Plenary

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.

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.

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.

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 those 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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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—

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.

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—

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.

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.

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 [correction: £50 million capital] FootnoteLink 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. 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 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, 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.

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, 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 keen 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 for 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 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 budget of the Labour Government 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 were in the manifestos of a lot of the parties, if not all, 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 Plaid Cymru 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 public 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 being given to what should be done. This budget allows Welsh Ministers 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 apace 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 fully govern in Wales, and therefore we as Plaid Cymru need to look at all of those layers that have developed within public budgeting in Wales and realign that so that it better reflects what we think are the priorities now for the Welsh Government, namely those that the people of Wales voted for in the election that's just taken place, and those that I think 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 the budget for the next financial year.

In the lead-up to this supplementary budget today, the finance Minister said that extremely difficult decisions lay ahead and that the finances were more challenging than she expected. Her predecessor as finance Minister responded to those comments by saying that Plaid Cymru were involved in setting the 2026-27 budget and they should not be surprised as the financial facts were well and publicly known to them. Today, the finance Minister has said she did not have a fully detailed picture of the financial details. So, is she now saying that it's Labour's handling of the economy and finances that made the financial outlook more challenging than expected? When the Minister spoke of difficult decisions being made, was that in reference to today's supplementary budget, or should we expect more difficult decisions to come in the future?

To reiterate the point I've made several times now, yes, Plaid Cymru, as would all Members in that last Senedd, would have seen and known the allocations that the previous Government were allocating to various budgets as a result of that budget process and leading up to the vote. We did not have an insight into what pressures those allocations would lead into in the context of the public services that are delivered in Wales. That insight has been insightful to me as the Minister in bringing forward this budget today. That's why we are still needing to keep over £200 million unallocated as a result of this budget, because of those pressures that continue to exist. Yes, it is a difficult budget to bring to this Senedd today. It has various challenges that have been articulated across this Chamber as to where the priorities should be. But I suspect that budgets that are brought in the future over the coming years of this Senedd will be even more difficult, because the trajectory on real-terms revenue and capital allocations for the Welsh Government is down—9 per cent less real-terms capital expenditure available to us in two years' time. So, I suspect it's going to get worse, not better.

Thank you. Thank you, Cabinet Minister. I'm sure you will not be surprised that I want to press you on the funding for ALN. I can tell you that, although there was no statutory override, those pressures in ALN were either absorbed by local authorities or are reflected in the nearly a third of schools that have budget deficits. We have schools that have ALN on their risk register, and we have increasing numbers of schools that are receiving warning notices from local authorities. That money is vital, not just to address the current pressures, but also to move to that sustainable system. I can say to you that we cannot wait until 2028-29 before we see a good investment in ALN. That would not lead to a sustainable situation at all. That money is needed now. I would like to ask you what analysis you have undertaken of the level of budget deficits, of warning notices, of ALN on risk registers, that has led you to a position not just where you haven't spent the consequentials on ALN—

—but you haven't spent a single penny on ALN.

This budget today, this supplementary budget, honours the budget that the previous Government allocated to all public funding in Wales, including ALN. I don't need to point out to you that you were the Minister for education responsible for making the case within the previous budget for an allocation for ALN—greater, if it needed to be, as you've outlined here.

As I've said, we are genuine in our understanding. We know that we need, as a Government, to do more to develop a service that is sustainable and serves the users better than what we've inherited. I don't mean that in an adversarial way. I want to work with people like you, who have the expertise to provide to this Government and across this Chamber, and to the committee that will be established as well, to see that we can get to a place where we have a better system of funding additional learning needs, where it doesn't put the pressure it's putting on the third, as you say, of our schools currently. But I don't want to do that in a way where we are providing a one-off contribution this year that has to end at the end of this year. I want to plan it properly, so that it's done in a way that delivers the best value for both the people who are served by it and for the people who pay taxes in Wales.

As I said, this is on a trajectory to get to £1 billion in a few years in terms of spend on additional learning needs. If we are going to be spending £1 billion of our Welsh budget on additional learning needs, we need to absolutely make sure that it is spent in the best way. Because at the moment, we still have constituents complaining to us about the service that we have, even though there is two and a half times as much budget spent now on additional learning needs than there would have been three or four years ago. This is growing exponentially, and we need to plan for better delivery on this. I am genuine in wanting to get to that solution. I am not persuaded that the quick fix of this allocation in this year is the way to do that best. I know you have a different view on that. But I do want to ensure that we use this spotlight in this Chamber at this point on additional learning needs to get to a place where we have a better solution on how ALN is funded, how much it needs and how better it can deliver for our young people.

Thank you very much for the opportunity, and good afternoon to you, Minister.

Two things and one question, if I may. Firstly, the £1 bus fare. I'm really pleased to see that included. Just a reminder, it was a Welsh Liberal Democrat initiative in the budget deal with Labour, and I am really pleased to see that it is continuing. It has been really successful. Secondly, it's really great to see all the initiatives looking to tackle child poverty included. I'm really looking forward to hearing detail about Cynnal. We know that in Scotland, 100,000 children have been lifted out of child poverty due to their child payment. We know that 40 per cent of nought to four-year-olds here in Wales are living in poverty, so I am really pleased to see that some action is going to be taken there. But we know that poverty is linked to other things. It's not just about a payment—it's about housing, it's about infrastructure as well. Wales surely needs to look at its borrowing powers. We know that in Scotland, they can borrow up to £3 billion, but Wales can only borrow up to £150 million. Will you be taking that forward for the next budget? Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you, and full recognition of your role as a Member in the last Senedd, working collaboratively with the Government to introduce the £1 bus fares for young people. It appears to be a very successful scheme, and that's why this Government has been persuaded to continue with that scheme. In the same way, the recognition from you of that need to look at measures that are going to help the Government and us as a society to tackle child poverty. The work that has started is early work, but it’s work that needs to tackle child poverty. But as you said, there are a number of different elements that will ensure that children are lifted out of child poverty, and it's not just about a direct payment.

You mentioned housing. Of course, there is £20 million of capital funding in this budget for investing in new housing, new social housing. Then, on the point that you made at the end, what does allow us as the Government to be more progressive, to aim even higher in how we use the Welsh pound to deliver services better and to invest more in Wales is, if we have more flexibility in terms of those borrowing powers in particular. The fiscal settlement that we have with the UK Government needs to be reformed.

A great number of powers that are already in place in Scotland aren't available in terms of our budgetary purposes today here. So, the discussion that I started with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, when I met her, on the need to tackle many of these issues—which aren't huge devolved issues, they are easy to identify and there is specific value in delivering them—will continue with the UK Government. And who knows, maybe the events of the last few days will lead to better outcomes than what we've seen over recent years.

Diolch. I'm so glad to see the Government taking childcare seriously and providing it with the funding it needs and deserves. Parents across Wales are struggling with the impossible costs of childcare. I spoke the other week about my own search for childcare for my daughter, costing around £75 per day, and then only this week did I hear of one place charging £105 for childcare per day—that's £525 a week. The median weekly pay in Cardiff is only around £610. That's an impossible choice for a huge proportion of my constituents and people all across Wales. So, not only does this Government's commitment to childcare provision tackle the cost of living and bring benefits to the economy, but childcare is a public good. Children are a public good; we need future generations. People in Wales cannot feel like they can't have children or families because of the level of severe wealth inequality facing people in Wales. I'm really glad to see the £55 million allocated in this supplementary budget to build capacity. I do wonder if the Minister could share with me what assessment has been made as to how this investment will benefit our economy.

Thank you for outlining the benefit and the good that will come from the £55 million on extending the childcare provision that's outlined in this supplementary budget. As you've outlined very clearly, childcare costs are a disincentive for people to be in the workplace. We need to have a more vibrant economy in Wales, and in order to enable us to do that we need more people taking part in that economy and contributing to creating wealth.

Childcare is good for the children too—that is something I've heard the Minister talk about often. Multiple studies show that improved access to affordable childcare supports higher employment, particularly among parents and carers, helping more people to enter work and increase their hours. There is a serious job of work that this Government wants to do to make the lives of young families easier, tackle their cost-of-living pressures and enable them to contribute to the economy for the wider public good, as you described it. I'm really pleased that we are able to put additional funding into this and to develop our full childcare policy as we roll that out over the next three years.

Diolch, Lywydd. Minister, thank you for your statement. It is pretty clear to us today that Plaid Cymru have raided Wales's capital emergency fund, putting our economy's resilience at risk. You said today in your statement that you believe you have a mandate from the people of Wales for this, but I don't recall that being discussed prior to the election. You will recall, however, just how vague Plaid Cymru were on their costings prior to the election. Despite repeated calls subsequent to that, we still don't know the cost of your flagship policies, so any mandate, I'm afraid, is wafer thin.

In the past few years, major storms have swept through Wales and lives have been ruined, businesses have been lost and jobs have been lost as a result. Instead of building on the £121 million that you had at the final budget, Plaid have left just £3 million in case of emergencies, without going into the Wales reserve. This money isn't for Plaid's ideological projects, it's for the protection of Wales during an emergency event.

Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr residents in my constituency have been flooded time and time again. So, Minister, if Wales faces another disastrous storm this winter, will you meet the affected constituents to tell them that you've spent the money specifically earmarked for resilience and recovery and for the protection of Wales? Will you tell them face to face that you've spent that elsewhere? Can you guarantee that if a national disaster or pandemic hit tomorrow you have left Welsh finances strong enough to survive it? Diolch.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the public record, this budget that was published at 10 o'clock this morning has a balance of £246 million unallocated resource and £29 million [correction: £29,000] FootnoteLink unallocated general capital. That provides us with the flexibility to meet all the in-year pressures and possible events that you've doomed about and what this Government needs to do, and we're confident that this budget can deliver for the people of Wales.

Cutting waiting times, treating those who have waited the longest and putting the system on a sustainable footing for the future is my immediate priority. I have been absolutely clear that short-term action alone will not deliver the lasting improvement to health and care that is needed. For too long, the answer has been to solve the issue right in front of us, and the issues facing us in the future have been ignored.

Llywydd, to meet those challenges, services must modernise and transform. Emphasis must shift away from hospital first to more care in the community that supports people to stay well at home for longer. But this must necessarily go hand in hand with immediate action to address the significant waiting list backlog we inherited from the previous administration.

Last week, I announced that £145 million will be made available this year for targeted action on waiting times. One hundred million pounds of this allocation will support activity to bring down the longest waits within a matter of months and make sustained progress on our pledge to reduce the overall backlog to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this Senedd term. It is underpinned by a new, more strategic approach compared with previous years, designed to embed best practice on managing elective care demand on a more sustainable basis.

The remaining £45 million is being invested in our longer term solution of developing dedicated surgical capacity, including up to 10 surgical hubs, by the end of this Senedd term. Expanding capacity, together with a reset of pathways that ensures patients are seen sooner, will continue to make clear inroads in reducing the longest waits for care and avoiding those in the future.

We're giving the NHS the tools to ensure that long waits, for so long a looming shadow over our health and care system, are finally consigned to the history books. However, we must also treat the root cause of the issues in health and care. Demand and complexity are rising, and health inequalities are widening. Demographic changes over the coming decades will bring their own challenges. The crisis of now will continue to be the crisis of the future if we don't act boldly to stem that flow. Llywydd, prevention, early intervention and care closer to home are fundamental to people living healthier lives, and sustainable health and care services now and in the long term.

Success will be that fewer people require hospital admission or treatment in the first place, not a reduced number of occupied beds or shorter waiting lists alone. Rehabilitation must be central to that shift, supporting people to recover, maintain independence and live well at home.

Last week, the Prif Weinidog and I brought together NHS system leaders to discuss how we will make the shift of resources from secondary to primary care real. There was great energy, commitment and a collective understanding that a continuation of our current approach will not bring about the change I and the public expect. The evidence is clear that this shift is crucial to a sustainable NHS. Simply put, the contours of the health and care landscape continue to reflect the needs of yesterday, rather than being truly aligned with those of today and tomorrow. For too long, progress has not happened, and instead, the proportion of NHS funding going into those services has continued to fall. I've made clear to health boards that change must happen now, and this is where we have replaced the warm words of previous years with decisive action, by immediately establishing a clear and measurable target for health boards to manage their resources in a way that better supports and strengthens care in the community.

I've set out the challenge to all health boards that they must deliver an increase in proportion of funding going into primary care by 0.5 per cent each year from 2027 onwards, and I expect to see their plans on how they will achieve and maintain this swiftly. To strengthen system leadership and bring energy to the shift, we've committed to open recruitment for a pan-Wales director of out-of-hospital services, and work is under way to scope this new role.

Work is also under way with our partners to scope a review of how GP services are funded. This will determine if the current approach properly reflects workload, population need and practice pressures. I'm particularly conscious, as someone who represents a largely rural constituency, that rural communities are particularly disadvantaged by a lack of access to GP services, and I'm determined to tackle this. I will write to NHS chairs and all summit attendees, providing an update on our areas of priority, and we'll task the community by design transformation programme with making these priorities a practical reality.

We all recognise the challenge ahead, and whilst it would be easy to ruminate about all the reasons that we have not been successful in the past, I'm determined that we will collectively move forward.

Llywydd, the transformational change that we want and need to see depends on a strong and resilient workforce with resources in the right places. Staff working across health and care are the most valuable asset that we have. They work with dedication each day to deliver the high-quality care that people deserve. It is undeniable that the NHS is nothing without its legions of staff. We must empower and support them to do their work, and we must ensure that there is a continuous pipeline of skills and resources going into the system for the future.

I noted clearly in this Chamber that I wanted to see action being taken in response to the challenges faced by graduates seeking employment in Wales now, and that I want to see those issues being avoided in the future. We must ensure that the wealth of talent that we nurture in Wales is retained here for Wales.

Last week, I brought together key partners, including Health Education and Improvement Wales, NHS employers and educators. The summit focused on identifying both immediate and longer term actions to support graduates into employment. These include exploring opportunities across a broader range of settings, while ensuring that workforce plans remain sustainable. The feedback from the summit is currently being put together and officials will share this with me shortly, with a clear focus on identifying the next practical steps to be taken to drive the implementation forward.

It is vital that we maintain pace in delivering on all wider 100-day commitments, and we're already making significant progress at pace in a number of areas, including national oversight of NHS performance, a new digital strategy for health and care and a national cancer plan.

Together, these actions, and the wider commitments that we made to the public in our manifesto, will ensure that there is momentum in delivery and a sustained focus on building a healthier population and more modern, effective and sustainable services for the future. Thank you.

Can I thank the Cabinet Minister for his statement? There is very little in the statement, I think, that anyone would disagree with—with its principle. We all want shorter waiting lists, better access to GPs, care closer to home, stronger prevention, better use of digital technology, and a workforce that is properly supported. But the problem is that patients across Wales have heard these promises time and time before. What they need now is delivery. And I also gently say to the Cabinet Minister that he should be careful with the suggestion that other parties do not believe in the NHS. We all value the NHS and the principles that it's founded on. The issue is not whether we believe in it, but whether this Welsh Plaid Cymru Government is prepared to reform it, challenge poor performance and ensure that money reaches the front line and is not stuck in back-office functions.

The statement refers to £145 million for waiting times. Can the Cabinet Minister confirm today how much will each health board receive, what specialities will be prioritised and what measurable reductions will patients expect to see within the next six months? Because you and the First Minister have said that two-year waits will disappear within a matter of months. You've had a number of opportunities to respond to that, and I still don't think we've received a reply.

On surgical hubs, I welcome the direction of travel, but, again, we need the detail. Where will these hubs be located? When will the first one be operational? And how will the Government ensure that rural patients are not left travelling even further for treatment? And can he confirm today how much he estimates they will actually cost? Because £40 million of capital won't go very far.

The Cabinet Minister also talks about shifting resources into primary and community care, but the 0.5 per cent annual increase does not begin until 2027. And I ask: why is the Government waiting until then, when GP access is already a major problem? In rural areas, where many people in this Chamber represent, people are struggling to get appointments, practices are under pressure and patients are often travelling long distances for basic care. And I'll give you another opportunity today: when you sat on the Health and Social Care Committee, you endorsed all the recommendations that the committee put forward to improve GP access in Wales. So, I'll give you the opportunity today: will you today accept all those recommendations and not reject a single one of them? Because you were one of the founding Members who put them forward.

Can the Cabinet Minister also explain how the shift from secondary to primary care will be delivered without destabilising already stretched hospitals? And can he tell me what discussions has he had with health boards about this plan? Moving care closer to home is the right ambition, but it cannot just mean transferring pressures from one part of the system to another without the workforce, funding and infrastructure in place to deliver it.

On workforce, the statement refers to summits, feedback and, yes, the usual plans and next steps, but graduates and NHS staff need more than meetings—what they need is concrete action. So, will this Government commit to publishing that workforce plan this side of Christmas that matches the training places to actual jobs here in Wales? And I hope it'll be soon, and I hope we don't get the reply, 'It will be coming in a matter of months.'

Finally, the statement refers to national oversight and performance, so will the Cabinet Minister confirm whether this means real accountability for health boards that fail to deliver, and whether Ministers will intervene earlier when performance is not good enough or when they're not listening to what you have told them? And if executives are not delivering the change that you want to see, will you then bring forward a regulatory change here to allow you more direct intervention when senior managers fail to deliver on your asks and priorities? Because what we see, Cabinet Minister, is that patients do not need more warm words here in Wales; they need those GP appointments, they need operations, they need cancer treatment and diagnostics and social care packages that deliver on time. So, I do welcome the ambition because we do share some common ground on how we want to change the NHS, but we need to see actual, real delivery. We can't have more plans, we can't have more strategies. People need to see real investment and real changes now. And if you could answer my questions, I would greatly appreciate it. Diolch, Presiding Officer.

Thank you very much. Llywydd, the Member says that he agrees with my proposal and the ideas put forward, so I look forward to seeing the Member and his colleagues supporting the supplementary budget when it comes to a vote in order to ensure that we can deliver on this, because I agree with the Member that delivery is what we need to see. The Member says once again, re-emphasises, the importance of the NHS and claims that his party also supports the NHS. However, just to remind Members in this Siambr, Nigel Farage, the leader of his party, has said that he does not want the NHS to be funded from taxation. How else does the Member propose to fund the NHS in Wales? I don’t know. We value the NHS. We know that it should be paid for via taxation and it will remain free at the point of delivery under a Plaid Cymru Government and to the future.

Now, on the points raised about the elective care hubs and the waiting lists plan, this isn’t a plan put together by me as a politician, by us as politicians. The Member will know, Llywydd, that Professor Jon Barry of the Royal College of Surgeons argued for this many years ago. Clinicians have argued for this plan for many years. We are putting in practice and in place plans put forward by clinicians. This is clinically led. Where that money will go, how much each will cost and where they will be placed will be decided upon clinical advice. That’s why we are bringing together an expert group of clinicians and experts in the field in order to advise us on this.

Llywydd, the Member referred to the summit about primary care and our demand for the shift of 0.5 per cent into primary care. May I remind the Member, on the 0.5 per cent shift into primary care, that primary care isn’t just GPs. Primary care is far more than GPs. That’s why we need to see that shift, because it’s in primary care that we can ensure that we’ve got the multidisciplinary teams and that we can get people seen earlier so that they don’t eventually go on to waiting lists.

And finally, regarding the graduate summit, yes, it was a very effective and worthwhile summit, where some tangible plans came out of that summit. For instance, there was discussion about introducing a site pool concept, like they’ve done in Aneurin Bevan, so that we can roll that out across Wales to maximise places for graduates, ensuring that there are some places made available for some graduates for whom it might not really suit their current position, but allows them to get on to the ladder and then into a more relevant position, such as ensuring that there are technician roles being made available.

On that workforce plan, as I have mentioned to the Member, Llywydd, previously, we will be delivering that high-level workforce plan in the autumn, a long way this side of Christmas, as is wished by the Member.

I'd like to thank the Minister as well for his statement today. I'm interested in hearing some of the priorities, obviously, on reducing waiting times and strengthening primary care across Wales. Due to the hard work of the NHS staff and, of course, the previous Welsh Labour Government's £120 million investment in June of last year, we saw waiting lists falling month on month for more than nine months. That came to an end when the funding came to an end, so it demonstrates that that investment that is made works.

Now, the Plaid Cymru Government needs to confirm, with some urgency, I have to say, a date on eradicating two-year waits. We are hearing different time frames, and I think the public deserve to have honesty on this point.

Now, in terms of surgical hubs, James Evans has already raised a number of important questions, and I repeat some of those questions. Where are the 10 hubs likely to be constructed? What is the planned capacity for each of those hubs? Who will determine where they are located? What’s the time frame for completing each of the 10? And most importantly, how are they going to be staffed? Because right now, NHS surgeons are scrubbed up, working flat out in our hospitals, doing operations every day.

Now, in terms of primary care, you said that you'll secure agreement with the health boards that the proportion of their budgets devoted to primary care will increase by 0.5 per cent each year from 2027-28. So, what part of other NHS budgets will be cut to fund this? And has advice been sought, or indeed provided, by any of the unions over the plans to cut what I assume is secondary care, and most probably hospital care? Now, 0.5 per cent represents a significant sum in total. But, in monetary terms, can you confirm how much by 2030 you'll have taken from hospital care and put into primary care?

You state as well that:

'Emphasis must shift from hospital first to more care in the community'.

Now, that is precisely what Tory Ministers talked of 30 years ago now. I remember very clearly people like Virginia Bottomley talking about care in the community. Now, it was a great idea that failed because they didn't put money behind it. And so when they were closing mental illness units and talking of improving care provision by basing it in the community, what they were actually doing was cutting. It was blindingly obvious that that's what they were doing. And I really do fear that the mistake that was made by Tories in Westminster 30 years ago could be repeated here in Wales by the Plaid minority Government. So, how much more—how much more—will be spent on care in the community? Will it only be that 0.5 per cent? Because that will not shift the dial.

Betsi Cadwaladr is a major contributor to the waiting lists. And, last week, you said something to the effect of all options are on the table with dealing with Betsi Cadwaladr. You didn't answer the question I raised then, so I ask it again: is reorganisation on the table?

And then, finally, you talk about prevention. So, by 2030, what condition—what condition—can you identify as the condition that you will reduce the most across Wales purely through preventative services? Will it be obesity, heart disease? Will it be depression? What will it be? And will you set targets for reductions in such conditions, targets relating to the work associated with prevention?

So, the Member raises a number of important points, which have been exercised many times in the public sphere over the last couple of weeks. So, I will take this opportunity to answer once again some of the points that have been raised with me in various formats—on the media, online, and in the Siambr.

The Member asks about the funding that we've got, and compares the funding that we're putting forward to the funding put forward by his previous Government. Yes, the numbers might sound the same. So, the previous Government put in £100 million to £120 million last year. We're putting in £145 million this year. So, a litre of premium milk costs about the same as a litre of petrol, but you wouldn't put petrol on your cereal in the morning, would you? You wouldn't put milk in your car. The way that we're spending the money is completely different.

The fact that you say—. The Member says, Llywydd, that the funding put forward by the previous Government shows that it was working. In actual fact, the numbers that we had this month on waiting lists show that the previous plan actually wasn't working, because the numbers went back up again, because it was that sticking-plaster approach. The previous Government didn't put in anything in the system to stop it from happening again.

Now, the numbers are frightening. The number of people that will hit a two-year wait next year, if nothing is done, is 88,000 people coming through the system. So, unless we do something to stem that flow early on, we will see more people on two-year waits. That's why we're putting this money in to getting those 2,000 plus down—3,000 as it is now—in the short term, and stemming that flow, making sure we've got diagnostics in place, making sure that we identify and validate the pathways early on so that people don't reach that point and don't suffer needlessly on waiting lists.

And the Member asks about where these hubs will be placed. Absolutely. I visited, incidentally, Prince Philip Hospital, the Princess of Wales Hospital—there's a lot of royalty around our hospitals in Wales for some reason—and the Neath Port Talbot hospital, where they've got hubs based there, and they worked within the system. They ensured that they moved the workforce to suit the demands of the day so that they could prepare in advance. That was a better, more efficient way of working. That's what we're proposing now, a more efficient use of our theatre spaces, more efficient use of our workforce. And the decision on where the hubs will be placed and what works will be carried out in each will be clinically led. I reiterate this is not a political decision—this is a medically led, clinically led decision, where the expert group will advise us.

And finally, the question on Betsi Cadwaladr. As I've said numerous times—. He was asking about reorganisation. First of all, I think we need to clarify what the definition of 'reorganisation' is, but nothing is off the table. They are now on watch. We need to make sure that they deliver over the next two years. That's what we've said. I've had conversations and meetings with the chief executive and with the chair, making sure that they understand this Government will not stand for this any longer. They have to take control and they have to deliver improved outcomes, or things will change.

Thank you, Cabinet Minister, for your statement. Of course, I welcome extra funding to drive down waiting times, but I'm concerned that this alone won't be sufficient when we're looking at all of the problems the Welsh NHS is facing, and I know you would agree with that. I say this as we have seen a marked increase in patients waiting over two years for treatment, and I'm especially concerned then that Betsi Cadwaladr, for instance, despite having received significant funds from Welsh Government to tackle its waiting list for several years, makes up a third of the patients waiting over a year for treatment and two thirds of the patients waiting more than two years. Therefore, Minister, are you confident then that this funding strategy will help to drive down waiting times in Betsi Cadwaladr? Because if it's not going to do it there, it's not going to really deal with our problem.

Turning to accident and emergency waiting times, again we see a slight decrease in the figures, to 64 per cent, of people being seen within four hours. However, this figure decreases substantially when looking at major emergency departments, where just over half of patients are waiting less than four hours. When the Royal College of Emergency Medicine reports that over 1,000 people died waiting over 12 hours for treatment in 2025, we know there is an urgent problem to be tackled. Cabinet Minister, you have made cutting corridor care a key part of your pledges to Wales. How will this funding be used to free up more bed space in Welsh hospitals? That's something I think we all need to know.

And turning to accident and emergency, in my constituency we have just one hospital, the Grange, to serve an A&E for 600,000 people, a fifth of the Welsh population. Nearly 1,200 people were waiting over 12 hours to be seen at the hospital in May. So, Minister, do you agree with me that it's a ridiculous situation to have just one A&E to serve such a wide area and, as such, we should reopen A&E units in hospitals such as the Royal Gwent in Newport?

Turning to cancer, while cancer survival rates have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, this is essentially a levelling off from 2019 after improvements in the early part of the century. Additionally, as we see from this month's cancer statistics, just over half of cancer patients are being treated within 62 days. Cabinet Minister, I'm concerned that the NHS is potentially losing ground on cancer rates. How will your approach ensure that more cancer patients receive vital treatment earlier so that they are able to live healthier, longer lives?

In your statement this afternoon, you talk about recruiting a pan-Wales director for out-of-hospital services. Can you please elaborate on what you expect this role to deliver, and outline what you envisage the director's remit will be?

And I'm pleased about your focus on prevention, as it is crucial, as we've all repeated—it's been said here many times today. A review of how GP surgeries are funded is welcome, especially as we have lost over 100 practices since 2012. Can you please outline how the Welsh Government is going to ease the pressure on GPs whilst also ensuring residents across Wales have timely access to a GP when they are in need? We know that extra pressure can be placed on hospitals because patients often do not know where they should be going to get the treatment, possibly going to minor injuries units for treatment when in fact they should be helped under the common ailment service instead. Signposting is key, Cabinet Minister, so what work will the Welsh Government do in this area?

And finally, Cabinet Minister, I note there is much to say about the surgical hubs—yes, they are important—but my main concern is that the current NHS estate is crumbling. The fact that there is over £1 billion of maintenance backlogs that are deemed high or significant risks should send a shiver up all of our spines. How can we expect to drive down waiting lists if there are pigeons in clinical areas, closures of A&E departments because of disrupted water supply and roofs collapsing in hospitals? Therefore, what efforts are you making to support the NHS estate so that patients and staff can expect safe and clean hospitals? Diolch.

Llywydd, there were a number of very important points there raised by my former colleague on the health committee, and former Chair of the health committee, who clearly understands a lot of these things. The situation in Betsi Cadwaladr is unacceptable—absolutely, it is. There's no hiding away from that, and the health board has to take responsibility and drive improvements urgently. I'll be chairing a meeting of the board myself in July so that we can give clear leadership and a clear steer, and take control of the situation. Am I confident that we'll be able to drive down the waiting lists in Betsi Cadwaladr? Simply, 'yes'. I'm confident that we can do it across Wales because we've got the plan to do so, and making sure that it's sustainable for the long term. The same applies with emergency departments across Wales, and especially in parts of Betsi Cadwaladr—in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, where I visited myself, to see the situation with corridor care. And the problem with corridor care, much as everything else that we've got problems with in the system, is that it's a symptom of a deeper, wider problem. It's not just to do with a lack of beds in the hospital, it's to do with a lack of support in that primary care setting and lack of access to community care when people need to leave the hospital.

That leads me to the point about the pan-Wales director that we will put in place. And that will be the job of that pan-Wales director—to make sure that we co-ordinate across Wales, cutting down the boundaries between health boards and local authorities, between health boards and each other, so that we can get a more co-ordinated approach, ensuring that this is looked at holistically, in the round, so that people do get care in the community and get cared for earlier in the system at the primary care level.

Again, cancer care is completely unacceptable. I've made that clear many times. That's why I know you agree with me on this. We will put forward a cancer plan for Wales—a comprehensive cancer plan that does answer these points and makes sure that people are seen earlier. We know that diagnostics are important. The earlier you diagnose someone, the better the chances of their improvement.

That brings me to the final point about the estate. Yes, the NHS estate is crumbling, but there are problems specifically within capital expenditure for the waiting lists. That's why the finance Minister has said that we are putting forward £20 million for those capital programmes so that we do look at exactly those theatre spaces, those diagnostic machines that we need to improve in order to get better outcomes for people in Wales.

Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Diolch, Cabinet Minister. I welcome the statement today and the strong commitment to reducing waiting times. Seven hundred thousand people are on a waiting list for the NHS, and to expand on an analogy put forward by Mr Millar, the national health service in Wales is covered in so many layers of sticking plasters that at present, it resembles some form of Egyptian mummy. People across Wales desperately need a change in the way that we do things and I'm glad that a Plaid Cymru Government will deliver this. This work needs to be done correctly, guided by those with a deep understanding of the structures and the issues that are faced. Obviously, there's a pretty big declaration of interest here, in that I believe that clinicians, doctors, front-line staff are best placed to make these decisions. They know what the problems are and they know how to solve them. I am one, of course. I therefore welcome the establishment of your task and finish group, but does the Cabinet Minister agree with me that the implementation of the surgical hub programme has to be led by front-line clinical staff, by doctors, and clinically and expertly led? Thank you. Diolch.

Thank you very much for that. Llywydd, the Member makes a particularly important point—that is to say that he clearly demonstrates that the mummy will be reborn under Plaid Cymru and will rise again. But the important point that he makes is that we do need to have clinical input in all of this. It's fine for us to listen to politicians from all sides of this Chamber putting ideas forward and making their case as to how to tackle waiting lists, but unless we get that clinical experience and the clinical views at the heart of how we tackle this, then we will fail once again. That's been part of the problem that we've seen in the past. That's why I, and why we, have ensured that it's clinicians that lead on this, that it's they who will advise us, and we will act according to their wisdom and advice.

Before I begin, I'd just like to put an interest in. Cabinet Secretary, in your statement you spoke about primary care and prevention and waiting lists. The part of primary care that was noticeably missing was NHS dentistry. From my own personal experience working in a dental surgery, and my daughter being a dental nurse, I have seen first-hand what the crisis looks like. I saw patients coming in desperate for care, begging to be put on the NHS list, even when that list was already so long that staff knew there was very little chance of them ever being seen. I saw emergency appointments being used to firefight people in severe pain, without the time or the capacity to deal with the problem. That does not help with prevention. I also saw the pressures on dentists themselves, the paperwork, the costs. For many practices, keeping NHS ongoing simply becomes unworkable. In your own manifesto, it says that only 44 per cent of people in Wales are able to access a dentist through the NHS. Cabinet Secretary, what are you going to do to reduce the waiting lists for patients in Wales, and how do you plan to stop NHS dentistry disappearing from our communities? I would also like to add, as a passionate NHS worker, I actually do care very deeply about the NHS.

Thank you. The Member raises the point around dentistry. I know from my own experience, with my own casework in the constituency over the last five years, that it is clearly a problem. In fact, we receive a lot of letters from members of the public to the Government on dentistry. That's why we've said we need to look at how to deliver the new contract that has come into force, how we can review that and make sure that it works for people, because the previous contract that was in place didn't work. The health committee, as was, back in the pre-COVID period, argued that the contract wasn't working. The Government then didn't listen.

Now we've got a new contract. It's embedding. There have been some teething problems, but we will be reviewing that. It's constantly reviewed at the moment, but we'll have a comprehensive review before the Christmas period, as we continue to review these things. In the meantime, of course, there's that dental access portal, where people can go onto in order to try to find the nearest dentist possible. But at the same time, it's not just a case of looking at the short term; we're looking at the long term. That's why we've promised to look at developing a dental school between Bangor and Aberystwyth. And we're looking at ways of increasing the number of hygienists that we've got in Wales, so that we do tackle that preventative agenda, because hygienists can help out in making sure that people's teeth are clean and well, and that problems don't develop into the future.

Thank you to the Minister for his statement this afternoon. We know, of course, that support works better when it's available early and close to home, and I am very pleased to hear the plans to improve care in our communities. Whilst many warm words were spoken by the previous Government on the need to move care closer to the community, it is good to hear that the Plaid Cymru Government is supporting this with targets, expectations and clear directives. It is important that we are clear with those who work in the sector, and the summit that was held last week is an important and positive step forward in that regard. So, what assessment has the Government made of the necessary steps and the impact of moving care into the community?

Llywydd, the Member is right to say that warm words have been spoken for many years, indeed many decades, about moving services to the primary element. Indeed, there was an MP who was elected in 1966 in Carmarthen, and one of his first speeches in Parliament at that time was in favour of preventative and community care, and we are still arguing for that now. But, we have a Plaid Cymru Government that is taking action on that now. That is why I have made clear my expectation to the health boards to put a plan before us that will move that 0.5 per cent of resources into the primary element. I expect reports from them to show how they are going to do that very soon. So, that's how we will be measuring our success, by ensuring that money is moving, that more primary care services are in the community, and that outcomes improve.

Good evening, Minister. Thank you very much for the statement, and I'm really pleased to hear that you're focusing in part on rural healthcare and rural preventative services. I started the Siambr session asking the First Minister about Powys and our waiting times. Many of our patients are waiting for two years because of the cross-border concerns and that we have patients now no longer able to access hospitals across the English border, so the waiting times have increased. So, I'd like your response to that please.

And secondly, on social care, again in Powys, in May, 111 people were in hospital, from Powys, who shouldn't have been there because of social care. So, could I ask you, on your pan-Wales director for out-of-hospital services, is that a role that's going to be looking at social care both before, hopefully, we have the need for people to go into hospital, and to get them out of hospital as well? Diolch yn fawr iawn.

I thank Jane for those two questions. The issue around cross-border difficulties has been raised a few times. It was raised just this week and last week too. Bodies have been created in order to look at those cross-border issues, Llywydd, in order to ensure that people aren't suffering more than necessary because of the border that exists between England and Wales. I would suggest that the Member should look at the Record from last week to see the details that I mentioned then.

If the Member has any examples of problems arising where people are suffering poorer treatment or that they're not given timely treatment because they live in Powys, but that treatment is provided in Hereford, then I would suggest that the Member should raise that issue directly with Llais first of all so that they could raise it with those cross-border bodies, and, if that does not succeed, she can bring those issues directly to me, and I will do that through my officials.

In terms of the new official that we are going to employ in order to ensure that we look at the out-of-hospital services, it's exactly that point that the Member raised. The new official will be looking at issues around social care, and ensuring that they look at how social care aligns with what is being done in hospitals in order to cut down those borders and boundaries between local authorities and health boards.

Diolch. As a practising psychologist, it frustrates me that Wales spends more per person on health than in England, yet patients in Wales are still waiting months, years, for mental health treatment. The problem is how funding in Wales is used. In England, mental health investment is clearly prioritised, with around 9 per cent of the NHS budget allocated to it, rising each year and backed by enforceable standards. In Wales, there's no equivalent guarantee. Funding is less transparent, less targeted and spread across a more fragmented system. The result is that 2,000 plus adults per month are waiting six months to three years plus for therapy. Children are facing rising demand and, in many cases, hidden waiting lists before they even reach specialist care. Those that are neurodivergent wait more than two years for therapy.

So, despite higher overall spending, outcomes are weaker because funding is not consistently directed and protected in a way that guarantees timely access to mental health support. Historically in Wales, they're fragmented when tracking mental health. That raises a simple but critical question: if the money is already ring-fenced for mental health and patients on waiting lists are going to come down, what specific measurable changes will the Government make to ensure that mental health funding actually delivers timely care?

Llywydd, I'd like to thank the Member for the question. I will answer in part but, forgive me, this sits under my colleague Delyth Jewell's portfolio, so I don't want to step on her toes. But I agree that the legacy that we've been handed from the previous Government isn't good enough. We've seen far too many resources going into the crisis end instead of upstreaming funds to stop it happening at an earlier stage. That's why we will be looking actively at how we can upstream funds more. But I'm not entirely convinced. Yes, part of it is vague around the spending, and we need to make sure that's clear, but funding for mental health as defined is ring-fenced, and we have promised to maintain that ring fence. So, it's clear about where that funding does go. There's no uncertainty around that. But I will let Delyth—. I suggest that you raise it directly with Delyth Jewell, the Minister in charge. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd.

Formally, Llywydd.