:00:18. > :00:21.Welcome to the programme and our weekly coverage of questions
:00:22. > :00:30.As usual, we're expecting Carwyn Jones to field questions
:00:31. > :00:47.Today is no exception, with questions on residential care,
:00:48. > :00:49.air pollution and the importance of professional sport,
:00:50. > :00:53.On't forget we're @walespolitics on Twitter, where you can see all
:00:54. > :00:56.the latest on the General Election and Assembly politics too.
:00:57. > :00:58.Well, business in the chamber has already begun, so let's cross
:00:59. > :01:00.to today's questions to the First Minister.
:01:01. > :01:06.I call the National Assembly to order, the first item on the agenda
:01:07. > :01:12.this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first
:01:13. > :01:18.question is this. Is there a strategy for tackling air pollution
:01:19. > :01:20.in Wales? Yes, in a number of ways including local air quality
:01:21. > :01:25.management, industry regulation, the planning regime and the promotion of
:01:26. > :01:29.active travel. Thank you, First Minister. We know that appellation
:01:30. > :01:33.kills more people than get killed in road traffic accidents and UK
:01:34. > :01:38.Government even admits it is the largest environmental threat to
:01:39. > :01:40.public health in the UK. A cross-party group in the House of
:01:41. > :01:48.Commons called it a public health emergency. The air quality
:01:49. > :01:51.management areas include an area of Newport Road where I have three
:01:52. > :01:58.primary schools running the longer it and they are breeding game toxic
:01:59. > :02:03.levels of air at the moment. And the latest plan published by the Tories
:02:04. > :02:07.this month is no more than an option, there is nothing in it that
:02:08. > :02:12.even approaches a strategy. One option is to have clean air surveys
:02:13. > :02:18.where polluting vehicles pay to enter them. And this would be best
:02:19. > :02:25.thing to make the biggest impact on cutting pollution. But the Tories
:02:26. > :02:27.have passed it back to local authorities, which shackles on. They
:02:28. > :02:33.are not allowed to do anything along these lines until for example all
:02:34. > :02:45.bosses have been converted from diesel to cleaner area -- to cleaner
:02:46. > :02:49.energy. What the Welsh interpret government -- government interprets
:02:50. > :02:53.from this plan and what it is doing to ensure communities like mine are
:02:54. > :02:59.relieved of this appalling thing? Some of the levers of fiscal
:03:00. > :03:02.measures are to diesel vehicles which are not devolved, and the UK
:03:03. > :03:08.Government level is unclear but as evidence of our desire to do all we
:03:09. > :03:13.can add a Welsh level, we have said in the UK plan that within 12
:03:14. > :03:16.months, we will consult on the detail for a clean air zone
:03:17. > :03:23.framework for Wales. I commend that study because if you look at
:03:24. > :03:26.Germany, clean air zones have been hugely successful in reducing
:03:27. > :03:32.emissions from exhausts by more than 50% in billing for instance. These
:03:33. > :03:38.policies require behavioural change, encouraging cycling and so on.
:03:39. > :03:42.Access to city areas and free parking for cleaner vehicles, and
:03:43. > :03:47.better use of existing -- existing infrastructure. We designating some
:03:48. > :03:53.rates for pedestrians and for cyclists. And I do think we should
:03:54. > :03:57.have the ambition to declare Cardiff a cleaner air zone and I encourage
:03:58. > :04:02.you to do that as soon as possible. We are encouraging local authorities
:04:03. > :04:05.to create more cycle routes and the proposals for a Metro that would
:04:06. > :04:10.lead to better and quicker journeys on public transport, people --
:04:11. > :04:13.taking people out of their cars, while the Metro would reduce
:04:14. > :04:20.emissions from the diesel rolling stock. Future Emmons -- future
:04:21. > :04:27.evidence demonstrates clean air zones brings about compliance, and
:04:28. > :04:34.we will set out measures to ensure the effective implementation of such
:04:35. > :04:38.zones. Thank you, it has been confirmed that it is the Welsh
:04:39. > :04:43.Government's intention that these air quality management zones do
:04:44. > :04:50.produce air particularly in terms of the very small particulates that go
:04:51. > :04:54.deep into the lungs and are particularly dangerous to children
:04:55. > :04:58.and young people who walk or cycle to school, and will there be
:04:59. > :05:06.specific targets within your plans for these air quality zones? This is
:05:07. > :05:10.something being considered at the moment and it is part of the
:05:11. > :05:20.consultation that will take place as has been noted. In the British plan.
:05:21. > :05:25.Will the First Minister make a statement about professional sports
:05:26. > :05:30.to Wales? It brings about important benefits, allegedly to Swansea and
:05:31. > :05:33.no doubt the member will ask about Swansea City and their successful
:05:34. > :05:36.campaign this year to stay in the Premier league. Professional sport
:05:37. > :05:40.is a catalyst not just to increase participation in sport, but it also
:05:41. > :05:47.gives people in cities and nations a feel-good factor. And the Euros of
:05:48. > :05:51.last year were an example of how that can happen in Wales. Can I
:05:52. > :05:53.thank the First Minister for that response and highlights the
:05:54. > :05:58.importance of sport for promoting the identity of an area and
:05:59. > :06:01.generating wealth in an economy? I would stress the importance of
:06:02. > :06:06.Swansea City staying in the Premiership for the economy of the
:06:07. > :06:09.region and tourism and for name recognition of Swansea. Will the
:06:10. > :06:14.First Minister join me in congratulating Swansea of staying in
:06:15. > :06:18.the Premiership which benefits Wales? Yes, it is hugely there are a
:06:19. > :06:23.team that gets into the Premier league and which stays in it. And
:06:24. > :06:27.importance to note the successful campaign by Newport County to stay
:06:28. > :06:30.in League Two and we saw the scenes when the final goal was scored a
:06:31. > :06:36.minute before the end of normal time. I can see the member for
:06:37. > :06:38.Newport East when I mention that. It is true to say professional sport is
:06:39. > :06:46.a hugely important economic catalyst. We know that Swansea's
:06:47. > :06:49.presence in the Premier league has been hugely important in creating
:06:50. > :06:54.tourism for the area in terms of improving hotel rate occupancy and
:06:55. > :07:02.improving spent by visitors to the city and beyond. First Minister,
:07:03. > :07:06.grassroots training in football is often crucial to future development
:07:07. > :07:12.of young players to professional level. Three of our four Welsh
:07:13. > :07:16.police forces are now investigating allegations of historic child sexual
:07:17. > :07:20.abuse at this level, with the FA chairman Greg Clark calling this the
:07:21. > :07:26.biggest crisis in football. In North Wales, there are several accusations
:07:27. > :07:31.of an historical nature that must be investigated. Steve Walters of the
:07:32. > :07:36.side trusts and one of my own constituents PC Mike Smith, both who
:07:37. > :07:41.have suffered, leading calls for the FA W to launch an enquiry into this
:07:42. > :07:44.matter, will you work with your Cabinet Secretary to support that
:07:45. > :07:48.and provide an environment where children looking to fulfil their
:07:49. > :07:54.ambitions in the sport to a more professional level are able to do so
:07:55. > :07:58.safely? We know this and I'm it is crucial for children and young
:07:59. > :08:03.people to enjoy sports and standards were not as good at one time as they
:08:04. > :08:08.are now. This is primarily for the FAW and police but it is hugely
:08:09. > :08:11.important as much assurance can be given that any allegations in the
:08:12. > :08:15.past or the present will be investigated fully so that we can
:08:16. > :08:21.ensure our children and young people continue to have a safer environment
:08:22. > :08:28.now and in the future. Thank you very much. I was delighted that the
:08:29. > :08:31.Senate unanimously supported Plaid Cymru amendments to the Public
:08:32. > :08:35.Health Bill which will mean that there will be a government strategy
:08:36. > :08:38.to tackle obesity on the face of the bill and I am grateful to all
:08:39. > :08:42.members and the Government for supporting that. Does the First
:08:43. > :08:47.Minister agreed that our clubs and professional sporting organisations
:08:48. > :08:51.as well as grassroots sport, have to be dimmed to create that strategy,
:08:52. > :09:01.to ensure that we have a strategy that can truly help? Yes, that is
:09:02. > :09:06.right. All those sports in the community is vital to ensure people
:09:07. > :09:09.are active within the community, professional teams can give an
:09:10. > :09:14.example, especially to young people. They see their heroes talking to
:09:15. > :09:20.them and telling them how important healthy living years, so there is a
:09:21. > :09:28.vital role for professional clubs to ensure that we do address obesity.
:09:29. > :09:33.Swansea City and Newport County SC, they are both important purposes in
:09:34. > :09:40.their communities and community morale will rise as a result of
:09:41. > :09:43.those successes. The problem we have with professional clubs is sometimes
:09:44. > :09:50.they tend to be foreign-owned. Two of the three football week. The it
:09:51. > :09:55.is not a EU thing. Sometimes, they do become distant from their fan
:09:56. > :09:59.base whereas at the same time, they are also important assets in the
:10:00. > :10:02.community. Is there any way in which the Welsh Government can help to
:10:03. > :10:06.preserve them in their role as assets in the community?
:10:07. > :10:12.Swansea City did that successfully and Cardiff City are back in the
:10:13. > :10:15.Premier league next year. Before long, I will have to go all around
:10:16. > :10:20.Wales and mention several clubs and wish them success. Wrexham and other
:10:21. > :10:25.football clubs in Wales and sporting clubs playing at any level, the best
:10:26. > :10:31.of luck for next year! Is right that it is hugely important fans are
:10:32. > :10:35.given the opportunity to own their club. Bayern Munich is an owned and
:10:36. > :10:41.is a model used quite regularly in Germany. -- is owned by fans. I do
:10:42. > :10:46.worry that with a lack of commitment by some owners and I do not mention
:10:47. > :10:50.the Cardiff City, but in some clubs, the question is, are the owners
:10:51. > :10:56.committed to the clubs in the way that fans could be? Is Swansea City,
:10:57. > :10:59.we saw the resurrection of the club because of the supporters willing to
:11:00. > :11:04.put the minion and that club is strongly embedded in the community
:11:05. > :11:09.as a result. -- to put into that club.
:11:10. > :11:16.Thank you, residing officer, could I welcome back the Cabinet Secretary
:11:17. > :11:22.for oral affairs? I wish you well for getting over the recent fall you
:11:23. > :11:25.had. He said at the end of April that Jeremy Corbyn needed to prove
:11:26. > :11:29.himself if he were to become the Prime Minister at the end of this
:11:30. > :11:32.general election. The relationship between the First Minister of Wales
:11:33. > :11:36.or Scotland or Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister is a very
:11:37. > :11:39.important relationship and intergovernmental relationship as
:11:40. > :11:42.well. Last week at the campaign launch, you failed to mention his
:11:43. > :11:47.name. Last week when the men of Buster was leaked to the press, you
:11:48. > :11:52.put out a press release to say it was not your manifesto -- the
:11:53. > :11:56.manifesto was leaked. And in a couple of hours, that was changed.
:11:57. > :12:02.Do you believe that Jeremy Corbyn will be the Prime Minister on June
:12:03. > :12:06.nine? It is what I want to see, I have dealt with Theresa May and I
:12:07. > :12:09.see no evidence of strong leadership from her, she cannot answer is
:12:10. > :12:15.straight question. Leadership is about leaders debates and leadership
:12:16. > :12:19.is about talking to people rather than going to stage-managed events
:12:20. > :12:23.and questions, that is what true leadership is about. There are
:12:24. > :12:28.several in this chamber who have had experience and note that is what
:12:29. > :12:30.leadership is about. I want to make sure we have somebody willing to
:12:31. > :12:33.engage in the public and not somebody who shuts herself away from
:12:34. > :12:38.the public. Giving a straight answer is probably
:12:39. > :12:43.not your strongest card! Is anybody who has asked you a question in this
:12:44. > :12:47.chamber can attest to. In the Labour Party manifesto today, it talks of
:12:48. > :12:52.abolishing tuition fees, but your education spokesperson as Cabinet
:12:53. > :12:57.Secretary at said it is not tuition fees that is the problem, it is
:12:58. > :13:01.living costs. And she said to eight press spokesperson Jeremy Corbyn
:13:02. > :13:05.would not be the Prime Minister. How on Earth can you have joined up
:13:06. > :13:08.thinking in your government when you have a dislocation between a message
:13:09. > :13:14.in the manifesto and the spending commitments you are signing up to
:13:15. > :13:19.date in, day out? Is it not the case that if people vote for Jeremy
:13:20. > :13:22.Corbyn on June 8th, you will have a coalition of chaos, rather than the
:13:23. > :13:30.strong and stable leadership of Theresa May?
:13:31. > :13:35.Well, I wonder if the leader of the Welsh Conservatives believes Theresa
:13:36. > :13:42.May to be a strong leader given the rumours that we have heard of his
:13:43. > :13:47.deselection. She said, he is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives.
:13:48. > :13:50.Well, stunningly true as a fact! We are proud of the manifesto that we
:13:51. > :13:57.are standing on, it offers great hope for our people. One thing we
:13:58. > :14:01.know is that the Diamond review has put people in Wales ahead of those
:14:02. > :14:05.in England. And we also know that if the Tories win the general election,
:14:06. > :14:10.we will be hammered even harder, students in England will be hammered
:14:11. > :14:16.even more. Students in Wales real never be in a position where they
:14:17. > :14:20.are better off under the Conservatives. As per usual, you cut
:14:21. > :14:25.out the bit of the quote where she went on to say what a good job I'm
:14:26. > :14:32.doing! If you look at what the offer is on the 8th of June, it is an
:14:33. > :14:36.offer from the Welsh Conservatives today to deliver a shot in the arm
:14:37. > :14:41.of ?100 million to the Welsh economy. ?100 million, against the
:14:42. > :14:45.fiscal illiteracy that we see coming out of Labour, and I notice the
:14:46. > :14:52.First Minister has not signed up to that or committed to that today, yet
:14:53. > :14:54.he sat in a meeting on the national executive last week and put his hand
:14:55. > :15:00.up to spend billions of pounds that this country has not got. It is a
:15:01. > :15:03.fact that if you want to get rid of Severn Bridge tolls, and put ?100
:15:04. > :15:07.million into the Welsh economy, you need to vote for the Welsh
:15:08. > :15:10.Conservatives, and the strong and stable leadership of Theresa May,
:15:11. > :15:16.unlike the coalition of chaos that Jeremy Corbyn represents. I am
:15:17. > :15:22.generous to the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, I want him to stay as
:15:23. > :15:25.their leader. Theresa May doesn't! You're right, I want him to stay!
:15:26. > :15:32.But Theresa May doesn't, and that's chaos for you. He stands there with
:15:33. > :15:38.the chutzpah, I think the word is, to claim that abolishing the Severn
:15:39. > :15:41.Bridge tolls is his parties idea, how many years have we in this
:15:42. > :15:45.chamber, demanding the end of tolls for the Severn Bridge and we were
:15:46. > :15:54.told by his party that it was too expensive! We saw estimates of ?120
:15:55. > :16:01.a year, it would cost. -- ?120 million. I welcome their conversion,
:16:02. > :16:04.but at the end of the day, the Conservatives would not have been
:16:05. > :16:09.saying this if it was not for the strong action and position taken by
:16:10. > :16:20.this Welsh government. STUDIO: Leader of the Ukip group. So
:16:21. > :16:23.Keir Starmer, the Shadow Chancellor, was in Wales and he said that
:16:24. > :16:27.Conservative Brexit negotiations pose a danger to the hugely
:16:28. > :16:32.successful campaign to recruit more doctors in Wales. Can the First
:16:33. > :16:36.Secretary tell us how many extra doctors from the EU this campaign
:16:37. > :16:40.has managed to recruit? We do know that 5.8 of our medical staff are
:16:41. > :16:45.from the EU, we know that there is interest from the UK and abroad.
:16:46. > :16:49.Anyhow system anywhere in the world operate on a world market. It is
:16:50. > :16:54.folly to think that the UK can train and recruit all of its own doctors.
:16:55. > :16:58.I think what we need to see are fewer doctors and nurses from
:16:59. > :17:01.abroad. It is vitally important that we are still seen as a welcoming
:17:02. > :17:06.place to get the best and the brightest in the Health Service. I
:17:07. > :17:08.agree with that, but the actual figure it is, seven actor doctors
:17:09. > :17:14.have been recruited this year, compared to last year, not all of
:17:15. > :17:18.whom, that's none of whom, will have come from the EU, therefore this
:17:19. > :17:21.seems to be rather irrelevant to the question of the Brexit negotiations.
:17:22. > :17:26.But what Keir Starmer seemed to be trying to do was to instil some sort
:17:27. > :17:32.of fear in the minds of those who might be susceptible to his words,
:17:33. > :17:35.that after Brexit, we're going to turn away potential doctors and
:17:36. > :17:39.nurses from the United Kingdom. I'm sure the First Minister knows in his
:17:40. > :17:42.heart of hearts that this is a preposterous idea, and that
:17:43. > :17:48.Australia, for example, has a very strict immigration system based on
:17:49. > :17:52.points, which are awarded in order to fill skills gaps in their
:17:53. > :17:56.economy, and the United Kingdom will be just the same. So, why doesn't
:17:57. > :18:00.the First Minister get on board with the Brexit negotiations and try and
:18:01. > :18:04.make it a success instead of trying to be an obstacle to progress all
:18:05. > :18:07.the time? Can he not see that handled badly, doctors and nurses
:18:08. > :18:13.will get the impression that the UK does not want them. It is already
:18:14. > :18:16.there, because of the issue of mutual recognition of residency
:18:17. > :18:21.rights has not yet been dealt with. Nobody wants to see people not being
:18:22. > :18:26.able to stay in the UK or UK citizens unable to stay in the EU,
:18:27. > :18:29.everybody wants that but there is no agreement on that yet. In my view,
:18:30. > :18:34.we need that before any negotiations over Brexit can begin. It is
:18:35. > :18:39.important that we are able to recruit from abroad. My great fear
:18:40. > :18:44.is that we end up with a cap on immigration, a cap in each sector,
:18:45. > :18:48.that the City gets the lion's share, in order to protect finance, and we
:18:49. > :18:54.end up unable to recruit doctors and nurses into Wales. That I think
:18:55. > :18:57.would be foolish. It is inconceivable that any cap which is
:18:58. > :19:01.introduced is going to work in such a way as to prevent the NHS filling
:19:02. > :19:05.skills gaps, particularly of professional people. But the First
:19:06. > :19:10.Minister will also know that two years ago, the Bank of England did
:19:11. > :19:15.an in-depth study of the impact of migration upon wage levels at the
:19:16. > :19:18.lower end of the income scale, people like cleaners and care
:19:19. > :19:21.workers and waiting staff in the Health Service, and it concluded
:19:22. > :19:25.that unlimited immigration from the year and other parts of the world of
:19:26. > :19:35.unskilled and semiskilled workers reduces wages by a factor of 2%, in
:19:36. > :19:38.relation to a 10% rise in the proportion of immigrants in those
:19:39. > :19:41.sectors. So what is happening here is that wage levels are being
:19:42. > :19:45.compressed for the people who can least afford it, whilst there is
:19:46. > :19:49.actually no danger as a result of the Brexit negotiations of the
:19:50. > :19:54.numbers of doctors and nurses being recruited from outside the UK going
:19:55. > :19:58.down. You can't say that a cap does not exist for certain professions.
:19:59. > :20:03.It is something which in my mind we need to avoid. We have 80,000 EU
:20:04. > :20:11.citizens in Wales, a tiny proportion of the population. I take his point
:20:12. > :20:15.that there were many who felt... Part of that is because there has
:20:16. > :20:19.been a complete failure to prosecute under the minimum wage legislation.
:20:20. > :20:22.His former party, they were against the minimum wage. As a result of
:20:23. > :20:29.that, that would have driven wages down even further. Now, there is
:20:30. > :20:33.exploitation, I have heard stories of exportation of EU citizens who
:20:34. > :20:38.come into Wales. That needs to be cracked down on and prosecuted, in
:20:39. > :20:44.the same way that those who try to employ people below the minimum
:20:45. > :20:46.wage, who try to get around weather legislation, should be prosecuted,
:20:47. > :20:49.and the law should be strengthened to make sure that nobody is expected
:20:50. > :20:56.in the future, and that is exactly what a Labour government would do in
:20:57. > :21:04.Westminster. Last week, the successful Time To Change John The
:21:05. > :21:08.Campaign Was Launched In Schools To Tackle Mental Health Problems And
:21:09. > :21:10.Stigma. If This Is Successful, We Should See More Young People Coming
:21:11. > :21:15.Forward To Seek Help For Problems That They Might Have. Can You Tell
:21:16. > :21:18.Us What Additional Funds You Have Made Available For School
:21:19. > :21:23.Councillors And For Training For Teachers To Deal With This Extra
:21:24. > :21:28.Demand? We have ring-fenced funding for health, she will know that. And
:21:29. > :21:34.we have put millions of pounds extra in to reduce the waiting times so
:21:35. > :21:37.that people can have an appointment within 28 days. We have not seen a
:21:38. > :21:43.massive reduction in waiting times, First Minister, you can barely say
:21:44. > :21:48.there is any difference. You can't say they are improved. It is not
:21:49. > :21:51.clear at all what those improved outcomes are from this extra
:21:52. > :21:54.spending. But what we do know is that the number of children
:21:55. > :21:57.requiring counselling is going up, and that's a good thing, because
:21:58. > :22:02.hopefully that means that problems can be prevented before they become
:22:03. > :22:07.severe and require specialist help. However, we know that many schools
:22:08. > :22:12.don't have enough councillors or teachers with training to help those
:22:13. > :22:16.pupils who may need it. Also, we've seen a reduction in local authority
:22:17. > :22:24.youth workers, a staggering 40% in that workforce as a decrease. This
:22:25. > :22:28.is clearly going to have an impact on whether the children are
:22:29. > :22:31.experiencing the low-level Mintel health problems, and whether they
:22:32. > :22:33.will be able to get the support they need, particularly as your
:22:34. > :22:40.government has raised the threshold for accessing specialist services. I
:22:41. > :22:44.spoke recently to someone who works with care leavers, who told me that
:22:45. > :22:50.they're only able to refer young people who are at risk of suicide.
:22:51. > :22:54.They have no capacity in the system to work on mental health prevention.
:22:55. > :23:00.Is that situation acceptable to you, First Minister? When is they're
:23:01. > :23:07.going to be an early intervention service, which is so badly needed?
:23:08. > :23:10.As I said before, health boards have committed to meet the 28 day target
:23:11. > :23:18.by the end of March, they have made great strides over the last 12-18
:23:19. > :23:25.months. One example, insurance older we have seen the percentage go from
:23:26. > :23:28.21% to 84% in one year, that is an enormous improvement in the
:23:29. > :23:38.proportion being seen within 28 days. So, the money that we have put
:23:39. > :23:41.in to the scheme, together with the policy in schools, is bearing fruit.
:23:42. > :23:44.You are giving the wrong impression because it is true to say that the
:23:45. > :23:48.waiting lists are no worse than before, and overall, you cannot
:23:49. > :23:53.claim overall, throughout Wales, that they are better. Now, children
:23:54. > :23:58.and young people with mental health difficulties go an average of ten
:23:59. > :24:02.years - ten years - before they receive specialist help. These are
:24:03. > :24:08.the people who are likely to be the most ill and also cost our services
:24:09. > :24:22.the most money. And it didn't have to happen this way. We know that
:24:23. > :24:26.tough harm is the sexist biggest killer of teenage girls globally.
:24:27. > :24:29.Are we going to have to wait for 16-year-olds to have the vote before
:24:30. > :24:34.the mental health of our children and young people get the proper
:24:35. > :24:39.priority that it deserves? Some of us do have children, I have a
:24:40. > :24:42.16-year-old daughter, so I know the pressures that exist, particularly
:24:43. > :24:46.through social media. That is something that did not exist when I
:24:47. > :24:51.was 16, so any bullying stayed at school. I know some of the things
:24:52. > :24:55.that are said online and I know that when youngsters are at their most
:24:56. > :24:57.vulnerable in terms of their confidence, they can be very deeply
:24:58. > :25:05.affected by that. She did not listen to the figures that I gave to her. I
:25:06. > :25:14.said, the percentage of... She can shout as much as she wants, she has
:25:15. > :25:22.had three questions already, right? In Betws-y-Coed, that percentage has
:25:23. > :25:27.gone from 20% up to 80%. She cannot deny that. We knew it needed to be
:25:28. > :25:31.improved, we knew more money had to be put in, and that is exactly what
:25:32. > :25:39.we did and we are delivering for our young people. Could the First
:25:40. > :25:41.Minister make a statement on the progress of the Welsh government's
:25:42. > :25:46.commitment to raise the capital limit? Yes, we are delivering on
:25:47. > :25:50.this commitment, phased-in fermentation is under way and a
:25:51. > :26:00.first increase to 30,000 was introduced in April. I thank him for
:26:01. > :26:04.that response and I commend the Welsh garment on taking very early
:26:05. > :26:12.steps to live on this pledge to raise the capital limit to more than
:26:13. > :26:16.double to ?50,000. We know very often that it is all many of our
:26:17. > :26:20.constituents have. More than doubling it has a disproportionately
:26:21. > :26:24.great benefit on what they can pass on to the relatives at some point.
:26:25. > :26:28.Along with this, there is also to be a full disregard of the pension
:26:29. > :26:31.being introduced in Wales which means that Welsh veterans no longer
:26:32. > :26:36.have to use any part of this to pay for the care they need. This is part
:26:37. > :26:38.of us honouring our covenant with those who put their lives on the
:26:39. > :26:44.line for their country. So, can I ask the First Minister if he has any
:26:45. > :26:48.idea now what sort of numbers we could be talking about and those who
:26:49. > :26:54.may benefit from this excellent policy? The initial increase to
:26:55. > :26:59.30,000 will benefit around 250 people, the increase to 50,000 will
:27:00. > :27:08.benefit up to 1000. So, a substantial number. We support the
:27:09. > :27:14.improvement in this policy, of course, especially relating to the
:27:15. > :27:19.veteranss' disregard. But is this savings cap really the best you
:27:20. > :27:26.could do for these people, in order that they save more? Jeremy Corbyn
:27:27. > :27:33.has recently said that he is not wealthy, despite earning more than
:27:34. > :27:39.?138 ?138,000 a year. So, don't you agree that the ?100,000 pledge, the
:27:40. > :27:47.cap, pledged by the Conservatives, probably reflects Mori is listed
:27:48. > :27:50.click -- reflects more realistically the situation of hard-working
:27:51. > :27:55.people? Of course, that Conservative policy was not costed properly.
:27:56. > :27:59.There is a cost to that, we know. 25% roughly of care home residents
:28:00. > :28:03.in Wales will benefit from this policy. And it is another example of
:28:04. > :28:09.a Welsh government keeping its promises, as we have done for the
:28:10. > :28:14.last six years. Will the First Minister make a statement on the
:28:15. > :28:16.progress being made on the economic and industrial strategy? Yes, we
:28:17. > :28:26.intend to publish our strategy before the summer recess.
:28:27. > :28:32.manufacturing is a strength within the Welsh economy, but the UK
:28:33. > :28:38.Government places still towards the bottom of that parities and I look
:28:39. > :28:43.forward to it being at the top end. We need to attract more
:28:44. > :28:50.manufacturing. We need to provide more premises of a larger square
:28:51. > :28:53.feet to ensure those factories are there. What is the Government doing
:28:54. > :29:00.to ensure there is a sufficient number of buildings to offer in
:29:01. > :29:04.meant investment -- inward investment and to allow current
:29:05. > :29:07.industries to expand? We do work with manufacturers to look at
:29:08. > :29:12.buildings as they become available. With Aston Martin, it happened and
:29:13. > :29:16.that was very useful in terms of being able to attract them and we
:29:17. > :29:20.work closely with all businesses to assess their needs in terms of
:29:21. > :29:27.future expansion. Where they work to do that, we can usually work with
:29:28. > :29:32.them to source buildings. First Minister, Jeremy Corbyn has
:29:33. > :29:38.set out plans for sleeping government intervention in our
:29:39. > :29:41.industry, including taking part of Britain's energy industry into
:29:42. > :29:47.public ownership alongside the railways, the biggest state
:29:48. > :29:52.intervention in our economy for decades. Do you endorse Jeremy
:29:53. > :29:57.Corbyn's approach, which I believe would take Wales back to the 1970s?
:29:58. > :30:00.And do you agree with your party leader when he says that private
:30:01. > :30:07.transport operators cannot be trusted with having the best
:30:08. > :30:10.interests of passengers at heart? Anybody who says the energy market
:30:11. > :30:14.is good for consumers must be living in a different universe. Time and
:30:15. > :30:18.time again, governments have recognised the current situation
:30:19. > :30:23.does not work. Energy was cheaper in the 1970s and we had made
:30:24. > :30:29.investments such as the tidal lagoons. He talks about the
:30:30. > :30:35.railways, the last major investment happened in 1977 under a Labour
:30:36. > :30:39.government. Since then, we have had no major investment in the mainline.
:30:40. > :30:44.Well still waiting for electrification, where has that
:30:45. > :30:49.gone? To Cardiff, to Swansea, where has that gone? To mark -- two
:30:50. > :30:54.promises made by the party opposite not still have. No sign of
:30:55. > :30:58.electrification from the Conservatives. And nobody could
:30:59. > :31:02.possibly argued the railways at the moment are delivering value for
:31:03. > :31:05.money. They cost more for the taxpayer than they did nationalised.
:31:06. > :31:10.Because of the way in which it was done. There needs to be more reality
:31:11. > :31:13.as far as the Conservatives are concerned and they need to deliver
:31:14. > :31:19.on their promises but energy and railed and they have had an abject
:31:20. > :31:23.failure in that sense. We certainly need new ideas for economic strategy
:31:24. > :31:29.because the old ideas have not worked. Wiwa poorer now relatively
:31:30. > :31:36.incompatible rest of the UK than when Labour first took office in 97
:31:37. > :31:44.in Westminster and in the Assembly in 1999. Can the First Minister
:31:45. > :31:49.explains what new ideas but Labour has transformed our economy? And
:31:50. > :31:53.given the fact that you have been in power in Wales for almost 20 years
:31:54. > :31:59.and for a good proportion of the time in Westminster as well, but has
:32:00. > :32:03.kept you? Where have those transformational ideas been? Where
:32:04. > :32:07.was his party is the former grey years when they were in charge? You
:32:08. > :32:13.forget is that, of course, they do not like hearing that because they
:32:14. > :32:16.would rather forget that, it is conveniently forgotten about. The
:32:17. > :32:21.valleys task was is in place, we are looking how to develop ourselves as
:32:22. > :32:29.an international presence because we know we have to look outside to new
:32:30. > :32:34.countries for new investment. We have seen unemployment, died in
:32:35. > :32:38.level lower than England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and made
:32:39. > :32:43.investments such as Aston Martins and technique are coming to Wales.
:32:44. > :32:47.The next challenge is to improve GDA. He is correct about that, but
:32:48. > :32:52.as far as job creation is concerned and reaching out to the world, as
:32:53. > :32:57.far as getting investment, the best foreign investment figures we have
:32:58. > :33:03.had for 30 years, this Welsh Government is delivering. Will the
:33:04. > :33:06.First Minister outlined a Welsh Government's approach to investing
:33:07. > :33:11.in capital infrastructure projects across Wales? At the heart of our
:33:12. > :33:14.approach is a focus on maximising resources we have available and
:33:15. > :33:19.targeting bees on the Aries with the biggest impact on the economy,
:33:20. > :33:25.supporting communities and all parts of Wales. It was welcome news that
:33:26. > :33:33.Finance Secretary and stated ?1 billion as an investment model would
:33:34. > :33:36.fund projects in Wales, it including but social structure centres and
:33:37. > :33:42.21st-century schools programme. And also the final phase of the dualling
:33:43. > :33:46.which is so vital for all my constituency, how does the Welsh
:33:47. > :33:48.Government plan to use innovative approaches to invest in
:33:49. > :33:53.infrastructure and benefit the people of Wales in the future? We do
:33:54. > :33:59.face unprecedented challenges to public finance and it is important
:34:00. > :34:03.to look all opportunities to boost infrastructure investment as well as
:34:04. > :34:07.the ?1 billion of capital investment we are committed to delivering
:34:08. > :34:13.through the innovative finance model, we are also using innovative
:34:14. > :34:19.ways of funding capital investment over the finance grant and the risk
:34:20. > :34:22.management programme, in addition to the ?1 billion of direct capital
:34:23. > :34:30.borrowing as a result of the Wales at 2014. First Minister, last year's
:34:31. > :34:34.UK budget provided invaluable boost to capital in the structure spending
:34:35. > :34:39.in Wales and it shows what Canon be achieved when Welsh and UK
:34:40. > :34:44.governments work together. Do you agree with me that the projects you
:34:45. > :34:48.mentioned, the welcome agreement on a Cardiff City deal and the
:34:49. > :34:52.announcement of the Severn Bridge tolls shows what can be achieved and
:34:53. > :35:02.the Welsh Government and a self is better working with Theresa May than
:35:03. > :35:08.Jeremy Corbyn? There is some cheap to that question and I give him
:35:09. > :35:12.credit to that. Bluntly, no, I would rather work with Jeremy Corbyn. Yes,
:35:13. > :35:15.I think it is right that at a time when there is no election, but the
:35:16. > :35:20.Welsh and UK governments can work together. But I have to say when it
:35:21. > :35:24.comes to the Severn Bridge tolls, we have been pushing for this for
:35:25. > :35:28.years. If an example of working together is we have made the case
:35:29. > :35:32.and hallelujah the UK Government is converted, I welcome that as well,
:35:33. > :35:37.but it shows how important it is to have a strong team here in the Welsh
:35:38. > :35:41.Government to keep on pushing a Tory government so they deliver things
:35:42. > :35:48.such as the ending of the Severn Bridge tolls which we have called
:35:49. > :35:53.for four years! In terms of the three stage process
:35:54. > :35:56.for assessing new railway stations in Wales, you are no doubt aware
:35:57. > :36:01.some campaigners have called for the reopening of certain stations which
:36:02. > :36:09.failed to make the second stage and they feel aggrieved, and in the
:36:10. > :36:11.interests of transparency, will your government to be prepared to share
:36:12. > :36:17.the results of the cost benefit analysis moving from stage one to
:36:18. > :36:26.stage two? I see no difficulty with doing that, it's usually important
:36:27. > :36:31.people can see the methodology. Bold the First Minister make a
:36:32. > :36:35.statement on the Welsh medium stream Brecon high school? I cannot comment
:36:36. > :36:40.further on those proposals for change because there is a potential
:36:41. > :36:42.for the Welsh Government and that position cannot be divulge. I thank
:36:43. > :36:49.the First Minister for that reply which I understand. This is the
:36:50. > :36:53.opposite to the situation which we faced where there was parental
:36:54. > :36:59.opposition to the changing of the status of the school to a Welsh
:37:00. > :37:05.medium school. There is a feeling in a locality in Brecon that this
:37:06. > :37:10.proposal for closure has become a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy
:37:11. > :37:16.because it has for many years had a proposal to close it down and
:37:17. > :37:20.divided we transferred for alternative schools, so it is not
:37:21. > :37:28.surprising parents who want to have their children taught in Welsh are
:37:29. > :37:32.exploring other opportunities. I have the First Minister will agree
:37:33. > :37:40.that I tried to be honest, if no other issue, and helpful. So what I
:37:41. > :37:44.would like to ask the First Minister, in addition to get
:37:45. > :37:51.knowledge policy which I think is correct, for the Minister for
:37:52. > :37:55.lifelong Minister, bringing parents with us, is it not the case that
:37:56. > :37:59.where parents want to have their children taught in Welsh, we have to
:38:00. > :38:03.make it as easy as possible for them and requiring children to go on a
:38:04. > :38:07.bus journey of over one hour in each direction is not likely to bring
:38:08. > :38:13.more parents into the net of wanting to have their children taught in
:38:14. > :38:16.Welsh. Without commenting on this individual case, what can the First
:38:17. > :38:21.Minister do to make it easier for parents in this situation in Brecon
:38:22. > :38:27.to have their wishes satisfied? If I can speak generally, the leader of
:38:28. > :38:31.Ukip is correct that in many parts of Wales, the length of the journey
:38:32. > :38:35.time to get to a Welsh school pots of parents and that is particularly
:38:36. > :38:38.true in parts of Wales where there is a premier school and a
:38:39. > :38:45.substantial journey to secondary school. It is a long way from their
:38:46. > :38:50.and steps must be taken to make sure they are able to access secondary
:38:51. > :38:56.education particularly more locally. Generally, local authorities have to
:38:57. > :39:00.reduce their local strategic plans and if they are judged to be
:39:01. > :39:04.inadequate, we do not approve those plans. And it is for local
:39:05. > :39:07.authorities across Wales to show they are providing sufficient access
:39:08. > :39:14.to Welsh education for those plans to be effective.
:39:15. > :39:21.The Welsh Government has ambitions to see a million Welsh speakers by
:39:22. > :39:25.the year 2050. In order to reach that target, we need to get as many
:39:26. > :39:29.children as possible starting their education through the medium of
:39:30. > :39:33.Welsh. And as you have said, it is difficult for you to discuss this
:39:34. > :39:37.individual issue. As a matter of general principle, do you
:39:38. > :39:43.acknowledge that in those rural areas, it costs more to get children
:39:44. > :39:47.to go to those schools and is there any recognition of this within
:39:48. > :39:52.government to make this possible? We want to reach that target, and we
:39:53. > :39:57.have to make it as easy as possible so that those parents do not see any
:39:58. > :40:04.barriers in their way. Well, generally, of course, the further
:40:05. > :40:10.that children have to travel to be educated, the greater the obstacle.
:40:11. > :40:15.And that is true specifically of secondary schools and that is part
:40:16. > :40:19.of the consideration we are giving. As regards the target of a million
:40:20. > :40:26.Welsh because by 2050, I will not be in this post at that point, if I may
:40:27. > :40:29.say that. The final document will consider a relationship between the
:40:30. > :40:33.language and economic development, and that is something which will be
:40:34. > :40:37.published this year and of course the situation of education will be
:40:38. > :40:41.considered carefully as part of that process.
:40:42. > :40:45.I have raised these issues in correspondence with the Minister and
:40:46. > :40:50.I have not yet received a response, I very much hope that I will do soon
:40:51. > :40:54.back because issues of school transportation have been raised. The
:40:55. > :40:59.one thing that is problematic if you are trying to provide bilingual
:41:00. > :41:04.education in rural areas is how you hold events outside school time to
:41:05. > :41:11.ensure transport is available is to stage arts, sports and so on
:41:12. > :41:16.activities. In terms of that difficulty, ensuring there is a fair
:41:17. > :41:21.option in terms of ensuring good Welsh education. One weight of
:41:22. > :41:27.ensuring there are more activities available is to ensure that you have
:41:28. > :41:33.more branches. In my area, there is one Welsh medium secondary school,
:41:34. > :41:43.not very central to the county. But every child in the county, it even
:41:44. > :41:48.those from outside, go there, and it does hold lots of activities so, the
:41:49. > :41:55.children do not have to go into town and every time. That ensures that
:41:56. > :41:59.children have access to a Welsh ethos outside the school without
:42:00. > :42:02.having to travel too far. How is the Welsh Government
:42:03. > :42:09.supporting Armed Forces personnel in Wales? The responsibility for
:42:10. > :42:14.serving armed service personnel lies with the UK Government, we have made
:42:15. > :42:17.clear our commitment to serving armed personnel and their family so
:42:18. > :42:22.they are not disadvantaged by their service. My question is more about
:42:23. > :42:29.the wider Armed Forces community. Earlier this year, at their request,
:42:30. > :42:34.I met a group of women veterans all of whom have suffered injuries on
:42:35. > :42:38.servers and who said they were also doing with mental health issues in
:42:39. > :42:43.consequence of their service. How do you respond to the concerns
:42:44. > :42:47.expressed and I am quoting, with more and more veterans returning
:42:48. > :42:50.from Iraq and Afghanistan, it is now taking three months to get an
:42:51. > :42:54.appointment with veterans NHS Wales and three, six months to see a
:42:55. > :42:58.specialist, and they can only deal with mild or medium trauma because
:42:59. > :43:01.there are no acute services. They have to travel to England for
:43:02. > :43:05.treatment for mental health and they rely on charities. If the member
:43:06. > :43:11.contacts me with more detail, I will investigate, but we have introduced
:43:12. > :43:13.in welcome to Wales booklet for serving personnel and it gives
:43:14. > :43:21.information on the support and services available. It includes a
:43:22. > :43:26.fast-track referral pathway for specialist health care, and hands to
:43:27. > :43:30.flexible childcare is and set -- access to education, and we work
:43:31. > :43:36.closely with organisations such as the Royal British Legion to give the
:43:37. > :43:41.veterans who have given so much what they need when male living in Wales.
:43:42. > :43:46.This Minister, the children of service personnel who have been
:43:47. > :43:53.posted overseas are in danger of receiving a patchy education. In
:43:54. > :43:56.postings where there is no school provision, these children are sensed
:43:57. > :44:01.international schools who may not follow a set curriculum. As a
:44:02. > :44:05.result, the children may be ahead in some areas and behind in others.
:44:06. > :44:09.What is your government doing to ensure the children of service
:44:10. > :44:12.personnel who have attended international schools are fully
:44:13. > :44:20.assessed and receive additional support if needed?
:44:21. > :44:27.This project has been funded from the European social fund and it has
:44:28. > :44:35.produced a guide for parents of service children. The latest results
:44:36. > :44:37.to be produced by this project is the digital storage resource, which
:44:38. > :44:42.was launched at the end of last year. In addition, the MOD has an
:44:43. > :44:54.education support fund, although we understand that funding will come to
:44:55. > :44:59.an end next year. What policies were the Welsh government following to
:45:00. > :45:03.encourage and support sporting success in Wales? Our policies in
:45:04. > :45:10.sport are concentrated on taking Wales forward. Sport Wales focuses
:45:11. > :45:14.on encouraging participation at all ages and ensuring sporting
:45:15. > :45:17.infrastructure is in place so that talented sports men and women can
:45:18. > :45:21.achieve their potential. Thank you for that answer could call I believe
:45:22. > :45:28.it is really important, for reasons I think all members here would
:45:29. > :45:33.recognise, that we support sport and physical activity at an elite and at
:45:34. > :45:36.a grassroots level in Wales. I would like to turn briefly to Newport
:45:37. > :45:43.County's success, because I believe it is very important. We had a local
:45:44. > :45:46.boy, Michael Flynn, as manager, taking over 1811 points adrift at
:45:47. > :45:51.the bottom of the table, completely turning it around with a dramatic
:45:52. > :45:56.winner in the 89th minute of the last match of the season to retain
:45:57. > :46:01.professional football for next season in Newport, showing the
:46:02. > :46:06.importance of local input into the team, and, of course, it is a
:46:07. > :46:10.supporters' trust. We will now have Premier League funding for
:46:11. > :46:14.grassroots community and sports activity around football, long into
:46:15. > :46:22.the future, I hope. And at the same time, we've seen Newport rugby club
:46:23. > :46:26.shareholders voting for a Welsh Rugby Union takeover which will keep
:46:27. > :46:31.original rugby in Newport and also nurture the game at the grassroots
:46:32. > :46:36.level. So I think professional sport and raw fruits sport is looking
:46:37. > :46:40.strong in Newport at the moment, and I wonder if you will join me in
:46:41. > :46:44.paying tribute to all of those people in making that -- involved in
:46:45. > :46:48.making that a reality, particularly the grassroots support? Absolutely.
:46:49. > :46:52.I saw the scenes at the end of the game, the scenes of joy, when the
:46:53. > :46:59.second goal went in against Notts County, so I am more than happy to
:47:00. > :47:01.congratulate Newport County. I think the Dragons have a bright future as
:47:02. > :47:09.well now the east financial stability. I fully recognise the
:47:10. > :47:15.importance of sporting development, the national football centre, of
:47:16. > :47:19.course, has been transformed and now has a training facility in place
:47:20. > :47:22.where there was none before. And in terms of the importance of
:47:23. > :47:30.individual physical activity, I know how important this is and I have
:47:31. > :47:36.failed to follow that advice for the last 18 years! To make a statement
:47:37. > :47:41.on Welsh government support for the manufacturing industry. We continue
:47:42. > :47:44.to take a broad range of actions to support the manufacturing sector
:47:45. > :47:49.across Wales. Figures released last week show that UK industrial trunk
:47:50. > :47:54.for a third month in a row meet the manufacturing sector falling and the
:47:55. > :47:59.UK trade visit Dublin to more than ?10.5 billion. Here in Wales, with
:48:00. > :48:05.our proud industrial and manufacturing past, the proportion
:48:06. > :48:16.of apprenticeships in manufacturing fell from 6% in 2006 to 2% in 2014.
:48:17. > :48:19.Those are from Stats Wales, in case the First Minister wants to accuse
:48:20. > :48:25.me again of misrepresenting the fact is. Does he agree with me that it is
:48:26. > :48:28.detrimental to did for more than a year over a new economic plan for
:48:29. > :48:32.this country? And what is the future, when we are not providing
:48:33. > :48:35.the next generation with the skills to deliver? It is a key commitment
:48:36. > :48:39.of this government that we will fund 100,000 apprenticeships over the
:48:40. > :48:43.course of this Assembly. It is something we think is hugely potent.
:48:44. > :48:46.He is right to point out that manufacturing is of greater
:48:47. > :48:53.importance to the Welsh economy than it is to the UK as a whole. I do not
:48:54. > :48:58.accept what he says about dithering. We brought Aston Martin into Wales,
:48:59. > :49:03.we brought Qatar Airways into Wales. At the moment, the advanced
:49:04. > :49:08.materials and manufacturing sector team is working with 88 companies
:49:09. > :49:14.looking to expand in Wales. Rather than dithering, we have been hugely
:49:15. > :49:19.active. Will the First Minister make a statement on the roll-out of a
:49:20. > :49:24.superfast programme in Montgomeryshire? The scheme has
:49:25. > :49:30.today date facilitated the roll-out to more than 46,000 homes and
:49:31. > :49:36.businesses across Powys, delivering average speeds of 87 megabytes per
:49:37. > :49:40.second. Thank you. We are now much months away from the corrupted date,
:49:41. > :50:02.when the Superfast Cymru Project Reaches Its Planned
:50:03. > :50:05.Date. I Have Been Contacted By One Constituent Who Has Now Been Told
:50:06. > :50:12.That The Situation has changed and that the technology is now to be
:50:13. > :50:15.fibre to the Cabinet and that he is now too far away from the Cabinet to
:50:16. > :50:19.benefit from the upgrade. I hope you would agree this situation is
:50:20. > :50:24.unacceptable. One minute he's told that he's going to receive up to 300
:50:25. > :50:28.megabytes, and then the goalpost has changed to find out that he's not
:50:29. > :50:30.going to benefit at all. Back in February, there would have been
:50:31. > :50:35.other solutions which we could have taken forward rich are no longer
:50:36. > :50:38.available. Would you agree with me that it is important that people
:50:39. > :50:40.should be given the right information in the first place?
:50:41. > :50:43.Perhaps the member should write to me with details of his constituent
:50:44. > :50:47.Sheila problem and I will investigate. Was first ministers
:50:48. > :50:52.Jens for this week. If you want more coverage of the Assembly, and, of
:50:53. > :50:55.course, the general election, you can go online to our BBC Wales news
:50:56. > :51:00.page. For now, goodbye from us.