Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

Good afternoon, everybody.

Good afternoon, everybody. Before we commence this afternoon's proceedings, I've been approached in the chair and asked whether it is acceptable to remove your jackets in the Chamber. So, bearing in mind the weather we are in, can I say, 'Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to remove your jackets'? Thank you. So, that is my ruling. [Interruption.] Keep away from it. 

We will start with the First Minister's statement: red weather warning. 

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.  

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.

Diolch, Brif Weinidog. That message will have been heard by Members as well. Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

We will move on now to item 1, questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from John Davies. 

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.

Thank you, First Minister. Swansea faces dire economic circumstances. Last year, Swansea lost 1,349 jobs. That's a 1.3 per cent contraction in the workforce. Since Labour took control in Wales, Swansea's gross value added per capita dropped from 85 per cent in 1999 to 78 per cent in 2023. Meanwhile, Cardiff is at 120 per cent. The differential between Swansea and the UK, and Swansea and Cardiff, is huge. Westminster has announced Pride in Place funding to support communities in Swansea—£20 million to support areas that I know so well. Tackling poverty is essential. However, we need long-term solutions for long-term problems, and we need to tackle the root cause, not just the symptoms. In Swansea, ambition is critical. Swansea Gower needs economic growth. What steps will the Welsh Government take to capitalise on the massive opportunity of the green economy, as suggested by the Skidmore report, and utilising the speciality and specific attributes in Gŵyr Abertawe, including a deep port, specialists in universities and the second highest tidal fall in the world?

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.

First Minister, every Government says it's committed to economic growth, but the reality is that economic success depends on stability, clear priorities and measurable delivery rather than general commitments. I welcome your comments on the green economy, but, in Gŵyr Abertawe, key parts of the economy include tourism, small business activity and services linked to Swansea's wider regional economy. The challenge is ensuring those sectors are able to grow, attract investment and create well-paid jobs. Can the First Minister, therefore, set out which sectors, as well as the green economy, he personally prioritises for economic growth in Gŵyr Abertawe and specify what measurable targets he will use over this Senedd term to demonstrate that his Government's approach is actually working? In responding, I would be grateful if you could address the specific questions before us and the position in Gŵyr Abertawe rather than just broad political commentary.

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.

The economy of Gŵyr Abertawe cannot be looked at in isolation from Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot. What type of economy do you want in the area? I want one based upon life sciences, computing and ICT. These are high-paid and innovative sectors capable of sustaining substantial growth. The strengths of the Swansea economy are the two universities. There has previously been a failure to accept that and provide them with the support they need. What support will the Welsh Government give to those university departments in order to produce high-paid employment?

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.

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.

Diolch. Of course, up to 20 per cent of the workforce in Bangor Conwy Môn is in tourism and hospitality. North Wales tourism generates around £1.58 billion annually from around 9.39 million visitors. And of course, some of the best tourism and hospitality can be found in this constituency. The World Economic Forum's travel and tourism index ranks Britain as a whole one hundred and thirteenth out of 119 countries for price competitiveness. We know, I know, that the tourism and hospitality businesses in my constituency have been dealt blow-by-blow poor policy decisions, not least the tourism tax. The industry itself now is looking at a way to safeguard itself and have raised with me numerous times the rate of VAT. First Minister, will you consider working with the UK Government and look to bring a lifeline in for those valuable tourism businesses by looking to introduce a VAT rate of 10 per cent on tourism and hospitality? Diolch yn fawr.

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.

One of the main attractions for visitors to Bangor Conwy Môn is our magnificent beaches and seas, and a number of tourism companies in the constituency also rely on these to attract business. It is therefore worrying to receive correspondence from a number of constituents and some businesses highlighting the state of our seas and rivers, and in particular how much sewage is regularly released into the water. I welcome this Government's promise to establish a new water regulator for Wales, which would oversee capital investment in order to reduce sewage discharges. Will the First Minister confirm when that promise will be implemented, so that local residents can enjoy the seas that are on their doorsteps without concern, and so that the tourism sector can continue to play its part in a sustainable local economy?

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.

The economy of Bangor Conwy Môn depends on tourism, as we've heard. Many small and family-run visitor accommodations are already struggling to comply with the arbitrary 180-day rule on letting introduced by the Plaid-Labour co-operation agreement in the last Senedd term. As Plaid-led Ynys Môn council is currently in consultation over introducing a tourism tax, many feel that the pressure on them is only increasing. So, will the First Minister listen to the concerns of my constituents and announce an immediate review of the 182-day rule on visitor accommodation, with a view to reducing the threshold so that it reflects the seasonal nature of Welsh hospitality, and send a clear message that hospitality providers will be supported and not punished? Diolch yn fawr.

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. 

I now call on the party leaders to question the First Minister. First of all, I call Dan Thomas, leader of Reform UK. 

Diolch, Lywydd. First Minister, you were on the radio this morning, talking about the devolution wish list that you'll be presenting to the new Prime Minister. But let's look at the track record of devolution in Wales and at the areas that are already devolved: one in four people on an NHS waiting list; two-year waits at 42 per cent, significantly higher than in England; education outcomes, the worst in the UK; and unemployment, highest in the UK. First Minister, devolution is a distraction. We need a Welsh Government that is focused on the biggest issues that Wales face. Now, on the campaign trail, nobody said to me they wanted rail or the Crown Estate or justice devolved. They were concerned about the NHS, education and transport. So, why are the First Minister's priorities so out of touch with the Welsh public?

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.

Diolch. Another devolved area where the Welsh Government is completely out of touch is the road network. Now, in Wales, car travel for many is a necessity; it is not a luxury. And although it's used to get from A to B, for many it is a symbol of independence and personal freedom. But Welsh drivers have felt victimised over the last few decades. Whether it's arbitrary speed limits, whether it's cancelling a much-needed relief road or councils pursuing anti-car and anti-traffic schemes, Wales is seen as an anti-car country. So, what will the First Minister do to support drivers across Wales? And will he confirm that Labour's ban on building new roads is now over?

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.

Energy, quite rightly, isn't devolved, but the planning and infrastructure to support energy projects is very much in the gift of the Welsh Government. The nuclear energy sector has provided thousands of well-paid jobs in Wales and there is the real possibility of enhancing those jobs across Wales, especially in areas where there were previously nuclear energy plants and, indeed, in other sites across Wales where we could host small modular reactors. This is an area where co-operation between the Welsh and the UK Governments could create economic growth, it could help bring energy costs down and it could help the UK with its energy security. So, will the First Minister offer the new Prime Minister his full co-operation on growing the nuclear energy sector across 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. 

The leader of Welsh Labour, Ken Skates. 

Diolch, Lywydd. I'd like to pay tribute to Keir Starmer, if I may. He was one of the most decent and dignified of all politicians that I've known. On behalf of my group, I'd like to express my deepest thanks to the Prime Minister for his service to the nation. 

First Minister, this week, of course, is Armed Forces Week, and we'll be paying tribute to and respecting our armed forces community. On Saturday, of course, it is Armed Forces Day itself. Could you clarify: do you believe that, in or out of the UK, you would like to see Wales as a full member of NATO?

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. 

First Minister, just on another point of clarity, in the past, you’ve said, and I quote, 'I don't reckon the population of Wales would feel inclined to spend on aircraft carriers.' Now, as you said, we now live in one of the most volatile periods any of us has ever experienced, and you're calling, and consistently calling, for drastic cuts in defence spending. Is that still your position? And do you believe that drastic cuts in defence should include cuts in cyber security, which keeps our democracy here in Wales safe from hostile threats from abroad?

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.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar.

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?

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. 

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?

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.

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.

Thank you, First Minister. Many registered social landlords have been partly or entirely born out of the transfer of housing stock from local authorities. However, RSLs are more than just landlords, with housing waiting lists, waste management and anti-social behaviour, to name just some of the areas in which RSLs are key stakeholders. Despite the important role that they play in our towns and villages and the huge sums of public money that RSLs receive, these bodies do not directly report to the councils or the areas that they serve. First Minister, will you commit to reviewing this, with the aim of making RSLs more directly accountable to the local authorities they operate within?

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.

First Minister, could you elaborate further on the current position of housing associations in Wales in terms of their number and their interaction with local authorities? In particular, the experience that is common amongst stock-holding local authorities is that housing associations are able to offer better payment for development managers and are therefore poaching staff from councils and, in turn, making it harder for councils to build housing. This issue could be compounded, I suspect, by your creation of Unnos. How will you resolve the current issue and ensure that the creation of Unnos doesn't exacerbate the problem further?

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.

First Minister, as you'll know, there is no longer a requirement for RSLs to have elected representatives on their boards. Indeed, many of them are already divesting themselves, or have done already, of local representatives. How can you, the Welsh Government, be confident that these organisations are acting in the best interests of local communities, without that direct democratic oversight? Are you satisfied that RSLs are being held to account effectively in the absence of elected representation?

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.

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.

Thank you for that answer. First Minister, hundreds of pupils are facing cuts to essential school transport in the Caerphilly County Borough Council area. I joined with protesters a few weeks ago, and I've walked the potential new route myself. Though it falls within the statutory distance, the incline for those pupils makes it quite an extensive walk to school. Given the budget is coming forward today, will he now commit to the £300,000 that Caerphilly County Borough Council is trying to save and give those parents the assurance their children won't be having a difficult walk to school in all sorts of weather?

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.

This is something that I have in common with Llŷr, and this isn't going to happen often, so it's worth mentioning. I also walked with the children and young people in our area, continuing the excellent work that Heledd Fychan had done in her previous role in supporting that group, Save the School Transport, which is very active in Rhondda Cynon Taf. I just wanted to ask a question. We need a full review of the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008, but I do appreciate that this will take time. Therefore, will the Government work closely with local authorities to ensure direct and practical improvements?

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.

Home-to-school transport is essential for many families across Wales, not only to make sure young people get to school or college, but to enable parents to get to work. As you alluded to, Prif Weinidog, Caerphilly County Borough Council has the most generous home-to-school transport offer in Wales. What plans does the Welsh Government have to highlight Caerphilly County Borough Council's good work in this area? Does the First Minister agree that any improvements to access under the learner travel Measure must be accompanied by additional funding from the Welsh Government to local authorities?

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. 

First Minister, people in Ceredigion Penfro are concerned that the actual 3-mile statutory walking distance rule is outdated and doesn't work for pupils living in rural communities. In areas like Rhydyfelin in Ceredigion, pupils living under 3 miles from Aberystwyth secondary schools are not eligible for free transport and are instead sometimes dropped off in Llanfarian, the nearest village over 3 miles away. There's no pavement between these villages, and the busy trunk road poses serious safety risks. While many pupils use the cycle path, it's unlit, hazardous in winter, and there have been multiple incidents. Therefore, First Minister, will you commit to undertaking a review of the Welsh Government's school transport policy, so that it can better respond to the needs of pupils living in rural areas, and can you tell us what additional support you will provide to authorities to help them improve safety and access for pupils in these communities?

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.

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.

Thank you, First Minister. As you know, I'm an MS for Carmarthenshire. I've witnessed the long-term decline of Llanelli town centre, driven by a combination of socioeconomic and retail challenges. The loss of traditional industries in the town has reduced local employment opportunities and weakened the spending power within the community. At the same time, the growth of out-of-town retail parks has exacerbated the problem, offering free parking and larger stores, which have drawn shoppers away from the town centre. Several retailers have also closed their town-centre branches. This is compounded by antisocial behaviour and crime, which have further affected the town's attractiveness to residents, businesses and visitors. Changing consumer habits have also played a vital role, with people choosing online shopping over the high street. As a result, vacancy rates in the town have risen sharply. A retail survey conducted in 2023 found 83 of Llanelli's 214 stores or retail units vacant, representing a vacancy rate of 38 per cent. While regeneration projects are under way, progress has been very slow. Therefore, my question to you, First Minister, is this: what will this Government do to address these challenges, strengthen its current strategy and deliver safer, stronger and more economically viable town centres for communities such as Llanelli, given that the county council is a Plaid-led council?

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. 

Pontypool has suffered severely from shop closures over many years. Unfortunately, empty units have become a feature, with many absentee landlords sadly uninterested in the town's future. Many top-down regeneration efforts haven't succeeded either, despite best efforts. But there are reasons to be optimistic. Pontypool’s indoor market has unique and locally owned businesses at the heart of the town, and there are tireless volunteers, like Friends of Pontypool Town, who you met recently, Prif Weinidog, working to develop and improve facilities and support local entrepreneurs. Does the First Minister agree that local voices need to be central to the regeneration efforts of towns like Pontypool? And does he agree that compulsory purchase orders should be used to bring long-empty spaces back into use? Diolch.

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.

We all think of lots of different cafes and bars and restaurants, and lots of local shops that we all often frequent. La Mina on Albany Road is one of my personal favourites, of course. And we always think that they're going to always be there, but in reality, of course, they rely on local people to come out and shop there. So, I'm really glad that the Government wants to encourage people to shop local and to do all of the right things. But, ultimately, it is also about accessibility, and transport is a big part of that. So, what steps are the Government going to now be taking to ensure that public transport, including accessible buses and taxis, and accessible trains, including the new stations planned for Cardiff east, Cardiff parkway, are then fully integrated into regeneration plans, particularly, of course, the importance of bus franchising, so that we can actually help people to shop local and not hinder them with travel problems?

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.

First Minister, I've been here now for nearly 20 years, and I've never heard a Member put down their local high street, for obvious reasons. It's electoral suicide. But what we've seen over that 20 years, regrettably, is a decline in every high street across Wales, and that's because there hasn't been a joined-up approach from Government here. There is a recipe that can be endorsed by Government: reform the planning system so there's a more 24-hour look at the high street to introduce residential, shopping and amenity space within that high street; get the transport options right, and in particular free car parking; work with local authorities to reduce business rates; and make sure that town-centre managers are put in place to co-ordinate that redevelopment opportunity across the whole of the high-street complexes in local authority areas. Regrettably, that co-ordination hasn't come from Government here. You're a new Government—will you commit to breaking down the silos that sit within the portfolio areas, to use the planning system, use the finance department to drive down business rates and make sure that local authorities buy into the desire, which is expressed within this Chamber, of a rejuvenated high street that is the centre of civic pride?

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.

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.

Thank you, First Minister. As someone from Anglesey, Ynys Môn, you'll know that this is not an abstract point for north Wales. Unless Plaid Cymru has bought you a helicopter to go with your new job, then basically even you, First Minister, will take 4.5 hours to get to Cardiff Bay. So, for many communities, our practical economic links run east to Chester, Liverpool and Manchester. Indeed, from north-west Wales, our closest capital city is Dublin, not Cardiff. That says something important about geography, transport and economic reality, doesn't it? So, will the First Minister accept that north Wales needs an economic policy shaped by how this part of Wales actually works, with strong links to north-west England and the Irish sea economy, not just by how it looks from Cardiff Bay?

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.]

First Minister, you'll be aware that my constituency of Flint Wrexham is probably most affected by those economic relationships with north-west England, and businesses there tell me of the importance of a road network, in particular those artery routes of the A55, A483 and the A494. To be fair to the previous Government in this place, towards the end of the last term they made some significant commitments to improving those roads in Flint Wrexham. Will your Government continue to support those improvements, and will you look at further investments on those roads in my constituency of Flint Wrexham?

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.

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.

I thank you, First Minister, for your answer. You mentioned there cross-border healthcare. You’ve announced £140 million to address waiting lists, but the previous Welsh Government brought forward £120 million to address waiting lists, and only £115,000 of that ended up in Powys Teaching Health Board, which was 0.1 per cent of the overall funding allocation. So, I want some sort of assurance from you today that Powys Teaching Health Board will receive more than what it did last time, so we can actually address the cross-border issue. As you know, my constituents are forced to have their care delayed in England due to decisions that the health board take to actually balance their budget, so I'd like to hear from you today that more money will be going to Powys Teaching Health Board so my constituents do not have to wait longer for healthcare when there is capacity over the border in England.

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.]

Let's hear the answer.

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.

Good afternoon, First Minister. Following on from James's issue, there are many of us here in the Senedd who represent Powys, and Powys is unusual because it has no general hospital. It's the only health board in Wales with no general hospital, so those on the east of Powys have to go to English hospitals. And we have patients in English hospitals who are waiting longer next to beds where there are English patients who have not waited as long as those Welsh patients. That is surely a matter of equality for those patients. So, like many in the Senedd here today, and those who have gone before—and I do pay credit to many who have raised it; since July 2024 we have had this issue—we need a better deal for Powys, for definite. We know that Powys Teaching Health Board is £44 million in deficit, so there is an issue around how much funding they get, and we want to make the appeal once again that Powys is looked at differently to other health boards. Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

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.

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.

Diolch, Brif Weinidog. We know that the number of young people not in employment, education or training across Wales is far too high, with nearly 57,000 young people classified as such. At 17 per cent, this is the highest proportion among the nations of the UK, and young people are quickly losing hope. Blaenau Gwent in my constituency has the highest proportion of residents 16-years-old or above with no qualifications, at 27.9 per cent. And Caerphilly is fourth out of all local authorities in Wales.

It's evident that we need to improve the opportunities for young people to get decent jobs on decent wages, be that through educational or training opportunities and direct employment. So, what steps is the Government taking to improve education and vocational opportunities, such as through apprenticeships, for young people in constituencies like mine?

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. 

As opposed to just being a burden and an eyesore.

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.

Thank you for your response, First Minister. 

First Minister, the decision by the Labour-run Caerphilly county council to privatise the Cwm Ifor solar farm project has actually stripped the public of what was meant to be our flagship green asset. Local residents were promised a long-term income stream to enhance local facilities and support community groups, but instead they got a secret deal with a private firm and it has been sold. The family silver has now gone. What guidance can the Welsh Government offer to prevent councils from mismanagement of green developments and bypassing the community's right to know?

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. 

And finally, question 10, Kiera Marshall. 

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.

Last week was Refugee Week, a chance to celebrate the contributions refugees make to our communities across Wales. I was really lucky on Sunday to attend a seven-a-side football match hosted by the Ely Rangers, with teams from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea, Kurdistan and more—communities coming together as one for an amazing day of sport. Last week, I also attended the Nation of Sanctuary Awards, where I heard about some of the amazing things that refugees and asylum seekers are doing in our communities in Wales. Despite this, there's often a gap between public perception and the reality when it comes to the asylum system. So, I wonder if the First Minister could answer what role the Welsh Government sees in ensuring public debate about the asylum system is informed by accurate information and supports strong and cohesive communities? And does the First Minister agree that all elected representatives and public figures have a responsibility to challenge misinformation and ensure debate is grounded in fact and evidence? Diolch.

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.

Thank you, First Minister.

Item 2 is next, the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd, Heledd Fychan.

Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you also for your permission to make a brief statement at the beginning of this session.

I want to make Members aware of a major incident in Kidwelly following a report of a collision involving a bus on the A484 near the Kidwelly roundabout. Emergency services are on the scene and members of the public are asked to stay away from the area until further notice. The Deputy Minister for Transport will update Senedd Members accordingly once further information is available.

If I may move to this week's Senedd business, an oral statement has been added to today's agenda on delivering our priorities, reducing waiting times and strengthening primary care. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement, which is available to Members electronically.

Trefnydd, one of the areas I focused on in the last Senedd concerned dangerous dogs and the promotion of responsible dog ownership. This followed on from some extremely distressing attacks and fatalities involving out-of-control dogs in the region I represented. As well as raising the issue on numerous occasions with the then First Minister and Minister for rural affairs, I also put forward a Member's legislative proposal that puts the focus on responsible dog ownership. This followed the principle that pretty much any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and this is how many other countries approach the matter, with great results. There is some good practice in Wales through initiatives like the Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs, LEAD, scheme, which shares intelligence among authorities and deploys measures such as warning letters, and enforcement action where appropriate. This type of provision can be patchy across Wales. Can we have a statement from the Government about how they plan to pursue an issue that saw the last Labour Government do much talking but little in the way of concrete action? It is imperative that we promote community safety and ensure that our approach to dangerous dogs and responsible ownership is consistent throughout the country. Diolch.

Can I thank the Member for raising that very important issue and continuing to campaign on an issue that is important to many people? I'm sure that we've all been greatly affected when we see headlines where things go wrong and people lose their lives needlessly because of this. Plaid Cymru had a strong commitment in its manifesto in terms of promoting responsible pet ownership and breeding, examining stronger penalties for irresponsible ownership, dog control orders, evidence-based enforcement powers and a dog registration or licensing scheme. I will ask the relevant Cabinet Minister for an update to the Senedd as that work proceeds.

Trefnydd, last week, I received a written question response from the Cabinet Minister for health. I was a bit concerned that the Welsh Government doesn't currently hold data of the number of patients dumped from waiting lists in Wales. Now, I'd be grateful if the Trefnydd could ask the Cabinet Minister to come forward to update the Chamber on how this could happen. Patients being removed from waiting lists isn't actually treating them; it's just eliminating them to fiddle the figures. I'd be grateful if the new Government could right this wrong and bring something forward so we can really see what's going on with the health numbers. Thank you.

I thank the Member for raising that issue. Clearly, you are in communication with the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, and I would ask you to continue with that dialogue. Clearly, you have a right to a response to a question and a written response. The Minister will also be making a statement later today that specifically covers reducing waiting times, and perhaps you would like to raise such a question at that point.

Trefnydd, it's an issue that's already been raised today, but I would like to ask for a statement from the Government on the expected timetable for the review of the learner travel Measure. The commitment to review the Measure and to work with local authorities in terms of school transport is to be welcomed, and it comes after a lengthy period of the previous Labour Government dragging its feet on this issue. In response to Government consultation on operational guidance, 74 per cent of respondents were from the RCT area, as you will know, which underlines the strength of feeling on this issue in parts of my constituency. This is an issue that Members had raised at the start of the previous Senedd term in 2021. In the meantime, many learners are in a position where they have to walk for over an hour in all weathers, often along routes that are not entirely safe, in order to access their education. Now, I know that progress is in the pipeline, but many constituents, however, would like greater clarity on the expected timetable for completing the review and how swiftly any changes emerging from that can be implemented. Thank you.

I thank the Member for raising this issue. Many of those who were in the sixth Senedd will know that this is a subject I campaigned on, and indeed many Members on a cross-party basis, because of that strong feeling within our communities and the genuine challenges, as outlined by the First Minister earlier, in terms of the challenges that local authorities face with the budgets they have and the cuts that there have been in terms of meeting those needs.

Certainly, we had a commitment in our manifesto to look at this issue. I know that the Deputy Minister for Transport has already been in contact with a number of the campaign groups in order to ensure that that dialogue continues. Certainly, what needs to be seen is that timetable, and when that is available we will be sharing it with the Senedd more broadly. I know, from hearing all of the contributions made earlier today, the strength of feeling that exists on a cross-party basis, and the need for us to collaborate to see what are the possible solutions.

Trefnydd, I believe it takes 30 days to develop a habit, and it seems that this minority Government has already made a habit of avoiding scrutiny by making many serious announcements and significant announcements outside of the Senedd first. And, in so doing, it appears that the Government is ignoring Senedd primacy. Now, can I ask for a statement on when the Government will abide by the procedures that previous Governments have been keen to?

I will note that the Member who raised the matter is aware of the ministerial code, and this Government has ensured, and always ensures, that Members are aware of all announcements by the Government in accordance with that code. Certainly, in terms of scrutiny, I think the fact that you have seen all Ministers making statements on priorities provides an opportunity to scrutinise, and a number of the announcements made are things that were mentioned, and it would be possible to scrutinise them at that time. We would always ensure that we do operate in accordance with the ministerial code.

Trefnydd, I'd like to request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care on the delivery of prostate cancer services here in Wales. Prostate cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting men, yet concerns continue to be raised about early detection, access to treatment, and support for men on this journey. I recently met with Movember to discuss men's health initiatives, and it's clear there is a strong appetite for improved outcomes through early diagnosis and targeted support. As someone living with prostate cancer, I'm very much aware of the ongoing debate around the role of screening and whether current approaches are sufficient to support earlier detection and improving outcomes. There have also been developments and new treatments, such as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, which may offer more targeted and effective options for patients. Therefore, given the importance of this issue, I would be grateful for a statement outlining the Welsh Government's current position on a national screening programme, its assessment of emerging treatments, such as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, and what action it's taking to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer across Wales.

Well, may I thank the Member for raising such an important issue, and for being open in sharing his own personal experience too? This is clearly an issue that each and every one of us will have come across in casework, and that there are strong feelings within our communities in terms of how we do ensure that screening happens, that as much is done as possible in order to catch any cancer at the earliest possible stage. In terms of a specific update, I'll raise this with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care, and ask for an update on those issues.

Llywydd, I'd like to request a statement from the Cabinet Minister for education on additional learning needs funding levels in Wales. It is clear that the additional learning needs system in Wales is under strain, with councils' spending on ALN increasing by a staggering 34 per cent in real terms between 2018-19 and 2025-26. Not only that, but an Audit Wales report concluded that poor data collection and ineffectual public bodies are holding back the entire system. Children with ALN can't wait years and years for a fix. So, will the education Minister make a statement outlining what she will do to improve this failing system that we have? And what guarantees will she give that the Barnett consequentials coming to Wales for ALN are actually spent on ALN?

Could I thank the Member for raising this issue? I don't know whether the Member was present when the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language made her priorities statement last week, where there were commitments made in terms of the work that this Government will do in terms of ALN. Those comments have been echoed by the First Minister again today and over the recent weeks. And the clear commitment is that this Government has committed to tackle those challenges and wants to find long-term solutions to those challenges that we will all be aware of, either through personal experience or through our casework. Certainly, this was an issue that was raised with me as a Member of the Senedd in the last term, and that continues to be the case, and that commitment has already been made by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language.

Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I'm going to raise an issue around one of those really awkward constitutional issues. It's about the devolution of rail. I'd like a statement, please, on what the Welsh Government is doing in order to accelerate the real concerns and queries that we have around both the devolution of the rail network and services to Wales, because it makes such a difference to the people here in Wales. I was disappointed, I'll be honest, that the first statement from your transport Minister was about prioritising roads, where we should be actually prioritising the development of our public transport system. But I really hope that this Welsh Government is going to be different to the last Welsh Government and to the Labour Westminster Government as well, who really have treated Wales with such disdain.

If we'll just remind ourselves, particularly today, as we see a potential Westminster Labour leader hopeful, Darren Jones—. Let's remind ourselves what Darren Jones actually said to David Chadwick, a Liberal Democrat MP, when he asked about HS2 funding coming to Wales. He said we should be grateful for that money—we should be grateful. That is not the way that we should be treated. So, I'm really hoping you can tell me that you're going to stand up to the Westminster Government and get devolution of the rail system here to Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Well, may I thank the Member for raising the issue?

We are certainly not grateful for not having what Wales deserves. Let's be very clear on that. On that, I would hope that we would be united as a Senedd, because Wales has been underfunded. That is common knowledge, it's acknowledged, and yet we are treated with contempt. Let me be very clear as well that when the Deputy Minister for Transport made his statement, that was following a situation that we saw in Anglesey in relation to the closure of the bridge at the time. We were asked to bring forward a statement, and that was the statement. We were also asked to consider the M4 relief road. There are many further things in terms of rail and bus networks that we are also committed to.

Securing fairer rail funding, along with a pathway to full devolution, is a key priority for this Welsh Government. The Prif Weinidog has raised rail funding with the Prime Minister and written to the Secretary of State for Transport on the matter. The Deputy Minister for Transport is due to meet the UK rail Minister in the coming months to progress those discussions. Therefore, please feel reassured that this is important to us. We welcome any support across parties for this, but certainly we want to see progress and we need to see progress.

And finally, Trefnydd, Laura Anne Jones. 

Trefnydd, the law is the law. You say that you respect the Supreme Court judgment, so when will we see you fulfil that obligation and protect the rights of women and girls across Wales? It's time for dates now, and I would like to ask for a statement that reflects that, outlining your immediate planned actions in this regard. Diolch.

I refer the Member to previous comments made, that the commitment of the Welsh Government is clear in terms of following the legal advice, and I would refer her to previous statements. 

Thank you, Trefnydd. 

Item 3, a statement by the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution: priorities for Government effectiveness and the constitution. I call on the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. By the end of this Senedd, we'll all be able to repeat that very long title.

I'm very pleased to be here today to set out my priorities for this Government term. Trust and confidence in Government is hard-earned but easily lost. The Welsh Government, over recent years, has lost the trust of the people of Wales. There has been a perception that it is distant, talking rather than listening, promising rather than doing and failing to reflect the priorities of the nation. This Government is determined to reverse that trend, restoring trust by delivering on the commitments we have made and ensuring change that people across Wales can see and feel.

When the First Minister stood here in May to set out our priorities—the NHS, the cost of living, good jobs, strong schools, tackling poverty and standing up for Wales—he was clear that the Government must put a new focus on effectiveness and outcomes. My portfolio brings together the levers needed to make that happen, from overseeing the delivery of the Government’s priorities and supporting my colleagues in their portfolios to strengthening our public services and ensuring constitutional arrangements that help Wales to achieve its ambitions.

Dirprwy Lywydd, setting a direction is not enough; a good government must ensure real change. Effectiveness means turning priorities into outcomes—clear objectives, aligned effort, transparent performance data and early action where delivery goes off track, as is bound to happen from time to time. It also means making sure that our resources follow our priorities. Today’s supplementary budget will reflect that approach in action, in focusing funding on the most important priorities, making every pound work harder for Wales and laying the foundations for fuller realignment in our next budget. Every department, every Minister and every part of the Welsh Government has a role to play in turning our priorities into real change that is visible to people across Wales. 

To achieve that, we must ensure that efforts are aligned, which are supported and driven with clarity from the centre. That is why we have already taken action to strengthen the Cabinet Office and to create a more purposeful centre of Government. With its digital approaches, the new Cabinet Office brings together expertise in strategy, delivery and data, and does so at the heart of Government. In that way, we can drive progress with clarity, pace and robustness. The Cabinet Office will support us to put in place clear, measurable outcomes and milestones. Also, a public dashboard will be published for our priority areas. This will improve transparency and ensure that success is defined by the difference that we make to people’s lives.

Through our 100-day plan, intensive work is already taking place across Government, supporting delivery from day one. This means identifying barriers early, removing challenges quickly and accelerating progress wherever we can—breaking down walls, destroying silos and maybe taking slightly different routes to achieve the aims, and, of course, using data more effectively not just to report on what has happened, but to understand what is happening now and where we need to act, so that we can anticipate and prevent problems before they arise.

We will also strengthen how the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 applies across Government, and, by working in close partnership with the commissioner, we will ensure that the Act delivers meaningful and measurable change. This is essential, Dirprwy Lywydd, because the Government cannot deliver alone; we need a whole-system approach. My ambition is for Wales to become known across the world for its innovation and effectiveness in public service delivery, changing people's lives for the better, and, to do this, we must bring our public services together much more effectively. That means improving capability and breaking down silos between departments, organisations and across all levels of Government.

The effective use of digital approaches and AI offers a significant opportunity to build capability, increase productivity, make services more responsive and strengthen bilingual provision. And I want to put the foundations in place for safe, ethical and bilingual use of digital approaches and AI across Welsh public services.

Work has also begun on a school of governance to establish a centre of excellence for leadership and capability in public services, and building on the work of Academi Wales to lead public services in Wales to a better future. And at its heart is the ethos of the One Wales Public Service, developing current and future leaders and giving them the skills, confidence and shared purpose to lead change and improve outcomes, because structures in and of themselves don't ensure change; it is people, skills and culture that do that.

Dirprwy Lywydd, my approach is clear: priorities translated into measurable outcomes, driven from the centre, delivered through our public services and judged by results that people can see in their everyday lives, and grounded in a clear set of principles, a relentless focus on outcomes, clarity of purpose so that every part of Government is aligned to shared priorities, delivery discipline, transparency and openness, because trust depends on people being able to see what we are doing and what we are achieving, and co-operation and collaboration across public services and, I very much hope, across this Senedd.

These principles apply not only to how we organise and deliver within Government, but also to the constitutional framework within which Wales operates, because Government effectiveness and constitutional reform are fundamentally connected. Constitutional reform is not an abstract concept; it is about whether we have the powers, the resources and the tools to deliver better outcomes for our people, including on justice, on policing, on rail infrastructure, as we heard earlier, on funding, on energy, on natural resources and the Crown Estate. And we know that there is strong support right across this Senedd—in most parts of the Senedd, at least—for progress in a number of these areas and a clear democratic mandate from the people of Wales. That is why, as part of our first 100 days plan, work will be taken forward to reset the relationship with Westminster, grounded in fairness, partnership and mutual respect, and focused on consistent, meaningful engagement that delivers for Wales. And I look forward very much to my first inter-ministerial standing committee, which takes place in Belfast tomorrow, and positive and productive conversations with colleagues from Governments across these four nations.

This Government is also calling for a new Wales Bill, to ensure that our constitutional settlement is clear and fit for purpose, and pressing for a fair, needs-based funding formula, to address historic underfunding and ensure that Wales receives the resources it requires. It is important that this constitutional work is taken forward in an open and collaborative way. This has to be a conversation that belongs to Wales as a whole. So, as part of the 100-day plan, we will also begin work on establishing a standing national commission on the constitution to support informed, inclusive and deliberative engagement on Wales's future. I look forward to keeping Members updated on progress as we take forward work to establish this commission on a broad basis.

Dirprwy Lywydd, my ambition is to help to build a Government known for its effectiveness, for doing what it says, for focusing on what matters, and for being transparent about the progress it is making. A Government that stands up for Wales, ensuring that we have the powers, resources and partnerships we need to succeed for the people of Wales. My aim is to turn purpose into progress, progress into better outcomes, and better outcomes into renewed trust in the Government across Wales. Diolch yn fawr.

Minister, thank you for your statement, which we received just a little bit earlier. Dirprwy Lywydd, I want to begin with some personal context, if I may. My family comes from Penllyn. My ancestors were farmers on Ynys Enlli and in Aberdaron. My grandfather came from Criccieth and worked as a blacksmith in Sarn. My father was born in Pwllheli and his grandfather was a lighthouse keeper on Ynys Enlli. So, the lifeblood of Wales runs in my veins. My father joined the RAF during the second world war and served in Bomber Command, and every time that young man from Pwllheli climbed into his Lancaster bomber, he knew that he might not come home. Not only did he risk his life for his Welsh home, he was fighting for the survival of the United Kingdom; he answered the call of King and country, as so many Welsh men and women did. Like me and like my ancestors, he was a unionist. That's why it amazes me when Plaid Cymru calls itself 'the party for Wales'. What it means, of course, is that it is the party of nationalists, a party of separatists wanting Wales to secede from the United Kingdom—it's in your constitution.

But you do not have to be a nationalist to love your country. You do not have to be a nationalist to value Welsh culture. And you do not have to be a nationalist to want better lives for the people of Wales. And you certainly do not have to be a nationalist to be Welsh. That's why today's statement is so concerning. 

Plaid Cymru was part of the political consensus that led to 27 years of failure in Wales. Now, instead of focusing on health, education, transport, the economy and other devolved areas where people need delivery, the Government comes to the Chamber asking for more powers. Dirprwy Lywydd, I totally despair. The lesson of the last 27 years is not that Cardiff Bay lacks power; the lesson is that the power has too often been used badly.

During the election campaign, people were promised a new type of politics. They were tired of the same old consensus, tired of politicians saying one thing and doing another, tired of being promised change while getting the same results. So, what do we get today? We get a Minister asking the people of Wales to believe that yet more constitutional change will somehow fix the failures of Government. You don't listen, you don't learn, and you don't get it, do you?

Keep doing the same thing and we should not be taken aback when we get the same results. Plaid Cymru needs to understand that the people of Wales have had enough of constitutional obsession. They want shorter NHS waiting lists, they want better schools, they want decent transport, safer communities and an economy that works. They do not want public money, civil service time and political attention diverting to yet another stage of the separatist obsession.

Everything proposed today comes at a cost, let's not forget it. The money, the time and effort spent on unnecessary constitutional change could be used to help fix our health service, our failing education system and our crumbling infrastructure. Instead, the Government wants to spend taxpayers' money—and it is taxpayers' money, let's never forget—on a path towards independence, however you choose to dress it up. Be assured that every time a Plaid Minister stands up in this Chamber with a new policy, I'll be watching like a hawk to see if it has any implications for our constitution.

Putting Plaid Cymru's political aims above the interests of Wales is ideology first and common sense second, and, yes, Dirprwy Lywydd, it makes my Welsh blood boil. We in Reform will oppose these misguided ideological policies at every opportunity. I love Wales, it is my home. It is the home of my father and of my ancestors, and I will not stand idly by while Plaid Cymru attempts to pull Wales out of the United Kingdom. You do not have to choose between being Welsh and being British; you do not have to choose between loving Wales and supporting the union. And this Chamber should be focused not on getting Cardiff Bay more power, but on giving the people of Wales better Government. Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd.

The Member can at least be assured that there was a significant chunk of my priorities set out there, which was about precisely better government and doing things differently, because the previous Government did not operate in that way, and we have made clear, definitive changes to the structure of Government so that we may indeed deliver on the NHS, on schools, on the economy, on child poverty, on the cost of living, which my Cabinet colleagues have all outlined to the Chamber, those priorities already. So, I am a little at a loss at those comments.

I'll turn to the comments regarding the constitution specifically. What I set out in my questions last week, and I have reiterated today, is that I seek powers not for power's sake, but for a purpose. Where there is a clear and definitive improvement that we can make to the lives of the people of Wales, if it is on water, if it is on railways, if it is on policing, then I will make that case and we will deliver improvements to the lives of the people of Wales. Because if this Senedd is about anything, it is about improving the lives of the people of Wales and that is the focus of this Government.

May I congratulate the Minister, because during the first week of this Government, we have seen that it is very effective, very effective, that is, at commissioning reviews and plans and organising meetings? Indeed, that was the primary focus of your 100 days plan. What we've seen less of is decision making, action, real and meaningful changes, and that, in our view, is the measure of effective Government. Can the Minister tell the Senedd what is the total estimated cost to the public purse of all the reviews, all the plans and all the commissions that have been launched by the Government since it came to power?

On some key policies of this Government, there are unanswered questions as to the basics around the provision, questions as to how and when the people of Wales can expect to see changes to their daily lives. I wanted to give the Minister an opportunity to explain some of these today. By when will this Government actually scrap two-year waits in the health service? When will the childcare offer be available for children from nine months old? How many childcare workers and childcare settings will be needed to allow that to happen? And where will the 10 new surgical hubs promised across Wales be located? By when will they have been built, Minister?

These are the practical answers that people want. 

Now, we welcome the proposals for a public dashboard. That follows from the lead of certain local councils I could mention. Will the Minister commit that this data will be live data, updated regularly, and will he commit that it will include key performance indicators set out and requested by the Senedd's committee?

Can I also just pick up on one eyebrow-raising measure of Government efficiency, which I don't think the people of Wales were expecting, and that is his reference to the expansion of the Cabinet Office? Minister, people want better public services; they don't want more civil servants in Cathays Park. So, what is the cost of that expanded Cabinet Office, please?

And there are, of course, notable absences from the Minister's priorities. In three weeks' time, school support staff, our teaching assistants, caretakers, catering staff and more, essentially stop being paid until the autumn. That's thousands of working people who we all rely on, day in, day out, who aren't paid all year round. It's the sort of injustice that an effective Government should surely seek to solve. Will the Minister commit to setting up a school support staff negotiating body with year-round pay as a priority?

On constitutional matters, the Minister and I will share many views about which powers should transfer from Westminster to Wales. The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales has established a robust shared ground, and I welcome the Minister's commitment to a resetting of the relationship with Westminster based on mutual respect, and that respect, of course, goes and needs to go both ways.

But for Welsh Labour—and particularly for myself, given my experience of local government—devolution doesn't end, or shouldn't end, in Cardiff Bay. It was never and should never be about replacing one form of centralisation with another; it's about putting power back into people's hands, to give people more of a say and to help us all make the changes we want to see, faster.

So, with that in mind, can the Minister set out what powers this Government intends to devolve from the Welsh Government to our corporate joint committees, to our local authorities, to our communities? Can the Minister explain why his Government, rather than trusting democratically elected councillors to deliver economic growth, wants to give the powers to unelected technocrats to run a new Welsh Development Agency quango? Can the Minister explain why, rather than trusting democratically elected councillors to deliver social housing, you want to create a new quango, Unnos, which creates another layer of bureaucracy?

I'm going to quote Aneurin Bevan now, probably not for the last time. He said the purpose of getting power is to be able to give it away. He meant to ordinary people and communities. What you are doing, I fear, is taking that power further away from them. Thank you.

I thank the spokesperson. While the previous contribution, I'm not sure, didn't ask any questions, I think that the spokesperson managed to ask dozens of questions there, and so I'll do my best to do justice to those.

To start with whether we need new plans or commissions or reviews, the spokesperson will be familiar with the verse that talks about building a house on rock rather than on sand, and there is truth in that, isn't there? You need firm foundations; in order to move along with purpose, we need to ensure that we are moving in the right direction. We need to build the house on rock, not on sand. So, I don't apologise that that's part of the first task of the Plaid Cymru Government, but I do hope that you are clear that, throughout this statement, we talk about delivery, and in a few months' time, I'm sure we will be scrutinised on the progress that's been made on the manifesto commitments for the next four years.

You asked about the constitution and the constructive relationship with the Westminster Government. I was at the ministerial anti-terrorism board at the Home Office last week, and I had a warm welcome, and I had very constructive discussions with fellow Ministers from the UK Government there. At the end of last week, I had a lovely letter of welcome from the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, who said he was looking forward to meeting me in Belfast. I'm not sure whether he will be in Belfast tomorrow, but that commitment to being constructive and collaborative is certainly there from the Welsh Government, and I hope that it will be there from the UK Government as well.

You talked about the dashboards. I'm eager to see these dashboards being national ones that would be of use to the Government and the Senedd and the people of Wales. Of course, that means that the data is as live as possible and that it's updated regularly. I am very pleased to make those commitments. I'm also pleased to make a commitment to collaborate and discuss with individuals, within this Senedd and beyond, in order to ensure that those dashboards are fit for purpose. I think that's very appropriate.

You went on to talk about the civil service. I think that we do need a cohort of civil servants to deliver the priorities of the Welsh Government. The changes that have been made have been made within the budget framework of the civil service in Wales. As a devolved socialist, I think that devolving power to lower levels is something that we, as a party and as a Government, agree with. But I have to contest the idea that creating an arm's-length agency—led by dynamic and innovative people that have succeeded in the world of business—to develop the economy in Wales isn't a better solution to the Welsh economy than what we have at present. I'm very supportive of the Welsh Government's plans to create a new development agency. We greatly need to develop our economy. What's happening now hasn't worked, and we need further developments to progress that issue. Thank you.

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? 

Thank you for those questions and comments. I think you do a disservice to members of the independent commission. I don't know how much time you've spent with the former archbishop, Rowan Williams, but the suggestion that he would come to a view because he was being paid by a particular Government I think does the commission a disservice, and those members of the commission. Anyone who has ever met Rowan Williams would know that that is a suggestion that is probably beneath the Member.

He raises the question of the membership of the commission. I, in my questions, made a commitment to the Senedd that we would seek a broad-based membership to the commission. I reiterate that commitment today. I should like to engage with colleagues right across the Senedd to see if there are individuals who might contribute constructively and effectively to that commission from a whole range of perspectives.

The dashboards are about measurable data and being able to track measurable progress. That's what we want to do. That's how we can be held to account, but also the whole system can be held to account, and I'd be very keen to make progress on that.

You ask why I talked about the future generations Act, which is an underpinning piece of legislation that deals with public bodies across Wales. Of course, I will be engaging with every one of the commissioners appointed with this Government. When we say we are seeking to bring together the public services as one to deliver on our priorities, we mean it, and that is what I shall be doing as a Minister. Diolch.

I welcome the Cabinet Minister's commitment to devolving justice and policing for Wales as an immediate priority, and for opening dialogue with the UK Government early on this issue. We know that policing and justice aren't delivering the outcomes needed in Wales and this is, in large part, due to the interrelation between devolved and reserved matters. We know that fragmentation isn't conducive to effective governance—the fact that justice and policing are reserved while supporting services like healthcare, housing and education are devolved.

As my colleague Alun Cox noted last week, this jagged edge causes the Welsh Government to operate in reserved areas, with around 40 per cent of the total funding for the justice system being contributed in Wales. Given the current political developments, it also seems apt to remind people that Greater Manchester currently has more powers on policing than we do here in Wales. Does the Cabinet Minister agree that the devolution of policing and justice will support pressures on the Welsh Government budget as well as improving outcomes for those in our justice system and society more broadly?

Diolch yn fawr. The case for devolution of justice and policing has been made powerfully and independently by the Thomas commission, the Silk commission, and the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, so that Wales could be in the same position as both Scotland and Northern Ireland. I look forward to meeting with colleagues from both of those Governments over the next week to discuss some of these issues. But it surely cannot be right that we have fewer powers than the Manchester area. That is clearly unconscionable. There is also an opportunity, with the police reforms currently progressing at a UK level, for that case to be advanced in a co-operative, collaborative and productive manner.

Minister, I think I've heard the Labour spokesperson and the Conservative spokesperson ask you clearly for a costing, and I don't believe in all of your answers I’ve heard a single costing on how much this new commission is going to cost. On a day when you're laying a budget forward that's going to be taking money potentially away from what was allocated for additional learning needs, I think the people of Wales deserve an answer on how much this commission is going to cost the people of Wales.

Secondly, I looked in this statement and I'm quite surprised I haven't yet heard you mention one of the remits in your job, that is the COVID review. I was wondering if you could update the Chamber on when you're going to come forward, when that review will start, and how much it will cost.

And thirdly, in your discussions with the UK Government, have you had any discussions regarding the police and crime commissioners? Because in England they seem to be moving those powers into elected mayors, and I was interested if that's come across your desk at all. Thank you.

Diolch. We will be updating the Senedd in terms of the COVID review in due course. As you'll be aware, there is the UK COVID inquiry, which is an enormous piece of work. What I am keen to do is to understand fully which aspects that inquiry has focused on in the Welsh context, and build upon that, so that when we come forward with proposals, they are suitable for this Senedd and reflect the views already expressed in the previous Senedd about the importance of looking at our experience through COVID.

The Member is absolutely right to highlight the potential changes to police and crime commissioners. That forms part of the package of changes to policing in the England and Wales context. Therefore, that will be part of the discussions with Ministers at the UK level, and I look forward to those productive discussions with them.

The independent commission on the constitution, I am informed by officials, cost £1.5 million last time, and there is a budget that has been part of the budget line of the previous Government on that. As Members will be aware, I've committed to look at the effectiveness of all Government spending, and therefore that will clearly be part of our progress.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to join in with the concern that there is around the commission. We had our last commission two years ago, and they reported really clearly: further powers, further devolution. I totally agree with that. But it's really concerning to see and hear again that Plaid Cymru are going to launch another. I'm really concerned to know from you what that's going to cover.

But if I can just move on to the other part of your priorities as well, you talk about a whole-system approach. Here we are on the hottest day of the year so far here in Wales, and there are more to come. Your statement in terms of effectiveness says nothing about the effect of climate change on all of those services that you are looking for a cross-cutting approach to. I know that the Minister for resilience and sustainability will talk about this, but your role surely is to have a helicopter approach to every single issue that affects the services that you're seeking to deliver across Wales. Climate change is the biggest issue affecting us here, not just in Wales, but in the UK, and in the world, and I'd like to see more of that coming across in further statements from yourself. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

I thank the Member. As the Member noted, the Minister with responsibility for climate change will be making a statement very soon to this Senedd. It is important. It is crucial. As we are experiencing at the moment, climate change exists. It impacts communities across our country, and across the globe, and it is a priority for this Government. 

As I said, Dirprwy Lywydd, I will be updating the Senedd in due course on the commission's arrangements. And hopefully, in outlining different elements of that work—. Because the Member will also know that the innovating democracy advisory group has done very important work in looking at participative democracy in Wales. Building on that work, there is an opportunity there for us to develop that further. Thank you. 

Thank you for today's statement, Minister.

It's no secret that the immense potential of Welsh land and the sea bed represents a genuine opportunity to reshape the long-term economic geography of Wales. However, a further fundamental question remains: who ultimately controls the levers that determine how these assets are developed, how they're managed and, crucially, how the value they generate is distributed? That is why the devolution of the Crown Estate is such an important issue.

Plaid Cymru's long-standing and consistent commitment to this is well known, now supported by all 22 local authorities in Wales, of course. There is no reason why people in Wales should not benefit from their nation's natural wealth in the same way as people in Scotland, where management of the Crown Estate is devolved. 

Plaid Cymru has repeatedly made it clear that this will be treated with the firmness it deserves, with a mandate now to open negotiations with the UK Government. And that clarity of intent underscores the urgency of the case being made. 

Against a backdrop of significant historical windfalls from recent offshore wind licensing, and in light of this Government's intention to begin negotiations from day one, I would be grateful if the Cabinet Minister could set out how the new Welsh Government intends to engage with the manifesto commitments in practice. And in particular, how is the Government preparing to ensure that Wales is in the strongest possible position to advance these discussions with the UK Government at a time of ongoing political turbulence in Westminster?

I thank the Member for that question. There is a challenge, of course, in terms of the uncertainty in Westminster at present, and we do hope that that won't affect our colleagues in Westminster too much. This Government is focused and is moving ahead with this agenda in terms of the devolution of the Crown Estate. We had a constructive meeting with the Crown Estate in recent days, with the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy playing a key part in that. 

As the Member noted, £700 million was raised in the latest round of offshore wind, and therefore there is a significant opportunity for Wales in devolving the Crown Estate. 

But I also think—. Therefore, there are discussions to be had with the UK Government on these issues, but there is also an opportunity for us to work constructively and proactively with the Crown Estate now to ensure that significant investment is made in the Welsh economy, and in the Welsh supply chain, and through that to ensure improvements to the economic infrastructure of Wales. And I'm eager to do both: to develop the discussion on the devolution of the Crown Estate, but also to capitalise on investment in the Crown Estate now. 

First of all, the COVID inquiry, as I understand it, did wrap up and did actually produce a whole heap of recommendations for Wales, as it did for other nations. And, of course, Plaid Cymru did promise the COVID bereaved families an inquiry. 

But getting back to the real point that I wanted to make, which is that, as I said before, efficiencies can be seen as a euphemism for cuts. So, which part of the Welsh financial budget are you going to end up cutting to transfer over to the national development agency? What target are you going to be setting in terms of inward investment, but also, what are these new jobs that people are going to see in Wales? Are they going to be jobs that we already know about? What are these jobs going to be? What is the target in relation to that? But also, how many new businesses are you then looking to see established through the new national development agency, and have you got a target for that too?

Thank you for those questions.

My colleague the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy will be making further statements to the Senedd about the national development agency, which I'm sure will include a focus on the kinds of jobs we need to create, the kind of investment we need to attract and support in Wales, and how we grow Welsh businesses through the framework of the national development agency.

We've already heard today about cross-border co-operation. Following last week's comments by the Cabinet secretary for health on the importance of cross-border care, what assessment has the Government made of the impact that any constitutional change would have on those arrangements? And how will you guarantee that patients in border communities who depend on routine and specialist treatment in England will not face disruption, delays or additional barriers if the current arrangements need to be renegotiated?

Thank you for the question. The NHS is fully devolved presently. As my colleague the Minister for health has set out, we work effectively with partners across the border, we seek to work more effectively, and we envisage those partnerships continuing, as they do in cross-border regions in many parts of the UK and across Europe.

And finally, Minister, Zaynub Akbar.

Thank you. Cabinet Minister, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 remains one of the most ambitious and pioneering pieces of legislation in the entire world. It gives a voice to those not yet born, ensuring that the decisions we make today here in this Chamber are shaped not only by present need, but by our responsibility to future generations. The Act provides a framework for tackling major challenges, including the climate crisis—as we're seeing this week, with the red weather warning—inequality, poverty and pressures on public services. However, its success depends on effective implementation across Government and the wider public sector.

I welcome the forthcoming 'Wellbeing of Wales' and 'Future Trends' reports, alongside the Government's commitment to a post-legislative review. These provide an important opportunity to strengthen implementation and ensure decisions are informed by the long-term challenges and opportunities facing Wales. Given these opportunities, how will the Government strengthen implementation of the Act and turn its ambition into action for the people of Wales?

Thank you to the Member for the question. As we've rehearsed, we are, as a Government, committed to both the well-being of future generations Act, but also a review to make sure that that Act is working in the most effective and efficient way possible to deliver on its great potential. Wales has become known across the world for its pioneering legislation on the well-being of future generations. But my initial suggestion to colleagues is that the link between the declarations of the Act and the ways of working, and how that has been translated across the public sector, isn't always as it could be. Therefore, things like the cabinet office, the one Welsh public service, developing right across the public sector, a focus on those ways of working on the future and on the people of Wales, are a strong foundation to develop in a sustainable way, in a way that can deliver for people now, and leave a positive legacy behind for future generations. We'll see that again with the imminent 'Future Trends' report, which we'll be laying as a Government before this Senedd and will give an opportunity for all Members across this Senedd to discuss and debate those trends that are crucially important. Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd.

Thank you, Minister.

A statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: priorities for rural resilience and sustainability. I call on the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd.

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd. I'm very pleased to make this statement today to explain my priorities for my portfolio. In a week, of course, where we are experiencing a red weather warning for heat for the first time here in Wales, I'd like to start with our commitment to take action on climate and nature, not only because of its environmental importance, which is clear to all, but also because of its central importance to the future prosperity, health and resilience of Wales in the future. Clean air, clean water, healthy soils and thriving ecosystems are not optional extras. They support public health, they protect communities and create the conditions for Wales to develop sustainably.

This agenda is about delivering on the positive economic opportunities from Wales’s natural resources and our global status as a recycling nation. It's about taking the opportunities of a zero-carbon economy to support secure jobs, community energy, warmer homes, cleaner transport, sustainable food production, and resilient infrastructure. This is why, during our first 100 days, we have already started work on an ambitious climate and nature action plan, focused on a practical pathway to net zero by 2040 and substantive nature recovery by 2050, shaped by the realities people and communities are facing across Wales.

Those realities are clear. Farmers, for example, need land that is productive and resilient, not land that is repeatedly under floodwater or under pressure because of drought time and time again. Children and families also should be able to enjoy clean beaches and seas. Businesses need access to resilient supply chains. Future generations should inherit a Wales where nature is recovering, not one where species are disappearing in our lifetimes. The plan will embed action on climate and nature as Cabinet-level responsibilities across all portfolios, so that it is built into decisions on housing, transport, energy, health, the economy, and public services.

The plan is about delivery. We'll improve resilience to climate impacts while supporting opportunities for skilled well-paid jobs, community energy, warmer homes, better infrastructure and a fair transition for all. The plan will bring together the practical steps needed to reduce emissions, restore nature and strengthen resilience. This will include also action on tree planting and peatland restoration, recognising their vital role in restoring habitats, improving water quality, reducing flood risk, as well, of course, as tackling climate change. We will therefore deliver the national peatland action programme and prioritise native woodland creation, restoration and mixed woodlands, while protecting productive agricultural land and avoiding corporate plantations created solely for carbon offsetting. We'll support small-scale planting, whilst recognising the importance of commercial timber production. Using public procurement and working in partnership with industry, we will help develop Welsh supply chains and work together to deliver the timber industrial strategy. Our natural environment doesn't stop at the shoreline. Our seas support rich marine life, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, coastal communities and the responsible expansion of offshore wind and marine renewable energy. A healthy marine environment is central to climate resilience and nature recovery.

By embedding action on climate and nature across Government, we will ensure that the need to decarbonise, improve resilience and restore nature is reflected consistently in policy, funding and in delivery. The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026 gives us important tools to do this. Our focus is now on embedding environmental principles into policy making, setting clear outcomes for nature recovery and establishing the Office of Environmental Governance Wales to provide independent oversight. By moving to a circular economy that keeps resources in use and avoids waste, that will not only reduce emissions and protect nature by reducing pressure on global resources, it will also capitalise on the economic opportunities that flow from our world-class recycling. This, in turn, will strengthen our supply chains, and it'll also reduce exposure to volatile global markets, whilst attracting investment to support skilled jobs.

We're also committed to driving forward water reform, including plans for a new Welsh economic water regulator with the powers needed to drive investment, to reduce pollution and to deliver long-term improvements. Taking a science-led approach to managing nitrate vulnerability, we will move beyond the outdated calendar-based rules and support farmers to adopt new technologies and practices that improve water quality. To deliver on our agenda, we will work collaboratively across sectors in partnership with local government and public bodies and drawing on the skills and experience of people working across Wales, including in not-for-profit organisations.

Now, as part of our commitment to restoring biodiversity whilst creating jobs and strengthening the connections between communities and their natural environment, I’m pleased to announce that the Nature Networks fund will open on 9 July. That will see £10 million of investment delivered in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund. However, public funding alone can't achieve our climate and nature objectives. We will, therefore, consult later this year on our approach to nature finance, to unlock responsible private funding to restore land and seascapes, to support the Welsh economy and to create employment opportunities.

Within our first 100 days, we will also outline the terms of reference for a new flood resilience and preparedness forum for Wales, bringing together key stakeholders to coordinate a national approach to flooding. Flooding is already, as we know, affecting homes, businesses and communities as part of a wider pattern of climate pressures, from more intense rainfall and storms to drought, heat and pressures on water, land and infrastructure. We need a joined-up approach to preparedness and improved long-term resilience. This includes catchment-scale and nature-based solutions that reduce risk, that protect communities, support nature recovery and help Wales adapt to the climate impacts that we're already experiencing.

We'll also continue to press the UK Government on environmental justice for coalfield communities, including the funding needed to restore coal tips and contaminated land. Communities living with the legacy of Wales’s industrial past should not be left to carry that risk alone. We will take a long-term, co-ordinated approach to secure these sites, safeguard communities and, of course, unlock their future potential. 

I now want to turn to rural resilience. Dirprwy Lywydd, for me, this is about listening to rural— and coastal, by the way—communities, and recognising people, place and opportunity: the homes people live in, the services they rely on, the businesses they build, the food they produce, and the landscapes and seascapes that shape their lives. Within our first 100 days, we will, therefore, bring forward proposals for a new statutory duty on rural-proofing, ensuring Government programmes, funding models and services properly reflect the needs of rural communities. And this will sit alongside the development of a rural development strategy to start tackling poverty and to create new opportunities in rural Wales.

I firmly believe that the agriculture sector is the beating heart of our rural communities and the backbone of the rural economy. Family farms sustain local businesses and services; they underpin our food system, as well as our culture and our language. Through the sustainable farming scheme, we're asking farmers to join us on a journey to a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector. Now, this year, as Members know, 50 per cent of farmers—that's over 8,000 businesses—have joined the universal layer of the scheme. Now, that's quite a positive start, in my view, but I will continue to listen and to work with the farming community to refine the scheme, so that more join next year and beyond. As I've said before, this is about evolution, not revolution. Farmers, of course, need certainty, and that's particularly the case when it comes to financial support, and that's why I'm currently in discussions about securing a multi-annual budget for the sustainable farming scheme.

Bovine TB, as we all know, remains one of the most significant and persistent challenges facing agriculture in Wales. We will refresh the TB eradication programme, building on strong foundations, but recognising that a step change is needed to meet our ambition of a TB-free Wales by 2041. Building on Wales’s already strong record on animal welfare, we will also bring forward a new animal health and welfare plan, including new regulations for animal welfare establishments.

I also, Dirprwy Lywydd, want to decrease the bureaucratic burden on family farms, making a real difference to the time that is spent on complicated and duplicated processes—time that could otherwise be spent managing stock, improving productivity or, of course, planning for the future. I have asked John Davies to lead an independent review to identify areas of unnecessary complexity and actions to reduce that.

Supporting farmers alone, of course, is not enough. We will also be championing Welsh fisheries, supporting the industry as a vital part of Wales’s food system and coastal economy. We must also strengthen the system that brings food to people across Wales. We will be doing this through a new national food strategy for Wales, safeguarding food supply chains, improving food literacy, strengthening supply chains and supporting our food and drink industry to grow, building on our reputation for high-quality, sustainably produced food.

We have a clear vision: a Wales where action on climate and nature strengthens our economy, improves the health of our people and protects our communities, where strengthening rural and coastal areas and making them more resilient is at the heart of everything this Government does, where our farmers and our fishers are valued for the hard work that they do to put food on our tables, where our food system works for the benefit of the people of Wales. We all need to work together to realise and implement this vision. I, of course, will be open about the challenges we will of course face along the way, but I will also focus on the opportunities to build a more resilient, healthier and more prosperous Wales, working with communities, farmers, businesses and public services to deliver practical change that is shaped, of course, by the people who know their communities best. This is the journey that is ahead of us: listening, shared responsibility, practical delivery and long-term resilience for Wales. I very much hope that Members in this Chamber will join us on that journey. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Laura Anne Jones.

Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer, and diolch for your statement, Minister. We have seen recently what has happened when the current Prime Minister followed crazy net-zero dogma, piled costs onto ordinary people and forgot the communities that keep this country fed—he's been rejected for going down that path. Are these really the footsteps that you want to follow? Because this is your chance to do something different, to recognise reality and adopt a common-sense approach. Yes, we all want to look after the environment, of course we do, but that does not mean hammering Welsh farmers with more rules and requirements, more costs and more bureaucracy whilst treating food production as an afterthought. So, today, I want to press you, Minister, on some practical points. 

You say in your statement that businesses need access to resilient supply chains and that we must strengthen the system that brings food to people across Wales; I 100 per cent agree with that. You said that you want to promote Welsh food properly—again, of course we do—through a national food strategy for Wales. But, as usual, you've given no detail on how you would look to achieve this. We need to hear more detail on this and how you'll promote Welsh produce, not only in Wales but across the UK and abroad. You need a clear plan in place, from field to fork, so that Welsh farmers, producers, processors and retailers are all properly supported. And I agree—you need to strengthen local supply chains so that we can get more Welsh food into Welsh supply chains, into hospitals, into schools and so forth. So, as part of that strategy, what is your plan to ensure that we don't lose any more essential abattoirs?

On the bureaucracy review, I welcome any serious efforts to cut red tape—we all do—but why on earth does it have to take nine months to review something that we all already know the answers to? There is a degree of urgency to this, Minister, which you recognised in opposition. Farmers need to be freed up from the pointless bureaucracy and red tape now so that they can be free to do what they do best—to farm and to produce food. When you were in opposition you voiced these very concerns, like I am now, but now you're in Government you seem to be rowing back on that urgency. Taking nine months to review this is a farce. Minister, will you commit to publishing early recommendations from this review before the nine-months process is completed?

I welcome in your statement your commitment to deal with flooding, which, of course, has recently had a devastating impact on businesses, homes and communities in my own constituency, particularly in Monmouth, in Monmouthshire. What is needed are urgent practical steps to prevent flooding, particularly prevention upstream, or even dredging rivers. And I have to say, I'm looking forward to a statement on this before the summer outlining your plans.

On SFS, we need an urgent, proper review into why take-up is so low, so that the SFS can be adapted and more flexible, and inclusive of all farms. 

Lastly, Minister, is one of your Government's priorities to put large solar farms on prime agricultural land, or would you, as Minister for farming, look to stop any significant solar farms that include prime agricultural land to ensure that we have every means possible to create that sustainable food nation, if that is indeed your intention? Diolch.

Thank you very much for that lengthy list of issues for me to respond to.

I'll take them in—. No, I might not take them in order, but I'll take them in order of preference, maybe. [Laughter.] 

On the red tape review, look, I'm serious about quick wins. We've set nine months as a limit, if you like. It's going to be an iterative process. I've made it clear to John Davies, who's going to chair this process, that if he finds things in the meantime that we can deal with now, then we will do that. But I'm not coming to this job as a politician thinking I know best. I think it's only fair that the people out there with that lived experience—people like John and others that we all know, I'm sure—have the opportunity to bring forward their suggestions and their recommendations. Some of those may well be easily deliverable within weeks, or maybe months, I don't know—it depends what they are. Others may require regulatory changes, maybe even changes to legislation. We can't just do that at whim. So, please be assured that, whilst we've set that nine months as some sort of deadline, I'm hoping that there will be things happening in the meantime and we're not just all looking at each other waiting for nine months from now.

Resilient supply chains—absolutely, we need resilient supply chains, and climate change is one of the biggest disruptors of resilient supply chains. And, of course, you mentioned in your question the importance of promoting Welsh food. I couldn't agree more. You mentioned the importance of promoting Welsh foods abroad. Well, do you know what? Scrapping the Welsh Government's presence abroad wouldn't help in that respect, would it? But there we are; I go off on a tangent. [Interruption.] No, it's true. It's true. You can't have it both ways. Either you have people out there working hard to promote and market Welsh produce, or you don't. It's an easy choice to make.

On the sustainable farming scheme, you said that it's shocking that take-up is so low. More people joined the sustainable farming scheme than chose to stay within the basic payment scheme. Eight thousand businesses chose to go into the sustainable farming scheme. For a scheme that has absolutely no track record, that is brand spanking new, that doesn't currently have long-term funding assurance for farmers, actually, I don't think that's bad. I'm not saying it's perfect, far from it, but the way you want to frame it is the way that you frame most of life in Wales, isn't it? It's all doom and gloom. It's glass half empty all the time.

And, of course, you started off with the usual line about 'crazy' net zero. Well, let's give you an example of how crazy net zero is: one of the projects or one of the schemes that this Government is hoping to pursue with vigour is to retrofit homes. Now, that will reduce carbon emissions. Crazy, isn't it? That will give people warmer homes to live in. That's crazy, isn't it, according to Reform. It'll give people lower bills to pay. Well, that's even more crazy, if you ask me. It'll give us better health outcomes in Wales. Well, how crazy is that? Fewer children with respiratory issues and fewer winter excess deaths—how crazy could that be? The only thing that's crazy about net zero is Reform's policy.

Thank you, Minister, for your statement on your priorities within your portfolio, and I look forward to playing my role in scrutinising you, with a glass half full, to get the best for our country, supporting you where we agree, but challenging you robustly when needed. So, to start with, then, I note your comments around coal tips and contaminated land, and I'm pleased that they are in your list of priorities, as they are also priorities for so many of my constituents who live in the shadow of our industrial legacy. You mentioned the UK Government, and I note that this Welsh Government's promises for the first 100 days included a similar call to press the UK Government on environmental justice for coalfield communities and funding for restoring coal tips and contaminated land—so, virtually word for word there. So, I'd like to ask what conversations you've had with the UK Government about this, and are you planning to schedule a meeting about this before the end of August, which would mark that 100-day point?

Similarly, I want to refer back to your answer to my question earlier this month on mining legacy sites, such as opencast. I asked if you would take forward the work that the previous Welsh Government had started and if you would ensure that stakeholders and local residents were involved in the process. I was really pleased with your positive answer to my question and I hope you agree to all of my requests in a similar manner.

I recently met with constituents living near Ffos-y-fran in Merthyr to discuss the impact that living near this opencast site has on their lives and on their well-being. So, Minister, can you sketch out how you will ensure that local residents are fully involved in this work, and also how groups advocating on their behalf, such as Coal Action Network, are not only involved as stakeholders, but are called on to really help shape the process?

Another issue affecting all of our communities, of course, is how we respond to flooding, and I note your plans around the flood resilience and preparedness forum for Wales. My constituency is no stranger to flooding, and, indeed, I've worked closely with the residents of Clydach Terrace in Ynysybwl, whose homes were recently purchased by Rhondda Cynon Taf council, enabling them to move to safer grounds. So, I know, first-hand, how important it is that any talk in this Chamber is backed up by the investment needed to make sure that the people we represent feel safe and are safe. The previous Welsh Government set a record-breaking level of funding for flood defences in the last budget, with 52,000 properties protected from flooding. So, will this Government commit to maintaining that funding level as a minimum for the rest of this Senedd term?

Finally, I want to turn to another issue that I've raised with you, about how we tackle bovine TB. The tone of that answer and the suggestion that the approach taken by the previous Welsh Government did not work is, I believe, incorrect and does need challenging. I know that you don’t want to focus on emotive issues like needlessly slaughtering potentially thousands of a protected species—and I should declare an interest here as a member of the Badger Trust—and I know that you said you want to focus on the science, and I really do welcome that, as the science shows that the approach of the previous Welsh Government was actually working.

Data published on 17 June shows a decrease of 23 per cent in relation to new herd instances in Wales covering the 12 months to March 2026. The number of animals slaughtered also decreased by 21 per cent over the same period, and the number of new herd incidence of bTB has declined by over 40 per cent since 2010. So, according to the latest quarterly data, herd prevalence is currently at its lowest value since January 2017, and almost 95 per cent of herds in Wales are now currently free from bTB. So, this shows that our programme was working. So, again, will you commit to following the science—all of the science—especially with your statement's rhetoric around nature, our environment and supporting thriving ecosystems? Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr. Thank you for those questions. I look forward to the scrutiny, no doubt, that you will afford me in this Chamber and beyond.

On coal tip safety, I certainly wish to continue the work of the previous Government and much of that does mean negotiating with the UK Government to make sure that a legacy of pre-devolution Wales is recognised by UK central Government. I have not yet had personal discussions, but we are looking for bilateral meetings. You'll appreciate that things are a bit turbulent at Westminster at the minute, but those discussions, hopefully, will happen soon, and it isn't just around the coal tip safety stuff, there's a long list of issues. We did have meetings with other Ministers, but obviously we need to be speaking to the right people as well. So, that's very much on my list of things to achieve, hopefully within the next few weeks.

On opencast, yes, I recognise that I took a particular interest in that in my role as Chair of the climate change committee; I hope to continue in that vein in my role as Minister. It's absolutely imperative, I think, that the voice of local people is heard in this discussion, because I think we've got to where we are now by those voices not being heard sufficiently. So, certainly it's something I would advocate for.

On flooding, it's important that we bring partners together. Of course, you will know that, because that's the best way that we can maximise investment is to make sure that the Welsh pound works as hard as possible, and that means, of course, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales, emergency services, community organisations, et cetera. We will certainly continue to invest. I'm not in a position currently to tell you exactly how much, because those discussions are still happening. But we're not deluded. We know that this is a serious blight on a number of communities, they need our help, they need our support. What that looks like can vary. It isn't all about mixing concrete; it can be nature-based solutions, as I touched on in my opening remarks. So, there's a menu, if you like, of options there, but what we need to make sure is that the support is there to achieve as much of that as we possibly can.

Finally, on bovine TB, we are awaiting, of course, aren't we, the work of the technical advisory group who have been looking at the science, who have been looking at the evidence, particularly in the context of wildlife. You say that the current approach has been working. I would beg to differ. I've been a Member of this Senedd for 15 years, and the annual statement we got from Ministers as an update on TB was more or less the same one as we've been having for the last 15 years. Let's be honest, the programme board set up by the Government to lead on TB recently said that Wales needs a step change in its approach to tackling TB, because we're way off track from achieving the TB-free status we want by 2041. They actually said that, at the current trajectory, we'd be well into our 2050s, so that doesn't sound like a successful policy to me.

Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. When I was reading it, I did think that that firebrand politician that used to sit this side of the Chamber had turned into the canary in the cage that his officials had put him in, and there was nothing really in the statement, to be honest with you. There were lots of reviews, there was little substance to benchmark what you were promising to do, and I regret that you have now been curtailed in your ambition by your officials. So, I hope that you will get a grip of your officials and actually start tackling the menace that is bovine TB that the Labour spokesperson was trying to take credit for, for their Government's failure to eradicate it. I mean, talk about smoke and mirrors, you can't make it up, to be honest with you.

It is a serious, serious issue in the countryside, and the reason why numbers are going down is because your rural policy shut so many livestock farms down. That's why the numbers are going down, because people have lost heart and they want to see a Government that will tackle bovine TB once and for all. So, get a grip, Minister, come forward with a positive vision of what you want to do, and you will have this side of the Chamber supporting you in that. As I said to you in your spokesperson's questions the other day, there is a majority in this Chamber, for the first time in 20 years, that wants to see that step change in dealing with bovine TB. Use it, use it positively, and let's make Wales TB-free and eradicate this terrible disease from the countryside.

I'd also like to ask the question that you didn't respond to from Laura Anne Jones when it came to abattoirs. Kepak have announced 85 redundancies, and then the Farmers Fresh abattoir in Wrexham has just shut as well. If you want to add value to Welsh produce, you need those processing facilities. What are you going to be doing to address that and the shortage of processing facilities here in Wales?

The sustainable farming scheme talks about having a food security policy. We need to understand what that policy will look like and what difference it will make. The statement doesn't allude to anything on that. So, can we see for the first time what the Government wants to do when it comes to food security and investing in the sustainable farming scheme?

I would also ask as well about the importance of working with the UK Government in particular and making sure that you have a strong relationship. I appreciate that's difficult at the moment, based on the uncertainty that's at the other end of the M4, but can you make sure that you build a relationship, to build those bridges, so that when it comes to the fertiliser tax, for example, you can deal with that? Have you made representations when it comes to the fertiliser tax, to make sure that there's change on that policy position, so that it doesn't drive up food prices? [Interruption.] Yes, I'm fine. I've most probably got a little excited on bovine TB. That is a really important issue, the bovine TB one is, because that does need addressing really importantly. But the fertiliser tax that's due to come in on 1 January really does need addressing too, because it'll add £50 to £100 in tax levels here in the UK, and we can't force up the price of food on the basis of the uncertainty in the middle east.

What I'd also like to ask as well is what you believe NRW's role will be going forward, because obviously, you've got the environmental regulator that was legislated for in the last session. We need to understand the role of the environmental regulator and NRW in particular. So, if you could highlight what difference you believe that will make to the relationship between Government, NRW and the environmental regulator, to drive up standards here in Wales, that is really important. I look forward to the answers on those questions, please.

On the last point, I didn't quite understand. I think you mean the Office of Environmental Governance Wales.

Yes.

Yes, okay, fine. Well, that, of course, is a consequence of Brexit. We are left without recourse if public authorities are not meeting their commitments or legal obligations in relation to the environment; where previously you could refer it to the EU, you can't do that now. England has created its office, Northern Ireland as well, Scotland, so that's what that is about in relation to that. It's a clear, distinct, separate organisation with different responsibilities to NRW.

On meeting with the UK Government Ministers, I actually met with Stephen Morgan MP this morning, specifically to discuss the sanitary and phytosanitary arrangements and proposals for closer relations between the EU and the UK. It was a quadrilateral, with representatives from the devolved administrations as well as the UK Government. There will be an opportunity for us to pursue discussions around other areas of policy, and I'm particularly keen to do that.

On livestock numbers, I agree with much of what you said. Retaining a level of throughput that ensures that the abattoirs—and the processing sector more widely—remain viable is critical; it is essential. Farmers have a key role to play in delivering that, but policy has to facilitate and allow that to happen. The kind of food economy we want to build here in Wales is all about local production, local processing and local procurement. If you lose one of the key links in that chain, then we all lose and we don't achieve the kind of sustainable economy that we want to realise.

On TB, I suppose you're right: being in Government is about getting to grips with some of these issues. I hear what you said, and you said it last time I was on my feet in this Chamber, but we really have to wait for the advice of the technical advice group. They have been charged with bringing forward concrete proposals on the way ahead. If you think that we as politicians know better, that's fine. I think we wait for the experts to speak; we look at the evidence, we look at the science that they provide us, and then we get a grip and take action.

Thank you, Minister, for a very positive statement this afternoon. In 2024, 57 per cent of the food eaten here came from UK produce. International factors can have a great influence on supply chains, putting supplies at risk. Reliance on home-grown food is an essential part of national security. The food and agriculture sector is also crucial to us economically in Wales, and socially, and is one that has great potential to add value. Can the Cabinet Minister provide an update, or perhaps more meat on the bone, in terms of the new national food strategy, which will make the most of our produce and provide new confidence for the food sector? Thanks.

Thank you for the question. The importance of the food and drink sector to Wales is undoubtable. That is, when you look at some of the figures, it's incredible, truth be told. It represents a value of around £27 billion a year to the economy of Wales, and is responsible for employing over 220,000 people in the Welsh workforce. So, ensuring that we do have a thriving and sustainable food sector that's fit for the future is an important priority for all of us, I'm sure, and the work has begun. We will soon hopefully be in a position to announce who will be leading the piece of work on the national food strategy. That, of course, will put a focus on perhaps some of the issues that we've already spoken about this afternoon. But, certainly, food security is important.

Improving food literacy is also important, I think. Too much of that link has been lost between people eating their food and then appreciating where that food has come from and what it's taken for that food to reach their plates. That does mean strengthening supply chains, and as I mentioned earlier, public procurement is going to be central to this. If we want to grow a more resilient sector for the future, then we need to start now. The strongest tool we have as a Government and as a public sector is public procurement. There is a lot to do, but I will have quite a bit more to say on this, perhaps, and more detail, within the next few weeks.

Minister, what I hear across Carmarthenshire is simple: people do not feel more resilient—they feel under pressure. Farmers are being asked to do more, comply with more, and absorb more cost—from TB to the SFS to the rise in diesel costs and fertiliser costs. Margins are being squeezed tighter than ever. And at the same time, we are not securing the future. Where is the clear plan to bring through the next generation of farmers who will actually feed us into the future?

And it's not just farming. Rural businesses, pubs, B&Bs and tourism operators are struggling to stay afloat, yet they are confronted with a tourism tax, a 182-day rule. They see it as punishing, not supporting. Their survival is on the brink. So let's be frank—these policies may well be well intentioned, but on the ground they are being felt as burdens, not support. Minister, if this agenda is about resilience and sustainability, why do so many in rural Wales feel less resilient and less sustainable? Diolch.

They probably feel less resilient and less sustainable because we've only been in Government for four or five weeks. You know, let's be serious. I've been here outlining actions that we're already taking. You mentioned they have to comply with more. We've announced a red tape review. I just told your colleague about how that, hopefully, will take some of the pressure off farms. The sustainable farming scheme is absolutely about creating sustainable farms in Wales. On TB, I've mentioned TB more than once here. On nitrate vulnerable zones, I've been pretty explicit about some of our aspirations in relation to that. So don't try and portray that we're not doing anything and that we're not interested.

I appreciate that there's a lot to be done, and I appreciate that people are feeling under pressure. For me, the family farm, as I said in my statement, is the beating heart of rural Wales, it's the cornerstone of our rural economy. All of these pressures are driving down people. They're feeling that the world is against them, and I get it. I know people who've been there and I know people who live that every day. My job in Government is to support them to make things better. Hopefully, if we manage to do that, then we will see the younger generation keen to come into the industry, taking up those opportunities, albeit with schemes and programmes that we can provide to support them, absolutely. But at the minute, we need to be talking the industry up, not the glass half empty again, the doom and gloom and everything is wrong. There are challenges, of course there are challenges, but really, if everybody listens to that, nobody would choose to farm.

Cabinet Minister, for young people in Wales, climate change isn't some distant worry—it's a weight they carry every single day. Research commissioned by the last Welsh Government found that young people are more likely than any other age group to be deeply worried about climate change. They've grown up in the shadow of this emergency, and they're urgently asking all of us to act. They feel a deep love for the natural world and they want to see our rivers run clean, our coastlines protected, and our wildlife flourish for every generation that follows. At this Senedd election, 60 per cent of under-30s voted for Plaid Cymru. That tells us that young people trust this Government to treat the emergency with the seriousness it deserves. So, Cabinet Minister, what is your message to those young people and how will this Government ensure that trust is rewarded with real, lasting change?

Thank you for that question. My message to young people is that we hear you and we will act. We have proposals to be net zero by 2040, for nature recovery by 2050. Our work on our climate and nature action plan is already under way, and we'll publish our carbon budget 3 plan as well later this year. They can hold us to the level of ambition that, hopefully, we will be able to show in those. And it isn't just young people, of course. Anyone who is worried about flooding in their community, anyone who is struggling in the heat that we're all experiencing today, needs to be concerned, we appreciate that. But we need to tell them, as I said, that we hear them and that we will act.

I'd like to register a declarable interest. Minister, you and I have both warned, for a number of years, about the reduction of our livestock, across the numbers and the critical numbers coming through our abattoirs, as was raised by Andrew R.T. Davies about the job losses at Kepak, which is one of our biggest abattoirs in the country. I'm interested, Cabinet Minister, are you going to be convening a meeting of all the processors in Wales to discuss this issue and how the Government can respond to it? Because we do not want to see job losses at our abattoirs across Wales. We've lost too many small abattoirs across our country as it is. Will you also be calling Hybu Cig Cymru to account on this as well, to make sure that they can respond to this? Because there's not a lot of faith in them in the industry. If we are going to see faith restored, this is the sort of issue that they need to be stepping up to the plate over. I'd like your thoughts on these matters. Thank you.

Thank you for those questions. I've already met with some representatives of the livestock and abattoir sector in Wales. Clearly, as I answered previously, I share your and other people's concerns at the loss of that capacity. We do not want to see that happen. We will look at ways that we can work with them, in appropriate ways, maybe complementarily in terms of some of the things that we might develop as part of the sustainable farming scheme in terms of the other tiers of support. So, there are things that we are considering.

In relation to Hybu Cig Cymru, absolutely, they have a critical role to play. I've met with the chair and the chief exec. I made it clear that what I want is a fully functioning, firing-on-all-cylinders Hybu Cig Cymru. I honestly believe that they're on the right trajectory to achieving that now, but there's still work to do. Everybody has a part to play, from policy makers to those on the ground delivering. I'm happy to continue with this discussion, but certainly, Government has a part to play. And certainly, there's no agenda on my part in terms of driving down livestock numbers.

Thank you very much for the statement. I welcome much in it, but I particularly wanted to comment positively on rural-proofing becoming a statutory duty. I also wanted to talk about the climate emergency. I know in the last contribution I made I talked about the temperatures we have here today, and they're going to be increasing. We're going to be seeing many organisations looking at Wales and your role to ensure that we do really take action on the climate emergency.

Many people want to see net zero—not two parties in this Siambr, of course, and we know who they are—and the Reform UK spokesperson on farming is completely wrong. NFU Cymru are an organisation that want to see net zero by 2040, an ambitious goal that they are setting. This is farmers saying that they want to be involved in the work to ensure that there is net zero. I'll tell you what's giving farmers a red tape headache. Here we are, a decade after leaving the EU, and it's Brexit that's giving our farmers an absolute nightmare when it comes to red tape—

A question, please. 

I would like to know from you, if I may, Minister, what are you doing in order to work with the UK Government to help our farmers in order to make sure that the challenges that we have around leaving the EU are addressed? Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you for that. As I said earlier, I have met this morning with the new rural affairs Minister at Westminster. He's a matter of days into role. In fairness, I think both he and I are a bit wet behind the ears, but certainly there is a dialogue to be had there.

In terms of net zero, it is a societal effort that we need to see. It isn't just one sector or two sectors. Everybody is being impacted by climate change, and farmers particularly. We regularly hear about the issues of flooding and productive land being underwater for part of the year, which has a big impact on the bottom line. Similarly, drought is impacting on the viability of those businesses. So, net zero is everybody's to achieve. But also, if we get it right and start mitigating some of these challenges, then we can guard against or ward off some of the worst impacts, which aren't just environmental, but economic and social as well. So, there's a lot to do, but it's our duty, I think, to achieve as best we can.

Can I welcome the Minister's statement today? Yesterday, I was pleased to visit a farm just under the Preselis with the Farmers Union of Wales. In an industry facing tough times, the priorities that the Minister has outlined, including tackling TB, reform to NVZs and cutting red tape, are welcome. This Government is bringing fresh hope. This farm, working with Farming Connect, is pioneering new techniques to reduce emissions and boost biodiversity, whilst also, crucially, increasing profits. Farmers bring skills and a deep knowledge of their land, stock and communities, and care for the future. I know the Minister has already touched on this, but can you outline how you will work with farmers alongside others as you design the details of your priority policies and programmes? Diolch.

Thank you. We will, as you would expect, work closely with the farming unions. I'm a big believer in the lived impact and the lived experience of Government policy. It's easy enough for politicians to rock up and say, ‘This is what's best’, but if it doesn't work on the ground, then it doesn't work for me as Minister. That will be one of my guiding principles. Innovation has a big role to play, I think, in where we want to go. Technology has a big role to play as well. We need to be embracing those opportunities. As you say, they drive down costs and they improve productivity, so what is there not to like about that? Getting to that point is a journey for many, and they may well need support in a practical sense, or encouragement as well, through working with others. I'm absolutely up for it, but I will always be guided by what works on the ground, and that means listening to what people have to say.

And finally, Matthew Jones.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Whether we live in rural areas or in our towns and cities, every one of us will be affected if we don't act now to build the rural resilience that you've set out today, Cabinet Minister. I know we feel that in my constituency. We need to futureproof our rural communities for the future of our food security, for clean air, for wildlife and biodiversity, for the health of our rivers, for our economy and for our culture. When it comes to these challenges in Wales, everyone really is in it together. Everyone wants the sustainable farming scheme to succeed. We all want to see TB eradicated, but nobody wants this to be a political football.

Focusing on the SFS, Cabinet Minister, I've talked to you previously about quick wins that people in my rural community think should be enacted in order to encourage more people to sign up to the scheme—allowing more discretion for farmers on hedge cutting, for example, to encourage new growth, give thicker coverage for birds and increase carbon capture. I appreciate that there's an assessment being undertaken about the red tape, and I look forward to seeing what kind of things that suggests—

May we have a question, please?

How are you going to communicate some of those proposed changes with the rural community? Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr. Can I congratulate the Member for constantly bending my ear on some of these issues? He's clearly already a strong advocate of the rural communities that he represents.

On some of the changes to the SFS, we have had a number of representations, not only from across the Chamber, but from a number of people who work in the industry as well. The hedge-cutting requirement is one of those that's been highlighted. There are others as well. But we do need to understand the barriers, and there will be lessons learned from this first year. We'll be taking feedback from the farming unions and others who've worked with their members, preparing their applications for the schemes, to understand why certain decisions were made not to come into the scheme, so that we can try and put our finger on some of those, to encourage as many as possible to join us in the future.

So, it's listening to those voices, but then, when decisions are made, it is important that we convey that clearly. I see the stakeholders that we work with as important conduits in achieving that. I think Members in this Chamber as well have a role to play. I very much look forward to having those discussions, especially maybe over the summer in a number of the agricultural shows et cetera that will be happening. Yes, I know, you've already invited me to Usk; don't worry. I enjoyed it thoroughly last year, so you might have a chance on that one. But we'll see whether the diary allows that to happen.

But anyway, it is about meeting with people and listening to people, responding to what they tell you, and then feeding back in terms of the outcomes. It comes back to a previous statement made this afternoon: we do need to focus on the outcomes. Diolch.

Thank you, Minister.

Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Finance: the first supplementary budget 2026-27. I call on the Cabinet Minister for Finance, Elin Jones.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. It is my pleasure today to present the first budget of this new Senedd term and the first ever budget by a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government. We said before the election that we would publish a budget within our first 100 days, and here we are keeping to that promise. We are a new Government and we have new priorities and ambitions. We were elected with a clear mandate for change. This supplementary budget is the first step in making sure that we are able to deliver on our top priorities as a Government.

We have inherited a challenging financial situation, and we face significant pressures across the public sector. This is a supplementary budget—a budget within a financial year. We have therefore chosen to honour the budget voted for in January, a budget that is already in place in our health boards, county councils, national bodies and the voluntary and business sectors. The purpose of this budget is not to destabilise, but to start setting a new direction for public spending in Wales, in line with the priorities the people of Wales voted for in May.

As I mentioned, the financial situation is challenging and the financial pressures within the budgets are significant, especially in the health service. That's why this budget keeps money unallocated to allow us to manage the financial pressures during the year. The consequential funding to the budget from the write-off of local government’s special educational needs debts in England, together with the reserves at the beginning of a financial year, allow this Government to earmark additional funding today while keeping an eye on the ongoing financial pressures that continue within our public sector.

I spoke to the leader of local government in Wales last week to explain that councils will not receive the one-off funding to write off special education debts accumulated by local government in England, as those debts do not exist in Wales in the same way. We of course accept the financial pressure that is on local government and are particularly keen to work with councils and others to plan bespoke special education services that better meet the needs of children and families, whilst also being financially sustainable for the long term. Consequential funding for special educational needs will come into our budget possibly in 2028-29, and unlike this year's one-off funding, that will be recurrent funding. Working closely within the annual budget process will put additional learning needs on a sustainable and affordable footing for the future.

This supplementary budget is not intended to deliver everything, but as a first step towards making sure that our spending plans align with our manifesto. Today, I am confirming £294 million of extra funding: £164 million of resource funding and £130 million of capital funding.

We are prioritising extra money to reduce NHS waiting times. This includes £100 million of resource funding, £25 million of capital funding to develop new surgical and diagnostic hubs across Wales, and £20 million of additional capital for maintenance work in the NHS. This is a total investment of £145 million in our health system to speed up treatment and improve outcomes for the people of Wales. There is no doubt that there is a need for immediate progress on reducing the waiting list backlog, but we must also ensure that we keep waiting times down permanently. This is why we are also reforming the structure of the system, to build long-term capacity.

We have been completely clear that one of our main priorities is to tackle child poverty and support people in Wales with the rising cost of living. An extra £55 million will mean we can make early headway on our commitment to transform childcare. This extra budget will support our intention to accelerate the roll-out of 12 and half hours of childcare per week to all two-year-olds this year.

We are introducing £2 million to begin the implementation of the Cynnal pilot, our child payment of £10 a week for households claiming universal credit. It represents an important first step in our broader mission to tackle the terrible scourge of poverty, which is so damaging to children. 

There is £15 million of extra funding going towards free school meals, as we begin offering free meals to secondary school pupils from families claiming universal credit from September onwards. We will work with schools and local authorities to deliver this. In this budget we are also allocating £40 million of extra capital to improve the quality of our school buildings. Also, an extra £5 million of extra capital will also go to the community facilities programme—an increase of 50 per cent to this year’s budget.

There will be £2 million of resource funding to support the roll-out of the new swimming and water safety programme for schools. This will support our intention to ensure 20 swimming lessons for children in years 4 and 5 in every primary school in Wales. 

There is an extra £8 million in this budget to safeguard £1 bus fares for children and young people. This is a successful scheme that encourages our young people to use buses and reduces their living costs. For decades, public transport in Wales has been insufficient. We will be investing £2 million in a north-south—or south to north—coach service, linking Bangor and Carmarthen, which will be in place from this autumn. This is a scheme that will link communities that were deprived of their rail connection back in the 1960s.

The money that's being announced today is only part of the story. Simply providing additional money, in and of itself, is not a mark of success. How we use that money is just as important. That is why the work that the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution outlined earlier this afternoon about the importance of turning priorities into outcomes goes hand in hand with this supplementary budget, and especially the autumn budget, so that every pound works harder for the people of Wales. 

The financial outlook over the next few years is challenging. It is clear that we need a fairer funding model for Wales. Our aim as a Government is to build a constructive relationship with the UK Government—whoever leads that Government—to argue our case and address the historical underinvestment in Wales.

In my meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last week, I raised the need for fiscal reform, historical and future rail funding and tackling the industrial legacy of coal tips. We will continue to press for fairness through our engagement with the UK Government, including at the next meeting of the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee, which will hopefully take place here in Cardiff soon.

As I look around me in this Chamber today, I see Members and parties who voted for this financial year’s current budget, which is unchanged by my statement today. I see those who have advocated over the past months in election campaigns throughout Wales the need to invest to reduce NHS waiting lists, who have supported reducing childcare costs on families, helping tackle child poverty, continuing support for young people’s bus travel and improving bus connections in rural communities. These priorities are also those that were voted for by the people of Wales and we need to enable all our delivery partners in health boards, local authorities, schools, communities and business now to get on with the job of using this budget’s additional resource to improve public services and cut costs to families.

I present this budget today, yes, in the name of Plaid Cymru, but also as a budget that can work for this Senedd as a whole, because it’s a budget that works for Wales as a whole. This is a prudent budget—it is, after all, a Cardi's budget—using the funding available, spending it wisely on people’s priorities, with an eye to the pressures on the public purse that continue to face us this year and the real-terms downward trajectory of the Welsh block over the coming years.

Today, therefore, I lay a supplementary budget that starts to deliver on our priorities and ensure long-term stability, not just short-term fixes. This budget lays the foundation for how this Government will fund the commitments it has made, and I am proud to present it to the Senedd.

Thank you, Minister. I have quite a long list of speakers on this item—I'm sorry to tell you. So, if you could all keep to time and be as succinct as possible, I'll try and fit everyone in. Cai Parry-Jones first. Thank you.

Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you, Minister. Your supplementary budget's own documents claim that you inherited a fiscally challenging environment. Inherited, as though you were a bystander. Your party supported the last Government's budget only five months ago, and you supported budgets during your co-operation agreements and during your time in coalition together. The truth is that your party shares a responsibility for the state of Wales's finances today. You can't hide behind them to justify difficult decisions, and the people of Wales won't let you—not unless you're prepared to hold your hands up and admit the part that Plaid Cymru has played in this mess.

On the theme of financial responsibility, we see that the Welsh Government is drawing from reserves for this budget. At the time of the final budget, five months ago, capital reserves totalled over £120 million. There is now only £3 million left in capital reserves without having to dip into the Welsh reserve, which is the final line of defence, which you've also taken £32 million out of. Coming back to the capital reserve, 97 per cent has been raided by one Plaid Cymru mini budget that the First Minister described this morning as an opportunity, quote, 'to just make some adjustments.' That's quite an adjustment. 

Those reserves are there for an important reason: to provide us with the resilience against unknown factors, from flood damage to future pandemics to the next foot and mouth or TB crisis. Minister, it is clear that your Government is draining these reserves to fund your questionably costed manifesto pledges, leaving Wales defenceless against shocks and unforeseen crises. Can you tell the Senedd today what risk assessment have you made of the resilience of the Welsh Government budget if capital funding is urgently needed within the next few months? And what plan and timeline do you have in place to replenish those reserves you've taken out of, so that the people of Wales can once again feel confident we're ready to take on the next unknown event?

Moving to another important matter in this budget, Westminster has provided consequential money that has come to Wales to make a substantial difference to our additional learning needs provision here in Wales, commonly referred to as ALN. And yet it appears as if a substantial sum of this money, if not all the money, has been diverted to other projects.

Both Audit Wales and the Welsh Local Government Association have raised serious concerns about the financial sustainability of ALN in Wales. So, the money Westminster has provided for this purpose is not just needed to improve the education of our most vulnerable children, it's essential to keep the system they rely on afloat. As if that wasn't enough evidence that diverting ALN funding is a mistake, the National Association of Head Teachers have recently come out and said that, as a result of this move, children with ALN in Wales will be worse off than those in England. So, can you set out this afternoon how much of that consequential spending is being diverted away from disabled children?

Minister, last week, we held a debate about international spending, and I'm pleased that, unlike many of your colleagues, including the Minister sat next to you, you stayed in the Chamber and listened. I have to say I did wonder, after reading your budget, how your fellow Members would react to your budget today, given they left on a point about child illiteracy in Wales. And this budget is taking money away from an area that could have significantly improved literacy rates in Wales. No walkout this time.

In closing, Minister, my final question is: what do you have to say to those individuals with ALN and their families who are predicted to be left worse off than their English counterparts? Diolch yn fawr.

Yes, in opposition, Plaid Cymru scrutinised the budget that was proposed by the previous Government, and we sought and received further additional resource as part of that budgetary process for both the NHS and local authorities. And, yes, of course we knew the allocation, but in opposition you don't get to see the books, and that's something you will learn. Therefore, the significant pressures within the budget line, the unallocated funding—the funding plans that had no allocation for them—of course, those weren't visible to Plaid Cymru or anybody else at the time. But the most important thing to say here is that there are significant NHS pressures in the budget. That's no surprise to any of us in this room, as we see an NHS that continues to struggle with the quantum of public funding it has available to it.

I don't recognise the narrative on capital reserves or the sums and figures that you've given. For clarity to the Chamber, then, and to dismiss the narrative that you've just given, this budget has an approximation or total of over £400 million revenue and £80 million capital that is in both the Welsh reserve and unallocated resource. As it outlines in the budget, there is £246 million unallocated resource as a result of this supplementary budget, and £29,000 unallocated general capital as a result has been retained in reserves as a result of this first supplementary budget. And that is in order to enable us, as we progress during this financial year, to meet some of the pressures that need to be met in the NHS and in other aspects of public services, and we will do that prudently.

The consequential to the Welsh budget of over £300 million that has resulted as a result of the debt write-off for local authorities on ALN provision in England is available to this budget. It is, as I said, not being seen as a way of providing a one-off contribution to local authorities as a result of that debt write-off; those debts have not existed or been allowed to exist in Wales in the same way as they have been in England. No extra provision in England will happen for additional learning needs as a result of the allocation in England. And therefore I think what this discussion on the consequential has resulted in is that it's brought us as a Government into early focus on the pressures on ALN budgets in Wales. As a Government—and we have communicated this to local authorities and we're doing so today as well—we are not in the business of one-off quick fixes; we are in the business of planning for a proper, sustainable footing for additional learning needs in Wales, and therefore the annual budget discussions that I will have with the Ministers for education and local government will result in a far more comprehensive assessment of where we are with ALN funding in Wales and how we can plan a service that delivers better for parents and children, and does so equally throughout Wales and in a way that is sustainable for the future.

This Government will have a numeracy and literacy plan. This Government wants to improve numeracy and literacy within our schools. Our intention is to develop that and to work with schools and others. Our intention is not to belittle the young people and children of Wales for what they are achieving. We don't find it an easy hit to get a quick laugh in this Chamber that we do that. We're serious about the job of work we want to do in order to improve the opportunities our young people have.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and may I welcome the Minister to her role and congratulate her, and say how good it is to have a cardi in charge of the money? 

But, Dirprwy Lywydd, I have to say that I was more prepared for this statement than I'd anticipated, mainly because so much of the content had been briefed beforehand in the media over the past few days and weeks, and, disappointingly, without any notice to this Senedd.

Governments should welcome scrutiny, not avoid it, and I would urge the Minister, building on her commendable track record on this whilst she was Llywydd, to take this message back to her colleagues in Government, asking them to reflect on this and immediately change their approach, to show the Senedd the respect it deserves.

Over the last few weeks, we've also heard Plaid Cymru on their social media accuse the previous Welsh Labour Government of financial mismanagement. Plaid Cymru's surprise at the financial situation will come as a shock to those who examined the last budget, which was, of course, completely open to scrutiny and passed through a deal with Plaid Cymru.

All Members here should know that that annual budget, passed earlier this year, included retaining £120 million of capital funding and additional consequentials that would be available for the next Government to allocate after the election, and Plaid Cymru have wasted no time in doing that. There is, in fact, so much headroom as a result of the previous Welsh Labour Government's responsible financial management that, today, Plaid Cymru is announcing over £400 million of additional funding and over £200 million of reserves on top of the Welsh reserve. You simply cannot spend the money Labour left behind whilst also complaining about the financial legacy. You cannot have it both ways.

Now given all this speculation, I am keen to examine the actual detail of this supplementary budget.

We note and welcome that there were no proposed cuts to the basic programme put forward by Welsh Labour. The further funding for reducing waiting times in the health service continues with the investment that Welsh Labour began. Since that investment of £120 million by Labour in June of last year, and thanks of course to the hard work of NHS staff, waiting times in the NHS have reduced. This work must continue, and that means being clear as to what will be delivered and by when. Now that we do have proposed investment figures, can the Government tell us, at last, by when will this Government eradicate waits of over two years?

I also note the funding for some of Welsh Labour's manifesto pledges, such as continuing with £1 bus fares for young people, although I see that Plaid Cymru has failed to deliver our ambition to increase the age from 21 to 25. It's worth also mentioning that the new north-south coach link is only possible because of the constructive work done by the former Minister, Ken Skates.

But what's more notable is what is missing. 

The UK Labour Government made £340 million of consequentials available this year from their investment in support for children with additional learning needs. Why is this money not being passed on to councils in Wales to support schools and children with ALN? Our additional learning needs system is under pressure. Children and young people's needs require more complex, extensive and long-term support. The pressure facing England exists here in Wales too. And just because Welsh councils have been better funded and better managed than some of those in England that have had to resort to a statutory override, it does not mean that school reserves have sufficient headroom to absorb ongoing cost increases. Every single Welsh council, of every political stripe, including Plaid Cymru ones, every teaching union, has called on this Government for this money to go to schools. Welsh Labour stands with them. How can the Minister justify why Welsh councils, schools and children should miss out? And where is this consequential funding going? I cannot accept that you're so worried about in-year departmental overspends that you need to hold back £246 million in-year reserves on top of the Welsh reserve.

And, on a different note, where is any additional funding to tackle the climate crisis? This is a budget supposedly of priorities. We heard earlier how much importance the young people of Wales put on climate change. Not a single new penny in the supplementary budget on this issue. That is of concern to us, as it will be to others on these benches.

There are some positives in the supplementary budget—many Welsh Labour policies that it would continue to deliver. We do recognise that. But, ultimately, my reading of this first budget is that it attempts to fund Plaid Cymru's uncosted manifesto pledges on the back of the environment and on the backs of schools and children with additional learning needs. If this truly represents the new Government's priorities, then I know many people in Wales will now be very anxious about what the next four years holds.

I thank the Member for the contribution, and I welcome him to his portfolio—a cardi scrutinising a cardi here, or at least a cardi by upbringing. Yes, the Ministers have heard, and I've heard, the criticism, and I've heard it before this afternoon, in terms of announcements made on budgets and on the work that the Ministers are going to set aside budgets for. Some of that work has been presented for discussion last week. Ministers are, clearly, too eager to start on that work, but I do apologise that that has happened beforehand and before this discussion is held in the Senedd itself.

The capital allocation available to the Welsh Government, to this Welsh Government, is carried over from a capital allocation that was clearly outlined by Mark Drakeford, my predecessor, as something that he thought, and we agreed, should be allocated by the next Welsh Government. I did reference that in my statement, and it is part of the portfolio of funding that is available to enable this supplementary budget to be made.

I do need to say once more, though, that, in the scrutiny of a budget and in Plaid Cymru's decision to support allocating additional funds to the NHS and to local authorities in January of this year for this financial year, what is available to us as an opposition party is the allocation and the detail of the budget allocation. It is not a deep insight into the financial pressures within Government that that budget could lead to. That's what's new about what Plaid Cymru is seeing and what I've seen as a result of coming into Government. Those pressures are real, they are significant, and that's why this supplementary budget today is not allocating all its revenue or capital, is keeping some of that revenue and capital unallocated in order to meet those pressures and meet any additional issues that will come to pass, possibly, during this year.

The £145 million to the NHS for reducing waiting lists and for capital works as well is something that the people of Wales voted for in voting for a Plaid Cymru Government. It has been advocated by many around this Chamber that this is a priority for so many of us, because they are priorities that our constituents tell us about in our work as their representatives. But this allocation does differ from the allocations that were made by previous Governments. It doesn't just focus on bearing down on those waiting lists. It's not that sticking plaster that Darren Millar referred to earlier, but it does actually start the work also on creating a system that best deals with meeting the pressures that are ongoing, and to stop those waiting lists from increasing year on year, as they have done most recently. You'll have an opportunity, if you choose to, to question the health Minister immediately after this statement.

And yes, on transport, thank you for your welcome for the provisions that we've made for the young person's travel, continuing on the successful scheme that was introduced by the previous Government. And yes, I fully acknowledge that I heard him talk about this scheme often when he was the transport Minister. I was listening to him; he's not listening to me at this point. [Laughter.] I'm going to mention you, Ken, because this is your bus. I'm happy to say that this bus connection between Bangor and Carmarthen was started and developed in your Government with our support as an opposition party. I'm happy for us to call it Bus Ken, if need be, because it is a bus that meets the needs of the communities along the western seaboard that are not met by a rail connection that was taken away.

On ALN, the additional learning needs consequential is provided by the UK Treasury in England to write off historical debts accrued by councils in providing ALN services. It is not money to be used for providing more ALN services in England this year. It is a one-off debt, one-off write-off, so it's not money for service provision. However, as I said earlier, the discussion, the challenge around this consequential has focused our minds as a Government in our early days on the need to work with local authorities and schools to put ALN on a sustainable financial footing. A recurrent consequential for ALN may reach the Welsh block for 2028-29. Therefore, the work to deliver ALN services better for families concerned and more financially sustainable for the authorities delivering the services has already begun.

has already begun.

We need to get on top of ALN expenditure. It has grown 2.5 times faster than overall educational spend in the last 10 years, and it is on a trajectory to reach a £1 billion spend within a few years. But it is best dealt with, this issue is best dealt with, on a sustainable, recurrent basis, and properly planned for, and that is the work that I am going to be doing in the context of the annual budget with the Minister for education. We'll work with others in this Chamber to ensure that we find a place where our additional learning needs, and those people who need the services, are better served, equally served throughout Wales, and that it is on a sustainable footing.

Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement and for your early engagement on this supplementary budget.

Of course, this first supplementary budget gives the new Welsh Government an important opportunity to set out its priorities. When people look at this budget, they are thinking about the issues that affect their daily lives, their jobs, their business, their local school or hospital, and whether they feel confident about the future. They want reassurance that the Government they elected last month will make decisions that will help improve their lives, create opportunities for the next generation, and deliver value for hard-working taxpayers.

We know, then, that the first question to enable this is whether the supplementary budget does enough to support growth in our Welsh economy. A strong economy creates jobs, supports enterprise, attracts investment and generates the revenue needed to fund and sustainably invest in our vital public services, and most importantly enables people to get on, flourish and pull themselves away from poverty.

Now, businesses across Wales regularly tell me that they want a Welsh Government that understands the importance of growth. They want investment in infrastructure, better transport links, and policies that encourage them to expand, innovate and create jobs. We need to know how the Government intends to support enterprise, attract investment and create the conditions for businesses to succeed. Indeed, in the ‘The First 100 Days’ document from Plaid Cymru, it is stated that:

‘Our economic plan will unlock that potential – growing and sustaining Welsh-owned businesses, delivering good jobs, reviving our town centres and boosting living standards.’

It is a surprise, then, Cabinet Minister, that this supplementary budget seems to look like a missed opportunity to address even slightly some of those issues in the economy. Can the Cabinet Minister explain specifically how the measures contained within this supplementary budget will help deliver that objective of an improved economy? This question is particularly important given that Wales continues to face long-standing economic challenges after nearly 27 years of a Labour-led Government. Economic growth has too often lagged behind other parts of the UK, leading to disproportionate levels of poverty here in Wales.

I am concerned, Cabinet Minister, that your initial approach does seem to be dealing with the symptoms and not the cause. You have announced, of course, the £2 million of Cynnal funding, which is essentially welfare spend, which is not a devolved remit. How will you ensure that this is best value for money for Welsh taxpayers, and achieve sustained, transformative growth in our economy—the compassionate approach that we need—rather than causing more people to get stuck in a cycle of poverty?

On education, Cabinet Minister, parents and teachers across Wales want well-funded schools supported by a funding formula that is fair and fit for purpose. I welcome the additional capital funding for school maintenance, but I will join colleagues in this place in regard to the ALN funding. I think there’s a misunderstanding of where the debt sits around ALN funding. You said in your statement that you spoke to the leader of local government last week to explain that councils will not receive the one-off funding to write off special education debts accumulated by local government in England, as those debts do not exist in Wales in the same way. Of course, most of those debts won’t show as an ALN debt on a budget ledger. They are the reason, often, why so many schools in Wales now are running deficit budgets. Schools in Wales are running tens of millions of pounds in deficit budgets. That is the very real debt that education and schools are in, and ALN is a significant proportion of that.

That has to be recognised, Cabinet Minister. I’m not sure what your officials are telling you if you think that that debt does not exist here in Wales. It definitely does, 

It definitely does, and it needs to be addressed. And I would expect that there's a fair argument to recognise this and to provide one-off funding to alleviate these deficits and then use the future funding that you're going to get, as you said, in 2028 to put a sustainable model in place. I absolutely agree with you that there has to be a sustainable model, but you also have to address the deficit that has been caused over recent years. So, would you commit to investigating this further and seeing whether that is an approach that could be acceptable?

I'll briefly touch on healthcare, Cabinet Minister. We're grateful, of course, for the dedication and professionalism of NHS staff across Wales, yet patients continue to face significant challenges, including those long waiting times. It's welcome to see your supplementary budget seeking to address some of those issues in the short term, but as Darren Miller mentioned earlier, there's a risk that an unsustainable model is being created that isn't necessarily best value for money. So how will you ensure that you're getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to that £100 million investment in health services, and how will you ensure that this spend is going to create good value for money?

Thank you, Sam Rowlands, and thank you for those questions and comments. This Government is keen to ensure that it is both business friendly and to make sure that we support business and economic growth here in Wales. Our top priority for doing that is to establish the national economic development agency in Wales, and we are already in the process of developing that and ensuring that we will have the budgetary requirements for that agency as it needs to come on stream, and those are discussions that I'll continue to have with the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy as we move now to start the annual budget process for establishing next year's annual budget.

There are measures, of course, in this supplementary allocation today that will enable more people to take part in the workplace and contribute to the economy. Our childcare offer is, if not primarily, quite significantly argued for and will see benefit towards those people who want to have childcare in order to enable them to either re-enter or re-enter more fully the jobs market. That's an important contribution to our economy. Reducing the travel costs for young people—young people are disincentivised from being able to reach employment opportunities because of significant travel costs, so that in itself as well enables that flexibility within the economic workplace. Tackling child poverty is another priority of this Government. The Cynnal payment and the pilot to establish that is something that we have committed to and we are funding in this supplementary budget. The Minister has established her taskforce to develop the detail of this, and in that detail as well there will be the need to assess the work that this payment can contribute to, but we do need to be ensuring that more of our children are raised out of poverty.

Thank you for acknowledging the significant £40 million school capital funding allocation. There is no doubt—I've heard it mentioned by many here in the previous Senedd—that the standards of our school buildings are not where our young people or teachers deserve them to be, and so making an inroad and a significant part of the contribution of capital funding here, making an inroad into improving our schools is important.

Moving on, then, to the ALN consequential issue, you do make an important issue around school deficits. We do know that there are deficits that are held by schools, by more schools now than it used to be. The figures that I have show that 27 per cent of schools in Wales have a deficit, and we can also know that some of that deficit is created as a result of the pressures

is created as a result of the pressures on ALN, but not exclusively ALN; there are other pressures that schools have faced as well. Therefore, these issues are ones that we will want to investigate as we move on now—to think about how we ensure that schools are able to budget in a way that enables ALN to be delivered effectively in the school setting and beyond, so that we can get to a place where we are able to have a budgetary position and allocation for ALN, and a service that is planned for in a way that is better value for money, but also meets the needs better of those parents and children that depend on it.

Thank you, Minister, for today's statement. As a former Chair of the Finance Committee, I know that supplementary budgets are often misunderstood or misinterpreted by some. A supplementary budget doesn't usually rewrite the entire budget settlement, but rather it realigns spending as circumstances change. That is true today. Following the election, this supplementary budget begins to move from the last Labour Government budget towards the priorities of the new Plaid Cymru Government, and I welcome the significant progress that has already been made in just six weeks with the new Cabinet embarking on the work of transforming Wales with energy and determination.

As you outlined earlier, it includes an investment of £55 million in childcare, an additional £145 million for the NHS in this financial year and a further £15 million to start enabling more secondary pupils to get free school meals, and many of these are in a lot of manifestos of a lot, if not everyone, in this Senedd. It's good to see such speed in terms of change, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much more this Government will achieve. So, Cabinet Minister, can you outline how this supplementary budget is part of the process of moving from legacy spending plans towards the new Government's priorities? Thank you.

Thank you very much to the former Chair of the Finance Committee. Yes, it was a deliberate decision by this Government to honour the budget passed by the previous Senedd, and to do that because that budget was already operational within our health boards, our local authorities and our voluntary groups who are reliant on Government funding. There are so many different aspects of Welsh life that will have made plans for expenditure based on the budget passed in January of this year, and therefore that reassurance is provided through the supplementary budget that that budget remains in place for this financial year.

Yes, there has been some pace within this Government to move to introduce this supplementary budget in order to allow Ministers here to begin the work of delivering some of the priorities that the people of Wales voted for. As I've listened to questions and contributions in this Senedd over the past fortnight, I've heard a great deal of criticism that the Government isn't moving swiftly enough and that there are too many plans and too much thought given on what should be done, but this budget allows Ministers in Wales to move quickly and for public bodies to be able to budget and deliver the plans that are being funded as a result of this settlement today. Therefore, moving a pace is important, but the final point that you make, Peredur, is also important, namely that there have been 27 years of Government that happened before Plaid Cymru came in to lead a Government in Wales, and therefore we as Plaid Cymru need to look at all of those things that have developed within public budgeting in Wales and to realign that so that it better reflects what we think are priorities now for the Welsh Government—those that the people of Wales voted for in the election that's just taken place and those that have been requested across many of the parties represented in this Senedd. So, there's a job of work to be done there in terms of the process of developing a budget for the next financial year.