:00:25. > :00:31.Good afternoon, welcome once again to the weekly coverage of questions
:00:32. > :00:35.to the First Minister and according to the order paper, Carwyn Jones
:00:36. > :00:39.will be asked about promoting the Welsh language, boosting tourism and
:00:40. > :00:45.supporting small businesses. You can get the latest from the Senedd by
:00:46. > :00:49.following us on Twitter. Business in the chamber is under way. We can
:00:50. > :01:00.take a look at today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:01. > :01:04.TRANSLATION: Order, I call the National Assembly to order and the
:01:05. > :01:12.first item is questions to the First Minister and the first question,
:01:13. > :01:16.Leanne Wood. With would he make a statement on the Welsh language? We
:01:17. > :01:23.will promote and normalise the components of the draft strategy.
:01:24. > :01:32.You declared support for the goal of doubling the number of Welsh
:01:33. > :01:37.speakers but can you inform us exactly how you intend to meet that
:01:38. > :01:42.commitment, what are your targets and timescales for ensuring we are
:01:43. > :01:47.making progress towards that goal? For example, when can we expect to
:01:48. > :01:50.hit the milestone of seeing three quarters of a million Welsh
:01:51. > :01:57.speakers? I would be grateful if you could give us a date for that.
:01:58. > :02:03.Bearing in mind the strategy is out to consultation, it contains
:02:04. > :02:07.proposals. One area hugely important is to ensure the education
:02:08. > :02:12.authorities have proper Welsh education strategic plans. We have
:02:13. > :02:20.made it clear to them we will reject any plan that is not sufficiently
:02:21. > :02:25.ambitious. TRANSLATION: You said in the past it is important we ensure
:02:26. > :02:28.the Welsh language is a living language in our community and
:02:29. > :02:32.therefore it is important to encourage people to use the language
:02:33. > :02:36.in all parts of their lives, including using the Welsh language
:02:37. > :02:42.online. The Welsh language commissioners made it clear back in
:02:43. > :02:47.the summer that there is potential for technology to facilitate
:02:48. > :02:52.relocation through the medium of Welsh because English tends to be
:02:53. > :02:56.the medium used online. Under these circumstances, can you tell us how
:02:57. > :03:05.your government will promote the use of the Welsh language online? There
:03:06. > :03:10.are a number of things. It is part of a strategy in terms of looking at
:03:11. > :03:13.ways and means of supporting and promoting the language in the
:03:14. > :03:19.digital sphere and it is important to change the behaviours of young
:03:20. > :03:24.people and we have been funding certain projects over the past years
:03:25. > :03:30.so they can develop apps and so want to ensure young people see the
:03:31. > :03:35.language is a digital language. Rather than thinking English is the
:03:36. > :03:52.only language they can use on social media. Given this commitment to 1
:03:53. > :03:56.million Welsh speakers by 2050, that it is best achieved by immersing the
:03:57. > :04:04.children in a second language early, what arrangements have been
:04:05. > :04:13.implemented to bring Welsh language into early classrooms? It is hugely
:04:14. > :04:17.important that a proper pathway is identified by local authorities to
:04:18. > :04:29.enable access to Welsh as a language to be learned or indeed talked
:04:30. > :04:36.through Wales. Was the government's priority is to increase the number
:04:37. > :04:44.of tourists in Wales -- what is? It sets out priorities for developing
:04:45. > :04:49.Wales tourism at home and overseas. Today is world tourism day and it is
:04:50. > :04:56.important we highlight what is on offer in our country to visitors. My
:04:57. > :05:00.constituency possesses world-famous attractions like the whiskey
:05:01. > :05:09.distillery and unique events like the road races that commemorate the
:05:10. > :05:18.memory. How does the government ensure that similar events are
:05:19. > :05:23.highlighted in this strategy. And how is the Welsh Government engaging
:05:24. > :05:27.with partners to ensure attractions are accessible to all possible
:05:28. > :05:32.visitors? The visit Wales website lists a wide range of events
:05:33. > :05:41.throughout Wales including in the valleys and the annual road race is
:05:42. > :05:46.in the main annual tourism brochure. She asks about accessibility. The
:05:47. > :05:50.website includes a filter for the provision of disabled visitors to
:05:51. > :05:54.allow visitors to search attractions that cater for those with
:05:55. > :06:00.disabilities and that is based on details provided by the attractions
:06:01. > :06:12.themselves. Exact facilities can be confirmed by visitors at the booking
:06:13. > :06:16.stage. Every day you pass the dilapidated train station and the
:06:17. > :06:21.magnificent facade of the building opposite the Wales millennium
:06:22. > :06:25.centre. Do you not realise how embarrassing it is for Wales those
:06:26. > :06:30.buildings of the first things many tourists see when visiting Cardiff
:06:31. > :06:34.Bay? A Westminster government would not allow such eyesores literally
:06:35. > :06:39.within a stone 's throw of the UK Parliament. What will you do about
:06:40. > :06:44.the eyesores in Cardiff Bay? I do not know what he did as deputy
:06:45. > :06:51.leader of Cardiff because the council does have a responsibility,
:06:52. > :06:54.not for the railway station but for Central Square, now being developed
:06:55. > :06:59.by a Labour lead counsel. The city has a proper gateway. He raises an
:07:00. > :07:04.important point about the station and Network Rail have plans for the
:07:05. > :07:06.station and we have urged them to develop them, keeping the character
:07:07. > :07:14.of the station while modernising facilities. Visit Scotland spends
:07:15. > :07:22.over 50 million on promoting Scotland. Visit Wales, 8.3 million
:07:23. > :07:26.Wales as a whole but none of that is spent specifically on promoting mid
:07:27. > :07:32.Wales as a specific destination to visit. We have the coastal path,
:07:33. > :07:39.beautiful market towns, fantastic scenery in mid Wales. Is it good
:07:40. > :07:45.enough that we do not promote mid Wales as a specific destination? He
:07:46. > :07:50.makes a strong case with the area he represents. We look to promote all
:07:51. > :07:58.areas, including areas traditionally not seen as those that attract
:07:59. > :08:04.tourists. The expenditure by staying visitors in 2015 was overheard ?2.3
:08:05. > :08:10.billion, well above the target we have set in place. Tourism is a
:08:11. > :08:14.major employer, as well, and we will continue to look to increase the
:08:15. > :08:18.number of visitors day and overnight to all parts of Wales so that those
:08:19. > :08:26.who do not have the good fortune of living here can enjoy what we have
:08:27. > :08:40.to of -- to offer. I welcome a successful summer -- of tourism for
:08:41. > :08:44.Wales. Can you give assurances this investment will continue to be built
:08:45. > :08:50.on so we can continue to grow our crucial visitor economy in Wales? In
:08:51. > :08:55.response to the point made earlier, we want to encourage tourism to all
:08:56. > :08:59.parts, not just areas traditionally that have most attracted tourists
:09:00. > :09:06.and we can look to provide investment to improve those
:09:07. > :09:11.facilities in the years to come. First Minister, many businesses in
:09:12. > :09:15.North Wales depend on tourism and have long been disadvantaged in
:09:16. > :09:21.North Wales partly due to the failure to adequately advertise
:09:22. > :09:25.local attractions on the A55 and it is a problem. Visitors get on the
:09:26. > :09:36.55, stop at the destination and have no idea of attractions not
:09:37. > :09:40.signposted off the 55. An opportunity is being missed. Can you
:09:41. > :09:45.explain what you will do to address the problem? Working with local
:09:46. > :09:50.authorities we can investigate the provision of more brown signs. It is
:09:51. > :09:55.right that we are working on ensuring we have more capture of the
:09:56. > :09:59.visitors travelling along the 55 52 islands, many of whom have said to
:10:00. > :10:05.me, we travelled to Ireland that way but did not stop on the way. When it
:10:06. > :10:12.comes to international tourists, figures continue to go up and many
:10:13. > :10:17.of them will visit and travel to North Wales in order to get there.
:10:18. > :10:20.We believe working with the local authorities we can provide
:10:21. > :10:26.information digitally and in terms of signposting. TRANSLATION:
:10:27. > :10:33.Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the
:10:34. > :10:37.Conservatives. Very often at First Minister's Questions you talk about
:10:38. > :10:42.what the UK Government is doing and I would like to focus on what you've
:10:43. > :10:47.think would be the best outcome from Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. Do you
:10:48. > :10:51.think the interests of the UK would be served by having Jeremy Corbyn as
:10:52. > :10:58.the next Prime Minister? Yes. It is nice to see you will play your part
:10:59. > :11:03.in the demise of the Labour Party as having him as Prime Minister. By
:11:04. > :11:08.having a Prime Minister who delivers for Wales, it is vital to have the
:11:09. > :11:15.person in number 10. You also went to conference. Please, in silence,
:11:16. > :11:23.without any attempt by ministers to help the First Minister. He needs
:11:24. > :11:27.all the help he can get! You went to the Labour Party conference and
:11:28. > :11:31.launched a strategy, the healthy child Wells programme, which we
:11:32. > :11:37.support because when you look at the indices around child health, they
:11:38. > :11:42.are reporting in Wales. Most major indices have not moved since 2007 in
:11:43. > :11:46.Wales. Can you tell us how the government will take the strategy
:11:47. > :11:53.forward and what budget lines you have agreed? There was a statement
:11:54. > :11:58.but not a lot in it. What budget lines are agreed to take this policy
:11:59. > :12:03.forward and how many extra community nurses will be there by 2021. We
:12:04. > :12:07.know the number of community nurses are declining in Wells. It will be
:12:08. > :12:15.examined when the budget is produced. As part of the promises
:12:16. > :12:24.made to the people of Wales, we ensure to continue the situation
:12:25. > :12:29.where this inequality is close. We have seen that it has risen in Wales
:12:30. > :12:37.and we will do what we can to combat that. If he wants to play a greater
:12:38. > :12:45.role, mentioning the party conference, he can apply, but I
:12:46. > :12:51.cannot guarantee his application will be accepted. We are into the
:12:52. > :12:57.trilogy stage. We have the sequel in 2015. The other point raised by
:12:58. > :13:02.David Melding, on government policy, because we did not have an answer to
:13:03. > :13:06.my second question, so clearly there is no budget line identified or a
:13:07. > :13:11.development of the strategy, is on housing. In the programme for
:13:12. > :13:18.government you identified you wanted to bring 20,000 social housing units
:13:19. > :13:21.forward by 2021, but it had no answers to the current housing
:13:22. > :13:28.crisis of new starts in the market where we saw a 7% decline in new
:13:29. > :13:36.starts in Wales last year. How is your government going to deliver on
:13:37. > :13:39.social housing targets and how will it generate more activity in the
:13:40. > :13:44.overall housing market so by 2021 we can hit the target of 12,000 units,
:13:45. > :13:48.rather than the 8000 of the moment. He mentions the budget and that will
:13:49. > :13:55.be part of the budget when published. We have the target of
:13:56. > :13:59.20,000. The minister, it will be explained how it will be achieved.
:14:00. > :14:04.We have achieved targets in the past. He talks of a trilogy, the
:14:05. > :14:07.second part was the defeat and backward peddling of the
:14:08. > :14:19.Conservative Party in elections in May. In the government's document
:14:20. > :14:23.taking Wales forward, the section on health service, we are committed to
:14:24. > :14:27.helping improve health and well-being, but as the First
:14:28. > :14:34.Minister knows, a lot of parts of Wales, that is just an aspiration
:14:35. > :14:42.and in Gwyneth, in one area, the record is the opposite -- Gwynedd.
:14:43. > :14:47.In one county council there is a community hub Hospital in everyone
:14:48. > :14:55.except one. We have lost hospital beds, close to the X-Ray service and
:14:56. > :15:00.close the minor injuries unit. Other services, branch surgeries. The GP
:15:01. > :15:08.practice that should have four full-time doctors only has one and a
:15:09. > :15:10.variety of locums. They have not got a National Health Service but a
:15:11. > :15:25.notional health service. We have been investing in the health
:15:26. > :15:32.service. Keeping old buildings going is not feasible. Winning modern
:15:33. > :15:42.buildings and that's what we want to offer. The health centre will only
:15:43. > :15:52.be open for ten hours a day which is unacceptable. We need to make sure
:15:53. > :16:02.services are provided as close to patients's homes as possible. For
:16:03. > :16:08.older people and those on low incomes who had to travel, it means
:16:09. > :16:22.that the NHS is not available to them when they need it. It's said
:16:23. > :16:26.that local services were first on the agreement of local people. Will
:16:27. > :16:34.he encourage his colleague to intervene? It seems you are making a
:16:35. > :16:40.case for a District General Hospital. We note that travelling
:16:41. > :16:47.means that some people have to go further than possible, but that
:16:48. > :16:57.means they get a better service. The promise of investment into health
:16:58. > :17:01.services will mean that more people can stay at home, get the support
:17:02. > :17:06.they need at home without having to go into hospital. The litany of
:17:07. > :17:14.closures I have read out has shown it is merely an aspiration, what the
:17:15. > :17:30.First Minister has just said. People in this area are being discriminated
:17:31. > :17:34.against. Will he encourage the Cabinet secretary to meet a
:17:35. > :17:41.delegation in order that we can argue the toss on the claims of this
:17:42. > :17:46.important area to better treatment as part of the government's overall
:17:47. > :17:54.objective stated in its document last week. He needs to talk to
:17:55. > :18:02.people in the area. On the side there is a brand-new health
:18:03. > :18:06.facility. Port Talbot has a brand-new hospital. We are providing
:18:07. > :18:12.the facilities that people need for the future and importantly
:18:13. > :18:18.facilities that shape the health service for the 21st-century. It
:18:19. > :18:26.will ensure that people can stay at home rather than in hospital. First
:18:27. > :18:30.Minister, how many children are waiting for more than four months
:18:31. > :18:36.for a first appointment with child as adolescent mental health
:18:37. > :18:41.services? We have invested heavily in the service. Demand outstripped
:18:42. > :18:46.supply, that much is true. That is why we matched it with the extra
:18:47. > :18:52.investment. It means the numbers waiting and the times have gone
:18:53. > :18:58.down. First Minister, I asked you for a figure and the exact number
:18:59. > :19:03.you were looking for is 1174 children who are waiting for four
:19:04. > :19:06.months and it is not true to say that the figure has gone down
:19:07. > :19:12.because the figure has almost trebled in the three years since
:19:13. > :19:17.2013. We all know that investment in early years is crucial for positive
:19:18. > :19:21.outcomes in education and health and in particular in preventing some of
:19:22. > :19:25.the problems that can arise later in life. Developments in neuroscience
:19:26. > :19:31.shows the early teenage years can be just as crucial for a person's
:19:32. > :19:35.development as the early years. I visited my old school last Friday
:19:36. > :19:42.and I was told that the rates of self harm are going through the roof
:19:43. > :19:47.I don't think for one minute that is an isolated case. Depression,
:19:48. > :19:51.anxiety and self harm had become too common amongst a generation that
:19:52. > :19:56.have many worries about things like zero hour contracts, massive student
:19:57. > :20:00.debt and endless austerity. Those young people are not covered by the
:20:01. > :20:05.interventions that are available for children under seven years old. The
:20:06. > :20:09.things that can go wrong in the teenage years can cause problems for
:20:10. > :20:14.life and I saw that only too well in my formal role as a probation
:20:15. > :20:17.officer. First Minister, will you establish a programme for preteens
:20:18. > :20:23.and teenagers to go alongside your healthy child programme? And would
:20:24. > :20:29.you be prepared to look at what role mindfulness could play in such a
:20:30. > :20:35.programme? Mindfulness was mentioned in the manifesto. When we talk about
:20:36. > :20:41.the health of a child up to seven years old, that must also include
:20:42. > :20:44.mental health as well. That is something that will be taken into
:20:45. > :20:52.consideration when developing a programme. She is right, we do see
:20:53. > :20:59.instances where young people to find themselves under a great deal of
:21:00. > :21:09.stress. Cyber bullying is one area that she or I did not have to cope
:21:10. > :21:11.with, but it is a real issue and there are councillors in secondary
:21:12. > :21:19.schools to help young people and make sure resources are there. I
:21:20. > :21:24.expect the waiting times to go down as the resources work through the
:21:25. > :21:30.system. First Minister, your government's record in helping young
:21:31. > :21:37.people with mental health problems is appalling. The mortality rate for
:21:38. > :21:41.teenagers between 15 and 19 years old is higher in Wales than it is in
:21:42. > :21:46.England and there has been no reduction in deaths from intentional
:21:47. > :21:52.injury from that age group between ten and 18 years old in three
:21:53. > :21:55.decades. A national case audit of children's death has suggested that
:21:56. > :22:00.many young people who died from suicide had not had any contact at
:22:01. > :22:03.all with mental health services and for those who had, there were
:22:04. > :22:08.problems with services failing to follow up on patients who did not
:22:09. > :22:11.turn up for the first appointment. He once admitted that your
:22:12. > :22:17.government took its eye off the ball when it came to education. We now
:22:18. > :22:24.accept that your government has taken its eye off the ball regarding
:22:25. > :22:28.young people's mental health? Would you accept it is a crisis and after
:22:29. > :22:35.17 years of leading the government here in Wales, what do you intend to
:22:36. > :22:53.do about this? I have had experience of this, so have my constituents. We
:22:54. > :22:57.had journalists arriving, trying to question children outside the
:22:58. > :23:01.college. Those youngsters who took the lives did not know each other,
:23:02. > :23:07.despite what was suggested by the press. To come to the point she was
:23:08. > :23:13.making, many of them had no contact with mental health services. What
:23:14. > :23:17.happened was a surprise to their families. They had had no warning,
:23:18. > :23:25.and in some ways that is the greatest tragedy of all. We have
:23:26. > :23:29.young people who are not known to the system and have not identify
:23:30. > :23:41.themselves to the system. Money has been put into CALMS. We have
:23:42. > :23:46.provided more resources so that more people, young people can be
:23:47. > :23:50.identified. We have counselling services in school so that young
:23:51. > :23:56.people can talk to people early on. That takes is well beyond what used
:23:57. > :24:01.to be the case. What assessment has the First Minister made of the role
:24:02. > :24:07.of Allied health and social care professionals in delivering Welsh
:24:08. > :24:15.government priorities are providing health and well-being throughout
:24:16. > :24:19.life? The work in the community and primary care and deliver
:24:20. > :24:29.preventative care. It's difficult to measure. They also help to deal with
:24:30. > :24:41.admission avoided so more people don't have to go into hospital. My
:24:42. > :24:52.wife is a radiographer and she has cold hands, so I warn people in
:24:53. > :25:03.advance! In Wales 50% of people in the country will be over the age of
:25:04. > :25:09.60 by 20 27. The increase in co-morbidity presents problems and
:25:10. > :25:14.is documented for everyone to see. We need determination to deliver the
:25:15. > :25:18.strategy and align the workforce primary care, where we can keep
:25:19. > :25:27.people in a well-being service and not a rescue service. Can he
:25:28. > :25:37.congratulate my wife and those who work in Allied health services? They
:25:38. > :25:42.have a huge role to play and they deserve our thanks. I will
:25:43. > :25:52.congratulate the member for Aberavon. The challenge that faces
:25:53. > :25:58.us in the future is as people get older, many of those people will be
:25:59. > :26:01.fitter when they are older, but inevitably people get a number of
:26:02. > :26:05.small conditions that put together make it difficult for them to live
:26:06. > :26:11.their lives. It's ever someone to have one serious condition, it's a
:26:12. > :26:18.combination of different things. Early recognition is untimely
:26:19. > :26:26.intervention will mean things that with earlier on. Support for chronic
:26:27. > :26:29.conditions as well so that people with chronic conditions don't have
:26:30. > :26:38.to continually go into hospital to deal with a particular flair of a
:26:39. > :26:41.chronic condition. What they do in terms of multi-agency and
:26:42. > :26:46.multidisciplinary teams to help the individual, we know in the future
:26:47. > :26:49.there will be more pressure as people live longer. Something to be
:26:50. > :26:54.welcomed, but there is still a frailty of the human body that we
:26:55. > :27:07.can't legislate for and more people will need help. Thank you. Over the
:27:08. > :27:16.past few weeks I visited to pharmacies in my constituency.
:27:17. > :27:21.Pharmacies of course play a crucial role in the wider provision of
:27:22. > :27:26.primary care and I would certainly want to see that provision expended.
:27:27. > :27:30.Does the First Minister agree with me that we need to do away with some
:27:31. > :27:35.of the barriers that prevent pharmacies from playing the full
:27:36. > :27:44.role, including actually putting aside the ban on advertising some of
:27:45. > :27:51.the services? For example, flu jabs and services in terms of smoking
:27:52. > :27:56.prevention and so on? Well, yes, that's right. That will be part of
:27:57. > :28:02.the public health bill and it is important that any nonsensical
:28:03. > :28:08.obstacles are done away with. But we know of course that pharmacies play
:28:09. > :28:11.a vitally important role in ensuring people receive advice without having
:28:12. > :28:17.to go to see the GPs and we would wish to extend the services
:28:18. > :28:23.available from pharmacies ultimately, bearing in mind that
:28:24. > :28:25.more and more of these pharmacies the lee-macro pharmacists have
:28:26. > :28:37.received clinical training so that they can work in that area. I
:28:38. > :28:45.admired the work that our health care professionals undertake.
:28:46. > :28:58.Doctors working with such professionals has proved positive,
:28:59. > :29:03.especially where they have positions on the boards. What could you do to
:29:04. > :29:06.embed this role, given the ever-changing nature of health care
:29:07. > :29:14.provision and woody review or undertake to discuss with your
:29:15. > :29:20.colleagues the review of the CTP training so that we can better
:29:21. > :29:25.prepare for the next generation? We would expect local health boards to
:29:26. > :29:28.see what works in other health boards and then use that best
:29:29. > :29:32.practice and apply that best practice in their own areas and
:29:33. > :29:35.where there is evidence of the practice working well, we would want
:29:36. > :29:42.them to look at it and see if it is appropriate in their own area and to
:29:43. > :29:46.implement that. When it comes to CTP, many professions are governed
:29:47. > :29:52.by professional bodies that are themselves not devolved and have
:29:53. > :29:56.their own requirements. If that is an issue it is something the
:29:57. > :30:02.minister might be able to look at in order to see how the position of the
:30:03. > :30:08.directors you have referred to can be strengthened in the future.
:30:09. > :30:15.TRANSLATION: Will he set out the next stage of the Welsh double's
:30:16. > :30:21.small business rate scheme. We are extending the scheme and then we
:30:22. > :30:27.will develop a permanent scheme available in April 20 18. The Welsh
:30:28. > :30:30.Government's decision to stick with these listings scheme has not
:30:31. > :30:35.received the reception you might have liked in your constituency.
:30:36. > :30:39.Trays are vocal in criticism of the highest business rates in my region
:30:40. > :30:47.and perverse rates to keep shops empty. They are not happen with one
:30:48. > :30:53.council in ignoring traders on how to increase footfall. Some believe
:30:54. > :30:59.the labour rate relief scheme would be different from business as usual,
:31:00. > :31:04.so what can you say about making the current scheme permanent and
:31:05. > :31:08.tapering rates to 15,000? My own town, there are three groups of
:31:09. > :31:15.traders who do not agree with each other and that is a weakness in the
:31:16. > :31:18.town faces. She mentions empty premises, the biggest problem with
:31:19. > :31:23.those in Bridgend is the intransigence of landlords who will
:31:24. > :31:28.not, only offering rent at ridiculous rates. I have heard
:31:29. > :31:33.examples of businesses who have said they are only offered leases of ten
:31:34. > :31:38.years with rents of up to 25,000 a year, which is ridiculous. Some of
:31:39. > :31:43.the landlords in Bridgend need to understand the way of 40 years ago
:31:44. > :31:48.is no longer right. She asks about not adopting Conservative policy.
:31:49. > :31:55.Over 70,000 businesses at more than 70% receive support and over half of
:31:56. > :32:03.eligible businesses pay no rates. In England, only one third pay no
:32:04. > :32:05.rates. The scheme in Wales is more generous than the penny-pinching
:32:06. > :32:11.scheme implemented by the Conservatives in England. I have
:32:12. > :32:15.been contacted by constituents who expressed concern over the level of
:32:16. > :32:20.business rates that is putting a strain on their finances. As they
:32:21. > :32:25.fall outside the threshold for small business rate relief, they have to
:32:26. > :32:29.pay the full business rates, irrespective of the affordability.
:32:30. > :32:36.Unless these small business owners find cheaper premises, properties,
:32:37. > :32:41.they are stuck with huge rates bills. What plan does the government
:32:42. > :32:46.have to raise the rate relief threshold and ensure rate relief has
:32:47. > :32:52.an affordability consideration? We have put ?98 million into the
:32:53. > :32:55.scheme. There is bound to be a threshold unfortunately for those
:32:56. > :32:59.who are as they would see it at the wrong side of the threshold. What we
:33:00. > :33:03.cannot do is introduce a system where everybody gets business rate
:33:04. > :33:09.relief and nobody pays business rates. Businesses have to make
:33:10. > :33:17.decisions as to the size of premises to understand what is affordable for
:33:18. > :33:23.them. TRANSLATION: What support is the Welsh Government providing to
:33:24. > :33:35.the University health board following a decision on targeted
:33:36. > :33:39.intervention. We are working closely with the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg
:33:40. > :33:44.University health board and on what assistance it requires. Thanks.
:33:45. > :33:50.Further to that, may I ask you confident that you have the capacity
:33:51. > :33:54.within your departments in the Assembly to provide the necessary
:33:55. > :33:58.support to this health board in Swansea, given that other health
:33:59. > :34:09.boards are also under special measures? Only one health board is
:34:10. > :34:13.under special measures. We are most confident about the way in which
:34:14. > :34:22.this one seems to be turning itself around and so the target status of
:34:23. > :34:32.the other boards will avoid any situation to ensure they do not go
:34:33. > :34:44.in the same direction. First Minister, it is under this because
:34:45. > :34:49.of concerns about care. This about diagnostic services. Will you
:34:50. > :34:52.congratulate them and staff in particular who have seen weaknesses
:34:53. > :34:57.come down and we have seen diagnostics getting better there.
:34:58. > :35:05.There was a reduction of 78% in July of people waiting for one of the
:35:06. > :35:14.specified test compared to 2015. The health boards integrated performance
:35:15. > :35:19.report of 2014 states that the health board continues to experience
:35:20. > :35:23.challenges in the delivery of urgent suspected cancer referral target in
:35:24. > :35:29.particular. Reaching 80% of the target rather than 95% the
:35:30. > :35:33.government looked for. Notwithstanding the point made,
:35:34. > :35:38.being those issues were reported two years ago, what support digit give
:35:39. > :35:42.them at that time? What is different about the support given now and if
:35:43. > :35:50.it was needed two years ago, why was it not given then? If you look at
:35:51. > :35:56.the figures. Performance for cancer. More people are starting treatment
:35:57. > :36:03.within the target time. The same thing applies for the 31 day
:36:04. > :36:09.pathway. Which is higher. If we look at weights in accident and
:36:10. > :36:14.emergency, those figures, 63% since March of this year. We are seeing
:36:15. > :36:24.differences not just in diagnostics but in terms of cancer treatment and
:36:25. > :36:28.in terms of A performance. The reason Abertawe Bro Morgannwg are to
:36:29. > :36:32.receive targeted intervention is due to poor performance in unscheduled
:36:33. > :36:40.cancer care with figures showing 83% of patientss diagnosed via the
:36:41. > :36:45.urgent suspected cancer route start treatment within 62 days. We know
:36:46. > :36:48.that time the treatment and intervention, it reduces the risk
:36:49. > :36:54.the council will spread and increases chances of survival. What
:36:55. > :36:59.support is the Welsh Government giving to it to enable them to
:37:00. > :37:05.eliminate delays in treatment and to improve the cancer survival rates my
:37:06. > :37:11.region? I gave the statistics in terms of the 62 day and 31 day
:37:12. > :37:16.performance. Sometimes clinicians tell me it is not easy to start
:37:17. > :37:22.treatment within 62 days because of the nature of the cancer and its
:37:23. > :37:24.position and the need to look carefully at having the most
:37:25. > :37:31.targeted treatment for the individual. You need to have surgery
:37:32. > :37:35.as quickly as possible, I understand the human need, which is why we see
:37:36. > :37:44.performance improvements in that field.
:37:45. > :37:50.Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh Government is helping the
:37:51. > :37:55.NHS prepare for the winter? We will continue to support health and
:37:56. > :38:00.social care organisations through seasonal planning meetings. As part
:38:01. > :38:06.of that, preparing us for the forthcoming winter period is
:38:07. > :38:09.paramount. Last winter we saw unprecedented levels of demand on
:38:10. > :38:17.unscheduled care. People struggled to access a GP over the winter
:38:18. > :38:23.months putting an enormous strain on A departments as patients go to
:38:24. > :38:27.seek medical treatment. According to the RCN, hospitals are so full all
:38:28. > :38:32.year round the system cannot cope with the seasonal spike in demand.
:38:33. > :38:38.We have to address the GP access issue if we are to avoid scenes we
:38:39. > :38:42.saw last winter with ambulances stacked up outside hospitals. What
:38:43. > :38:47.plans does the Welsh Government have to improve out of hours GP services
:38:48. > :38:52.and make greater use of community pharmacies in treating minor
:38:53. > :38:56.ailments? Will you be running a publicity campaign highlighting the
:38:57. > :39:01.role of pharmacies in treating minor ailments? We do. The choose well
:39:02. > :39:07.campaign has done that and there is a nap available. We encourage people
:39:08. > :39:12.to look at the pharmacist and then the community nurse and then to
:39:13. > :39:18.think about the GP and it is right to say to people, don't default to
:39:19. > :39:26.the A department first, nor to a GP first. That is in train. Out of
:39:27. > :39:30.hours is available. The issue in the winter is not numbers of people
:39:31. > :39:35.coming through a indeed, it is the condition they have. More older
:39:36. > :39:39.people with respiratory conditions need more time and ultimately at
:39:40. > :39:44.mission. Last year the plans worked well. It can be difficult to predict
:39:45. > :39:51.the demand on the NHS in the winter because of the weather. But we
:39:52. > :40:00.scrutinise the preparatory nurse of each local health board to ensure we
:40:01. > :40:04.can be satisfied for the winter. TRANSLATION: Under the children's
:40:05. > :40:08.health plan published, every child under seven is supposed to be given
:40:09. > :40:16.the same consistency of service in winter or summer. How do you respond
:40:17. > :40:22.to the Royal College of paediatrics' report today on babies born
:40:23. > :40:27.prematurely that show they are given a second-rate service in Wales, only
:40:28. > :40:36.31% of premature babies are given the crucial second appointment by
:40:37. > :40:39.their second birthday. And that is half the percentage across the rest
:40:40. > :40:47.of the UK and having centralise the service for premature babies,
:40:48. > :40:51.closure of the unit and moving it, they are still given a second-rate
:40:52. > :40:56.service compared to the best services in the UK. Is it empty
:40:57. > :41:00.rhetoric when you are unable to provide what is important and
:41:01. > :41:07.fundamental today? Not at all. Bearing in mind according to the
:41:08. > :41:12.report it took approximately 90% of services working well. Some parts
:41:13. > :41:16.need improvement and we welcome such reports so that we can identify
:41:17. > :41:20.whether there is room for improvement, but we know according
:41:21. > :41:24.to the Nuffield report, there is little difference between the health
:41:25. > :41:30.services across the UK and we will continue to ensure the best services
:41:31. > :41:39.are available, particularly where things could be better. Winter
:41:40. > :41:43.pressures haunt us every year. We have these conversations, always the
:41:44. > :41:47.same groups of people, the elderly, young, chronically ill. In
:41:48. > :41:52.Pembrokeshire, the community resource teams, a collaboration
:41:53. > :41:56.between the health board and local government, have been incredibly
:41:57. > :42:00.effective in working to ensure that people have access to the right
:42:01. > :42:04.services and in preventing hospital admissions. They focus on
:42:05. > :42:09.preventative care, reduce the need for complex care packages. Their job
:42:10. > :42:15.is to avert crises and they work in the community with doctors. There is
:42:16. > :42:24.no coincidence this is a health board that has a director of
:42:25. > :42:29.social... Of therapies and social sizes. They stopping people getting
:42:30. > :42:33.into hospitals, particularly the elderly and those with respiratory
:42:34. > :42:38.problems. Would you welcome the work they are doing? They are one of the
:42:39. > :42:44.leading practitioner 's office in Wales and would you come to
:42:45. > :42:50.Pembrokeshire to see them in action and understand more about the
:42:51. > :42:53.benefits that a director of therapies and social services,
:42:54. > :42:58.health care professionals, can bring to the changing face of NHS health
:42:59. > :43:04.care, particularly over the next 15 years, when we need more of these
:43:05. > :43:10.people, not less. How can I refuse such an offer? I am interested in
:43:11. > :43:14.the work the member has described. I can see the passion she displays in
:43:15. > :43:25.advocating the work she has seen them do and I would like to see it
:43:26. > :43:30.for myself. TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister make a statement on
:43:31. > :43:35.the shortage of doctors. As regards numbers there is not a shortage,
:43:36. > :43:43.there are more doctors now than in 2005. I will give you the figures.
:43:44. > :43:59.In 2005 there were 1849 GPs in Wales and now there is 1997 in one area,
:44:00. > :44:04.437 in 2005 and the same is true of doctors in hospitals. But there will
:44:05. > :44:09.be a campaign launched at the end of next month to attract more doctors
:44:10. > :44:13.to work in Wells. I am not sure if I want to thank you for that response
:44:14. > :44:17.because it is a different picture painted if you count the number of
:44:18. > :44:23.doctors that correspond to full-time equivalents. One of the problems
:44:24. > :44:29.with recruitment of GPs in rural areas is lack of wider facilities to
:44:30. > :44:35.them. GPs do not want to fail in their duties because they cannot
:44:36. > :44:41.access beds for their patients, X-Ray machines, diagnostic services.
:44:42. > :44:47.Can I ask you, would you be willing to commission research with rural
:44:48. > :44:51.GPs, including those perhaps who have given up their post to
:44:52. > :44:53.acknowledge their problems in terms of access and take action as a
:44:54. > :45:03.result? I would argue that we are already
:45:04. > :45:06.doing that through collaborative officers in mid Wales and I would
:45:07. > :45:11.expect the work that is being done there can be transferred and
:45:12. > :45:17.disseminated throughout the whole of Wales. It's a woody started. One
:45:18. > :45:23.thing you didn't refer to is the innovation in GP care, particularly
:45:24. > :45:26.in North Wales in Prestatyn with a multidisciplinary team approach to
:45:27. > :45:32.patient care. What worked for the Welsh government do to evaluate
:45:33. > :45:36.whether that module is successful and can be applied elsewhere across
:45:37. > :45:44.Wales which will alleviate the pressure on GP numbers. The reality
:45:45. > :45:50.is we saw in Prestatyn that GP services closed and the local health
:45:51. > :46:00.board took over primary care services and they are now better.
:46:01. > :46:14.The contractor module is a better module and more GPs are less
:46:15. > :46:20.attracted to it. In Prestatyn the local health board will continue to
:46:21. > :46:29.evaluate what is being done there to see if it is a module that can be
:46:30. > :46:35.adapted. What plans is the Welsh government to -- does the Welsh
:46:36. > :46:42.government have to improve mental health services? We will be
:46:43. > :46:54.publishing a three-year plan in terms of delivering our mental
:46:55. > :46:59.strategy. There was an enquiry into child after less than mental
:47:00. > :47:07.services. There was an increase in the need, but the services were
:47:08. > :47:22.deficient. In a recent meeting the children's Commissioner for Wales
:47:23. > :47:29.said that the committee has only met once, even though ?7 million has
:47:30. > :47:37.been injected into the services. The are no specifics for the government
:47:38. > :47:40.to improve the service. Will the First Minister commit to reforming
:47:41. > :47:49.the services and explain how he would do it? I disagree with the
:47:50. > :47:57.member. We how the lee-macro asking benefits. New services for ADHD and
:47:58. > :48:09.autism are being established across Wales. -- we are seeing benefits.
:48:10. > :48:19.What are the implications for the Welsh economy after the statement
:48:20. > :48:29.about tariff free trade YouTube Brexit. Reasons are outlined by the
:48:30. > :48:38.government and we want businesses in Wales to have unfettered access. I'm
:48:39. > :48:42.sure we do, but members of the UK Government seem to be pushing in the
:48:43. > :48:48.opposite direction which is worrying for some 6000 people who depend on
:48:49. > :48:54.jobs which have resulted out of Japanese investment, including
:48:55. > :48:58.Panasonic in my own constituency. I just wondered how we are going to
:48:59. > :49:06.influence the UK Government that we will continue to have free trade
:49:07. > :49:10.with the European Union because otherwise the future for inward
:49:11. > :49:17.investment looks extremely bleak. To me, in green -- agreeing that
:49:18. > :49:21.fundamental point is essential before we can move on to anything
:49:22. > :49:27.else. That is the building block on which any deal can be built. It will
:49:28. > :49:36.be difficult to progress on anything else. I am concerned that the UK is
:49:37. > :49:46.now seen as not wanting to engage with the EU. I met with the Minister
:49:47. > :49:55.for Gibraltar and there is worry there. There are many factors at
:49:56. > :50:03.play. Some of them have not been identified. That was First
:50:04. > :50:11.Minister's and is there are more questions on our Senedd page on the
:50:12. > :50:12.website. We will be back at our usual time next week. Good
:50:13. > :50:15.afternoon.