16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764318 0 Cy 260623-0 I This is a draft version of the Record that includes the floor language and the simultaneous interpretation.  [R] indicates that the Member has declared an interest when tabling the business. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764319 1 Cy 260623-0 I The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Huw Irranca-Davies) in the Chair. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764321 2 Cy 2026-06-23T13:30:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=0&l=en 260623-1 Statement by the Llywydd C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764324 3 Cy 2026-06-23T13:30:27 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=27&l=en 260623-1 Statement by the Llywydd C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw We will start with the First Minister's statement: Red Weather Warning.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764323 4 Cy 2026-06-23T13:30:33 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=33&l=en 260623-2 Statement by the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun Thank you very much, Llywydd. And with your agreement, I would like to make a brief statement on the red weather warning, the very rare red warning on 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 recent times of high heat.   16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764327 5 En 2026-06-23T13:31:19 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=79&l=en 260623-2 Statement by the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun Llywydd, just a brief statement to Members about this rare red warning for 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.  Now, we have activated the Welsh Government's repsonse 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, that public health advice in particular reaches as many people as possible. Diolch, Llywydd.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764329 6 Cy 2026-06-23T13:33:09 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=189&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764330 7 Cy 2026-06-23T13:33:14 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=194&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw We will move on now to item 1—questions to the First Minister. And the first question is from John Davies.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764333 8 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Economic Support 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764334 9 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 4650 4650 John Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=4650 Davies, John 1. What steps will the Welsh Government take to support the economy of Gŵyr Abertawe? OQ64214 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764335 10 En 2026-06-23T13:33:36 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=216&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 benefit for communities across Wales. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764337 11 En 2026-06-23T13:34:03 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=243&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 4650 4650 John Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=4650 Davies, John Thank you, First Minister. Swansea faces dire economic circumstances. Last year, Swansea lost 1,349 jobs. That's 1.3 per cent contraction in the workforce. Since Labour took control in Wales, Swansea's gross value added per capita has 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 to capitalise on the massive opportunity of the green economy  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764325 12 En 2026-06-23T13:35:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=300&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 4650 4650 John Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=4650 Davies, John 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764326 13 En 2026-06-23T13:35:18 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=318&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764332 14 En 2026-06-23T13:36:22 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=382&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12191 12191 Steven Rodaway https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12191 Rodaway, Steven 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764340 15 En 2026-06-23T13:37:19 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=439&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 to 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764349 16 En 2026-06-23T13:38:20 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=500&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 332 332 Mike Hedges https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=332 Hedges, Mike 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764354 17 En 2026-06-23T13:38:55 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=535&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 give 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764342 18 En 2026-06-23T13:40:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=600&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun we want for Wales. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764343 19 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Supporting Tourism Businesses 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764344 20 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 212 212 Janet Finch-Saunders https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=212 Finch-Saunders, Janet 2. What support is the Welsh Government offering tourism businesses in Bangor Conwy Môn? OQ64199 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764345 21 En 2026-06-23T13:40:08 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=608&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764350 22 En 2026-06-23T13:40:24 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=624&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 212 212 Janet Finch-Saunders https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=212 Finch-Saunders, Janet 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 113 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 tourism tax. The industry itself now is looking at a way to safeguard itself and have raised with me numerous times about 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764357 23 En 2026-06-23T13:41:36 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=696&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764360 24 Cy 2026-06-23T13:42:37 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=757&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5084 5084 Mair Rowlands https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5084 Rowlands, Mair 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764364 25 Cy 2026-06-23T13:43:03 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=783&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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, which will devolve powers to the Senedd, or will facilitate doing that, in order to enable Wales to establish the new regulator. It's a very important pledge for this Government. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764368 26 En 2026-06-23T13:43:42 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=822&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12153 12153 Helen Jenner https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12153 Jenner, Hellen 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 accommodations, 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764372 27 En 2026-06-23T13:44:25 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=865&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun I'm afraid the Member should be aware that we have already said that we are keeping the 180-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 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764338 28 Cy 2026-06-23T00:00:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=-48600&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764331 29 En 2026-06-23T13:45:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=900&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764339 30 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764336 31 Cy 2026-06-23T13:45:12 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=912&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw I now call on the party leaders to question the First Minister. First of all, I call Dan Thomas, leader of Reform UK.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764341 32 En 2026-06-23T13:45:20 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=920&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12147 12147 Dan Thomas https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12147 Leader of the Opposition Thomas, Dan Diolch, Llywydd. 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?  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764352 33 En 2026-06-23T13:46:10 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=970&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 HS2, 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 constitution. We are obsessed. We are obsessed with doing the right thing for Wales and that means having the tools to do the job. Now, 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 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764359 34 En 2026-06-23T13:47:23 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1043&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12147 12147 Dan Thomas https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12147 Thomas, Dan 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764361 35 En 2026-06-23T13:48:08 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1088&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. Now, 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 that we connect 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764366 36 En 2026-06-23T13:49:09 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1149&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12147 12147 Dan Thomas https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12147 Thomas, Dan Energy—quite rightly— that isn't devolved, but the planning and infrastructure to support energy projects is very much in the gift of the Welsh Government. Now, 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. Now, 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?  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764370 37 En 2026-06-23T13:49:57 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1197&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun I realise that the Member might be new to the Welsh Parliament, if he wasn't  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764346 38 En 2026-06-23T13:50:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1200&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 ap Iorwerth, Rhun if he wasn't, he would have heard me for 13 years, now, talking about some of 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764351 39 Cy 2026-06-23T13:50:35 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1235&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw The leader of Welsh Labour, Ken Skates.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764353 40 En 2026-06-23T13:50:38 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1238&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 267 267 Ken Skates https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=267 Leader of Welsh Labour Skates, Ken 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.  Now, 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 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764356 41 En 2026-06-23T13:51:13 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1273&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764381 42 En 2026-06-23T13:52:02 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1322&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 267 267 Ken Skates https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=267 Skates, Ken 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764386 43 En 2026-06-23T13:52:37 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1357&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun The aircraft carriers—I will address the aircraft carriers issue, actually. That's the title of a book, isn't it, 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764390 44 Cy 2026-06-23T13:53:53 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1433&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 5053 5053 Huw Irranca-Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=5053 Llywydd Irranca-Davies, Huw The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764392 45 En 2026-06-23T13:53:55 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1435&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 171 171 Darren Millar https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=171 Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Millar, Darren 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 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764347 46 En 2026-06-23T13:55:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1500&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 171 171 Darren Millar https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=171 Millar, Darren failed to invest in the infrastructure to keep waiting times permanently down? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764348 47 En 2026-06-23T13:55:05 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1505&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764363 48 En 2026-06-23T13:56:11 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1571&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 171 171 Darren Millar https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=171 Millar, Darren 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764369 49 En 2026-06-23T13:57:37 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1657&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764374 50 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Housing Associations and Registered Social Landlords 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764375 51 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 12183 12183 Tom Montgomery https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12183 Montomery, Tom 3. What will the Welsh Government do to improve the oversight of housing associations and registered social landlords? OQ64198 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764376 52 En 2026-06-23T13:59:11 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1751&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764378 53 En 2026-06-23T13:59:44 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1784&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12183 12183 Tom Montgomery https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12183 Montomery, Tom 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 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764355 54 En 2026-06-23T14:00:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1800&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12183 12183 Tom Montgomery https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12183 Montomery, Tom 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 moneys 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764358 55 En 2026-06-23T14:00:27 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1827&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun RSLs, of course, do have very close relationships within the local authority areas in which they operate. Many of them operate, of course, across multiple local authority areas and that is why it's so important that that central regulation is in place, overseen by Welsh Government, and is 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, so important, and we work closely with registered social landlords and stockholding local authorities to ensure this. And the regulatory framework that, yes, 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764365 56 Cy 2026-06-23T14:01:44 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1904&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12156 12156 Huw Thomas https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12156 Thomas, Huw Forgive me, Llywydd. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764367 57 En 2026-06-23T14:01:49 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1909&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12156 12156 Huw Thomas https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12156 Thomas, Huw First Minister, could you elaborate further on the current position of housing associations operating in Wales in terms of their number and their interaction with local authorities? In particular, the experience that is common amongst stockholding local authorities, where housing associations are able to offer better payment for development managers and are therefore poaching staff from councils and therefore, in turn, making it harder for councils to build housing. This issue can be compounded, I suspect, by your creation of Unnos, so how will you resolve the current issue and ensure that the creation of Unnos doesn't exacerbate the problem further? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764371 58 En 2026-06-23T14:02:30 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=1950&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764377 59 En 2026-06-23T14:03:59 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2039&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 4787 4787 Peter Fox https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=4787 Fox, Peter 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. So, how can you, the Welsh Government, be confident, then, 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764379 60 En 2026-06-23T14:03:42 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2022&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun The Member raises perfectly valid questions, and 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, and every time there is a revision of the regulatory framework, it is about making sure that the system works well, that there is accountability within it, and keeping abreast of any challenges or weaknesses in that accountability is something that my Minister will be eager to do. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764383 61 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Funding for School Transport 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764384 62 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 11971 11971 Llŷr Powell https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=11971 Powell, Llyr 4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the adequacy of funding for school transport? OQ64228 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764385 63 En 2026-06-23T14:04:21 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2061&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764387 64 En 2026-06-23T14:04:45 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2085&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 11971 11971 Llŷr Powell https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=11971 Powell, Llyr 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 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764388 65 En 2026-06-23T14:11:25 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2485&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764389 66 En 2026-06-23T14:11:28 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2488&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764391 67 En 2026-06-23T14:11:36 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2496&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764380 68 En 2026-06-23T14:10:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2400&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 145 145 Paul Davies https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=145 Davies, Paul 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 will you provide to authorities to help them improve safety and access for pupils in these communities? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764382 69 Cy 2026-06-23T14:10:28 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2428&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun Once again, there are local examples here, 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 is a question raised here about active travel and active travel routes in that question, and 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 and opposition with the last Government in order to ensure a robust settlement for 2026-27, ensuring £112 million in order to strengthen the RSG 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 that need to be made. Do I believe we need to be reviewing constantly how processes are working? Yes, I think I've made it clear that that is the case. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764410 70 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Regenerating High Streets 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764411 71 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 12152 12152 Carmelo Colasanto https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12152 Colasanto, Carmelo 5. What is the Welsh Government's strategy for regenerating high streets and increasing footfall for local businesses? OQ64232 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764412 72 En 2026-06-23T14:11:36 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2496&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 highs we want our high streets to thrive, to play a strong role in local economies for the future. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764393 73 En 2026-06-23T14:11:52 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2512&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12152 12152 Carmelo Colasanto https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12152 Colasanto, Carmelo 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, and changing consumer habits have also played a vital role with people choosing online shopping over the high streets. 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. So, while regeneration projects are under way, progress has been very, 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764395 74 En 2026-06-23T14:13:12 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2592&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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, across Northern Ireland, England too. The truth is that the high street has been decimated in so many areas, and 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, and 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 which has seen the proliferation of outer town, at the cost, it seems, of our town centres.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764398 75 En 2026-06-23T14:14:41 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=2681&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12151 12151 Matthew Jones https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12151 Jones, Matthew 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764399 76 En 2026-06-23T14:20:00 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3000&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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.  16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764402 77 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Economic Ties 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764403 78 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 12181 12181 Adrian Mason https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12181 Mason, Adrian 6. How will the Government support north Wales's economic ties with north-west England? OQ64204 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764404 79 En 2026-06-23T14:21:26 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3086&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 ap Iorwerth, Rhun The north of Wales clearly is a key part of our economic ambitions as 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764414 80 En 2026-06-23T14:21:52 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3112&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 12181 12181 Adrian Mason https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12181 Mason, Adrian 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 in Cardiff Bay? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764418 81 En 2026-06-23T14:22:43 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3163&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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 is that 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.] 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764421 82 En 2026-06-23T14:23:46 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3226&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 8734 8734 Sam Rowlands https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=8734 Rowlands, Sam First Minister, you'll be aware 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? 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764423 83 En 2026-06-23T14:24:20 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3260&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 ap Iorwerth, Rhun 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. 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764430 84 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister B Improving Access to Healthcare 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764431 85 Cy 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister O 8585 8585 James Evans https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=8585 Evans, James 7. How is the Welsh Government improving access to healthcare in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd? OQ64233 16076 7 2026-06-23T13:30:00 764432 86 En 2026-06-23T14:24:55 http://www.senedd.tv/en/16076?startPos=3295&l=en 260623-3 1. Questions to the First Minister C 2717 2717 Rhun ap Iorwerth https://business.senedd.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2717 First Minister of Wales ap Iorwerth, Rhun The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care