
:19:53. > :19:55.disappointing and concerning. Is the dissatisfaction of staff a
:19:56. > :20:00.reflection on how well the body is serving the general public? No, I
:20:01. > :20:04.don't believe that's right. Natural Resources Wales are doing a good job
:20:05. > :20:11.in terms of managing our forestry resources. They are making advice
:20:12. > :20:13.available to businesses to mitigate the environmental impact and manage
:20:14. > :20:19.the countryside for the benefit of people.
:20:20. > :20:22.I now call on the party leaders to question the First Minister. First
:20:23. > :20:29.of all, the Leader of the Opposition, Leanne Wood. Before I
:20:30. > :20:33.start my questions today I would like to place, on record, my
:20:34. > :20:37.congratulations to the Welsh football team and the fans who did
:20:38. > :20:41.us proud in France last night. I could go on in that vein, but I'm
:20:42. > :20:47.going to move on to my questions now. First Minister, you and I have
:20:48. > :20:52.crossed swords on many occasions on the National Health Service. Last
:20:53. > :20:55.night I hosted a packed public meeting in the Rhondda, a community
:20:56. > :20:59.that is due to lose a doctor 's surgery because the health boards
:21:00. > :21:04.tell me there is a shortage of doctors, which we all know about.
:21:05. > :21:11.Now without getting into arguments about how many doctors we need, will
:21:12. > :21:16.you confirm that if we leave the European Union on Thursday the Welsh
:21:17. > :21:21.NHS will find it even more difficult to recruit doctors from overseas
:21:22. > :21:26.than it has been up until now? Can I first of all express my slight
:21:27. > :21:30.annoyance that the Leader of the Opposition has got in before me when
:21:31. > :21:34.it comes to congratulating the Welsh football team on a wonderful result
:21:35. > :21:40.last night. Ken skates was there, he is looking well! It was hugely
:21:41. > :21:44.important for Wales and our profile around the world, and the fact that
:21:45. > :21:53.there are fewer and fewer people who will say, wheels, ways that? That is
:21:54. > :21:58.important. What message are we comparing to our doctors? If we
:21:59. > :22:01.leave the EU? We know for example that people who come you put
:22:02. > :22:06.pressure on the edge yes, I don't buy that. They are young, they are
:22:07. > :22:12.working, they barely see a doctor. The reality is that they are often
:22:13. > :22:18.helping to care for sick people in Wales. The effect of a leave vote
:22:19. > :22:22.would be to send the message to medical professionals, don't come
:22:23. > :22:26.here. Go everywhere else in Europe, but don't come here. That'll make it
:22:27. > :22:29.even more difficult to attract the medical expertise we need here in
:22:30. > :22:33.Wales. Thank you for your answer. You will
:22:34. > :22:38.be aware that for many years now Plaid Cymru has advocated incentives
:22:39. > :22:42.to attract doctors to Wales. One important fact if we are going to
:22:43. > :22:47.attract people to live and work here as GPs, while we train more doctors,
:22:48. > :22:51.is the state of the economy. How much more difficult to you assess it
:22:52. > :22:56.will be to attract GPs to those areas where vacancies are difficult
:22:57. > :23:03.to fail, if the economy takes the dip that it is predicted to if there
:23:04. > :23:07.is a leave vote on Thursday? If you are a doctor qualified in the
:23:08. > :23:11.European Union and you told you can't travel to 27 other countries
:23:12. > :23:15.without the need for a Visa, or come to the UK but you need a Visa, it
:23:16. > :23:20.doesn't take a genius to about it is easier to go to the other countries.
:23:21. > :23:24.The UK will become a more difficult place to recruit medical staff into.
:23:25. > :23:27.They will be an effect on the economy. I spent much of my time
:23:28. > :23:32.talking to businesses about attracting investment into Wales.
:23:33. > :23:36.Evidence how that has ruled, this would be a self-inflicted wound. We
:23:37. > :23:39.would not be able to offer the same certainty to businesses as Ireland
:23:40. > :23:43.or France or Germany would because we would not be able to say for
:23:44. > :23:49.years what kind of access the European market could enjoy if they
:23:50. > :23:54.were to be based in Wales. That is bad/. I don't disagree with
:23:55. > :24:00.you there, First Minister. We may well have disagreements in the
:24:01. > :24:05.future of the Welsh NHS, what needs to happen to safeguard it, but we
:24:06. > :24:09.agree on our joint opposition to privatisation. I wonder whether or
:24:10. > :24:13.not you think it is more or less likely that the NHS will be opened
:24:14. > :24:19.up for privatisation in the event of a leave vote? We know that
:24:20. > :24:25.right-wing politicians across a number of parties in Westminster are
:24:26. > :24:29.keen to sign up to the transatlantic trade and investment partnership
:24:30. > :24:34.which will, of course, make it easier to sell off public services
:24:35. > :24:38.to their mates. Do you think that we've got a better chance of
:24:39. > :24:44.avoiding the damage that could be caused to RHS from TTIP by joining
:24:45. > :24:50.and remaining with other countries who can resist it?
:24:51. > :24:56.The reality is that the EU won the US are large trading blocs, the UK
:24:57. > :25:02.is much, much smaller. It comes down to how much muscle you have in the
:25:03. > :25:07.market. We would not want to see any kind of privatisation of the
:25:08. > :25:11.National Health Service. I see the leave campaign's figures, Nigel
:25:12. > :25:16.Farage, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, I do not trust them with the future
:25:17. > :25:19.of a public funded, publicly available NHS. I am glad that the
:25:20. > :25:26.health services devolved so they can't get their hands on the Welsh
:25:27. > :25:29.NHS. I'm sure she and I share some scepticism that the people who front
:25:30. > :25:37.that campaign have become converted to the power of the state to ensure
:25:38. > :25:40.the welfare of its people. The leader of the Welsh
:25:41. > :25:44.Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies. I would like to identify with the
:25:45. > :25:48.sentiments of the Leader of the Opposition and the First Minister
:25:49. > :25:54.about the victory last night, I had several members out there. Going in
:25:55. > :25:58.a camper van for a week is not a brilliant advert, now they have to
:25:59. > :26:01.extend their time for the next match and continue through the
:26:02. > :26:05.championships. Congratulations to the Welsh fans on the way they
:26:06. > :26:08.conducted themselves, but Morgan graduation should the team on the
:26:09. > :26:14.way they played last night. It is vital that we make improvements in
:26:15. > :26:20.autism services here in Wales. Last Saturday was autism pride today. In
:26:21. > :26:24.2009 the Government passed a act to improve services in England, as part
:26:25. > :26:28.of our manifesto was to bring forward an act in this Assembly term
:26:29. > :26:31.to seek improvements in Wales so that health was an public bodies
:26:32. > :26:36.would know exactly what commitments they would have to make to the
:26:37. > :26:39.34,000 people who have this diagnosis and battled to get the
:26:40. > :26:43.help and support they require here in Wales. Will you commit to your
:26:44. > :26:46.government is putting forward an act to support autistic services here in
:26:47. > :26:51.Wales, similar to the one in England?
:26:52. > :26:55.It is something we are actively considering. I am not saying we can
:26:56. > :26:59.replicate what happened in Westminster. It needs consideration
:27:00. > :27:02.separately from other legislation. It is something we willing to
:27:03. > :27:08.discuss with other parties in order to ensure that services we have for
:27:09. > :27:14.autism are the best they can be. Thank you for that answer. I would
:27:15. > :27:17.like to to my colleague who has championed the cause around autistic
:27:18. > :27:21.services here in Wales for many years. Once those discussions are
:27:22. > :27:29.going on, and certainly not ruling out the opportunity to bring forward
:27:30. > :27:34.legislation, what... What improvements can we see why those
:27:35. > :27:39.discussions are being undertaken around that legislation framework,
:27:40. > :27:44.because there are 34,000 people in Wales who have a diagnosis that the
:27:45. > :27:49.autistic Society identifies services to support them as patchy here in
:27:50. > :27:52.Wales. What can we expect in the intervening time when we will
:27:53. > :27:56.hopefully find agreement to bring forward legislation to enshrine the
:27:57. > :28:01.rights of people with a diagnosis to expect delivery here in Wales.
:28:02. > :28:07.The first challenges the diagnosis. That can take some time. Because
:28:08. > :28:11.autism exists on a spectrum there are some elements of autism that are
:28:12. > :28:18.not easily diagnosed. The diagnosis is the first step. He has housed the
:28:19. > :28:23.as about those who have been diagnosed with top we have ring
:28:24. > :28:28.fenced mental health spending we need to make sure there are more
:28:29. > :28:35.services available. The demands on Calms has been substantial. We
:28:36. > :28:38.expect a consistent service to support not just those who are
:28:39. > :28:47.diagnosed with autism, but those who care for them as well.
:28:48. > :28:49.You introduced cams into the line of questioning, mental health services
:28:50. > :28:56.for young people in particular have seen a massive increase in
:28:57. > :29:00.referrals, over a since 2010. The waiting times in this particular
:29:01. > :29:04.area are horrendous to say the least with one in eight people who are
:29:05. > :29:10.referred waiting in excess of 40 weeks.
:29:11. > :29:16.The target is 14 weeks. What action will be new Welsh Government be
:29:17. > :29:21.doing to actually tackle these chronic waiting times, that as I've
:29:22. > :29:25.said, have seen one in eight young people waiting in excess of 40 weeks
:29:26. > :29:29.for the help and support they require when in the last financial
:29:30. > :29:36.year, the Welsh Government did cut the money to CAMS by nearly 7%?
:29:37. > :29:42.Well, that is not correct. Money has gone into CAMS. CAMS in some ways
:29:43. > :29:45.was the victim of its success at the beginning. Once it was known that
:29:46. > :29:48.the service was there, GPs were far more able to revert into CAMS and
:29:49. > :29:55.indeed it is right to say that demand did become quite high. We
:29:56. > :29:58.then took steps, of course, to make sure the funding was available to
:29:59. > :30:01.meet that demand and I fully expect to see waiting times to reduce
:30:02. > :30:09.overtime as the money flows through the system. Last night's result
:30:10. > :30:13.shows that small countries can take on much bigger ones in the world and
:30:14. > :30:26.succeed. If they approach a task in the right spirit and I'm sure at
:30:27. > :30:31.that can's gates will be an advantage were ever in the world.
:30:32. > :30:35.But to revert to the question of the opposition, there is no reason why a
:30:36. > :30:39.points -based immigration system as varied in Australia should in any
:30:40. > :30:43.way restrict the number of doctors coming to the UK, but it might
:30:44. > :30:48.enable us to restrict those who don't come for jobs which compete
:30:49. > :30:53.with others, and I wonder if he agrees what Ken McCluskey is
:30:54. > :30:57.reported as having said in the papers today that opening borders to
:30:58. > :31:01.eastern European countries in 2004 has led to a gigantic experiment at
:31:02. > :31:05.the expense of ordinary workers and has led to sustain pressure on
:31:06. > :31:08.living standards, a systematic attempt to hold down wages, and cut
:31:09. > :31:15.the costs of social conditions for working people. At the beginning, he
:31:16. > :31:19.was advocating Wilson dependence on those comments. I am sure he
:31:20. > :31:22.explains his position later. I do not believe that and I will explain
:31:23. > :31:25.why. The reason why people are angry at the moment is because they feel
:31:26. > :31:28.their jobs are unsecured. They remember the days when there were
:31:29. > :31:31.jobs available, when they have long-term contract, whenever
:31:32. > :31:34.pensions at the end and there was strong trade union recognition.
:31:35. > :31:42.Those rights were stripped away consistently over many, many years,
:31:43. > :31:44.what we see now are too many people in jobs where the wages are lower,
:31:45. > :31:47.there is casual contracts, zero-hours contract, and recognition
:31:48. > :31:50.is denied to them. We see that encapsulated in the last few weeks
:31:51. > :31:54.with Mike Ashley. That is the sort of future that we do not want to see
:31:55. > :31:58.on these benches, not by any stretch of the imagination, and that is what
:31:59. > :32:00.drives people's anger, but the reality is that the levels of
:32:01. > :32:05.migration will remain much as they are for the next few years at least
:32:06. > :32:08.whatever happens. It is not a question of migrants causing the
:32:09. > :32:11.problem. It is because the law is not strong enough and trade union
:32:12. > :32:14.recognition is not strong enough to make sure that people have the
:32:15. > :32:17.secure jobs that they need, and I have no doubt that those people who
:32:18. > :32:20.advocate that we should leave the UK are not going to suddenly turn
:32:21. > :32:22.around and say that we should go back to the days when there was
:32:23. > :32:27.strong trade union recognition, when we had higher wages, when we had
:32:28. > :32:30.longer-term contracts and we did not have zero-hours contract, when
:32:31. > :32:34.people had contracts -- pensions at the end of their jobs. I do not see
:32:35. > :32:37.that coming from the League campaign. He seems to be denying
:32:38. > :32:40.that adding a city the size of Cardiff to our national population
:32:41. > :32:43.of you has no effect on wages. I have to say that the Bank of England
:32:44. > :32:48.disagrees with that at any report that was not was at the end of last
:32:49. > :32:53.year, the Bank of England said that a 10% increase in immigration leads
:32:54. > :32:56.to a 2% fall in wages for unskilled and semiskilled people, so although
:32:57. > :33:01.it may be very well for professional classes and people who are not
:33:02. > :33:05.cleaners and gardeners and the like to have unlimited immigration, but
:33:06. > :33:09.for those at the bottom of the income scale, this is very bad news
:33:10. > :33:13.indeed. He should look at his own benches when it comes to employing
:33:14. > :33:16.those people. On the one hand, his party said that you have to stop
:33:17. > :33:20.people coming in. On the other, they are quite happy to employ people
:33:21. > :33:24.when they are here. The reality is that out of a published 3 million in
:33:25. > :33:27.Wales, we're 47,000 people who are nationals of another EU state. It is
:33:28. > :33:30.a very small percentage. Many of those people are in skilled jobs,
:33:31. > :33:36.they their working in medicine and nursing and in dentistry, and I can
:33:37. > :33:39.show him if he likes some of these people in my own constituency and
:33:40. > :33:42.the services that they contribute. The bike is this, if you are a
:33:43. > :33:45.doctor and you wish to take your skills around Europe, you are far
:33:46. > :33:48.more likely to go somewhere where there are no barriers that a country
:33:49. > :33:52.where you have to fill in forms to work. Simple human nature. And the
:33:53. > :33:55.more barriers we put in place to skilled workers, the less likely
:33:56. > :33:58.they are to come here. I think the First Minister had his head in the
:33:59. > :34:05.clouds on that and huge numbers of ex-Labour voters take the same view.
:34:06. > :34:09.It is not just about immigration. Bearing down on the living standards
:34:10. > :34:14.of ordinary people. There are many other ways in which the EU does this
:34:15. > :34:17.as well. The cost of the common agricultural policy, for example,
:34:18. > :34:21.which probably adds up to ?500 per year on the household budgets of
:34:22. > :34:29.ordinary people. ?500 per year for green taxes and other climate change
:34:30. > :34:33.Levy 's and because of the tariffs which the EU imposes upon the import
:34:34. > :34:37.of clothing from other parts of the world, the average amount that
:34:38. > :34:40.people spend on clothing in the average household is but ?150 per
:34:41. > :34:44.year more than it would otherwise be, so in so many ways, the EU is
:34:45. > :34:47.against the interests of ordinary people, those who are the most
:34:48. > :34:51.vulnerable in our society. I wonder if the leader of the Conservatives
:34:52. > :34:57.heard that. So much for his guarantees. He has decided that they
:34:58. > :35:00.want to get rid of the common agricultural policy, which means
:35:01. > :35:03.getting rid of subsidies and allowing in more New Zealand lamb
:35:04. > :35:07.and taking away the protection of our farmers and the subsidies they
:35:08. > :35:11.receive and that is what he means by that. He is not thought it through.
:35:12. > :35:14.He is embarrassed now I'd been on the same side. I am not surprised he
:35:15. > :35:21.is embarrassed about being on the same side as Ukip on this. What he
:35:22. > :35:26.is as proposed is that farmers would lose money, they would not be able
:35:27. > :35:28.to export at a reasonable price to the European market. New Zealand
:35:29. > :35:34.lamb would come in cheaper because there would be no tariffs because of
:35:35. > :35:36.free trade and our farmers would be obliterated. Now we know the truth
:35:37. > :35:39.of what the right are saying, that they want to make sure that our
:35:40. > :35:48.farmers lose the protection that Europe provides. What is the Welsh
:35:49. > :36:00.Government doing to improve the standards of care in health and
:36:01. > :36:05.social services across Wales? We put in robust regulation and inspection
:36:06. > :36:09.regimes which drive service rates. Thank you, First Minister. Following
:36:10. > :36:11.the recent publication of the fundamentals of care survey
:36:12. > :36:15.conducted in all hospitals across Wales, it was revealed that overall
:36:16. > :36:18.patient satisfaction with the NHS remains extremely high. 90% of
:36:19. > :36:24.patients documented that they were made to feel safe and 99% said that
:36:25. > :36:27.they were treated with dignity and respect. These positive findings are
:36:28. > :36:33.welcome news and a testament to the high quality of work at the heart of
:36:34. > :36:37.the Welsh NHS, which is reiterated by the OECD report earlier this
:36:38. > :36:40.year. We'll be First Minister join me in welcoming these results, which
:36:41. > :36:45.demonstrate that Welsh Labour have not wavered in our efforts to
:36:46. > :36:48.construct -- given for the challenges we face and would he
:36:49. > :36:51.agree that it is crucial that the Welsh Government continues to build
:36:52. > :36:56.upon this and remain committed to excellence in care across the Welsh
:36:57. > :37:00.NHS? I fully agree. We do remain committed to excellent high-quality
:37:01. > :37:05.care across Wales and as we said before, the OECD report confirms
:37:06. > :37:07.that no one system across the UK is outperforming another. While there
:37:08. > :37:13.was much to be satisfied with in that report, it is still clear that
:37:14. > :37:17.we cannot be satisfied 100% and we look to health boards to make sure
:37:18. > :37:24.that they fulfil their potential as organisations that can deliver the
:37:25. > :37:28.services that people expect. First Minister, key Ams in the social
:37:29. > :37:31.services and well-being Wales act are integrated, consistency and
:37:32. > :37:36.cooperation in the delivery of services, yet the reality in Wales
:37:37. > :37:42.here is that there are 34% of patients waiting well over six weeks
:37:43. > :37:46.for a transfer home from N -- from an NHS bed and I know from many
:37:47. > :37:50.casework issues arising and indeed from recent personal experience that
:37:51. > :37:55.communication links between the health and social care practitioners
:37:56. > :38:03.is actually very poor and often leads to delays and the lack of
:38:04. > :38:09.probation services would people often return home in vulnerable
:38:10. > :38:13.state. Occupational therapy, district nurse care, is essential,
:38:14. > :38:16.but very rarely available joined up. Through your two-year evaluation now
:38:17. > :38:21.of this act, how will you address these barriers in order to meet the
:38:22. > :38:25.pledges contained within your permit bust act to make it meaningful and
:38:26. > :38:33.relevant to those very people who desperately depend on it? We saw the
:38:34. > :38:36.level at reduced in April and a further 2.64 was reported in May.
:38:37. > :38:42.The number of patients delayed into bed also fell in May, down 7% on the
:38:43. > :38:47.previous month. And the number of patients waiting to leave mental
:38:48. > :38:51.health facilities was decreased by 20%. Provisions in the act of the
:38:52. > :38:54.social services and well-being act will ensure for more collaborative
:38:55. > :38:58.working between health and social services, and I am sure all parties
:38:59. > :39:01.want to see that. Regional partnerships will ensure that fewer
:39:02. > :39:12.and fewer people have to wait longer than they need before they can leave
:39:13. > :39:16.hospital. Thank you. We'll be First Minister make a statement on the
:39:17. > :39:24.Welsh Government's priorities in ensuring enhanced connectivity for
:39:25. > :39:27.railway passengers? We are funding enhancements to that line, which we
:39:28. > :39:31.reopen, which will allow for additional services, improving
:39:32. > :39:35.stations and also bus connectivity. Thank you for that answer. The
:39:36. > :39:42.scheme to be in today's passenger services back to the Emperor Vale
:39:43. > :39:46.railway line between Ebbw Vale and Cardiff has been a resounding
:39:47. > :39:50.success with the public and in great part has been funded by EU
:39:51. > :39:54.structural funding. It would not have happened if it had been left to
:39:55. > :39:57.the Tory cuts that have occurred in Wales. With the First Minister
:39:58. > :40:02.provide an update on how Welsh Government is progressing and
:40:03. > :40:11.facilitating the process with which the communities I represent are
:40:12. > :40:14.served by the Ebbw Vale railway line and ensure critical connectivity for
:40:15. > :40:19.jobs, markets, and community regeneration and would he also
:40:20. > :40:22.comment on the borders of EU funding in such critical infrastructure
:40:23. > :40:26.projects for the future? It is like to say that it would not have been
:40:27. > :40:29.reopened without European funding. There are those who say that the
:40:30. > :40:36.money will be made up penny per penny by Whitehall. I believe that
:40:37. > :40:40.that is cloud cuckoo land, if I am honest. I have spent many years in
:40:41. > :40:44.this Chamber fighting Whitehall for funding, ensuring that we have a
:40:45. > :40:47.proper funding formula and ensuring that the Barnett formula is
:40:48. > :40:51.reviewed, and the results have not been happy ones for Wales. I do not
:40:52. > :40:55.believe for one ms that the money we currently receive from Europe will
:40:56. > :40:59.be transferred to as without a cut being taken by Whitehall. We saw the
:41:00. > :41:03.council tax benefit. We had a devolved but only 90% of the budget
:41:04. > :41:09.was given to us. We know this money will come to Wales and we are
:41:10. > :41:14.investing ?40 million to improve train services and that will allow
:41:15. > :41:18.services to Newport which will be procured at the next phase on the
:41:19. > :41:26.south Wales metal if the European money is met. A crucial development
:41:27. > :41:31.for transport to people across the wider region will be the creation of
:41:32. > :41:34.a full Metro system as part of a wider economic and social policy.
:41:35. > :41:39.But what assurances can be First Minister give to me that at the
:41:40. > :41:43.heart of this approach will be the aim of spreading job creation across
:41:44. > :41:46.the South East region so the communities there become growth
:41:47. > :41:49.areas in their own right, rather than being little more than simply
:41:50. > :41:54.commuter communities for the capital? To me, it works both ways.
:41:55. > :41:57.It is right to say that many thousands of people commit to
:41:58. > :42:01.Cardiff every day. That will continue. But it is also important
:42:02. > :42:05.that we connect communities to bring investment up from the M4 as well,
:42:06. > :42:08.so it works both ways. Not just physical connectivity but broadband
:42:09. > :42:14.as well. Because we know that broadband in the 21st century is the
:42:15. > :42:17.equivalent of railway lines in the 19th century. It is important to
:42:18. > :42:19.ensure that communities are connected, so that it doesn't make a
:42:20. > :42:23.difference if you are a digital business where you are based. To be
:42:24. > :42:27.in Cardiff. You could be in any community around Wales. The two
:42:28. > :42:30.things together. It does mean that people need to access and jobs in
:42:31. > :42:39.Cardiff but also easier to bring investment up from the traditional
:42:40. > :42:42.areas around the M4. First Minister, a businessman claimed recently that
:42:43. > :42:46.traffic problems were having a damaging effect on businesses in
:42:47. > :42:52.Newport. One of the reasons he gave for this increased traffic was the
:42:53. > :42:59.fact that the very line from Newbridge where he lived by Newport.
:43:00. > :43:05.In 2007 and 2008, the promises were made in this Chamber by the then
:43:06. > :43:12.economic minister that prior to this Ryder Cup the activity between
:43:13. > :43:18.Newport and the railway lines and Cardiff will be made and that never
:43:19. > :43:22.happened, so basically continued promises by a Government that the
:43:23. > :43:27.connectivity for the mainline from very line to Newport is bypassed by
:43:28. > :43:31.the coroner. What action can the Welsh Government take now before the
:43:32. > :43:37.Metro project is completed to improve connectivity between his
:43:38. > :43:40.line and Newport? I did see earlier on that the investment we are making
:43:41. > :43:50.will allow services to Newport and we consider that part of the
:43:51. > :43:54.procurement for the next franchise. We'll be First Minister provide an
:43:55. > :43:57.update on any discussions with the UK Government regarding the
:43:58. > :44:00.devolution of taxes? Well, I made it clear that I warmly supported
:44:01. > :44:03.devolution of the tax powers if there is a fair fiscal framework.
:44:04. > :44:07.Discussions are underway and I expect the UK Government to be good
:44:08. > :44:13.to their word and agree a fair and strong funding deal. I'm getting
:44:14. > :44:16.predictable. You anticipated my first supplementary. You mentioned
:44:17. > :44:20.enough to do the last question the challenges which face us in getting
:44:21. > :44:23.funds, adequate funds, from the Treasury, certainly following the
:44:24. > :44:26.devolution of taxes it is going to be crystal but that fiscal framework
:44:27. > :44:30.is in place or that any subscript adoption from the block grant are
:44:31. > :44:33.actually not going to change Wales. Can you update us on your
:44:34. > :44:36.discussions regarding progress towards a fiscal framework? I am
:44:37. > :44:38.made it clear when it comes to the Wales Bill that it is absolutely
:44:39. > :44:41.crucial that the powers should not be devolved without the consent of
:44:42. > :44:44.this Assembly. The reason I say that is that there should be an agreement
:44:45. > :44:47.on the fiscal framework. If it is good enough for Scotland, it is good
:44:48. > :44:51.for Wales and it certainly isn't for Wales to be imposed on with a fiscal
:44:52. > :44:54.framework when there is a genuine discussion and agreement between the
:44:55. > :44:59.Scottish Government and the UK Government. We expect the same to
:45:00. > :45:04.them to be given to Wales. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Of course,
:45:05. > :45:10.it is a huge gamble to try to control a macro economic policy.
:45:11. > :45:15.Welsh income taxes in perfect Westminster and we know they fell by
:45:16. > :45:18.?40 million, none of which was the responsibility of the Welsh
:45:19. > :45:23.Government. Does the Minister agree that we need a mixture of psychical
:45:24. > :45:31.and countercyclical taxes and we needs protection from reduction in
:45:32. > :45:34.taxes caused by Westminster decisions? The member is right and
:45:35. > :45:37.we will have to make sure that this is part of the discussions around
:45:38. > :45:41.the fiscal framework which will need to be agreed with the UK Government.
:45:42. > :45:43.What is essential to my mind is that we have an agreement that will
:45:44. > :45:48.underpin our funding arrangements for the long term and that means of
:45:49. > :45:51.course putting in place the safeguards that the member has
:45:52. > :45:56.rightly raised, particularly when it comes to the partial devolution of
:45:57. > :46:02.income tax or that Wales does not lose it. We want to have a fair
:46:03. > :46:06.system of taxation but not one which undermines the funding system that
:46:07. > :46:09.we have found this far, flawed although it is, the Barnett formula
:46:10. > :46:12.so it is hugely important and indeed is the case that this will form part
:46:13. > :46:22.of the discussions that will be ongoing. Can the First Minister
:46:23. > :46:29.explain the confusion that currently exists regarding the passenger duty
:46:30. > :46:35.on the 9th of June Jim O'Neill on behalf of the tragedy -- Treasury
:46:36. > :46:40.confirmed that the review on the devolution of the duty to Wales was
:46:41. > :46:44.ongoing and then in the next few days took them from the Wales Office
:46:45. > :46:47.and stands up in the House of Commons saying that the decision has
:46:48. > :46:52.been taking not to default. Which is it and does the First Minister feel
:46:53. > :46:57.surprised that the Welsh Conservatives seem to be more
:46:58. > :47:02.willing to listen to an airport in Bristol which is owned by a pension
:47:03. > :47:05.fund than they are to the Parliament of the people of Wales in this
:47:06. > :47:11.place? Well, I cannot disagree with you. We have been arguing for some
:47:12. > :47:15.time that the air passenger tax should be devolved. It has been
:47:16. > :47:23.devolved to Scotland. The review that the member alludes to, that is
:47:24. > :47:33.a review into the airports of England and not Cardiff, to see what
:47:34. > :47:37.the impact would be of devolving air passenger tax to Scotland, so Wales
:47:38. > :47:41.isn't in the equation, really, so there is no sense whatsoever why
:47:42. > :47:45.this should be devolved to Scotland and not to Wales. This is something
:47:46. > :47:49.that he could not agree with because it did not benefit North Wales.
:47:50. > :47:52.Well, there is a benefit to North Wales. There is a benefit to
:47:53. > :47:59.airports such as Arden and Valley where there would be an opportunity
:48:00. > :48:08.to develop the services to ensure that more services coming to those
:48:09. > :48:12.airfields. So it is not up to me to explain the point of view of the UK
:48:13. > :48:15.Government on this, but once again, it is something devolved to Scotland
:48:16. > :48:23.and not to Wales and that in principle is unfair. It was recently
:48:24. > :48:31.estimated that on a stand-alone basis, the Welsh budget deficit
:48:32. > :48:35.would be ?14.6 billion with 25% of GDP, up 100 times greater than
:48:36. > :48:39.estimates of any transfer to and from the EU. The First Minister said
:48:40. > :48:44.he sees Scotland as the model, but does he not share my concern that in
:48:45. > :48:47.the long-term we continue going down the tax devolution route,
:48:48. > :48:52.particularly without a referendum, that that continuing transfer may be
:48:53. > :48:55.put at risk? Well, I did not hear him advocate a referendum in
:48:56. > :48:59.Scotland for the transfer of far greater powers in Scotland, but my
:49:00. > :49:06.view is this. That the UK's tax system needs to be re-examined with,
:49:07. > :49:10.for example, a system where there is a element of the taxation system
:49:11. > :49:14.that provides the means to redistribute money across the UK to
:49:15. > :49:16.where it is needed, while at the same time assuring local
:49:17. > :49:19.accountability. We have it any fashion with council tax and with
:49:20. > :49:22.community councils. It is quite normal in most countries were there
:49:23. > :49:26.to be an element of locally raised income tax. We should not be afraid
:49:27. > :49:30.of that in Wales. But certainly I would not be an advocate of having a
:49:31. > :49:39.fully self-contained taxation system in Wales. I do not think that would
:49:40. > :49:42.be in Wales's financial interest. Will the First Minister make a
:49:43. > :49:46.statement on the latest employment rate in Wales compared to the rest
:49:47. > :49:49.of the UK? Well, the improving implement rate in Wales continues to
:49:50. > :49:53.outperform all other nations in the UK. We are ahead of Scotland,
:49:54. > :49:58.England, Northern Ireland. With the fastest growing rate of implement
:49:59. > :50:02.and the shop is declining rate of unemployment over the last 12
:50:03. > :50:04.months. Well, our record is obviously excellent and colleges
:50:05. > :50:10.like the Cardiff and the Vale College which to provide excellent
:50:11. > :50:14.further education for a range of subjects ensure that people do have
:50:15. > :50:18.the skills they need to get work. What works are we doing to ensure
:50:19. > :50:23.that we are developing the skills that employers are going to need in
:50:24. > :50:26.the future so that we are not having to rely on attracting people from
:50:27. > :50:32.other countries who may be a much broader than us? Well, one example
:50:33. > :50:38.is jobs with Wales. Hugely successful. In terms of young people
:50:39. > :50:42.going on to employment or to further or higher education schemes. And of
:50:43. > :50:48.course a scheme that has helped so many young people get into work and
:50:49. > :50:51.the genesis of that scheme was that we talk to small and medium-sized
:50:52. > :50:54.businesses who said that if they want to take people on, they will
:50:55. > :51:06.have to find the time and money to do it. Many, many young people in
:51:07. > :51:14.I think the fact that Welsh unemployment is now lower than the
:51:15. > :51:20.UK average is an important watershed moment. It has happened a view times
:51:21. > :51:25.over 30 years, but all too rarely. Given that and the fact that the
:51:26. > :51:34.employment rate now is very small, would he accept that when we compare
:51:35. > :51:37.that to overall, I would I has a 30% gap, the underlying problem within
:51:38. > :51:42.the Welsh economy is not jobs per se, it is the quality of jobs. It is
:51:43. > :51:49.about productivity problem that we have. Should we focus our
:51:50. > :51:54.priorities? Wales is now accepting a matter guard. We have a legacy from
:51:55. > :51:59.the 80s and 90s of an economic policy that got rid of well-paid
:52:00. > :52:03.jobs and put in place jobs that were amongst the lowest paid in Western
:52:04. > :52:08.Europe at the time. That is not a policy he or I want to see in the
:52:09. > :52:14.future. We have more investment coming into Wales, companies like
:52:15. > :52:18.Aston Martin, CGI, these are well-paid skilled jobs. The
:52:19. > :52:23.challenge prices to make sure that those skills that employers need in
:52:24. > :52:27.order to prosper in Wales, that is increasingly happening. I expect to
:52:28. > :52:31.see an increase over the course of the next few years given the fact
:52:32. > :52:36.that the quality of the jobs we attracting now, and the money that
:52:37. > :52:41.they pay is in the right direction. We are no longer a Norwegian
:52:42. > :52:47.economy, low skill economy. That is what Wales was presented as is the
:52:48. > :52:54.80s and 90s. Never again. -- low wage economy. We have recently
:52:55. > :53:00.announced nine priority sectors for growth in Wales, five of those
:53:01. > :53:05.sectors have experienced a decline in workforce in the last quarter,
:53:06. > :53:11.canny First Minister outlined the reasons for that?
:53:12. > :53:15.I caution and a member to look as a quarter as being particularly
:53:16. > :53:19.representative. It is better to look at longer term trends. If we look at
:53:20. > :53:23.employment we see a trend that has been in place for more than a year.
:53:24. > :53:29.You can't take a quarter and say that is typical of the economy in
:53:30. > :53:34.terms of the trend. In terms of what we see in Wales we see unemployment
:53:35. > :53:38.lower than Scotland and England, low weather and Northern Ireland. The
:53:39. > :53:42.same is true of youth unemployment. We saw that youth unemployment in
:53:43. > :53:45.Wales is lower than Scotland and Northern Ireland, almost as low as
:53:46. > :53:52.Jersey which is historically unusual for us. That is a sign that the
:53:53. > :53:56.active policy we have pursued to promote Wales around the world to
:53:57. > :53:59.attract investment and jobs is working, although whether that will
:54:00. > :54:05.still be the case after Thursday we must wait and see. Will the first
:54:06. > :54:12.minute and make a statement on the detection given to Welsh workers as
:54:13. > :54:16.a result of our EU membership? Since the mid-19 70s the EU has protected
:54:17. > :54:21.working people. We are all protected by a range of rights relating to
:54:22. > :54:25.health and safety at work, equal opportunities, protection against
:54:26. > :54:28.cremation and, of course, the harmonisation of working conditions
:54:29. > :54:38.across Europe. -- work against discrimination. In 1975 we joined
:54:39. > :54:45.the EU, in 1977 it issued a directive to protect workers which
:54:46. > :54:48.in 1981 became the transfer of undertakings regulations. This has
:54:49. > :54:55.given detection to hundreds of thousands of Welsh workers over
:54:56. > :54:59.several decades and, in fact, when it turned out the Tory government
:55:00. > :55:03.did not properly implement that directive you listen was able to go
:55:04. > :55:06.to the European Court of Justice and actually get an order to give that
:55:07. > :55:13.prompt action to those hundreds of thousands of workers. When it comes
:55:14. > :55:18.to protecting worker's rights would you trust most, the European Union,
:55:19. > :55:24.Michael Gove, Nigel Farage Boris Johnson? Not the last three! These
:55:25. > :55:29.people are of a tradition that demands that they should be greater
:55:30. > :55:34.flexibility, as they see it, in the labour market. That means a disease
:55:35. > :55:37.to sack people, casual as Asian and zero hours contracts will stop I
:55:38. > :55:42.have no faith that they would be there to attract worker's rights.
:55:43. > :55:47.Economists who support the leave campaign say they see the future of
:55:48. > :55:51.the UK as one with almost no rights for working people. Issues for
:55:52. > :55:54.health and safety are not regarded with the same concerns they are now
:55:55. > :55:59.and environmental regulations are mainly discarded. Britain,
:56:00. > :56:03.environmentally, was heavily degraded in the 80s, that is not
:56:04. > :56:09.what we want. We want a working and physical environment that people
:56:10. > :56:13.want to enjoy and respect. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First
:56:14. > :56:17.Minister, who do you believe contributed more to the protection
:56:18. > :56:23.of workers in the UK, was it the trade union and labour movements or
:56:24. > :56:26.was it the EU? Is your government's commitment to remaining in the U and
:56:27. > :56:32.admission that Labour is unlikely to ever form a government in the UK
:56:33. > :56:36.again? I am the head of government here so I fully accept that we can
:56:37. > :56:41.form a government share in Wales and in the UK. It is not an either or.
:56:42. > :56:45.We had been working with colleagues across Europe to ensure that we have
:56:46. > :56:49.common standards across all you'd be in countries. That is the way it
:56:50. > :56:54.should be. There is protection for workers across the EU. One country
:56:55. > :56:59.does not have the advantage over another for lower standards. That
:57:00. > :57:02.must be in everybody's interests. I do not trust the inheritors of
:57:03. > :57:08.Margaret Thatcher to actually protect worker's rights. We need to
:57:09. > :57:15.ask ourselves suicide were these people on during the miners strike,
:57:16. > :57:19.the wrong side! We saw the destruction of communities in Wales.
:57:20. > :57:22.That is what brought many of us into politics to ensure that kind of
:57:23. > :57:31.economic vandalism does not happen again. Thank you, Presiding Officer.
:57:32. > :57:38.Can I ask the First Minister when he will meet with the ministers of the
:57:39. > :57:42.other UK devolved nations? Reimer to be First Minister of Scotland and
:57:43. > :57:45.the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland that the British
:57:46. > :57:49.Irish Council in Glasgow last Friday. It was also attended by the
:57:50. > :57:56.Taoiseach and ministers from the United Kingdom government. And the
:57:57. > :58:01.Crown dependencies. I thank the first reserve for that response, did
:58:02. > :58:03.he have any discussion with them on the referendum on the UK's
:58:04. > :58:08.membership of the European Union, particularly on the questions as to
:58:09. > :58:13.what assurance the other first ministers within the UK, as well as
:58:14. > :58:20.yourself, have been given on what will happen if finding work to
:58:21. > :58:23.disappear from Wales and other devolved nations because of a
:58:24. > :58:31.decision to withdraw from the European Union? Well, I believe that
:58:32. > :58:34.they were two in favour of withdrawal from the European Union,
:58:35. > :58:38.the representative of the United Kingdom as it stands at present and
:58:39. > :58:44.the First Minister of Northern Ireland who has said this in public,
:58:45. > :58:50.the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey were concerned about the impact on
:58:51. > :58:54.them. In the Isle of Man and they have an economic pact with the
:58:55. > :58:58.United Kingdom which means that they are affiliated to the European
:58:59. > :59:02.Union, so it would have a huge impact on them. We would have to
:59:03. > :59:06.discuss what the impact would be after Thursday, if the decision is
:59:07. > :59:10.to withdraw. There are other things we need to discuss internally, with
:59:11. > :59:16.fisheries there are no fisheries that are managed on a UK level. We
:59:17. > :59:20.would all have to have joint discussions and negotiations on who
:59:21. > :59:26.would have access to the waters of Wales, England and Scotland. We
:59:27. > :59:29.would have to discuss together what kind of individual agreements we
:59:30. > :59:33.would have with other jurisdictions. There are a number of things we
:59:34. > :59:39.would have to discuss if that is what happens on Thursday, which will
:59:40. > :59:43.take a great deal of time. There was huge concern not just between
:59:44. > :59:50.ourselves and Ireland and Scotland, but with the Isle of Man, Jersey and
:59:51. > :59:54.Guernsey two. One of the items on the agenda for the British Irish
:59:55. > :59:58.Council meeting was that of support required by councils across Wales,
:59:59. > :00:03.particularly young and older carers reconsidered. Was any progress made
:00:04. > :00:06.on cross governmental agreement? In terms of an approach to providing
:00:07. > :00:12.guaranteed rights to respite for carers, this is something which my
:00:13. > :00:15.party proposed in our manifesto in advance of the Welsh Assembly
:00:16. > :00:16.elections, when you speak to carers there is one thing they are all
:00:17. > :00:29.asking for. A break at times. I understand that that and that is
:00:30. > :00:34.issues we are considering. It is useful to consider what others are
:00:35. > :00:39.doing. It is a kind of mini European Commission. It is a bodywork
:00:40. > :00:46.governments can come together and understand what is being done and
:00:47. > :00:48.what works. We have to see what works in other countries,
:00:49. > :00:53.particularly if they have a similar demographic here two hours and that
:00:54. > :00:57.is what the British and Irish Council does. It is interesting to
:00:58. > :00:59.hear what other people are doing in the different countries.
:01:00. > :01:01.There we are, that was First Minister's Questions.
:01:02. > :01:03.If you want more coverage of the National Assembly you can go
:01:04. > :01:07.online to BBC Wales's Senedd Live page at BBC.co.uk/walespolitics.
:01:08. > :01:09.But that's it for First Minister's Questions.
:01:10. > :01:15.Don't forget for all the latest political news, watch Wales Today
:01:16. > :01:18.later today on BBC One Wales and Newyddion at 9pm on S4C.
:01:19. > :01:20.And don't forget our special programmes covering the result
:01:21. > :01:21.of the EU Referendum on Thursday evening.
:01:22. > :01:45.As for am.pm though, from all of us on the programme, goodbye.
:01:46. > :01:48.Finding out this story matches any pride I had
:01:49. > :01:52.Marking the centenary of the Somme through personal stories
:01:53. > :01:55.brings new focus to what happened there.
:01:56. > :01:58.It puts the human element into war, really.