:00:13. > :00:16.Dafydd Elis-Thomas has told BBC Wales he hopes Plaid Cymru
:00:17. > :00:18.will consider its future as a political party,
:00:19. > :00:22.after he decided to sit as an independent AM.
:00:23. > :00:24.Lord Elis-Thomas accused the party of not reacting
:00:25. > :00:26.well enough to changes in Wales since devolution.
:00:27. > :00:29.It comes as former First Minister Rhodri Morgan says the party's power
:00:30. > :00:31.will be much weaker now in the Assembly.
:00:32. > :00:35.Here's our political correspondent, Arwyn Jones.
:00:36. > :00:37.For over 40 years, he's represented Plaid Cymru
:00:38. > :00:44.But he now finds himself as an independent AM.
:00:45. > :00:46.And he has insisted he will not serve in Carwyn Jones' cabinet.
:00:47. > :00:50.And won't be triggering a by-election.
:00:51. > :00:54.I am stating, quite clearly, that I want to be able to serve
:00:55. > :00:56.my constituency and serve the interests of Wales.
:00:57. > :00:59.Do you carry out that role best then as an independent AM?
:01:00. > :01:03.I carry out the role of representing my constituents
:01:04. > :01:09.The question of membership of the Welsh government does not arise.
:01:10. > :01:12.Lord Elis-Thomas had a few parting shots at his old party.
:01:13. > :01:14.He said Plaid hadn't responded to the challenges of devolution
:01:15. > :01:21.And it needed to think again about its future.
:01:22. > :01:23.The party chose not to comment.
:01:24. > :01:26.But his departure will also cause a headache
:01:27. > :01:27.for Plaid in the Assembly. Why?
:01:28. > :01:30.Well, with only 29 AMs, Labour depends on Kirsty Williams
:01:31. > :01:35.It also needed help from Plaid to pass next week's Budget.
:01:36. > :01:38.The two parties have been in talks for months over the content.
:01:39. > :01:41.But today, a former First Minister told BBC Wales'
:01:42. > :01:50.Sunday Politics Wales programme that Plaid is now
:01:51. > :01:52.--Labour is in a much stronger position.
:01:53. > :01:54.because Plaid have lost their leverage.
:01:55. > :02:00.It is amazing how - in a small body like the Assembly,
:02:01. > :02:02.with just 60 seats, and Labour having 30 of them -
:02:03. > :02:04.just how much difference that one person can make.
:02:05. > :02:08.Because Labour are one vote short of being to get a budget through.
:02:09. > :02:12.Because, if the other 30... You know, they can block things.
:02:13. > :02:15.Because level pegging, 30/30, is not enough.
:02:16. > :02:17.Over the next two days, it'll become clear whether or not
:02:18. > :02:20.Lord Elis-Thomas will lend his support to the government.
:02:21. > :02:25.But, after such a long and high-profile career
:02:26. > :02:27.in the party, Lord Elis-Thomas' departure was always
:02:28. > :02:34.The author of a report for the Welsh Government
:02:35. > :02:35.on free childcare says the policy could cost
:02:36. > :02:38.considerably more than Labour has estimated.
:02:39. > :02:40.Gillian Paull told Sunday Politics Wales it could cost as much
:02:41. > :02:45.That's far more than the ?84 million budgeted for.
:02:46. > :02:50.It's breakfast time at Little Inspirations nursery
:02:51. > :02:53.in Llantrisant in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
:02:54. > :02:57.This kind of service could be a significant cost to parents.
:02:58. > :03:03.But the Welsh government is planning to give a helping hand.
:03:04. > :03:07.Under its plan, parents working 16 hours or more of a week would be
:03:08. > :03:13.entitled to 30 hours free childcare week for three and four-year-olds.
:03:14. > :03:16.And it would be available 48 weeks of the year.
:03:17. > :03:20.That is 20 hours more per week than currently on offer.
:03:21. > :03:26.The author of a report for the government
:03:27. > :03:29.on the policy is sceptical Labour's aim to get more parents to work
:03:30. > :03:33.with the offer will have much impact.
:03:34. > :03:36.But she says that, if it does, it costs could increase
:03:37. > :03:43.And there are other factors that could drive the cost up, too.
:03:44. > :03:46.There are several parameters that feed into that estimate.
:03:47. > :03:49.All of which have large degrees of uncertainty around them.
:03:50. > :03:52.First of all, we do need to know the hourly cost of delivery,
:03:53. > :03:53.which can vary enormously across regions
:03:54. > :03:59.We also need to know, most importantly, how parents
:04:00. > :04:02.In particular, whether they will change their work behaviour
:04:03. > :04:04.in response to the policy, which is hard to estimate.
:04:05. > :04:07.There are also concerns about the availability of places -
:04:08. > :04:12.a problem that could also require government investment.
:04:13. > :04:15.We are starting from a very low base of childcare provision.
:04:16. > :04:18.So, one of the big problems we have, in delivering this extra childcare,
:04:19. > :04:23.is that there isn't much childcare to offer in the first place.
:04:24. > :04:25.The Welsh government acknowledges there are "issues with capacity".
:04:26. > :04:27.And says it is working with the sector.
:04:28. > :04:34.It is also undertaking "complex modelling" of costs.
:04:35. > :04:36.The oil company responsible for a pipeline which ruptured,
:04:37. > :04:38.leaking 140,000 litres of Kerosene near Carmarthen,
:04:39. > :04:41.has said they're on track to finish the work.
:04:42. > :04:44.Over the weekend, traffic along the A48 has been
:04:45. > :04:52.the road to re-open early tomorrow morning.
:04:53. > :04:54.Welsh councils who invested money in Icelandic banks before
:04:55. > :04:56.they collapsed eight years ago, have now recovered
:04:57. > :05:02.Powys Council says it's recouped all of the ?4 million it deposited.
:05:03. > :05:04.It's one of eight councils, three universities,
:05:05. > :05:06.and three former police authorities that had
:05:07. > :05:15.And the Scarlets got off to a winning start
:05:16. > :05:22.The convincing home win will, hopefully, put to bed any memories
:05:23. > :05:29.More showers, some heavy in the north and west.
:05:30. > :05:32.Tomorrow will be breezy, with plenty of sunshine.
:05:33. > :05:34.One or two heavy showers. But most places staying dry.
:05:35. > :05:44.A reminder that, all week on Wales Today,
:05:45. > :05:46.we'll be marking events, as Wales remembers Aberfan.
:05:47. > :05:49.It's 50 years since a coal tip collapsed, submerging a school,
:05:50. > :05:55.We'll have a number of special reports.
:05:56. > :06:13.Good evening. I hope you had a good weekend, you probably saw some
:06:14. > :06:18.sunshine and rain. Typical autumn. A typical autumn picture in the West
:06:19. > :06:20.Midlands. A brown leaf and conkers.