:00:19. > :00:23.Welcome to am:pm and the weekly Questions to the First Minister.
:00:24. > :00:25.As ever, they cover a range of topics, including the value
:00:26. > :00:28.of overseas exports, new rental rules for
:00:29. > :00:31.private landlords, and the education curriculum.
:00:32. > :00:36.Don't forget, we're @walespolitics on Twitter, where you can follow
:00:37. > :00:39.all the latest on the Assembly and Welsh politics.
:00:40. > :00:43.For now, it's time to go over to the Siambr for today's questions
:00:44. > :01:00.Order. I call the Welsh Assembly to order. The first item on our agenda
:01:01. > :01:04.is questions to the First Minister. Leanne Wood. Will the First Minister
:01:05. > :01:09.make a statement about the value of overseas exports to the Welsh
:01:10. > :01:14.economy? Increasing the value of exports and the number of exporters
:01:15. > :01:18.in Wales has both been central pillars of our economic strategy for
:01:19. > :01:24.some time. We know that trade is a key driver of economic growth. The
:01:25. > :01:28.Welsh government is organising a subsidised trade mission to Saudi
:01:29. > :01:33.Arabia in March of next year and I'm sure I don't need to remind members
:01:34. > :01:38.that Saudi Arabia is a place where people are executed for crimes such
:01:39. > :01:43.as speaking out against the regime. With the help of UK exports, they
:01:44. > :01:47.are also waging a brutal war against the Yemen, which has claimed the
:01:48. > :01:53.lives of thousands and the blockade of Yemen has caused a humanitarian
:01:54. > :01:58.crisis. Amid all this brutality, is it appropriate to cosy up to Saudi
:01:59. > :02:04.Arabia? Don't you think you should be taking a stand on this? And given
:02:05. > :02:10.the news that arms sold to Saudi Arabia have ended up in the arms of
:02:11. > :02:14.Isis fighters, can you reassure us today that this mission has nothing
:02:15. > :02:21.whatsoever to do with the defence or the arms industry? Trade missions
:02:22. > :02:25.are all encompassing. We do trade with companies whose values we would
:02:26. > :02:28.not share. There are issues within a number of countries around the world
:02:29. > :02:33.where we would prefer it if their systems were more open and close two
:02:34. > :02:37.hours but I believe that through trading with these countries, it is
:02:38. > :02:41.possible to show that there is a way of government that is different and,
:02:42. > :02:46.to my mind, better than the ones that exist in their countries. It is
:02:47. > :02:52.up to them how they govern themselves but we are guided by the
:02:53. > :02:55.Foreign and Commonwealth Office whether it is appropriate to have
:02:56. > :02:59.trade links with countries or not. Wales is a small but passionate
:03:00. > :03:04.country that punches above its weight. I note that the value of
:03:05. > :03:09.exports for Wales for the year up to and including 2016 was ?12.1
:03:10. > :03:15.billion. With export to the European Union accounting for almost 40% of
:03:16. > :03:18.Welsh exports. As a passionate and successful advocate of selling Wales
:03:19. > :03:22.to the world, what future plans has the Welsh government put in place to
:03:23. > :03:27.make sure that Welsh goods and services can continue to be exported
:03:28. > :03:35.to the world? We are expanding our overseas activity for 2016-17 and
:03:36. > :03:37.that will include a balance of traditional markets and seeking new
:03:38. > :03:46.markets and there will be six trade missions that will take place over
:03:47. > :03:49.the next six months. First Minister, the Welsh business barometer from
:03:50. > :03:55.the south Wales chamber of commerce reports that the number of small and
:03:56. > :04:00.medium-sized enterprises are reportedly in growth in export sales
:04:01. > :04:04.and orders has fallen in the third quarter of 2016. My own postbag is
:04:05. > :04:06.growing with small businesses contacting me concerned about the
:04:07. > :04:12.potential increase in their business rates. Will you consider increasing
:04:13. > :04:17.the funding that you have put in place for support with the
:04:18. > :04:21.transition because that would help a lot of small businesses that are
:04:22. > :04:27.very uncertain about how their business rates are going to be after
:04:28. > :04:30.2017? We will be able to give full consideration to that issue once we
:04:31. > :04:34.know what the Chancellor has announced in the Autumn Statement.
:04:35. > :04:41.If he is generous, so can we be. Neil Hamilton. Can I commend the
:04:42. > :04:46.First Minister on his response to the first question today, while
:04:47. > :04:51.agreeing with the Plaid Cymru comments on the attitude of the
:04:52. > :04:54.Saudi Arabian government. Nevertheless, it is vitally
:04:55. > :05:01.important that we improve our trade links with Saudi Arabia. But trade
:05:02. > :05:09.with the rest of the world outside the EU is going to become of growing
:05:10. > :05:17.importance to us as a nation. 40% of our exports go to the EU. It was 60%
:05:18. > :05:21.ten years ago. Would you agree that it is vitally important that we have
:05:22. > :05:27.trade missions to the rest of the world to capitalise on this growing
:05:28. > :05:31.imbalance? We have had missions to the US, the United Arab Emirates,
:05:32. > :05:34.which is a major export market for us, but we must guard against the
:05:35. > :05:38.scenario where we have barriers in place in terms of access to the
:05:39. > :05:43.European market and the American market. I am totally convinced that
:05:44. > :05:48.we will see a free-trade deal with the US that would do anything other
:05:49. > :05:52.than benefit from the US. That's exactly what President-elect Tramp
:05:53. > :05:57.was elected to do. I don't share the optimism that the UK will be in a
:05:58. > :06:02.privileged position with regard to the US. We will continue to run our
:06:03. > :06:07.trade missions, to look at important markets, and to look for new ones.
:06:08. > :06:13.Question two is withdrawn. Question three. Will the First Minister
:06:14. > :06:17.provide an update on the implementation of A Curriculum for
:06:18. > :06:19.Wales, A Curriculum for Life? As set out in A Curriculum for Wales, A
:06:20. > :06:22.Curriculum for Life, the Digital competence framework was made
:06:23. > :06:26.available to schools on September the 1st and the development of the
:06:27. > :06:31.wider curriculum and assessment arrangements is on track to be
:06:32. > :06:39.available from September 20 18th to support learning and teaching from
:06:40. > :06:42.September 20 21. With that in mind, will be First Minister answer how
:06:43. > :06:51.will the Welsh government make sure that every teacher and teaching
:06:52. > :06:57.assistant has an understanding of appropriate workload? Delivery of
:06:58. > :07:01.the reform can only happen if we have such a system and a workforce
:07:02. > :07:05.that embraces inclusive education and work for every learner in every
:07:06. > :07:08.classroom. We will work with the teaching profession to make sure
:07:09. > :07:15.that the right level of support and training is available to them.
:07:16. > :07:18.Darren Millar. One of the features of your government is that very good
:07:19. > :07:21.schools that are delivering the National Curriculum have been
:07:22. > :07:25.closing across the country, particularly in rural parts of
:07:26. > :07:28.Wales. I know there is additional assistance on the way and some
:07:29. > :07:32.changes in the way the local authorities will have to think about
:07:33. > :07:37.their schools in the future but what will you say to people in my
:07:38. > :07:42.constituency that are supporters of a school threatened with closure for
:07:43. > :07:45.the second time? And will you intervene personally to secure the
:07:46. > :07:49.future of that school which has growing numbers of pupils as parents
:07:50. > :07:55.are putting their confidence in the ability of that school to deliver?
:07:56. > :07:59.The member knows full well it is a local authority decision and he
:08:00. > :08:02.should direct his anger towards the local authority. The Welsh
:08:03. > :08:07.government only intervenes under certain circumstances. I wonder if
:08:08. > :08:10.he has made those representations to the local authority. I'm sure his
:08:11. > :08:14.constituents would want to find out. But as the Education Secretary has
:08:15. > :08:18.already announced, we are looking at new models in order to enable
:08:19. > :08:23.schools to deliver better and to stay open in the future, some of
:08:24. > :08:28.them, and I suggest he goes to the local authority and makes
:08:29. > :08:32.suggestions to them. One of the central elements of the reform is
:08:33. > :08:39.the role of the innovative schools but concern is being increasingly
:08:40. > :08:43.expressed that schools are not in that category feel excluded. The
:08:44. > :08:50.teaching union have said that the situation with the new arrangements
:08:51. > :08:54.is a pipe dream and even the educational workforce council has
:08:55. > :08:57.said that we are facing a two T a situation where some feel they are
:08:58. > :09:00.inside the system and others outside. What is your government
:09:01. > :09:03.doing to make sure that everyone feels ownership of the new
:09:04. > :09:08.curriculum to make sure it's delivered in a timely manner? We
:09:09. > :09:13.know that it's vital to make sure we have an effective manner of working
:09:14. > :09:17.with the profession. We are dealing with training, for example, but we
:09:18. > :09:21.don't deal with terms and conditions. We hope to change in
:09:22. > :09:24.future because there is a kind of artificial distinction between
:09:25. > :09:32.teacher training and renew my rating teachers. By doing that, it would be
:09:33. > :09:37.easy for us to get a copy has save package for the profession.
:09:38. > :09:43.Questions now from the party leaders. Welsh Conservatives, Andrew
:09:44. > :09:47.RT Davies. The Circuit of Wales offers a huge potential to
:09:48. > :09:51.regenerate a very poor part of Wales and offer opportunities both in
:09:52. > :09:55.regeneration terms and job prospects for the Blaenau Gwent and South
:09:56. > :10:01.Wales area. In fact the whole of Wales. Transforming the image to a
:10:02. > :10:05.high value destination for tourists and the engineering industry. But
:10:06. > :10:08.sadly the Heads of the Valleys company which is promoting this
:10:09. > :10:14.project has been suffering really bad headlines of late and there has
:10:15. > :10:19.been a slow, slow drip effect of evidence to point that they really
:10:20. > :10:23.are the best partners to actually deliver the project. Do you have
:10:24. > :10:29.confidence in the leadership of the company to deliver the circuit for
:10:30. > :10:32.Wales project? I have to say to the leader of the Welsh Conservatives,
:10:33. > :10:38.it is a member of his party that has provided that drip, drip of
:10:39. > :10:42.criticism. Do we have confidence in the company? That is a matter for
:10:43. > :10:46.them, of course. We have to make sure that we are prudent in terms of
:10:47. > :10:50.public money being made accessible and we have done that to make sure
:10:51. > :10:54.that any project is only financed if there is a fair division of rest
:10:55. > :11:00.between the private and public sectors and that is not the position
:11:01. > :11:05.yet. I notice you didn't say you have confidence, you said there is
:11:06. > :11:10.potential in the project, but FOIA from your government clearly show
:11:11. > :11:14.that civil servants raised concerns with ministers over the plans for
:11:15. > :11:22.the heads of the Valley development Corporation owned by Michael Carrick
:11:23. > :11:26.to pay almost ?1 million in consultancy fees. Effectively paying
:11:27. > :11:31.themselves to advise themselves. That clearly cannot be right,
:11:32. > :11:35.especially if there hasn't been a robust tendering process and when
:11:36. > :11:39.the civil servants themselves, a director-general is offering such a
:11:40. > :11:44.device to ministers. Why would ministers go against that advice and
:11:45. > :11:48.approve such a transaction? It is a member that the minister who was in
:11:49. > :11:52.place at that time is no longer a member of this Assembly. As far as
:11:53. > :11:58.this government is concerned, we will seek to assure, as she did, to
:11:59. > :12:01.make sure there is prudence when access is made to the public purse
:12:02. > :12:06.and that is why we did not release the money for the project to proceed
:12:07. > :12:09.some months ago on the basis that we were not convinced that the project
:12:10. > :12:17.was robust enough in terms of the sharing of risk. But public money
:12:18. > :12:21.has gone to this country, as I have highlighted. ?1 million just on
:12:22. > :12:27.consultancy CBEs, ?9 million in total with bad loans can pay by the
:12:28. > :12:35.Welsh government. We know there is a loss-making at Silverstone, and also
:12:36. > :12:40.purchasing a motorbike company for ?400,000 that has gone bankrupt.
:12:41. > :12:43.Hardly a success story. When the evidence is pointing that civil
:12:44. > :12:47.servants were warning ministers about making this money available
:12:48. > :12:51.and wanting more information, we saw last week that the governors
:12:52. > :12:55.chairman, Lord Kinnock of the company, was lobbying excessively
:12:56. > :12:59.with at least five or six calls to the leader of Blaenau Gwent Council,
:13:00. > :13:03.as well as using House of Lords notepaper to write lessons on to
:13:04. > :13:10.make the point that he wanted to make, that cannot be acceptable. And
:13:11. > :13:23.now I have invoices here, invoices here... And they show that at least
:13:24. > :13:30.?2400 to the Labour Party, and ?960 paid to the Labour Party. Different
:13:31. > :13:34.invoices paid by Michael Carrick to have access to Welsh government
:13:35. > :13:38.ministers, I would suggest. Are you confident there has been the proper
:13:39. > :13:43.transparency and, above all, the assurances when the initial ?9
:13:44. > :13:48.million has been handed over? As I said, this project is of a great
:13:49. > :13:59.opportunity but it is the execution... And the company... And
:14:00. > :14:01.the company that has been brought forward to promote this company
:14:02. > :14:07.clearly has evidence to the contrary.
:14:08. > :14:14.He can't have his cake and eat it. He can't say on one hand this is a
:14:15. > :14:17.good project and on the other hand this project shouldn't have been
:14:18. > :14:22.financed in its initial stages. If he's suggesting that in some way it
:14:23. > :14:26.was possible for the company to sponsor events in order to get the
:14:27. > :14:29.decision that they wanted, they didn't, did they? The whole point
:14:30. > :14:32.was that if it was the case influence could be bored, they would
:14:33. > :14:40.have had the funding for the Circuit of Wales by now but that has not
:14:41. > :14:43.occurred. If you could only see the money that is wasted by his
:14:44. > :14:48.government in Westminster, the amount of money hosed away on NHS
:14:49. > :14:52.reorganisation that don't happen, hosed away on rail privatisation, we
:14:53. > :14:57.could go on. The reality is that we as a government took the view that
:14:58. > :15:01.initial finance, if he listened, he would learn. As a government, we
:15:02. > :15:04.will provide amounts of money for businesses in order to take them to
:15:05. > :15:08.the next stage of business development and a project in terms
:15:09. > :15:12.of development but there comes a point where it is absolutely right
:15:13. > :15:16.to say to any business, we will not finance the project unless you find
:15:17. > :15:21.in a Private backing that will take the project ahead without there
:15:22. > :15:24.being a 100% guaranteed from the public sector. That was something we
:15:25. > :15:26.were not prepared to do and that represents value for money for the
:15:27. > :15:38.taxpayer. Will the First Minister make a
:15:39. > :15:45.statement on the proposed takeover by Severn Trent Water? The concern
:15:46. > :15:50.is that it will reduce consumer choice and will increase prices,
:15:51. > :15:54.which is something that, to my mind, would not be acceptable. I don't
:15:55. > :15:58.believe that people would accept higher prices for their water when
:15:59. > :16:06.they can see the reservoirs in their locality that provide it. There are
:16:07. > :16:13.fears that the company's strong Welsh identity and standing in the
:16:14. > :16:17.country could be lost. There are real concerns amongst the workforce
:16:18. > :16:22.about job security. The fear is that centralisation will lead to fewer
:16:23. > :16:26.local jobs. Can you tell us what contact you have had with the
:16:27. > :16:29.parties involved? I know that the minister is looking at this
:16:30. > :16:34.carefully. She has received representations from constituency
:16:35. > :16:41.members, and concern will be expressed from us as a Government
:16:42. > :16:44.along the lines I mentioned. I'm surprised you can't tell us that you
:16:45. > :16:50.have written a few letters about this, given the concern. This
:16:51. > :16:54.proposed takeover raises serious questions about the future of our
:16:55. > :16:58.national resources. Those resources should be benefiting the people in
:16:59. > :17:02.this country, but they are being bought and sold as we speak. As the
:17:03. > :17:08.First Minister considered what impact this takeover bid could have
:17:09. > :17:11.on the water industry in Wales, bearing in mind the competitive
:17:12. > :17:18.model being pushed in England has been rejected here? And will he join
:17:19. > :17:24.me in making a clear statement today that Welsh water services should be
:17:25. > :17:28.run from Wales, and not from Coventry for a bunch of
:17:29. > :17:33.multinational shareholders? We have been clear that we want to see power
:17:34. > :17:39.was overwater devolved. It was always a matter of great regret to
:17:40. > :17:45.me that the people of Wales did not have control over one of their major
:17:46. > :17:50.national resources. That will change in 2018 and I welcome that, it will
:17:51. > :17:54.give us the opportunity to look at how that resource can be developed
:17:55. > :17:57.as far as the people of Wales are concerned. Until that concession was
:17:58. > :18:01.made by the UK Government, we were still in a position where we did not
:18:02. > :18:06.have control. That, I welcome, and it gives us the opportunity to avoid
:18:07. > :18:17.situations like this occurring in the future. In his evidence to the
:18:18. > :18:19.scrutiny committee last week, the First Minister ask the Chancellor of
:18:20. > :18:23.the Exchequer to do something about energy prices in the Autumn
:18:24. > :18:29.Statement in order to help the steel industry in Wales, something which I
:18:30. > :18:34.support. He pointed out that energy prices in Britain are 46% higher
:18:35. > :18:39.than in some other places in Europe. Does he not agree that one of the
:18:40. > :18:43.principal reasons for that is the 2008 climate change act passed by
:18:44. > :18:46.the then Labour Government of which has committed Britain uniquely in
:18:47. > :18:51.the world to a legally binding obligation of cutting carbon
:18:52. > :18:54.emissions by 80% by 2050, as a result of which we are actually
:18:55. > :19:00.placing a millstone round the next of the people, like British Steel
:19:01. > :19:08.makers, who are placed at a competitive disadvantage with
:19:09. > :19:16.countries like Germany? It is cheaper than in some countries. The
:19:17. > :19:22.amount of renewable energy that feeds into national Grid in Spain is
:19:23. > :19:27.comparable. It is to do with the market in Great Britain and the fact
:19:28. > :19:31.that discounts are not available for energy intensive industries. We have
:19:32. > :19:37.to look at nuclear but we also have to look at harnessing the power of
:19:38. > :19:42.the tide, rather than relying on imported coal, which I know he has
:19:43. > :19:48.suggested in weeks gone by. Germany has been opening new coal-fired
:19:49. > :19:56.power stations, 11 gigawatts in the past five years. The Vice Chancellor
:19:57. > :20:01.of Germany and chairman of the social Democratic party, and also
:20:02. > :20:06.the energy minister, has said that Germany will not be phasing out
:20:07. > :20:10.coal-fired power stations before 2040 as the Government looks for
:20:11. > :20:15.ways to minimise job losses. The German Government is doing what it
:20:16. > :20:21.can to minimise job losses in its coal regions at the expense of
:20:22. > :20:26.British Steel makers. I am going to pause for a minute at the irony of
:20:27. > :20:33.that. In the 1980s, he sat there while thousands upon thousands,
:20:34. > :20:37.30,000 jobs were lost in the mining industry in Wales. Now he says we're
:20:38. > :20:41.not doing enough to protect jobs. The reality is, if we were to have
:20:42. > :20:48.more coal-fired power stations, we would have to import coal. Germany
:20:49. > :20:51.relies heavily on Russia for and given the current state of world
:20:52. > :20:58.affairs, that is an uncomfortable position for Germany to be in. I do
:20:59. > :21:06.not think that in terms of Britain's energy security, importing more coal
:21:07. > :21:09.is the answer. It is the cheapest form of power generation and it
:21:10. > :21:13.doesn't seem to me to be an economically or commercially
:21:14. > :21:17.sensible thing to do. We have another climate change conference in
:21:18. > :21:30.Marrakesh coming up, and there will be a lot of hot air, like last week,
:21:31. > :21:36.where a lot of hot air was expended. Given that countries like China are
:21:37. > :21:39.not planning to reduce their CO2 emissions, in fact they are
:21:40. > :21:44.increasing their capacity, and China proposes to double its coal-fired
:21:45. > :21:51.capacity within 15 years, and India promises to treble its output of CO2
:21:52. > :21:54.emissions, isn't written generally, and Wales in particular, placing
:21:55. > :21:59.itself out a vast competitive disadvantage by forcing up energy
:22:00. > :22:08.prices which are the lifeblood of industries like the steel makers of
:22:09. > :22:15.Wales? Spain is an example of a country where coal is not a major
:22:16. > :22:21.factor in energy production. Collies yesterday -- coal is yesterday's
:22:22. > :22:27.technology. People are not looking to build more coal-fired power
:22:28. > :22:33.station. China has a problem with pollution, and it sees the smog in
:22:34. > :22:45.its major cities. First, we should have more more air pollution, is
:22:46. > :22:50.what he is suggesting. We should import more coal, which is more
:22:51. > :22:54.cost, and less energy security as far as Britain is concerned, which I
:22:55. > :22:59.cannot agree with him on bass and of course, what he is saying, in
:23:00. > :23:05.effect, that we should look to build more coal-fired power stations. Good
:23:06. > :23:09.luck to him on that. If he wants to see people angry and annoyed with
:23:10. > :23:15.her coal-fired power station next them, it's a sure-fire way of doing
:23:16. > :23:21.that, pardon the pun. Tidal energy that is there will always be there
:23:22. > :23:25.as long as the moon is there. It has not been harnessed or developed, but
:23:26. > :23:30.it should be, rather than relying on fossil fuels that need to be
:23:31. > :23:46.imported. It is not a secure energy policy. Has the First Minister
:23:47. > :23:54.considered the potential of the Bridgend Hub? The next phase of
:23:55. > :24:01.metro development will be focused on the Cork Valley lines. I know that
:24:02. > :24:05.funding for the successive phases of the roll-out are more precarious
:24:06. > :24:13.after Brexit, but it does provide some exciting potential here in
:24:14. > :24:16.Bridgend, which is the sixth biggest manufacturing and employment area
:24:17. > :24:23.within the UK. It has potential and if we were to seize -- if we were to
:24:24. > :24:26.-- if we are to seize the potential, we must push the matter up the
:24:27. > :24:33.valleys. If he would come with me and meet with Councillor Hugh
:24:34. > :24:40.Davies, we can sit down and discuss it over a cup of tea. I will pass
:24:41. > :24:44.that message on. Bridgend railway station, like so many others, is not
:24:45. > :24:50.practical for buses. There was a plan to put as is in the car park
:24:51. > :24:55.behind, but the police objected. There is an issue there. We need to
:24:56. > :24:59.look at new alternatives in terms of delivering a proper transport hub.
:25:00. > :25:12.Along the lines of Caerphilly, which was a good example. We need to look
:25:13. > :25:18.at where bus stations and train stations are not close to each other
:25:19. > :25:23.in terms of accessibility. I thank him for his question, but I am a
:25:24. > :25:28.little sceptical about the attention my region has been given in the
:25:29. > :25:33.course of all this. Even that nonspecific third phase we were
:25:34. > :25:45.talking about, there are reports of a fast bus in the future. The people
:25:46. > :25:48.in my region don't see the lines on the map, so what will your
:25:49. > :25:53.Government do that all these -- to make sure that all these projects
:25:54. > :26:04.are developed and work properly for my constituents rather than creating
:26:05. > :26:10.cracks between them? The line coming into the town was built many years
:26:11. > :26:18.ago and is now a dual carriageway road and much of the line is gone,
:26:19. > :26:24.so it would be impractical to reinstate the line. We would have to
:26:25. > :26:29.consider other alternatives for towns like Porthcawl in the future,
:26:30. > :26:33.given that they were cut off in the 1960s. There was a suggestion of a
:26:34. > :26:36.fast but as a possibility, but there are other possibilities for towns
:26:37. > :26:51.that are a distance away from the heavy rail network in the future.
:26:52. > :26:59.First Minister, in order for the South Wales metro to deliver on its
:27:00. > :27:03.stated aims,... Argue as disappointed as I am that the
:27:04. > :27:09.Bridgend interchange will not be completed for another 10-15 years,
:27:10. > :27:15.and will be South Wales metro be able to deliver the interchange
:27:16. > :27:19.sooner than in resins -- than envisaged in the original plan? It
:27:20. > :27:25.depends on the money that we are going to lose - ?125 million - being
:27:26. > :27:31.made up by the UK Government. That will put a hole in the budget.
:27:32. > :27:36.Without that money, it will be far more difficult to advance, to
:27:37. > :27:44.quicken, the project along the lines she has mentioned. Will do the First
:27:45. > :27:49.Minister provide an update on his discussions with local authorities
:27:50. > :27:58.regarding business rate revaluation? The statutory body responsible for
:27:59. > :28:02.carrying out a review published a draft rating in September and
:28:03. > :28:08.ratepayers can check their valuation before it comes into effect in April
:28:09. > :28:11.next year. The impending revaluation continues to be a source of
:28:12. > :28:15.considerable concern for businesses in some parts of Wales, I accept not
:28:16. > :28:24.all, but certainly in my area. Monmouth Chambers of commerce met
:28:25. > :28:30.yesterday, and I have received their e-mail from a business in Chepstow
:28:31. > :28:36.that faces a potential doubling of rates. Can you update us on your
:28:37. > :28:41.discussions with stakeholders and businesses and tell us what you're
:28:42. > :28:46.going to do to allay these concerns? How will you tailor dismiss relief
:28:47. > :28:51.to the needs of those businesses worst affected by the revaluation?
:28:52. > :28:54.The point he makes is fair. We have an ongoing consultation at the
:28:55. > :29:01.moment. The responses to that have come almost entirely from Monmouth.
:29:02. > :29:05.There is an issue there for businesses there. Those who have
:29:06. > :29:09.benefited tend to be silent on these issues. In examining the issues that
:29:10. > :29:12.they have raised, that will help us to put in place a transitional
:29:13. > :29:22.scheme that will be as effective as possible for those places. The
:29:23. > :29:27.effect has been most marked there. We want to make sure that by
:29:28. > :29:34.listening to businesses that we can get the right scheme in place for
:29:35. > :29:37.the transitional phase. The First Minister will know that I have
:29:38. > :29:43.raised other cases with him from North Wales, when I asked him about
:29:44. > :29:48.the effect of the revaluations there. It is clear that a number of
:29:49. > :29:55.businesses throughout Wales are facing extreme increases in their
:29:56. > :29:59.liability as a result of the revaluation, so would he look again
:30:00. > :30:05.at the level of transitional relief that is provided and whether more
:30:06. > :30:08.can be done there? We are in an odd position of the revaluation
:30:09. > :30:13.happening and then I year later, there will be a more fundamental
:30:14. > :30:19.reform of the business rate scheme as a result of that -- of the
:30:20. > :30:23.business rate scheme. As a result of that, would it be worth looking at
:30:24. > :30:30.the relief again? I will do that as part of the consultation. There will
:30:31. > :30:34.be businesses who have seen a significant increase in business
:30:35. > :30:40.rates. Others have seen the exact opposite. It is revenue neutral in
:30:41. > :30:45.its intention, but the scheme is designed to be brought in as soon as
:30:46. > :30:49.is possible after the consultation has taken place, in order to provide
:30:50. > :30:50.help on a transitional basis. Then we will look at what the scheme
:30:51. > :31:01.looks like. Question six. What progress is the
:31:02. > :31:04.Welsh government making in improving survival rates for cancer? Cancer
:31:05. > :31:14.survival rates to continue to improve. Five-year survival has
:31:15. > :31:18.reached 50%. We will continue this improvement through the Cancer plan
:31:19. > :31:23.which was published this month. Last week Vikki Howells and myself had
:31:24. > :31:28.the great privilege to tour the laboratories of Cancer research
:31:29. > :31:30.Wales. We were able to witness the internationally renowned
:31:31. > :31:33.ground-breaking work which is taking place in Wales to increase
:31:34. > :31:37.scientific understanding of how cancer attacks the immune system.
:31:38. > :31:41.May I welcome warmly the Welsh government's revised cancer delivery
:31:42. > :31:45.plan which has just been launched. All of us can applaud the fact that
:31:46. > :31:54.patient satisfaction remains positive. Investment on spending has
:31:55. > :32:00.risen from ?347 million in 2011-12. What can the Welsh government do
:32:01. > :32:04.going forward to equip the scientists at Cancer research Wales
:32:05. > :32:09.with the tools they need to improve survival rates by improving early
:32:10. > :32:14.detection of cancer? We are investing ?4.5 million of funding
:32:15. > :32:18.over three years at the centre which was launched in October last year.
:32:19. > :32:22.And ?4.7 million is invested annually in support of recruiting
:32:23. > :32:31.patients to trials or studies and supporting health board research
:32:32. > :32:38.efforts. It is well known that survival rates of cancer are lower
:32:39. > :32:45.for those who receive diagnosis through A departments in
:32:46. > :32:49.hospitals. It is also known that there is some inequality in terms of
:32:50. > :32:55.who is likely to get a diagnosis in an A Department and at the less
:32:56. > :32:59.wealthy are more likely to go through that process rather than
:33:00. > :33:03.going through alternative processes and going to see their GP and so on.
:33:04. > :33:07.Would the First Minister agree with me that the government could look at
:33:08. > :33:12.introducing walk-in centres so that people who do have symptoms that
:33:13. > :33:16.they may have had for some time can actually go and get a checkup
:33:17. > :33:24.without going through the GP process in full? The problem is, I believe,
:33:25. > :33:33.with various cancers, is that they just present when one goes to an A
:33:34. > :33:37.Department because of the fact that systems -- symptoms aren't serious
:33:38. > :33:42.or become serious until you have to go to A With pancreatic cancer,
:33:43. > :33:46.once they get the diagnosis when they go into A, because it is so
:33:47. > :33:50.difficult to give a diagnosis for that kind of cancer. Others might
:33:51. > :33:55.feel some pain and they do nothing about it and we know that others
:33:56. > :33:58.have to go in and have immediate treatment. We have been working with
:33:59. > :34:03.the doctors to make sure that GPs can move people through the system
:34:04. > :34:11.so that they can have a cancer diagnosis as soon as. And we see
:34:12. > :34:16.that the vast majority of people to go through the system and get a
:34:17. > :34:20.diagnosis as soon as is. First Minister, the key to improving
:34:21. > :34:23.cancer survival rates is early diagnosis. It is therefore usually
:34:24. > :34:34.welcomed that the new cancer delivery plan for Wales is piloting
:34:35. > :34:39.diagnostic centres. However, the delivery plan states that improving
:34:40. > :34:45.access to diagnostics is an enormous challenge. What actions are you
:34:46. > :34:49.taking to address the shortage is in equipment and staff in pathology,
:34:50. > :34:54.radiography and oncology, identified in the delivery plan? We are
:34:55. > :34:58.investing nearly ?10 million in a new linear accelerator so that
:34:59. > :35:01.agents have access to the latest radiotherapy techniques and our
:35:02. > :35:07.centres perform well in terms of the rate of intensively modulated
:35:08. > :35:11.radiotherapy. We are committed to a new ?200 million Felindre Cancer
:35:12. > :35:14.centre through the transforming cancer services programme. We will
:35:15. > :35:19.revolutionise the way cancer services are delivered in the
:35:20. > :35:23.south-east of Wales. We are providing funding for contamination
:35:24. > :35:28.services in endoscopy services. All these things taken together will
:35:29. > :35:34.continue to improve the outlook for so many cancer patients, to help
:35:35. > :35:40.those living with cancer to use the correct terminology. Mark Reckless.
:35:41. > :35:44.When did the First Minister first call for the abolition of tolls on
:35:45. > :35:51.the seven bridges? It was in the manifesto in May. I can send you a
:35:52. > :35:56.copy if you want. I have read your manifesto. My previous quote was, we
:35:57. > :36:02.couldn't abolish the tolls, but any money raised can be applied to the
:36:03. > :36:07.M4. I dreaded the First Minister for the position he now adopts. I raise
:36:08. > :36:11.the issue that the UK's own powers to levy tolls under the seven
:36:12. > :36:18.bridges at ends -- expire after a certain amount of money has been
:36:19. > :36:22.raised. On a half tall, those powers wouldn't take it beyond 2019. Will
:36:23. > :36:27.the First Minister commit to exploiting his government's and this
:36:28. > :36:34.Assembly's powers to the maximum possible extent to avoid turning
:36:35. > :36:38.thereafter. I should have known you would have read the manifesto of
:36:39. > :36:41.course. I will reiterate what I said in committee, that is something that
:36:42. > :36:50.needs to be examined carefully. Mohammad Asghar. At a recent meeting
:36:51. > :36:54.of the Welsh affairs committee, Andrew Jones said in comes from the
:36:55. > :36:59.tolls of the Severn Bridge will not be used as a profit-making exercise.
:37:00. > :37:03.Once they return to public ownership. Given that the bridges
:37:04. > :37:11.generate more than ?90 million a year in revenue but cost only ?14
:37:12. > :37:15.million to maintain them, will the First Minister join me in welcoming
:37:16. > :37:19.this indication of a significant cut in tolls in the near future in
:37:20. > :37:24.Wales? I would prefer it if we controlled the tolls ourselves. They
:37:25. > :37:28.are in Wales after all. The problem is that I have seen so many
:37:29. > :37:33.different figures for the maintenance of both bridges, they
:37:34. > :37:37.range from ?20 million up to ?100 million. I think the issue is what
:37:38. > :37:41.the condition of the original bridge is. I think it is important there is
:37:42. > :37:45.a proper survey so it is understood what the liabilities that surround
:37:46. > :37:49.those bridges are and what the maintenance costs are likely to be
:37:50. > :37:52.going forward. Then we will have a better idea of what many needs to be
:37:53. > :38:00.funded in order for the tolls to be abolished. Rhianon Passmore. Last
:38:01. > :38:04.week the Cabinet Secretary for economy and infrastructure met the
:38:05. > :38:07.UK Tory government Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and told
:38:08. > :38:11.him in no uncertain terms that the tolls should be scrapped and if the
:38:12. > :38:15.UK Government was not prepared to do that it should not make a profit but
:38:16. > :38:19.simply charge the actual cost of maintenance. Maybe the member for
:38:20. > :38:24.South Wales East, Mark Reckless, could place in the Assembly library
:38:25. > :38:27.his contribution when he raged against his Tory government
:38:28. > :38:32.exploitation of the Welsh economy by refusing to scrap or minimise the
:38:33. > :38:35.tolls. Will the First Minister state how the Welsh government can
:38:36. > :38:38.continue to stand up for the people of Wales in the face of UK Tory
:38:39. > :38:44.government that is literally profiteering at our expense? We did
:38:45. > :38:47.suggest that we should take over the running of the bridge is subject to
:38:48. > :38:52.a proper survey and a proper understanding of the maintenance of
:38:53. > :38:55.those bridges. That was rejected. At the time we were told that the tolls
:38:56. > :39:00.would remain because they provided a source of income for spending on
:39:01. > :39:04.roads in England. Not a penny was going to come to Wales at that
:39:05. > :39:08.point. I think it's worth emphasising that as we look at the
:39:09. > :39:11.tolls, if we move to a situation with the tolls are abolished or if
:39:12. > :39:16.the UK Government looks at each Olin, that would cause traffic to
:39:17. > :39:20.arrive more quickly at the Brynglas Tunnels and add to congestion there.
:39:21. > :39:24.So the issue of the bridges needs to consider carefully because the
:39:25. > :39:31.impact of toll reduction has on traffic arriving then in Newport.
:39:32. > :39:36.Question eight, Adam Price. What consideration has the First Minister
:39:37. > :39:41.given to the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales having the
:39:42. > :39:46.function of an infrastructure bank? Well, we are currently out of
:39:47. > :39:49.consultation on establishing a commission to advise on longer-term
:39:50. > :39:54.strategic infrastructure needs to support a more stable investment
:39:55. > :40:01.framework for the future. The body as proposed would not have lending
:40:02. > :40:06.functions but, of course, a development bank will be developed
:40:07. > :40:13.so that more financial support will be available to businesses. Already
:40:14. > :40:19.this month, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has
:40:20. > :40:23.announced the establishment of an infrastructure bank for Canada. The
:40:24. > :40:27.former Canadian Prime Minister has called for the same for Australia.
:40:28. > :40:33.Hillary Clinton had campaigned in favour of an infrastructure bank and
:40:34. > :40:36.although Trump had opposed that, the President-elect has said he wishes
:40:37. > :40:41.to create an infrastructure bank for the United States. Isn't it time for
:40:42. > :40:44.us in Wales to take this opportunity, particularly as we are
:40:45. > :40:50.about to lose the only infrastructure we have in Wales,
:40:51. > :40:55.which is the EIB. It's not clear we are going to lose the EIB. We have
:40:56. > :41:01.been in discussions with the EIB and there is no reason why people out
:41:02. > :41:06.with the European Union can't receive funding, but in that case
:41:07. > :41:11.there will be less money available to the bank itself and so that is
:41:12. > :41:14.what the position is at present. We want to make sure that the
:41:15. > :41:19.development bank will be able to support businesses but at the
:41:20. > :41:23.present time the work of the commission is being developed. I am
:41:24. > :41:26.not in favour of a totally independent body, some kind of
:41:27. > :41:30.quango. We want to make sure the commission is a body that can
:41:31. > :41:47.develop and plan ahead for the best infrastructure for Wales for the
:41:48. > :41:51.future. Mark Isherwood. If, as you just indicated, the evolution of
:41:52. > :41:55.Finance Wales into a development bank might incorporate some
:41:56. > :41:58.investment or infrastructure bank functions, how will you ensure that
:41:59. > :42:04.it complies with the sustainable development principle implemented by
:42:05. > :42:06.the well-being and future generations act, given that we
:42:07. > :42:11.understand from evidence to committee that it would be bound by
:42:12. > :42:16.a bank of England requirements or EU rules on capital requirements,
:42:17. > :42:23.requiring risk sensitive and enhanced risk management? We expect
:42:24. > :42:28.all public bodies to add her to the principles of the well-being and
:42:29. > :42:32.future generations act and its seven goals. With regard to the progress
:42:33. > :42:35.of the development bank, that progress is going well. In order to
:42:36. > :42:39.which even the correct certifications so that the bank can
:42:40. > :42:47.operate, and we are confident it is on time. Question nine, Dawn Bowden.
:42:48. > :42:50.Will the First Minister make a statement on the prospects for
:42:51. > :42:53.economic growth in the South Wales valleys? We are delivering a range
:42:54. > :42:58.of actions to deliver strong prospects for the valleys. That
:42:59. > :43:01.includes a digital and transport infrastructure and we continue to
:43:02. > :43:08.tailor our approach in response to the outcome of the valleys task
:43:09. > :43:13.force. Thank you. I recently met with the Bevan foundation to discuss
:43:14. > :43:17.ideas and strategies for economic regeneration in my constituency and
:43:18. > :43:21.part of those discussions focused on the Cardiff capital region and the
:43:22. > :43:25.Metro. The capital region will undoubtedly bring significant
:43:26. > :43:28.benefits to the South Wales area but there is a danger that areas like
:43:29. > :43:34.Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney may not benefit because of its distance from
:43:35. > :43:38.Cardiff. In reality, Cardiff in itself cannot provide enough jobs
:43:39. > :43:43.for the needs of the valleys areas. Given that within 20 minutes of
:43:44. > :43:55.Merthyr Tydfil there is a population base of around 175,000, it is a key
:43:56. > :44:00.transport in this -- transport spot... Does the First Minister
:44:01. > :44:05.agree that Merthyr Tydfil is ideally placed to be a growth head for the
:44:06. > :44:08.Southeast valleys to act as a counterbalance to Cardiff and that
:44:09. > :44:13.this should be considered as an integral part of the government's
:44:14. > :44:18.economic strategy? Yes, Merthyr is in a good place in terms of
:44:19. > :44:22.transport. The Metro will benefit it greatly, the dualling of the Heads
:44:23. > :44:26.of the Valleys. The town centre has seen huge amounts of European
:44:27. > :44:29.funding to get to a position where it is far more attractive for
:44:30. > :44:33.businesses and the businesses who have come to the developments
:44:34. > :44:38.outside the town have, lamented the town centre, it seems to me. We see
:44:39. > :44:41.jobs coming to move the many years ago. The Welsh Governance Centre an
:44:42. > :44:46.office in Merthyr, General Dynamics, these are signs to me that Merthyr
:44:47. > :44:52.has a great future and great potential to act as an engine to
:44:53. > :44:55.drive the economy not just in the town but in the surrounding towns
:44:56. > :45:01.and villages as well. Question ten, Simon Thomas. Will the First
:45:02. > :45:09.Minister made a statement on the shortage of GPs in Wales? General
:45:10. > :45:14.practitioners in primary care remain critical to the success of the NHS
:45:15. > :45:17.in Wales. We continue to respond to the challenges for GPs and of course
:45:18. > :45:26.we have our campaign to market Wales as an attractive place for doctors
:45:27. > :45:31.careers. Well, First Minister, the shortage is critical in some areas.
:45:32. > :45:37.Not across areas but in certain areas such as Pembrokeshire there is
:45:38. > :45:39.a grave shortage of GPs. There is a recruitment campaign on going, I
:45:40. > :45:44.accept that, but in the meantime what are you doing to make sure that
:45:45. > :45:51.primary care is available to all in areas such as Southern Pembrokeshire
:45:52. > :45:52.by using pharmacies and using nurse practitioners and alternative
:45:53. > :46:08.methods of employing GPs directly? Well, the member is talking about
:46:09. > :46:14.Choose Well, which is a system where patients go to see the pharmacist
:46:15. > :46:19.first is. Only after that would they go to the GP surgeries, which would
:46:20. > :46:25.take the pressure off them. Where GP surgeries are closing down, the
:46:26. > :46:34.services then disseminated, but there is a question for the
:46:35. > :46:40.profession because more and more young GPs want to be salaried and
:46:41. > :46:47.not have to buy into a surgery. STUDIO: Pretty feisty exchanges this
:46:48. > :46:51.afternoon between Mr Jones and the leader of the Welsh Conservatives.
:46:52. > :46:54.Mr Davies suggested the Welsh Government hasn't done enough on the
:46:55. > :47:02.company behind the heads of the valleys race track. Mr Jones said
:47:03. > :47:06.the Government has done enough work and that is why the company has not
:47:07. > :47:11.got all the public money had asked for. Mr Jones and Mr Hamilton
:47:12. > :47:15.continue what has become their weekly trip down memory lane,
:47:16. > :47:23.talking about the coal industry. Continuing questions over the
:47:24. > :47:26.ownership of and the tolls on the Severn bridges. That was First
:47:27. > :47:30.Minister's Questions this afternoon. If you want more coverage...
:47:31. > :47:32.If you want more coverage of the National Assembly,
:47:33. > :47:34.you can go online to our webpage at bbc.co.uk/walespolitics.
:47:35. > :47:36.Don't forget, for all the latest political news, watch Wales Today
:47:37. > :47:39.later today at six-thirty on BBC One Wales, and
:47:40. > :47:43.If you want more Welsh politics this week, you can join Huw Edwards
:47:44. > :47:47.with The Wales Report after the Ten O'Clock News
:47:48. > :47:51.As for today, though, from all of us on the programme, goodbye.