Browse content similar to 31/01/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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and our weekly coverage of Questions to the First Minister. | :00:23. | :00:28. | |
As ever, Carwyn Jones will be answering questions | :00:29. | :00:31. | |
on a range of topics which fall under his responsibility, | :00:32. | :00:33. | |
including health policy, his plans for industry | :00:34. | :00:35. | |
and his reaction to local bank closures. | :00:36. | :00:37. | |
Don't forget we're @walespolitics on twitter, | :00:38. | :00:39. | |
where you can see all the latest on Welsh politics. | :00:40. | :00:42. | |
and today's Questions to the First Minister. | :00:43. | :00:52. | |
I call the National Assembly to order and the first item on our | :00:53. | :00:58. | |
agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister. Janet | :00:59. | :01:02. | |
Finch-Saunders. Will the First Minister make a statement on the | :01:03. | :01:07. | |
health service in north Wales? Our priorities for the health service in | :01:08. | :01:11. | |
the north and throughout Wales are to continue to protect investment | :01:12. | :01:15. | |
and deliver the range of commitments in taking Wales forward. Clearly | :01:16. | :01:20. | |
your priorities are not orthopaedic care because I hope you are as | :01:21. | :01:26. | |
shocked as I am with the recent findings of a 5000 per increase in | :01:27. | :01:34. | |
those having gone longer than the 36 weeks treatment time for orthopaedic | :01:35. | :01:41. | |
and trauma services. That is 3052 patients now having gone | :01:42. | :01:44. | |
considerably longer than that. I have constituents waiting for a new | :01:45. | :01:55. | |
replacement, 130 weeks for a hip replacement. They are in constant | :01:56. | :02:03. | |
pain, fed up with popping really serious painkillers. We learned | :02:04. | :02:10. | |
yesterday that all orthopaedic replacement surgery at Ysbyty Glan | :02:11. | :02:16. | |
Clwyd is now on hold. I am now advise the entry ward is now closed | :02:17. | :02:20. | |
for surgery. That frustrates me and my constituency even more. Such | :02:21. | :02:25. | |
delays in this kind of treatment is a national scandal and if this is an | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
example of your government putting the health board in special measures | :02:31. | :02:35. | |
18 months ago, then serious questions must be raised. How, under | :02:36. | :02:41. | |
your watch, have you allowed such scandalous waiting times and what | :02:42. | :02:45. | |
will you do now as First Minister on behalf of my constituents and those | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
patients across North Wales to investigate the matter urgently and | :02:50. | :02:52. | |
to provide my constituents and others with the appropriate | :02:53. | :02:58. | |
treatment... You need to bring your question to an end. The approach -- | :02:59. | :03:05. | |
appropriate treatment they not only need but deserve. The majority of | :03:06. | :03:10. | |
patients in North Wales are within less than 26 weeks but we understand | :03:11. | :03:14. | |
that Orthopaedics is a challenging area. Extra money has been made | :03:15. | :03:18. | |
available to Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board in order to reduce waiting | :03:19. | :03:23. | |
times. They are outsourcing some activity to alternative providers | :03:24. | :03:27. | |
and we expect to see the situation improved markedly over the next two | :03:28. | :03:35. | |
months. Earlier this month, the annual safeguarding report from | :03:36. | :03:37. | |
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board was published which was quite a | :03:38. | :03:40. | |
frightening read. The risk register showed 13 serious risks, including | :03:41. | :03:47. | |
failure to comply with various pieces of safeguarding legislation | :03:48. | :03:50. | |
or that there was a real risk that a child or a person couldn't be | :03:51. | :03:57. | |
identified if they were to go to A, which could lead to serious | :03:58. | :04:01. | |
harm to that individual. After a year and a half in special measures, | :04:02. | :04:06. | |
do you believe that is acceptable? We know that the board is not yet | :04:07. | :04:11. | |
ready to come out of special measures at present but, having said | :04:12. | :04:15. | |
that, we also know that looking broadly at the performance of the | :04:16. | :04:19. | |
health board, things have improved and we saw that in looking at the | :04:20. | :04:23. | |
framework in November where it showed that very good work had been | :04:24. | :04:27. | |
done and what's important now is to make sure that every part of service | :04:28. | :04:33. | |
being delivered by the health board improves in the same manner as the | :04:34. | :04:43. | |
cancer treatment times and so on and also the waiting times for | :04:44. | :04:51. | |
diagnostic tests. First Minister, how can you justify offering free | :04:52. | :04:54. | |
prescriptions and additional childcare regardless of income and | :04:55. | :04:58. | |
at huge cost while the number of people waiting for orthopaedic | :04:59. | :05:01. | |
treatment in North Wales has rocketed. Where are your priorities? | :05:02. | :05:07. | |
Because we were elected on that basis. I can't speak for her party | :05:08. | :05:11. | |
but we like to keep our promises. Question two. Will the First | :05:12. | :05:14. | |
Minister make a statement on the provision of bespoke mental health | :05:15. | :05:16. | |
services for former armed services personnel? Taking Wales forward | :05:17. | :05:21. | |
confirms our commitment to making sure that runs receive health care | :05:22. | :05:25. | |
that meets their needs and we will maintain that, which provides access | :05:26. | :05:30. | |
to evidence -based treatment for veterans with mental health | :05:31. | :05:33. | |
problems. Can I welcome what you said about preserving the service. | :05:34. | :05:38. | |
You are leading the way in the UK and I commend you for that but as we | :05:39. | :05:43. | |
now revealed this service, which has had a lot of initial success, I | :05:44. | :05:47. | |
think we are too reliant on self referral. That is one of the things | :05:48. | :05:51. | |
that has come through at the moment. One key objective is to inform | :05:52. | :05:56. | |
veterans that the resettlement stage as they moved back into civilian | :05:57. | :06:01. | |
life, that in itself can be very challenging, but they may then have | :06:02. | :06:04. | |
information that could be very important to them a few months or | :06:05. | :06:10. | |
years hence. I take the point that the member makes. We know there are | :06:11. | :06:14. | |
high levels of satisfaction that the service has provided. I think we can | :06:15. | :06:20. | |
do this, we can raise the issue with the Royal British Legion and the | :06:21. | :06:23. | |
Armed Forces to see what more could be done to inform veterans of the | :06:24. | :06:27. | |
availability of the service and also to encourage them to seek help from | :06:28. | :06:30. | |
the service rather than hold back but I will, the Minister will have | :06:31. | :06:37. | |
heard what's been said in the chamber and if we can do more to | :06:38. | :06:42. | |
improve communication to ensure that people who can benefit from a | :06:43. | :06:45. | |
service which does have such high risk of satisfaction, we will. I | :06:46. | :06:57. | |
wonder if you know that there was a motion to bring forward a No | :06:58. | :07:10. | |
Soldier, left behind. ... Can I just direct, the decision taken by the | :07:11. | :07:14. | |
business committee is not to be questioned on this floor and is not | :07:15. | :07:19. | |
to be timetabled. Priority has been given to another member as a | :07:20. | :07:24. | |
legislative proposal. Thank you for your clarification. So we do have an | :07:25. | :07:30. | |
opportunity to bring it back, it seems. But too many veterans are | :07:31. | :07:34. | |
struggling for health care, struggling for housing, especially | :07:35. | :07:39. | |
as the colleague across the chamber said, mental health care. Local | :07:40. | :07:42. | |
authorities don't have to give veterans priority. The reality is | :07:43. | :07:46. | |
that we don't leave soldiers behind on the battlefield and we shouldn't | :07:47. | :07:49. | |
be leaving them behind when they come home. Will your government | :07:50. | :07:56. | |
support a Bill, legislation, to make sure that what a lot of people are | :07:57. | :08:02. | |
suffering at the minute no longer happens and we make a difference and | :08:03. | :08:05. | |
make a change to the lives of these people? All I know there is a | :08:06. | :08:12. | |
suggestion and we have to see what the detail might be. It may be that | :08:13. | :08:15. | |
a lot of the issues the member raises has been covered by the | :08:16. | :08:21. | |
service as it stands. We do make ?585,000 available each year to fund | :08:22. | :08:23. | |
the service. It does provide therapeutic interventions in each | :08:24. | :08:30. | |
local health board. It also has a referral pathways to signpost that | :08:31. | :08:33. | |
runs to other areas in order for them to get help and support. The | :08:34. | :08:37. | |
question will be, would a Bill add to that and much would depend would | :08:38. | :08:42. | |
depend on what is in the Bill before taking a proper view on whether a | :08:43. | :08:46. | |
Bill would add to the services available already. Caroline Jones. | :08:47. | :08:53. | |
Just over two years ago, a Welsh government review of the veterans | :08:54. | :08:58. | |
NHS Wales service found that veterans were waiting at 280 days | :08:59. | :09:06. | |
for an initial assessment and up to 140 days from assessment. The review | :09:07. | :09:09. | |
also highlighted the fact that the service would face additional | :09:10. | :09:14. | |
pressures resulting from the UK defence and security review. In | :09:15. | :09:17. | |
total 15 recommendations were made as a result of the review. First | :09:18. | :09:22. | |
Minister, can you update us on the progress that has been made by Welsh | :09:23. | :09:25. | |
government and the local health boards in implementing the --... And | :09:26. | :09:33. | |
ensuring the service can respond to future demand? That report was | :09:34. | :09:39. | |
received in November 2014 and it did show high satisfaction rates among | :09:40. | :09:44. | |
veterans using the service. The recommendations have been accepted | :09:45. | :09:49. | |
and are being taken forward. Questions now from the party | :09:50. | :09:54. | |
leaders. Leanne Wood. Following the announcement of President Trump's | :09:55. | :09:58. | |
racist travel ban, they have been demonstrations throughout the world | :09:59. | :10:03. | |
including in Wales, rejecting the idea of division. But the issue is | :10:04. | :10:08. | |
wider than that just of a specific ban. The whole question of migration | :10:09. | :10:13. | |
has become a toxic debate. Will you join me and others in this Assembly | :10:14. | :10:17. | |
to make it clear that Wales remains open for business, open to visitors | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
and, just as importantly, open to those fleeing prosecution. -- | :10:23. | :10:30. | |
persecution. And do you agree with me that this ban on the grounds of | :10:31. | :10:34. | |
place of origin or religion has no ground here? We are, each and every | :10:35. | :10:43. | |
one of us in this chamber, the descendants of immigrants, it just | :10:44. | :10:45. | |
depends when they came to these islands. I do share the view that | :10:46. | :10:51. | |
the current debate in more than one country around the world regarding | :10:52. | :10:55. | |
migration is toxic. It is ironic that the debate is sometimes at its | :10:56. | :10:59. | |
most toxic in countries that are made up of immigrants, first, second | :11:00. | :11:06. | |
and third generation. That is the irony of this. But the irony is that | :11:07. | :11:11. | |
we know that where nationalism in terms of extreme right-wing | :11:12. | :11:14. | |
nationalism is allowed to take a grip, as we saw in the 1930s, the | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
result is calamity. Thank you for your answer and I agree with much of | :11:21. | :11:24. | |
your sentiment there. One of the factors that was influential in the | :11:25. | :11:28. | |
EU referendum result was the issue of wages and the undercutting of | :11:29. | :11:34. | |
Labour. There is no doubt about that. You will be aware, as I am, | :11:35. | :11:38. | |
and an scruple employers charging for accommodation and nominally | :11:39. | :11:45. | |
deducting it from people's wages. Those workers are not in trade | :11:46. | :11:48. | |
unions. They are often being paid less than the minimum wage. Migrant | :11:49. | :11:53. | |
workers are being exploited and those employers are also | :11:54. | :11:56. | |
undercutting Welsh workers so both types of workers are losing out. | :11:57. | :12:01. | |
Yesterday we met with the UK Government Secretary of State for | :12:02. | :12:05. | |
exiting the European Union and this point was made, I think it's great | :12:06. | :12:09. | |
to say, strongly. This morning I've written to the UK Prime Minister | :12:10. | :12:13. | |
calling for much stronger enforcement, just as I called on | :12:14. | :12:16. | |
previous Labour governments to do. It has to be dealt with because this | :12:17. | :12:20. | |
undercutting and exploitation is being used by some politicians to | :12:21. | :12:25. | |
exploit people's concerns about migration. Even the Secretary of | :12:26. | :12:29. | |
State for Wales yesterday was joining in, flying in the face of | :12:30. | :12:34. | |
facts and evidence, as to why wages have been stagnant. Does the First | :12:35. | :12:45. | |
Minister agree with me that the exploitation of workers by | :12:46. | :12:46. | |
unscrupulous employers has to stop and will he agreed to tackle it | :12:47. | :12:49. | |
using whatever powers may be available to him regardless of the | :12:50. | :12:52. | |
Brexit negotiations? She and I were at that meeting with David Davies | :12:53. | :12:55. | |
yesterday and he agreed with what we said but the question is, agreeing | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
is one thing, action is another. The point was made and she made the | :13:01. | :13:04. | |
point that we have not seen prosecutions for breaches of minimum | :13:05. | :13:08. | |
wage legislation, largely because it's not as straightforward as that. | :13:09. | :13:11. | |
I have mentioned in this chamber before now that I have heard | :13:12. | :13:15. | |
believable testimony from Polish workers particularly that they have | :13:16. | :13:20. | |
been paid the minimum wage is -- wage but they have used other | :13:21. | :13:23. | |
methods to take money from them, such as a realistic bonds when they | :13:24. | :13:27. | |
go into accommodation, such as against damage and when they go | :13:28. | :13:31. | |
there it is white furniture, white walls, and it is very difficult to | :13:32. | :13:36. | |
keep it in full order. We made the point yesterday that there is a huge | :13:37. | :13:39. | |
amount of work to do to make sure these people are brought to account | :13:40. | :13:44. | |
because, she is quite right, they exploit migrant workers and make | :13:45. | :13:49. | |
things of a lower standard as a result for workers from the UK. | :13:50. | :13:53. | |
Unfortunately many of the people who sit in the UK Government at the | :13:54. | :13:59. | |
moment are not interested. You are right, there are number of ways that | :14:00. | :14:03. | |
unscrew bless employers can exploit workers but this question of the | :14:04. | :14:08. | |
minimum wage is a key one. Last I looked HMRC only employed six people | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
to enforce the National Minimum Wage and it is clearly not a priority for | :14:13. | :14:17. | |
the UK Government. There have been minimal prosecutions in recent years | :14:18. | :14:20. | |
and that was the case under the previous Labour government as well. | :14:21. | :14:23. | |
Will you join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms those | :14:24. | :14:28. | |
politicians who seek to peddle myths about the reasons behind people's | :14:29. | :14:34. | |
wages being squeezed because while we are pointing out at migrants | :14:35. | :14:41. | |
instead of the government's inaction towards rogue employers, we are | :14:42. | :14:44. | |
letting the real culprits off the hook. Will you also commit to this | :14:45. | :14:49. | |
Assembly today to let us know what Welsh government resources you will | :14:50. | :14:52. | |
be able to identify to stop this exploitation so that enforcement | :14:53. | :14:56. | |
and, if necessary, the What I'd like to do is work closely | :14:57. | :15:06. | |
with those communities affected so they don't feel afraid to come | :15:07. | :15:11. | |
forward to offer their testimony. Quite often, that will be done and | :15:12. | :15:17. | |
the promise of anonymity will be taken forward. Recently, I finished | :15:18. | :15:21. | |
reading Dennis Skinner's autobiography. He isn't a politician | :15:22. | :15:26. | |
I'd normally share a lot in common but what he did say about Polish | :15:27. | :15:30. | |
workers in the mines after the war was interesting. There was no | :15:31. | :15:33. | |
animosity towards them because they were members of the trade union. | :15:34. | :15:38. | |
They weren't seen as undercutting wages. They had the same protection | :15:39. | :15:42. | |
as workers in the UK. That is what we need to get back to. Too many | :15:43. | :15:45. | |
people have low wages because of austerity and because they don't | :15:46. | :15:55. | |
have the support of a trade union. And we know were places that are | :15:56. | :15:58. | |
unionised have better terms and conditions for people in those | :15:59. | :16:00. | |
workplaces, which is why it is important that all workers are | :16:01. | :16:03. | |
covered through trade union membership, wherever they come from | :16:04. | :16:12. | |
in the world. First Minister, on Saturday, it is world Cancer Day, | :16:13. | :16:16. | |
something which many members in this chamber would have been touched by | :16:17. | :16:20. | |
and I know myself and my family have had an unfortunate episode where we | :16:21. | :16:25. | |
have lost a loved one to cancer. One in two of us going forward will have | :16:26. | :16:29. | |
an episode of cancer in our lives, down from one in three. So the odds | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
of people getting cancer are increasing by the day and by the | :16:35. | :16:38. | |
week. Regrettably, the Welsh government's target of a 62 day | :16:39. | :16:43. | |
target time hasn't been met since 2008. That aside, there is good | :16:44. | :16:48. | |
progress is going on in cancer services across Wales. What is your | :16:49. | :16:52. | |
overview of the delivery of cancer services here in Wales, bearing in | :16:53. | :16:56. | |
mind we have the National Cancer day to look forward to on the weekend to | :16:57. | :17:00. | |
reflect on where where at and one in two of us will of cancer in a | :17:01. | :17:06. | |
lifetime? I declare an interest here. My wife is employed by | :17:07. | :17:11. | |
Macmillan. What is clear is that there are two developments that | :17:12. | :17:16. | |
people will find if they're diagnosed with cancer. More and more | :17:17. | :17:19. | |
people are living with cancer, that is the phrase that is used, cancers | :17:20. | :17:24. | |
that cannot be cured in the conventional sense of five years | :17:25. | :17:29. | |
remission. But that actually allow people to live a normal life and | :17:30. | :17:32. | |
doesn't necessarily shorten their lives with the right level of | :17:33. | :17:36. | |
treatment. Secondly, huge progress is being made and we are fortunate | :17:37. | :17:42. | |
to have the unit in Cardiff in developing treatments that are | :17:43. | :17:46. | |
tailored to the genetic needs of the individual. Cancer treatment has | :17:47. | :17:50. | |
been a blunt instrument for many years. The same treatment was | :17:51. | :17:54. | |
applied to people over the years, it was more like trial and error. We | :17:55. | :17:58. | |
are in the forefront of genetic treatment in Wales and I want to | :17:59. | :18:02. | |
make sure more and more people have the opportunity to be rid of cancer | :18:03. | :18:06. | |
in the course of their lives and are able to live with cancer because | :18:07. | :18:11. | |
they have the support of pharmaceutical and moral, in order | :18:12. | :18:16. | |
to do that. You are right to point out the positive since cancer | :18:17. | :18:18. | |
treatments and the developments and the way Wales is leading the way. We | :18:19. | :18:26. | |
have pioneering science, pioneering technology here. Your government has | :18:27. | :18:31. | |
targets are having 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. There is a | :18:32. | :18:35. | |
statement this afternoon towards 2030 from the education secretary. | :18:36. | :18:41. | |
There is a girl that the British Cancer coalition have which is to | :18:42. | :18:44. | |
increase the survival rates from lung cancer, irrespective of where | :18:45. | :18:50. | |
you live. The survival rates are very, very poor. 16% in other parts | :18:51. | :18:56. | |
of the UK, 5-6% in Wales. You'll agree with me that is something | :18:57. | :19:01. | |
we've got to desperately improve. They have a target to increase the | :19:02. | :19:06. | |
survival from lung cancer after five years up to 25% by 2025. I've | :19:07. | :19:11. | |
highlighted other goals your government has set. Will you be | :19:12. | :19:15. | |
prepared to set that as a goal for your government to work too, | :19:16. | :19:24. | |
certainly up to 2021 and hopefully to deliver? I think that is | :19:25. | :19:26. | |
reasonable. We want to see more people live with and survive long | :19:27. | :19:29. | |
cancer. The survival rates are about 8% - 9%. They are low figures. Much | :19:30. | :19:35. | |
of it is because early diagnosis is so crucial, common to any type of | :19:36. | :19:42. | |
cancer. And symptoms don't manifest so readily. I believe our GPs are | :19:43. | :19:46. | |
referring people as they should, there's no question to my mind that | :19:47. | :19:51. | |
is happening and that people are receiving attention as they need. | :19:52. | :19:55. | |
Where there are complex cancers, it does take some time to get the right | :19:56. | :20:05. | |
treatment for them. I am looking to support an initiative that wants to | :20:06. | :20:08. | |
cut the number of deaths through long cancer in the way the leader of | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
the Welsh Conservatives has described. Thank you for that | :20:14. | :20:18. | |
commitment. If it is met, it could save 600 lives, who were dying | :20:19. | :20:23. | |
prematurely to lung cancer at the moment in Wales. Ultimately, that is | :20:24. | :20:27. | |
a goal we should all be striving to. Two weeks ago I heard an event for | :20:28. | :20:32. | |
patient voices around cancer services. Tom Crosby, the clinical | :20:33. | :20:37. | |
need for cancer services in Wales, highlighted the importance of | :20:38. | :20:41. | |
bringing forward a Cancer plan to underpin cancer development in | :20:42. | :20:47. | |
services, putting oncologists into Wales and developing long-term | :20:48. | :20:49. | |
sustainable services. If were going to hit that target of an increase in | :20:50. | :20:55. | |
survival up to 25% by 2025, and if we want to be serious about getting | :20:56. | :20:59. | |
on track now, we need to bring that plan forward, and when people like | :21:00. | :21:04. | |
Tom Crosby are identifying that has a need, I hope you'll agree the | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
government does need to listen to him and listen to others who are | :21:09. | :21:12. | |
saying that is what is required to drive the strategy forward. | :21:13. | :21:17. | |
Macmillan, who you identified in members interests, identified only | :21:18. | :21:21. | |
last week there needs to be a dramatic improvement in the delivery | :21:22. | :21:26. | |
of services for patients in 2017. Will you commit to bringing forward | :21:27. | :21:30. | |
a Cancer plan along the lines of what Tom Crosby has identified and | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
an improvement in services that Macmillan have called for in 2017? | :21:36. | :21:39. | |
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives will no doubt know | :21:40. | :21:41. | |
these are issues that are raised constantly in the house where I live | :21:42. | :21:46. | |
and the points I make fresh strongly and rightly so. We will listen to | :21:47. | :21:54. | |
those who suggest how cancer can be dealt with. We want to ensure we | :21:55. | :21:58. | |
have the right level of medical staffing, which is why we have a | :21:59. | :22:01. | |
recruiting campaign which were launched last year. And it's | :22:02. | :22:06. | |
important to what the third sector organisations. They provide support | :22:07. | :22:13. | |
for people who are shocked with the cancer diagnosis. The knocking their | :22:14. | :22:20. | |
income, the knock in the confidence, and it is a question as well that | :22:21. | :22:26. | |
people have support outside. I've seen similar examples of people who | :22:27. | :22:32. | |
because they have received support because they've kept their spirits | :22:33. | :22:36. | |
in the right place, they have survived cancer, whereas other | :22:37. | :22:41. | |
people who have lost their spirit don't survive. And I've seen that. | :22:42. | :22:44. | |
It is hugely important that while he makes the point that we have the | :22:45. | :22:49. | |
right level of medical staff to give treatments, we also need to make | :22:50. | :22:52. | |
sure people have support around them and ordered to help them fight the | :22:53. | :22:58. | |
disease as well. Leader of the Ukip group. First Minister will know the | :22:59. | :23:07. | |
Fordham motor company cancelled ?1.6 billion in Mexico and decided | :23:08. | :23:10. | |
instead to invest in its plant in Michigan. This is partly, they say, | :23:11. | :23:20. | |
a vote of confidence in the Trump administration policy. 1850 jobs in | :23:21. | :23:30. | |
Bridgend, depending on company, despite slashing investment by ?100 | :23:31. | :23:36. | |
million in September. Are those jobs rendered more secure by his | :23:37. | :23:40. | |
insulting call to cancel the proposed invitation to President | :23:41. | :23:49. | |
Trump to visit to the UK? The Ford Motor Company has condemned his | :23:50. | :23:55. | |
comments over the weekend. We'll see the chaos that has resulted. What I | :23:56. | :24:06. | |
can say to him, it is a great threat, the barrier between it and | :24:07. | :24:11. | |
it's only customer in Germany. It exports every single engine it | :24:12. | :24:14. | |
makes. If there are barriers in place between that engine plant and | :24:15. | :24:18. | |
Germany, Ford will be tempted to shift their production to Romania or | :24:19. | :24:23. | |
other plants in Europe. We ought to be on a level playing field and not | :24:24. | :24:30. | |
be put in a position of weakness. My point is the prospering trade | :24:31. | :24:33. | |
relationship with the United States, which will, to an extent, depend | :24:34. | :24:38. | |
upon having a positive relationship with the United States government. I | :24:39. | :24:41. | |
appreciate there will be different views around the chamber on the | :24:42. | :24:47. | |
domestic policies the United States government and, indeed, President | :24:48. | :24:51. | |
Trump's apparent views on world trade, but given the United States | :24:52. | :24:58. | |
is Wales' biggest individual nation trading partner, we exported 2600 | :24:59. | :25:06. | |
?44 million worth of exports to that country, 22% of all the exports from | :25:07. | :25:12. | |
Wales, is it not vitally important that we should be as positive | :25:13. | :25:17. | |
towards President Trump in our international relations and | :25:18. | :25:19. | |
therefore welcome the state visit from him later this year? First of | :25:20. | :25:26. | |
all, it is right to engage the US government. I will be in America at | :25:27. | :25:33. | |
the end of next month, working with the Congress, the Caucus, the Welsh | :25:34. | :25:36. | |
caucus of Congress members, and I will keep on doing that. Theresa May | :25:37. | :25:41. | |
herself said that we should speak to friends. And she has not done that. | :25:42. | :25:49. | |
I think it is hugely important these points are made. The phrase that | :25:50. | :25:53. | |
I've used, it is difficult to imagine a successful state visit at | :25:54. | :25:57. | |
the moment given the controversy and the timing of this. Bill Clinton | :25:58. | :26:10. | |
didn't have a state visit Noorda George Bush nor did Ronald Reagan. | :26:11. | :26:13. | |
At least two years after they became president did presidents have state | :26:14. | :26:15. | |
visits. The timing is strange, I have to say. I don't criticise | :26:16. | :26:17. | |
Theresa May were trying to force links with the US government, that | :26:18. | :26:21. | |
is the nature of international diplomacy, but it means that if we | :26:22. | :26:26. | |
are truly to be, as it were, friendly critics, if I can use that | :26:27. | :26:30. | |
phrase, of the US government, then the British government shouldn't | :26:31. | :26:35. | |
refrain from doing that. Theresa May has given from the criticism to | :26:36. | :26:40. | |
President Trump already in various ways. And I'm not against being | :26:41. | :26:47. | |
candid with our allies. But there is a difference in diplomacy between | :26:48. | :26:50. | |
candid criticism given a date-mac in a polite way, and megaphone | :26:51. | :27:00. | |
criticism which is more about grandstanding for domestic political | :27:01. | :27:05. | |
game. He sat down when he heard the words Nigel Farage being mentioned, | :27:06. | :27:20. | |
to do with the megaphone. The weather chosen are appropriate and I | :27:21. | :27:26. | |
think they are self-evident to most people in Britain. As I said | :27:27. | :27:31. | |
yesterday, its circumstances change, the circumstances around the visit | :27:32. | :27:35. | |
might change as well. Could the last few days and members can make up | :27:36. | :27:38. | |
their own minds about what is happening in the US, because we have | :27:39. | :27:43. | |
no clarity despite what Boris Johnson said, and I think there are | :27:44. | :27:47. | |
issues for the Prime Minister. First question is when did she know about | :27:48. | :27:52. | |
this? Was it Friday? Did she make representations? When did she know | :27:53. | :27:55. | |
about the conditions that are attached to the executive order? If | :27:56. | :28:00. | |
so, did she make representations for British citizens and British | :28:01. | :28:03. | |
passport holders? Which was asked about the order, why did she say it | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
is a matter for the US? If it had been any other country, she wouldn't | :28:08. | :28:13. | |
have made that response. Why did it take so long for Boris Johnson to | :28:14. | :28:16. | |
get on the phone to clarify the position? It isn't as clear as he | :28:17. | :28:21. | |
has suggested in Parliament. These are all questions I think the prime | :28:22. | :28:26. | |
minister has to answer. Of course, we have to have a relationship with | :28:27. | :28:30. | |
the US government. Of course we will continue our relationship with the | :28:31. | :28:36. | |
businesses. But it doesn't mean that we should say nothing about policies | :28:37. | :28:41. | |
put in place with which we disagree. We haven't done that with countries | :28:42. | :28:46. | |
like China or Russia. It is right we should also make our views known | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
when we disagree with something the US does, rather than be quiet and | :28:52. | :28:55. | |
sit in the corner. That I believe isn't the right way for the UK to | :28:56. | :29:03. | |
conduct its affairs. Question three. Will the First Minister make | :29:04. | :29:10. | |
statements on the Welsh Common's progress on physical activity? We | :29:11. | :29:18. | |
have measures which are being considered and are forthcoming. | :29:19. | :29:28. | |
Every Saturday morning at 9am right across Wales, thousands of people | :29:29. | :29:33. | |
take part in a park runs. They are volunteer led, they are timed people | :29:34. | :29:38. | |
are able to chart their progress as they hopefully their times over the | :29:39. | :29:46. | |
months and, indeed, the years. In Newport, the park run has been added | :29:47. | :29:50. | |
to with the city centre urban park run along the riverside. I took part | :29:51. | :29:56. | |
in recent events and enjoyed the benefits, as so many others do, | :29:57. | :30:01. | |
although my joy in setting a personal best was reduced when the | :30:02. | :30:05. | |
man who finished in front of me confided he'd just had a hip | :30:06. | :30:12. | |
replacement. Nonetheless, they are very important events, and I did set | :30:13. | :30:18. | |
a personal best. Will you join me, First Minister, in recognising and | :30:19. | :30:23. | |
paying tribute to the importance and significance of these park runs, | :30:24. | :30:26. | |
which are making a growing contribution to getting a more | :30:27. | :30:29. | |
physically active population right across Wales? | :30:30. | :30:34. | |
It is hugely important that people feel comfortable in taking exercise | :30:35. | :30:41. | |
in ways that are appropriate to them. They were two points that I | :30:42. | :30:47. | |
feared he would make. The first when he did make, namely that he has been | :30:48. | :30:51. | |
involved in a part run himself, and the second he didn't make, which I | :30:52. | :30:56. | |
welcome, which was an invite for me to join him in a park run because I | :30:57. | :31:00. | |
know full well he would have the edge on me there. But it is | :31:01. | :31:03. | |
important to encourage people to take exercise in new ways. Dai | :31:04. | :31:14. | |
Lloyd. Following on from John Griffiths' question, the First | :31:15. | :31:27. | |
Minister will recall the last time we had a ballot was to safeguard | :31:28. | :31:31. | |
playing fields and so I hope there will be some development along the | :31:32. | :31:35. | |
line as John suggested but it is also a matter of concern that 13% of | :31:36. | :31:40. | |
children in Wales do no physical activity from one week to the next. | :31:41. | :31:44. | |
What plans do you have in place to tackle the situation? Well, the | :31:45. | :31:54. | |
Welsh schools network, healthy schools network scheme, does support | :31:55. | :31:58. | |
schools to promote schemes to improve the health of pupils in | :31:59. | :32:03. | |
schools. 99% of schools are part of the programme. Those schools that | :32:04. | :32:13. | |
aren't private schools. And of course we also work with the W LGA | :32:14. | :32:20. | |
in order to support the children in continuing with their exercise, | :32:21. | :32:26. | |
including in the summer holidays, by ensuring there are activities | :32:27. | :32:27. | |
available. It could bring substantial benefits for | :32:28. | :32:41. | |
the health and well-being of the nation. The consultation on | :32:42. | :32:52. | |
improving... When will your government be in a position to bring | :32:53. | :32:57. | |
forward proposals that will encourage activities such as cycling | :32:58. | :33:02. | |
and horse riding while protecting the environment and the livelihood | :33:03. | :33:04. | |
of people who work in the countryside in Wales? Let's Walk, | :33:05. | :33:15. | |
Wales, is aimed at introducing walking into people's daily lives to | :33:16. | :33:22. | |
tackle the onset of heart disease and obesity. It is important that | :33:23. | :33:25. | |
people know where they can walk and where they can cycle and the active | :33:26. | :33:30. | |
travel act is a piece of legislation that helps us to develop those | :33:31. | :33:35. | |
methods of both exercise and transport in Wales in the future. | :33:36. | :33:41. | |
Question four. What are the implications of the UK Government's | :33:42. | :33:46. | |
industrial plan on Wales? Thus far it is not full of detail but we have | :33:47. | :33:51. | |
a call for the rebalancing of the economy and we will look at the | :33:52. | :33:54. | |
Green Paper when we see it in more detail. Obviously, the industrial | :33:55. | :34:01. | |
plan will impact on devolved matters in some way but although we don't | :34:02. | :34:06. | |
exactly know that until the Welsh government publishes an industrial | :34:07. | :34:09. | |
plan for Wales itself and in response to a question from my | :34:10. | :34:11. | |
friend, the member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr last week, the | :34:12. | :34:17. | |
economy secretary dismissed any need for an urgent industrial plan for | :34:18. | :34:20. | |
Wales with a suggestion we might have to wait until late in the | :34:21. | :34:24. | |
summer. When will the Welsh government stop playing hide and | :34:25. | :34:27. | |
seek with the future prosperity of this country? The unemployment rate | :34:28. | :34:32. | |
is 4.1%, lower than England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We | :34:33. | :34:38. | |
take the view that it is hugely important that we develop business. | :34:39. | :34:43. | |
We have set up the development bank for Wales. Some supporting sectors | :34:44. | :34:49. | |
where they need support. We have not seen support from the UK Government | :34:50. | :34:53. | |
for steel. We have provided that support and it is for that reason | :34:54. | :34:56. | |
there is a future in prospect for the Welsh steel industry so from our | :34:57. | :35:04. | |
perspective, we have invested in skills as well, and we believe the | :35:05. | :35:12. | |
story we can tell is a good one. First Minister, you just mentioned | :35:13. | :35:16. | |
steel. Are you as disappointed as I am when I read through the | :35:17. | :35:18. | |
industrial plan from the UK Government that there is very little | :35:19. | :35:24. | |
reflection on steel. Their approach to steel is nonexistent, | :35:25. | :35:30. | |
effectively. Manufacturing is 16% of the GPA in Wales. It's a major | :35:31. | :35:34. | |
sector so when you produce the economic strategy, will you make | :35:35. | :35:38. | |
sure the industrial strategy ensures that our manufacturing sector and | :35:39. | :35:41. | |
steel sector are reflected in the actions we take? We are judged by | :35:42. | :35:47. | |
what we have done for the steel sector in Wales. The financial | :35:48. | :35:51. | |
support we have provided, the fact we have engaged so much with Tata | :35:52. | :35:55. | |
and other steelmakers, showing them that we see steel as an important | :35:56. | :36:00. | |
part of the Welsh economy. There is scant reference to it in the Green | :36:01. | :36:03. | |
Paper it self despite what we have heard from the UK Government. We | :36:04. | :36:07. | |
need to see more detail on how the UK Government will do its bit to | :36:08. | :36:10. | |
support the steel industry. Russell George. In regards to your White | :36:11. | :36:17. | |
Paper on exiting the EU, First Minister, there is much I can agree | :36:18. | :36:21. | |
on but there does seem to be a lack of strategic planning to the | :36:22. | :36:25. | |
opportunities to grow the Welsh economy. We know that Welsh exports | :36:26. | :36:31. | |
were down in 2015, new business start-ups since 2011 have reduced by | :36:32. | :36:37. | |
26%, so in growing the Welsh economy, how is your paper linking | :36:38. | :36:44. | |
with a prosperous and secure strategy that your Cabinet secretary | :36:45. | :36:49. | |
talked about last week? What Welsh government plans are there to | :36:50. | :36:55. | |
reverse the export declines and support particularly new business | :36:56. | :36:59. | |
start-ups? I thank him for what he said about the White Paper. He | :37:00. | :37:12. | |
talked about SMEs. We offer repayable finance to SMEs. | :37:13. | :37:15. | |
Immediately following the referendum, we did launch the | :37:16. | :37:19. | |
business confidence plan aimed at promoting business confidence. We | :37:20. | :37:25. | |
want Wales to remain an attractive place for businesses to invest. On | :37:26. | :37:31. | |
top of that, Finance Wales has introduced two new funds. For | :37:32. | :37:35. | |
example, the Wales technology venture investment fund and the | :37:36. | :37:38. | |
Wales business fund. We are determined to make sure that we can | :37:39. | :37:42. | |
provide as much support as SMEs need. It is right to say that there | :37:43. | :37:46. | |
is still some uncertainty as to what happens post-Brexit. We don't know | :37:47. | :37:50. | |
what the arrangements will be for accessing the single market until | :37:51. | :37:53. | |
those questions are answered so it's natural that some businesses will | :37:54. | :37:57. | |
want to wait and see what happens before they take investment | :37:58. | :38:01. | |
decisions. Question five. What assessment has the First Minister | :38:02. | :38:03. | |
made of bank closures in north Wales? What is absolutely crucial is | :38:04. | :38:15. | |
that people, with a loot their bank branches are able to access banking | :38:16. | :38:20. | |
services through the Post Office. Just last week, HSBC announced its | :38:21. | :38:24. | |
intention to close its branch in Holywell, hot on the heels of | :38:25. | :38:27. | |
NatWest taking the same decision in the same town. The consequence of | :38:28. | :38:32. | |
which will hit the high street hard. I joined members of the community | :38:33. | :38:37. | |
last Friday to take a stand against this latest closure and the hurt and | :38:38. | :38:41. | |
anger of local people was palpable. They really feel enough is enough | :38:42. | :38:46. | |
for the area. When HSBC closed its bad in Flint last year, they advised | :38:47. | :38:53. | |
customers to use the Holywell Arch. -- branch. While the banks make | :38:54. | :38:59. | |
clear it is possible to use the local post office, this is not | :39:00. | :39:04. | |
applicable to business customers and the future of Hollywood post office | :39:05. | :39:08. | |
is far from certain. While I recognise that any legislation to | :39:09. | :39:11. | |
protect our local bank branches would need to be eaten at the UK | :39:12. | :39:15. | |
level, what can the Welsh government do to make sure that people and | :39:16. | :39:19. | |
businesses in my constituency and across Wales continue to access | :39:20. | :39:23. | |
face-to-face banking and support our high streets? We have over the years | :39:24. | :39:31. | |
supported our post offices financially and they are hugely | :39:32. | :39:34. | |
important in local communities. It is right to say that while personal | :39:35. | :39:39. | |
banking services can be provided by post offices, the reality is that | :39:40. | :39:42. | |
most business customers don't get that kind of service. When | :39:43. | :39:48. | |
businesses cash at the end of the day, where do they take their money? | :39:49. | :39:55. | |
Is one of the issues. It helps the football of a post office as well. | :39:56. | :40:01. | |
The difficulty with banking is that football has dropped in branches. We | :40:02. | :40:06. | |
must find a way, working with the Post Office, to make sure that those | :40:07. | :40:09. | |
services are available to the people that need them. We have made | :40:10. | :40:13. | |
representations over the years to the Post Office and the banks to | :40:14. | :40:17. | |
make sure that where banks decide they no one to be -- no longer want | :40:18. | :40:22. | |
to be in the community, the Post Office is able to take over the | :40:23. | :40:25. | |
services they offer, and to look at whether credit unions can take over | :40:26. | :40:39. | |
as well. Rhun ap Iorwerth. I have also raised concerns in this chamber | :40:40. | :40:42. | |
to the First Minister on a series of announcements in my constituency. | :40:43. | :40:44. | |
They have been further announcements recently on financial institutions, | :40:45. | :40:52. | |
not only banks closing, HSBC in Holyhead, the Yorkshire building | :40:53. | :40:55. | |
society in Llangefni, they are the latest two. The outcome of this is | :40:56. | :41:02. | |
that there is a centralisation of services and regional hubs. We are | :41:03. | :41:06. | |
seeing a pattern of that emerging at the moment and that does deprive | :41:07. | :41:09. | |
people of services as other members have said. There is the First | :41:10. | :41:13. | |
Minister agree that the Welsh government does need to put pressure | :41:14. | :41:17. | |
on the UK Government to make sure that banks, not as individual | :41:18. | :41:21. | |
companies but as a wider sector, should make sure that there are | :41:22. | :41:24. | |
financial services which are accessible to all communities in | :41:25. | :41:30. | |
Wales? Yes, that is a fair point. If the banks can't do it, in my view | :41:31. | :41:35. | |
they are duty bound to offer alternative ways of delivering the | :41:36. | :41:41. | |
financial services, via the Post Office and also, as a government, we | :41:42. | :41:47. | |
want to make sure that credit unions can fill the gap that the commercial | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
banks are leaving. As I said earlier, by so doing, I think it | :41:53. | :41:56. | |
will be possible to make sure that people will receive the services | :41:57. | :42:02. | |
they should receive. Mark Isherwood. As he Jess be told me when I met | :42:03. | :42:06. | |
them last year to discuss the closures in Flintshire, as NatWest | :42:07. | :42:09. | |
replied to me when I wrote to them regarding their closure in | :42:10. | :42:14. | |
Hollywood, and as the Yorkshire building society is now saying, the | :42:15. | :42:18. | |
reason for this is the switch from bank raised service usage to digital | :42:19. | :42:27. | |
usage. That, as is now being said by HSBC in Holywell, Hollywood head and | :42:28. | :42:31. | |
Llanrwst, leaves those without transport, those without Internet | :42:32. | :42:35. | |
access, shopkeepers and small businesses, losing out. What | :42:36. | :42:40. | |
dialogue and what submission did your government made to Professor | :42:41. | :42:44. | |
Grigg's independent review into how banks have intimated the banking | :42:45. | :42:47. | |
protocol to minimise the impact of bank closures and into dialogue with | :42:48. | :42:52. | |
the Post Office regarding the newly announced partnership to secure | :42:53. | :42:58. | |
access to local banking services? We welcome the recommendations for | :42:59. | :43:02. | |
better engagement and communication between the banks and customers but | :43:03. | :43:07. | |
it is important the UK Government, as the lead organisation here, to | :43:08. | :43:10. | |
make sure that what the review actually suggests is taken forward, | :43:11. | :43:16. | |
namely that the banks improve the way they engage with communities | :43:17. | :43:19. | |
facing branch closures, including working with small business | :43:20. | :43:22. | |
customers to mitigate the challenge of cash deposits. While we welcome | :43:23. | :43:28. | |
the recommendations, we do need to see action now on the part of the UK | :43:29. | :43:33. | |
Government. Question six. Will the First Minister make a statement on | :43:34. | :43:35. | |
support for micro businesses in Wales? Business support is available | :43:36. | :43:42. | |
for entrepreneurs, Micro, small and medium-sized businesses across | :43:43. | :43:47. | |
Wales, through our business Wales service, and our focus remains on | :43:48. | :43:50. | |
supporting innovation, jobs and the economy. As well as the support you | :43:51. | :43:57. | |
have referred to, I am aware that business Wales provides considerable | :43:58. | :44:01. | |
practical support for guidance on developing businesses such as | :44:02. | :44:07. | |
business plans, research, bands etc. In Merthyr Tydfil we have a | :44:08. | :44:11. | |
fantastic organisation which offers facilitated office space for | :44:12. | :44:13. | |
businesses to share resources and ideas under one roof. The space | :44:14. | :44:19. | |
offers a one-stop cost-effective environment to kick-start ideas and | :44:20. | :44:24. | |
share skills, knowledge and success. An important part of the hub's role | :44:25. | :44:29. | |
is not just to provide the facilitated office space but it | :44:30. | :44:33. | |
provides a forum for these new or developing small businesses to share | :44:34. | :44:36. | |
experience and good practice and mutual support. Do you agree with me | :44:37. | :44:41. | |
that initiatives like this can be incredibly beneficial to small | :44:42. | :44:45. | |
businesses, particularly in their formative years, and have an | :44:46. | :44:47. | |
important role to play in supporting the continued growth of small | :44:48. | :44:51. | |
businesses in Wales, supplementing the work done by business Wales? | :44:52. | :44:57. | |
Sharing expertise, good practice is a good factor for start-ups. I note | :44:58. | :45:05. | |
the sector in Conwy, in conjunction with the entrepreneurial sector, is | :45:06. | :45:12. | |
looking at the type of spaces needed to make sure that provision is | :45:13. | :45:14. | |
available. Will the First Minister make a | :45:15. | :45:26. | |
statement on the Hendry review? We welcome it. It supports the case for | :45:27. | :45:31. | |
the tidal lagoon and the specific recognition that gives to the | :45:32. | :45:35. | |
projects already under development around our coast. Thank you. We all | :45:36. | :45:41. | |
welcome it. What we don't need of course is the issue of the marine | :45:42. | :45:45. | |
licence holding up progress. Bearing in mind that I raise the delay in | :45:46. | :45:53. | |
September 2015, how often has your government chased and Derby to come | :45:54. | :45:59. | |
forward with the license, and what reasons has it given for its species | :46:00. | :46:06. | |
report? NRW at arms length organisation. There is a limit to | :46:07. | :46:10. | |
what we can appropriately say to them as they are determining a | :46:11. | :46:14. | |
marine licensing application. I will say the application needs to be | :46:15. | :46:20. | |
determined as possible. And we all understand in this chamber of the | :46:21. | :46:24. | |
importance of the tidal lagoon in terms of jobs. We also need to see a | :46:25. | :46:28. | |
firm commitment from the UK government in terms of the strike | :46:29. | :46:31. | |
price in order to ensure this worthwhile project goes ahead. | :46:32. | :46:38. | |
Question eight. We were delighted Charles Hendry visited the Assembly | :46:39. | :46:47. | |
last week. What discussions has the First Minister had with the Prime | :46:48. | :46:51. | |
Minister regarding the Swansea Bay tidal lagoons since the Hendry | :46:52. | :46:56. | |
review was published? Can I thank the member for the heads up on his | :46:57. | :47:01. | |
supplementary? Not directly with the Prime Minister but I know the | :47:02. | :47:06. | |
Cabinet Secretary for Conwy infrastructure met last week and | :47:07. | :47:10. | |
officials are in close contact with the Department in Whitehall. Thank | :47:11. | :47:21. | |
you for your patience. It was a clear and resounding endorsement of | :47:22. | :47:26. | |
the Swansea Laguna Seca Pathfinder, he said, and the cost of the project | :47:27. | :47:31. | |
would be about 30 people are household were a year for the first | :47:32. | :47:41. | |
30 years. The benefits he said that investment could be huge, especially | :47:42. | :47:44. | |
in South Wales but also in many other parts of the country. Having | :47:45. | :47:48. | |
looked at the evidence and spoken to the key players on both sides of the | :47:49. | :47:53. | |
debate, it is my view we should seize the opportunity to move this | :47:54. | :47:57. | |
technology forward now. Would be First Minister note the cross-party | :47:58. | :48:01. | |
support here in the Senedd? The cross-party support among Welsh MPs? | :48:02. | :48:08. | |
The cross sector business support? The University support? And whilst | :48:09. | :48:12. | |
we need to deal with the environmental concerns, the wider | :48:13. | :48:17. | |
NGO support for this sustainable energy scheme? Would you further | :48:18. | :48:21. | |
agree that this, as I said to Charles Hendry when he first came | :48:22. | :48:24. | |
here to take views, is a no-brainer or as he said, in no regret policy | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
for government. And we would welcome a supportive statement from the UK | :48:31. | :48:35. | |
government for the pathway Project at the earliest opportunity. What | :48:36. | :48:38. | |
can he do to help to get that statement? We have made it very | :48:39. | :48:43. | |
clear that this is a project that doesn't just deliver green anergy | :48:44. | :48:46. | |
beyond our own lifetimes, which is not something we are used to | :48:47. | :48:51. | |
predicting in politics. It also has the potential to create 1300 jobs, | :48:52. | :49:00. | |
particular import tool but that is required. -- particular in Port | :49:01. | :49:08. | |
Talbot. And I hope we can move forward with the project that will | :49:09. | :49:14. | |
only be good for the Welsh people. Will the First Minister make a | :49:15. | :49:18. | |
statement on recognition given those who carried out their National | :49:19. | :49:22. | |
Service as Bevin Boys during and after the Second World War? I know | :49:23. | :49:25. | |
the member has a very firm interest in this issue and we know that Bevin | :49:26. | :49:31. | |
Boys, many of whom worked in dangerous minds, played their part | :49:32. | :49:36. | |
in winning the Second World War and it is fitting memorial commemorating | :49:37. | :49:41. | |
them has been planned in the Staffordshire arboretum. I was | :49:42. | :49:47. | |
contacted by my constituent who turns 91 this year and was a Bevin | :49:48. | :49:51. | |
Boys during the Second World War. When the Bevin Boys programme was | :49:52. | :49:55. | |
wound up in 1948, they didn't receive medals and their efforts | :49:56. | :50:01. | |
went unrecognised until VE Day, the 50th anniversary celebrations, in | :50:02. | :50:07. | |
May 19 95. In June 2007, the UK government announced Bevin Boys | :50:08. | :50:11. | |
would get a badge for their service. I feel it wasn't enough. I will be | :50:12. | :50:15. | |
writing to the Bevin Boys association to ask them to contact | :50:16. | :50:18. | |
my constituent. With the First Minister pay tribute to my | :50:19. | :50:23. | |
constituent and people like him and recognise his contribution to our | :50:24. | :50:27. | |
country's security during the Second World War? Indeed, I would because | :50:28. | :50:31. | |
even though they weren't competence, without them, there would not have | :50:32. | :50:34. | |
been the ability to release those who went into the armed forces, | :50:35. | :50:38. | |
there wouldn't have been the ability to fill so many of the engines that | :50:39. | :50:43. | |
were needed in ships particularly and we know the economy would have | :50:44. | :50:47. | |
ground to a halt. That would have been as debilitating as military | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
reversal. War pensions, for example, are not devolved and they haven't | :50:52. | :50:55. | |
been applied to Bevin Boys, they are the response poverty of the UK | :50:56. | :50:59. | |
government. But I'd be happy to write to the responsible minister in | :51:00. | :51:01. | |
the UK government to make him aware of the issues you phrase today, and | :51:02. | :51:08. | |
the issue of war pensions and what should be done now to honour all of | :51:09. | :51:12. | |
those who are still with us who contributed so much to the war | :51:13. | :51:16. | |
effort. That was First Minister's questions. | :51:17. | :51:20. | |
Proceedings continuing Cardiff Bay and if you want more coverage of the | :51:21. | :51:25. | |
National Assembly, go online to BBC Wales live page, which is. More | :51:26. | :51:35. | |
politics on Wales Today at 6:30pm. As for today, from all of us on the | :51:36. | :51:40. | |
programme, thanks very much for watching. Goodbye. | :51:41. | :52:21. | |
When people talk about the game being in the nation's soul, | :52:22. | :52:26. | |
We only taste delirium because we've had despair as well. | :52:27. | :52:32. | |
Eddie Butler meets the fans and players who make it what it is. | :52:33. | :52:36. | |
It's probably the most emotionally charged rugby you play. | :52:37. | :52:38. | |
Friday night at 8:00, on BBC One Wales. | :52:39. | :52:46. | |
CHEERING 'Well, this is the moment | :52:47. | :52:48. | |
'that the whole of Wales has been waiting for...' | :52:49. | :52:51. |