Diolch, Lywydd. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to pay tribute, on behalf of the Welsh Conservatives, to Bonnie Tyler. Tributes have poured in, of course, across Wales about the loss of this Welsh icon, a singer with global fame and impact, a unique artist with a unique voice, and we want to pay tribute to her and send our best wishes to her family and her loved ones. Of course, we're also in shock at the loss of Ann Widdecombe, a colourful political character, a precious character to people across the whole of the United Kingdom, but especially here in Wales for those who met her.
First Minister, thanks to the members of the public right across Wales, our country now recycles more household waste than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, and our glass recycling rate is amongst the highest in Europe. Yet, in spite of this, your Plaid Cymru Government wants to follow the previous Labour Government's plans to diverge from the rest of the United Kingdom and insist on including glass in its deposit-return scheme from October. We know it's going to push costs on to businesses, manufacturers and consumers. What assessment has your Government made of the additional costs of this scheme and what are you going to do to mitigate them?
Contributions
97 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 2 of 3. Counted by Siambr
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Look, First Minister, we all agree that we need to get to grips with litter and improve even further our recycling rates, but we've already got a by-election this summer with a man dressed up as a bin; the last thing we need is another row about rubbish receptacles, if I can put it that way, here in Wales. Now, councils are actually cutting litter bins across the country because they can’t afford to provide them and can't afford to empty them. Fly-tipping is on the up. Ninety per cent of glass is already recycled in Wales because of the kerbside recycling system and the engagement of the public with it. Why does your Government think it's acceptable to impose extra costs on small shopkeepers and force householders to face the inconvenience of having to drive with their cars full of bottles back to the shops, rather than simply leaving those glass bottles at the kerbside for collection and recycling? Why don't you make it simple for manufacturers, simple for retailers and simple for the public and bin this unnecessary policy?
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First Minister, you've had months to prepare for your legislative statement today, for this moment, in this Chamber, and I have to say, is this it? Is this all you've got to offer the people of Wales? You tried to present yourself as a Government in waiting before the previous election, yet it's quite clear that you don't have a very well-developed plan as to what you actually want to do and deliver for the people in Wales. Tribunal reform, tinkering about with the Welsh tax system—hardly the stuff that people on the doorsteps during the recent Senedd elections were concerned about. You had absolutely nothing to say about the Welsh NHS, which we know is on its knees, nothing to say about the Welsh education system, which is delivering the worst educational outcomes in the UK, very little to say on the Welsh economy, which is lagging behind other parts of the United Kingdom. And your statement, of course, was made in the sort of casual and presumptive way that we've become familiar with. It seems to make an assumption that your legislative programme will get the support across the Chamber that you want it to get. But if I can just remind you, you're a minority Government, right? You can't make assumptions without engagement with other political parties prior to making your statements. Not engaging with the media prior to making your statements, but engaging with other political parties and trying to seek a little bit of consensus. Now, we've made it clear, right from the outset of your term of office, that we're prepared to work with you, we're prepared to work with any political party in this Chamber, to support legislation that is in the interests of the people of Wales. But you've made no attempt whatsoever to reach out to my party, and, to my understanding, either Reform or the Labour Party, about this legislative programme that you've set out today. So, let me set out some alternative proposals on the things that are a matter of concern to the people of Wales. The NHS is in crisis. Some of that crisis is down to failing leadership. So, we need an NHS accountability and governance Bill to ensure that senior leaders in our health service are competent and can be held to account when things go wrong. We need to deliver that mobile phone ban in schools that you're, sluggishly, going to consult on, without giving a clear commitment as to how you're going to introduce it. We need a new additional learning needs and autism Bill to help young people to reach their full potential. And we need to protect those female-only spaces in schools, leisure centres and other buildings to keep women and girls safe and to make sure that that Supreme Court ruling on sex is fully implemented. We do need a national development agency, and this is one of the things that I hope we can work together on. But it needs to be a reformed development agency that will deliver true benefits for the people of Wales. And it's not just a national development agency. We also need to reform business rates here in our country so that we can revive our high streets, and help shops, pubs, cafes and post offices to be able to thrive and to prevent the further closure of buildings in our town centres. And while we do support the community right-to-buy plan, which we've been calling for for years, by the way, in this Chamber, because we do want to protect those community assets that are at risk of closure, what about legislating for another right to buy—housing? Why don't we restore the right to buy to help people get onto the housing ladder—a reformed right to buy that puts the proceeds back into developing more affordable housing? Why don't we legislate to bring empty homes back into use so that we're not having these terrible empty properties plaguing our towns and communities? Why don't we take some action on council tax to help people keep their council tax costs down, with referendums for excessive rises? Now, I heard what you had to say about this rural-proofing legislation that you want to bring forward, something that we welcome. But, in your 100-day plan, you specifically refer to funding in relation to that. You didn't mention funding at all today. And, of course, we all know that we actually need wider reform. It's not just rural areas. There are certain geographic parts of Wales that are missing out on fair funding. North Wales, mid Wales, west Wales—they've not been receiving a fair share of investment under successive Welsh Governments as a result of your budget deals with the Labour Party, and we need to change the law to make sure that they do. So, I am surprised at the lack of cross-party engagement in advance of your statement today. I don't think your statement is sufficiently ambitious, and, if you want some ideas, I'll send you a copy of our manifesto so that you can implement that instead. Thank you.
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Most of Wales voted against yours too.
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Well, Llywydd, former US President Lyndon B. Johnson once said that the first rule of politics is to be able to count. It's a simple rule, but it's one that the Cabinet Minister for Finance clearly didn't think about when she was putting her supplementary budget together. We were, of course, expecting Labour to capitulate, but the feud between the two left-wing parties in the Senedd appears to be continuing. But the political reality is this: the arithmetic—[Interruption.] I'll happily take an intervention. Give me one second. The political reality is this: the arithmetic in this Senedd means that Welsh Government budgets and Welsh Government legislation cannot be agreed without cross-party agreement. You have to secure a majority of the votes cast. That agreement has not been secured, and it's bonkers to bring something to the Senedd for a vote without securing it.
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Mike, your comments are noted. So, that agreement—[Interruption.]
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Budgets are about priorities, they're about choices, and I'm afraid that this supplementary budget gets those things wrong. As the Cabinet Minister herself said, this budget honours the previous Welsh budget to the decimal point. And that's the point. That's why we disagree with it, because we disagreed with the previous Welsh Government's budget as well, for the same fundamental reasons that we disagree with this one. You bleated on yet again today about the £300 million in-year pressures that you are facing as a Welsh Government. Well, that's because of the budget that you signed up to as a party in the last Senedd earlier this year. So you can't bleat about it when you fixed this previous budget from which you and the Welsh public and our Welsh public services are now facing the consequences. And I'm sorry, but it really does make me irate when I hear people complaining about decisions to invest in our defence industry to keep our country safe, which is what you implied earlier on about the decision being taken by the UK Government. I'm no friend of the UK Government, but I support investment in our defence industry because we need to make sure that we keep our country safe. And what we really need to do to pay for that is to cut welfare bills, get people back into work, and people off the benefits system. We all know that you've got over £400 million to spend, £327 million-worth of that is due to additional learning needs spend in England, yet not a single penny in your supplementary budget was being allocated to that spending line today. And I know there's been some discussion between you and the Labour Party, but not a single penny in your original supplementary budget proposals was being allocated to additional learning needs. I think that is appalling. I really do think that's appalling, especially when all of us in this Chamber, especially those who've been here for a long time, know full well the pressures that those schools are facing, know full well the pressures that parents are facing not getting the support for their children. It's not good enough, and we need to shift the dial. Patients need the dial shifting too, and we need some honesty from the Minister about the funding for the NHS. You've talked about the additional resources that are available for health in the supplementary budget, but the reality of this budget before us today is that the NHS budget is still being cut in real terms. That is shameful. You're cutting the NHS budget at a time when demand is rising and pressures are growing when compared to the previous financial year. It's a statement of fact, First Minister. Would you like to get your calculator out? I'm happy to lend you mine if you want. People in Wales want to be treated in a hospital bed, not a corridor. They want an ambulance to come on time if they pick up the phone and it's an emergency. They want to get an NHS dentist. They want to be able to get an appointment the same day that they phone their local GP. They can't at the moment, and that's why we need to invest in our NHS, not cut the NHS budget, which is what your supplementary budget is still allowing for, even though there's extra cash available that you could be allocating. There's also very little in this budget to help people with the rising cost of living. Where's the action to help people keep their council tax bills down, which have been spiralling out of control year in, year out? Where's the support for businesses in Wales, who are struggling with those sharp increases in their business rates? Where's the support for pubs? Where's the support for our high streets? Where's the extra finance for our hospice and palliative sector, which is crying out for sustainable funding? And where's the support for our farming industry as well? We need to make sure that supplementary budgets reflect the views and the wills of the people of Wales. But most of all, you've got that fundamental problem with the original budget, which you signed up to earlier in the year and you're now carping on about. We'll be voting against this supplementary budget today.
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No society should tolerate child sexual exploitation in any way, shape or form, but, unfortunately, Cabinet Minister, we do know that grooming gangs have been operating in Wales. We know that from victims, brave victims, who've come forward, victims who often have been blamed for inviting abuse and being complicit in it. We know from the work of previous inquiries and independent investigations that Swansea, Rhyl and some places in mid Wales have been cited in evidence, and that people have been trafficked from Wales to other parts of the United Kingdom. And yet in spite of this, in spite of an England and Wales grooming gang inquiry now being under way, not a single location in Wales has been identified for a local investigation as of yet. That clearly is a matter of concern for people in Wales who want to hold people to account for their failures to protect vulnerable young people, particularly young girls. What discussions have you had with the chair of the inquiry about making sure that Wales features prominently in its work? And if necessary, will you commit to a Wales-wide grooming gang inquiry for those areas of devolved responsibility?
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If I can just correct you on one thing, First Minister: the problems we have in Wales are not just down to 27 years of the Labour Party; they're down to Labour-Plaid budget deals in recent years, which have undermined our public services and ruined things here for many people. Can I turn to something that's not going to cost you a penny, First Minister? As we all know, mobile phones can be a huge distraction for young people and a disruption for them in the classroom. It can undermine their education and cause them challenges with their mental health as well. Now, as a result of that, in England, last week, the UK Government issued its statutory guidance and the effect of that is a ban on mobile phones during the school day in schools across the country. The situation, as you will know, here in Wales is very different. It's inconsistent from one school to the next, and one local authority to the next, in spite of the fact that 82 per cent of the education workforce want a statutory ban in place. Your Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Welsh Language recently announced that she's going to consult on guidance in September. That means that no guidance will be issued until beyond September, with no ban coming into place. We don't need words, we don't need waffle. Why are you dragging your feet and when are we going to get the ban that people in Wales want?
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You just need to get on with it, right. You set out a 100-day plan. You're over two thirds of the way through that and there's very little, apparently, that appears to be changing. As you know, your budget deals have undermined our education system. We have a very poor-quality education system, unfortunately, in Wales. Too many kids are leaving schools without the qualifications and the life skills that they need. We're at the bottom of the UK league table. Violence and absenteeism are on the rise in our schools, and pupils with additional learning needs, as we've already heard, are being denied the support that they need. As a result of this, many parents have lost confidence in the state sector, and they're making huge sacrifices to scrimp and save everything they can to send their children to schools that they have confidence in, in the independent sector. But we've seen independent schools undermined as a result of policy changes by the UK Government, with changes to value added tax on education tuition fees, and, of course, we've seen this problem with many of them losing their charitable status. That's causing problems in our communities—
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—and hundreds of jobs are being lost. Can I ask you, First Minister, what discussions are you having with the Independent Schools Council here in Wales about the challenges that they're facing? And will you now petition, as a Welsh Government, the UK Government, to reverse the damaging policies that are causing these closures, and the economic impact of that here in Wales?
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Can I call for a statement on the future of independent schools in Wales? Just last week in Ruthin, in my own constituency, we saw the announcement of the closure of Ruthin School. It survived 700 years, including the civil war, but it couldn't survive two years of a vindictive Labour Government introducing VAT on fees and scrapping charitable status and ramping up the cost of employment. Hundreds of pupils have been affected, hundreds of staff, suppliers, and of course the whole community in Ruthin is shocked, and this will have a devastating economic impact. I think what people need to know is what the Welsh Government is going to do to lobby for sensible change from the UK Government. And I would like to know what specifically is being done to support people that have been affected by the situation in terms of the announcement in Ruthin. We need to be sure that the Welsh Government will be just as reactive to the needs of the local community when job losses are announced in independent schools as they are in steel and other sectors.
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Diolch, Lywydd. I move the amendment tabled in the name of Paul Davies. I'd like to make one thing absolutely clear at the outset of this debate, and that is that the Welsh Conservatives believe that Wales should get its fair share of funding. We believe that the Barnett formula is beyond its shelf life; it is out of date and we need a new funding mechanism for the United Kingdom. We've consistently argued that Wales should get consequentials as a result of HS2 investment, and we stand by that position, and we stood by that position even when there was a UK Conservative Government in Westminster. We maintained that position. And I find it, frankly, extraordinary that the Labour Party that was in Government just two months ago has now jumped and abandoned ship from making some of those calls. Now, it's for them to be able to defend their volte-face and their completely different position, but our position is consistent. But I think the big issue here is that, of course, there is a risk in asking for a review of the funding arrangements. We know that as a result of the action taken by the previous UK Conservative Government, we have a fiscal framework that is actually much more generous than the Barnett formula by itself would ever have been. And that formula gives us, as has already been said, around £1.20 per capita for every £1 spent per capita on a service that has been devolved to Wales. And, in fact, the Institute for Fiscal Studies have estimated that in the 2024-25 financial year, that figure was around £1.25 for every pound that was spent on a service that has been devolved to Wales. Now, that is quite significantly above any estimates that I have seen quantified by any independent analysis that's looked at the needs base in Wales and what should be an appropriate level of funding. So, there's an inherent risk in asking for more money constantly. And I appreciate the fact that it's good for Plaid's politics to show that it has lots of disagreements with the Government down the other end of the M4. That's convenient and you need to have a knockabout and you like to play that political game. But I'm more interested in the real needs of the people of Wales and making sure that we put the politics aside and come to the table, as our amendment does, with our eyes wide open, saying, 'Look, we'd love to have some consensus.' You clearly didn't seek it before the debate or else we would have had a unified motion before us that we could all agree on, right? But we don't have that, and that is why we felt it was needed for us to be able to table this amendment today. So, we're in a situation where we all agree in this Chamber that we need to see a change in the way that Wales is funded, but we have to do that in a way that doesn't disadvantage Wales. And in not having these conversations prior to today's debate, you will not then get the unified voice to Westminster that you need in order to take this agenda forward. And as has also been said, we do know that one of the big problems is that some parts of the United Kingdom do far better under the arrangements from the Barnett formula than Wales does. Your friends in Scotland absolutely have a great deal as a result of the Barnett formula, which enhances over and above their level of need the investment that they receive in terms of the Scottish block grant. So, I'm more than prepared to work with all parties in this Chamber to try and get the best possible deal for Wales, but let's do so in a way that brings people together and doesn't unnecessarily divide, which I'm afraid is what your party is seeking to do: to create this artificial, significant row with the UK Government in order to play your party politics. And we're just not prepared to do that. So, I urge everybody to support our amendment on the order paper today.
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I appreciate that. Just a very brief intervention. Look, we support the motion that's before us today. We want to see more money going into additional learning needs support. But do you accept some responsibility as a Labour Party for the mess that we're currently in, in terms of school budgets and in terms of the additional learning needs system, which isn't sustainable and isn't working properly?
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Diolch, Llywydd. Will the First Minister outline what specific discussions the Welsh Government has had within the UK emissions trading scheme authority about the need to protect Welsh jobs and investment from the punitive impact of the carbon tax? We know from figures published just last week that industrial emissions fell by 25 per cent in 2024 due to the closure of Tata's coal-fired blast furnaces in Port Talbot. But, of course, it's nothing to celebrate, because not only has it wiped out, the carbon tax, our sovereign steel-making capacity here in Wales, we now are simply importing steel from overseas, from other more heavily polluting nations, and pushing our carbon-reduction plans into the bin. So, do you acknowledge that the current carbon tax framework is simply not working, that it's resulting in exporting emissions, exporting jobs and putting our national security at risk? And what are you and your Government now going to do within the UK emissions trading scheme authority to argue for a better and more sensible approach to net zero?
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Well, of course, you can make that case for a just transition from within the UK emissions trading scheme authority. That is the body that you have a seat on, and you are jointly responsible as a Government, along with the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, to make decisions that impact on the future of these arrangements here in Wales. And, of course, there has been a relentless and unrealistic focus on the race to net zero, which has not been just for many homes, for many businesses and many families that have lost jobs and lost their livelihoods as a result of this relentless pursuit. Now, I recently undertook a visit to Valero's Pembroke refinery. It's one of only four refineries left in the UK; some have already taken the decision to close as a result of the carbon tax. About 1,000 jobs rely on that facility, about 15 per cent of Welsh exports are accounted as a result of the business that goes through that facility, and it supplies 15 per cent of the UK's transport fuels. It's a vitally important part of our national infrastructure, and any closure of that facility would cause significant damage, not just to our economy, but to our energy security and transport fuel security as well, and put it at risk of the volatility of international markets. Do you accept that now is the time to take a very different approach on this issue to make sure that the future of Valero and other heavy industry in Wales is not jeopardised by this relentless pursuit of net zero, which, frankly, isn't working?
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Diolch, Lywydd. Can I welcome you, Counsel General, to your new role and say how fondly I remember the times we worked together for the improvement of care for veterans in Wales during your tenure as a Member of Parliament? And I hope that we can have an equally constructive relationship here in the Senedd and in this Chamber. Just last week, Counsel General, the UK Government's grooming gangs inquiry identified the first locations that it now intends to undertake some investigations and work in. Unfortunately, not one of those locations was here in Wales, and that's very, very disappointing because we know from previous inquiries that have taken place, most notably the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, which was led by Professor Jay, that there was grooming gang activity in the Swansea area. We know that there's a live case ongoing about grooming gang activity in Rhyl at the moment, which, obviously, I wouldn't expect you to comment on, but we also know from the testimony of victims of grooming gangs and sexual trafficking that that has taken place in other parts of rural Wales as well. Can I ask you, Counsel General, what discussions you have had with those responsible for the inquiry about the engagement of Wales in its important work to make sure that no stone is left unturned in identifying the scale of these problems in Wales and the action that can be taken to prevent it happening in the future?
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I'm very pleased and heartened to hear your response there. It is important, of course, for the victims of these grooming gangs that we get answers and that we are able to hold those people to account who have failed them. Not least of those victims, of course, is Emily Vaughn, who has spoken powerfully about her awful experiences having been raped hundreds of times by individuals involved in these gangs and having been trafficked from one place to another, and from Wales into other parts of the United Kingdom, in order to suffer that abuse that she experienced. Now, of course, we understand from the work that's already taken place that some of the people who were supposed to be protecting vulnerable young girls mainly, but sometimes boys too, that some of the reason that those individuals were able to get away with those crimes for such a long time was snobbery because these people sometimes, the victims, came from poor backgrounds and were written off as being troublesome individuals. Some of it was cowardice, not being prepared to call out activity in certain ethnic groups for fear of being accused of racism. And unfortunately, as a result, many of those individuals felt abandoned. Can I ask you, Counsel General, will you also, in addition to reaching out and working with colleagues across the rest of the United Kingdom, reach out to some of the victims of these gangs here in Wales, have conversations with them about the way that they want the Welsh Government to influence this inquiry? And should you feel that the UK inquiry is not going to get to the bottom of the problems that those individuals want to be dealt with, will you give independent advice to the Government and won't fall shy of calling for a Wales-wide inquiry into those areas for which the Welsh Government is responsible, should that be necessary?
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Trefnydd, can I call for a statement on NHS dentistry in Wales from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care? As the Trefnydd will know, there are hundreds of thousands of individuals in Wales that are not currently registered with an NHS dentist, and many people are having to take matters into their own hands with pliers, or travelling outside of Wales for their treatment, sometimes even overseas. We've got thousands of people in my own constituency of Clwyd who have lost access to NHS dentistry in recent years, including the patients of two local clinics just in the Abergele area alone over the past 12 weeks. Now, we know that part of the problem is the NHS dental contract, which was foisted on the dentists of Wales by the previous Welsh Labour Government. That clearly needs looking at again in order to make it more attractive for people to join NHS dentistry and to keep their NHS contracts going. We need to know what action the Welsh Government is going to take to address this rising tide and exodus, and I'd be grateful to know what action is going to be taken, and if a statement could come forward.
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Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Can I also refer to my register of interests? My daughter's employed as an assistant psychologist by the health board. The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board isn't functioning as it should. It's on life support. Its vital signs aren't good. We know that the performance is nowhere near where it should be, and that's taking its toll on patients and on staff. You've announced today more of the same medicine, effectively, for the patient, with yet more panels, yet more people from the outside giving support for people on the inside. And I have to say I've got a low level of confidence that it's going to deliver the turnaround results that we all want to see. The intensive support and recovery turnaround team, that's a national team. It's not just focused on Betsi—it's going to be responsible for the whole of Wales. The well-led review, you haven't said who's involved in that or named the individuals who are going to lead it. You've referred to the reference group, which is going to help guide its work. I want to know whether patients and staff are going to be on that reference group. But can I ask you two very quick questions? First of all, are we going to involve Donna Ockenden in this work? There was a high level of confidence in Donna with the two reviews she's already undertaken in north Wales and, very clearly, she has the expertise, she's used it elsewhere across the UK to help turnaround, and I'd be grateful to know if you're prepared to include her. And secondly, with reference specifically to emergency department performance, Abergele Hospital has some capacity to be used with in-patient beds and could be used as a minor injuries unit. Will you seriously look at that, with your officials and the health board, to determine whether that's a viable solution?
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I'm very grateful to you for taking an intervention. Deputy Minister, you referred earlier to bereavement care. No-one hasn't been moved this afternoon by the contributions we've heard from Members or, indeed, the e-mail communications and letters that we've had from our constituents about baby loss. One of the things that both you and I have campaigned for in the previous Senedd is for losses to be recognised through the provision of baby loss certificates. It's a great frustration of mine, and I know it's a frustration of yours, that those certificates are not available yet for parents in Wales who lose a baby. They're available in Scotland, they're available in England and, as of this week, they've become available in Northern Ireland. Can you give a commitment today that you will make sure that this is addressed in the future so that those people who suffer this experience of baby loss can have that recognition through the provision of an official document recognising that baby?
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Well, well, well, Cabinet Minister, you've changed your tune, haven't you? Your tune before the last election was very clearly, 'Let's save our hospital services and let's save our hospitals from closure', but now you're giving a green light for hospital reconfiguration, centralisation of services, putting patients at risk and for closing hospitals across Wales, because otherwise you'd be backing our motion. You'd have backed this motion if it was before the election, but now, since the election, you've changed your tune completely. It is dreadful to see, and the public can see it. You were campaigning for services in your own constituency, in Tywyn Hospital—yes, Tywyn Hospital. In that hospital that he has been campaigning for for years, temporary service changes—temporary service changes—were brought in, with ward closure because of those temporary service changes, because of staffing challenges. I was looking back at when the health board last advertised for staff. It was January 2024, I believe—January 2024—for nursing staff in order to work on that hospital ward. Now, these are the sorts of things that you're now abandoning as the Cabinet Minister. You agreed wholeheartedly with Paul Davies, who's been leading the charge against the changes in terms of the proposed downgrading of Bronglais’s stroke services. You were on his side when it came to championing Withybush Hospital, when they were scrapping the emergency surgery services from that hospital. You, yourself, have complained in the past about the salami slicing of hospital services away from some of these important centres that treat people in our communities, and yet, now, it's a completely different tune, isn't it? You're singing along to the same tune and the same song sheet that the Labour Government previously sang along to. That's your problem, and it doesn't look very good from the outside.
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Now, I will say this: I think that everybody in this Chamber should get behind our motion today. It sends a very clear and unequivocal message, not just to patients who want to know that the services are going to be in their communities when they need them, but also to staff, because many of the recruitment challenges that we face in our health service here in Wales are because of the uncertainty that service reconfiguration brings to the staff. If you know that your service is finding it challenging to recruit people, the last thing you need to say is, 'We might close that service down at that hospital, but we'll stick a job advert out there anyway.' It doesn't wash. And this is why we've got so many problems. I was delighted that Gwyn Williams paid a visit to my constituency to see for himself the excellent services being provided at the Stanley eye unit at Abergele Hospital. The last time I went to that hospital and visited the orthopaedic team in that hospital, there was only one bed in the whole hospital that was occupied. It's got capacity to do a lot more. And what we're at risk of doing is laying that capacity aside, not using it—not just in Abergele, but in other places as well, across Wales—and still allowing that pressure to build in our main district general hospitals. And this is why the existing network of hospitals across Wales matters. They were built in those locations for a purpose, and that's why we need to maintain them. Now, I fully accept that some of them are old, cranky and need rebuilding. That's why we're fully behind the amendment that has been tabled by the Labour Party, in terms of needing to get a new hospital built at the University of Wales Hospital site, because, frankly, there are more pigeons in some of the theatres there than there are patients, and that is unacceptable too. People can't work in those sorts of environments, it's unsafe for people, and that site needs investment. We also, of course, need to see investment at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Anybody who's been there can see that it's shouting out for a rebuild, to make sure that it's fit for purpose and for the twenty-first century. We've had the twenty-first century schools programme. We need a twenty-first century hospitals programme in Wales, with structured investment over the longer term in order to rebuild our hospitals and make sure that they work for staff and that they work for patients too. And when it comes to west Wales, what we don't need is the centralisation of services in Glangwili. For the sake of the Cabinet Minister for Finance's own constituents, and for others in this Chamber, we need investment in Bronglais. We need investment there at Bronglais in Aberystwyth, we need to make sure that we secure the future of Withybush, with proper investment in the theatre capacity, in the bed capacity, so that it can do the job that it always has done in the past, with a fully functioning emergency services department that is able to cope with anything that arrives at the hospital front door. Now, I understand that, sometimes, it's better to travel further for more specialist treatment. That's always been the case. But as many people have already referenced in this Chamber today, Wales is a rural nation. It takes a long time, sometimes, to get from one place to another. You can't expect people, particularly in life-threatening situations, to have to make longer journeys that put their lives at risk. With planned care, it's different, okay. I understand that. And with planned care, people can take their time because they can plan it sometimes weeks or even months ahead. But the current configuration of our hospitals is critical, and if we're able to invest in our existing hospital network, if we're able to use the bed capacity in that hospital network to the full, then we could unleash a radical change, an improvement in patients' experiences in hospitals across Wales, and I think that is what people want to see. Now, you've signalled investment in other parts of the NHS, in community services. I welcome that. But what you're also suggesting—I heard Cabinet Ministers talk about this—is investing in the arts in order to avoid hospital admissions. I've heard this talked about. If someone's got an orthopaedic problem, the last thing they need is a dance lesson. [Laughter.] The last thing they need is a ticket to a pop music festival featuring a terrorist sympathiser. They don't want those things. They don't want to go to see an Extinction Rebellion sort of presentation in one of our museums. What they want to see is investment in those hospitals. And if you're going to be investing in community services—[Interruption.] If you're going to be investing in community services, then what that really means, what that really is code for, is that you're going to stop funding hospitals and they are not going to get the money that they need—unless you've got a war chest in which you can invest in those community services alongside. Because we've heard all of these promises before, we've seen it in the past, we've been promised fantastic community services and, 'That's why it's okay to close the community hospital down the road', and it never ever, ever materialises. [Interruption.] I'll happily take an intervention.
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As you can see, I'm a great fan of sports. [Laughter.] A great fan of sports. Of course I see. Of course I see the importance of the preventative agenda. We need to invest in the preventative agenda. But the question I have for the Cabinet Minister is if you're going to invest from the same budget quantum, if you're going to invest more in community services and if you're going to invest more in the preventative agenda, whether that be sports or anything else, then that means that you're going to be taking away money from something else that you're already spending on. And that happens to be our hospitals. So, we need to guarantee the future of these hospitals—[Inaudible.] Well, why don't you make an intervention and tell me where you're going to get the money? Go on.
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I'll give him the grace, I'm very happy to. So, listen, I urge everybody in this Chamber to get behind the original motion. I appreciate the amendments that have been tabled, and we support the Reform amendment, we support the Labour amendments too, but we reject the Plaid Cymru amendment, because it gives absolutely no security at all to staff or patients, and that's unacceptable.
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Will you take an intervention?
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Will you accept some responsibility for the fact that the Liberal Democrats were in Government here in Wales when NRW was created and that that is a failed regulator, and, therefore, you have to accept some responsibility for getting it wrong?
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Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, today your minority Government laid its very first supplementary budget. It included £145 million of extra funding for the Welsh NHS. You've heavily spun those figures to suggest that they will solve the problem with waiting lists, which do need to be addressed, of course, because as we all know they went up by 13,000 in the most recently published figures. And there are over 680,000 people now on waiting lists across Wales. But what patients don't need is just a sticking-plaster approach to getting to grips with this crisis. Can you honestly look those 680,000 patients in the eye today and really guarantee that this allocation will permanently reduce waiting times in Wales, or are you really adopting—and this is what I think is taking place—the same sticking-plaster approach of the previous Welsh Labour Government that failed to invest in the infrastructure to keep waiting times permanently down?
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Well, look, I'll believe it when I see it, frankly, because, let's face it, four out of the five last budgets agreed in this place, in the Senedd, were between you and the Labour Party agreeing on the investment going into the NHS, which has delivered the poor performance that has now come home to roost, I'm afraid, in terms of the longest waiting times in Britain, in terms of the poor performance of the ambulance service and in terms of the crumbling NHS estate. And it's not just, of course, the health service that's in dire need. I think lots of people were very disappointed to see, in the supplementary budget, not a single penny of additional support going to support businesses in Wales that are having to contend with the worst business rates regime in Britain; not a single extra penny going to support our farmers, who are having to contend with the dreadfully unsustainable farming scheme, hatched together between Plaid and Labour in the previous term; and, dreadfully, in spite of the fact that hundreds of millions of pounds have come to Wales as a direct consequence of spending on special educational needs in England, not a single extra penny being allocated to support additional learning needs pupils here in Wales. Why aren't you going to wake up and realise that they are as much of a priority as some of the other things that you are allocating cash to?
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I have to say I was very disappointed by your statement. You're supposed to be the Government Minister for efficiency. I wish you were more efficient in the words that you use, because you didn't actually say or commit to a great deal. You made lots of woolly statements about a school for government, whatever that means, and a public dashboard, which I assume means a website. You talked as well about strengthening the influence of the future generations commissioner on the Welsh Government. You didn't refer to any of the other commissioners that we have. And, of course, they're all unelected people. You should be held to account by this Chamber. This is where your primary purpose and focus should be. And, of course, you talked about the use of AI. I think AI might do a better job than some people in Government. I don't want to be rude, but it's entirely possible that it would come out with some better decisions. The main focus of a third of your statement was the constitution. It doesn't surprise me, because we know that that's your obsession. It's not the obsession of the people of Wales. They want to make sure that they can see a GP on time, that an ambulance turns up on time, that they can get their treatment on time in a hospital. They want to make sure that the next generation have high-quality education, and then the opportunity to get into a decent, well-paid job. They want to see people off welfare benefits and back into work. And they want to make sure that they can live in a country that is clean, that also is a powerhouse as far as the economy is concerned. You didn't make a single commitment on the economy, by the way. No reference to the economy in any way, shape or form. Because that's a blind spot with some of you people on the left, particularly in Plaid Cymru. You were cheering yourself on for being a socialist in your response to the Labour spokesperson. I think what people here really want to see are some clear targets. We want to see clear targets, clear milestones on the way to delivering the elimination of two-year waits in the NHS, then one-year waits in the NHS. We want to make sure that there are clear targets for people to be able to get in touch with a GP and have an appointment with a doctor when we need them. We want clear targets for our young people in terms of them being able to read, write and have the opportunity to get the education that they deserve with an indication as to where you want this country to be in the next set of Programme for International Student Assessment results. Not the ones published later this year, which of course were on the watch of the previous Government, but in three years' time. We want to be able to measure this progress, because without the ability to do that, nobody is going to be able to hold you to account, even the AI digital assistants that you want in the Welsh Government and seem to think that might be the answer to everything. You didn't answer a single question that was put to you just now about the cost of these measures that you are putting in place. How many additional civil servants are going to be in your department? I haven't seen any reference to this standing commission on the constitution in the supplementary budget. Where's the money for that coming from? Who are the members of that body going to be? I suspect it doesn't really matter, because you'll have written the reports beforehand anyway, and every one of them, I can tell you now, will say, 'We need more powers because we haven't got the tools to do the job', because it's the stock answer of every commission that's ever been set up in Wales that looks at the constitution. The reason for that is because you appoint people, and the previous Government appointed people, and they paid those people, and those people play to the tune of the people that pay them, because that's the way these commissions and these other organisations that are so-called independent are set up. Who on earth is going to constitute this commission? Who are they going to engage with? What's their budget going to be? Because it's going to be a waste of money that could be spent on our NHS, could be spent on our schools, could be spent on our roads, could be spent on fixing those problems that other people have listed. Why are you only engaging with this one commissioner, rather than other commissioners? What about our veterans' commissioner? Shouldn't the veterans' commissioner have a say in what goes on in the lives of veterans in Wales and the decisions that you make about them? Shouldn't the children's commissioner have a say on additional learning needs support and have their words ringing in your ears? Why is it just the future generations commissioner? What about the older people's commissioner, all those other people in Wales who are over 50? I'm joining that club later this year. I want to make sure that that commissioner has got a say in the decisions that you make. Why are you listening to one commissioner more than others? Why don't you set some targets and tell us what on earth this nonsense is going to cost?
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I second Sam Rowlands.
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Cabinet Minister, I'm afraid that some of your answers are giving me a sense of déjà vu, because they were the similar sort of answers that we've been hearing from the Labour Party for over a decade in respect of the poor performance of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Now, what people want to see is concrete action to deliver improvements. We know that one of the things that people are absolutely desperate for is increased capacity, bed capacity in particular, in order to address the problems in the emergency department, which, of course, today, has been designated as a service requiring significant improvement by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. What action are you going to take to urgently review the paltry number of beds proposed for the new north Denbighshire community hospital in Rhyl, which is fewer than half the beds originally proposed 13 years ago, when the problems now at the nearby Glan Clwyd Hospital are more acute than ever?
- Not timed: the Record publishes no broadcast time for this contribution, so Siambr cannot place it on the stage.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog Cabinet ddatganiad am benderfyniad Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru i ddynodi'r adran achosion brys yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd fel gwasanaeth sydd angen ei wella'n sylweddol? TQ1466
Official English translation
1. Will the Cabinet Minister make a statement on the decision by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales to designate the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd as a service requiring significant improvement? TQ1466
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Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for acknowledging your concern. Many of my constituents, of course, are concerned too, but they're not very surprised, frankly, to learn that the department has once again been designated as a service requiring improvement by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. In fact, they were surprised that it was de-escalated in the first place back in August 2024, because the situation in that emergency department is totally unacceptable, not just for patients, but also for the staff who care for them—the hard-working staff. It's unsafe, staff are facing burn-out, patients are coming to harm, and I'm afraid that some are even dying as a result of the failures in the leadership and the governance at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. I am contacted week in, week out by constituents sharing their unacceptable experiences at that hospital with me. These include an elderly patient spending four days in a chair on a corridor due to a lack of beds; others waiting for treatment while lying on blankets on the floor; a patient having to wait eight hours in the emergency department before they could be discharged, simply because they were waiting for a prescription to be dispensed; and, of course, regular attempts to discharge very sick individuals and patients who are not fit to go home due to bed pressures. And of course, we all saw in the media that awful report about the very tragic death in a corridor, in a very undignified way, of an elderly person last year, in full view of other patients. It's totally unacceptable and I know we all want to see major improvements. But it isn't only the health board that's failing to get to grips with these issues. The Welsh Government has also, through its escalation and intervention arrangements, been unable to get to grips with the problems at that hospital, and I'm sure that you will acknowledge that that is the case. It first went into special measures, of course, over a decade ago—11 years ago, in fact, last week—and that performance has deteriorated over that time, over that 11-year period. In fact, Glan Clwyd is the worst performing hospital emergency department in the whole of the country. I'm not proud to say that. I don't want it to be that way. I want it to be at the top of the tree, but it's not, and it's not right. So, can I ask you this, Cabinet Minister? We know that we need to get on and deliver that new hospital in Rhyl. I've asked you twice so far whether you'll look at the number of beds in that hospital so that it can take the proper pressure off the emergency department in Glan Clwyd. Will you put the beds up to 30, which was the original plan, rather than the 14 that is currently the case? Just a simple yes-or-no answer would be appreciated on that. Will you also, in the meantime—acknowledging that bed pressures are the primary, immediate problem—immediately work with the health board to look at using the capacity at nearby Abergele Hospital, so that in-patients can be moved there when it's safe to do so, and that a minor injuries unit can be established there in order to take the pressure off the hospital front door? Will you also agree with us that it's time to look at the Welsh Government's escalation and intervention arrangements, which don't seem to be fit for purpose—and certainly aren't working in the north Wales area—to understand why that is the case, and finally commission that independent review, independent inquiry, into the Betsi Cadwaladr health board failings, so that we can hold those responsible for failing to turn this organisation around to account?
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For us, this is a debate about what the Senedd and the Welsh Government are responsible for versus what the UK Government is responsible for, and where those responsibilities lie. It's very clear that foreign relations, international development are matters for the UK Government, not the Welsh Government, and as a result of that, I believe that we respect devolution and can expect respect for devolution back when we respect the boundaries of our legislative competence and the competence of the Welsh Government's position as well. We have argued for many years in this Senedd that taxpayers' money should not be spent on mini embassies, overseas offices in different parts of the world. There are three, for example, in China alone, a country that we know has been linked to espionage in this country, and we've even seen the arrest of individuals associated with the previous Welsh Labour Government, and that, to me, is a concern. So, as far as we are concerned, we want to see the £9 million spent on those overseas embassies and on the international development projects that have been referred to in this Chamber, and for that money to be invested here. Now, I am not anti-international aid. I just want to make that clear, right? And as has already been pointed out in this debate, the people of Wales are generous, and they give, on a voluntary basis, enormous amounts every single year to international aid projects. Many of you know that I have strong links to the faith community, and let me tell you, you will find generous church congregations across this country with links to Africa, Asia and all sorts of other parts of the world, doing some phenomenal work. I'm not against those things, I support those things, and I want to encourage people to give to those things. But I do not believe that when people are dying waiting for ambulances, when we're at the bottom of the educational tree as far as the league table of the United Kingdom is concerned, and when our road infrastructure isn't working, our transport infrastructure is creaking, that it's right to spend those millions of pounds on those things, when the Welsh Government should be focused on the things for which it is responsible. [Interruption.] I will take the intervention.
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You know, the UK Government is responsible for the economic development and relationships overseas to bring inward investment into the United Kingdom as a whole, and that includes Wales. And they do a pretty good job, right? We secure a huge amount of international inward investment into the United Kingdom through the work of British embassies around the world, UK Trade and Investment and all of those other organisations that work in that field. And of course, look, I'm a Conservative, I'm pro business, I want businesses here to thrive. I want companies to come and invest in our country because the Labour Party's trashed our economy over the years in Wales. We're the poorest part of the United Kingdom; of course we need inward investment. But what we don't need are people embedded in exotic cities around the world—because you don't seem to choose places that aren't very exotic or nice places to live—and make sure that we have—. Yes, of course, we will always want to be an internationalist country, looking out and seeking to influence the world, but we do that as part of the United Kingdom, an integral part of the United Kingdom. And I'm proud to be a member not only of the Welsh Conservative Party, but of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and I believe in the union of the United Kingdom, and that these foreign relationships and international development are done better as a United Kingdom as a whole. I think it is a scandal, Members, I think it is a scandal that it's impossible to try to scrutinise the £58 million that has been spent to date on these international relationships. It's a shame on us all that that information isn't readily available to Members of this Senedd, so that we can do our job in holding the Welsh Government to account for the money that it spends. And as has already been pointed out, it's not their money in the first place: it's taxpayers' money. It's every single person in this country that deserves to know where that money is spent. I hope very much that those new committees that have been established will be able to get through all of the paperwork sufficiently well so that they can see every single bean that's been spent in the name of taxpayers in this country, and make sure that it's invested in the right way. I support the motion.
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Will you take an intervention?
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I was very disappointed to hear your comments about me earlier—my street cred has gone right down. [Laughter.] I'm not knocking some of the positive impact in other countries of the spending from Wales. I see that; it's evident to see. The question I have is what benefit do people in Wales see as a result of a tree planted in a field in Uganda. What benefit does that bring to someone whose public toilets are closing, libraries are threatened with closure and leisure centres are threatened with closure? I just can't see that it brings any. That's why I say it's far better to encourage people to give generously of their own volition, rather than the Welsh Government intervene in this spending area for which it's not responsible.
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First Minister, in just 11 days' time, communities across Wales and the whole of the United Kingdom will be marking Armed Forces Day. It's an opportunity, of course, to pay tribute to the courage and professionalism of His Majesty's armed forces, and to recognise the thousands of people who work in the defence industry across Wales, who help to keep our country safe. Those workers design, build and maintain the equipment for our armed forces and our allies around the world. Those companies also provide highly skilled jobs, apprenticeships and investment in communities across the country. So, can I ask you, First Minister: at a time when war has returned to Europe and when the international security situation is becoming increasingly uncertain and fragile, do you agree with me that a strong defence industry here in Wales is essential to our economy? And will you join me in paying tribute to our armed forces and to the Welsh workers whose efforts help to provide them with the resources that they need?
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Well, can I welcome your comments in relation to the armed forces covenant? It's absolutely vital that Wales honours that covenant at every single level of government, and I want to pay tribute to those organisations that are working hard to do just that. But last week, of course, we saw two resignations from the UK Government. Two Ministers resigned because they did not believe that the UK Government was doing enough to invest in defence at a time of growing international instability. Their warnings came as countries across Europe are increasing their spending on defence, rebuilding their military capability and capacity and investing in their domestic defence industries. Now, Wales is already home to a host of world-class defence and aerospace companies: General Dynamics, Airbus, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Babcock, Sierra Nevada Corporation Mission Systems and others across the whole of this country, employing many thousands of individuals, and they're playing a vital role in our defence industry. But it's really important that, if the increase in defence spending comes from the UK Government, Wales gets its fair share and that we're able to grow our defence industry. What action have you taken to date, and what action do you intend to take to make sure that that's the case?
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Can I raise my concerns about the fact that an announcement to extend childcare was made to the media prior to its being made to this Senedd Chamber? This is where announcements of that sort ought to be made, Trefnydd, and I think it's incumbent upon all Welsh Governments to honour and respect Members of this Senedd by bringing their announcements to this Senedd first, in order that they can be properly scrutinised. Secondly, can I call for a statement on the support that is available for carers in Wales? Last week was Carers Week, and one of the things that many carers suffer from is complete burn-out because of the support that they're giving to their loved ones. There is a need for a statutory right to respite in my view and in the view of the Welsh Conservatives, and I would like to know what the new Welsh Government's attitude is towards that. Finally, can I request an update from the Welsh Government, the new Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, on the action that the Welsh Government is taking in order to develop and support the development and roll-out of a squirrelpox vaccine in order to protect the red squirrel population in Wales, which I am very proud to say that I continue to be the species champion for?
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First Minister, can you tell us what steps your new Government is taking to ensure that developments of national significance do not permanently compromise Wales's most productive agricultural land? Prior to taking office, you firmly stood with your constituents on Anglesey to oppose the massive industrial-scale solar farm proposals on Prosiect Maen Hir and Alaw Môn. In fact, you said, and I quote to you, that you had deep concerns about the scale of solar developments. And you said that projects like those would lead to the loss of large swathes of productive agricultural land and the associated economic activity and farming jobs. I agree with those statements. Now that you're First Minister, of course, you've got the opportunity to do things differently. So, do you stand by those comments that you've previously made? And will you now take action to protect rural Wales by changing the planning framework to make sure that projects like that can no longer proceed?
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Well, there is a weakness in the planning guidelines because, as you know, there is an assumption in favour of large-scale solar farms in most parts of Wales now, and not just solar farms either, but large windfarms as well, with pylons marching across the whole of the countryside. And that is a fault of the national planning framework, 'Future Wales: The National Plan 2040', which clearly needs to be revised in order to protect these very important pieces of land. Let's face it: once this land's gone, it's gone, right? We're never going to get it back. So, we must make sure that we have the right balance, while supporting renewables where necessary, in the right places, on the top of factories and alongside industrial zones. But in terms of productive agricultural land, we've got to protect it. So, can I ask you and urge you now to look at the planning system, review the national framework and, in the meantime, implement an immediate moratorium on industrial-scale solar and windfarm developments, so that we can protect prime agricultural land here in our country?
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Trefnydd, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability on Welsh recycling rates? Obviously, one of the things that we're all delighted by is the fact that Welsh residents are amongst the best recyclers in the world. But one of the challenges that many people who want to recycle are facing is charges by some local authorities for replacement containers when their containers might blow away or their bags might blow away or just through general wear and tear. That clearly is undermining the efforts of residents in Wales to recycle, and I do think we need a nationwide approach. If some local authorities can provide them for free, then all local authorities should be able to provide them for free. Can I also request a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care to provide an update on the action that he intends to take to resolve the crisis in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? It is going into its eleventh year in special measures. It's the longest period of any NHS organisation in the whole of the history of the NHS across the whole of the United Kingdom. It's not good enough. We desperately need change. And I want to know what the Welsh Government is intending to do in order to drive that change forward.
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Diolch. Can I congratulate you too, Cabinet Minister, on your new role? I'm a little bit concerned about the attitude towards the M4. It is an absolutely critical part of our road infrastructure network here in Wales. It's important not just to Wales, but indeed to the whole of the United Kingdom, because, of course, it helps to get goods from A to B and from some of our major port infrastructure in west Wales too. I appreciate that you might not like the black route, but it is the fast-track option in terms of being able to deliver a solution to the problems with congestion on the M4. Anything that departs from that route, which has already been the subject of a public inquiry, is going to take many, many years beyond, probably, the four years that this Government will be able to have in this particular Parliament. Why isn't it the case that you're prepared to look in more detail at the black route, in conjunction with mitigation measures against the potential environmental impact—because I recognise that there are genuine concerns—so that we can work together to solve this issue once and for all?
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Thank you. First Minister, can you tell us what action your Government is going to take to deal with the repeated chaos as a result of the frequent closure of the Menai suspension bridge? It's causing misery for residents, commuters and businesses across north Wales, and of course that bridge, and the Britannia bridge, serve an island community of 70,000, which you represent, which is home to one of the most strategically important ports in the United Kingdom and will soon be home to a very important nuclear power facility as well. My colleague, Janet Finch-Saunders, has responded to the anger on the ground by taking the lead and organising a public meeting in order that this can be discussed on 12 June in Llangefni so that a long-term resolution can be brought forward. You've previously spoken loudly and clearly in the Senedd in favour of a third Menai crossing. So, now that you're sitting behind the First Minister's desk, can you show some leadership, attend that public meeting on 12 June, look residents in the eye and outline precisely what action your Government is going to take to bring forward that third Menai suspension bridge as soon as possible?
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We absolutely need a solution, and, of course, you had an opportunity. Every time you did a budget deal and a legislation deal with the previous Welsh Government, you could have actually brought forward some solutions and put some money in the tin in order to get this project on the go. But you didn't, did you? Because it wasn't one of your priorities. Instead, you and the Plaid Cymru MSs at that time voted against major investment in our road infrastructure across the country, not just in north Wales, but also, of course, on the M4 corridor in the south as well. You actively blocked major road-building projects across this country. Now that your party is in Government, you have nowhere to hide. The previous Labour administration wasted £150 million developing an M4 relief road project that they then ditched. You welcomed the decision to ditch that project and chuck that money down the drain. And meanwhile, the gridlock around Newport continues to strangle growth, deter investment and leave thousands of people every single day trapped in traffic jams. During the election, you changed your tune; you promised to resolve the issue. The public want action, not words. So, can you tell us, First Minister, when will we see action—not just on the Menai crossing, which you've referred to, but the M4 relief road too?
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Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements, please, and the first in relation to school funding? I was heartened to see the comments last week that recognised the challenges that schools face across Wales by the new education Cabinet Minister, and I hope to be able to work with her to improve the quality of education for young people here in Wales. But it seems to me that one of the big challenges that many schools face is the annual struggle to make budgets meet. Obviously, there's quite a disparity between local authorities in terms of funding, and I wonder whether the new Welsh Government will consider the implications of a national school funding formula and whether that is something that could be pursued, instead of leaving it to local authorities to make those decisions, given the big disparity. So, a statement on school funding would be welcome. Secondly, can I ask for clarity on the arrangements for notifying Members of this Senedd when ministerial visits take place in their constituencies? It was great to see the new Cabinet Minister for Health and Care taking the opportunity to visit Glan Clwyd Hospital, one of the worst-performing hospitals in the whole of the United Kingdom, in Bodelwyddan in my constituency of Clwyd, but I was very disappointed that no notification was received by me or other Members of the Senedd for Clwyd. I think that that is something that we need to resolve in the future, because it is a matter of courtesy for all Members.
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Cabinet Minister, you've suggested that there's too much of a focus on hospital care in your statement today, and you seem to be hinting that you think that there are too many hospital beds. Can you tell us whether that is your view or not, and whether you will guarantee to the people of Wales that you will not close any hospitals on your watch as a Cabinet Minister over the next four years? In fact, can you tell us whether you will deliver the long-promised new north Denbighshire community hospital for the people of Rhyl and the whole of the north Denbighshire coast? They've been waiting for that hospital for 13 years, and it is absolutely essential that it is delivered, but not at the current scale, which suggests that there will be just 14 beds. We need to make sure that the original scale of that project is delivered, which is 30 beds, in order to alleviate the problems at Glan Clwyd Hospital down the road, which, as we all know, is one of the worst-performing emergency departments in the country. That needs to change, and that project can deliver it.
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Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, can I congratulate you on your appointment and also thank you for your statement today that was received just seven minutes before this session of Plenary began? A convention, of course, in terms of pre-sharing statements, that you would have complained about had you received a statement seven minutes before. So, we've had 27 years of Labour Government in Wales. It's very clear that the people of Wales voted for change, and, of course, the change that has happened is not the change that my party was looking for. We would have liked a very different Senedd, but the voters have cast their views and I know that you are passionate about this country and wanting to improve it. I don't doubt that that is your commitment, and indeed the commitment of all Members of this Chamber, regardless of their political allegiances. And whilst we will disagree with you on many issues, we also, on these benches, share your ambition for a stronger Wales with a better health service, a better education system with higher standards and a much more dynamic and strong economy, creating the well-paid jobs that the people of Wales need. So, I will give you this commitment, First Minister: when you bring forward, and your fellow Members of the Cabinet bring forward, sensible measures that will genuinely improve the lives of people here in Wales, we will support you. But I want to also be clear that, when we feel that those ambitions are being undermined by decisions that your Government takes, we will hold your feet to the fire, because that is our duty as a responsible opposition here in this Senedd. We want to hold you rigorously to account for delivery for the people of Wales. Now, in the run-up to the election, and you've referenced it today in your statement, you published that plan, the 100-day plan for the first 100 days of a Plaid Government. Of course, the clock is already ticking. We're already a week in since you were appointed as First Minister. And, of course, the 100 days will be up in the middle of August, during the recess. So the sands of time are already beginning to rush downwards, and you have just 90-odd days now to deliver on this 100-day plan. Now, in your statement today, you referenced the NHS, something of course that is precious to all of us, and we all want it to succeed and improve. Now, in the past, your party has supported in this Chamber our calls for the declaration of an NHS emergency in order that the Government can be focused on delivering urgent improvements in our NHS, particularly with regard to life-threatening care and treatment in our emergency departments because of the underperformance of those. Can I ask you: do you intend to declare a health emergency so that we can focus on the NHS within these 100 days that you've referred to? Because you didn't refer to it specifically in terms of a health emergency in your statement. Can I also ask you—? There were other things that you didn't mention in your statement that I think we can find some common ground on. So, for example, in your 100 days document, you refer to restricting the use of mobile phones in schools. Now, that's something that our party's been calling for for quite some time. We stand ready to support you on the delivery of that ambition. Can you tell us: are you prepared to deliver it? What have you already done to trigger the necessary actions to be able to deliver it? You mentioned a local government funding formula review—again, something that we have in common with you. We want to see that funding formula reviewed. It's not fair at the moment, particularly to local authorities in rural communities. And it's not fair either in terms of the disparities around generational funding, because it's outdated. It's not fit for purpose. You touched on renewables in your answer on sustainability earlier on. One of the things that is a concern across Wales at the moment, and it will have been reiterated to you and many of your candidates on the doorsteps during the recent election campaign, are the proposals across Wales for large-scale solar and windfarms in our rural communities. Will you initiate, as a matter of urgency, a moratorium on all new planning applications for such developments in order that we can protect our landscapes from unnecessary industrialisation? I think that that's extremely important, and we need to have a signal from you immediately. Can I also ask—? You didn't refer in your 100 days document to the nuclear energy industry. That’s perhaps not surprising, given that your party's got various views on this particular matter, but it is important, of course, in your own constituency and in north-west Wales, and we want to see the rapid delivery of new jobs in the nuclear industry in the new facility in Wylfa in particular, and at Trawsfynydd in the future. Can you tell us what action is your Government going to take over the next 100 days in order to help to facilitate those jobs? And if I can, just in conclusion, Llywydd, one of the other things that you didn't mention, which is very, very important for people across Wales and is something that they're still concerned about, is grooming gangs. So, we know that there have been grooming gangs operating in Wales. We've called in the past for a Wales-wide inquiry into grooming gangs. We've had discussions and debates in this Chamber, I know, but, given that you're now in Government, will you review the information that's available to you in Government to determine whether this is something we can also agree on and work collaboratively on so that we can keep vulnerable young people, children, and especially our girls, safe? Thank you.
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Sources
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