02/05/2017 First Minister's Questions

Good afternoon, welcome back to the programme, after the assembly's is

to break, two sets of elections on going, plenty for assembly members

to ask the First Minister in this weekly session. The order paper says

there will be questions on social services, housing and plans for

having a medical school in North Wales. You can follow us on Twitter,

business in the chamber is already underway. Let's take a look now at

today's questions to the First Minister.

TRANSLATION: I call the National Assembly, the first item on the

agenda, questions to the First Minister, and the first question

from Dai Lloyd. TRANSLATION: Plans for social services. TRANSLATION:

Centre of national strategic importance. The field has been

protected through the investment of an additional ?55 million for 2017

to 2018, alongside 60 mini and pounds for the integrated care fund.

TRANSLATION: Thank you for that response, further to that, may I ask

what measures are in place, led by the Welsh government, in order to

secure an adequate supply of home care services for older people and

those with disabilities bearing in mind the increasing demand for those

services and the shortage of funds to provide them to meet the

increasing needs in this area. Of course I have alluded to the

integrated care fund and what has been invested in that, and the new

funding that has already been announced, and we see this, bearing

in mind the transfer from hospital to care, that that kind of delay is

actually at its minimum level. ?22 million has been cut from the

social care budget despite condition 2 billion from UK Government and

Wells government money as well, additional money, your Minister told

me, just before the recess, that some money would be additional, that

money... I know you will have its and all of the council budgets, can

you tell me, yes or no, whether you are sure that all the money that the

Minister has set aside for social care will be used for social care

and not for competing authorities? Is there an election is Thursday?

Ask myself. -- next Thursday. Authorities across Wales have done

very well in providing social services, despite the cuts that have

come from her party, and her party in government in London. We have

seen, we have seen the crisis in social care in England, a crisis we

have not had in Wales because of the investment we have put in to social

care, and the ester ?20 million already announced, the last thing we

want is to import that kind of chaos into Wales.

As a result of the women taking the well-being future generations Wales

act, we have witnessed in recent years significant progress in the

improved integration of health and social care despite some the

comments being made today. In particular, I mention the

multi-agency safeguarding pub -- hub. You agree with me that one of

the early priorities of any new council coming in after the 4th of

May, should be to build on the excellent work to date carried out

by current Labour councils like that in Merthyr Tydfil? I very much

applaud the work of Merthyr Council. I look forward to that work

continuing, in the next weeks to come.

First Minister, fast approaching a point where social care is

unaffordable. Unless we take urgent action, we are facing the real

possibility that the system may collapse. Successive governments

have failed to take account of the ageing population. And properly plan

for future demand. What discussions have you had with the UK Government,

about how to ensure the social care sector has sufficient funding to

provide top-quality care for all who need it, now and in the future? I

think the member raises an important point in that regard, we know demand

continues to increase, there has to be debates in society as to how that

demand will be met. That does mean there must be discussions between

the governments of the UK, Vickers between the countries of the UK, we

have ensured that there is sufficient funding for all social

care, we have increased that funding, but of course, it is hugely

important in the long term to think carefully how social funding should

be -- social care should be funded. TRANSLATION: Plans for a medical

school for North Wales? TRANSLATION: Work is ongoing to determine the

appropriate approach to getting sustainable medical education and

training in North Wales, the cabinet secretary for health well-being and

sport will be working a statement in coming weeks. TRANSLATION: The case

for a medical school to serve North Wales and rural areas is clear and

robust. The health board will have spent over ?21 million on employing

agency medical staff over the past 11 months, up until February this

year, the Royal College of physicians summarises the situation

in one sentence. Establishment of a medical school in Bangla would be

part of the process of training these additional doctors, which we

need in Wales. -- Bangor. When exactly will the business case be

published, and when will the necessary steps taken to establish

the medical school be put in place? TRANSLATION: There will be a

statement over Dean suing weeks, and the Minister will be considering

this over this week and the next, so there will be quite a swift

statement. -- there will be a statement over the ensuing weeks.

Any plans will be sustainable. It has been a year since I first

discussed the need for an emergency school, the previous Vice

Chancellor, continue to have those special, three years since the local

North Wales local medical committee warned that general practice in

North Wales was in their words facing crisis and unable to fill

agencies, GPs considering retirement. The previous supplier

from Liverpool, the Liverpool medical School, had been severed,

where their generation her primary come from there. In considering as

you have agreed to do the business case for a medical school in Bango,

how would you ensure that that includes a dialogue with Liverpool

alongside Bangor to make sure that we keep local medics local. The

issue is that the population in that area is quite small, compared to

other centres, and so there are issues in terms of how could such a

medical school work closely with other medical schools in Wales or

England or elsewhere. It is hugely important, any medical school must

be sustainable, and it must work closely with others in order to

ensure that sustainability is in the future. Graduates will come back to

work in Wales if they have the desire and ability to do so, does

the First Minister agree that the government also needs to look

further at ways it can improve the life offered for the people of North

Wales, as this illustrates that too often, those who move out of Wales

to train or work often do so permanently. The scheme, the

campaign we have in place for recruitment and staff is working

well. We have had a great deal of interest from those in all areas of

medicine. Ultimately, lifestyle is important, but professional

challenge is important, people want to go somewhere they will find their

work interesting, they feel they will be challenged, from a medical

point of view, and they want to live somewhere they feel they are

supported, campaign we have put in place has put all of these issues to

potential medical practitioners who wish to come to Wales and the

response has been in courage in. TRANSLATION: Questions now from the

party leaders. Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, has announced that

Labour plans to recruit another 10,000 police officers in England

and Wales, which would mean an extra nearly 1000 in Wales. But she was

rather sketchy about the cost of this proposal first of all, saying

it would cost ?300,000, average salary of ?30, for a policeman(!),

then it went up to 8000 a year, ?80 million, perhaps the First Minister

could give his own view of the credibility of this policy and what

the figures are. Hugely important we see more bobbies on the beat, more

police officers, 10,000 of them, and people will support that, you asked

the question where the money will come from, ?300 million a year over

the course of five years, ?2.7 billion is the part of money that

will be created by reinstating the previous levels of capital gains

tax, ?1.5 billion, with 1.2 billion left over. Those are the maths. What

happened last time, when it was increased in 2010, capital gains

tax, the rate was raised from 18% to 28%, and whereas before the 23rd of

June, 2010, he had raised 8.23 billion a year, after the 23rd of

June, it raised 3.3 billion a year, so actually there was a cut in

revenue, ?4.9 billion a year. How is this increase in police numbers

going to be paid for? Takes it back to the rate it was before, from to

28, from 18 upwards on a lower level, that is the way in which this

will be paid for. Reinstating a tax that was there before, and not

something that was new. The point I was making to the First Minister, as

a result of raising the rate, the revenue raised from the tax fell,

not increased, and so, consequently, the tax base was reduced, because

people could postpone the realising capital gains. People most likely to

want to realise capital gains are pensioners who cannot afford to live

on their incomes. This is actually a tax increase which is aimed very

largely at the people who can least afford to pay it. Perhaps...

Perhaps... Perhaps... Perhaps, and... Perhaps... Perhaps the

illiterate financial plan which has been put before us by the Labour

Party is the overall... Part of the overall plan that he committed

himself to in my presence in a television studio in Cardiff just a

couple of weeks ago, increasing borrowing by ?500 billion a year.

D'Arcy Rae Leith think that the credibility of the UK Government in

international financial markets is Gary to be advanced by such a stupid

policy? -- does the really think. Soft on crime, Neil Hamilton, you

heard it here first! Not supporting a policy to increase bobbies on the

beat, we have a sprained how this will be paid for, I don't see his

point about pensioners, losing out, because of capital gains tax, if you

are talking about inheritance tax... Perhaps even as the two confused.

Capital gains tax affects those people with the most money, it is

only right that people with the most money are asked to pay more to fund

police officers on the street, there has never been a cheaper time to

borrow money on the world financial markets. The Labour government of

the 1940s did this, built the health service, else the welfare state,

rebuilt the British economy, from a far worse position, a far worse

position than the Tories did. Individuals, individuals know that

if you want to buy a house, you have a mortgage, you pay it off over 30

years, you have an asset at the end of it you are able to use as you

want, the Conservative Party don't understand that, a lot of them have

never had a mortgage, they don't know what the concept is! Everything

given to them on a plate. From our perspective, we know the public

understand, you borrow in order to create an asset that is then worth

far more, works for individuals, will work for Britain, that is the

kind of vision we want, a vision that rebuilt Britain and does not

let it drift. First Minister, in June last year

you said Labour had no chance of avoiding a general election. Why

have you abandoned ship? I do know that Labour has a better chance of

winning an election than Plaid Cymru does. From our Per Spett if, we will

work hard, -- from our perspective, we will work hard, as I know she

does. In the very same week that you said Labour had no chance of winning

a general election, one of your senior front bench MPs in

Westminster resigned and derided your leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and you

have now appointed him as your election co-ordinated for Wales.

We've seen five different shadow secretaries of state for Wales from

the Labour Party since the last UK collection. Four in the last 12

months. Not only have you abandoned ship, you are all squabbling over

the votes. This is gross incompetence. Do you really expect

people who have trusted your party for so long to have any confidence

in your party's ability to defend Wales? We did last year, Welsh

Labour showed it could defend the people of Wales last year, and Welsh

people voted as they did and we continue to do the same this year.

We will be standing up for Wales in Westminster, we do not want the

Tories to walk all over Wales. Such complacency. People need a national

party of Wales that is going to protect this nation's interests, a

party that will protect this institution, people's jobs and

pensions and the NHS. Labour is in no fit state to defend Wales, and so

the national party of Wales is Plaid Cymru. Tomorrow there will be yet

another vote on scrapping zero hours contracts, it will be the seventh

time we have had a vote on this. Six times, labour and the Tories have

voted together against Plaid Cymru's proposals to end zero hours

contracts. Tell me, First Minister, are you going to make it seven times

tomorrow? Will you again vote with the Tories against Welsh workers and

against the Welsh national interest? It has always been a mess in Plaid

Cymru that they stand for the Welsh national interest, if that was true

they would be doing better in elections than they are. One party

does not have a monopoly on Welsh interests. There will be questions

that affect the general election in this chamber, but people deserve to

have questions asked about what will happen in Wales if you are in the

assembly. We do not support zero hours contracts. She is trying to

suggest that in principle we think they are good thing, we don't. But

for many reasons, there have been issues surrounding what Plaid Cymru

want to do that would jeopardise the passage of legislation. Because of

the lack of clarity over devolved competence. On the reality of the

situation is we have led the way when it comes to getting rid of zero

hours contracts, we have done so in government and in organisations

funded by government. She just talks, we have done. Can I first of

all welcome the new clerk to the assembly, and I look forward to

working with you over the coming months and years that you fill the

role but was so admirably done by Claire Clancy. First Minister, you

have said that you want questions asked of you that are relevant to

this place, and I do want to draw on the auditor general's report last

week on the circuit for Wales and its funding. And in particular the

points about government money. Welsh government money being used to buy a

motorcycle firm in Buckinghamshire that went bankrupt. Is that a good

use of Welsh taxpayers' money? ?300,000 of Welsh taxpayers' money

to buy a motorcycle company in Buckinghamshire that then went

bankrupt. And if it isn't a good use of Welsh taxpayers' money, we

apologise? We had a report last week where Cancer Drugs Fund showed it

wasted ?1 billion of public money, so I won't be lectured on that. The

answer is quite a bit this. Whenever we have a project like the circuit

of Wales, there will be risks, those risks have to be managed acceptably.

The circuit of Wales is still in play, we are looking to see whether

a model can be produced to take the project forward, and we think the

people of Blaenau Gwent can be expected us to do that. Banks lend

money they acknowledge there is a level of risk with that, and it is

the same for government. That is the most bizarre answer in six years

that I have stood here I have received from you, First Minister. I

asked you a simple question about Welsh government money that was used

to buy a motorcycle firm in Buckinghamshire that went bankrupt.

?300,000 that the auditor general in a report released last week, and you

have called to questions that are relevant to you in your role as

First Minister, but you don't believe you need to explain that or

apologise for that fact? Secondly, the report outlined how officials

highlighted two ministers that they believed you would be in breach of

state aid rules by allowing the 7.3 million loan guaranteed to be put in

place, and then drawn down. Officials gave that advice to

ministers, the auditor general could not find any evidence to contradict

that advice that was given to ministers, so why did ministers put

the Welsh government and Welsh taxpayers' money at risk, and

potentially for infringement proceedings by the European

Commission because you up breaking state aid rules? Normally when state

aid rules of breached, it is the recipient pays. We will assess the

situation to see if the risk is acceptable. Two things to be said

about the circuit of Wales. The auditor general has not said that

this is a project not worth supporting. Nor has the auditor

general said that the circuit of Wales is a business organisation

with no assets, contrary to his own MP, David Davis, of what he has

said. Yes, in the course of the development of the circuit of Wales,

there is an assessment of risk. Decisions are taken to accept that

risk if deemed necessary, and then of course we move on to see if the

circuit of Wales can become a reality. That is what governments

do, look at risk and decide if it is acceptable, because ultimately the

prize might be one that is something that is worth having. We are not at

that stage yet, we are still looking to see whether the circuit of Wales

can produce that has a single model. The auditor general was specifically

what he's looking at, the tranche of money that the Welsh covered has

spent to date, ?9.3 million. That is a significant sum of. No one is

disputing that the overall scheme could have a massive impact of

regeneration, but you are accountable for the way money is

allocated. I have highlighted to you two examples in the report. One

buying a motorcycle firm in Buckinghamshire that went bankrupt

for ?300,000. What bids will you accept if you are accepting bids

like that? And two, that you infringe state aid rules by putting

the loan guarantee in place. Both of which you have not apologise for or

you haven't discounted to say it is incorrect. What exactly can we

expect from the Welsh government given that there is a litany of

examples where officials advice were totally ignored and ministers

dispose of high-value land, officials were discounted on the

public lost out through losing money when overall sales were conceded,

and this is the same example were public money has been put in

jeopardy as the auditor general has pointed out. How can we have any

confidence that your government is working positively to either form a

causative conclusion on this agreement, or that you will end up

putting more public money at risk? The agreement is one that we would

want to be positive, we are not looking to put more public money in.

We are willing to work with a private investigator for the future

of these things which is under discussion. I remind the leader of

the Welsh Conservatives that sometimes you have to take a

decision to benefit people in the future. Last week we saw the

decision by Qatar Airways to fly into Cardiff airport. He is

questioning the fact that the Welsh government bought the airport. We

have seen great passenger growth, huge opportunities for Wales as a

result of that. Let him apologise for the fact that he's willing to

put 1000 jobs at risk in the Vale of Glamorgan by letting the airport

close. On top of that, we have unemployment that is lower than

England, lower than Scotland, lower than Northern Ireland. We have a

situation where the five companies that have grown most in Wales over

the past year are companies that we as a Welsh Government have helped,

the fact that we have had the best foreign investment figures in 30

years. We create jobs when the Tories destroy them.

TRANSLATION: What is the Welsh Government doing to support the

housing needs of people in Pembrokeshire? We are making

significant investment in all types of housing in Pembrokeshire and

across Wales. This includes continued investment in social

housing and helped Wales as well, and schemes to make homeownership

more successful and support innovation. Thank you for that

response. I recently met representatives of the housing

association to discuss the housing needs of people in Pembrokeshire

that would mean providing affordable housing for local people with at

least a third of the residents over 50 years of age to bridge between

the generations. So would you agree with me therefore that we should be

encouraging projects of this sort, and if so, can you tell me what

support the Welsh government is providing to projects such as this

one? Of course, it would be interesting if the officials could

meet our officials to understand better the model that they have, and

I'm sure should they want to do that, we would welcome a meeting.

The problem of second homes and holiday homes is a particular

problem in Pembrokeshire as it is in a number of areas that are popular

with visitors and tourists and people looking to retire to those

areas, and it overheats the local housing market in terms of the

income is available to local people, particularly young people, there are

whole streets in Tenby where nobody is living for most of the year. So

what can the Government do to assist in that context? Like Camry has

proposed that planning regulations could be used in certain communities

in order to ensure that there is a change of use when a home leaves a

permanent occupation and becomes a holiday home. Is that a

consideration for Government? This is something that has been discussed

and considered previously, but it is much more difficult in practice

rather than in principle as regards what kind of definition you place on

a second home. But having said that, I understand what the member is

saying about the impact on communities, and we have ensured

that there is more social housing available, and other considerations

have been made such as trusts to acquire land that people can

construct their own home, and also sharing of property equity, and in

the future, we can maybe look at how to purchase houses from the private

market so that the houses are available particularly in villages,

so there are a number of ways in which we can secure a future for

those people who wish to live and remain in those communities, but

perhaps we need to think more imaginatively than the traditional

ways of thinking to date. What assessment has the First Minister

made of the benefit to Wales if the UK Government were to borrow more to

invest at the current low rates? Any increase in public expenditure in

comparable areas would be more money in Wales to support our priorities.

I thank the First Minister for that answer. In household terms, has he

outlined a response to the earlier question, we are used to the idea of

balancing the books, managing income and outgoings, and critically

managing debt, whether on the mortgage on our home or our family

car. Government borrowing is far more complex, but the basic

principles remain, including managing your debt at any given

time, yet classic economics recognises that for Government

roaring there are times, especially when the cost of rain is as low as

it is now, when borrowing can be used to reverse austerity and bring

growth, and by bringing growth, ensuring that the deficit remains at

the same percentage of GDP. So isn't it time, I say to the First

Minister, for the UK Government to change its approach for the good of

the country, for Wales and the UK, or for the good of the country, is

it time to change the UK Government? All governments borrow, Michael --

Margaret Thatcher borrowed every single year, but they use that to

pay the tax decreases, that was unsustainable. The issue is, borrow

money to invest in capital infrastructure, and secondly, borrow

in a way that is prudent so the debt doesn't become unmanageable. The

problem we have the moment is the Government in London is completely

without vision, doesn't know what it wants to do, has no vision for

investment in if a structure. We were promised infrastructure on the

-- electrification of the Southwest mainline, no clarification on HS2,

just dithering from the government when it comes to funding essential

capital in four structure. Countries that do not invest in their

infrastructure decline. They cannot compete with other countries around

the world, and the proper we have the current UK Government is they

are willing to invest. Minister, let's get a little bit of sanity

back into this question, borrowing is of course an important tool in

any government's tool box, important tool for the wealth government,

important tool for the UK Government. -- Welsh government. The

levels of borrowing proposed by the Labour government -- Labour Party in

the UK are I watering, in your heart of hearts, you know that, the last

thing this country needs, the last thing the UK needs, the last thing

that Wales needs is for Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party to ratchet up

the debt once again and for us to end up in the same kind of position

we have been in every time the UK Government has been in power before.

-- the Labour Party has been in government. Britain's best years are

always under Labour, look at where we were the start of the last

decade, much, much better, look at where we are now. We are in a much

better position than we were in the 1980s, when the Tories main

manufacturing product was high unemployment! They took Wales to a

level of unemployment well beyond 10%. We need competent economic

policies, which the Tories have never ever given us. So it is hugely

important we have a UK Government that understands the value of

investment, capital investment, has a vision for the country and doesn't

keep on saying, we need stable and strong leadership, let me tell you,

it involves doing leadership debates, talking to ordinary people,

not having events that are closed off to the regional press, as was

the case in Cornwall today, and a Prime Minister who is strong and not

one who acts as a frightened rabbit! If we followed the logic of the

First Minister, now is the time to take advantage of historically low

interest rates, then why is it that his own government's finance

secretary is limiting the financing through the mutual investment model

to a billion, not increasing it to the 10.5 billion suggested by Gerry

holding, senior adviser to his government, isn't this yet another

example of the Labour Party saying one thing in its British manifesto

and doing a different thing in Wales, that is the kind of hypocrisy

that has given democratic politics a bad name! Says the man described as

the last prophet of Wales, in his election leaflet, who am I to argue!

That is on his leaflet! There you are, he asked a question, the

reality is, 1.5 billion, we will borrow up to a level that is proven,

1.5 billion, in devolved terms, is a prudent level of borrowing.

TRANSLATION: INAUDIBLE

The enterprise zone is an important lever. It is hugely important, we

know the zone is a compelling proposition for investment. Thank

you for that answer, it was established to the closure of the

steelworks following the original decision by Tata to set up a UK

operations. It is important we diversify manufacturing and other

manufacturing within Port Talbot, but it is believed to be within the

Port Talbot enterprising, what analysis as the wealth government

undertaken to consider the impact that building a prison in that

enterprise zone will have on attracting new businesses, and

attracting growth to build a stronger economy based on high-tech

ability. A negative outcome, will fail to sell the land government to

the justice? We have not committed that analysis yet, what I can say,

to reassure him, I have a person my constituency, in fact, built while I

was Ward councillor in my world Jedward. -- I have a prison in my

constituency. It has not had an negative impact at all, it employs a

large number of people locally, it has provided work for a large number

of contractors. While I can well understand some of the constituents

being concerned, and those are represented, the experience in

Bridgend, in fact, a housing estate is being built next to it, as we

speak. The prison becomes integrated into the life of the community and

in fact can be a job creator. The Swansea -based city region, steel,

which has been signed in Swansea, is set to trigger ?1.3 billion worth of

investment in the region, the proximity of the University as you

have mentioned already and the emphasis on steel -based supply

chain within the enterprise zone, the enterprise zone bought also

hopes to create opportunities and promoting innovation and

entrepreneurship in advanced manufacturing and materials, what

kind of help can we expect from wealth government to help the local

steel sector take advantage of RMT, and commercialisation is in those of

the two sectors, in order to protect the economy. -- RND. We have been

working with Swansea University in terms of RND ad we have been working

with Tata to move RND into South Wales, and we want to make sure

there is as much taking basis in Wales as possible. There are great

opportunities therefore Tata, we believe there is great opportunities

with the lagoon, that is widely supported in the chamber, and I do

hope that whatever happens after, we will have the creation of 1000 jobs

in the area, which will be hugely, a huge catalyst in terms of job

creation within the enterprise zone. I heard your response to David

Reese, but I did not hear whether you as First Minister have a

government that would be supporting the prison in for Tolbert, I

recognise what you say about Bridgend, but you will understand,

the prison in Port Talbot, if it is built, will be significantly

overcapacity and is not something that we think will add benefit to

the local economy. -- David Rhys. I have had concerns from local people

with regards to the fact that many of them are trying to rent out space

of over 10,000 square feet input all but, small businesses wanting to

develop, now moving to your area, I'm sure you are pleased to hear

that, but they cannot stay in Port Talbot. Could you not be focusing on

the real everyday issues that small businesses are facing rather than

imposing a super prison on Port Talbot. Prisons are not devolved, we

will examine any and all consequences of building a prison,

so if people are moving to Bridgend and the prison has not -- then the

prison has not affected their decision. We will consider these

things carefully, it is important the UK Government makes very clear

that what it feels the prison can deliver, Rogers capacity but the

local comic, and they will make the case for the prison and we will

examine carefully what the case is. Will the First Minister outline the

wealth government's plans to improve access to primary health care. Yes,

through modernising primary care services we will have access

continuing to approve when local issues arise, local needs will

continue to be met. In my constituency, we have experienced

big problems with GP retention and recruitment, it is of particular

concern in the Rhondda, because we have an ageing population and an

ageing GP population, we saw the closure of 80 surgery last year,

less than a fortnight ago, other surgery patients were told to go out

of the ward, because GP cover could not be arraigned for that particular

day, causing a lot of concern in an area where appointments are

difficult to come by at the best of times. With all the problems in the

NHS in England, why is recruitment such a problem in Wales? Doctor

should be falling over themselves to come and work in Wales but you

failed to capitalise on that situation. Do you also regret that

after 18 years of Labour running the NHS in Wales, we still have one of

the worst patient doctor numbers in the whole of the EU? We have more

GPs than ever before and we are getting to a situation, we are at

the stage, more GPs are coming to work in Wales, hugely important that

the structure of the general practice is attractive, it is a

reality in my mind that more and more GPs want to be salaried, not

buy into a practice, debt from medical school, why would they fork

out more money, it is not an attractive proposition for many of

them. It will be attractive for some, that is the important part of

the NHS for years to come. -- that will be. Because of unforeseen

circumstances cover was not there in the particular instance you

outlined, I can understand people being frustrated about this part of

the practice, but nevertheless, there is a grants surgery there are,

but we have seen a 16% increase in the number of GP places fell so far.

?42 million will be provided additional. And importantly, work is

being taken forward in Cynon Taf, working across practices in one

cluster. Surgery that are quite small and find it difficult to

provide cover, at the level that would be expected these days, are

able to work together in order to provide conference of cover that

people need. Comprehensive cover. Patients need not only access to

good GP surgeries and the GPs but also they need her quality of

access. We all accept and there is a growing recognition that GPs should

be left to deal with the more complex cases and those with

multiple committed to is, and we welcome the growth in having

councillors in GP surgeries, in having palliative care services and

so on. -- comorbidities. I wonder what discussions your government may

have had on extending the appointment time, because if a GP

who is already under enormous pressure as to see a patient with

complex health care issues, comorbidities or, and write up those

notes, the standard ten minutes is a very difficult thing for them to

undertake all that work in. -- or comorbidities. I wonder if your

government has had any consideration of the particular matter? Can I

welcome first of all what the member said about not piling, not piling

all the pressure on GPs, a good number of cases that appear for GPs

don't need a GP, which is why it is hugely important, we choose well, we

see, when practices are taken over, they become multidisciplinary,

people directed to a nurse, to a pharmacist, as appropriate, rather

than everybody piling onto the GP. The challenge for the smaller

practices is to be able to take pressure off themselves, by working

with other practices, to provide more wider and to list it services

between them, so for example, is it reasonable for a season Racing or

had a practice to employ nurses and physiotherapist, no, what working at

other practices, it becomes far more viable for that to happen. But she

does not do this in fairness, it is important to think that primary care

is not just about GPs, it is making sure people get the right level of

care at the right time. You release more time for GPs if you take

pressure off GPs, then they have more time to meet the patients.

Future opportunities for them as Asians relocating to Wales from the

south-east of England? The large proportion of recent investment from

companies headquartered elsewhere in the UK have indeed come from London

and the south-east of England. I thank the First Minister for that

response, does the First Minister support the call from the leader of

Cardiff Council for the UK Government, to the UK Government,

for Channel 4 to be a gated to Cardiff? In view of the success of

the media industry in Cardiff, and as part of the consultation that is

now going on about the future of Channel 4? Yes, I do, very much, it

has a great deal to offer in terms of media services, we have seen huge

growth in the creative industry, not just in Cardiff but we have seen

huge growth in the media in Cardiff, and Cardiff would be an ideal

headquarters for Channel 4. Will the First Minister make a statement...

LAUGHTER On the appropriate magnitude of

borrowing, for Welsh government in the UK context? Is readjusting

myself there, and we will maximise all the tools available to support

the economy and public services in Wales including making best use of

the ?1 billion of borrowing power was secured through the new fiscal

framework. First Minister, whether the question is 1 billion or 1.5

billion of borrowing for Wales, or 500 billion of borrowing for the UK,

your answer seems to be the same, let's borrow, it is cheap. There

seemed to be less consideration to how we would pay back the money, or

what would happen if interest rates go up. Do you seriously believe it

is appropriate for the UK to borrow 300 times as much as Wales, and if

so, is your position any more credible than Jeremy Corbyn's? The

UK has far more physical tools available to it than the Welsh

government in terms of the way in which it can borrow, in terms of

taxation policies available to it, we know that... We know your party

that you said over on that side of the chamber with, we know it will

not roll out a rise in income tax, I appreciate that honesty, but I think

it is right to say that even the Conservative Party is considering

increasing income taxes in order to provide more money the public purse.

-- not rule out. They've been asked several times to rule it out and

several times it has not been ruled out. Borrowing for infrastructure

investment is important, it must be prudent, it must be affordable, what

is affordable for the U:K.'s many times more than what is affordable

for Wales because of the tools at the UK's disposal and its ability to

raise money. Was done in the 40s, when situation was far worse than

this, the infrastructure was rebuilt, the UK got back on its

feet, if it can be done in the 40s, when borrowing rates were higher,

why is it so unreasonable to say it cannot be done now? What assessment

has the First Minister made the impact of trade union 2016, coming

into force in March this year. Our assessment of the trade union act is

that it risks undermining public services and the economy and it is

dangerous and damaging. I thank you for the answer, I share your

opinion, do you agree that by forcing public sector employees to

publish information on facility time, time taken off from work for

-- time taken off work from work duties. We can their rights and

their working conditions, and what First Minister is the Welsh

government doing to help protect workers' rights across Wales? We of

course have taken forward legislation in this assembly to do

just that, in areas we believe our devolved, it is a bureaucratic

imposition, on public sector employers that they have to do this,

it is not something the private sector has required -- is required

to do, also, it seems to indicate somehow the current UK Government

sees public sector workers as somehow not as good as those in the

private sector, that seems to be being seen you Asian, somehow, they

are spending all their time, facilities time, not doing real

work, that is not the case, huge amounts of work goes into the public

sector. -- that seems to be what they are saying. That is why, this

legislation was so unnecessary. What other was government plans for

making Wales a fair work nation? 'S discussion with social partners, so

that more people have access to good work and secure income, today I'm

working with social partners, to establish the establishment of a

fair work commission. He made this announcement in his Labour Party

conference speech back in the spring, and it is disappointing

given developments at UK level that this commission has not been

established. According to the most recent data I have been able to

find, Wales is among the least fair nations in terms of work in these

islands, 45,000 people classed as being low paid self-employed, 60% of

temporary workers want to become or get permanent jobs, 42,000 people

are on zero hours contract. When he eventually gets round to

establishing a fair work commission, can he deliver a commitment that

part of the terms of reference will be to review all previous and

current trade union legislation is related to devolved areas so that we

Wales can take the spirit that the government has shown in raising to

the 2016 trade union Bill, and amend all aggressive anti-trade union

legislation. I would not like to prejudge the discussion tomorrow,

but I take on board one he has said, it is hugely important that we get

support and buy in from all sectors of industry as we look at fair work.

In addition to working with social partners I have already asked the

public policy to undertake work, specifically in terms of defining

what fair work is. We have an idea of what it looks like, but it is

important to define it as strongly as possible in order for the

commission's work to be effective. STUDIO: That was this afternoon's

First Minister's Questions, if you want more coverage of the National

Assembly, go to the website. Also plenty there on the local

elections ahead of Thursday's vote, and the latest on the ongoing

general election campaign. Don't forget, for all the latest political

news and election watching, watch Wales today later on today at 6:30pm

on BBC One Wales. -- Wales Today. From all of us, on First Minister's

Questions, thanks for watching, goodbye.

The country's best chefs go head-to-head...

The old gloves are off now, aren't they?

..for a chance to cook at the Wimbledon Banquet.

There'll be a couple of hours of just fantastic music, really,