:00:27. > :00:29.Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of
:00:30. > :00:35.After a short recess last week the countdown is now on
:00:36. > :00:39.to the end of the Assembly term ahead of May's election.
:00:40. > :00:41.But there's still plenty to discuss before then.
:00:42. > :00:45.And according to today's Order Paper we can expect questions
:00:46. > :00:48.on healthy lifestyles, training for doctors and nurses,
:00:49. > :00:52.and support for people living on the Welsh coast.
:00:53. > :00:54.Don't forget you can keep up to date with
:00:55. > :00:57.all the political goings-on in Wales by following us on Twitter.
:00:58. > :01:01.Well, business in the chamber is already underway
:01:02. > :01:11.so let's take a look now at today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:12. > :01:18.Good afternoon. The National Assembly of Wales is in session on
:01:19. > :01:24.the first item is the question as to the First Minister. Questionable one
:01:25. > :01:26.by Mohammad Asif R. What action is the Welsh Government taking to
:01:27. > :01:30.promote healthy lifestyles in South Wales East?
:01:31. > :01:39.We are focused on ensuring a whole of society in approach. We wanted
:01:40. > :01:42.address the wider determinants of health such as good employment,
:01:43. > :01:50.quality housing and cycling poverty. Thank you. This figure was reduced
:01:51. > :01:55.by the Child measurement programme Wales that reveal a quarter of
:01:56. > :02:01.children in South Wales East at all overweight or obese. Blaenau Gwent,
:02:02. > :02:07.Caerphilly and Torfaen would all above the Welsh national average of
:02:08. > :02:12.overweight and obese children starting school. What action with
:02:13. > :02:16.the Welsh give-and-take to reverse these shocking statistics and to
:02:17. > :02:21.promote healthier lifestyle to parents in South Wales East?
:02:22. > :02:25.In 2010 we launch the all Wales obesity pathway which provides
:02:26. > :02:29.national strategic direction by setting out its tiered approach for
:02:30. > :02:31.the prevention and treatment of obesity from community-based
:02:32. > :02:38.prevention and early intervention to surgical services.
:02:39. > :02:43.First Minister, to have a more physically active and healthy Wales
:02:44. > :02:47.we need key organisations to come together and accept their
:02:48. > :02:51.responsibility. Would you join me in welcoming you work taking place in
:02:52. > :02:58.my area where the Aneurin Bevan health board, Newport, Newport City
:02:59. > :03:02.Council, sports bodies and the range of others are meeting to develop
:03:03. > :03:06.joint strategy and policy for a more physically active and healthy
:03:07. > :03:11.population. I thank the member for that question. I welcome the
:03:12. > :03:15.crosscutting work that has been taken forward by those
:03:16. > :03:21.organisations. It isn't a case of one organisation by itself changing
:03:22. > :03:25.people's habit and encourage people to do more exercise. When they come
:03:26. > :03:31.together they can have a much greater effect. Lindsay Whittle.
:03:32. > :03:36.In view of the fact of reports by Public Health Wales stated and they
:03:37. > :03:41.quote, "There is limited impact in programmes that focus on lifestyle
:03:42. > :03:45.behaviour change". How can we justify spending public money on
:03:46. > :03:51.trying to change peoples choices when this approach is clearly
:03:52. > :03:54.failing and many people, not me, regard it as the nanny state
:03:55. > :03:57.interference, and do you believe there should be a greater emphasis
:03:58. > :04:05.on concentrating on children's healthy eating?
:04:06. > :04:09.We need to emphasise that people can acquire good health or can improve
:04:10. > :04:13.their health at any age. The member is try to say with regard to
:04:14. > :04:17.children, it is important children learn good habits young. It is
:04:18. > :04:21.important to ensure people are encouraged to stop smoking, but has
:04:22. > :04:25.an enormous effect on health even later on in their lives. I don't see
:04:26. > :04:29.that as a nanny state, that is something that helps people to ditch
:04:30. > :04:37.a habit that harms their health. Jack Cuthbert.
:04:38. > :04:43.Will be First Minister join with me in applauding the work of Diabetes
:04:44. > :04:47.UK in providing their book. The book is designed to collect real
:04:48. > :04:52.experiences of people with diabetes and the tips they offer about how
:04:53. > :04:55.they are coping with the condition. Clearly, leading a healthy lifestyle
:04:56. > :04:57.is important for someone with diabetes and especially avoiding
:04:58. > :05:04.smoking. Yes, I do agree that Diabetes UK as
:05:05. > :05:09.an extremely valuable partner. We know there is also to help many
:05:10. > :05:14.people come to terms with their condition. We work closely with
:05:15. > :05:19.Diabetes UK. They have a seat on the Bay beaches delivery plan group and
:05:20. > :05:23.we are looking forward to working with them in future.
:05:24. > :05:26.Questionable too. Were the First Minister make a
:05:27. > :05:31.statement on doctor and nurse training at Swansea University. It
:05:32. > :05:35.plays a key role in supporting the NHS in Wales by providing a wide
:05:36. > :05:40.range of programmes. With regard to nurse training places at Swansea, we
:05:41. > :05:44.are now at the highest level we have seen in the course of this
:05:45. > :05:51.government in terms of the nurse training places commission. That
:05:52. > :05:55.figure starts at 331. When the Assembly was created there
:05:56. > :05:59.were no doctors in training in Swansea University. It is something
:06:00. > :06:03.that is comes as the Assembly is here. I'm pleased to note the
:06:04. > :06:06.increase in numbers and they agreed that there is a whole range of other
:06:07. > :06:13.services such as physiotherapists etc, but I don't think I would have
:06:14. > :06:18.got past the Presiding Officer if I'd listed them all. Is this not an
:06:19. > :06:21.example of the Welsh Labour government supporting the Welsh NHS
:06:22. > :06:24.by having more doctors and more nurses?
:06:25. > :06:30.Absolutely. We have more doctors than ever, we are increasing the
:06:31. > :06:41.number of nurse training places. We see with concern what is happening
:06:42. > :06:43.in England. The minister did announce an ?85 million package to
:06:44. > :06:48.support a range of education and training programmes for health care
:06:49. > :06:51.professionals and we know that investing in our workforce is the
:06:52. > :06:57.key to the NHS's sustainability. Suzy Davies.
:06:58. > :07:00.In view of the falling numbers of GPs and the ageing population of
:07:01. > :07:05.GPs, what work is the Welsh Government done to help as a
:07:06. > :07:08.postgraduate students who studied at Swansea to consider general practice
:07:09. > :07:12.as a career path and how would Welsh Government encourage them to take a
:07:13. > :07:18.stake in practices of their own? Should avoid thinking that the only
:07:19. > :07:24.way GPs can practice is by buying into practice. That is in decline.
:07:25. > :07:29.Many more wish to be salaried GPs. They are as valid as those who wish
:07:30. > :07:33.to buy into a practice. What is important is the service that is
:07:34. > :07:37.available to the public. We work closely with the BMA to identify any
:07:38. > :07:42.barriers that may exist to recruitment on GPs. We have 2000
:07:43. > :07:45.more GPs than we did ten years ago. That shows that the investments we
:07:46. > :07:49.did as a government is bearing fruit.
:07:50. > :07:53.Peter Black. The BMA have written to the
:07:54. > :07:56.Immigration Minister to express concern and proposals coming out of
:07:57. > :08:00.the migration advisory committee. They seem to have a devastating
:08:01. > :08:05.impact on the 500 overseas medics who qualify that graduate from
:08:06. > :08:09.medical schools each year because of the changes to visas which are being
:08:10. > :08:15.proposed. Can I ask whether you have carried out in evaluation of the
:08:16. > :08:18.impact on medical schools in Wales and whether you have made
:08:19. > :08:22.representations to the UK Government about them?
:08:23. > :08:28.They will be detrimental. There are some who argue we don't control our
:08:29. > :08:32.borders. Say that the doctors who think they can't stay in Wales in
:08:33. > :08:36.order to offer their skills to the people of Wales. I often hear the
:08:37. > :08:43.argument migrants place a burden on behalf of service, but it is those
:08:44. > :08:46.who staff much of the service. The health service is reliant and
:08:47. > :08:51.grateful for the skills that they bring. Anything that imposes a
:08:52. > :08:55.barrier on those who wish to use their skills for the benefit of the
:08:56. > :09:03.people of Wales is something that we would oppose the stock David lease.
:09:04. > :09:08.?85 million which was announced for health care professionals is
:09:09. > :09:14.welcomed. That includes other professions such as radiographers
:09:15. > :09:18.and physiotherapists. Then you restless the Welsh Government in
:09:19. > :09:23.this complements the work of Swansea University. It is an excellent job
:09:24. > :09:31.in training doctors and paramedics. Will you expand it. It will be
:09:32. > :09:34.looked at in future. It has been pointed out that at one time medical
:09:35. > :09:41.training was centred around Cardiff. They were medical students who spent
:09:42. > :09:45.time in hospitals around Wales but that isn't a training centre such as
:09:46. > :09:49.Swansea. What is important is investing in the workforce to make
:09:50. > :09:52.sure that the people of us have access to the right level of
:09:53. > :09:56.services in future. We moved to questions the party
:09:57. > :10:11.leaders. First this afternoon, Andrew RT Davies.
:10:12. > :10:14.First Minister, at the moment AMD departments and hospitals and the
:10:15. > :10:18.huge pressure the length and breadth of Wales but the length and breadth
:10:19. > :10:22.of the UK. I take that point. Whether it is in West Wales, South
:10:23. > :10:26.Wales or North Wales, people are being advised not to share in
:10:27. > :10:30.hospitals because of the pressure some A department Arendell. What
:10:31. > :10:33.assessment of the government is made of the demands being placed on our
:10:34. > :10:38.dedicated medical workers, the length and breadth of Wales, and has
:10:39. > :10:42.any extra requests come from our health boards to support the
:10:43. > :10:45.day-to-day operations of our district general hospitals so
:10:46. > :10:50.operations will not be cancelled and people will not face undue delays?
:10:51. > :10:53.The level of demand is unprecedented. It can be difficult
:10:54. > :10:58.to assess the level of demand will be over the course of the winter. We
:10:59. > :11:03.see on this occasion incredibly high demand. I am grateful to the
:11:04. > :11:07.dedication of staff in as a Zouma departments for the work they put
:11:08. > :11:11.in. I know as far as Ysbyty Gwynedd is concerned, some of the pressure
:11:12. > :11:14.has come off because these tend things to go open down quickly.
:11:15. > :11:20.There are no requests for extra resources. Our health boards are
:11:21. > :11:26.managing. With regard to not going to A, people should choose well.
:11:27. > :11:32.A is an emergency service. People should see the pharmacist as a
:11:33. > :11:36.first, the nurse, the GP, rather than going straight to A If
:11:37. > :11:42.you've got a genuine emergency, they should go there. We ask people at
:11:43. > :11:45.this time to consider whether A is that best place they should go for
:11:46. > :11:49.treatment. One thing that would be help is the
:11:50. > :11:55.reintroduction of minor injury units. Also, the other point is,
:11:56. > :11:59.these pressures on hospitals could have a dramatic impact on waiting
:12:00. > :12:03.times. Just before the half term recess the new waiting times were
:12:04. > :12:07.out that showed an increase again in waiting times that have doubled on
:12:08. > :12:10.your watch as First Minister. Ultimately, what people want to know
:12:11. > :12:16.is when they will have the operational procedure they have been
:12:17. > :12:19.allocated either hospital? Can you give a commitment that your
:12:20. > :12:24.government is on top of the waiting times that have come as I said,
:12:25. > :12:27.doubled on your watch and show no respite from the spiral upwards that
:12:28. > :12:31.we have seen over the last five years.
:12:32. > :12:34.I disagree with him on that. We have seen waiting times come down. We
:12:35. > :12:41.have allocated resources to do with the issue of waiting times. I have
:12:42. > :12:48.to say, for example, the average weight in cattle 2-mac is two hours
:12:49. > :12:57.and ten minutes. More people have remained in A for more than 20
:12:58. > :13:02.hours. We know in England, the figures originally showed that a few
:13:03. > :13:08.thousand people were in A for more than 12 hours, those figures are now
:13:09. > :13:15.120 4000. We know there are pressures across the whole of the
:13:16. > :13:20.UK. What we are seeing in Wales is waiting times coming down, ambulance
:13:21. > :13:24.response times at improving, the same with cancer waiting times. They
:13:25. > :13:29.are high-level when compared with England. I am confident we will see
:13:30. > :13:36.waiting times continue to drop in future. On cancer waiting times,
:13:37. > :13:41.they are not improving. The more recent waiting times showed a
:13:42. > :13:50.substantial the crease to 78% of referral time when your -- number is
:13:51. > :13:55.90%. Labour government, if elected, would deliver a shorter waiting time
:13:56. > :13:59.within our NHS. That was nearly ten years ago. At a conference this Eiji
:14:00. > :14:08.were talking you are only halfway through your decade of delivery. 15%
:14:09. > :14:11.of the population and on a waiting list in Wales. With your pledges,
:14:12. > :14:16.you haven't committed to protecting the NHS budget. How can anyone have
:14:17. > :14:20.confidence that you will be able to get on top of the waiting time lists
:14:21. > :14:25.that are spiralling out of control and do your leadership which is the
:14:26. > :14:28.day-to-day affect the patients and clinicians the length and breadth of
:14:29. > :14:31.Wales they are not getting the service they need?
:14:32. > :14:37.I have to say to the Leader of the Opposition, we now know that the
:14:38. > :14:42.figures in England have been massaged. BBC Radio 5 found that for
:14:43. > :14:46.any waiting times over 12 hours. We see a record amount of money coming
:14:47. > :14:51.into the NHS in Wales. We spend 1% more per head in Wales on health
:14:52. > :14:58.than England does. 7% more in social care. Only today we are hearing that
:14:59. > :15:01.social care is on the verge of collapse in England. That is not
:15:02. > :15:09.happening in Wales. You cannot divorce the two - one follows the
:15:10. > :15:14.other. Despite the 10% cut we have had from his party in London, we
:15:15. > :15:18.have managed to increase health spending as a percentage, and we
:15:19. > :15:22.have done that despite the cuts that his party have imposed on us. That
:15:23. > :15:26.is a record which we are proud to take to the people of Wales. We now
:15:27. > :15:30.move to the leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood. You said recently in
:15:31. > :15:35.response to the GP recruitment crisis in the north - there will be
:15:36. > :15:40.issues from time to time where a GP decides to stop, but then that
:15:41. > :15:44.service is carried on by salaried GPs. From our point of view, I do
:15:45. > :15:48.not think there is a crisis, you said. Do you accept that this
:15:49. > :15:53.response was dismissive to people's concerns and do you regret not being
:15:54. > :15:56.more sympathetic to patients who were experiencing problems as a
:15:57. > :16:03.result of the GP recruitment crisis in the north? I have to say, I am
:16:04. > :16:07.not aware of patients suffering as a result of the lack of GPs in the
:16:08. > :16:12.north. The question she asked me was, over some practices which have
:16:13. > :16:15.decided not to continue, their services have been covered by
:16:16. > :16:19.salaried GPs. As far as the public is concerned, the service will
:16:20. > :16:24.remain the same. First Minister, that sounds like you are in denial
:16:25. > :16:28.as to the extent of the problem. The secretary of the North Wales Local
:16:29. > :16:33.Medical Committee believes that urgent action is needed for the out
:16:34. > :16:36.of hours service in the north. The vice-chair of the committee has said
:16:37. > :16:42.the situation is at breaking point. Will you now concede that there is a
:16:43. > :16:47.recruitment crisis? And will you agree that patients deserve better?
:16:48. > :16:51.I accept there is a challenge to recruit GPs in some parts of Wales -
:16:52. > :16:55.that much is true. There are various reasons for that, as there are for
:16:56. > :17:02.medicine in general. Nevertheless we do welcome the efforts to identify
:17:03. > :17:07.every barriers which might exist to recruitment. We do have 2000 more
:17:08. > :17:10.GPs in Wales than was the case. That is something we are looking to build
:17:11. > :17:16.on in the future. First Minister, Wales has a few words doctors per
:17:17. > :17:21.head of the population than all but three European entries. You do not
:17:22. > :17:25.seem to be accepting of that fact. Is it acceptable to you, First
:17:26. > :17:28.Minister, that people are lying on the floors of emergency departments
:17:29. > :17:32.waiting to be seen Is it acceptable to you that GPs are withdrawing
:17:33. > :17:39.their contracts? Is it acceptable that all but emergency cases have
:17:40. > :17:41.been turned away from a GP practice? Metellus that you are halfway
:17:42. > :17:48.through a decade of delivery, First Minister, under your stewardship. If
:17:49. > :17:52.you get a chance to see it through, what kind of NHS will we be left
:17:53. > :17:57.with at the end of your tenure? We will be left with a pull NHS where
:17:58. > :18:00.more is spent, more money has been allocated, where more money is going
:18:01. > :18:06.into mental health, substantially more money into child and adolescent
:18:07. > :18:09.elf careful stock we will have a Wales with a new treatment fund for
:18:10. > :18:15.life-threatening illnesses. We will see investment into NHS buildings.
:18:16. > :18:20.We will see further examples, as we have seen in Morriston, of a
:18:21. > :18:26.brand-new front to the building, a fantastic extension of the building,
:18:27. > :18:30.making it much easier for people to go to A, and to see doctors. That
:18:31. > :18:39.is what we will see, good facilities for the people of Wales, paid for
:18:40. > :18:46.without privatisation, delivered three at the point of delivery for
:18:47. > :18:55.our people. -- free at the point of delivery. For the Welsh Liberal
:18:56. > :18:58.Democrats, Kirsty Williams. Last year, following a ministerial
:18:59. > :19:01.resignation and questions raised about the operation of the
:19:02. > :19:06.ministerial cold, you told the Assembly that you would be willing
:19:07. > :19:11.to ponder further potential changes to that code. Could you give us an
:19:12. > :19:15.update on your pondering? I have to say, I have pondered this issue, as
:19:16. > :19:19.she puts it, but I do not see the need for there being some kind of
:19:20. > :19:26.independent adjudication process. That does not exist in London,
:19:27. > :19:29.either. I am sorry your pondering has not come to a more positive
:19:30. > :19:34.conclusion, First Minister. At the same time I said that it is
:19:35. > :19:37.perfectly appropriate for governments to take outside advice,
:19:38. > :19:41.but that advice should be transparent. When I asked you to
:19:42. > :19:45.publish details of meetings with pressure groups and lobbyists, you
:19:46. > :19:50.replied, there are none. It is not our policy to meet with lobbyists.
:19:51. > :19:54.But Freedom of Information requests have revealed that you personally
:19:55. > :19:57.have met with external organisations 144 oh times since May of last year.
:19:58. > :20:04.I assumed you were not just tossing the time of day and drinking tea.
:20:05. > :20:07.Will you commit to creating an accessible register of all meetings
:20:08. > :20:09.between Welsh government ministers and non-governmental organisations
:20:10. > :20:15.to be made available on the Welsh the website? These are not
:20:16. > :20:21.lobbyists, these are businesses and organisations that I have met out
:20:22. > :20:24.and about in Wales. We do not meet with professional lobbying companies
:20:25. > :20:29.or organisations. That is our policy and no such meeting will ever take
:20:30. > :20:33.place. But when you meet these organisations, what ever you decide
:20:34. > :20:36.to define them as, you are not just passing the time of day. No doubt
:20:37. > :20:39.they are taking the opportunity to try and influence the governments
:20:40. > :20:44.thinking, which is perfectly acceptable. I am asking that you
:20:45. > :20:47.make that accessible to the people of Wales, so that they know who you
:20:48. > :20:50.are meeting with and what you are talking about. And I turned to a
:20:51. > :20:55.third measure of transparency here in Wales? Under current rules, the
:20:56. > :21:00.chairs of committees are appointed by party leaders. This is a system
:21:01. > :21:04.of patronage and control so discredited that they do not even do
:21:05. > :21:07.that in Westminster any more. Can you think of a single good reason
:21:08. > :21:11.why these posts should not be elected by the whole of the
:21:12. > :21:18.Assembly, rather than being down to party leaders? And would you support
:21:19. > :21:23.such a change? The committee chairs in my party are not within the gift,
:21:24. > :21:27.they are elected by the entire group, not appointed by Amy. That is
:21:28. > :21:30.how it should be. The last thing which should happen is that party
:21:31. > :21:36.leaders are point committee chairs. It does not happen in my party.
:21:37. > :21:47.There has to be an element of independence when it comes to
:21:48. > :21:53.scrutiny and committees. Order! Sorry... The Leader of the
:21:54. > :21:57.Opposition is most vocal. He of course HAS sacked a committee chair
:21:58. > :22:03.so he would know more about it than I do. I understand within his party,
:22:04. > :22:10.it IS the leader! We do not accept it on these benches. Order! In terms
:22:11. > :22:14.of the suggestion that she made, it is an interesting idea. It is
:22:15. > :22:22.something I think which is worth exploring. Hopefully now move to a
:22:23. > :22:27.quieter session. We have a question from Darren Millar. Will the First
:22:28. > :22:33.Minister make a statement on support for coastal communities in Wales?
:22:34. > :22:37.Yes, our flagship regeneration programme has seen local authorities
:22:38. > :22:40.sharing more than ?100 million of capital funding for regeneration
:22:41. > :22:43.schemes. That has been invested across Wales, including coastal
:22:44. > :22:50.communities, for example 12000000 pounds invested in Colwyn bay and ?7
:22:51. > :22:53.million in Holyhead. You will be aware that tourism is crucially
:22:54. > :22:59.important to the coastal economy, including in my own constituency.
:23:00. > :23:06.But one of the things which may put the tourism industry at risk is the
:23:07. > :23:09.potential move to four weekly in collections in my area, which could
:23:10. > :23:17.see an increase in fly-tipping, bitter and pests. What action will
:23:18. > :23:20.you take to ensure that local authorities are responsible in the
:23:21. > :23:24.way that they manage their waste collection services so that these
:23:25. > :23:30.sorts of unintended consequences do not arise and do not cause a problem
:23:31. > :23:37.for tourism? The borough council must make their decision based on
:23:38. > :23:41.encouraging recycling. We just do not have as many homes in the ground
:23:42. > :23:47.to put rubbish in, as was the case, in Wales. -- Alex in the ground.
:23:48. > :23:59.Also making sure that the rate of collection is robust enough in order
:24:00. > :24:04.to avoid fly-tipping. First Minister, one coastal community in
:24:05. > :24:10.my region which HAS received special support is Fishguard, which two
:24:11. > :24:15.years ago had ?50,000 awarded to it from this governments town centre
:24:16. > :24:21.partnership fund. That money has helped do all sorts of things, to
:24:22. > :24:27.name a few of them, better Wi-Fi, and of course, the Fishguard bay
:24:28. > :24:32.app. Can I ask, will it be the case that this government, or any future
:24:33. > :24:37.government, will assess the value of those projects, so that we can take
:24:38. > :24:42.them to the next stage? Yes, as the member says, the town centre
:24:43. > :24:50.partnership in Fishguard was awarded ?50,000. It has devised and
:24:51. > :24:54.developed its own bespoke actions for the locality. The town centre
:24:55. > :24:58.app has been mentioned. There is the he is festival as well. It is
:24:59. > :25:02.important that we are able to assess the effectiveness of that funding.
:25:03. > :25:10.But it seems that the early evidence in that case is that it has been put
:25:11. > :25:14.to very good use. TRANSLATION: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I would like
:25:15. > :25:20.to turn to the economic viability of coastal communities in Wales as part
:25:21. > :25:26.of a green growth strategy. In his recent report on the potential of
:25:27. > :25:29.the Marine economy in Wales, the Enterprise And Business Committee
:25:30. > :25:32.which I am a member of, or for a clear strategy in this area to
:25:33. > :25:38.include energy initiatives, tourism, environmental tourism, transport and
:25:39. > :25:43.so on. Does the First Minister agree with our impression as a committee
:25:44. > :25:45.that the governments response to developing a green economy has been
:25:46. > :25:51.patchy or fragmented and that there is not adequate evidence of action
:25:52. > :25:56.taken country handsomely as a government, something which is
:25:57. > :26:02.crucial in coastal areas such as my constituency of Anglesey? In looking
:26:03. > :26:07.at Ynys Mon, there is great potential to develop energy, and
:26:08. > :26:10.with new powers which will hopefully come in the Wales bill, it will be
:26:11. > :26:17.easier to develop that potential, such as in Holyhead, particularly
:26:18. > :26:22.with the 7 million which is available to Holyhead and to the
:26:23. > :26:26.island as a whole. We developed the coastal path around the island and
:26:27. > :26:33.we are still continuing to work with the council to develop the economy
:26:34. > :26:40.and tourism in Ynys Mon. May I ask what consideration has been given to
:26:41. > :26:46.the impact in terms of flood problems and the problem that you
:26:47. > :26:57.have just referred to, the Vibrant And Viable Places Scheme? No, if we
:26:58. > :27:02.look at Colwyn bay, and rate deal of work has been done there over the
:27:03. > :27:07.years. I visited a watersports centre twice and that has been an
:27:08. > :27:13.extremely important development for the town itself. And of course we
:27:14. > :27:18.have invested in flood prevention in a number of places throughout Wales.
:27:19. > :27:22.And of course I made a statement some weeks ago about dealing with
:27:23. > :27:33.the situation on the A55, and also at Taliban.
:27:34. > :27:39.-- Tal y Bant. The primary objective of the Welsh government, in England,
:27:40. > :27:44.the rural development programme, is to support the rule of becoming and
:27:45. > :27:50.agriculture in particular. Thank you for that response. The window for
:27:51. > :27:54.applications for the six schemes under the RDP was opened earlier
:27:55. > :27:58.this month. And if all the applications were paid out, we are
:27:59. > :28:02.talking about some 250 successful applications. It was announced that
:28:03. > :28:07.there will be no window for subsequent entry, so that last
:28:08. > :28:11.year's entries will not be able to carry on with their work at that
:28:12. > :28:16.level. All Welsh farmers contributed to go from pillar one to pillar to,
:28:17. > :28:20.but the reality is that a very small proportion is actually going to be
:28:21. > :28:24.able to access that funding. What are you doing to see the
:28:25. > :28:29.transformational change which we want, to ensure that an adequate
:28:30. > :28:34.number of farms do have access to that funding, or otherwise the money
:28:35. > :28:38.will go to far too small a cohort? Well, the minister of course did
:28:39. > :28:45.make a statement a fortnight ago with regards to Brand schemes where
:28:46. > :28:52.the window has opened. ?7 million has been paid out to date with
:28:53. > :28:59.regards to the new scheme. And of course, funding has been committed
:29:00. > :29:02.also to some other groups for future programmes. Of course we want to
:29:03. > :29:13.ensure that the majority of farmers are able to receive support. And of
:29:14. > :29:20.course, the major problem is that we have to ensure that there will be an
:29:21. > :29:21.RDB available in the future. But that is a question for another party
:29:22. > :29:35.in this chamber. The sustainable grant is legible to
:29:36. > :29:38.be funded. In this farming climate it will agree it is difficult for
:29:39. > :29:43.farmers to commit to such difficult investment. There are very few
:29:44. > :29:49.members who have applied as a result of the limited scope. I am aware of
:29:50. > :29:53.the previous answer. How were you going to address the RDB has made
:29:54. > :30:00.more accessible to a greater proportion of farmers? His party
:30:01. > :30:08.leader yesterday his view was there should be less accessibility to this
:30:09. > :30:13.scheme given the fact he is going to vote to leave the EU and wishes to
:30:14. > :30:22.remove ?200 million of support to Welsh farmers. What he... We will
:30:23. > :30:28.await the explanation as to where that many will come from. We can't
:30:29. > :30:32.afford it here. We will continue to support Welsh farming, we will
:30:33. > :30:36.continue to access European funds. Welsh Labour will stand up for Welsh
:30:37. > :30:43.farmers as the Welsh Tories sell them down the river.
:30:44. > :30:48.First Minister, as you have said, the decision by the Leader of the
:30:49. > :30:53.Opposition yesterday to oppose British membership of the European
:30:54. > :30:57.Union reaches the very consensus that has taken place within this
:30:58. > :31:01.chamber over the past 17 years. In that period, the rural development
:31:02. > :31:06.plan, over three consecutive period, has developed -- delivered ?100
:31:07. > :31:12.million of investment into rural communities in Wales. Given the
:31:13. > :31:21.danger of the wild eyed zealots heading the cliffs, would it not be
:31:22. > :31:25.prudent for this Welsh Government to ramp up the conversation with rural
:31:26. > :31:33.communities across Wales so that is a follow understanding of what is at
:31:34. > :31:40.stake in the months to come? I recognise the passion the member has
:31:41. > :31:44.displayed. Welsh farmers will note that one of their own believes their
:31:45. > :31:52.ships they should be put in jeopardy. -- subsidies. The question
:31:53. > :31:56.for his sisters, Welsh farming receives more than ?2 million worth
:31:57. > :32:00.of Dedek subsidy every year, where it is that many going to come from
:32:01. > :32:04.in future? Where this is when to come from? It can't come from Welsh
:32:05. > :32:09.Government, it is too much money for this to be able to afford. Welsh
:32:10. > :32:13.farmers know where they stand at the moment and they will resist being
:32:14. > :32:16.invited to jump off the edge of a cliff hoping there is a net on the
:32:17. > :32:22.other side as they have been invited to do by the leaders of the
:32:23. > :32:26.opposition. I am sure the chamber hasn't changed
:32:27. > :32:30.since last week so it must be the people. Let the Minister answer and
:32:31. > :32:34.other people ask the question. Questionable five.
:32:35. > :32:37.Were the First Minister make a statement on the effectiveness of
:32:38. > :32:42.Welsh Government investment in the upgrading of school buildings.
:32:43. > :32:48.Our 21st-century schools programme will see an investment of ?1.4
:32:49. > :32:58.billion over the five-year period to 2019. 96 projects have been approved
:32:59. > :33:04.within the programme. I'm grateful for your answer. In
:33:05. > :33:12.2006, Rhodri Morgan, your predecessor, stated many of our
:33:13. > :33:17.Welsh schools were trash built. Your funding has reduced from 50% to 30%
:33:18. > :33:22.of that funding. It gives rise to situations that happened in Newport.
:33:23. > :33:28.You will note that the possibility is to have a Welsh medium school on
:33:29. > :33:35.the same site, and yet the NRW have sabotaged that application. Cannot
:33:36. > :33:40.be avoided in future? It is a matter for the Council what
:33:41. > :33:44.happens in terms of planning. Just to be clear, the issue of the
:33:45. > :33:47.refurbishment of that school in the building of a new Welsh medium
:33:48. > :33:51.comprehensive School are not issues of finance. The money is there. This
:33:52. > :33:55.is an issue where a planning application was rejected. They will
:33:56. > :33:59.be a fresh planning application and it is a matter for the Council to
:34:00. > :34:02.decide. But the money is there to refurbish the schools through our
:34:03. > :34:08.programme and there are planning issues that need to be resolved.
:34:09. > :34:13.Torfaen councillors consulting on the flows of Victoria Village and
:34:14. > :34:18.the intake nursery schools as part of the 21st-century schools
:34:19. > :34:21.programme. I've raised concerns throughout the set to the
:34:22. > :34:25.consultation process. I realise you can't comment on individual school
:34:26. > :34:32.closure proposal but in the recent letter to me, the deputy minister
:34:33. > :34:36.indicated the new school closure process will be subject to a review
:34:37. > :34:41.by Welsh Government. Can I ask for your assurances any review will take
:34:42. > :34:44.into account the views of parents and communities, and can I ask you
:34:45. > :34:52.to discuss this with the Minister for education Y Clwb Rygbi I know
:34:53. > :34:58.this is an issue. She has a meeting with the deputy
:34:59. > :35:10.minister I know she will make a case for her constituents.
:35:11. > :35:17.Bid is a risk that one language cohort is set against the other. We
:35:18. > :35:22.see disagreements on the future of English medium schools with the
:35:23. > :35:27.Welsh medium school and Welsh medium schools in places such as
:35:28. > :35:32.Haverfordwest and Brecon and Radnorshire. What is the Welsh
:35:33. > :35:35.Government doing to ensure language choices are recognised in the
:35:36. > :35:41.process of building and creating new schools and given you are not
:35:42. > :35:44.hitting targets nationally to attain your aim of getting children into
:35:45. > :35:49.Welsh media medication, how we going to ensure this scheme does make
:35:50. > :35:58.provision for that? That is a very relevant question.
:35:59. > :36:02.Firstly, what is important is that local education authorities consider
:36:03. > :36:07.the Welsh medium education plans that they have, namely the west, to
:36:08. > :36:12.make sure that they are catering for the demand that exists for Welsh
:36:13. > :36:19.medium education. At one of the problems that, or one of the issues
:36:20. > :36:25.that entails there is less growth than one would wish for in some
:36:26. > :36:31.areas is the distance that people have to travel to get to a Welsh
:36:32. > :36:34.medium school. They will be a new bilingual secondary School in
:36:35. > :36:42.Newport, that'll hopefully assist and we would wish to see more such
:36:43. > :36:46.schools being opened in Powys. But if parents see it is easier to
:36:47. > :36:50.attend a primary and then a secondary school, then be of great
:36:51. > :36:55.help to ensure parents consider Welsh medium education, not just for
:36:56. > :37:04.the primary but throughout the whole life of the child's education. Had
:37:05. > :37:07.the Conservatives won the last election the 20% cut in education
:37:08. > :37:14.they would have imposed would have meant they would be no 21st-century
:37:15. > :37:17.schools programme. It would mean the new ?24 million school in my
:37:18. > :37:21.constituency would not go ahead. The ?43 million schools fought on the
:37:22. > :37:39.level would not go ahead. Cudjoe outline for me, because of
:37:40. > :37:44.the success of this programme, what the government is's plans are in
:37:45. > :37:46.terms of the next phase of false Labour's 21st-century school
:37:47. > :37:50.building programme. We still have a lot of work to do.
:37:51. > :37:54.The member is correct to point to the new schools that have been built
:37:55. > :37:57.in his constituency. We will continue with our programme to make
:37:58. > :37:59.sure we refurbish schools where that refer percent built in his
:38:00. > :38:01.constituency. We will continue with our programme to make sure we
:38:02. > :38:04.refurbish schools with atrophied distances needed. One of the things
:38:05. > :38:08.the opposite did was to slash the budget. Almost nothing is now
:38:09. > :38:14.happening in England. We will not do that to children in Wales. Before
:38:15. > :38:19.the last Assembly election, it was a different leader they have then, he
:38:20. > :38:24.appeared saying they would be a 20% cuts in education. Since the
:38:25. > :38:32.election, the party opposite has said it is 12%. They now say the
:38:33. > :38:36.number is out of date! The whole of Wales will be delighted to know what
:38:37. > :38:41.the scale of the court is that the party opposite, the Conservatives,
:38:42. > :38:47.actually proposes. First Minister, one of the other
:38:48. > :38:54.challenges facing the government is asbestos. Can I ask you there for
:38:55. > :38:56.them it is clear there is a special working group established in England
:38:57. > :39:01.by the Department for Education dealing with this as soon but they
:39:02. > :39:04.have been quite clear in stating that they only have responsibility
:39:05. > :39:08.for England. Can I ask you to bear in mind that's working group
:39:09. > :39:12.includes members of the trade unions and specific experts. Is this go
:39:13. > :39:16.from us to look at a similar arrangement in Wales and would you
:39:17. > :39:19.be willing to look for representation from Wales on the
:39:20. > :39:22.group in London. It is the Hater see which is
:39:23. > :39:32.responsible for the safety of the schools. -- HST. Guidelines have
:39:33. > :39:37.been is stewed to the duty holders of the owners of properties that
:39:38. > :39:43.they know what their duties are. They know what their duties are
:39:44. > :39:51.under the health and safety regulations and action group. It has
:39:52. > :39:56.been established to make sure our guidelines are appropriate for the
:39:57. > :40:03.future and also to review both the policy and the guidelines in Wales.
:40:04. > :40:06.What assessment has the First Minister made of the recent OECD
:40:07. > :40:12.report on the review of health care quality in the UK.
:40:13. > :40:18.This highly respected body fat quality at the heart of the Welsh
:40:19. > :40:29.health system and we prioritise health care.
:40:30. > :40:37.Thank you very much for that. I believe that the OECD report went
:40:38. > :40:40.into the primary care which is developing in my own constituency
:40:41. > :40:45.following the funding model of GP surgeries, finally showing up that
:40:46. > :40:54.when they wanted the event they can retire. The primary care centre that
:40:55. > :40:59.we're going to have two replace two surgeries in the starting is noted
:41:00. > :41:04.within the OECD report does the model to take forward. I know you
:41:05. > :41:09.will agree with me it is time the UK Government looked over this border
:41:10. > :41:18.with envy at the way in which we actively negotiate, and we actually
:41:19. > :41:22.value all and working staff in the NHS. It is time that Cameron
:41:23. > :41:27.conceded to your request that they should apologise profoundly and
:41:28. > :41:32.profusely for the damage they have done to the dedicated hard-working
:41:33. > :41:35.members of our Welsh NHS. Here we have the independent
:41:36. > :41:40.evidence that shows that the claims made by the Prime Minister were
:41:41. > :41:44.fallacious. It is as simple as that. You have heard my request that he
:41:45. > :41:49.should apologise, he hasn't. One thing I can promise the people of
:41:50. > :41:53.Wales is we're not been to import the Tories junior doctors strike
:41:54. > :41:57.into Wales. We will talk to them rather than force contracts onto
:41:58. > :42:03.them. We will get back to the reality
:42:04. > :42:08.shall we. The OECD did not consider waiting times for diagnostic tests
:42:09. > :42:12.and they did not consider either waiting times for treatment. The
:42:13. > :42:16.facts are, First Minister, if you live in Wales who are more likely to
:42:17. > :42:20.be on a waiting list, more likely to wait longer for your tests, wait
:42:21. > :42:24.longer for your diagnostic treatment. It is a disgusting
:42:25. > :42:28.treatment for your record to have. Absolutely shameful. Why is it
:42:29. > :42:33.people wait longer for their heart bypass operations, cataract
:42:34. > :42:40.operations, hernia operations and their hip operations. Up to three
:42:41. > :42:45.times as long. If you live in Wales compared to England. That is
:42:46. > :42:55.unacceptable. That is your record. He always get high pitched when he
:42:56. > :43:00.is desperate. Let me remind him... There is no need to shout in this
:43:01. > :43:06.chamber particularly when you are sitting down. And that includes you
:43:07. > :43:09.Andrew RT Davies. It makes a difference from shouting
:43:10. > :43:13.at each other which we have seen in the last few days.
:43:14. > :43:17.This is what the OECD report said. Quality is the heart of the Welsh
:43:18. > :43:23.health system, the importance of high quality and patient centred
:43:24. > :43:26.care given priority. It is a deeply established and widely shared
:43:27. > :43:30.commitment to the Welsh health system. A clear effort has been made
:43:31. > :43:34.in west to use patient concerns and complains to improve quality of
:43:35. > :43:40.care. Wales is ahead of securely linking individual's health and beta
:43:41. > :43:45.and is using some indicators. The commitment to the values of the NHS
:43:46. > :43:52.in Wales seems strong. A good system of health information is collected
:43:53. > :43:55.in Wales. The interdiction of a three-year planning cycle for the
:43:56. > :44:03.Welsh NHS is a step forward. The creation of primary care clusters
:44:04. > :44:06.can be an important care in Wales. These thousand lives campaign has
:44:07. > :44:12.been a successful way of fostering a culture of quality improvement. The
:44:13. > :44:17.Wales surgical laboratories is an interesting model. I could go on. We
:44:18. > :44:18.spent more on health in West per head than Englanders. That is where
:44:19. > :44:31.the party is desperate. Yes, First Minister, you do spend
:44:32. > :44:36.more perhaps on health in Wales than any other nation. But according to
:44:37. > :44:40.the OECD report, no consistent picture emerges of one of the United
:44:41. > :44:43.Kingdom's four health system is performing better than the others.
:44:44. > :44:48.That is including waiting times as we have said. But clearly in terms
:44:49. > :44:52.of health budgets, size is not everything. Wide as your government
:44:53. > :44:57.by your own logic get a worse return on investment in terms of patient
:44:58. > :45:03.outcomes and experience against money invested in the Health Service
:45:04. > :45:08.than any other part of the UK? If she looks at the report she will see
:45:09. > :45:11.there are areas where Wales does better than the English NHS, and
:45:12. > :45:16.there are areas where the converse is true, where improvement is
:45:17. > :45:20.needed. But what we do know is, when it comes to waiting times, that
:45:21. > :45:25.England is massaging its figures. If you asked me for the evidence, I
:45:26. > :45:29.will say it. BBC Radio 5 found that when it came to waiting times of
:45:30. > :45:35.more than 12 hours, the official figure was a few thousand, the
:45:36. > :45:39.actual figure was 120 4000. Why? Because England counts its walk-in
:45:40. > :45:45.centres in the figures. We do not have them in Wales. The one thing I
:45:46. > :45:49.can promise members in this chamber is, we will never reduce health
:45:50. > :45:55.spend per head in Wales to the levels that they are under the
:45:56. > :46:00.Tories in England. Question seven, Kirsty Williams. Will the First
:46:01. > :46:06.Minister make a statement on education provision in Brecon and
:46:07. > :46:09.Radnorshire? Yes, provision in this area is the responsibility of the
:46:10. > :46:15.local authority, in consultation with the regional consortium. Thank
:46:16. > :46:19.you very much. I'm sure you aware that hundreds, literally hundreds of
:46:20. > :46:28.people, covered outside County Hall this morning in... To protest about
:46:29. > :46:33.the reorganisation of secondary schools in Brecon and Radnorshire.
:46:34. > :46:37.It grieves me to say this, but I think the people of my constituency
:46:38. > :46:44.have lost all confidence in the ability of the Cabinet of Powys
:46:45. > :46:47.county council successfully to plan for the future of education in that
:46:48. > :46:54.part of the county. Their question to me this morning is, what is the
:46:55. > :46:58.Welsh government going to do about it? There is no evidence to suggest
:46:59. > :47:02.that the plans put forward will improve the educational output for
:47:03. > :47:07.the county and for the children, but there is plenty of evidence that the
:47:08. > :47:09.county's proposals are setting community against community, and
:47:10. > :47:13.potentially language against language. Would you agree with me,
:47:14. > :47:18.that is no way to recruit and retain the best teaching staff in the
:47:19. > :47:20.county, and no way to inspire the young people of Brecon and
:47:21. > :47:26.Radnorshire to achieve in their schools? The member represents the
:47:27. > :47:31.case made by her constituents powerfully. She will understand that
:47:32. > :47:33.Welsh ministers cannot comment on individual reorganisation proposals,
:47:34. > :47:37.but it stands to reason that where there are fresh proposals that there
:47:38. > :47:42.should be as much consultation as possible, with the views of the
:47:43. > :47:46.public being taken into account, and decisions based entirely on what is
:47:47. > :47:50.best for children. She has made the point that she is concerned that
:47:51. > :47:52.language is being set against language, community against
:47:53. > :47:56.community. That does concern me greatly and I think it is hugely
:47:57. > :48:01.important that Powys is able to reconcile those issues and provide
:48:02. > :48:02.education which commands the support of parents. It is their decision at
:48:03. > :48:09.the end of the day. There we are - that was
:48:10. > :48:10.First Minister's Questions. If you want more more coverage
:48:11. > :48:15.of the National Assembly, you can go online to BBC
:48:16. > :48:17.Wales's Senedd Live Don't forget for all the latest
:48:18. > :48:28.political news, watch Wales Today later today at 1830
:48:29. > :48:30.on BBC One Wales. As for am.pm, though, from all of us
:48:31. > :48:36.on the programme, goodbye.