Browse content similar to 17/01/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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so let's cross over for today's questions to the First Minister. | :00:00. | :00:09. | |
I call on the National Assembly to order. Before starting on this | :00:10. | :00:17. | |
afternoon's agenda I would like to welcome the Parliamentary delegation | :00:18. | :00:22. | |
from Basra, Iraq. While visiting the National Assembly today. And who are | :00:23. | :00:25. | |
in the public gallery this afternoon. Welcome. The first item | :00:26. | :00:30. | |
on our agenda are questions to the First Minister. The first question | :00:31. | :00:36. | |
is issued. How is the worst government assisting disabled people | :00:37. | :00:40. | |
in Wales? Framework for action, our Independent living sets out our plan | :00:41. | :00:44. | |
to assist disabled people in Wales. We will work together with the | :00:45. | :00:47. | |
public sector bodies across Wales to refresh the frame of this year. | :00:48. | :00:55. | |
Thank you. Well before the Welsh and announcement transferring the Welsh | :00:56. | :00:59. | |
Independent living grants to local authorities, campaigners in Wrexham, | :01:00. | :01:05. | |
Nathan Davies, who presented the goods to enabling Wales North Wales | :01:06. | :01:08. | |
graduation last month, expressed concerns that they felt that | :01:09. | :01:13. | |
disabled people had been sold down the river, or they could see was yet | :01:14. | :01:18. | |
more fighting. Disability Wales expressed disappointment that the | :01:19. | :01:21. | |
Welsh government didn't follow Scotland in setting up an | :01:22. | :01:26. | |
independent living fund. Ministered by inclusion in Scotland, Northern | :01:27. | :01:30. | |
Ireland has also commissioned its ILS from. How, therefore, would you | :01:31. | :01:35. | |
engage with such concerns to ensure that not only the local authorities | :01:36. | :01:39. | |
and health boards, but the Welsh government itself is complying with | :01:40. | :01:42. | |
the intention of the social services and well-being act placing a duty on | :01:43. | :01:46. | |
public authorities to promote the involvement of people in the | :01:47. | :01:49. | |
designed and delivery of care and support services? The decision was | :01:50. | :01:55. | |
taken to enable payments to be made and interrupted to former recipients | :01:56. | :02:00. | |
in Wales. It was an interim decision designed to last until the 31st of | :02:01. | :02:03. | |
March this year. Why we considered the arrangements | :02:04. | :02:07. | |
that were appropriate to provide support the longer term. Following | :02:08. | :02:10. | |
advice from the stakeholders adviser group which includes organisations | :02:11. | :02:13. | |
that represent the same people in Wales we are producing a promise in | :02:14. | :02:17. | |
April, a two-year transitional arrangement whereby support will be | :02:18. | :02:19. | |
through normal social care provision. | :02:20. | :02:24. | |
Presiding Officer, I want to highlight the importance of sign | :02:25. | :02:27. | |
language to the deaf community. For many deaf people it is a major | :02:28. | :02:33. | |
method of communication. My sister is profoundly deaf. Will he first Mr | :02:34. | :02:37. | |
join me in supporting the creation of GCSE first language sign language | :02:38. | :02:41. | |
to be treated as the equivalent of first language Welsh and English at | :02:42. | :02:44. | |
GCSE? It's a matter, ultimately, for the | :02:45. | :02:47. | |
qualifications Wales, they are responsible for the development and | :02:48. | :02:51. | |
out of patience in Wales. That said, I think it is important, and they're | :02:52. | :02:57. | |
taking what the member has said, to promote sign language and to promote | :02:58. | :03:01. | |
the availability of qualifications in British sign language. It is a | :03:02. | :03:05. | |
matter I will take on his behalf with corporations Wales. | :03:06. | :03:12. | |
There's been a great deal of talk that there is a possibility that the | :03:13. | :03:16. | |
attendance allowance is to be devolved to Wales from Westminster. | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
Some 100,000 people in Wales received this benefit at a cost of | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
some ?400 million per annum. Now, if these benefits are devolved to | :03:27. | :03:30. | |
Wales, we will then have to decide what the role of local authorities | :03:31. | :03:35. | |
would be. And Plaid Cymru, of course, always welcomes additional | :03:36. | :03:38. | |
power was residing here in Wales for the benefit of the people of Wales, | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
but there are concerns that this move is a money saving mechanism, | :03:44. | :03:47. | |
ultimately. How can you ensure that older disabled people in Wales won't | :03:48. | :03:54. | |
lose out if they did this were to occur? | :03:55. | :03:57. | |
Well, there is an unfortunate history in this place where benefits | :03:58. | :04:02. | |
have been devolved but without all the funding to follow. And that | :04:03. | :04:07. | |
happened with the council tax benefit. I'm not in favour of | :04:08. | :04:13. | |
receiving any powers without funding, and also, am not in favour | :04:14. | :04:19. | |
of getting the full funding in following on that. If that was | :04:20. | :04:24. | |
offered to us we would never wish to take any new powers without the | :04:25. | :04:32. | |
funding to follow and without the insurance in the long term about the | :04:33. | :04:34. | |
source of that funding. Thank you. In March last year as | :04:35. | :04:41. | |
part of the getting ahead to programme a learning disability | :04:42. | :04:44. | |
Wales were given 10 million over five years to transform the lives of | :04:45. | :04:48. | |
over 1000 young people aged 16 to 25. Who have a learning disability | :04:49. | :04:55. | |
or difficulty. That is through undertaking a paid work placement | :04:56. | :04:59. | |
between six and 12 months. What does this commitment to demonstrate about | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
the Welsh government's determination to assist people with disabilities | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
in Wales and how is this actively helping to change people's lives? | :05:07. | :05:11. | |
We can see the results for ourselves. We are working with the | :05:12. | :05:15. | |
advisory group to develop a strategic action plan. That will go | :05:16. | :05:19. | |
to White consultation later this year in order to build on the good | :05:20. | :05:21. | |
work that's already been put in place. | :05:22. | :05:26. | |
Question two, Paul Davies. Will he First Minister outline what the | :05:27. | :05:29. | |
Welsh government is doing to support farmers in Pembrokeshire? | :05:30. | :05:33. | |
The Welsh government is working to support the farming industry in | :05:34. | :05:36. | |
Pembrokeshire as in all parts of Wales. | :05:37. | :05:39. | |
As I am sure you are aware the number of farmers in my constituency | :05:40. | :05:44. | |
are hugely concerned about the possibility of the introduction of | :05:45. | :05:47. | |
nitrate vulnerable zones which would have huge impact on the businesses | :05:48. | :05:51. | |
and on the rural economy more generally. Your government's | :05:52. | :05:55. | |
consultation has been concluded, can you tell us when you will take a | :05:56. | :05:59. | |
decision on this issue, in the meantime, can I urge you to look at | :06:00. | :06:05. | |
this issue again and to consider introducing a voluntary approach to | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
improve water quality, because that is the way to support our farmers, | :06:10. | :06:15. | |
by working with them, rather than introducing burdensome regulations. | :06:16. | :06:18. | |
Well, their response to because attention will be considered in | :06:19. | :06:22. | |
detail over being suing weeks, and, of course, they will be discussion | :06:23. | :06:26. | |
with the agricultural industry over those weeks. As part of the review | :06:27. | :06:31. | |
taking place. Thank you, Minister, what will you | :06:32. | :06:35. | |
do now to protect farmers in Pembroke show the length and breadth | :06:36. | :06:39. | |
of Wales now that the Prime Minister in Westminster, Theresa May, has | :06:40. | :06:43. | |
decided that we will be out of the single market, with tariffs on Welsh | :06:44. | :06:48. | |
produce, there is to be a free trade market with New Zealand, where lamb | :06:49. | :06:52. | |
can come in, and this could undermine the quality produce of | :06:53. | :06:55. | |
Wales. What will the Government is doing out to protect the interests | :06:56. | :06:59. | |
of Wales in the face of the decision taken by the Conservatives in | :07:00. | :07:02. | |
Westminster to make farmers in Wales poorer and less able to compete? | :07:03. | :07:07. | |
May I say am completely against tariffs on Welsh produce. In any | :07:08. | :07:13. | |
market. And I am against any free-market agreement that would | :07:14. | :07:19. | |
weaken the culture of Wales, be it New Zealand, or Brazil on beef. We | :07:20. | :07:24. | |
have to be make a full as regards which countries agreements are made | :07:25. | :07:30. | |
with. May I also say that there is a major problem with regards to the | :07:31. | :07:33. | |
fact there is no assurance whatsoever that anything would be | :07:34. | :07:37. | |
available for farmers of Wales post 2020. Because of the fact that there | :07:38. | :07:45. | |
has been no assurance given as regards to subsidies themselves. | :07:46. | :07:48. | |
Some people in deaf rest say that they won't be any payments at all | :07:49. | :07:53. | |
for farming throughout the UK. And so farmers will have to deal with | :07:54. | :07:56. | |
the situation without any payments at all in a very short time. I am | :07:57. | :08:01. | |
completely against any route that would mean that farmers would lose | :08:02. | :08:08. | |
their money and their markets. I call upon the party leaders to | :08:09. | :08:12. | |
question me First Minister. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, | :08:13. | :08:16. | |
Andrew RT Davies. First Minister, last October, one of | :08:17. | :08:20. | |
the most passionate debates was held within this Chamber and the Chamber | :08:21. | :08:26. | |
upstairs was for a lot of people who are interested in the autism | :08:27. | :08:29. | |
community and wanted legislation brought forward from your | :08:30. | :08:31. | |
government. We were led to believe, there was a consensus, that all a | :08:32. | :08:36. | |
critical of the parties believe that they should be an autism Bill | :08:37. | :08:40. | |
brought before the Assembly to improve rights for people who suffer | :08:41. | :08:44. | |
with autism. Yesterday, you brought forward your | :08:45. | :08:48. | |
trade union Bill. Many people will find it difficult to comprehend why | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
you are standing in the way of bringing forward an autism Bill that | :08:53. | :08:57. | |
could greatly improve access to services and give a legal right for | :08:58. | :09:02. | |
people who have a diagnosis of autism over the trade union Bill | :09:03. | :09:06. | |
that you decided to bring forward. Why have you prioritise the trade | :09:07. | :09:09. | |
union Bill against people with autism? | :09:10. | :09:13. | |
There are two reasons. Post what you need to protect worker's writes. His | :09:14. | :09:19. | |
party won to remove confidence from this Assembly over employment rights | :09:20. | :09:24. | |
and regulations. It's his party's fault. We wouldn't have to bring | :09:25. | :09:27. | |
this forward at the speed of it wasn't for the Wales Bill. He can't | :09:28. | :09:30. | |
sit there and claim it's nothing to do with him. We will claim up for | :09:31. | :09:34. | |
work's writes as his party presses down on them. That is why we will | :09:35. | :09:39. | |
introduce a trade union Bill to this Chamber. We look for support from | :09:40. | :09:43. | |
this Assembly to protect the rights of workers and let's see what | :09:44. | :09:46. | |
happens within the competence changes. We will stand up for Welsh | :09:47. | :09:50. | |
workers, scene of his party champ will follow them. | :09:51. | :09:55. | |
It is the Conservative Party delivering for Welsh workers as they | :09:56. | :09:59. | |
are for UK workers. By delivering an economy that has delivered record | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
rates of employment and opportunity and prosperity. I notice you did not | :10:04. | :10:07. | |
dwell on the reasoning why your government stood in the way of | :10:08. | :10:11. | |
delivering an autism Bill. As opposed to the trade union Bill when | :10:12. | :10:16. | |
people upstairs after this debate will genuinely in tears and | :10:17. | :10:19. | |
disgusted with the outcome from this Labour government over the betrayal, | :10:20. | :10:22. | |
as they thought, of your government's commitment in the | :10:23. | :10:26. | |
Assembly election, the words spoken in that Chamber in this debate. | :10:27. | :10:30. | |
What is an reasonable? What is annually reasonable about this bill | :10:31. | :10:35. | |
about informing employees when strike action would be taken. What | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
is unreasonable about seeking this threshold? There is nothing | :10:41. | :10:45. | |
unreasonable about that. It is your party that has taken us back to the | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
70s. Moving away from empowering workers to get on in this country. | :10:50. | :10:53. | |
So what is unreasonable and that trade union Bill that demands your | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
government bring forward a separate piece of legislation? | :10:58. | :11:00. | |
It is odious that the leader of the Welsh Conservatives uses people who | :11:01. | :11:04. | |
are dealing with autism as a way to attack workers. The reality is that | :11:05. | :11:12. | |
unemployment is lower in Wales than it is in England, Scotland and | :11:13. | :11:15. | |
Northern Ireland because of the actions of the Welsh government. He | :11:16. | :11:19. | |
talks about a threshold. I don't remember talk of thresholds in the | :11:20. | :11:23. | |
Brexit referendum? Thresholds weren't important. I don't believe | :11:24. | :11:27. | |
in thresholds. I don't believe any threshold as far strike action, | :11:28. | :11:32. | |
balloting, is concerned. I believe in we stand up for the rights of | :11:33. | :11:35. | |
workers in Wales despite what is being imposed on them by a hostile | :11:36. | :11:40. | |
Tory government. 50 of his own MPs, 50 of his own MPs were calling for | :11:41. | :11:45. | |
strike to be banned in the public sector. We are going to arrest | :11:46. | :11:49. | |
strikers now, are you? Going back to the 70s? He'd taken back to the 30s. | :11:50. | :11:55. | |
The people you repay our union general secretary is. I challenge | :11:56. | :12:07. | |
you to bring forward the autism bill that people were asking for. I have | :12:08. | :12:11. | |
not heard people calling for a trade union bill in Wales because they | :12:12. | :12:15. | |
feel discriminated against. The real danger is that you will be | :12:16. | :12:22. | |
trailblazing regional pay by bringing the Bill forward because | :12:23. | :12:26. | |
you will lower the threshold for strike action in Wales, vis-a-vis | :12:27. | :12:31. | |
other parts of the United Kingdom and most parts when strike action is | :12:32. | :12:36. | |
taken is around terms and conditions and pay and you will be a | :12:37. | :12:40. | |
trailblazer for regional pay if you continue to push this Bill through | :12:41. | :12:44. | |
the Assembly but you should apologise to people in the autism | :12:45. | :12:48. | |
community who feel let down by you and your legislative programme. It | :12:49. | :12:56. | |
is odious, I used the word again, to suggest that those people who are | :12:57. | :13:02. | |
dealing with autism, who are caring for those people with autism, should | :13:03. | :13:07. | |
be set against people who want to have their rights as workers. It is | :13:08. | :13:15. | |
typical that the Tories' attitude is set people each other, divide and | :13:16. | :13:20. | |
rule, we will do all we can to help those people with autism and people | :13:21. | :13:25. | |
caring for people with autism, which we have done through legislation and | :13:26. | :13:30. | |
funding. We have not cut social services spending by 6% as he has | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
and his in London. The disaster of the NHS in England at the moment | :13:37. | :13:41. | |
caused by a lack of spending on social services. I make no apology | :13:42. | :13:47. | |
for standing up for the rights of workers in Wales and representatives | :13:48. | :13:51. | |
and if he does not like that he can explain to voters in Wales is why he | :13:52. | :13:55. | |
wants people to be in a position where they no longer have the | :13:56. | :13:58. | |
ability to exercise their right to strike. He yaps away, doesn't he? | :13:59. | :14:08. | |
There has been a lot of yapping. We will stand up for the rights of | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
workers even as he is indifferent to them. | :14:13. | :14:26. | |
On December the 15th last year, figures on the performance and value | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
of the Welsh economy were published. They have not received huge | :14:32. | :14:34. | |
attention but showed the Welsh economy stands at 71% of UK index, | :14:35. | :14:42. | |
down from 71.4% in 2014. We need to close the wealth gap and not | :14:43. | :14:49. | |
presiding over it whitening. Aside from the risk we face from losing | :14:50. | :14:54. | |
funds currently received by deprived communities, there is a risk to | :14:55. | :14:58. | |
businesses and jobs from the decision to leave the European | :14:59. | :15:08. | |
Union. From a safeguarding jobs perspective Wales continues to | :15:09. | :15:13. | |
participate in the single market, do you agree with Plaid Cymru it is in | :15:14. | :15:18. | |
the Welsh national interest to continue to participate fully in the | :15:19. | :15:21. | |
single market without tariffs or barriers? It is a position we have | :15:22. | :15:28. | |
howled. We save full and unfettered access. What we have to work is | :15:29. | :15:39. | |
anything that impairs ability of businesses to export from Wales and | :15:40. | :15:43. | |
makes it more difficult for them to employ people. GDP needs to increase | :15:44. | :15:49. | |
and we need to invest in skills. As people have more skills they can | :15:50. | :15:53. | |
better attract investment that leads to better paid job. I have listened | :15:54. | :16:02. | |
to the Prime Minister's speech. Some of it was welcome. The tone was | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
better, not as aggressive as the nationalist wing of Theresa May's | :16:07. | :16:13. | |
party. There were issues about recognising rights of devolved | :16:14. | :16:17. | |
nations although there is a country diction in saying the British | :16:18. | :16:20. | |
Parliament decides the final deal without devolved parliament is | :16:21. | :16:24. | |
having their own view as well. Leaving the single market I do not | :16:25. | :16:30. | |
agree with. Half in half out of the customs union needs explanation and | :16:31. | :16:33. | |
how you control immigration with an open border has not been explained. | :16:34. | :16:39. | |
There is some clarity, not all welcome, and some of it is better | :16:40. | :16:43. | |
from the Prime Minister but there is a lot of work to be done to make | :16:44. | :16:48. | |
sure we have the best outcome. Plaid Cymru would argue Wales is facing a | :16:49. | :16:53. | |
made in London plan for withdrawing from the EU and I'm glad you | :16:54. | :16:57. | |
mentioned the question of exports. On this map the risk to Wales from | :16:58. | :17:05. | |
hard Brexit is illustrated strongly. The Welsh economy is the most | :17:06. | :17:11. | |
dependent part of the UK on exports to the EU and manufacturing | :17:12. | :17:15. | |
economies like ours relied the most upon that market and we are talking | :17:16. | :17:21. | |
about industrial jobs, the food industry, in tourism, jobs that are | :17:22. | :17:25. | |
vital to people in Wales which cannot be put at risk. We know that | :17:26. | :17:31. | |
much of the non-European investment into Wales has been attracted here | :17:32. | :17:35. | |
because of our position in the single market and another risk to | :17:36. | :17:40. | |
this country, beyond losing our position in the single market is | :17:41. | :17:46. | |
that we are heading for neoliberalism, based on deregulation | :17:47. | :17:51. | |
and privatisation based on slashing workers' rights, based on watering | :17:52. | :17:56. | |
down environmental regulations that keep our country clean. We face | :17:57. | :18:01. | |
losing so many of the hard won gains and none of us should be prepared to | :18:02. | :18:08. | |
put them at risk. Will you commit to exploring how we can avoid taking | :18:09. | :18:13. | |
this path of economic and social vandalism and will you championed | :18:14. | :18:18. | |
the need for continued participation in the single market and for the | :18:19. | :18:22. | |
highest possible standards for workers, consumers and for | :18:23. | :18:26. | |
businesses? I will as I have done since June. There will be nothing to | :18:27. | :18:33. | |
stop the Assembly implementing EU directive if it wishes. There is no | :18:34. | :18:39. | |
ban on doing that. It is a matter for the democratic process. One | :18:40. | :18:43. | |
contradiction expressed by the Prime Minister what she said the British | :18:44. | :18:47. | |
Parliament should have a vote on the final deal, but a lot of it will | :18:48. | :18:54. | |
involve devolved areas. There are issues that will need to be resolved | :18:55. | :18:59. | |
there. I was concerned at the Chancellor's remarks on Sunday when | :19:00. | :19:03. | |
he said the British economic model would have to change if there was a | :19:04. | :19:07. | |
hard Brexit and he mentioned lowering corporation tax, one of | :19:08. | :19:11. | |
many things he would like to do not the taste of her or me. I do not | :19:12. | :19:18. | |
believe as they would put it deregulating the employment market, | :19:19. | :19:21. | |
which would mean slashing workers' rights and pay and I don't believe | :19:22. | :19:25. | |
in destroying environmental protections that have not just helps | :19:26. | :19:32. | |
the environment but tourism. I share with her a concerned there are some | :19:33. | :19:36. | |
in the Conservative Party who see it as an opportunity to introduce | :19:37. | :19:41. | |
radical right-wing thinking without any kind of restraint. Something I | :19:42. | :19:49. | |
know I and she would resist. Plaid Cymru stated we are not prepared to | :19:50. | :19:53. | |
sign up to a negotiation plan that has been hatched by Westminster a | :19:54. | :20:00. | |
leakeds if there is no regard to the devolved administrations. We know it | :20:01. | :20:04. | |
makes sense for Wales to work closely with other devolved | :20:05. | :20:08. | |
governments. Scotland is prioritising single market | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
membership ahead of any other constitutional aims but they are | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
prepared to hold an independence referendum if they are compromised | :20:18. | :20:24. | |
-- their options are not met by the UK Government. The situation in | :20:25. | :20:29. | |
Northern Ireland is sensitive will stop will you confirm that you will | :20:30. | :20:34. | |
work with the Scottish Government and the next Northern Ireland | :20:35. | :20:38. | |
Executive to ensure that the Prime Minister of the UK is deterred from | :20:39. | :20:44. | |
pushing through a plan for more deregulation and privatisation which | :20:45. | :20:47. | |
would be harmful to people in this country? We do work with the | :20:48. | :20:52. | |
Scottish Government. We do not have the same view on the final | :20:53. | :20:56. | |
destination but we work with them and talk to them with a view to | :20:57. | :21:00. | |
forming common ground, which is sensible diplomacy. Northern Ireland | :21:01. | :21:05. | |
is difficult because the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | :21:06. | :21:09. | |
have different views on Brexit and we see this situation in Northern | :21:10. | :21:12. | |
Ireland and part of the dynamic of the problem in Ireland is Brexit. It | :21:13. | :21:19. | |
sits there, because of the peace agreement put in place and the only | :21:20. | :21:23. | |
identity the people of Northern Ireland share is a European one and | :21:24. | :21:27. | |
that must be managed carefully. It is important whatever the outcome of | :21:28. | :21:30. | |
the election in Northern Ireland that we work with them and with | :21:31. | :21:36. | |
Scotland to remind Whitehall it is not just about the Whitehall bobbled | :21:37. | :21:45. | |
about all nations of the UK. The First Minister is trying to compete | :21:46. | :21:49. | |
with the leader of Plaid Cymru as a Jeremiah of Wales in relation to | :21:50. | :21:53. | |
Wales's future outside the EU and I am sorry to hear him say he is | :21:54. | :21:59. | |
against lower taxes on business because the Irish Republic has | :22:00. | :22:01. | |
successfully used a lower rate of corporation tax to attract firms | :22:02. | :22:07. | |
into Dublin, particularly financial services and it seems to me | :22:08. | :22:10. | |
counter-productive to Wales' interest to rule it out. Last week | :22:11. | :22:16. | |
the First Minister said about the single market, I don't believe you | :22:17. | :22:20. | |
can have access to the single market and say you want full control over | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
immigration. That is what we do have with the South Korea trade | :22:26. | :22:30. | |
agreement, why is it not possible for us in Britain? How can you have | :22:31. | :22:36. | |
control over immigration if you have an open border with the EU? Theresa | :22:37. | :22:41. | |
May referred to this in her speech. We had a common travel area with the | :22:42. | :22:48. | |
Irish Republic before either were members of the EU and this is a | :22:49. | :22:52. | |
practical question that does need to be solved and there is no reason to | :22:53. | :22:57. | |
think it cannot be solved. I am interested in... As a result... | :22:58. | :23:05. | |
Let's allow the leader of the Ukip group to be heard, please. As a | :23:06. | :23:13. | |
result of Theresa May's speech, she has clarified a number of issues. | :23:14. | :23:19. | |
Not all, I accept. Customs union needs clarification but she | :23:20. | :23:23. | |
clarified the government position. Can the First Minister clarify what | :23:24. | :23:27. | |
is the Labour Party policy on managed migration from the EU? I | :23:28. | :23:32. | |
have explained the policy, freedom of movement to work, something close | :23:33. | :23:36. | |
to what the Norwegians have, and it takes away the fears of some people | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
that people move to a country in order to claim benefits. Whether | :23:42. | :23:45. | |
that is true or not, we know the perception was there. It is a | :23:46. | :23:49. | |
reasonable position to take that most people in the UK would accept. | :23:50. | :23:54. | |
He's right about the situation, it needs to be solved. For the first | :23:55. | :24:04. | |
time ever in history there will be wholly different immigration | :24:05. | :24:06. | |
policies on both sides of the border. Ireland is not part of | :24:07. | :24:11. | |
Schengen at freedom of movement, if you go to Ireland you can get into | :24:12. | :24:15. | |
the UK with no control and that is the reality. In terms of customs, | :24:16. | :24:22. | |
are we to see the return customs posts on the border and on Welsh | :24:23. | :24:26. | |
ports? That has not been resolved. The effect it would have on the | :24:27. | :24:31. | |
throughput of vehicles and people through those ports. What I fear | :24:32. | :24:36. | |
more than anything is somehow Northern Ireland gets a better deal | :24:37. | :24:41. | |
in terms of customs than Wales, that will channel traffic through | :24:42. | :24:44. | |
Cairnryan and possibly Stranraer at a cost of jobs in Welsh ports. The | :24:45. | :24:50. | |
situation, the Welsh ports or Northern Ireland border, has to be | :24:51. | :24:53. | |
the same to ensure fairness of treatment. He is talking about | :24:54. | :25:01. | |
transitional points which have to be considered, and we had similar | :25:02. | :25:06. | |
difficulties when we entered the EU. Problems of transition. These can be | :25:07. | :25:11. | |
dealt with. What I am concerned with is that the First Minister is always | :25:12. | :25:15. | |
looking on the black side of things and imagining the worst. He did this | :25:16. | :25:22. | |
in relation to Donald Trump. I have raised this with him several times. | :25:23. | :25:29. | |
He said that Donald Trump believes in America first and it would not be | :25:30. | :25:34. | |
possible to agree a free trade agreement with the United States. | :25:35. | :25:38. | |
What is clear is it is not going to be possible for the EU to agree a | :25:39. | :25:43. | |
free trade agreement, but Donald Trump himself has said in the last | :25:44. | :25:49. | |
24, 48 hours, he would move quickly to make a new trade deal with UK, he | :25:50. | :25:55. | |
said I am a big fan of the UK, we are going to work hard to get it | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
done and done properly. Good for both sides. Can I persuade the First | :26:00. | :26:08. | |
Minister to have optimism? I do not believe that the American government | :26:09. | :26:12. | |
will want a free trade agreement with anybody that is anything other | :26:13. | :26:17. | |
than very positive for the US and negative for the other party. Donald | :26:18. | :26:23. | |
Trump has said he wants to tear up the transpacific partnership and | :26:24. | :26:27. | |
Nafta and have an agreement with the UK. Does it mean we will see be full | :26:28. | :26:34. | |
of hormones coming into the market and undercutting beef farmers in | :26:35. | :26:41. | |
Wales? Does it mean we will see, for example, in his party, T-Tip, he was | :26:42. | :26:45. | |
campaigning saying it was a bad deal, does it mean that if it is | :26:46. | :26:48. | |
back on the table he will support it? Does it mean the UK will | :26:49. | :26:53. | |
collapse at the knees if the US government says, you must open up | :26:54. | :26:57. | |
your public services to privatisation, because that is what | :26:58. | :27:07. | |
they will press for? I am in favour of good relations with the US and | :27:08. | :27:10. | |
with all countries, but I am sometimes touched by the sweet | :27:11. | :27:12. | |
naivete of the leader of Ukip and his fellow traveller the leader of | :27:13. | :27:15. | |
the Welsh Conservatives when they think the world will be an easy | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
place and free trade agreements are easy to negotiate. They are not. The | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
one with Greenland took three years, one with Canada, seven years. I have | :27:25. | :27:30. | |
looked at tariffs involved. There are tariffs on hats and umbrellas. | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
Agriculture is always excluded from free trade agreements. It is not | :27:36. | :27:40. | |
there with Canada, Norway and the EU. The agricultural tariff is | :27:41. | :27:44. | |
nearly 50%. Welsh farmers cannot live with a tariff on Welsh lamb and | :27:45. | :27:49. | |
beef of 50% and anybody who thinks they can is letting Welsh farmers | :27:50. | :27:50. | |
down. Question three. What is the Welsh | :27:51. | :27:59. | |
women doing to reduce food waste in Welsh households. Food waste has | :28:00. | :28:05. | |
decreased by 12% from 2009 to 2015 and we as a government find to | :28:06. | :28:12. | |
refund a programme, Admiral of food, heat waste. You are right that food | :28:13. | :28:24. | |
waste has reduced by 12%, and it has so deliberately saved tonnes of | :28:25. | :28:28. | |
carbon over that period. But even with that 12% reduction there has | :28:29. | :28:35. | |
been 188,000 tonnes of food worth ?70 million phone away by Welsh | :28:36. | :28:42. | |
households in 2015. -- thrown away. Given that 50% of that waste comes | :28:43. | :28:47. | |
from households, it is clear that reducing the amount of waste here | :28:48. | :28:52. | |
would have a significant financial benefit for both individuals and for | :28:53. | :29:00. | |
the environment. What is interesting, going alongside that, | :29:01. | :29:04. | |
is that 16% of people who were questioned thought that they were | :29:05. | :29:09. | |
not wasting any food whatsoever. So given those facts, First Minister, | :29:10. | :29:13. | |
what do you think that the Welsh government could do in terms of at | :29:14. | :29:17. | |
least educating people about the food that they are wasting, to the | :29:18. | :29:25. | |
tune of 35mm pounds a year? I can say that the cascade training | :29:26. | :29:32. | |
is available for businesses and communities. We have trained over | :29:33. | :29:36. | |
4300 people in Wales. That helps consumers to make the most food they | :29:37. | :29:42. | |
buy. Is still more to do. We have reduced the amount of food waste in | :29:43. | :29:49. | |
Wales by 24,000 tonnes. We know there is further to go, but that | :29:50. | :29:55. | |
work is now ongoing. Of course, it's not just households, | :29:56. | :29:59. | |
its public services as well with this needs attention. The action | :30:00. | :30:05. | |
programme, wrap, is working with the University has bored to identify how | :30:06. | :30:10. | |
to reduce food waste in hospitals. That is one thing. Admissions to | :30:11. | :30:15. | |
malnutrition were up highest for five years. So these agencies can | :30:16. | :30:21. | |
work together to identify and share ideas, in fact, I am hosting a love | :30:22. | :30:27. | |
food hate waste fashion in Bridgend this Thursday. But do you think food | :30:28. | :30:32. | |
waste is just part of a bigger issue for government and society about | :30:33. | :30:35. | |
nutrition and attitude to food which we need to take more seriously, | :30:36. | :30:47. | |
rather than fragmented responses. Part of the problem is that cheap | :30:48. | :30:51. | |
food is not healthy food, for so many people may have seen a squeeze | :30:52. | :30:56. | |
on them in come since 2008. People often say I'd love to eat healthy | :30:57. | :31:00. | |
food, but the reality is I can't afford to. It's not just about | :31:01. | :31:04. | |
targeting health issues it's about ensuring people have the skills they | :31:05. | :31:08. | |
need to get the jobs they need to increase their incomes and eat | :31:09. | :31:13. | |
healthier. Bad is the way this government operates. Looking at | :31:14. | :31:17. | |
holistic solutions rather than doing it by a compartmentalised formula. | :31:18. | :31:25. | |
Welsh government support for the valleys project based in my | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
constituency could see food waste providing enough power for 100, | :31:30. | :31:36. | |
sorry, 1500 homes, by generating one megawatt of clean out today. What | :31:37. | :31:40. | |
evaluation has the Welsh government made of this project? | :31:41. | :31:45. | |
Our priority is to reduce food waste by households. We are working with | :31:46. | :31:50. | |
the local authorities involved in the tomorrow Valley helped to | :31:51. | :31:53. | |
provide targeted campaign support and it decrease the amount of food | :31:54. | :31:57. | |
waste captured by local authorities for recycling. -- increase. Question | :31:58. | :32:11. | |
for, well the first list provide an update on plans for the procurement | :32:12. | :32:14. | |
of new rolling stock at the commencement of the new wheels and | :32:15. | :32:18. | |
Borders rail franchise? I can say the agreement of the | :32:19. | :32:22. | |
contract has started. We expect to see how you quality rolling stock | :32:23. | :32:28. | |
introduced as part of that process. Travelling on the Romney to Cardiff | :32:29. | :32:33. | |
line in rush hour on the valleys lines, is a grim experience. I know | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
that from journeys they take myself, and the valleys lines generally, I'm | :32:39. | :32:43. | |
told, are the same. Riva have told me several times there is simply no | :32:44. | :32:46. | |
rolling stock available to reduce the overcrowding. A new diesel train | :32:47. | :32:51. | |
will take approximately three years to procure from the procurement to | :32:52. | :32:54. | |
the receipt of the stock. That means, if new diesel stock is | :32:55. | :32:58. | |
ordered as part of the new franchise agreement rail passengers may not | :32:59. | :33:03. | |
see new carriages until 2021 at the earliest. | :33:04. | :33:05. | |
What is the Welsh government is doing to ease the problem in the | :33:06. | :33:09. | |
short term with regard to rolling stock? Moreover, is there any way | :33:10. | :33:13. | |
the Welsh government can order a new rolling stock today, or in the | :33:14. | :33:17. | |
coming months of the new operators when they take over the franchise | :33:18. | :33:22. | |
and have rolling stock sufficient quality and number two ease the | :33:23. | :33:28. | |
overcrowding problem? The problem, historically, is not | :33:29. | :33:32. | |
having control of the franchise. We still won't be able to put into | :33:33. | :33:36. | |
place the public sector industry to run the franchise. Unless there are | :33:37. | :33:40. | |
changes at Westminster. We won't be able to do that. The difficulty is | :33:41. | :33:43. | |
that the current model involves operators who lease the rolling | :33:44. | :33:48. | |
stock, so when they do face capacity problems they've got no stock. When | :33:49. | :33:54. | |
it was British rail, the stock was there. That is the problem at the | :33:55. | :33:58. | |
moment and its weaknesses compared to British rail, the model before | :33:59. | :34:03. | |
the early 90s. We are making it clear, as part of the crewmen expect | :34:04. | :34:07. | |
to see higher quality rolling stock. It's not going to be good enough in | :34:08. | :34:10. | |
the future simply to say there is a limit on what the company simply to | :34:11. | :34:14. | |
say there is a limit on what we can kill stock. We want to make sure | :34:15. | :34:21. | |
there to be the Metro Sons of the best in Europe. I have a similar | :34:22. | :34:29. | |
concern about the heart of Wales line from Swansea to shrews brew. | :34:30. | :34:35. | |
Travellers feel that it is a long way short of being fit for purpose. | :34:36. | :34:40. | |
Can you are sure that we are looking to provide more, faster and better | :34:41. | :34:43. | |
trains as part of the next franchise. We intend that no railway | :34:44. | :34:49. | |
line in Wales is left behind. We want the travel experience to be as | :34:50. | :34:53. | |
good on a heavily used line as the heart of Wales line which is an | :34:54. | :34:57. | |
important artery for so many communities in Wales. It runs | :34:58. | :35:02. | |
through six marginal constituencies, so the urban myth has it, so it is | :35:03. | :35:07. | |
good to see it there. It is not just about passenger rail, but freight | :35:08. | :35:16. | |
diversion as well. By January 2020 rolling stock in Wales will need to | :35:17. | :35:23. | |
comply with the new UK wide rules on disability access. As it stands, the | :35:24. | :35:27. | |
majority of the Wales and border rolling stock would not meet these | :35:28. | :35:31. | |
new standards. We've got evidence to suggest that securing this stock | :35:32. | :35:36. | |
could take up to four years. Are you confident that the fleet could be | :35:37. | :35:44. | |
modernised in time for the deadline? There are expectations placed on | :35:45. | :35:48. | |
those bidding to run the Wales franchise contract as part of the | :35:49. | :35:53. | |
expectations that we will have we want to make sure they proved not | :35:54. | :35:58. | |
just against laws that currently stand, but ensure they comply with | :35:59. | :36:02. | |
laws the future. David Rowlands. Given that a new | :36:03. | :36:09. | |
rolling stock is an essential demand within the franchise decision is the | :36:10. | :36:13. | |
First Minister in a position to specify to any interested parties | :36:14. | :36:17. | |
weather, and to what extent, light rail stop would be required as | :36:18. | :36:22. | |
opposed to standard way. Given the implications of the proposed Metro | :36:23. | :36:25. | |
system? These are issues being considered as | :36:26. | :36:29. | |
part of the process. It's right to say that, certainly in the future, | :36:30. | :36:34. | |
we will be looking at light rail in terms of new services. It's easy to | :36:35. | :36:38. | |
do that through heavy rail. And we will examine the most effective way | :36:39. | :36:42. | |
of providing rail services will be in the future. I emphasise that | :36:43. | :36:47. | |
whatever model is chosen for any particular line the terms and | :36:48. | :36:50. | |
conditions of those working in the really service will be protected. | :36:51. | :36:58. | |
Question five, Dafydd Ellis Thomas. When did the First Minister last | :36:59. | :37:02. | |
meet with the Prime Minister to discuss Wales's relationship with | :37:03. | :37:12. | |
the European Union? I met with her in October, and I | :37:13. | :37:17. | |
spoke to her this morning, prior to the speech she made this morning. | :37:18. | :37:21. | |
She didn't tell me much about what she was going to say. Apart from | :37:22. | :37:28. | |
saying that United Kingdom would be looking outwards to the rest of the | :37:29. | :37:33. | |
country of the world and would maintain a relationship with the | :37:34. | :37:36. | |
countries of Europe. I'm pleased to hear that the First | :37:37. | :37:40. | |
Minister has spoken to the UK Prime Minister this morning, I'm not | :37:41. | :37:44. | |
surprised that he didn't get much light on the matter, but having | :37:45. | :37:47. | |
understood what she said in that speech does she understand it | :37:48. | :37:52. | |
wouldn't be appropriate for her, as the UK Prime Minister, to try and | :37:53. | :37:55. | |
the cruciate along with the rest of the European Union on devolved | :37:56. | :38:01. | |
issues? -- negotiate along with the rest. | :38:02. | :38:06. | |
She said they would be no change as regards dissolved powers did not | :38:07. | :38:15. | |
devolved powers. She also said she wanted to strengthen the union | :38:16. | :38:19. | |
between the United Kingdom. I don't know what that means. If that means | :38:20. | :38:24. | |
we will have a system where there is a mechanism of securing agreement | :38:25. | :38:30. | |
between Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland about some of the | :38:31. | :38:33. | |
common issues between us, then I welcome that. If that is some kind | :38:34. | :38:39. | |
of message to say that some things would be determined by the United | :38:40. | :38:42. | |
Kingdom government on the half of all of the other home nations, then | :38:43. | :38:48. | |
I would not welcome mat. First Minister, no doubt you will as | :38:49. | :38:53. | |
appalled as I was last week when Tory MPs in Westminster talked for | :38:54. | :39:00. | |
four hours to talk out the bill from the Private Members Bill which would | :39:01. | :39:05. | |
have safeguarded every aspect of employment legislation currently | :39:06. | :39:08. | |
protected under EU law once we leave the union. I know, that in stark | :39:09. | :39:13. | |
contrast to the actions of MPs last week, the Prime Minister, in her | :39:14. | :39:19. | |
statement gave certain assurances on worker's writes. But as the first Mr | :39:20. | :39:22. | |
agree with me that this indicates there is a clear split in the Tory | :39:23. | :39:28. | |
party. Meaning that it is going to be more difficult than ever to | :39:29. | :39:31. | |
ensure workers are protected post Brexit and does he further agreed | :39:32. | :39:35. | |
with the TUC that we need to know exactly what the framework for | :39:36. | :39:41. | |
worker rights and jobs will be? I welcome what she said. Not only | :39:42. | :39:46. | |
would rights be protected but extended. I didn't expect that, but | :39:47. | :39:50. | |
it's something I welcome. It's undermined by the Conservatives this | :39:51. | :39:54. | |
afternoon tried to make a bullet to that argument. I hope this is a sign | :39:55. | :39:58. | |
she is prepared to face down the right in her own party and to fulfil | :39:59. | :40:03. | |
the promise she made. We know that there are some in the Conservative | :40:04. | :40:05. | |
Party will take the view that the best way forward is to make the UK a | :40:06. | :40:11. | |
model of deregulation, along the lines of some countries in the world | :40:12. | :40:15. | |
where there are no worker's writes with people live in fear of their | :40:16. | :40:19. | |
job security and whose quality of life is far lower the matter the UK. | :40:20. | :40:26. | |
I was interested in the First Minister's earlier comments about | :40:27. | :40:29. | |
Irish but the EU, particularly the occasion is for Welsh ports. -- | :40:30. | :40:37. | |
Welsh implications within the EU. In that context, in that scenario, | :40:38. | :40:41. | |
would it be going against such terms for Northern Ireland, would he seek | :40:42. | :40:46. | |
a similar approach for Wales to defend our Portland economy? | :40:47. | :40:50. | |
I don't see customers at all between any point in the UK or Republic of | :40:51. | :40:56. | |
Ireland. -- Customs. I fear a deal would be done whereby they would be | :40:57. | :41:02. | |
no customs at all on the border between Northern Ireland and the | :41:03. | :41:04. | |
Republic, but they will be in Welsh ports. As an operator the last thing | :41:05. | :41:10. | |
you would want is to go through customs, physically, so instead of | :41:11. | :41:13. | |
going through Holyhead you'd go into Northern Ireland which gives them a | :41:14. | :41:18. | |
significant competitive advantage over the Welsh coast. That | :41:19. | :41:21. | |
represents, for me, Alan Ferro block. | :41:22. | :41:25. | |
A clear Brexit was always the most likely outcome, but now what happens | :41:26. | :41:33. | |
afterwards has to be our focus. Do you agree we should seek | :41:34. | :41:38. | |
arrangements based on respect for our EU neighbours, there should be | :41:39. | :41:42. | |
no part of wishing the EU to fail, which would cause huge problems for | :41:43. | :41:47. | |
us directly. A strengthening of the role of the world for the | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
Organisation. -- World Trade Organisation. Many of what people | :41:53. | :41:58. | |
arguing for Brexit predicated their view on that we should move to World | :41:59. | :42:03. | |
Trade Organisation rules if that was what required. Finally the role of | :42:04. | :42:07. | |
Nato, we remember the successful summit in Newport, is a way of | :42:08. | :42:10. | |
projecting to the world Britain still seeks to fulfil its | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
international obligations and to be a good neighbour. Absolutely true. | :42:16. | :42:23. | |
Brexit is like standing in a restaurant and somebody saying what | :42:24. | :42:26. | |
they don't want from the menu and trying to guess what they want. | :42:27. | :42:32. | |
Politicians have all been trying to guess what they want. There are many | :42:33. | :42:39. | |
different models. For me it is about making sure we preserve and protect | :42:40. | :42:44. | |
and enhance the Welsh economy, which is fundamental, and it is about | :42:45. | :42:49. | |
being a good neighbour. Europe does not do disputes well, history tells | :42:50. | :42:53. | |
us. We are always stronger when we work together and the EU was a | :42:54. | :42:58. | |
framework for peace and for peace in Northern Ireland, and it is | :42:59. | :43:01. | |
important the goodwill and cooperation that has built up since | :43:02. | :43:05. | |
the end of the war is not lost as we seek a new relationship with the EU | :43:06. | :43:12. | |
in the future. Will the First Minister state what plans he has two | :43:13. | :43:17. | |
discuss the package of proposals Tata Steel has presented to the | :43:18. | :43:21. | |
workforce with its interim chair Ratan Tata are? I have discussed the | :43:22. | :43:26. | |
issue with the CEO yesterday in a meeting I had with him and I have | :43:27. | :43:34. | |
written to the CEO Finance of Tata, who is influential on these matters | :43:35. | :43:39. | |
and I have made it clear it is important Tata should explain | :43:40. | :43:42. | |
clearly to the workforce the implications of the changes. In his | :43:43. | :43:49. | |
meeting, was he able to outline the nature of the concerns that we have | :43:50. | :43:54. | |
expressed in my party but also widely shared among the workforce | :43:55. | :43:59. | |
about the highly uncertain nature of the commitments on investment and | :44:00. | :44:06. | |
employment and also the potential consequences of the proposal to D | :44:07. | :44:13. | |
link the Rishi steel pension scheme and Tata effectively creating a fund | :44:14. | :44:22. | |
and was he able to seek assurances or concessions from Tata Steel in | :44:23. | :44:27. | |
relation to these concerns? What we know is they are committed to at | :44:28. | :44:31. | |
least the next five years at Port Talbot, if there is an agreement on | :44:32. | :44:35. | |
the pension scheme we know they will be committed to two blast furnaces. | :44:36. | :44:41. | |
The money we made available is conditional and we want guarantees | :44:42. | :44:44. | |
put in place if the money is released. It is also fair to say | :44:45. | :44:52. | |
difficult the decision is for the workers, there is nothing else on | :44:53. | :44:55. | |
the table. The choices are accepting what is there, or we are back to | :44:56. | :45:02. | |
square one. It is a difficult choice, but that is the choice | :45:03. | :45:07. | |
workers face. We have come a long way from March when the situation | :45:08. | :45:11. | |
was grim. If you asked me then whether Port Talbot would remain I | :45:12. | :45:17. | |
would say it was unlikely and because of the hard work put in by | :45:18. | :45:23. | |
Welsh Government officials and by representatives such as David Rees, | :45:24. | :45:27. | |
because of the hard work put in by our officials and the money put on | :45:28. | :45:34. | |
the table, we are in a position to offer, Tata can offer an opportunity | :45:35. | :45:37. | |
to Welsh workers that workers must now consider. It is clear, meeting | :45:38. | :45:47. | |
with the trade unions again to discuss the issues and the proposal | :45:48. | :45:53. | |
came on. What was clear was the lack of confidence. In tartar in itself | :45:54. | :45:59. | |
will stop I have passed that of myself, but will you raise it with | :46:00. | :46:04. | |
the new chair because it is important that a voice from the top | :46:05. | :46:10. | |
of Tata is there to say we support the deal, it will be on the table | :46:11. | :46:15. | |
and we will deliver? That voice from the top is important to workers to | :46:16. | :46:20. | |
gain the confidence they have lost. It is an interesting suggestion. I | :46:21. | :46:24. | |
have made it clear to Tata it is important they communicate | :46:25. | :46:29. | |
effectively to the workforce what is on the table and their own | :46:30. | :46:34. | |
commitment. I have no reason to doubt the commitment Tata has made | :46:35. | :46:38. | |
that it is important to repeat in order for people to understand | :46:39. | :46:43. | |
commitments are being made. You said there is no other offer on the | :46:44. | :46:49. | |
table. Can I ask what initial discussions you had as a government | :46:50. | :46:55. | |
with the UK Government, unions and other parties, in developing an | :46:56. | :46:59. | |
alternative strategy in the event the current proposal is rejected? | :47:00. | :47:03. | |
The UK Government is not interested and has not been since the change of | :47:04. | :47:08. | |
Prime Minister. We are in a situation where the issue of energy | :47:09. | :47:13. | |
intensive industries and the price of electricity in the UK is an | :47:14. | :47:18. | |
issue. Tata said the UK is an expensive place to do business | :47:19. | :47:22. | |
because of energy prices and we have yet to see action from the UK | :47:23. | :47:25. | |
Government to support the good work put in by the Welsh Government. Will | :47:26. | :47:35. | |
you please make a statement to provide an update on the boat. | :47:36. | :47:40. | |
TRANSLATION: We are reviewing the responses received to draft orders. | :47:41. | :47:45. | |
We will make an announcement on the next stage shortly -- | :47:46. | :47:50. | |
Caernarfon-Bontnewydd. I met yesterday with the contractors for | :47:51. | :47:56. | |
this programme and they were hugely concerned that no date has been | :47:57. | :48:01. | |
announced for a public enquiry. That in turn will lead to delay unless | :48:02. | :48:07. | |
moves are made shortly in that regard. The proposal has been | :48:08. | :48:14. | |
delayed already by 12 months. Because of arguments about issues. | :48:15. | :48:21. | |
We do not want any further delay, so can you give an assurance the | :48:22. | :48:26. | |
contractors can proceed with this proposal early in 2018, which is | :48:27. | :48:32. | |
according to the timetable? We did go through... We are going through | :48:33. | :48:39. | |
the issues raised in the statement to ensure they are resolved as | :48:40. | :48:44. | |
regards the Welsh Government commitment. The commitment to build | :48:45. | :48:49. | |
the bypass still exists, although there has been delayed, it was not | :48:50. | :48:54. | |
possible to avoid that delay, but no, it is important the road is | :48:55. | :49:02. | |
built as soon as possible. Will the First Minister make a statement of | :49:03. | :49:06. | |
financial support for new business in Wales. Support is available to | :49:07. | :49:09. | |
all businesses including new through a variety of funds. Including the | :49:10. | :49:14. | |
growth and prosperity fund. We know the problems businesses in some | :49:15. | :49:20. | |
areas are facing with a huge hike in business rates. This is particularly | :49:21. | :49:27. | |
difficult for new businesses. While I welcome the commitment of extra | :49:28. | :49:31. | |
support in the budget there is a lack of clarity about how the money | :49:32. | :49:34. | |
will be distributed and some businesses have said they are in | :49:35. | :49:40. | |
limbo, particularly those who need to to longer term leases. Will the | :49:41. | :49:44. | |
Welsh Government publish full details and how businesses will be | :49:45. | :49:49. | |
able to apply? That will be published soon. It is important to | :49:50. | :49:54. | |
get the budget through in order not to prejudge the outcome and also I | :49:55. | :50:00. | |
reiterate a new permanent rate relief scheme will be available next | :50:01. | :50:01. | |
year onwards. | :50:02. | :50:03. |