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Contributions

675 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 15 of 19. Counted by Siambr

  1. on the clip

    Statement by the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Diolch yn fawr iawn. Lywydd, efo'ch cytundeb chi, mi hoffwn i wneud datganiad byr am y rhybudd coch prin yma am wres eithafol, sydd wedi'i gadarnhau ar gyfer rhannau o Gymru yfory a dydd Iau. Mi all bob un ohonom ni yn fan hyn chwarae'n rhan i gadw ein hunain a'n hanwyliaid a'n cymdogion yn ddiogel, yn enwedig yr henoed, babanod, plant ifanc, trwy ddilyn canllawiau iechyd cyhoeddus yn ofalus.  Dwi am annog pobl i osgoi nofio mewn llynnoedd neu afonydd. Mi all sioc dŵr oer fod yn angheuol, fel rydyn ni wedi'i weld mewn achosion trasig yn ystod y cyfnod diwethaf o wres uchel.

    Official English translation

    Thank you very much. Llywydd, with your agreement, I would like to make a brief statement on the very rare red warning of extreme heat that's been confirmed for parts of Wales for tomorrow and Thursday. Every one of us here can play our part in keeping ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbours safe, particularly the elderly, babies, young children, by following public health guidance carefully.  I want to encourage people to avoid swimming in open water. Cold water shock can be fatal, as we have heard in tragic cases in the recent period of high temperatures.

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  2. on the clip

    Statement by the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Llywydd, just a brief statement to Members about this rare red warning of extreme heat. It's been issued for parts of Wales for Wednesday and Thursday. All of us must pay close attention now to this urgent warning and follow public health advice to protect ourselves and others. This is extremely serious. Heat-related illness can affect anyone, regardless of age or health, but the risks are greater for older people, for babies and very young children in particular.  Now, given the seriousness of the warning, we must ensure that vulnerable people are looked after as a priority. Checking in on family, friends and neighbours could be potentially life saving. It is highly likely that we will see the highest temperatures ever recorded in Wales over then next two days. It may be tempting for some to cool off in lakes or in rivers, but I remind again that cold water shock is a real danger when jumping in, and a reminder also that people should never, ever swim in a reservoir.  We have activated the Welsh Government's response co-ordination arrangements to monitor and manage the impacts of the severe heat across the areas we are responsible for. There's likely to be disruption to transport networks, particularly rail, due to the extreme heat. So, people should plan ahead and check the latest travel advice. And my last message is this: it's to urge all Members of the Senedd to use their networks within their constituencies to ensure that information is seen, and that public health advice in particular reaches as many people as possible. Diolch, Lywydd.

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  3. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Strong local economies are the foundation of thriving communities like Gŵyr Abertawe. My Government will focus on building an economy that creates good jobs, develops skills and innovation, and ensures that more wealth is generated and retained locally. That means strengthening regional supply chains, supporting productivity and investment, and ensuring that economic growth delivers lasting benefits for communities across Wales.

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  4. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The Member is right, of course, that ambition most certainly is critical in Gŵyr Abertawe, as in the rest of Wales. Let's be clear that economic impacts of the kinds that we have seen in recent years leave a lasting legacy and affect communities, and they affect families deeply. But I am convinced also that we have real potential as a nation and that we have real opportunities. We're acting now, in the early days of this Government, to unlock that opportunity, bringing forward, for example, that national energy strategy, speeding up planning and consent, and co-ordinating delivery, so that renewable projects in places like Swansea move at pace. That is unlocking the power of the green economy, and meeting our climate change obligations, of course, is an economic opportunity, as well as being an environmental duty. Using this transition period now to drive productivity, reduce inequality and build a stronger, fair economy for Swansea, and beyond, is something my Government is determined to do.

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  5. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Well, I mentioned the opportunity that we have in the green economy, and it is very real in the Gŵyr Abertawe constituency. But there are other sectors, too, linked to higher education, for example, that give me cause to be very excited about the future—the work that's being done at Swansea University through life sciences, for example, the leading work that is being done at Swansea University in relation to the advanced semiconductor manufacturing sector in Wales. These are areas of economic growth that specifically relate to the Member's constituency. But 'stability' is an important word that he mentions, and having stability of ambition and stability in the road ahead is going to be key for us in the following years, which is why having the first real economic target in a quarter of a century, announced by the Minister for enterprise recently, on halving the productivity gap with the rest of the UK, is so, so important. We can now follow that path to realising that ambition, with everybody knowing exactly which direction we're moving in.

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  6. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I agree entirely with the Member that previous Governments have failed to support higher education in the way that they should. That's why I'm determined that we find a new kind of relationship between Government, the population, business and universities, and find new models for sustainability in the long term. I didn't ignore, as the Member heard, the impact that good research and higher education spending and funding can have on economic opportunities; I specifically named things in Swansea that are sources of real potential. But I agree with the first point that the Member made too. These aren't isolated economies. The way, for example, the agri-food sector in more rural parts of the south-west of Wales feeds into the wider economic activity of that area is very, very important, which is why that new development agency that we are already setting up will make sure that there is real geographic spread of prosperity when it comes to building the kind of economic future that we want for Wales.

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  7. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The Welsh Government supports tourism businesses in Bangor Conwy Môn through Visit Wales activity, but my Government is determined to make the most of opportunities that arise from tourism and to do so in a way that is sustainable both for the sector itself and for Welsh communities.

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  8. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Very happy to agree with the Member. My party has long called for action to be taken through VAT to help tourism. It is an argument that we made from opposition, and it's a case that we will still make from Government. This is a sustainable sector that we seek, and there are powers that are not in our gift, that being one of them. On VAT, we will try to use the ones that we have in our gift to build sustainability for the tourism sector, as I say, in a way that is in synergy with the interests of the communities in which tourism happens.

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  9. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Yn syml iawn, mae'r Llywodraeth yn bwrw ymlaen ar unwaith. Rydyn ni'n cymryd camau ar unwaith i sicrhau datganoli llawn y pwerau dros ddŵr, a hynny'n cynnwys y pwerau i sefydlu rheoleiddiwr dŵr newydd i Gymru. Pam ydyn ni'n gwneud hyn? Er mwyn gwella perfformiad, er mwyn cefnogi gwytnwch hirdymor ac, ie, er mwyn lleihau llygredd. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n agos efo Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ar y Bil dŵr glân, sydd i'w ddisgwyl yn ddiweddarach eleni, a fydd yn datganoli pwerau i'r Senedd, neu'n hwyluso'r ffordd ar gyfer gwneud hynny, er mwyn galluogi Cymru i sefydlu y rheoleiddiwr newydd hwnnw. Mae o'n addewid pwysig iawn i'r Llywodraeth yma.

    Official English translation

    Quite simply, the Government is progressing immediately. We're taking immediate steps to ensure full devolution of powers over water, and this includes the powers to establish a new Welsh water regulator for Wales. Why are we doing this? To improve performance, to support long-term resilience and, yes, to reduce pollution. We are working closely with the UK Government on the clean water Bill, which is expected later this year and which will devolve powers to the Senedd, or will facilitate that process, in order to enable Wales to establish the new regulator. It's a very important pledge for this Government.

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  10. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I'm afraid the Member should be aware that we have already said that we are keeping the 182-day threshold under review. We will be setting out details of the specific proposals in due course. But let's remember why these measures were brought in: I remind the Member that, yes, she represents tourism operators, which is an important part of the economy, but she also represents people who are struggling to find a home in their communities, she also represents people who are struggling because of the impact that tourism has on the housing market. What we're trying to do is find that balance; this is what it's all about. And should Government be learning at all times to see if there is mitigation or little changes that need to be brought in? Absolutely. And the Government is committed to doing that.

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  11. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Well, I'm rather surprised that this party that was meant now to embrace devolution and want to make it work for Wales is now openly coming out and saying that they are effectively against devolution. Did people call for the devolution of powers over rail, for example? No. Are people telling me, young people in particular, that they absolutely understand the injustice of the high speed 2 line, and that if we had devolution of rail and the funding that comes with it, we could build infrastructure that could give our young people a future here in Wales, because we're investing in the things that matter to them? My party is sometimes accused by the Members of being somehow obsessed with the constitution. We are obsessed with doing the right thing for Wales and that means having the tools to do the job. What the Member is making clear is that he wants to undo that, and rather than giving Wales the tools to do the job better for the people of Wales, on health, on transport and education, he wants to take those tools away. And I remind him it's not devolution at fault; it's the fact that we have had Governments that haven't made the right decisions. We now have a change of Government. Look to this one to see how we change direction for Wales.

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  12. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I thought he was going to go on about independence there. That was a different kind of independence. Listen, I want infrastructure that works for Wales. I want infrastructure that's fit for the twenty-second century, and that means building all those different elements of infrastructure that build a joined-up economy, that join up communities. There are very good societal and economic reasons why we need a big shift of people away from using cars in a traditional way, which is why we need investment in trains and in buses and in modal shift and active travel. But the Member's right that the car will still be a part for some time of the way that we connect to each other. And that is why I have already, in the just six weeks since coming into office, made it clear that where there is investment that needs to be made in strengthening our road network too we will look at that.

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  13. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I realise that the Member might be new to the Welsh Parliament, but if he wasn't, he would have heard me for 13 years, now, talking about the economic benefits that can arise from making an investment in nuclear in the right way, and looking at it in terms of what works for Wales. That's been, in a constituency Member role, my job in years past. My focus is exactly the same as First Minister now: it's to look at our energy needs, it's to look at our environmental obligations and the economic opportunities that can flow from investment, including in nuclear. There's nothing new in my saying that. I've been very consistent for many years on this.

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  14. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Neither I nor my party has ever advocated or suggested that the UK should pull out of NATO. It's never been the position of my party nor of my Government now, whatever some people may wish to represent. I believe in the principle and the practice of close integration when it comes to seeking peace. I believe that NATO, at this time of heightened tensions internationally, plays an important role. It would of course be for an independent Wales, in years to come, to decide on what kind of association or membership it would have with NATO. But, in terms of my position, it's as clear as that: NATO plays a very important role, and there's never been a suggestion that we would somehow call for the UK to withdraw from it.

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  15. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The aircraft carriers—I will address the aircraft carriers issue, actually. That's the title of a book, isn't it, The Phenomenon of Welshness—or, 'How many aircraft carriers would an independent Wales need?' Answer: zero. That's rather different to what the Member is implying. Listen, I recognise, and my Government recognises, that we face changing threats, that we face very real threats, and that at those times there needs to be recognition of the need to invest properly in conventional defence. And nowadays, that very much includes cyber warfare, which, in a hybrid way, is already happening around us. So, in those terms, yes, I recognise the need to invest. But I do not recognise that it is up to UK Government, without discussion, to make decisions that impact the ability of Governments—be it in Wales or other parts of these islands—to invest in public services, as decisions are made unilaterally on defence. I think that these are very important principles that all of us in this Chamber should have strong opinions on.

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  16. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I welcome the question as a way for me to explain my firm belief that that is not what's going on, and I genuinely ask him to arrange a meeting quickly with my Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, so that he can talk the Member through what exactly is going on here. I think what we have seen in recent years is exactly what the Member describes: sticking-plaster solutions in order to get the statistics to a better place, when actually we need to build for the long term. I have made it clear—we made this a priority through the election campaign, and we're doing it now in Government—that it's not just about bringing down waiting times and saying, 'Phew, right, what next?' This is about making sure that we put the steps in place now that bring down the waiting times in a way that builds capacity in order to stop the waiting times from increasing again. Now, do I give concrete guarantees? Well, how far do we go in politics? But I tell you that that is exactly what we are aiming to do and what my Minister is spending every waking hour and, I'm sure, some sleeping hours thinking about too.

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  17. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    It's a very, very long and multilevelled question. I'll try to address some elements of it, if I can. There's an element of contradiction there in asking us to throw money, for example, at the economy and at farming, when actually what we're saying is—and we've taken this action already in the first 37 days of Government—it's tackling bureaucracy, working in a different way with farmers, that can make a difference. It's the review of business rates; that will make a difference to businesses, for example. So, it's not just about throwing money, in the same way as he said himself that just giving money to health doesn't resolve the problem. He said that the investment has failed. It's not the money that was problematic in recent years, it's the fact that it wasn't used properly. That is exactly what we are aiming to do: to build sustainability into health and care. Finally, on the ALN issue, I absolutely recognise the seriousness of the challenge that we face, but, on that, it certainly isn't the case that a one-off payment will resolve the problems. This has to be a sustainable solution, building up over the next few years to have a system that works for families, that works for local authorities, and the education Minister is already working on that sustainable solution, which is really what we want, rather than quick fixes, which the Member said wasn't what he wanted either.

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  18. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Llywydd, if I may firstly refer to my declaration of Members' interests, which states that a close family member sits on the board of a housing association. In answer to the question, we are committed to having well-regulated social housing, recognising that a safe and secure home underpins people's health, well-being and ability to build stable lives. The regulatory framework for registered social landlords in Wales has been revised to strengthen oversight, transparency and accountability, with a clear focus on outcomes for tenants. This framework is currently being rolled out across all RSLs.

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  19. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    RSLs do have very close relationships within the local authority areas in which they operate. Many of them operate across multiple local authority areas. That is why it's so important that central regulation is in place, overseen by the Welsh Government and reviewed regularly to make sure that it is effective and that it's delivering the kind of social housing that we need. All social housing tenants have the right to a safe and secure home. I think that's so important. We work closely with registered social landlords and stock-holding local authorities to ensure this. The regulatory framework, which is central, is designed in that way to protect tenants and to protect public investment too, through effective oversight. And remember that each RSL will receive an annual regulatory judgment in order to give people assurance that we are upholding the standards that people deserve and expect within the social landlord sector.

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  20. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The establishment of Unnos is all about freeing up the building of social housing; it's about finding new and innovative ways of delivering. We have a sector that works in different ways. We have the housing stock retained within some local authorities and we have the plethora of registered social landlords too. We are clear that we want to streamline and make more effective the process of delivering social housing. We've committed to delivering at least 20,000 new social homes by 2030 and that is what the Minister is already setting out to do.

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  21. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The Member raises perfectly valid questions. As with so many things, we keep these things under review. But it was in August last year that the previous Government introduced a revised regulatory framework. Every time there is a revision of the regulatory framework, it is about making sure that the system works well and that there is accountability within it. Keeping abreast of any challenges or weaknesses in that accountability is something that my Minister will be eager to do.

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  22. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Local authorities have responsibility for school transport, and we work closely with them to support access to education. I recognise the importance of ensuring that learners can travel safely and can travel affordably. As part of this, we're extending the £1 bus fare scheme for young people, to reduce costs and widen access to education. We will work with partners across Government to consider how the system can best meet learners’ needs.

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  23. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    We as Members representing constituencies in all parts of Wales, I can guarantee you, will receive correspondence from parents at times that have concerns, quite rightly, about the provision of school transport. This is a matter of concern for them, but these are local decisions to be made by local authorities. I understand, as the Member alluded to, that the Caerphilly offer is actually more generous than the statutory offer. It's challenging. I note the Reform leader of Warwickshire council took a fair bit of flak when he proposed extending the statutory walking distance for school pupils potentially up to 5 miles. These are decisions that are challenging for local authorities everywhere, but my Government will continue working with local authorities to try to find more long-term solutions for what is clearly an issue of concern.

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  24. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Mae hwn yn un o'r materion yna, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod, lle bydd yna gydweithio yn lleol, dwi'n gobeithio, ar faterion sydd o bryder i rieni. Yr ateb byr i'r cwestiwn yna ydy y byddwn ni yn sicr yn gweithio efo awdurdodau lleol i chwilio am ffyrdd o wella. Does yna ddim atebion syml yn fan hyn, ond mi ydyn ni wedi ymrwymo i weithio efo partneriaid—ac nid yn unig llywodraeth leol, ond rhieni a dysgwyr eu hunain—er mwyn sicrhau newid yn yr hirdymor.

    Official English translation

    This is one of those issues, as the Member said, where there will be local collaboration, I would hope, on issues that are of concern to parents. The short answer to that question is that we will certainly be working with local authorities to seek ways of improving things. There are no simple answers on this issue, but we have committed to working with partners—and not just local government, but parents as well, and the learners themselves—in order to ensure change in the long term.

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  25. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Heb amheuaeth, mae yna enghreifftiau o arfer da ar draws Cymru, ac mi wnes i gyfeirio at y sefyllfa yng Nghaerffili. Mi fydd yr un peth yn wir mewn awdurdodau lleol hefyd. Ond mae hi'n amlwg yn wir fod yna heriau yn wynebu pob awdurdod lleol, yn cynnwys Caerffili, fel mae'r cwestiynwr wedi ei godi heddiw. Mae hwn yn fater sydd yn effeithio ar gyfleon pobl ifanc. Mae sicrhau mynediad i gyfleon dysgu yn bwysig iawn. Mae yna adolygiad yn barod yn digwydd o gwmpas sicrhau bod mynediad i addysg Gymraeg yn rhywbeth sydd ddim yn cael ei effeithio gan broblemau mynediad. Mae'r Llywodraeth, fel dwi'n dweud, tra'n wynebu, fel llywodraeth leol, cyfyngiadau ar faint o adnoddau sydd ar gael, yn benderfynol o weithio efo partneriaid i weld lle mae modd gwneud penderfyniadau sydd yn hwyluso trafnidiaeth i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc ni.

    Official English translation

    Without doubt, there are examples of good practice across Wales, and I referred to the situation in Caerphilly. The same will be true in other local authorities too. But it's clearly true that there are challenges facing all local authorities, including Caerphilly, as the Member mentioned today. This is an issue that impacts on the opportunities available to young people. Securing access to learning opportunities is very important. There is already a review ongoing in terms of ensuring that access to Welsh-medium education is something that isn't impacted by access issues. As I said, the Government, whilst facing limitations in terms of the resources available, as do local authorities, is determined to work with partners to see where it is possible to make decisions that facilitate transport for children and young people.

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  26. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Unwaith eto, mae'r rhain yn enghreifftiau lleol, fel y bydd gan bob Aelod. Dwi'n atgoffa eto mai penderfyniadau i awdurdodau lleol ydy'r rhain yn y pen draw. Mae yna gwestiynau yn codi o ran llwybrau teithio llesol yn y cwestiwn yna. Mae hwnnw, o bosib, yn fater gwahanol, ond sydd ag impact ar deithio i'r ysgol. Dwi'n atgoffa'r Senedd am y trafod fu rhwng Plaid Cymru mewn gwrthblaid a'r Llywodraeth ddiwethaf er mwyn sicrhau setliad cadarn ar gyfer 2026-27, sy'n sicrhau £112 miliwn er mwyn cryfhau'r grant cymorth refeniw gymaint ag y gallwn ni, er mwyn rhoi gwaelodlin mor gadarn ag y gallwn ni i lywodraeth leol. Mae'r rhain yn benderfyniadau anodd. Ydw i'n credu bod angen i ni fod yn adolygu drwy'r amser sut mae prosesau'n gweithio? Dwi'n gobeithio fy mod i wedi gwneud yn glir heddiw fy mod i.

    Official English translation

    Once again, these are local examples, as all Members will have. I remind us all once again that these are decisions for local authorities at the end of the day. There are questions raised about active travel routes in that question. That is possibly a different issue, but an issue that does have an impact on travel to school. I remind the Senedd about the discussions that went on between Plaid Cymru in opposition and the last Government in order to ensure a robust settlement for 2026-27, ensuring £112 million in order to strengthen the revenue support grant as much as we possibly could in order to give us as robust a baseline as we could for local government. These are difficult decisions. Do I believe we need to be reviewing constantly how processes are working? I think I've made it clear that that is the case.

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  27. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    We are revitalising the approach to high streets, including establishing a town-centre taskforce to identify practical measures, such as non-domestic rates and planning reforms, to support high streets and local businesses. We want our high streets to thrive and to play a strong role in local economies for the future.

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  28. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I agree with the frustration that is voiced by the Member. This is a matter of real concern to me—that when people see their town centre, they often think it's their town centre that is the bad one. I took part in an inquiry by the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly a few years ago, where we visited high streets across Wales, Northern Ireland and England. The truth is that the high street has been decimated in so many areas. That sense that it's your own area that is falling apart leads to a breakdown in social cohesion too. So, there's good reason why we need to address this. That is why establishing that town centres taskforce is so important. It's why the work on that is getting under way now. It's building, actually, on work that has been in place in recent years on the 'town centre first' policy. I hope this is an area that we might be able to co-operate on, because my Government's policy also is very much built around the need to redress the balance that has seen the proliferation of out-of-town at the cost, it seems, of our town centres. That will be very much the thrust of the work of the town centres taskforce, looking at all those tools at its disposal around business rates and so on, to see if we can really energise our town centres in a way that we haven't seen for a long time.

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  29. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I very much enjoyed my visit to Pontypool with the Member recently and, yes, we visited High Street and the market then. There's a real sense of community and wanting to inject new life, and a real sign of that new life. Should local voices be heard? Absolutely. We want to build our local economies for the people that live in them, and they should be able to map the kind of communities that they want. On compulsory purchase, yes, it's a tool in the toolbox, one that is usually a tool of last resort. But, maybe just segueing from compulsory purchase to enforcement, certainly on enforcement we are supporting local authorities to take enforcement action, where appropriate, with the empty property enforcement fund, helping de-risk action on some problematic properties—part of a breadth of ways that we hope to act, again guided by the work of the town centres taskforce.

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  30. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    We are clearly on the same page on this. We can see good work that's been done recently around the development of the metro in south Wales and how it's transformed the way that people travel within their communities and from community to community. I am excited about what we can achieve through the re-regulation of buses, which is so, so important. Again, a product of co-operation in the last Senedd. Well, let's carry on co-operating on that because these are issues that all of us should be signed up to promoting, because it's in the interests of vibrant communities, and accessibility clearly has to be at the heart of that also.

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  31. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I take the Member's question as encouragement to carry on doing and doubling down on what we've started to do in these early days of the Government. On breaking down silos, I should say that work is already well under way within Government to have formal structures to break down silos, so that inter-ministerial comings together happen, so that decisions aren't made over there by one Minister in a way that could have been done in a better way with the contribution of another. So, that cross-Government working is something that's important to me as a principle, and we're getting to grips with it. You've been here for 20 years. The Member's been here for 20 years. We're already, aren't we, in these four First Minister's questions sessions, hearing from Members across the Chamber about their concerns about their high streets. That tells me that there are contributions to be made by everyone here to the work being done by the town centres taskforce. Everybody can feed into that because these aren't problems that are isolated in the high streets in the constituencies of one group of Members here. These affect all of us, and it should be incumbent on all of us to try to contribute to the solutions. The Government's door is very, very much open to those ideas, and the Member listed a number of the things that the taskforce will be getting to grips with on rates, on planning and so on. It's about creating that new vibrancy. Let's all get involved.

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  32. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The north of Wales clearly is a key part of our economic ambitions as a Government. We will strengthen north Wales's economic ties with the north-west of England through better transport links, through practical cross-border collaboration, through support for key sectors such as manufacturing and energy. And we do this, of course, with a clear focus on increased productivity, greater investment and long-term economic benefit for north Wales.

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  33. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    There are a few points I could make here. I believe in uniting the Welsh nation, and I believe that our capital is the capital for everybody, whether they're in Hawarden or Holyhead or in Merthyr Tydfil. We build an economy that works for us. Yes, Dublin is the nearest capital from Ynys Môn, but Edinburgh is the closest capital for people living in Newcastle. I'm not sure what the point the Member is trying to make there. But one of the things that I have made clear is that when we come to economic planning for Wales, every part of our nation has to feel a part of that. I don't look and my Ministers don't look at things from a Cardiff Bay or a Cathays Park perspective. We look at things from a Wales-wide perspective. Every Minister in this Government is a Wales-wide Minister with the interests of all of Wales at heart, and that will be as true in economic development as in anything else, and I say that as the son of a Scouser. [Laughter.]

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  34. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    As I referred to earlier, my Government is committed, through the work of the enterprise, connectivity and energy Minister and the Deputy Minister for Transport, to making sure that we have infrastructure that really works for us in terms of creating economic and societal opportunities. That includes making sure that we have the robust road network that we need and making the necessary investments there, and driving, at the same time, that modal shift for the sake of the economy and connectivity that we all need to see happening.

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  35. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care set out priorities for healthcare in Wales, including Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, in his oral statement on 2 June. These focus on improving access, strengthening local services, providing more care closer to home, reducing waiting times, supporting staff and ensuring long-term sustainability. We are also considering patient experience of cross-border healthcare as part of ongoing work.

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  36. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I'm going to throw it back at the Member if I can, and suggest that what his constituents want is better outcomes rather than more money. Now, it may be that money—[Interruption.] Well, he doesn't seem convinced about that. I can assure you that it's better outcomes that his constituents would want, because that is always what we should ensure. [Interruption.]

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  37. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Already the Government has made significant investment in the first major stage of creating sustainability within health and care in Wales. That very much includes patients in Powys that we know, from debates here in the Senedd in recent months and years, feel that somehow they haven't had a good deal. My Minister's focus will be as much on the people of Powys as anywhere else, and it will always be focused on outcomes. A number of Members have raised today the question of what we get for money. It is better healthcare that we seek. It's not the bottom line financially, it's the bottom line in terms of people's health, and that is very, very important to people.

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  38. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Again, we know of the pressures in Powys, absolutely, and the health Minister and the finance Minister, I can assure you, are very aware of the pressures across the whole of the health system in Wales. Changes, of course, to commissioning arrangements between Powys Teaching Health Board and NHS providers in England and Wales came into effect from July last year, and have seen some patients experience longer waits for planned care. Now, it’s no surprise, is it, that people think that this is an equity issue? Why should people on one side of the border feel that they are receiving substandard care? It is an issue that my Minister is very, very aware of, and in making sure that we build those robust agreements between the NHS in Wales and England, we will have the interests of the people of Powys at heart.

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  39. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    Welsh First Minister of Wales

    Mi fyddwn ni'n defnyddio dull cydweithredol, effeithiol, sy'n seiliedig ar lefydd i helpu pobl ifanc ym Mlaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni i gael hyfforddiant a chyflogaeth. Gan ddefnyddio'n dulliau cymorth ar gyfer cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau, mi wnawn ni ddarparu cefnogaeth wedi'i theilwra i anghenion pobl ifanc. Mewn partneriaeth â Medr, darparwyr hyfforddiant, cyflogwyr ac eraill, mi fyddwn ni'n darparu prentisiaethau o ansawdd uchel, gan hybu twf busnesau hefyd i greu cyfleoedd cyflogaeth newydd a chynaliadwy.

    Official English translation

    We will take a joined-up, place-based and effective approach to support young people in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni into training and employment. Using our employability and skills interventions, we will provide tailored support to young people. In partnership with Medr, training providers, employers and others, we will develop high-quality apprenticeships, whilst also supporting business growth to create new and sustainable employment opportunities.

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  40. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    The Milburn review came up with some frightening results, and we should all be very, very worried at the high level of NEETs that we are seeing, and the Member reflects on the particularly acute situation in her constituency. At the end of the day, this is about trying to provide for our young people the skills that they need—life skills and skills for employment. Our first 100 days commitment includes convening that future skills summit, bringing together representatives from across society to agree a shared vision, to put together a strategy for the future of our skills system, one that doesn't accept NEETs as just an inevitable part of the landscape. We're increasing training and employment opportunities for young people through sustained investment in apprenticeships—that's the proposal—and by strengthening how provision is delivered across Wales, and exploring how the junior apprenticeships programme can be expanded further to reach more learners. We can't continue to let our young people down.

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  41. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    Our national energy strategy will ensure renewable energy projects in Wales benefit Wales. We will move beyond voluntary community benefits to creating opportunities for communities to own projects. We've good examples across Wales, and, through our strategy, these will be the norm, not the exception. And we'll also create one Welsh public energy company, owned by the people of Wales for the people of Wales.

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  42. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    I am aware and I note the concern about that specific project. Of course, on specific projects, they're decisions for the local authority to take. I also recognise, of course, the wider points that the Member is making on ensuring local communities are involved in projects and get the opportunity to either own or have a sense of ownership of projects in Wales. And, for too long, Wales has hosted energy projects without keeping enough of the wealth they create, and that is now set to be reversed. If Welsh land, if Welsh wind, water, sea bed create wealth, this Government believes that the people of Wales should see more of that wealth, so that we can invest it for the future. And, at project level, we will expand larger schemes to make a genuine community ownership offer, with an equivalent local benefit model, a wealth fund payment, or another clear mechanism only where equity is genuinely impracticable. But this is something that we have to see changing.

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  43. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    We are committed to combating misinformation and disinformation on asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, to support fair, safe and united communities. There is a growing problem of misinformation about asylum seekers, refugees and migrants being exploited to sow division. We are developing tools to ensure that people can separate fact from fiction, enabling inclusive and thriving communities.

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  44. on the clip

    1. Questions to the First Minister

    English First Minister of Wales

    In practical terms, my officials work closely with local authorities and the Home Office to ensure misinformation around asylum accommodation, for example, is quickly spotted, and the Home Office is asked to rectify anything that is harmful and misleading. While immigration policy is reserved to the UK Government, cohesion policy is not. We are committed to doing all that we can to foster cohesion within our communities to support fair, safe and united communities. All of us, as leaders, bear a responsibility to ensure discourse is based on fact and not on encouraging the breakdown of cohesion within our communities.

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How this page is made

Counted by Siambr from the Record's rows. Chaired contributions, spoken under the Record's title for the chair, are counted apart and never added in.

Each page holds 50 contributions at most and keeps a sitting day whole, unless the day alone is over 50.

Sources

The Record of Proceedings for each sitting day, quoted verbatim.