:00:25. > :00:30.Good afternoon. Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of
:00:31. > :00:36.questions to the First Minister. It is another busy day in the Senedd
:00:37. > :00:39.with Carwyn Jones' Government unveiling its draft budget for
:00:40. > :00:42.2025/16 later this afternoon. It is thought there will be plans to
:00:43. > :00:51.increase spending on health and it will be interest -- interesting to
:00:52. > :00:54.see if that gets raised in questions today.
:00:55. > :00:57.Business in the Chamber is already under way, so let's take a look at
:00:58. > :01:06.today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:07. > :01:12.The first item is Questions to the First Minister. Question one,
:01:13. > :01:16.Antoinette Sandbach. Will the First Minister provide an update on what
:01:17. > :01:25.the Welsh Government is doing to tackle dementia? Yes, together for
:01:26. > :01:27.Mental Health - our focus is on improving rates of timely diagnosis
:01:28. > :01:29.and increasing access to information.
:01:30. > :01:51.PRESIDING OFFICER: They call for a specific Dementia
:01:52. > :01:55.Strategy with clear lines of accountability. What guarantees can
:01:56. > :01:59.you provide to those patients and their families who live with
:02:00. > :02:02.dementia, that the Welsh Government is willing to listen and act upon
:02:03. > :02:06.the recommendations that have been launched in the report today? Well,
:02:07. > :02:11.Together for Mental Health provides that framework. I know that there
:02:12. > :02:19.are many who are aware of that framework. The memo will be aware of
:02:20. > :02:23.the dementia friendly communities and Dementia Friends campaign which
:02:24. > :02:29.we have supports a a Government. In January, the Minister launched the
:02:30. > :02:40.Alzheimer's Society Friends Initiative and that was funded by
:02:41. > :02:43.the Welsh Government. The Alzheimer's Society provides
:02:44. > :02:46.invaluable advice to those who are affected by dementia and by
:02:47. > :02:53.Alzheimer's. PRESIDING OFFICER: Elin Jones?
:02:54. > :02:58.TRANSLATION: First Minister, over 2,000 people have early dementia
:02:59. > :03:13.before they are 60 years of age. And services are mainly
:03:14. > :03:15.before they are 60 years of age. And years of age, 2,000 of them have
:03:16. > :03:21.different needs, especially if they have residential needs as well?
:03:22. > :03:23.TRANSLATION: That is correct. It is important and the strategy
:03:24. > :03:30.identifies the fact that there should be care available to them and
:03:31. > :03:37.dementia is entirely different in someone who is under 60 years of
:03:38. > :03:41.age. It progresses more swiftly and we expect the Health Boards, when
:03:42. > :03:44.they do consider services for people with dementia, to consider the needs
:03:45. > :03:49.of those under 60 also. PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 2, Jenny
:03:50. > :03:52.Rathbone. What is the Welsh Government doing to combat the
:03:53. > :03:54.commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood? We are committed to
:03:55. > :03:56.commercialisation and sexualisation protecting the rights of children
:03:57. > :06:02.across all protecting the rights of children
:06:03. > :06:06.PRESIDING OFFICER: Mohammed Asghar? I'm not aware of any companies that
:06:07. > :06:09.have fallen into that category, but if the member has any evidence of
:06:10. > :06:11.that, we will be pleased to consider it.
:06:12. > :06:14.PRESIDING OFFICER: We move to questions from the party leaders and
:06:15. > :06:21.first this afternoon we have the leader of the Welsh Liberal
:06:22. > :06:25.Democrats, Kirsty Williams. First Minister, 1 in 200 pregnancies ends
:06:26. > :06:29.in stillbirth, a figure that has not changed for some 20 years. Indeed,
:06:30. > :06:33.the most recent figures available show that the rate in Wales is
:06:34. > :06:39.increasing. What progress has your Government made in implementing the
:06:40. > :06:44.recommendations of the health and social care committee's inquiry into
:06:45. > :06:47.this heartbreaking tragedy? The incidents of stillbirths in Wales
:06:48. > :06:52.has not changed greatly in recent years. Whether it is the case that
:06:53. > :06:55.there is a level beyond which it cannot go down, that's a matter for
:06:56. > :07:02.the medics to determine, but certainly we do have one of the
:07:03. > :07:09.lowest rates in terms of stillbirths in the world. First Minister, I
:07:10. > :07:13.would state quite clearly it is possible to drive down the number of
:07:14. > :07:19.stillbirths in Wales. We just need concerted action to do so. The
:07:20. > :07:23.Government did establish the Welsh Initiative for Stillbirth Reduction
:07:24. > :07:26.which was charged with implementing the Committee's recommendation. That
:07:27. > :07:32.came to an end earlier this year. Are you now confident that without
:07:33. > :07:37.that initiative, measures around reduced foetal movement and growth
:07:38. > :07:43.assessment programmes are being routinely implemented across all
:07:44. > :07:47.obstetric units in Wales? Yes, we expect that to continue. The good
:07:48. > :07:53.work that has been put in place thus far, we would expect to see
:07:54. > :08:11.continued in the future. One method that seems to have a significant
:08:12. > :08:15.impact on levels of stillbirth is to make these scans... They have seen
:08:16. > :08:20.their stillbirth rate drop by 50% in three years. Would you commit to
:08:21. > :08:24.looking at introducing similar scanning regimes here for all
:08:25. > :08:27.first-time mothers in Wales? Well, based on the figures na the leader
:08:28. > :08:31.of the Liberal Democrats has provided, this is something that
:08:32. > :08:34.needs to be looked at. And I will ask the Minister to examine the
:08:35. > :08:36.findings of that pilot project to see is whether it can be applied in
:08:37. > :08:43.Wales. PRESIDING OFFICER: The Leader of the
:08:44. > :08:48.Opposition. First Minister, the recent cuts in the skills budget of
:08:49. > :08:53.?7 million along with other measures have realised a cut of ?10.7 million
:08:54. > :08:57.to the apprenticeship programme. These notices were given to the
:08:58. > :09:02.providers with only four days' notice of the contract starting on
:09:03. > :09:06.August 1st. Why was this undertaken in such a shambolic way that has
:09:07. > :09:10.jeopardised 9,000 apprenticeship places here in Wales? We have of
:09:11. > :09:15.course more than 12,000 young people who have been helped through Jobs
:09:16. > :09:19.Growth Wales. He needs to wait for the draft budget announcement in
:09:20. > :09:22.terms of what the future funding is. But certainly, we believe we have a
:09:23. > :09:30.very good record in Wales, particularly given the fact we have
:09:31. > :09:33.had to deal with ?1.5 billion deficit from his party. I note in
:09:34. > :09:37.the budget announcement today there is talk of additional money for
:09:38. > :09:43.apprenticeships for up to 5,000 places. This is in-year cuts that
:09:44. > :09:47.your Government has made to the current programme totalling ?10.7
:09:48. > :09:53.million, that has threatened 9,000 places. 9,000 apprenticeship places.
:09:54. > :09:56.Surely that reeks of shambles at the heart of the Government in dealing
:09:57. > :10:03.with the finances, the providers were expecting the figures to be
:10:04. > :10:15.delivered by March so that they could plan for the new contracts in
:10:16. > :10:27.August. Why, with only four days' notice, was this devastation wrought
:10:28. > :10:31.on this programme? We can't magic - I know he thinks there is a magic
:10:32. > :10:36.money tree somewhere - but we can't magic up money. The reality is that
:10:37. > :10:38.our record, when it comes to apprenticeships and providing young
:10:39. > :10:42.people with opportunities, it is much better than his party has ever
:10:43. > :10:49.come up with in any level of Government. First Minister, 1.8
:10:50. > :10:55.million apprenticeships have been generated by the UK Government since
:10:56. > :11:00.2010. What your Government has done has made in-year cuts. I am unaware
:11:01. > :11:07.of any substantial in-year cuts given to your Government by the UK
:11:08. > :11:12.and in fact we have had Barnett consequentials. What the people
:11:13. > :11:16.seeking those apprenticeships want are some straight answers. Why the
:11:17. > :11:22.chaos? I do take the point that apprenticeships have been successful
:11:23. > :11:25.here in Wales. 66% - I'm happy to acknowledge that - 66% of people who
:11:26. > :11:30.enter the apprenticeship programme find full-time employment at the end
:11:31. > :11:34.of that programme. 80% of people who go on the programme can finish their
:11:35. > :11:40.courses. There is a success story there. Sadly, your Government have
:11:41. > :11:45.taken 10.7 million out of that budget, in mid-year, with four days'
:11:46. > :11:49.notice. What does that say about the priorities for your Government? It
:11:50. > :11:54.says that the priorities are all wrong, does it? Well, he is generous
:11:55. > :12:00.in his praise - and I accept that. He can't say we have done well on
:12:01. > :12:03.the one hand and on the other we have done badly. There have been
:12:04. > :12:12.difficult decisions we have had to make. He mentions Barnett. Will he
:12:13. > :12:18.join me then and other parties in pursuing the need for dealing with
:12:19. > :12:23.the issue of underfunding in Wales? He keeps on saying - the reality is
:12:24. > :12:33.that we are underfunded to the tune of ?300 million a year. Some will
:12:34. > :12:40.say we are holding out the begging bowl. People whose parents and
:12:41. > :12:43.grandparents worked in coal, steel and tin plate, who contributed to
:12:44. > :12:47.the prosperity of the UK, is it asking too much that they should
:12:48. > :12:51.have a fair share of the pot now? I hope he would join me and, in
:12:52. > :12:59.fairness, other leaders in this chamber in standing up for Wales.
:13:00. > :13:03.PRESIDING OFFICER: Finally, the leader of Plaid Cymru. Over the
:13:04. > :13:07.summer, the Chancellor announced generous tax breaks for companies
:13:08. > :13:12.who were interested in using fracking as a means of extracting
:13:13. > :13:16.shale gas. There are varying estimates in terms of how much shale
:13:17. > :13:24.gas could be extracted in Wales. But the UK Government seems intent on
:13:25. > :13:27.pressing ahead with the granting of licences for drilling. Does the
:13:28. > :13:32.Welsh Government share the UK's Government enthusiasm for fracking?
:13:33. > :13:36.No, we take the precautionary approach. The planning issues are
:13:37. > :13:42.devolved and that precautionary approach has not changed. Among the
:13:43. > :13:46.many concerns raised by members of the public is the Department of
:13:47. > :13:51.Energy and Climate Change decision to press ahead with simplifying
:13:52. > :13:56.underground access for oil and gas developers, giving permission to
:13:57. > :14:03.companies to drill on private land and private property. 99% of
:14:04. > :14:12.respondents to the consultation objected to that. Should fracking be
:14:13. > :14:15.permitted without the consent of the owner? There are real issues with
:14:16. > :14:21.that. It is difficult to justify that to the public. If she is going
:14:22. > :14:24.to invite me in her third question to consider whether the licensing
:14:25. > :14:30.regime should be devolved, that is something I have some sympathy with.
:14:31. > :14:35.That's good. Fracking remains controversial, as you are aware.
:14:36. > :14:39.Plaid Cymru has suggested a moratorium on fracking operations
:14:40. > :14:43.until and unless safety and environmental concerns can be
:14:44. > :14:47.satisfied. Now, the issue highlights the wider problem that the country
:14:48. > :14:49.has little competence over its own natural resources and I thank you
:14:50. > :14:55.for your previous answer on that point. We do, however, currently
:14:56. > :15:01.have powers and competence over planning. Would Welsh Ministers
:15:02. > :15:06.support Welsh local authorities who wish to implement a de facto
:15:07. > :15:10.moratorium using existing planning legislation? A moratorium is
:15:11. > :15:13.difficult. If you impose a moratorium on fracking, there are
:15:14. > :15:24.other technologies that would be drawn into it as well. Some will
:15:25. > :15:29.argue, as I have heard from a moratorium on wind. What is
:15:30. > :15:36.important - and I don't think we are very far apart - that caution should
:15:37. > :15:38.be exercised when it comes to considering granting planning
:15:39. > :15:41.permission for fracking and full consideration has to be given to the
:15:42. > :15:48.environmental impact as well as the social impact. That much is true.
:15:49. > :15:54.I would reiterate the point. I have heard what the UK Government has
:15:55. > :16:00.said but our approach in planning terms remains the same. We moved to
:16:01. > :16:07.questions on a paper again, question three. With the First Minister make
:16:08. > :16:12.an announcement of the Welsh government's proposed back route
:16:13. > :16:18.around the city of Newport, please? Subject to the necessary
:16:19. > :16:22.investigations that have to take place, such as any potential public
:16:23. > :16:30.inquiry, our view is that the black fruit would improve access to Wales,
:16:31. > :16:35.and new junctions are included, and direct a simple Newport itself. It
:16:36. > :16:37.would create increased connectivity for existing businesses and
:16:38. > :16:42.employment sites across Newport and there are various stages of
:16:43. > :16:48.examinations that it would have to go through. Associated British ports
:16:49. > :16:52.have warned that the proposed black route will damage the economy of
:16:53. > :16:58.Newport, leading to trade going to Bristol and Liverpool. Another major
:16:59. > :17:05.Newport employer, I steel has called for an alternative route to be
:17:06. > :17:09.examined. Will you now agree that a full public consultation and
:17:10. > :17:12.examination of the suggested blue route needs to take place and that
:17:13. > :17:19.the current plans for the black route should be put on hold whilst
:17:20. > :17:24.this is done? With the Glasgow black route there are stages it must go
:17:25. > :17:29.through. With the blue route, it is not what it appears to be. It would
:17:30. > :17:33.cost about 800 million, not 300 million. It would be delivered in
:17:34. > :17:37.the same timescale. I have travelled along the blue route. It has traffic
:17:38. > :17:41.lights on it and it would need substantial amount of work. It goes
:17:42. > :17:45.past a housing estate. One of the issues that would need to be looked
:17:46. > :17:48.at is whether there's a danger in houses would have to be moved and
:17:49. > :17:56.whether businesses would have to be moved. It is not a pain-free option.
:17:57. > :18:00.It never was. Nor can it be delivered in a timescale that would
:18:01. > :18:05.be faster than the black route. That said, I repeat what I said earlier,
:18:06. > :18:08.there would need to be an environmental study, that much we
:18:09. > :18:13.understand. They might well be a public inquiry. It is important that
:18:14. > :18:19.these stages take place so that the can have transparency with regard to
:18:20. > :18:24.the black route. With the First Minister agree that the M4 in
:18:25. > :18:29.Newport and other businesses and jobs would benefit greatly from a
:18:30. > :18:34.more integrated Transport system? And that the Welsh government's
:18:35. > :18:37.pro-Iraqi should be public Transport including a south wales metro
:18:38. > :18:42.system. The Metro system is moving forward and that is something that
:18:43. > :18:46.we will develop. The traffic situation will get worse, it is not
:18:47. > :18:52.going to improve. It simply is not the case that traffic will suddenly
:18:53. > :18:59.disappear from that panel. -- panel. It is possible to develop the
:19:00. > :19:04.Metro proposals. As well as examining the difficulties on the
:19:05. > :19:13.road network. As indeed was done with the straightening of parts of
:19:14. > :19:17.the A470. And a full consultation will take place on the black route,
:19:18. > :19:28.but it is not the case of the development of the AM for having to
:19:29. > :19:32.take place instead of -- the M4. First Minister, I know that the
:19:33. > :19:37.announcement on the budget is subject to various votes in this
:19:38. > :19:41.institution before it is confirmed, but art of the agreement seems to
:19:42. > :19:48.relate to environmental assessment, another environmental assessment
:19:49. > :19:53.around the black route for the M4 relief road. Will this work take
:19:54. > :19:58.place of the budget deal is ratified or must the environmental assessment
:19:59. > :20:04.weight as well until 2016 when we draw a line on the construction
:20:05. > :20:09.phase? Another comment on a budget ahead of what the finance minister
:20:10. > :20:11.may or may not say. It is important to reiterate that the preferred
:20:12. > :20:18.route has been announced by the Minister. It is subject to various
:20:19. > :20:25.stages of consultation for it to be as transparent as possible. Will the
:20:26. > :20:30.First Minister make a statement on the implication of Welsh language
:20:31. > :20:33.standards? I issued a mission statement on the timetable /which
:20:34. > :20:40.standards in July and we continue to draft regulations according to that
:20:41. > :20:43.timetable, and implement in those standards is a matter for the Welsh
:20:44. > :20:48.language Commissioner. Can you state your intention to complete the three
:20:49. > :20:55.rounds before the Assembly elections and are you reconsidering the draft
:20:56. > :21:01.standards in January, when you mentioned a situation whereby it
:21:02. > :21:08.means to receive services that are contracted out, which would not be
:21:09. > :21:11.subject to standards? Now, one third of public services in Wales are
:21:12. > :21:16.contracted out, and therefore, there is a huge gap in the standards. And
:21:17. > :21:23.can I ask you to reconsider on that basis? I have to say, of course,
:21:24. > :21:30.that consultation has taken place or is going to take place in terms of
:21:31. > :21:34.the standards, and the regulations will be before the Assembly in March
:21:35. > :21:38.so there will be considered -- an opportunity to consider how the
:21:39. > :21:42.standards can be strengthened, given the situation that the member has
:21:43. > :21:50.spoken about. First Minister, you will be aware of the comments made
:21:51. > :21:55.by the SP, that the Welsh language Commissioner should use the
:21:56. > :21:58.standards and a commensurate way to ensure that standards are called
:21:59. > :22:03.with the needs of small businesses in Wales. Can you tell us whether
:22:04. > :22:08.you government supports the comments made by the FSB, and if so, will you
:22:09. > :22:12.be promoting this in your response to the consultation that you
:22:13. > :22:15.mentioned a few moments ago? We want to make sure that we listen to the
:22:16. > :22:20.views of everyone and every organisation that is associated with
:22:21. > :22:24.this. And we want to ensure that the standards are standards that have a
:22:25. > :22:32.strong and broad support across Wales, so we look forward to seeing
:22:33. > :22:37.the comments made by the FSB. Thank you very much. First Minister, the
:22:38. > :22:44.believe that when these standards are put to the Assembly four years
:22:45. > :22:50.into the term of this current government, that that demonstrates a
:22:51. > :22:54.clear commitment and an ability to plan efficiently and effectively in
:22:55. > :22:58.terms of the Welsh language? What is extremely important is to ensure
:22:59. > :23:03.that these standards are supported and are practical, and that means of
:23:04. > :23:08.course that the commission has to be part of the process, and also, to
:23:09. > :23:14.consult on the correct manner, and also to bring the regulations back
:23:15. > :23:22.to the Assembly, in order to get wings right. Things do take a bit of
:23:23. > :23:25.time. -- things right. Will the First Minister make a statement on
:23:26. > :23:30.youth unemployment in Wales? We want to make sure that young people get
:23:31. > :23:37.an opportunity to develop fully in life. We have mentioned jobs growth
:23:38. > :23:40.Wales and the engagement and progression framework. Does the
:23:41. > :23:44.First Minister and with me that the drop in youth unemployment in Wales
:23:45. > :23:49.is an example of the Welsh government leading the way in the UK
:23:50. > :23:52.with programmes like jobs growth Wales, and that the UK and Scottish
:23:53. > :23:59.governments could do well to follow them? The member will not be
:24:00. > :24:04.surprised if I say yes. We have seen substantial drops in unemployment
:24:05. > :24:08.amongst young people in Wales, particularly those between 16-17
:24:09. > :24:11.years old where there is a substantial difference to the better
:24:12. > :24:23.between Wales and the rest of the UK, and that shows that Jobs Growth
:24:24. > :24:29.Wales is having a significant positive effect on the prospects of
:24:30. > :24:33.young people. Whilst we welcome youth unemployment being the Jews,
:24:34. > :24:38.you will know that approximately 20% of young people have been out of
:24:39. > :24:41.work for more than a year, and 10% of 16-year-olds are not in
:24:42. > :24:46.education, employment or training. What will you now do to make sure
:24:47. > :24:52.that this effective programme, which is so vital to the needs of Wales,
:24:53. > :24:55.continues? We look at the progression framework which
:24:56. > :24:59.introduced the youth guarantee for Wales. We have been funding
:25:00. > :25:04.higher-level apprenticeships together with Jobs Growth Wales, and
:25:05. > :25:16.of course we see success, one example is that the figure for NEETs
:25:17. > :25:21.dropped in 2011-12, and we want to see that dropping further in future.
:25:22. > :25:30.Given that more than one in five young people is not employed in
:25:31. > :25:37.Wales, and that your government programme is being evaluated by
:25:38. > :25:42.Ipsos MORI to make sure that your spending 73% of the budget on jobs
:25:43. > :25:45.already in existence, why is the government cutting apprenticeship
:25:46. > :25:52.programmes such as this when we need more of these programmes in place,
:25:53. > :25:55.provided by the Welsh government? In terms of Jobs Growth Wales as a
:25:56. > :26:00.scheme, it has given people the opportunity, young people, the
:26:01. > :26:05.opportunity to have a job and develop skills. It is important that
:26:06. > :26:09.they have had a job, but not the job that they have as result of the
:26:10. > :26:16.scheme. We have to consider the value of the skills that they have
:26:17. > :26:20.learned. Jobs Growth Wales does not assist young people in long-term
:26:21. > :26:24.unemployment and is not accessible to many young people because of
:26:25. > :26:30.double funding issues with UK Government schemes. And it is not
:26:31. > :26:35.available in many parts of Wales, including the worst hotspot for
:26:36. > :26:38.NEETs, Bridgend. Will you agree to review provisional support to those
:26:39. > :26:42.young people in places like Wrexham, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan
:26:43. > :26:50.where long-term youth unemployment is a real problem, but Jobs Growth
:26:51. > :26:53.Wales does not help? Jobs Growth Wales is aimed at them in the first
:26:54. > :27:02.place. One of the first actions of her party in London was to cut the
:27:03. > :27:09.Future Jobs Fund which was supposed to help so many young people. I do
:27:10. > :27:12.not see that there is in Whitehall, an equivalent scheme that is
:27:13. > :27:17.anything like as successful in offering opportunities to young
:27:18. > :27:23.people as this scheme that we and the people of Wales are very proud
:27:24. > :27:30.of. First Minister, Jobs Growth Wales has been particularly
:27:31. > :27:34.successful, creating over 1000 jobs, 90% of them filled, and it is the
:27:35. > :27:41.most successful area in the whole of Wales. Will you congratulate the
:27:42. > :27:44.Labour-controlled carefully County Council have run in collaboration
:27:45. > :27:47.with that scheme the passport programme, and European funded
:27:48. > :28:00.scheme that has delivered an additional 176 work basements? --
:28:01. > :28:05.placements. I will offer my congratulations to Caerphilly
:28:06. > :28:15.Council. It is working well to provide opportunities for young
:28:16. > :28:23.people. Will the First Minister make a statement on the availability of
:28:24. > :28:33.cancer treatment in Wales? Cancer waiting times for treatment are
:28:34. > :28:36.better than in England. First Minister, patience in England are
:28:37. > :28:43.seven times more likely to gain access to cancer drugs and patience
:28:44. > :28:47.in Wales. The UK Government spends ?200 million per year on a Cancer
:28:48. > :28:50.Drugs Fund but as you know, here, we do not have one. There is a petition
:28:51. > :28:54.winging its way to the Welsh government with tens of thousands of
:28:55. > :28:59.signatures on it, calling for a cancer treatment fund, here in
:29:00. > :29:02.Wales. When will the government reconsider the current position and
:29:03. > :29:09.give cancer sufferers in Wales the treat and that they need and
:29:10. > :29:14.deserve? There are cancer treatments in Wales that are not available in
:29:15. > :29:19.England. Can we see a petition organised by his party complaining
:29:20. > :29:22.about that? I wonder what the petition says. Does it say that it
:29:23. > :29:27.once cancer treatment to be funded by taking funds away from the
:29:28. > :30:34.treatment of other drugs, the way that it
:30:35. > :30:34.treatment of other drugs, the way that the cancer treatment fund does,
:30:35. > :31:59.is not the way forward for Wales. The message
:32:00. > :32:04.world leaders, in terms of survival rates. Much of it depends on the
:32:05. > :32:10.underlying health of the individual, much of it depends on GPs referring
:32:11. > :32:15.early, which they are doing now. Certainly much more referral by GPs
:32:16. > :32:21.of suspected cancers, fortunately it turns out that it isn't cancer, but
:32:22. > :32:28.with lung cancer, early diagnosis is key. The GPs are keen to refer early
:32:29. > :32:31.to give people a better chance at least of survival beyond one year
:32:32. > :32:44.and hopefully beyond five. PRESIDING OFFICER: Kirsty Williams?
:32:45. > :32:48.First Minister, these are techniques that we have the clinicians in Wales
:32:49. > :32:51.who could carry out those interventions. Yet, to date, the
:32:52. > :32:56.Government has decided not to offer those treatments here in Wales. In
:32:57. > :32:59.June, I asked you this question. You said you would get the Health
:33:00. > :33:03.Minister to reply to me. I am still waiting for that response. Could you
:33:04. > :33:11.give a definitive answer here today about the Welsh Government's
:33:12. > :33:16.commitment to provide this treatment for Welsh patients in Welsh
:33:17. > :33:19.hospitals? I will rectify that. The Minister has heard today and I will
:33:20. > :33:23.make sure the response is provided as soon as possible.
:33:24. > :33:26.PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 7, Janet Finch-Saunders? Will the First
:33:27. > :33:29.Minister make a statement on the roll-out of broadband provision in
:33:30. > :33:35.North Wales? Yes, progress is good. It is being made with the roll-out
:33:36. > :33:42.of super-fast broadband. Some exchanges have been enabled with the
:33:43. > :33:46.fast fibre broadband. Thank you. As regards the super-fast broadband
:33:47. > :33:51.roll-out and the significant investment, constituents and many
:33:52. > :33:53.constituents are requesting more information than is currently
:33:54. > :33:58.available as to how, where and when they will be able to receive the
:33:59. > :34:04.service. Although more properties now access super-fast broadband,
:34:05. > :34:08.take-up is lower than in England. It appears that little has been done
:34:09. > :34:11.with regards the marketing and exploitation of the services
:34:12. > :34:15.forthcoming and available now. And BT maintain they have had no funding
:34:16. > :34:20.whatsoever for this. What steps is your Government taking to ensure
:34:21. > :34:23.awareness is raised regarding the availability of this service across
:34:24. > :34:29.Wales? Have you set a budget aside to do this? It is within BT's
:34:30. > :34:33.interest to do that themselves. They are not allowed to spend it on that.
:34:34. > :34:39.They are partners in terms of the roll-out. Nearly 234,000 premises
:34:40. > :34:43.have been given access to fast fibre broadband. I am not surprised that
:34:44. > :34:46.people are not using it as they should, probably because they
:34:47. > :34:50.haven't got access to it yet. I am sure that will change as a result of
:34:51. > :34:54.the super-fast coming. The market would never have delivered this,
:34:55. > :34:58.this is a Welsh Government initiative ensuring that many
:34:59. > :35:02.premises and settlements across Wales are getting access to
:35:03. > :35:05.super-fast broadband in a way that would otherwise not be possible.
:35:06. > :35:11.This is an investment in Wales' infrastructure and one that we are
:35:12. > :35:16.proud of. TRANSLATION: According to a recent
:35:17. > :35:21.report by the CAB on Anglesey, there is the highest percentage of people
:35:22. > :35:28.who haven't used the internet at all, that figure is almost 30%.
:35:29. > :35:30.Whilst I look forward to seeing super-fast broadband available
:35:31. > :35:34.across the whole of Wales, does the First Minister agree that we need to
:35:35. > :35:40.prioritise areas such as Anglesey and ensure that everyone has access
:35:41. > :35:46.to the internet because it's the disadvantaged who lose out most of
:35:47. > :35:48.not being able to access the service?
:35:49. > :35:52.TRANSLATION: It is difficult to say that. Every member in this place
:35:53. > :35:55.would say that their area is the one that should have priority. What is
:35:56. > :36:01.important is that this happens quickly to ensure, of course, that
:36:02. > :36:06.people of Anglesey have access to the broadband. If I could just say,
:36:07. > :36:10.in terms of individuals, there will be details available for them and
:36:11. > :36:16.also they will receive details whether there is a grant available
:36:17. > :36:20.for them, of course, or whether they wait for the fibres to arrive in
:36:21. > :36:24.their areas. But we have to remember that in a year-and-a-half, we will
:36:25. > :36:30.be in a situation where a high percentage of over 90% of the people
:36:31. > :36:36.of Wales will have access to broadband.
:36:37. > :36:39.PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 8, Llyr Gruffydd?
:36:40. > :36:43.TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister make a statement on community
:36:44. > :36:46.hospitals in North Wales? TRANSLATION: People across Wales
:36:47. > :36:51.have equity of access to high quality care, designed to meet their
:36:52. > :36:55.individual needs as close to home as possible.
:36:56. > :37:01.TRANSLATION: Thank you for that response. I'm sure you will know on
:37:02. > :37:05.Thursday the people of Flint will vote in a local referendum for or
:37:06. > :37:09.against a community hospital. I am sure you will recall the hospital
:37:10. > :37:14.there closed some 18 months ago. That proved to be very unpopular
:37:15. > :37:17.locally and, according to many locals, it caused a decline in
:37:18. > :37:20.services locally. Can I ask you to respect the outcome of that
:37:21. > :37:25.referendum? If there is a street in favour of a hospital renewal,
:37:26. > :37:29.encourage the Local Health Board to consider that decision seriously?
:37:30. > :37:35.TRANSLATION: We can't re-open this. The decision itself has not been
:37:36. > :37:38.given to Welsh Ministers by the Community Health Council. There is
:37:39. > :37:45.no role for Welsh Ministers. This was their choice. Can I just say one
:37:46. > :37:48.thing? I understand that people always find it extremely difficult
:37:49. > :37:52.when they see something closing, when they have been used to it over
:37:53. > :37:55.the years - I have seen it in my own constituency. What happens is that
:37:56. > :37:58.when they see the new resources that are available, nobody wants to go
:37:59. > :38:03.back to the old system. So, what I would tell the people of Flint is, I
:38:04. > :38:07.know that there are plans there to ensure that new resources are
:38:08. > :38:10.available to the people of Flint, resources that would enable people
:38:11. > :38:13.to remain at home and have care there, instead of going to hospital.
:38:14. > :38:22.I would say you have to consider what else will be available and
:38:23. > :38:25.experience shows that when there is something new available, and there
:38:26. > :38:29.was a very strong campaign against closing a local hospital in one
:38:30. > :38:32.area, there is a brand-new centre that is popular in the community.
:38:33. > :38:43.What I would say to these people is, give these plans a chance. In terms
:38:44. > :38:46.of what Welsh Ministers can do, the system, the Community Health
:38:47. > :38:50.Council, of course, hasn't given this to Welsh Ministers to
:38:51. > :38:54.reconsider. PRESIDING OFFICER: Antoinette
:38:55. > :38:56.Sandbach? The figures that your Government published last week
:38:57. > :39:00.highlighted the problem of bed-blocking in the Welsh NHS. That
:39:01. > :39:06.is a direct consequence as a result of the closure of community
:39:07. > :39:12.hospitals. The Welsh average saw 63% of patients waiting to leave
:39:13. > :39:16.hospital, delayed by three weeks. When we are seeing delays like this,
:39:17. > :39:23.and getting people out of hospital, and particularly out into community
:39:24. > :39:26.hospitals, so they are not causing problems in the District General
:39:27. > :39:30.Hospitals. Surely, you should pay attention to referendums like that
:39:31. > :39:34.happening in relation to the Flint community hospital. Otherwise, how
:39:35. > :39:39.do you plan to deal with those delayed releases of care? First of
:39:40. > :39:43.all, the member gives the impression that delays have increased, they
:39:44. > :39:47.have not, they have gone down. The number of delays in July of this
:39:48. > :39:53.year is 10% lower than the figure in August of last year. So, her entire
:39:54. > :39:57.argument goes out of the window... 73% last time. I don't want people
:39:58. > :40:00.to be discharged from General Hospitals into other hospitals. I
:40:01. > :40:02.want people to go home, that is the whole point. I want to make sure
:40:03. > :40:06.there are opportunities for people to get the enhanced care they need
:40:07. > :40:11.to go home and not sit in hospitals for weeks upon weeks. Three weeks on
:40:12. > :40:16.average. I don't accept her premise that what we should do is to move
:40:17. > :40:20.people out of a DGH and into a community hospital and forget about
:40:21. > :40:23.them. I'm not prepared to do that. The Minister is not prepared to do
:40:24. > :40:35.that either. I want to see people back at home. That is exactly what
:40:36. > :40:40.we will do as a Government. First Minister, the problem you have is a
:40:41. > :40:43.lack of trust as far as North Wales' residents are concerned. Time after
:40:44. > :40:48.time, those new facilities have not been opened. We have lost 50
:40:49. > :40:54.community beds over the last 18 months. We have also lost 370 beds
:40:55. > :40:58.during the last four years from our District General Hospitals. So, the
:40:59. > :41:02.real issue is, not only are we faced with no new facilities being opened
:41:03. > :41:07.to replace the beds that are being taken out of the system, there is
:41:08. > :41:11.also a situation where care provision within the sector is also
:41:12. > :41:17.being blocked by local authorities due to the cuts in local authority
:41:18. > :41:24.social services' budgets. Can I say in relation to Flint, our there are
:41:25. > :41:28.proposals for a joint health and housing scheme, a new primary care
:41:29. > :41:34.resource centre in the town. I cannot see why people would be
:41:35. > :41:37.against that. I gave an example in my own constituency of a care home
:41:38. > :41:41.that closed. People were up in arms about it. It was an elderly
:41:42. > :41:44.building. People were sharing rooms, sharing bathrooms. But people were
:41:45. > :41:48.very attached to the building. We accepted that. Now, there is an
:41:49. > :41:57.extra care facility there and nobody wants to go back to the old system.
:41:58. > :42:01.So, the point I would make is, where you have new facilities, people who
:42:02. > :42:04.are very much against a change in provision, when they see the new
:42:05. > :42:08.provision and the new resources, they will often change their mind.
:42:09. > :42:11.My message would be to people - I understand people are very attached
:42:12. > :42:14.to hospitals, particularly hospitals that have been there for many years,
:42:15. > :42:18.but there comes a time when we have to move to a system which is better
:42:19. > :42:22.for patients and enables more people to be looked after at home, which is
:42:23. > :42:30.what we all want to see. PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 9,
:42:31. > :42:32.Rhodri Glyn Thomas? TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister
:42:33. > :42:34.make a statement on local government reform?
:42:35. > :42:38.TRANSLATION: The Minister made a statement on this last week.
:42:39. > :42:42.TRANSLATION: I am sure the First Minister would agree that if we are
:42:43. > :42:46.going to have a sustainable answer to how to provide public services in
:42:47. > :42:51.Wales, that we have to look at the public services as a whole. Why,
:42:52. > :42:54.therefore, did you prevent the Williams Commission from looking at
:42:55. > :42:57.the Health Service and other public services in Wales in the report that
:42:58. > :43:00.was prepared for you as a Government?
:43:01. > :43:04.TRANSLATION: That was not the case. What I told the Williams Commission
:43:05. > :43:09.is we don't want to reconsider the boundaries of the Health Boards as
:43:10. > :43:13.they were. Therefore, we didn't want to look at it again a few years
:43:14. > :43:15.after having done it. On everything else, the Williams Commission had
:43:16. > :43:20.the opportunity to consider and we must bear in mind that the Williams
:43:21. > :43:25.Commission itself considered all parts of the public sector, not just
:43:26. > :43:31.local government, although... STUDIO: We leave First Minister's
:43:32. > :43:41.Questions there. You can see more coverage of the National Assembly
:43:42. > :43:45.online. That is it for today. We will be
:43:46. > :43:50.back with more First Minister's Questions next week. Don't forget,
:43:51. > :43:55.for all the latest political news, watch Wales Today later today at
:43:56. > :43:57.6.30pm on BBC One Wales. As for am.pm, from all of us on the
:43:58. > :44:36.programme, goodbye. Well, of all the people
:44:37. > :44:39.that I've met,