Browse content similar to 06/06/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Good afternoon. Welcome to the programme, and our weekly coverage | :00:20. | :00:25. | |
of questions to the First Minister. The final question session ahead of | :00:26. | :00:29. | |
Thursday's general election. Assembly Members have just returned | :00:30. | :00:33. | |
from a half term break. No doubt many of them were out working the | :00:34. | :00:37. | |
campaign trail. I do expect Thursday's vote to pop up. We will | :00:38. | :00:41. | |
also have a statement from the First Minister on recent terror attacks. | :00:42. | :00:45. | |
You can follow all the latest on Welsh politics on the Twitter feed. | :00:46. | :00:52. | |
Business in the chamber is already under way. Let's look at the | :00:53. | :00:58. | |
session. TRANSLATION: I called the National Assembly to order. Firstly, | :00:59. | :01:02. | |
it is my sad duty to date, as it was this time a fortnight ago, to extend | :01:03. | :01:07. | |
my condolences on the half of all Assembly Members to those affected | :01:08. | :01:13. | |
by another terrorist attack. This time, in London. Once again, this | :01:14. | :01:23. | |
was a cowardly and brutal attack. I invite the First Minister to make a | :01:24. | :01:27. | |
statement. It is with the greatest sadness that we find ourselves again | :01:28. | :01:31. | |
pausing our proceedings to pay tribute to our fellow citizens and, | :01:32. | :01:36. | |
of course, visitors from abroad, who were caught up in the atrocities in | :01:37. | :01:42. | |
London on Saturday night. The great cruelty of this terrorism is its | :01:43. | :01:46. | |
random nature. People of malign intent can strike anywhere and they | :01:47. | :01:52. | |
do not need sophisticated weapons to inflict their cruelty. The area | :01:53. | :01:57. | |
around London Bridge and Borough Market will be familiar to many of | :01:58. | :02:02. | |
us, just as in Manchester, the week before, the terrorists chose to | :02:03. | :02:06. | |
strike mostly young people going about their weekend leisure | :02:07. | :02:14. | |
activities. The terrorists can never win. This is a free country and | :02:15. | :02:18. | |
people live how they choose to live, in peace, and according to law. | :02:19. | :02:21. | |
Nobody has the right to tell anyone else how to live. No one has, | :02:22. | :02:28. | |
either, the right, of course, to threaten or to intimidate. An attack | :02:29. | :02:35. | |
on any of us is an attack on all of us. We stand together and we will | :02:36. | :02:43. | |
continue to live in freedom. I have written to the Mayor of London, | :02:44. | :02:47. | |
Sadiq Khan, to express condolences and solidarity of the Welsh people. | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
I know that I speak for this chamber and the people of Wales as a whole | :02:53. | :02:57. | |
when I say that we stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with London. | :02:58. | :03:06. | |
TRANSLATION: Thank you, First Minister, for speaking on behalf of | :03:07. | :03:12. | |
us all. The first item of business, therefore, is questions to the First | :03:13. | :03:16. | |
Minister. The first question is from Jenni Russell one. What is the First | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
Minister's assessment for the invocations for Wales of no trade | :03:22. | :03:25. | |
deal with the EU? Well, no deal is the worst deal. We know that no deal | :03:26. | :03:33. | |
would mean trading under World Trade Organisation rules. Nobody wants | :03:34. | :03:36. | |
that on either side of the debate. We know that would put in place | :03:37. | :03:39. | |
significant barriers to Welsh exports into our biggest and most | :03:40. | :03:46. | |
important market. Thank you, First Minister. I find it difficult to | :03:47. | :03:50. | |
understand how Theresa May continues to say that no deal would be better | :03:51. | :03:56. | |
than a bad deal. I struggle to understand what the difference is. | :03:57. | :04:00. | |
This is something that journalists don't seem to have asked her, or | :04:01. | :04:03. | |
don't have the opportunity to ask her. I have read that some experts | :04:04. | :04:10. | |
say it could cost as much as ?45 billion if we crash out of the EU, | :04:11. | :04:14. | |
compared with half of that if we come out with a negotiated deal. | :04:15. | :04:20. | |
What is the First Minister's assessment of what would happen to | :04:21. | :04:26. | |
Wales and Welsh trade with Europe if there is no deal? Well, 67% of | :04:27. | :04:32. | |
exports go to the European market. Any obstacle that would be faced by | :04:33. | :04:40. | |
exporters is bound to be bad for them. The extra costs are bound to | :04:41. | :04:45. | |
be bad for them. That is why it is hugely important that Brexit is | :04:46. | :04:48. | |
handled in a realistic way, not the naivete that we have seen from some | :04:49. | :04:54. | |
saying, well, the Germans will never allow WTO rules to operate. I think | :04:55. | :04:57. | |
there has to be realism. Above all else, we have to secure a Brexit | :04:58. | :05:03. | |
that is a sensible Brexit and, above all else, one that does not affect | :05:04. | :05:06. | |
in a negative way the economy of Wales. I am sure you agree that we | :05:07. | :05:13. | |
should be aiming for a good deal, a good deal for the United Kingdom, a | :05:14. | :05:18. | |
good deal for Wales and a good deal for the European Union. I am very | :05:19. | :05:21. | |
confident that is what will happen. Can I just refer you to the UK | :05:22. | :05:28. | |
economic outlook published in November 2016, which did identify, | :05:29. | :05:33. | |
and this was on the trends before Brexit, that exports to EU markets | :05:34. | :05:41. | |
were likely to go down to about 37% by 2030. That's the UK figure, not | :05:42. | :05:47. | |
just Wales. It's very important we develop markets outside Europe that | :05:48. | :05:50. | |
are closest to us, particularly North America, Africa and the Middle | :05:51. | :05:54. | |
East. I hope that your trade policy will focus on these markets, as well | :05:55. | :05:59. | |
as, of course, taking advantage of whatever the relationships we now | :06:00. | :06:04. | |
secure with the EU. Very much so. We work with markets anywhere and | :06:05. | :06:09. | |
everywhere for Welsh produce. When I was Rural Affairs Minister, I spent | :06:10. | :06:14. | |
much of my time getting Welsh lamb export it to the United Arab | :06:15. | :06:16. | |
Emirates, and we know that Welsh lamb is exported around the world. | :06:17. | :06:21. | |
We should not think it is a choice between accessing the European | :06:22. | :06:24. | |
market or accessing other markets. The European market is much bigger | :06:25. | :06:28. | |
than the US market and the US is further away. The EU, it will share | :06:29. | :06:33. | |
a land border with us. The European market will continue to be our most | :06:34. | :06:37. | |
important market for many years to come, which is why it is important | :06:38. | :06:40. | |
to get a good deal that benefits all and, above all else, allows us to | :06:41. | :06:50. | |
sell without obstacle. TRANSLATION: Thank you, according to the leaflet | :06:51. | :06:54. | |
I received from the Liberal Democrats on Monday in Aberystwyth, | :06:55. | :06:57. | |
we Plaid Cymru, and Labour are in bed with the Tories and Ukip on the | :06:58. | :07:04. | |
hard Brexit deal. I would be interested to know what kind of | :07:05. | :07:07. | |
Cabinet discussions you have had with the Liberal Democrats on | :07:08. | :07:11. | |
achieving this extreme Brexit. In the hope that you are not going to | :07:12. | :07:16. | |
deliver that, can I ask you how we can get to a position where tariff | :07:17. | :07:22. | |
free access to single markets, from agriculture to manufacturing in | :07:23. | :07:25. | |
Wales, with our partners in Europe, can be achieved without maintaining | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
some sort of membership of the single market? TRANSLATION: I don't | :07:30. | :07:35. | |
want to fear in the politics of Ceredigion. I did see what Mark | :07:36. | :07:41. | |
Williams had said. I don't accuse Plaid Cymru of being in favour of an | :07:42. | :07:48. | |
extreme Brexit at all. But how can we ensure that an extreme Brexit | :07:49. | :07:54. | |
doesn't happen when the white paper shows away, and it has been agreed | :07:55. | :07:59. | |
between three parties in this place. To me, that demonstrates, or shows | :08:00. | :08:05. | |
the way forward. As regards how Brexit should be implemented over | :08:06. | :08:11. | |
the ensuing years. TRANSLATION: Question to Adam Price. Does the | :08:12. | :08:14. | |
Welsh government have all the information it needs an how to make | :08:15. | :08:22. | |
a decision to provide the financial support required? We are awaiting | :08:23. | :08:26. | |
reports from advisers to complete the due diligence process. We will | :08:27. | :08:29. | |
be in the position to take a decision before the end of the | :08:30. | :08:35. | |
month. I think people will draw their own conclusion on why this | :08:36. | :08:39. | |
decision has been pushed beyond the general election. On the wider | :08:40. | :08:44. | |
theme... On the wider theme of openness, I have been told in | :08:45. | :08:51. | |
written answers by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Structure And | :08:52. | :08:55. | |
Skills, that the idea of an 85% government guarantee, the heart of | :08:56. | :09:00. | |
the proposal that was rejected last year, was first suggested by the | :09:01. | :09:05. | |
company in mid-April 20 16. That is not accurate, First Minister. It was | :09:06. | :09:09. | |
your government, with the direct knowledge of your own private | :09:10. | :09:15. | |
office, that suggested this as an alternative to a 100% guarantee in | :09:16. | :09:18. | |
the first week of April. Will you now take the opportunity to correct | :09:19. | :09:23. | |
the record? I can say that the model that is being examined now is not | :09:24. | :09:27. | |
that the model, it is a wholly different model. He makes the | :09:28. | :09:30. | |
insinuation that somehow this has been pushed back, for some insidious | :09:31. | :09:38. | |
reason. I can tell him, unlike him, we carry out due diligence. People | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
expect that. They want to be sure. We want to see it delivered, but it | :09:43. | :09:46. | |
has to be delivered on a sustainable basis. They would expect us to look | :09:47. | :09:49. | |
at this very carefully to make sure the project stands upon its own for | :09:50. | :09:54. | |
years to come. We have received the majority of reports already. The | :09:55. | :09:57. | |
remaining reports, we expect to see in the course of this week. There is | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
no strange thing going on there. That is because we awaited further | :10:02. | :10:05. | |
information from the Heads Of The Valleys Information Commission | :10:06. | :10:14. | |
beforehand. Officials are preparing a conference of report. There will | :10:15. | :10:17. | |
be a Cabinet paper drafted and the decision will be taken before the | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
end of the month. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, I | :10:23. | :10:25. | |
very much welcome your positive statement about wanting the circuit | :10:26. | :10:29. | |
to succeed. As you are aware, some of the biggest names in automotive | :10:30. | :10:33. | |
engineering and research have written to you. Aston Martin, TVR, | :10:34. | :10:39. | |
demonstrating confidence in the project and urging a swift and | :10:40. | :10:42. | |
positive decision. Are you able to confirm what date the Cabinet is | :10:43. | :10:47. | |
likely to meet to make a decision on this? I would expect the Cabinet to | :10:48. | :10:50. | |
meet in the course of the next fortnight, with the decision taken | :10:51. | :10:53. | |
at a Cabinet meeting. That is the plan at this moment in time. We want | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
to get this dealt with, obviously. The people of Gwent want to as well. | :10:58. | :11:02. | |
I understand the great enthusiasm of the project. We have to make sure | :11:03. | :11:07. | |
that the project stacks up on its own, that the level of risk is | :11:08. | :11:12. | |
acceptable, that there is input from the private sector. That is what we | :11:13. | :11:16. | |
have been working with, with the Circuit of Wales team. We want to be | :11:17. | :11:20. | |
in a position where we can look at a sustainable model in a fortnight's | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
time. What I would like to do is deliver the circuit of Wales but we | :11:25. | :11:29. | |
have to make sure the model is robust. That is the point we are at | :11:30. | :11:41. | |
now. On the 17th of May, he stated that due diligence is an important | :11:42. | :11:46. | |
part of concentration in financing every project and he would not short | :11:47. | :11:51. | |
cut that process. Recently it was claimed that the Service of Wales | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
project could be lost to Scotland if the Welsh government did not make a | :11:57. | :12:00. | |
decision soon. Will you confirm the scaremongering such as this will not | :12:01. | :12:05. | |
result in decision-making taking place until the most rigorous | :12:06. | :12:10. | |
assessment of the viability and economic benefit of this project has | :12:11. | :12:14. | |
been made or completed by your government? People would expect us | :12:15. | :12:21. | |
as a government to examine any project, particularly one with this | :12:22. | :12:28. | |
importance and size, very, very much in great detail, to make sure we are | :12:29. | :12:32. | |
satisfied, if we are being asked to deliver support. Private sector | :12:33. | :12:35. | |
investors would do exactly the same thing. On these benches, we want to | :12:36. | :12:41. | |
see the project move forward. It is important for all concerned, | :12:42. | :12:44. | |
including people of Blaenau Gwent, that the fullest examination of the | :12:45. | :12:47. | |
proposal is done, in order to provide reassurance for the future. | :12:48. | :12:52. | |
TRANSLATION: Questions from the party leaders. Thank you Presiding | :12:53. | :13:00. | |
Officer. Could I identify myself with the comments you made about the | :13:01. | :13:04. | |
tragedies in London earlier on in the week. Obviously we do stand | :13:05. | :13:07. | |
shoulder to shoulder with the citizens of London and Manchester | :13:08. | :13:11. | |
and ultimately, by getting about our normal way of life, we are defeating | :13:12. | :13:17. | |
these terrorists, these thugs, who are inflicting such terrible, | :13:18. | :13:20. | |
terrible tragedies on some of our communities and whilst we might live | :13:21. | :13:23. | |
in Wales, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the communities in | :13:24. | :13:26. | |
London and anywhere elsewhere people feel under threat. I would like to | :13:27. | :13:30. | |
ask you, with that in mind, that the general election now on Thursday, | :13:31. | :13:34. | |
obviously people will be voting on commitments made by the parties. You | :13:35. | :13:39. | |
yesterday in your role as First Minister said Labour, if they were | :13:40. | :13:42. | |
to win on Thursday, would get rid of the Barnett formula. Yet today, | :13:43. | :13:47. | |
we've had Scottish Labour firmly coming out and saying that there are | :13:48. | :13:51. | |
no plans to get rid of the Barnett formula. Who's right? I've spoke ton | :13:52. | :14:00. | |
Kezia Dugdale. We know the Conservatives will take money away | :14:01. | :14:05. | |
from both Wales and Scotland. The situation is simply this: That upon | :14:06. | :14:10. | |
the election of a Labour Government, Barnett would remain in place in the | :14:11. | :14:14. | |
short-term. There would then be a long-term funding formula put in | :14:15. | :14:17. | |
place according to the needs of the nations and regions of the UK, | :14:18. | :14:21. | |
ensuring that no part of the UK is unfairly disadvantaged. Barnett will | :14:22. | :14:25. | |
come to an end at that time. I wonder where the commitment from the | :14:26. | :14:29. | |
Conservatives is to ensure fair funding from Wales. As well you | :14:30. | :14:34. | |
know, the agreement between the Welsh and Westminster Government put | :14:35. | :14:38. | |
the funding floor in place warmly endorsed by your Finance Minister | :14:39. | :14:40. | |
only in December last year. 13 years, due nothing. That's not quite | :14:41. | :14:44. | |
what the Scottish Conservatives are saying. I offered you the | :14:45. | :14:46. | |
opportunity to actually clarify your position. Because you were very | :14:47. | :14:52. | |
robust last night saying that the Barnett formula would be scrapped. | :14:53. | :14:56. | |
What the Scottish Labour Party are saying is that there will be no | :14:57. | :15:01. | |
scrapping of the Barnett formula this is their words, not to scrap | :15:02. | :15:05. | |
the Barnett formula and all that is merely proposed in the next | :15:06. | :15:08. | |
Parliament, these are their words, a long-term scone saltation to -- | :15:09. | :15:13. | |
consultation to look at the public expenditure that comes from | :15:14. | :15:16. | |
Westminster tone sure it reflects the nations and regions of the | :15:17. | :15:18. | |
United Kingdom. That's their words, that is. That isn't getting rid of | :15:19. | :15:22. | |
the Barnett formula at all. Aren't you misleading the people of Wales | :15:23. | :15:27. | |
with your comments yesterday? That is exactly what it means. . If there | :15:28. | :15:31. | |
is a new formula in place that is the end of Barnett. In the | :15:32. | :15:35. | |
short-term it would remain because nothing else would be in place. We | :15:36. | :15:39. | |
want to ensure Wales receives fair funding. The UK Government | :15:40. | :15:42. | |
resolutely refused to look at funding as far as Wales is | :15:43. | :15:45. | |
concerned. It was a compromise position. We have never changed our | :15:46. | :15:49. | |
position as a Government that the Barnett formula has run towards the | :15:50. | :15:52. | |
ends of its life and now is the time to start planning for a new formula | :15:53. | :15:56. | |
that will reflect the proper needs of the nations and regions of the UK | :15:57. | :15:59. | |
as they are now, not as they were in 1979. First Minister you were very | :16:00. | :16:05. | |
clear last night saying thaw were scrapping the Barnett formula full | :16:06. | :16:07. | |
stop. There was no equivocation around that. You were saying that | :16:08. | :16:11. | |
last night on the television and through the news. Scottish Labour | :16:12. | :16:14. | |
Party are saying clearly there will be no scrapping of the Barnett | :16:15. | :16:18. | |
formula. How on earth can anyone take any of the pledges that you are | :16:19. | :16:23. | |
making seriously, when you are being caught out in the last week of this | :16:24. | :16:31. | |
campaign? And ultimately... The Labour Party... Let him continue his | :16:32. | :16:39. | |
question. Ultimately the funding of public services is a vital | :16:40. | :16:42. | |
consideration for the electorate on Thursday. We have put a funding | :16:43. | :16:47. | |
floor in place. With agreement of the Welsh Government that guarantees | :16:48. | :16:52. | |
that funding in Wales will not go under ?115 for every ?100 spent in | :16:53. | :16:56. | |
England. You said yesterday that Labour Party policy was to get rid | :16:57. | :17:00. | |
of the Barnett formula. Scottish Labour are saying that is not the | :17:01. | :17:04. | |
case. Isn't it a fact that all Labour policies are just built on | :17:05. | :17:10. | |
sand First Minister? Isn't it a shame that he will not support a | :17:11. | :17:13. | |
situation where Wales gets the funding it deserves. Isn't it a | :17:14. | :17:18. | |
shame. That tells you the way he thinks. Isn't it a shame he was not | :17:19. | :17:22. | |
there to make these points in subsequent debates on television. | :17:23. | :17:27. | |
I'm sure it was possible to see a live broadcast from grand anaira to | :17:28. | :17:33. | |
ensure his view was put forward - Canaria. As he rightly said the | :17:34. | :17:37. | |
Secretary of State was unwilling to take part in the third debate | :17:38. | :17:40. | |
because he pulled out because I was in it. That's what we heard. He was | :17:41. | :17:44. | |
not willing to come and debate and other leaders as well and to put | :17:45. | :17:48. | |
forward the Conservative case. He has some brass neck to come before | :17:49. | :17:53. | |
this chamber and say somehow these are a shambles on these benches, | :17:54. | :17:56. | |
when on three different occasions the Tories couldn't even field the | :17:57. | :17:59. | |
same person in three different debates. So lacking in confidence | :18:00. | :18:04. | |
were they in their own case. We've seen over the past few days shambles | :18:05. | :18:10. | |
after shambles after shambles in the Conservative Party. I invite him to | :18:11. | :18:14. | |
read the UK Labour manifesto and it's absolutely clear what it says | :18:15. | :18:19. | |
there will be a new funding formula that reflects the needs of different | :18:20. | :18:22. | |
nations and regions of the UK, a commitment we have made, a | :18:23. | :18:30. | |
commitment his party has run from. TRANSLATION: Plaid Cymru leader | :18:31. | :18:34. | |
Leanne Wood. First Minister, on Thursday people will go to the polls | :18:35. | :18:37. | |
in what is a very important election. It's been noted how you've | :18:38. | :18:43. | |
air brushed your UK party leader out of your campaign. And how you have | :18:44. | :18:51. | |
issued a separate manifesto there are two Labour manifestos, three if | :18:52. | :18:56. | |
you count the Scottish manifesto that was referred to earlier. In the | :18:57. | :19:03. | |
interests of openness, transparency and honesty, just before people cast | :19:04. | :19:07. | |
their votes on Thursday, will you tell us are Labour MPs elected in | :19:08. | :19:14. | |
Wales next Thursday bound by the commitments in your manifesto or by | :19:15. | :19:19. | |
the commitments in your UK Labour leader's manifesto? By the Welsh | :19:20. | :19:23. | |
Labour manifesto. Because there is no dichotomy between the two. The | :19:24. | :19:27. | |
leader of Plaid Cymru might have noticed that devolution occurred in | :19:28. | :19:30. | |
1999. On that basis it's not possible for political parties who | :19:31. | :19:33. | |
have a presence in the different nations of the UK to produce a | :19:34. | :19:37. | |
manifesto that's exactly the same. We reflect the reality of | :19:38. | :19:40. | |
devolution. That's exactly what we've done in our manifesto. There | :19:41. | :19:44. | |
is no contradiction in terms of the Welsh Labour manifesto and the UK | :19:45. | :19:48. | |
Labour manifesto, save in areas that are devolved, where the decisions | :19:49. | :19:51. | |
regarding those policies are made here. You say there are no | :19:52. | :19:55. | |
differences. First Minister, there are differences - Name one. Ail' | :19:56. | :20:00. | |
come back to one -- I'll come back to that. Your party leader has been | :20:01. | :20:05. | |
described variously as the man who broke the Labour Party, that was | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
Chris Bryant, a lunatic at the top of the Labour, that was Owen Smith. | :20:10. | :20:15. | |
Hard left and out of touch with the electorate, that was Stephen | :20:16. | :20:19. | |
Kinnock. Would you like to associate yourself with any of those | :20:20. | :20:23. | |
statements about your leader or would you like to take this | :20:24. | :20:27. | |
opportunity to distance yourself from the views of those Welsh Labour | :20:28. | :20:32. | |
candidates. Let me make it very clear. Jeremy Corbyn will make an | :20:33. | :20:36. | |
excellent Prime Minister. He will offer hope for Britain as opposed to | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
the endless succession of Tory cuts that we have seen from the benches | :20:41. | :20:44. | |
opposite. We would see a Government that would take Britain forward, | :20:45. | :20:49. | |
would deliver a proper devolved settlement for Wales based on the | :20:50. | :20:52. | |
legislation we have put forward, while at the same time we see Plaid | :20:53. | :20:56. | |
Cymru looking at creating a coalition with the Tories in Conwy. | :20:57. | :21:03. | |
LAUGHTER They always trot that one out don't | :21:04. | :21:07. | |
they when they've got nothing left. We do. You must be very desperate - | :21:08. | :21:15. | |
We do. OK, we do need to hear what's being asked and the answers, so | :21:16. | :21:19. | |
let's all calm down and look forward to next week. I want to come back to | :21:20. | :21:25. | |
this point about the differences in the manifestos between you and your | :21:26. | :21:31. | |
UK Labour leader's. Zero hours contracts banned, tuition fees | :21:32. | :21:34. | |
scrapped, the railways in public hands, that's what's in the UK | :21:35. | :21:38. | |
manifesto. Labour is in power here and none of these policies have been | :21:39. | :21:44. | |
implemented. Can we get a commitment from you now that you will give your | :21:45. | :21:51. | |
unmitigated support to those policies now that it's official | :21:52. | :21:56. | |
policy of your party or are you accepting that you are about to | :21:57. | :22:01. | |
mislead the electorate on Thursday? There's nothing more misleading than | :22:02. | :22:05. | |
a party that says we want more money from Westminster, at the same time | :22:06. | :22:08. | |
says - we want independence from Westminster. There is a fundamental | :22:09. | :22:13. | |
contradiction. She asks three questions. First, if the money is | :22:14. | :22:16. | |
made available to us to look again at student finance, we will do so. | :22:17. | :22:20. | |
Zero hours contracts are in the main not devolved. We do not support zero | :22:21. | :22:26. | |
hours contracts. We as a party want to make sure that we see a society | :22:27. | :22:30. | |
that is fair, that is just and where people have the opportunities they | :22:31. | :22:34. | |
need to flourish in the future. You're being dishonest. Only a | :22:35. | :22:37. | |
Labour Government in the UK can do that. Plaid Cymru can deliver | :22:38. | :22:45. | |
nothing. This is dishonest. I'm sure I will carry the First | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
Minister with me if nothing it has proved the time for political point | :22:51. | :22:57. | |
scoring has long passed. We should concentrate on building a successful | :22:58. | :23:01. | |
economic future for Wales collectively, supporting other | :23:02. | :23:04. | |
parties where that's necessary. To that extent I'd like to refer back | :23:05. | :23:09. | |
to the question which Adam Price asked immediately before party | :23:10. | :23:13. | |
leaders questions. I take what the First Minister said in response to | :23:14. | :23:19. | |
his supplementary about how the Government must conduct proper due | :23:20. | :23:24. | |
diligence of the current proposal. But they ordered a general's report | :23:25. | :23:28. | |
on the initial funding this project and it contains a catalogue of | :23:29. | :23:32. | |
opportunities for due diligence to be conducted over the last five | :23:33. | :23:35. | |
years, starting with the calling in of the planning application in 2012, | :23:36. | :23:43. | |
which was approved by Karl Sergeant because of the economic benefits. In | :23:44. | :23:48. | |
2014, we had the initial funding of ?16 million for the development of | :23:49. | :23:52. | |
the project. Then we had a public inquiry on the deregistration of the | :23:53. | :23:58. | |
common land. In April 2016, Edwina Heart rejected the first guarantee | :23:59. | :24:03. | |
application. In July 2016, Ken Skates rejected the second guarantee | :24:04. | :24:07. | |
proposal, which then led to intensive discussions with officials | :24:08. | :24:10. | |
on a variety of important issues. Then this year, in January, we had | :24:11. | :24:15. | |
the fully funded term sheets provided by the company. We were | :24:16. | :24:21. | |
told due diligence were to last three to four weeks. It's been | :24:22. | :24:24. | |
extended further and the First Minister today has given us I hope | :24:25. | :24:28. | |
an end date for the consideration. We've endless due diligence and I | :24:29. | :24:31. | |
know that the Auditor General has made a number of important | :24:32. | :24:34. | |
criticisms of the process. I don't want to go into that now because I | :24:35. | :24:38. | |
want to see this project succeed. I hope at the end of the day that the | :24:39. | :24:42. | |
Welsh Government is going to give it the go ahead. Does he not think that | :24:43. | :24:47. | |
this torturous process is far too long, even though this is a massive | :24:48. | :24:53. | |
project for the future. Its transformative potential is so great | :24:54. | :24:57. | |
we should have got on with this much more diligently as we have. Due | :24:58. | :25:04. | |
diligence wouldn't have occurred during the planning application | :25:05. | :25:07. | |
point. They are applications not to do with the robustness or not of a | :25:08. | :25:10. | |
particular business. That comes later on. I make no apologies for | :25:11. | :25:14. | |
the due diligence process. It is robust. It has taken longer than we | :25:15. | :25:18. | |
would have wanted, because information has had to be sought at | :25:19. | :25:22. | |
certain points. That information has been provided. I've given a date to | :25:23. | :25:26. | |
members by which we want to take that decision now. I would like to | :25:27. | :25:30. | |
see this project proceed, but it has to proceed on a basis that is | :25:31. | :25:33. | |
sustainable and where the risk to the public purse is acceptable. | :25:34. | :25:38. | |
I thank the First Minister for that reply. I see on the BBC website | :25:39. | :25:43. | |
today that the Government has been in talks with a view to getting the | :25:44. | :25:48. | |
golf Open championships to come to Wales and the Tour De France as | :25:49. | :25:52. | |
well. Also a possibility if the Brussels state is not ready in time | :25:53. | :25:55. | |
that euro 2020 could be held in Wales. I would support the | :25:56. | :26:00. | |
Government's interest in that. Ken Skates has quite rightly said that | :26:01. | :26:05. | |
Wales has greet potential to host major new events that haven't yet | :26:06. | :26:08. | |
been to Wales. The circuit of Wales has already got the contract for the | :26:09. | :26:12. | |
motor Grand Prix. That's yet another opportunity for us in Wales to show | :26:13. | :26:17. | |
what we can do as a host for major world sports project. Therefore, | :26:18. | :26:23. | |
this fits into the Government's overall objective for making Wales a | :26:24. | :26:26. | |
major international sports venue. That's another reason for us to see | :26:27. | :26:31. | |
the success of this project. I can only repeat what I've already said | :26:32. | :26:35. | |
to him that of course, we recognise the potential of the circuit. I've | :26:36. | :26:38. | |
said that it's something we would want to support. It has to be based | :26:39. | :26:43. | |
on a model that works well for private and public investors. It's | :26:44. | :26:46. | |
also important to note that there is no request for any public money to | :26:47. | :26:50. | |
be invested in this project up front. All that is being sought is a | :26:51. | :26:56. | |
guarantee, which say comer smal guarantee which the -- commercial | :26:57. | :27:00. | |
guarantee, which will be called only as and when all the construction on | :27:01. | :27:05. | |
the site is completed. So there will be physical assets against which the | :27:06. | :27:12. | |
loan can be secured. And on an annual basis the maximum risk to the | :27:13. | :27:16. | |
Welsh Government is said to be 8. 5 to ?9 million a year, for a limited | :27:17. | :27:22. | |
period of time. The risk is secured on 100% of the assets but the | :27:23. | :27:26. | |
guarantee is going to apply to less than half of the value of those | :27:27. | :27:30. | |
assets. On the face of it, this looks a very good deal. Whilst I | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
appreciate we have to go through to the due diligence process, it is, I | :27:36. | :27:39. | |
think, of vital importance to the economic prosperity, not just of | :27:40. | :27:42. | |
south-east Wales, but the whole of South Wales that this project gets | :27:43. | :27:47. | |
the go ahead. This is all being considered as part of the due | :27:48. | :27:51. | |
diligence process. There's no difference to my mind in being asked | :27:52. | :27:55. | |
to provide money up front and being asked to provide the guarantee. The | :27:56. | :27:58. | |
commitment is the same. Indeed with a guarantee, there is a need for | :27:59. | :28:02. | |
more robustness in terms of making sure that guarantee is unlikely to | :28:03. | :28:09. | |
be called on. It's important that as much is done to minimise any reck to | :28:10. | :28:15. | |
the public purse. That's what -- risk to the public purse. That's | :28:16. | :28:20. | |
part of this process. It's a project that has potential. This has helped | :28:21. | :28:26. | |
the circuit themselves. A robust testing process of their model is | :28:27. | :28:30. | |
good for them. They are able then to think carefully about what they | :28:31. | :28:32. | |
think will be sustainable in the longer term. On that basis, we look | :28:33. | :28:35. | |
forward now, when all the information is in, we trust this | :28:36. | :28:38. | |
week, to be able to take a decision over the next two, three weeks. | :28:39. | :28:43. | |
TRANSLATION: Question three. TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister | :28:44. | :28:52. | |
make a statement on transport? Lie we are committed to investing in a | :28:53. | :28:56. | |
modern and high quality integrated transport systems, to ensure it is a | :28:57. | :29:09. | |
connected part of the economy. TRANSLATION: It is to map and a half | :29:10. | :29:12. | |
years since it was confirmed to me that work was ongoing to improve | :29:13. | :29:19. | |
links to the port of Holyhead, where there are major traffic jams, | :29:20. | :29:22. | |
particularly where lorries tried to leave the port. People ask me often | :29:23. | :29:27. | |
when they will see this road completed and I share their concerns | :29:28. | :29:33. | |
about the delays. That connection was never truly completed. It was | :29:34. | :29:42. | |
built to the surrounds of the port, but not in and out. I understand we | :29:43. | :29:45. | |
need other investments in the port. I would appreciate a sign of | :29:46. | :29:52. | |
commitment from the Government to proceed with renovation work on the | :29:53. | :30:02. | |
barrage or the corporate, but can we have a short-term commitment that | :30:03. | :30:04. | |
this crucial connection will see the light of day? In line with the | :30:05. | :30:10. | |
aspirations of people living in that part of Holyhead, who are concerned | :30:11. | :30:15. | |
that there is a risk in the current situation, as well as it being a | :30:16. | :30:20. | |
useless. TRANSLATION: Discussions have taken place with Network Rail | :30:21. | :30:23. | |
on this. The Minister has been involved in those. This is part of | :30:24. | :30:29. | |
the considerations and the developments of the port itself, | :30:30. | :30:31. | |
and, of course, as regards the island and we are looking at a third | :30:32. | :30:43. | |
crossing on the Menai Strait. The next phase of development has begun | :30:44. | :30:47. | |
and a route will be declared in May 20 18. That is progressing in the | :30:48. | :30:55. | |
way we would expect. You referred to the third and a crossing -- third | :30:56. | :31:07. | |
Menai crossing. Proposals including a new bridge did not go forward. You | :31:08. | :31:14. | |
said last May that you promised to make the third crossing your | :31:15. | :31:17. | |
priority for North Wales if you form a government. Of course, your | :31:18. | :31:20. | |
government announced before Christmas last year that it had | :31:21. | :31:25. | |
appointed consultants to look at routes for proposed new crossing to | :31:26. | :31:32. | |
Anglesey, which could begin by 2021 if it gets the go-ahead. Can you | :31:33. | :31:35. | |
provide an assurance that we're not going to get a rerun of 2007, when | :31:36. | :31:41. | |
we had similar assurances after a commissioned report was produced for | :31:42. | :31:46. | |
the Welsh government, and that you envisage that going ahead in | :31:47. | :31:55. | |
relation to the way it currently does? We have the announcement of a | :31:56. | :32:00. | |
preferred route in May 20 18. The aim is to see the third Menai | :32:01. | :32:08. | |
crossing opened in 2022. Will the First Minister provide an update on | :32:09. | :32:11. | |
discussions the Welsh government has had regarding the Ford plans. They | :32:12. | :32:17. | |
are ongoing. I met with the CEO of Ford Europe before Christmas. We are | :32:18. | :32:21. | |
aware of plans for the facility and are working closely with | :32:22. | :32:25. | |
stakeholders to guarantee the future of the site. In March, your Cabinet | :32:26. | :32:30. | |
Secretary told us that Ford management said that employment | :32:31. | :32:32. | |
numbers would remain broadly the same until 2021. He also said he | :32:33. | :32:39. | |
thought that Ford management could communicate better with members | :32:40. | :32:41. | |
regarding long-term objectives for the plant. Can you tell us whether | :32:42. | :32:44. | |
they have kept you informed whether there have been any falls in order | :32:45. | :32:50. | |
numbers? If there have been, how has the guaranteed work it numbered been | :32:51. | :32:56. | |
deployed, given that they will have individual expertise, and if they | :32:57. | :33:00. | |
have been getting regular updates on the long-term objective and | :33:01. | :33:04. | |
achievement against that? There are a number of possibilities being | :33:05. | :33:07. | |
explored. We shouldn't forget that in September of last year, Ford | :33:08. | :33:11. | |
announced it would invest 100 million in the plant until 2018. It | :33:12. | :33:18. | |
is fair to say the biggest challenge that it faces is Brexit. Every | :33:19. | :33:21. | |
single engine that leaves the plant is exported into the European | :33:22. | :33:25. | |
market. The terms that surround the exporting of the engines will be | :33:26. | :33:29. | |
important as far as the plant is concerned. We are working closely | :33:30. | :33:36. | |
with the company. I have met, in my capacity as an assembly member, | :33:37. | :33:39. | |
several times with them and the works council. As First Minister, I | :33:40. | :33:42. | |
took an interest in ensuring that the plant continues to operate in | :33:43. | :33:45. | |
the future and continues to employ similar numbers in the future. | :33:46. | :33:55. | |
TRANSLATION: Thank you very much. Further to that response, First | :33:56. | :34:01. | |
Minister, last month the European chief of Ford warned that the future | :34:02. | :34:04. | |
of the company in the UK depended on the ability of the government matter | :34:05. | :34:09. | |
in London to ensure transitional agreements with the European Union | :34:10. | :34:15. | |
if the UK leaves the block before an agreement is signed. Have you met | :34:16. | :34:17. | |
with Ford and the government in London to discuss this issue further | :34:18. | :34:23. | |
since that time? Alsatian actor I have met with the Ford CEO and Ford | :34:24. | :34:29. | |
Europe,. -- cassation actor I have met with the Ford CEO and Ford | :34:30. | :34:35. | |
Europe. There are concerns about what will happen following the | :34:36. | :34:43. | |
departure from Europe. Nobody believes there will be any kind of | :34:44. | :34:50. | |
complete agreement in March 20 19. So the transitional arrangements | :34:51. | :34:55. | |
will be crucial for Ford, as with other manufacturers. This is | :34:56. | :35:02. | |
something Ford is discussing. It is vital for Ford and a number of other | :35:03. | :35:07. | |
companies in Wales that they have admission to the European Union | :35:08. | :35:15. | |
market. Could you make a statement on the Health Service in Wales? My | :35:16. | :35:27. | |
priorities to provide high-quality care to people in Wales. I have to | :35:28. | :35:32. | |
be honest, I stand here today not very confident of that. I will tell | :35:33. | :35:38. | |
you why. Since your own government's interventions were placed on the | :35:39. | :35:43. | |
University health board two years ago, 227% more patients are waiting | :35:44. | :35:48. | |
over 12 hours in A 194 complaints came in last year. This is 30% of | :35:49. | :35:52. | |
the total of all complaints in Wales. We have a 7000 increase in | :35:53. | :36:00. | |
patients now waiting for over 36 weeks for oral surgery. 5000% | :36:01. | :36:05. | |
increase for orthopaedics and trauma. I have repeatedly asked | :36:06. | :36:09. | |
questions of you here, and in writing, and your cabinet secretary, | :36:10. | :36:14. | |
our behalf of many of my constituents who you are failing, | :36:15. | :36:16. | |
and who are struggling as a result, many in pain, for these failings. I | :36:17. | :36:25. | |
have asked you for details to how you are monitoring performance | :36:26. | :36:27. | |
outcomes as part of your special measures. Will you tell me at what | :36:28. | :36:31. | |
point you believe your government interventions, at a cost already of | :36:32. | :36:38. | |
?10 million, have actually resulted in any material improvements? And at | :36:39. | :36:42. | |
what stage do you intend to actually poll the process of special | :36:43. | :36:49. | |
measures, believing that your interventions have worked, that they | :36:50. | :36:52. | |
have been successful... This has gone way beyond. You will show some | :36:53. | :37:02. | |
respect. Complete your question. At what point do you believe you will | :37:03. | :37:08. | |
withdraw special measures, because my constituents... The question is | :37:09. | :37:16. | |
over! Please reply, First Minister. The health board is not yet ready to | :37:17. | :37:21. | |
be moved out of special measures. It has virtually eliminated diagnostic | :37:22. | :37:31. | |
waits, the lowest health board has been since the standard was | :37:32. | :37:34. | |
introduced. Campsa performance is consistently the best in Wales. | :37:35. | :37:38. | |
March performance figures are 92.5% for the 62 date target. The best | :37:39. | :37:45. | |
performance since January 20 16. I can say that PCU has significantly | :37:46. | :37:54. | |
improved referrals up to 89% in March 20 17. There have been | :37:55. | :38:04. | |
reductions in five of the six months since 2016. That figure is 41% lower | :38:05. | :38:09. | |
in October and 40% better than the same period last year. That is a | :38:10. | :38:13. | |
real achievement, to give you some examples, given winter pressures and | :38:14. | :38:18. | |
a year-on-year increases in demand for health and social services. As I | :38:19. | :38:20. | |
have spoken to people on the doorstep all across the North Wales, | :38:21. | :38:23. | |
the last thing they want is the Tories in charge and Jeremy Hunt in | :38:24. | :38:30. | |
charge. First Minister, a couple of months ago, Lee Naylor report was | :38:31. | :38:33. | |
published. The report highlights the dire state of the NHS in England. | :38:34. | :38:43. | |
Theresa May has indicated she will action the recommendations, which | :38:44. | :38:46. | |
includes selling of many parts of the NHS in England as part of a | :38:47. | :38:50. | |
process including a two for one, buy one get one free deal, to tempt | :38:51. | :38:54. | |
private companies. Can you assure me, First Minister, that in Wales we | :38:55. | :38:58. | |
will maintain the publicly owned status of our NHS estate, and not | :38:59. | :39:03. | |
follow the proposed route of the Tories in selling it off to mask | :39:04. | :39:06. | |
their gross underfunding of the NHS in England? We see waiting times | :39:07. | :39:14. | |
going up in England, we see the great popularity of Jeremy Hunt, of | :39:15. | :39:18. | |
course, as the Secretary of State, mobbed in the streets, we know that. | :39:19. | :39:21. | |
We saw the doctors strike that took place in England. We have no plans | :39:22. | :39:26. | |
to follow what is suggested in England, to sell off large chunks of | :39:27. | :39:29. | |
the NHS to plug a gap in funding that the Tories themselves have | :39:30. | :39:41. | |
created. How does the Welsh government plan to raise awareness | :39:42. | :39:44. | |
of dementia in Wales? We are running campaigns on how individuals can | :39:45. | :39:49. | |
reduce their risk. The action plan due to be published in the autumn | :39:50. | :39:52. | |
was set out further plans to raise awareness of dementia in Wales. | :39:53. | :39:59. | |
There are an estimated 45,000 people in Wales living with dementia. If | :40:00. | :40:02. | |
the current trend continues, the number of people living with the | :40:03. | :40:06. | |
disease will increase by over 40% over the next 12 years, raising | :40:07. | :40:11. | |
awareness and understanding the disease is crucial. I was proud to | :40:12. | :40:18. | |
present South Wales fire and rescue Newport stations with their Dementia | :40:19. | :40:22. | |
Friends logo. I am particularly pleased that Saint Joseph high | :40:23. | :40:28. | |
school has become the most dementia friendly school in Wales. Will you | :40:29. | :40:32. | |
join me in congratulating them, and look at how the Welsh government can | :40:33. | :40:37. | |
work closely with others to promote free training, particularly among | :40:38. | :40:42. | |
young people? I very much welcome the example that has been given. We | :40:43. | :40:46. | |
do work with other organisations such as the Alzheimer's Society and | :40:47. | :40:51. | |
others, to maintain the momentum of the Dementia Friends and community | :40:52. | :40:55. | |
campaigns, so that more and more people understand what it is like to | :40:56. | :41:02. | |
work with dementia. That means making sure we do look at how we can | :41:03. | :41:06. | |
make more buildings and environments dementia friendly, to enable people | :41:07. | :41:09. | |
to live as normal a life as they can, for as long as they can. | :41:10. | :41:16. | |
TRANSLATION: First Minister, a year-long study by the educational | :41:17. | :41:23. | |
trust on the farm network has noted a number of concerns about the | :41:24. | :41:27. | |
impact of dementia in rural areas that we need to tackle, including | :41:28. | :41:31. | |
lack of awareness and support available in rural areas, as well as | :41:32. | :41:35. | |
the difficulty in accessing support services. In light of those | :41:36. | :41:38. | |
concerns, what additional work is the Welsh government doing to raise | :41:39. | :41:40. | |
awareness of the support available for those living in more rural and | :41:41. | :41:47. | |
isolated communities? Can you also tell us one specific measure your | :41:48. | :41:51. | |
government has put in place over the last 12 months to assist people in | :41:52. | :41:55. | |
rural communities which have dementia? TRANSLATION: Well, we of | :41:56. | :42:02. | |
course consider any new report that shows how we can improve the | :42:03. | :42:08. | |
services in rural areas. Across Wales we have funded an information | :42:09. | :42:11. | |
pack, as regards living with dementia. That has been welcomed by | :42:12. | :42:14. | |
the professionals working in the field. People suffering with | :42:15. | :42:21. | |
dementia, their families and their carers. And, of course, there is a | :42:22. | :42:28. | |
helpline available on a daily basis. It is available 24/7, throughout the | :42:29. | :42:35. | |
year, and it can give people emotional support, those that have | :42:36. | :42:38. | |
been diagnosed with dementia, and those that care for them. Those are | :42:39. | :42:42. | |
some of the ways in which we have ensured there is support available, | :42:43. | :42:46. | |
not only for sufferers, but for carers as well. What is the | :42:47. | :42:53. | |
government doing to increase affordable housing in North Wales? | :42:54. | :43:01. | |
We support a number of housing ten years in north-east Wales. We are | :43:02. | :43:05. | |
bringing forward new programmes aimed at making buying a home more | :43:06. | :43:12. | |
accessible. Thank you, I welcome the commitment to create new and | :43:13. | :43:16. | |
affordable homes. We have seen it put into action in Flintshire. We | :43:17. | :43:19. | |
have seen the partnership of a Labour council and a Welsh Labour | :43:20. | :43:22. | |
Government working together to seek the first new council house in a | :43:23. | :43:27. | |
generation. 82 new council houses, and we have the pleasure of going to | :43:28. | :43:33. | |
visit the first few with my colleague, David Hanson, and the | :43:34. | :43:35. | |
Cabinet Secretary of local government. These are amazing, | :43:36. | :43:39. | |
brilliant new homes for people in the heart of Flint and the | :43:40. | :43:45. | |
community. Would you give a further commitment to build on this and | :43:46. | :43:56. | |
create more affordable homes? I very much welcome building new homes, | :43:57. | :44:00. | |
particularly by an innovative council like Flintshire. I have seen | :44:01. | :44:02. | |
the homes twice in the last fortnight. It is an innovative | :44:03. | :44:09. | |
approach that has been taken. We want to see more of that approach | :44:10. | :44:13. | |
across the whole of Wales. Flintshire are ahead in their | :44:14. | :44:17. | |
approach. I want others to follow the example of a good, Labour led | :44:18. | :44:24. | |
authority. What discussions has the First Minister had with the UK | :44:25. | :44:30. | |
Government with regards the steel industry in Wales? The UK Government | :44:31. | :44:35. | |
has lost interest in it, I'm afraid, is my understanding. We will work | :44:36. | :44:39. | |
with them to try to aid the steel industry in Wales. I think it is | :44:40. | :44:44. | |
telling, the answer you have given. Last week, I met with senior | :44:45. | :44:47. | |
managers at the works and we are discussing the progress that has | :44:48. | :44:50. | |
been made in the sector and the plant. I think we all came to the | :44:51. | :44:54. | |
conclusion that, unfortunately, there are still serious challengers | :44:55. | :44:59. | |
for the sector in the UK, in the light of Brexit and tariffs that may | :45:00. | :45:01. | |
be imposed if we leave without any deal. The benefit costs we are still | :45:02. | :45:07. | |
facing, and the markets, which might be shrinking, because of the rules | :45:08. | :45:14. | |
which may go ahead on steel imports in the US. The plans are breaking | :45:15. | :45:19. | |
records in production. They are showing the future for steel. | :45:20. | :45:23. | |
Unfortunately, the UK Government so far has failed these workers. They | :45:24. | :45:26. | |
failed the steel industry. They have shown scant regard in the industrial | :45:27. | :45:30. | |
strategy and there is no mention of steel in their manifesto for this | :45:31. | :45:35. | |
election. Do you agree with me that, just like the Welsh government has | :45:36. | :45:39. | |
shown, the steel industry is safer in the hands of a UK Labour | :45:40. | :45:43. | |
Government June the 8th? Absolutely. We have worked hard, with Tata,, to | :45:44. | :45:50. | |
ensure a sustainable industry for the steel industry in Wales. There | :45:51. | :45:56. | |
is a threat of Brexit, a hard Brexit would mean that the only free market | :45:57. | :46:01. | |
the UK steel would be able to access is the UK itself, and it is too | :46:02. | :46:05. | |
small to provide a robust market. I hope that is not the case. We would | :46:06. | :46:09. | |
like to see them exporting to as many markets as possible. I pay | :46:10. | :46:18. | |
tribute to the workers in Tata. They have shown when the going gets | :46:19. | :46:23. | |
tough, the tough get going. They are amongst the hardest workers we have | :46:24. | :46:26. | |
in Britain. They have a long and proud history and they know, when it | :46:27. | :46:29. | |
comes to the support they can expect, Welsh Labour will deliver | :46:30. | :46:36. | |
that. Will the First Minister make a statement on what they are doing to | :46:37. | :46:41. | |
improve primary care services? We continue to work with other partners | :46:42. | :46:50. | |
to create a range of actions to improve primary care services. The | :46:51. | :46:52. | |
British Medical Association was warning many years ago, in fact as | :46:53. | :46:57. | |
far back as 2013, that we needed to be treading more doctors in Wales | :46:58. | :47:02. | |
and they were warning of a crisis in GP recruitment. You dismissed those | :47:03. | :47:08. | |
assertions at that time. Yet, since then, we have seen over a dozen | :47:09. | :47:12. | |
surgeries across Wales handing in their contracts, saying that they | :47:13. | :47:16. | |
want to terminate contracts. Usually it is because of recruitment | :47:17. | :47:20. | |
problems. The most recent of which is: Bay, my own constituency. The | :47:21. | :47:27. | |
second in Colwyn Bay, in six months. This is a big concern to the | :47:28. | :47:31. | |
thousands of people registered with the surgery in my constituency. At | :47:32. | :47:39. | |
the moment, it is in a purpose-built primary care centre, which it shares | :47:40. | :47:42. | |
with another local surgery. There are concerns that the withdrawal of | :47:43. | :47:48. | |
the Russell Dean contract may put the viability of that new facility | :47:49. | :47:53. | |
at risk. Can I ask, why didn't you listen to the BMA when they raised | :47:54. | :47:57. | |
their concerns? Why didn't you increase sufficiently the number of | :47:58. | :48:01. | |
GP training posts in Wales? You have been responsible for the lack of GP | :48:02. | :48:06. | |
training over the years in Wales. You have been at the helm, nobody | :48:07. | :48:11. | |
else, you can't blame the UK Government. What action are you | :48:12. | :48:14. | |
taking to rescue the situation in my own constituency of Colwyn Bay? | :48:15. | :48:18. | |
Furthermore, what action are you taking to make sure Wales has | :48:19. | :48:22. | |
sufficient numbers of GPs going forward? On the first point, what is | :48:23. | :48:26. | |
important is the service that is provided to those who need it. It | :48:27. | :48:29. | |
does not have to be provided with the same model across the | :48:30. | :48:52. | |
whole of Wales. He will be aware that in Prestatyn, two surgeries did | :48:53. | :48:56. | |
the same thing. They handed in their contracts. What was put in place was | :48:57. | :48:59. | |
better than what was there before, a service run directly by the health | :49:00. | :49:02. | |
board. I know the health board is looking to provide a similar service | :49:03. | :49:04. | |
to the people Colwyn Bay, understandably. They want to know | :49:05. | :49:06. | |
what the future of the services, but it does not have to be on the | :49:07. | :49:09. | |
contractor model. Incr easingly, we know of them, are not interested in | :49:10. | :49:12. | |
buying into a practice and they want to be salaried. Some will want to be | :49:13. | :49:15. | |
brought into a practice. It is an issue though, in terms of what the | :49:16. | :49:17. | |
model should be in future. It could still be an important part of GP | :49:18. | :49:20. | |
services in the future. But younger ones increasingly want to become | :49:21. | :49:23. | |
salaried and are happy to work for a health board director. In terms of | :49:24. | :49:27. | |
recruitment, in October 2016 we launched a new international | :49:28. | :49:30. | |
campaign to promote Wales as a place for doctors to work and train. The | :49:31. | :49:35. | |
National campaign resulted in a 16% increase in the number of GP | :49:36. | :49:38. | |
training places filled so far, compared to last year. As part of | :49:39. | :49:44. | |
that campaign, an incentive scheme is in place to recruit people to | :49:45. | :49:48. | |
some areas. Trainees who take up a training place will receive some | :49:49. | :49:54. | |
financial support. That is an example of us delivering to make | :49:55. | :49:58. | |
sure the supply of GPs is at least sufficient in years to come. | :49:59. | :50:06. | |
TRANSLATION: Will the First Minister make a statement on waiting times | :50:07. | :50:10. | |
for outpatient eye care services in Welsh hospitals? TRANSLATION: We | :50:11. | :50:16. | |
expect all patients to be seen in order of clinical priority within | :50:17. | :50:22. | |
waiting times targets. Of course, the Welsh government, the NHS and | :50:23. | :50:25. | |
the third sector partners are working together to improve the | :50:26. | :50:30. | |
delivery of ophthalmology services, both new and follow patients. | :50:31. | :50:36. | |
TRANSLATION: Thank you for that response. In the cross-party group | :50:37. | :50:41. | |
meeting, we discussed data which shows that health boards the length | :50:42. | :50:45. | |
and breadth of Wales had 37,000 patients that were suffering delays | :50:46. | :50:48. | |
in terms of follow-up appointments in ophthalmology. Some 90% of these | :50:49. | :50:57. | |
patients are at risk of permanent damage to their site. That is 33,331 | :50:58. | :51:04. | |
individuals that are at risk of losing their sight. Do you agree | :51:05. | :51:08. | |
this is a disgrace, and would you agree to publish the number of | :51:09. | :51:11. | |
patients who are suffering delays to their full of treatment? -- | :51:12. | :51:21. | |
follow-up treatment. We have seen an increase in the number of people | :51:22. | :51:27. | |
that want such treatment. The scheme has been established, led by the | :51:28. | :51:31. | |
clinicians themselves, in order to transform the way in which the | :51:32. | :51:34. | |
services are delivered. Health boards have stated that arrangements | :51:35. | :51:41. | |
are in place to ensure that more clinics are available, and to ensure | :51:42. | :51:45. | |
that people can receive the treatment and, of course, that is | :51:46. | :51:48. | |
very effective in getting rid of the backlog for the patients that | :51:49. | :51:54. | |
neither treatment now, rather than having to wait. That means the | :51:55. | :51:59. | |
waiting time is now under a fortnight for wet Ebbw Vale. -- NMD. | :52:00. | :52:12. | |
That was first ministers questions. If you want more coverage, you can | :52:13. | :52:23. | |
go online to the news page. That is it for First Minister's questions | :52:24. | :52:26. | |
today. Don't forget, the latest election news is on Wales Today from | :52:27. | :52:36. | |
6:30pm. Thursday night, 9.55, a full results programme. Thanks for | :52:37. | :52:40. | |
watching. Goodbye. | :52:41. | :52:43. |