:00:25. > :00:29.Good afternoon and welcome once again to our weekly coverage of
:00:30. > :00:36.questions to the First Minister. Carwyn Jones is expected to be asked
:00:37. > :00:39.about Brexit, he is most weeks, debts owed to local authorities and
:00:40. > :00:48.when children will be taught computer code. You can follow all
:00:49. > :00:51.the latest on: Finau, business is under way, let's take a look at
:00:52. > :00:57.today's questions to the First Minister.
:00:58. > :01:01.I call the National Assembly to order. The first item on our agenda
:01:02. > :01:06.this afternoon is questions to the First Minister and the first
:01:07. > :01:11.question is from Lee Waters. When will every child in Wales be taught
:01:12. > :01:16.how to call? We will ensure that children in Wales have the skills
:01:17. > :01:21.they need for the future by developing code skills in our young
:01:22. > :01:28.people. We will be making a statement in June. My daughter was
:01:29. > :01:32.nine yesterday and she asked for a raspberry pie, which is not a fruit
:01:33. > :01:40.-based pudding but in fact as you know, a small computer manufactured
:01:41. > :01:48.in your constituency. In your area. When she leaves
:01:49. > :01:52.education, the ability to programme computers will be an essential
:01:53. > :01:55.skill, from everything to programming a manufacturing line to
:01:56. > :02:00.designing the next innovation but the chief inspector of schools found
:02:01. > :02:04.that standards are strong in only a very few schools and not enough
:02:05. > :02:09.understand the potential of digital learning to aid teaching and
:02:10. > :02:12.learning. Teaching children code should not rely on the enthusiasm of
:02:13. > :02:17.the odd teacher or the parents ability to buy a raspberry pie. It
:02:18. > :02:24.must be a key part of what schools do. The curriculum will of course
:02:25. > :02:27.address this but more than 150,000 young people will graduate without
:02:28. > :02:33.this basic skill before that is fully commented. Would you consider
:02:34. > :02:37.what interim measures you can put in place to ensure that every child in
:02:38. > :02:43.Wales gets the opportunity to learn computer coding as soon as possible?
:02:44. > :02:52.I will wish your daughter happy birthday for yesterday. We want to
:02:53. > :02:59.encourage coding skills. We fast-track the publishing of the
:03:00. > :03:02.framework. Many schools have already introduced
:03:03. > :03:10.coding skills into the classroom. We have invested 670,000 to the techno
:03:11. > :03:13.camp and teach programmes to deliver workshops to pupils and teachers in
:03:14. > :03:18.secondary schools in Wales and we have made a commitment to expand
:03:19. > :03:23.coding clubs in every school in Wales before the announcement next
:03:24. > :03:26.month. We do need to be part of the coding revolution. It is important
:03:27. > :03:31.our young people learn the skills but one of the problems they have
:03:32. > :03:34.got is being able to do homework in relation to coding because there is
:03:35. > :03:45.inadequate access to the superfast Cymru broadband. You made a
:03:46. > :03:51.commitment in your manifesto which gave a pledge to roll out broadband
:03:52. > :03:55.to all residential premises and businesses by 2015. That was a
:03:56. > :04:04.broken promise. Don't you think it's about time you delivered on that
:04:05. > :04:09.promise? Our promises to deliver to 96% of promises by the summer of
:04:10. > :04:18.this year, in contrast to his party who made no promises at all.
:04:19. > :04:25.If we have the money to be spending on IT, shouldn't that money be
:04:26. > :04:31.better spent on literacy and numeracy in schools, which is being
:04:32. > :04:35.failing for a while? I see that 1951 has dawned in the corner over there.
:04:36. > :04:40.Of course literally and numeracy are important but so are IT skills. We
:04:41. > :04:45.know as members here that actually we could not function properly in
:04:46. > :04:49.our jobs if we did not have at least basic IT skills. It is important our
:04:50. > :04:57.children have better I skills compared to other children in the
:04:58. > :05:01.world. Will the First Minister provide
:05:02. > :05:05.details of the oversight that Welsh Government has over debts owed to
:05:06. > :05:08.local authorities by third parties? Each local authorities responsible
:05:09. > :05:13.for the collection of its debts as part of its own effective financial
:05:14. > :05:17.management process. I am disappointed with that answer. I
:05:18. > :05:20.thought you would like to know what you're local authorities are not
:05:21. > :05:24.recovering at a time when they are claiming austerity is depriving them
:05:25. > :05:30.of any money. I am sure you will congratulate the newly elected
:05:31. > :05:35.councillors at Bridgend Council and hopefully the new council will be
:05:36. > :05:40.able to reply to requests within the statutory time limit so I can ask
:05:41. > :05:43.questions like this with full information to hand. Can you tell me
:05:44. > :05:47.how much I'm claimed the debt is owed to local authorities and the
:05:48. > :05:55.reasons that local authorities give you for not pursuing them? I can say
:05:56. > :06:04.that 2015-16, they collected 97% of council tax build, the highest level
:06:05. > :06:11.since this tax was introduced. They have mitigated levels rising in
:06:12. > :06:17.council tax debt in Wales. We know it is lower than in England and the
:06:18. > :06:26.Tory government there. Collection rates are now at 97.2%. They Alaw
:06:27. > :06:34.Werin England. -- they are lower in England.
:06:35. > :06:37.Would the First Minister recognised Welsh Labour's victory in Caerphilly
:06:38. > :06:42.county borough is a testament to Keith 's leadership, his sound
:06:43. > :06:48.financial management and a lifetime in public service? Could I join the
:06:49. > :06:53.membrane expressing my regards of course to Councillor Keith Reynolds'
:06:54. > :06:59.family. The illness was short. It was unexpected. And of course, I am
:07:00. > :07:02.sure that people in Caerphilly would recognise the work that he and so
:07:03. > :07:09.many others did over the course of the last five years. Would the First
:07:10. > :07:15.Minister agree that the third party that owes the biggest debt of all to
:07:16. > :07:19.Welsh local authorities is the Westminster government? It has cut
:07:20. > :07:28.over a third in spending on adult care since 2011, which has had
:07:29. > :07:30.severe financial consequences in Wales and obviously terrible
:07:31. > :07:36.consequences in terms of the human cost to the elderly, the sick and
:07:37. > :07:39.the disabled. If this callous Conservative government is
:07:40. > :07:46.re-elected as seems increasingly likely on June the 8th, we need a
:07:47. > :07:51.plan to defend Wales. Where is it? What is it? Who is going to lead it?
:07:52. > :07:56.On the evidence from yesterday, we are in a dire position if it is
:07:57. > :08:03.going to be him. According to you lastly, was him. We will happily
:08:04. > :08:05.stand up for Wales. We do not want to see a future Conservative
:08:06. > :08:10.government walk all over Wales and we have stood up for our people as
:08:11. > :08:14.the election last year showed and indeed in 2011. He is right to point
:08:15. > :08:18.out the cuts that have taken place. We have lost the equivalent of the
:08:19. > :08:23.entire budget for health in the whole of North Wales. Despite that,
:08:24. > :08:28.we have maintained spending and maintain health and social at 6% per
:08:29. > :08:31.head higher than in England, showing a Welsh Labour government delivering
:08:32. > :08:37.for the people of Wales in the face of Tory austerity. We now call on
:08:38. > :08:42.the party leaders to question the First Minister. The leader of Plaid
:08:43. > :08:44.Cymru, Leanne Wood. You launched your election campaign yesterday
:08:45. > :08:50.talking a lot about unity but you could not bring yourself to utter
:08:51. > :08:57.the name of your reader. Is Jeremy Corbyn still your candidate for
:08:58. > :09:00.Prime Minister? Yes. Yesterday you had a chance to put Wales on the
:09:01. > :09:06.critical landscape but instead and I am sure that Theresa May will be
:09:07. > :09:08.breathing a huge site -- huge sigh of relief -- political landscape.
:09:09. > :09:14.Three of your major pledges are defiled and they were promises made
:09:15. > :09:19.before last year 's election and a fourth pledge on policing could have
:09:20. > :09:23.been devolved if only Labour MPs had not had their own way. The next few
:09:24. > :09:29.years will define the future of Wales and the UK. You should have
:09:30. > :09:35.made clear Welsh demands to give Wales a voice, to defend Wales, but
:09:36. > :09:47.you failed to do that. We will now have to rely on Plaid Cymru MPs...
:09:48. > :09:58.OK, calm down. Let the question continue. We will now have to rip --
:09:59. > :10:03.rely upon Plaid Cymru MPs to best set out how we can defend Wales. Why
:10:04. > :10:08.did you choose to let Theresa May off the hook? They don't like the
:10:09. > :10:17.slogan standing up for Wales. That is the one of the things I have
:10:18. > :10:20.noticed. We are proud of our pledges and she will find more to come in
:10:21. > :10:24.the manifesto that will be pledged in due course. They were promises
:10:25. > :10:28.you pledged before the last election. You should have already
:10:29. > :10:35.delivered on some of those pledges. The reality is you have pushed your
:10:36. > :10:38.leader out of this campaign. You have ever came out of this campaign
:10:39. > :10:45.because you know that Labour cannot win. You want to make the election
:10:46. > :10:48.about your record and the record of the Welsh Government and we all know
:10:49. > :10:54.why you are doing that and that is why most of your recycled election
:10:55. > :10:59.pledges are within default context. Therefore then if you lose this
:11:00. > :11:05.election in Wales as many polls are suggesting that you might, does that
:11:06. > :11:11.mean it will be a verdict on you, will it be your fault, and if you
:11:12. > :11:15.become the first Labour leader to work loose Wales, the first time in
:11:16. > :11:18.100 years, will you be prepared to take responsibility or can we expect
:11:19. > :11:24.you yet again to blame somebody else? Well, we had all this last
:11:25. > :11:29.year and we saw the result. People trust us to stand up for Wales. We
:11:30. > :11:34.saw Plaid Cymru 's results in the local elections, going backwards in
:11:35. > :11:40.Caerphilly. Only last week in this chamber, the member for South Wales
:11:41. > :11:46.Central was claiming he would be the leader of Cardiff Council. And they
:11:47. > :11:50.won three seats. He is not here. I recognise that. He is claiming that
:11:51. > :11:55.Cardiff West was a great victory for Plaid Cymru. Well, with three seats
:11:56. > :12:01.on labour on 12, I am happy to concede that victory to then if that
:12:02. > :12:05.is their definition of it. We have an election to fight. We have put
:12:06. > :12:11.our policies forward to the people of Wales. We will be standing up for
:12:12. > :12:15.Wales. Thank you, presiding officer. Last
:12:16. > :12:20.week in the news, First Minister, there were some serious concerns
:12:21. > :12:28.raised about the progress being made on the reporting system around the
:12:29. > :12:33.disaster, I would call it, where the previous report talked about being
:12:34. > :12:37.treated like animals and other shocking renovations and families
:12:38. > :12:41.showing real concern over the progress that the information is
:12:42. > :12:44.coming back to them to satisfy themselves over the way their family
:12:45. > :12:47.and loved ones will looked after and there has been a call for the
:12:48. > :12:53.mortality report to be brought forward because Betsi Cadwaladr have
:12:54. > :12:57.identified that some premature deaths could be associated to the
:12:58. > :13:03.levels of care that were around the Tawel Fan unit at Ysbyty Glangwili
:13:04. > :13:07.damp the head of the committee health counselling North Wales has
:13:08. > :13:11.called for this report to be made available because it has been
:13:12. > :13:14.finished. Will you commit to making that report available, given that
:13:15. > :13:19.Betsi Cadwaladr are in special measures and you are responsible for
:13:20. > :13:22.that health board? We will give full consideration to that on the basis
:13:23. > :13:26.that we want to be as open and transparent as possible and that is
:13:27. > :13:28.what people would expect. Consideration will be given to
:13:29. > :13:33.releasing the report went it is appropriate. The head of the
:13:34. > :13:40.community health council believes it is appropriate. It may stop any of
:13:41. > :13:46.this bad practice appearing any liberal elsewhere, in his words. You
:13:47. > :13:48.are spending ?5 million a year of additionally running Betsi Cadwaladr
:13:49. > :13:54.because it is in special measures. You are responsible when families
:13:55. > :13:57.and concerned clinicians want to see this data so they can fully
:13:58. > :14:02.understand what went on within that unit. Why on earth are you not
:14:03. > :14:07.allowing that report to come forward? Because it would add a huge
:14:08. > :14:12.amount of comfort to the families and to the individuals who have
:14:13. > :14:15.heard such horrific stories over the care within that unit and in
:14:16. > :14:18.particular I draw your attention to the fact that it has already been
:14:19. > :14:24.said, patients were treated like animals. Well, the report as I
:14:25. > :14:29.understand it is with the independent overseer and that the
:14:30. > :14:32.right time, consideration will be given to releasing the report. It is
:14:33. > :14:34.important that as much information is released as possible so that
:14:35. > :14:44.lessons can be learned. I'm really disappointed you're not
:14:45. > :14:48.giving firm indications of when that report will be available. This is a
:14:49. > :14:53.politician saying the report should be available but the head of the
:14:54. > :14:56.community council along with family members and clinicians. I would be
:14:57. > :14:59.grateful, if you are not in a position to give the timeline today,
:15:00. > :15:04.that you would indicate that you would write to me, to allow me to
:15:05. > :15:08.have sight of the Timeline that you, as the Government, are working to. I
:15:09. > :15:13.think that's the very least someone could expect, given the concerns
:15:14. > :15:18.raised last week. But also I would ask you to confirm, are you
:15:19. > :15:21.satisfied with the level of debt capacity in North Wales for mental
:15:22. > :15:27.health patients, because it has come to our attention that there is the
:15:28. > :15:31.sofa system that is working in North Wales, where a bed isn't available
:15:32. > :15:36.in mental health, people are put on sofas to try and meet the targets.
:15:37. > :15:40.That cannot be right. It is putting vulnerable people in a position
:15:41. > :15:46.where they could be exploited, and how can anyone feel that a sofa
:15:47. > :15:51.system meets the requirement of providing safe and secure bed
:15:52. > :15:55.capacity in the North Wales health board area? If the leader of the
:15:56. > :15:59.Welsh Conservatives has evidence of the sofa system, we would like to
:16:00. > :16:04.see that evidence. I will of course write to him along the lines he has
:16:05. > :16:07.asked for, providing him with more information regarding the timescale,
:16:08. > :16:20.in terms of any release of the report. Ukip group, Neil Hamilton. A
:16:21. > :16:27.policy of increasing income taxes people earning as low as ?11,000 a
:16:28. > :16:31.year. The Labour Party nationally is apparently going to stand on a
:16:32. > :16:37.policy of increasing the top rate of income tax from 45p to 50p. Does he
:16:38. > :16:42.agree with the Shadow Chancellor that we have a great deal to learn
:16:43. > :16:46.from Karl Marx and does he feel raising the top rate of tax is
:16:47. > :16:51.likely to raise more money? Yes I do. I think that raising the top
:16:52. > :16:56.rate of tax will raise more money. I don't think we have much to learn
:16:57. > :17:01.from Bass capita, those who have read it and understand what it says.
:17:02. > :17:04.We would stand on a platform of ensuring that those who can afford
:17:05. > :17:08.to pay a little bit more, do pay a little bit more, in order to ensure
:17:09. > :17:13.we have the public services people would expect. Am I to take it from
:17:14. > :17:18.that response is now the policy of the Welsh Government when taxpayers
:17:19. > :17:22.are devolved, to us in this assembly, to follow the Labour
:17:23. > :17:25.Party's manifesto nationally of increasing top rates of tax in
:17:26. > :17:33.Wales? The evidence from the last time that this happened, in 2013,
:17:34. > :17:38.was that reducing the tax rate from 50p to the current 45p led to an
:17:39. > :17:43.enormous increase in revenue, about ?8 billion. So it seems to be rather
:17:44. > :17:47.counter-productive to stand on a policy which increases tax rates and
:17:48. > :17:51.reduces revenue, makes it less likely that the Welsh Government
:17:52. > :18:04.would be able to put more money into the national health Service. As far
:18:05. > :18:06.as the Welsh rate of income tax is concerned, we have already pledged
:18:07. > :18:09.we will not increase the rate of income tax in the course of this
:18:10. > :18:11.assembly. I'm delighted to hear that. Whether that means the First
:18:12. > :18:13.Minister accepts that raising rates doesn't necessarily lead to
:18:14. > :18:16.increasing revenue. It offers Wales a great opportunity to make our
:18:17. > :18:20.country into a kind of tax haven within the United Kingdom which
:18:21. > :18:27.would help us, which would help us to reverse the economic trends of
:18:28. > :18:31.many, many decades in Wales and give us a significant advantage, in the
:18:32. > :18:35.same way as Southern Ireland has used differential rates of
:18:36. > :18:39.corporation tax to kick-start the Celtic Tiger economy, which was very
:18:40. > :18:43.successful in that country. He raises an interesting point about
:18:44. > :18:50.corporation tax. There are no proposals to devolved corporation
:18:51. > :18:53.tax. Tax havens tend to have poor public services, like health
:18:54. > :18:57.services, because they cannot raise money to pay for public services. I
:18:58. > :19:02.don't think the future of Wales lies in being a replica of the British
:19:03. > :19:06.Virgin Islands or the Channel Islands. We have a different model,
:19:07. > :19:10.the Channel Islands don't have a health service along the model we
:19:11. > :19:13.would understand. Getting the balance right between revenue and
:19:14. > :19:16.expenditure on public services to the level people would expect is of
:19:17. > :19:24.course a matter for governments to balance. Question three, Julie
:19:25. > :19:29.Morgan. What is the First Minister's assessment of the first stage of
:19:30. > :19:33.negotiations with the EU? Posturing on both sides. I hope that comes to
:19:34. > :19:40.an end pretty soon so that the task of ensuring a sensible Brexit is
:19:41. > :19:44.taken forward. I thank the First Minister for that response. Although
:19:45. > :19:50.the UK Treasury has guaranteed funding for European structural
:19:51. > :19:53.projects before the UK leads the EU, does the First Minister agree it is
:19:54. > :19:58.absolutely crucial but after the UK leads the EU, the total sum of money
:19:59. > :20:03.that has been available in the past for these projects in Wales is added
:20:04. > :20:09.to the Welsh budget and is under the control of the Welsh budget?
:20:10. > :20:16.I do. First of all, we know that structural funds are guaranteed for
:20:17. > :20:21.2020. Farming subsidies also but nothing beyond. Nothing at all in
:20:22. > :20:24.terms of support beyond that time. I have an easy answer, that is quite
:20:25. > :20:28.simply for the pot of money to be made available, as it is now, for it
:20:29. > :20:33.to be distributed as it is now, to provide the certainty that
:20:34. > :20:36.structural funds provide so far, and particular we certainly for our
:20:37. > :20:40.farmers. It's a good way of ensuring farmers don't have to suffer as a
:20:41. > :20:43.result of Brexit. Although Jeremy Corbyn has joined
:20:44. > :20:49.the Conservatives in saying he wants Brexit to deliver a fairer society
:20:50. > :20:51.and upgraded economy, we realise there are tough negotiations ahead.
:20:52. > :20:59.How do you respond to his statement at the issue of Brexit is set up? It
:21:00. > :21:02.is settled because Britain is leaving the EU and that question has
:21:03. > :21:06.already been answered. What I don't see if any semblance of any kind of
:21:07. > :21:10.plan from the UK Government, nothing. I have sat in meetings,
:21:11. > :21:15.I've asked and try to see what the plan is. There isn't one. Last
:21:16. > :21:19.Thursday we saw panic on the part of the Prime Minister, when she started
:21:20. > :21:22.to worry about what Brexit would mean for ordinary working people.
:21:23. > :21:25.She is right to be concerned about that. You cannot say one hand no
:21:26. > :21:29.deal is better than a bad deal and say, but we need a deal to make sure
:21:30. > :21:34.we don't see an economic downturn. What is hugely important is the bass
:21:35. > :21:38.string of last week goes, that we have ideas as to what Brexit might
:21:39. > :21:44.look like. She was a remain, let's not forget that. She is someone like
:21:45. > :21:47.me who has accepted the result and it's hugely important for those who
:21:48. > :21:50.have ideas to work together to take those ideas forward, because we've
:21:51. > :21:55.had nothing at all in terms of ideas for those who campaign for Brexit.
:21:56. > :21:58.Will the First Minister agree with me the kind of language being used
:21:59. > :22:02.by the Prime Minister to attack our friends and neighbours on the
:22:03. > :22:07.continent helps nobody, in terms of the negotiations that are to come?
:22:08. > :22:10.And it doesn't just tarnish Theresa May's government but threatens to
:22:11. > :22:16.tarnish the reputation of Wales. The First Minister is asking for editing
:22:17. > :22:19.going forward to mitigate the potential of tarnishing Wales' good
:22:20. > :22:23.name around the world because of the language used by Theresa May. Will
:22:24. > :22:27.he commit to implement a new international policy for Wales,
:22:28. > :22:30.which would include designating a member of his Cabinet as the
:22:31. > :22:33.external affairs Cabinet member for country in order to rebuild the
:22:34. > :22:38.bridge is Westminster are so determined to burn down?
:22:39. > :22:43.The language was undiplomatic. I think both sides were guilty of
:22:44. > :22:47.posturing, actually. That needs to come to an end. This is not war,
:22:48. > :22:53.nobody has invaded anybody else. We're not to face each other, stare
:22:54. > :22:56.at each other across the Channel or the Irish border. We want to be
:22:57. > :23:00.friends and allies and trading partners at the end of the day. We
:23:01. > :23:03.have started to look at our international policy, in particular
:23:04. > :23:07.where we need to beef up our international presence. We know we
:23:08. > :23:10.have been successful at the Qatar Airways, that is another example of
:23:11. > :23:15.where the Welsh Government has been able to support the airports, to get
:23:16. > :23:21.that route. The next age buses to make sure we look to having a
:23:22. > :23:26.sufficient presence and an increased presence in those markets that will
:23:27. > :23:32.become important to us. Will the First Minister make a statement on
:23:33. > :23:37.the development of district shopping centres in cities. We have existing
:23:38. > :23:46.shopping centres as sustainable centres for local development. We
:23:47. > :23:55.need strategies and policies to maintain these commercial centres.
:23:56. > :23:59.There are other district shopping centres in Swansea and Wales. I
:24:00. > :24:03.would like to stress the importance of shopping centres. We have lost
:24:04. > :24:07.banks, public houses and shopping diversity. Will the First Minister
:24:08. > :24:09.agree with me there should be a major bank in each one of these
:24:10. > :24:15.district shopping centres? Ideally we would like bank branches within
:24:16. > :24:18.shopping centres that these are ultimately matters for the banks. It
:24:19. > :24:22.is important businesses and customers have the ability to pay in
:24:23. > :24:25.money and make cash withdrawals within their communities. Where the
:24:26. > :24:31.banks are failing to accommodate this, the Post Office is serving an
:24:32. > :24:34.important role, with 95% of bank customers having access to their
:24:35. > :24:39.accounts by the Post Office. What I am more concerned about is closing
:24:40. > :24:46.Post Office branches, because that would lose the only banking function
:24:47. > :24:54.that remains in many communities. First Minister, footfall has
:24:55. > :24:58.decreased in Welsh high streets to out-of-town shopping centres, which
:24:59. > :25:02.has increased 4.6% according to information from last year. The
:25:03. > :25:08.Welsh retail Consortium has called for Local Authorities and retailers
:25:09. > :25:15.to work together to market a high-street identity. Can I ask, and
:25:16. > :25:19.also they want Local Authorities to have more flexibility in regards to
:25:20. > :25:24.the planning system. Can I ask you, how do you think the planning system
:25:25. > :25:29.can help to be more supportive to high streets?
:25:30. > :25:36.Well, we know that it's hugely important Local Authorities develop
:25:37. > :25:39.their identities and look how they assist existing retail centres. It
:25:40. > :25:43.is hugely important for town centre is to develop their own identity.
:25:44. > :25:48.Having tabs on the website. If I were to go to a town in Wales, can I
:25:49. > :25:51.find out what's that? Is there a website, have the traders got their
:25:52. > :25:55.own website question what the reason people go to out-of-town shopping
:25:56. > :25:58.centres is convenience, they are open, particularly on Sundays when
:25:59. > :26:08.most people these days tend to shop. It is hugely important high-street
:26:09. > :26:11.retailers look at that as well. People are shopping at six and seven
:26:12. > :26:14.o'clock at night, on Sundays when a lot of high streets are closed.
:26:15. > :26:17.Needs to be some flexibility with traders, to make sure they are lying
:26:18. > :26:22.their opening hours. There is a limit to what they can do a sole
:26:23. > :26:26.traders, but align their hours with the work patterns people have now,
:26:27. > :26:32.not the work patterns people had 30 or 40 years ago. Hugely important
:26:33. > :26:36.room is given to more living accommodation and more office space
:26:37. > :26:46.as well. You have the office workers and footfall during the day to help
:26:47. > :26:50.the retailers. Mike Edgers mentioned the closure of high-street banks and
:26:51. > :26:55.you mentioned post offices. Another important part of the district
:26:56. > :26:59.shopping areas is sometimes the local pub. I wondered, was there any
:27:00. > :27:10.update regarding the Welsh Government's talks about how to
:27:11. > :27:14.protect community pubs? It is a tricky issue. We know that in
:27:15. > :27:20.planning terms it's not difficult to change the use of a pub to another
:27:21. > :27:24.commercial or retail use. That said, quite often pubs are not sold and
:27:25. > :27:29.they become derelict because they are empty after a while. This was
:27:30. > :27:35.not an easy issue to resolve. We note there are still too many pubs,
:27:36. > :27:40.given people's current social habits to stop what is hugely important is
:27:41. > :27:44.to be able to work with the market leading pubs, there are many of
:27:45. > :27:49.them, some big sunspot, to provide a good example to others. But
:27:50. > :27:57.ultimately, it's a question of ensuring that the pubs are able to
:27:58. > :28:04.offer the widest range of services. Some double up as shops. Looking at
:28:05. > :28:08.ways in which pubs can also act as business hubs in communities, if a
:28:09. > :28:15.local shop or a post office, that's one way forward, to ensure pubs have
:28:16. > :28:20.a viable future. Will the First Minister outline the actions the
:28:21. > :28:24.Welsh government is taking to improve the mental health of people
:28:25. > :28:30.in Wales? We have a mental health strategy on the 2016-19 delivery
:28:31. > :28:33.plans sets out our priorities for improving the mental health and
:28:34. > :28:36.well-being of people of Wales. Two weeks ago I was proud to speak
:28:37. > :28:40.alongside the Health Secretary at the first year celebrations of a
:28:41. > :28:44.community project which seeks to improve emotional well-being through
:28:45. > :28:50.mindfulness and stress control courses. It has helped nearly 2000
:28:51. > :28:53.people during their first year and mental health awareness week seems
:28:54. > :28:57.an appropriate time to celebrate the success. With one in four people
:28:58. > :29:01.experiencing mental health issues, what best practice can the Welsh
:29:02. > :29:07.Government draw from and promote among other health boards across
:29:08. > :29:12.Wales? Value steps is an innovative approach, improving mental health
:29:13. > :29:19.and reducing prescription drug prescribing. We want to look at
:29:20. > :29:24.innovative models of this to look at collaborating models. That would
:29:25. > :29:29.form new initiatives, including the initiative of the well-being bond.
:29:30. > :29:35.We will consider the work of organisations such as value steps in
:29:36. > :29:36.order to ensure that what we are doing has strengthened as a result
:29:37. > :29:46.of looking at that experience. First Minister, a number of deaths
:29:47. > :29:51.by suicide have occurred in the recent past in schools in my
:29:52. > :29:55.constituency. Earlier this year, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
:29:56. > :30:00.made an announcement that every secondary school in England should
:30:01. > :30:03.be offered mental health first aid training which teaches people how to
:30:04. > :30:08.identify young people who might be developing a mental health issue and
:30:09. > :30:11.this policy has been very well received by charities and
:30:12. > :30:18.professionals. Especially and we must remember that many young people
:30:19. > :30:24.do struggle with issues such as anorexia and self harming, as wet as
:30:25. > :30:29.-- as well as suicidal thoughts. Would you consider a similar
:30:30. > :30:37.initiative in our schools to prevent these wasteful deaths quiz remark I
:30:38. > :30:41.noted the Prime Minister 's answer recently, it was a mistake on her
:30:42. > :30:48.part and the idea is one worthy of examination but of course what I
:30:49. > :30:51.will remind the member is that we have a councillor in schools already
:30:52. > :30:57.able to provide that service. The trick is not just to provide the
:30:58. > :31:01.counsellor but make sure that young people feel able to go and see them.
:31:02. > :31:09.That is a more difficult nut to crack. That can be quite a step. We
:31:10. > :31:13.already have councillors in schools but that is not enough of itself. We
:31:14. > :31:22.need to make sure that young people are able to access assistance
:31:23. > :31:28.outside of school as well. Thank you, prose and force. Does the Prime
:31:29. > :31:33.Minister understand how much of a crisis there is facing us in terms
:31:34. > :31:36.of mental health care in Wales? On Anglesey, I understand that there is
:31:37. > :31:42.now not a single psychiatric consultant for mental health
:31:43. > :31:47.patients between 18 and 65 years old. Health professionals are you
:31:48. > :31:50.working under huge pressure is that they cannot work with. They fear
:31:51. > :31:56.that they are having to make decisions which will be a risk to
:31:57. > :32:00.patients, the shortage of beds means that people are taken as far as
:32:01. > :32:04.London to be treated or receive care. There are dozens of children
:32:05. > :32:11.and young people who are sent to England for treatment and over 200
:32:12. > :32:17.mental health patients in North Wales have been transferred out of
:32:18. > :32:20.Wales in the last 22 months. Now, the whole system is on its knees.
:32:21. > :32:28.When will the government take action in order to safeguard some of my
:32:29. > :32:33.most vulnerable constituents? I do not accept the figures that the
:32:34. > :32:40.member has listed in the chamber. First of all the funding for mental
:32:41. > :32:44.health has gone up to 629 million for the ensuing financial year and
:32:45. > :32:50.that is safeguarded. Health boards have attained and actually exceeded
:32:51. > :32:56.their targets as regards mental health services. In some areas over
:32:57. > :33:03.the past 12 months and of course although more people are transferred
:33:04. > :33:10.into Kalms, the health boards are confident that the situation will
:33:11. > :33:15.demonstrate that every Kalms service in every part of Wales attained the
:33:16. > :33:21.28th day target before they get a new appointment. And so very many
:33:22. > :33:27.improvements have taken place in the past months. When will the First
:33:28. > :33:32.Minister meet with the first ministers of the UK's other devolved
:33:33. > :33:36.governments to discuss their relationship with the European
:33:37. > :33:42.Union? Well, of course, there is business to be discussed before the
:33:43. > :33:50.8th of June. But I do discuss EU issues with bilateral and trilateral
:33:51. > :33:52.meetings with first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland and
:33:53. > :33:59.the Deputy First Minister is of Northern Ireland. Wouldn't the First
:34:00. > :34:05.Minister agree that the discussions are more important than ever, given
:34:06. > :34:09.what is contained within this white paper with the sky blue cover on
:34:10. > :34:14.Exeter and the European Union, produced by the UK Government which
:34:15. > :34:22.mentions the situation post Brexit that the powers that the EU
:34:23. > :34:29.currently has in terms of common frameworks will return to the UK,
:34:30. > :34:32.allowing the rules to be set their by democratically elected members.
:34:33. > :34:36.What is happening to us in this place? How are our views in the
:34:37. > :34:41.devolved administrations to be part of those discussions? Well, my view
:34:42. > :34:45.is those powers should come to the people of Wales and should not be
:34:46. > :34:50.retained in Westminster or Whitehall. It is crucial to have
:34:51. > :34:52.frameworks in some parts such as the fisheries for example but those
:34:53. > :34:58.frameworks should actually be agreed and not imposed upon people without
:34:59. > :35:03.their consent. We must remember that if we are going to have a single
:35:04. > :35:07.market within the UK and we agree with that, we have to have rules but
:35:08. > :35:10.if we do not have ownership of the rules, nobody is gone to pay any
:35:11. > :35:14.attention to them and secondly there is the question on who is going to
:35:15. > :35:20.police those rules without having a court of law is to refer to. Some
:35:21. > :35:24.people in the UK think it will move back to how it was pre-1972 but that
:35:25. > :35:29.is not the same United Kingdom that we have now. We do not have just one
:35:30. > :35:32.government. There is a great deal of work to be done to ensure that these
:35:33. > :35:38.powers will be transferred from Brussels to Wales and not via
:35:39. > :35:41.London. When the external affairs committee visited Brussels last
:35:42. > :35:45.year, we met with the Canadian trade delegation and I was struck by the
:35:46. > :35:54.role of the Canadian provinces in the negotiation. We also know since
:35:55. > :35:57.then the role -- role of the parliament in negotiating the deal.
:35:58. > :36:02.Negotiations are going to become increasingly important for Wales and
:36:03. > :36:05.the UK and they are much more than about foreign affairs and Crown
:36:06. > :36:08.prerogative. They are about the bread-and-butter issues of daily
:36:09. > :36:13.economic life. Future negotiations with the EU and beyond should
:36:14. > :36:21.declare a voice for Wales and the other devolved administrations...?
:36:22. > :36:25.Yes, even though trade per se is not devolved, it is hugely involved that
:36:26. > :36:33.we have a strong voice. That's hugely important. Even if we might
:36:34. > :36:38.oppose any part of the trade agreement. That is hugely important.
:36:39. > :36:40.For example, if there were to be a free-trade agreement with Australia
:36:41. > :36:49.or New Zealand, that would have a massive impact on our farmers. Even
:36:50. > :36:54.though that is not devolved. We have heard voices in Australia over the
:36:55. > :36:57.last few weeks single was not possible to have a free-trade
:36:58. > :37:05.agreement with Australia and protect the interests of Welsh hill farmers.
:37:06. > :37:08.It is hugely important that the Welsh Government and disassembly is
:37:09. > :37:14.able to express a strong view and influence and reject actually part
:37:15. > :37:18.of trade agreements that will have an adverse agreement on our own
:37:19. > :37:22.farmers. The issue raised by the member is
:37:23. > :37:28.crucial and it has been identified for several months now that the
:37:29. > :37:31.future governments will give an indication of the future of the
:37:32. > :37:38.Constitution of this government 1-macro country. What progress have
:37:39. > :37:41.you made in terms of persuading his counterparts to agree that the
:37:42. > :37:46.future internal market should be governed jointly by the nations of
:37:47. > :37:49.the UK patent should not be imposed upon us by Whitehall? There are
:37:50. > :37:52.differing views amongst the government. The view in Scotland is
:37:53. > :37:58.basically independence will resolve the issue. The view in Northern
:37:59. > :38:07.Ireland is mixed. Certainly I know and have heard... Now we have to
:38:08. > :38:12.come to a position which I think is perfectly reasonable where we all
:38:13. > :38:14.say where powers are transferred back from Brussels they come to the
:38:15. > :38:22.devolved administrations and I see no reason why that cannot happen. My
:38:23. > :38:26.view is and I have not heard a voice dissenting from this, if we are to
:38:27. > :38:30.have an internal single market, those have to be agreed and they
:38:31. > :38:37.have to be policed by an independent adjudication of body, not the UK
:38:38. > :38:41.Government. We have to have a clear system, we have to have faith in a
:38:42. > :38:47.system that is seen as genuinely independent, not as we have now.
:38:48. > :38:50.Wherever there is a dispute between ourselves and the UK Treasury,
:38:51. > :38:54.ultimately it is resolved by the UK Treasury. Those days have to go.
:38:55. > :39:01.This can done perfectly sensibly and properly in order to safeguard the
:39:02. > :39:05.interests of Wales. Will the First Minister make a statement on pupil
:39:06. > :39:08.and seven -- student safety on foreign trips? The advice is
:39:09. > :39:11.produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. That is
:39:12. > :39:20.signposted in the all Wales guidance for education visits. That is
:39:21. > :39:25.accessible from the Welsh Government website. I have implored on the
:39:26. > :39:33.government to intervene in the case of Glyn Summers who lost his life in
:39:34. > :39:37.a trip to Spain. His parents have demanded transparency following the
:39:38. > :39:44.woeful investigation that followed his death. In his last letter to me
:39:45. > :39:49.on this matter, the First Minister said he did not believe there is
:39:50. > :39:53.anything further that he can do with regard to their concerns. But since
:39:54. > :39:57.then the public services ombudsman has found that the investigation
:39:58. > :40:01.into the death was flawed. The ombudsman has called on the local
:40:02. > :40:04.authority to apologise to the parents and has further called on
:40:05. > :40:09.the Welsh Government to review its policies further. Will the First
:40:10. > :40:13.Minister say sorry and will he reconsider his opposition to the
:40:14. > :40:16.right to a full and independent investigation into the death and
:40:17. > :40:22.serious injuries and 1-macro on foreign field trips?
:40:23. > :40:27.First of all, it was an awful event that occurred and it has been a
:40:28. > :40:32.hugely difficult few years as we can all imagine for the parents. The
:40:33. > :40:36.matter has rested with the ombudsman. The ombudsman has now
:40:37. > :40:39.reported. There are recommendations for us as a government and we will
:40:40. > :40:52.take those recommendations exceptionally seriously. I will keep
:40:53. > :40:57.it as an open question. I think these things have to be looked at
:40:58. > :41:00.carefully and as a result of the ombudsman 's findings, I will look
:41:01. > :41:08.once again to see if there is anything more that can be done
:41:09. > :41:13.following the report itself. I would like to echo those concerns and also
:41:14. > :41:17.offer my condolences to the family of Glyn Summers. I think the
:41:18. > :41:21.question is how can the Welsh Government ensure that schools are
:41:22. > :41:26.able to reflect on occurrences, those rare occurrences, when
:41:27. > :41:30.something happens on school trips? And the First Minister said he would
:41:31. > :41:33.keep it as an open question. Would he be willing to elaborate on how
:41:34. > :41:38.schools can learn from each other in the circumstances? The ombudsman 's
:41:39. > :41:41.recommendations is that he will invite us as a government to
:41:42. > :41:46.consider reviewing our policies and guidance in respect of educational
:41:47. > :41:50.visits abroad. As part of that process of review, it is hugely
:41:51. > :41:54.important to understand where the best practice lies and consult once
:41:55. > :41:57.again with the outdoor education advisors panel in order to make sure
:41:58. > :42:06.that the recommendation the ombudsman has put two is satisfied
:42:07. > :42:09.in full. I share the concerns expressed in the chamber and of
:42:10. > :42:13.course the sympathy to the family of Glyn Summers but would you agree
:42:14. > :42:16.with me we need to get the balance right in respect of any changes that
:42:17. > :42:22.might need to be made going forward to improve the risk assessment
:42:23. > :42:29.processes regarding school trips because we don't want people to be
:42:30. > :42:32.able to access and enrich educational experience by taking
:42:33. > :42:38.part in trips so to board had any changes to guidance, local education
:42:39. > :42:43.authority guidance, is something which does not prohibit trips from
:42:44. > :42:47.taking place and it is fair and in proportion to all those taking part.
:42:48. > :42:54.I couldn't disagree with the words the member has used but in the
:42:55. > :42:58.circumstances there has been a... As much transparency as possible, as
:42:59. > :43:02.much information as possible is used in order to strengthen policies as
:43:03. > :43:05.far as the future is concerned but yes, of course, nobody would want to
:43:06. > :43:13.see a situation where school trips don't take place because of what are
:43:14. > :43:16.seen as regulations that are overly burdensome but it is important in
:43:17. > :43:25.the circumstances we have today that a full investigation leads to a full
:43:26. > :43:31.set of recommendations... To minimise any potential risk in the
:43:32. > :43:35.future. Following the re-enactment of the
:43:36. > :43:39.Wales act 2017, what further powers should be devolved to Wales quiz
:43:40. > :43:47.remark they are to be found in our draft Bill which we published.
:43:48. > :43:51.I noted earlier you pledge not to increase income tax but will you saw
:43:52. > :43:56.pledge to use your devolved powers to reduce costs to businesses so
:43:57. > :44:01.that employers can start being attracted to Wales and provide
:44:02. > :44:06.much-needed jobs. I am not sure which powers you are referring to.
:44:07. > :44:13.Business rates are but in terms of National Insurance or corporation
:44:14. > :44:20.tax, they are not devolved. But from our perspective, we have
:44:21. > :44:23.unemployment that is lower than England, Scotland and Northern
:44:24. > :44:28.Ireland and we have recently had the best figures from foreign investment
:44:29. > :44:33.in 30 years. As Michelle Brown has just said, the
:44:34. > :44:37.Wales act will of course deliver a new range of fiscal powers for the
:44:38. > :44:44.Welsh Government, ranging from borrowing and income tax powers and
:44:45. > :44:48.stamp duty? Whatever you want to do will be dependent on a strong Welsh
:44:49. > :44:50.revenue authority and that is in the process of being setup and the
:44:51. > :44:55.Finance committee has been looking at that. Are you happy the progress
:44:56. > :45:00.being made and what mechanisms do you have in place to make sure that
:45:01. > :45:04.progress keeps on track? We have no concerns about the progress of the
:45:05. > :45:08.Welsh revenue authority. We know that it will be in place in good
:45:09. > :45:12.time for next year. Of course, we need to ensure that when taxes are
:45:13. > :45:15.devolved there is an authority in place to make sure they can be
:45:16. > :45:19.collected. We have understood there is a pressure on government and that
:45:20. > :45:22.pressure we have met and we are confident that when the time comes
:45:23. > :45:30.next year, the Welsh revenue authority will be in place and will
:45:31. > :45:36.work. Will you distance yourself from
:45:37. > :45:40.comments made by Diane Abbott who told BBC radio Wales last week that
:45:41. > :45:45.the Labour Party did not think it was right at this time to devolved
:45:46. > :45:51.policing to Wales? Have you asked Diane Abbott why she feels that the
:45:52. > :45:55.Welsh Government uniquely is less capable than the Scottish and
:45:56. > :45:59.Northern Ireland executives in terms of delivering police services? The
:46:00. > :46:04.Welsh Government packed full of Labour representatives, and the
:46:05. > :46:09.Scottish and Northern Ireland executives have no such lumbered
:46:10. > :46:15.encumbrances. I am fully aware of the fact that the people decided
:46:16. > :46:19.there should be a Labour led government in Wales last year. I do
:46:20. > :46:24.not agree that policing should not be devolved. Policing should be
:46:25. > :46:27.devolved. There is a debate in this chamber tomorrow afternoon when the
:46:28. > :46:34.issue will become clear. There is no reason at all why policing should be
:46:35. > :46:39.devolved for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Manchester, London, but not
:46:40. > :46:45.to Wales. There is no rational reason for that to be the case. We
:46:46. > :46:48.know that there will need to be cooperation in terms of
:46:49. > :46:51.counterterrorism. When it comes to community policing, why is it that
:46:52. > :46:57.Wales is seen as a second-class nation by the Tories?
:46:58. > :47:08.There we are. That was First Minister's Questions for this
:47:09. > :47:12.afternoon. More coverage online: there is an election special after
:47:13. > :47:15.the ten o'clock news tomorrow evening but from all of us, thank
:47:16. > :47:21.you for watching. Good afternoon.