:00:00. > :00:10.Unions say plans for a management buyout
:00:11. > :00:14.of Tata Steel's UK operations could provide a secure
:00:15. > :00:18.The leaders of the six main parties in the Assembly Election
:00:19. > :00:22.have gone head to head on TV for the first time in the campaign.
:00:23. > :00:25.And almost 800 people attend a public
:00:26. > :00:39.meeting on the future of secondary education in Powys.
:00:40. > :00:44.Unions say plans for a management buyout of Tata Steel's UK operations
:00:45. > :00:46.could provide a secure future for the company, and be
:00:47. > :00:53.But they say there's still a lot of work to be done.
:00:54. > :00:55.It's understood the bid, led by the man who runs
:00:56. > :00:57.its Port Talbot site, would mean steel production continues there,
:00:58. > :01:05.Here's our Business Correspondent, Brian Meechan.
:01:06. > :01:08.Stuart Wilkie has years of experience in the steel industry.
:01:09. > :01:12.He has had senior roles, including at Ebbw Vale, before then
:01:13. > :01:18.When Tata bought that company's other Welsh steel plants,
:01:19. > :01:21.he went on to run Llanwern, part of which was mothballed last
:01:22. > :01:27.In January, he told Wales Today he hoped the 750 job
:01:28. > :01:32.losses at the site would be enough to save it.
:01:33. > :01:35.We are very confident as a management and a workforce
:01:36. > :01:40.that we believe we actually can turn this industry around.
:01:41. > :01:42.But a Welsh delegation, then headed to Mumbai for a crucial
:01:43. > :01:44.board meeting, discovered that wasn't to be under
:01:45. > :01:50.It took a look at the survival plan put forward by Stuart Wilkie
:01:51. > :01:53.and his team and decided ultimately that the idea of turning this around
:01:54. > :02:03.in 18 months from loss-making to profit was just too risky.
:02:04. > :02:06.The Government's involvement as a co-investor is gone to be
:02:07. > :02:08.vitally important in this and that will give confidence to other
:02:09. > :02:11.investors who might need to be brought in to provide the funding
:02:12. > :02:15.What is different now is that the UK Government is prepared
:02:16. > :02:22.That could include help with energy costs and commercial loans.
:02:23. > :02:26.The Welsh Government's also making more than ?60 million available.
:02:27. > :02:29.We've got to think about what this means in terms of Welsh jobs,
:02:30. > :02:32.the Welsh economy and the fact that it's not just the people
:02:33. > :02:35.in Port Talbot and Llanwern and Trostre, it is also what it
:02:36. > :02:42.A management buyout would mean bosses and workers
:02:43. > :02:45.investing their own money, too, and some say they would
:02:46. > :02:51.I think it could be expanded, not only to the workforce
:02:52. > :02:54.but to their communities, to the families, to the retired
:02:55. > :02:57.steelworkers who spent their lives working in Port Talbot plant.
:02:58. > :03:00.The management buyout plan would see steel-making remain as it is now,
:03:01. > :03:06.It's going to be very difficult, let's be honest about that,
:03:07. > :03:09.but that's really what should be at the heart of any future
:03:10. > :03:18.for Tata Steel in the UK, so I'm delighted and I welcome all readers.
:03:19. > :03:21.The two governments, workers and unions seem to be
:03:22. > :03:22.welcoming the proposals for a management buyout.
:03:23. > :03:44.It has certainly added to the options on the table.
:03:45. > :03:46.More than eight hundred people attended a public meeting
:03:47. > :03:49.at a school in south Powys tonight, over council plans to close four
:03:50. > :03:54.secondary education in Powys, because of a surplus
:03:55. > :03:58.Many people have voiced concerns over the impact it could have
:03:59. > :04:01.But the council says that addressing the issue is integral
:04:02. > :04:03.to securing more funding for secondary education.
:04:04. > :04:06.Unemployment in Wales has fallen to its lowest rate since the global
:04:07. > :04:08.recession and is now lower than the UK average.
:04:09. > :04:10.The number of people who were unemployed in Wales fell
:04:11. > :04:12.by 5,000 between December and February, while
:04:13. > :04:27.On the face of it it is positive and that is the first time in a few
:04:28. > :04:31.years this has happened but at the same time there are some challenges
:04:32. > :04:35.and the quality of the jobs created are those which are perhaps not as
:04:36. > :04:39.high value as we would like and also we still have higher than average
:04:40. > :04:40.for the UK level of economic inactivity.
:04:41. > :04:43.A jury has heard from a man who claims he was bought,
:04:44. > :04:46.Michael Hughes told Cardiff Crown Court that prison
:04:47. > :04:49.was like a holiday camp compared with the life he had
:04:50. > :04:52.Mr Connors and three other men are accused of forced labour.
:04:53. > :05:03.The body of a man from Wrexham, who'd been missing in
:05:04. > :05:05.Harry Greaves disappeared earlier this month,
:05:06. > :05:12.after setting off on a solo hike, two days before his 29th birthday.
:05:13. > :05:14.New figures show a further deterioration in the waiting time
:05:15. > :05:16.performance of hospital emergency departments.
:05:17. > :05:19.The target is that 95 percent of patients spend less than 4 hours
:05:20. > :05:21.in A and E before being admitted, transferred or discharged,
:05:22. > :05:24.but the figure for March was 76 percent - a drop of around one
:05:25. > :05:36.The leaders of the six main parties in the Assembly Election have gone
:05:37. > :05:38.head-to-head for the first time in the campaign in a live
:05:39. > :06:03.Our political editor Nick Servini was there.
:06:04. > :06:07.They have all released their manifestos and been questioned
:06:08. > :06:12.individually but this was the first time they have faced each other on
:06:13. > :06:15.television. The crisis facing the steel industry dominated the opening
:06:16. > :06:20.exchanges. There was a degree of similarity and many of the responses
:06:21. > :06:28.with support being expressed to a management buyout but they are kept
:06:29. > :06:33.candidate struck a different tone. Since Jones became the First
:06:34. > :06:36.Minister we have lost it might other major metal refining plants and all
:06:37. > :06:41.of a sudden we have an election and everyone has crocodile tears and is
:06:42. > :06:47.wearing the badges. We were worthy years ago? Also in the wake of the
:06:48. > :06:53.steel crisis, the Greens championed opportunities in renewables. There
:06:54. > :06:57.is a huge opportunity in terms of renewable industry. We have abundant
:06:58. > :07:02.natural resources and good skilled workers like yourselves who have
:07:03. > :07:05.transferable skills and we should be taking that opportunity. On the
:07:06. > :07:09.wider subject of economic development there was disagreement
:07:10. > :07:12.on who should take the credit for a recent and word investment successes
:07:13. > :07:16.and whether the Welsh Development Agency should be brought back, but
:07:17. > :07:26.Jones focused on some recent job announcements. It is nothing to do
:07:27. > :07:32.with the UK Government, just ask Aston Martin. They say the reason
:07:33. > :07:37.they came to Wales and beat off 19 other locations was the passion and
:07:38. > :07:42.investment of the Welsh government. The debate gathered momentum when
:07:43. > :07:45.education came up. The Conservatives, and the Liberal
:07:46. > :07:49.Democrats launched attacks on Labour's record in power. The
:07:50. > :07:52.government has said you take your eye off the ball and that is
:07:53. > :07:58.inexcusable, those children's life chances. Children were in class is
:07:59. > :08:02.not getting the start life needed than teachers are to be
:08:03. > :08:05.congratulated and students congratulated for getting the best
:08:06. > :08:15.ever GCSE results. The final subject was on health, again Carwyn Jones
:08:16. > :08:18.faced sustained criticism especially from the leader of the conservatives
:08:19. > :08:23.who accused Labour of mismanagement over waiting times. The political
:08:24. > :08:29.leadership over the last five years in particular has delivered a
:08:30. > :08:33.doubling of waiting times. We have not had a Cancer Drugs Fund in
:08:34. > :08:37.Wales. But there were opportunities for the parties to pitch their
:08:38. > :08:42.policies including Leanne Wood on her plan to improve recruitment. We
:08:43. > :08:46.also have to make the NHS an attractive place to work and at the
:08:47. > :08:49.moment that is very stressful and I have spoken to many professionals
:08:50. > :08:55.who are overwhelmed by the stress in the system. We have 20 policies and
:08:56. > :09:01.our manifesto designed to make the NHS in more attractive place. And so
:09:02. > :09:04.round one is over. The campaign now continues on our list and they will
:09:05. > :09:11.gather in earnest at the same time next week for the final debate
:09:12. > :09:15.before the election. So what did we learn tonight? In terms of
:09:16. > :09:20.substance, we learn something significant early on in the debate,
:09:21. > :09:24.which is that Carwyn Jones said he would consider taking an equity
:09:25. > :09:31.stake in any new steel enterprise, the most directly has been on this,
:09:32. > :09:36.and when pressed by Leanne Wood the leader of Plaid Cymru. In terms of
:09:37. > :09:39.the style of the debate, at times it resembled First Minister's Questions
:09:40. > :09:43.and behind the scenes Labour will not be too happy with that because
:09:44. > :09:47.they think it reinforces the perception of Carwyn Jones as a
:09:48. > :09:52.leader but never the less they aren't Wood and Kirsty Williams or
:09:53. > :09:57.the ones attacking, Ukip and the Greens were not really engaging on
:09:58. > :10:04.that matter but I have to say it was a fairly confident debut performance
:10:05. > :10:07.by the Greens' leader. It was an opportunity for the parties to lay
:10:08. > :10:13.out policies but inevitably the most dramatic exchanges were about
:10:14. > :10:17.attacks on Labour's record in power and as a result of that it was a
:10:18. > :10:20.tough night for the First Minister. Another interesting point is that
:10:21. > :10:25.contrary to some of the debates we have seen in recent months, the most
:10:26. > :10:27.passionate debate was about education rather than the NHS.
:10:28. > :10:29.And of course we're currently touring Wales, finding out
:10:30. > :10:32.what matters to you in the run-up to the Assembly Election.
:10:33. > :10:36.With details of the next stop, here's Jamie.
:10:37. > :10:38.We are leaving Llanelwedd then heading to Beaumaris on Anglesey
:10:39. > :10:40.on day four of our two-week tour of Wales.
:10:41. > :10:43.As polling day gets ever closer, we'll be looking at the energy
:10:44. > :10:45.projects popping up along the North Wales coast.
:10:46. > :10:48.If you're in the area, we'd love to see you.
:10:49. > :10:53.On to sport, and it's been announced that Newport Gwent Dragons have
:10:54. > :10:56.parted company with their Director of Rugby, Lyn Jones,
:10:57. > :10:59.Jones has been away from his job recently, through illness.
:11:00. > :11:06.Head coach Kingsley Jones will take charge for the rest of the season.
:11:07. > :11:08.Glamorgan head coach Robert Croft says his side were below
:11:09. > :11:10.the standard they set themselves in nearly every department.
:11:11. > :11:12.In their opening County Championship match of the season,
:11:13. > :11:20.Leicestershire eased to a ten-wicket win at the Swalec Stadium.
:11:21. > :11:29.Sue's here, and it's been a lovely day for most of us but will it last?
:11:30. > :11:39.It's not going to last but it was the warmest day of the year so far,
:11:40. > :11:43.this was the hotspot at 19.2 Celsius and another fine and by datamodel
:11:44. > :11:47.with sunny spells. Overnight, largely dry and clear with light
:11:48. > :11:54.winds so the temperature will drop away allowing frost to form. 2-3dC
:11:55. > :11:58.for towns across mid to North Wales, less cold in the south-west where it
:11:59. > :12:02.is cloudier. Tomorrow, another chilly start with early mist but
:12:03. > :12:06.that will clear in the April sunshine. Plenty of sunny spells and
:12:07. > :12:11.some high-level clouds pushing in from the south and west so it will
:12:12. > :12:17.turn a bit hazy with the breeze picking up at another fine and
:12:18. > :12:19.relatively warm day, 11 Celsius in north-west Scotland, 16 in
:12:20. > :12:25.north-west England and a fine day in Wales. A bit more close around so
:12:26. > :12:30.probably cooler than today but the temperature still holding up and we
:12:31. > :12:34.start to see some changes tomorrow night, a weather front starts to
:12:35. > :12:37.push on from the south-west so Thursday evening might start fine
:12:38. > :12:41.and dry but cloud will thicken from the south with the band of rain
:12:42. > :12:46.trying to push up and the winds picking up, less cold than in recent
:12:47. > :12:50.nights. It looks like that front stalls on Friday saw the best chance
:12:51. > :12:56.of dry weather the further north you are, outbreaks more likely across
:12:57. > :13:01.and South Wales, showery later and brisk easterly winds and feeling
:13:02. > :13:07.cooler at 8-12dC. Chilly on Friday and called again into the weekend.
:13:08. > :13:11.Northerly winds introduce Arctic a sort is a mix of sunshine and
:13:12. > :13:16.showers but those showers could be went to the especially on high
:13:17. > :13:17.ground so, worth making the best of the last of the warm weather
:13:18. > :13:19.tomorrow. We're back with updates in Breakfast
:13:20. > :13:23.from six tomorrow morning. From all of us on the programme,
:13:24. > :13:28.good night.