, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Well, what I will say, Sioned, is that devolution is a complex beast, but it is a beast where there are clear demarcation lines. And this place is about holding me to account for the things that I have power over. Now, of course we will try and influence, and…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Thanks very much, Rhianon, and you’re absolutely right, I think this is an opportunity now, with two Governments, one mission. And part of that mission will be economic growth, and some of that, I’m sure, will be debated through that new structure of the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Thank you, Peredur, and thank you for your work on the committee. I think there is a formal process in place, but it hasn't yet been used in terms of disputes resolution, but nobody has used that process as of yet. But I think, in terms of funding, it is…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Diolch yn fawr, John, and you've always been such a strong advocate for devolution and the power of devolution to be able to change people's lives for good. I think it's probably worth underlining, as you say, the Gordon Brown report, but also mentioning the…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Well, thanks very much, and, yes, 24 times now, and I'm sure we'll keep a tally on how many times you mention that particular word and how many times you really focus on the things that matter to the people in Wales. I just wonder whether you actually want us…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
I've been in this position for 48 days, and as it happens, it turns out that I am managing to have lots of meetings with lots of people in the UK Government. So, I do have influence; I probably wouldn't have that influence with some people the other side of…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Thanks very much. I'm going to talk about my experience with the UK Government. To be honest, it was very limited. During the pandemic, to be fair, there were really strong relationships, very consistent discussions with people like Matt Hancock, people like…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
The Welsh Government continues to believe that the review of inter-governmental relations, agreed in January 2022, can provide the machinery needed to bring the Governments of the UK together, to discuss the right things at the right time. But there are more…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Our engagement with the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury has very much reflected a positive resetting of relationships and reinvigoration of collaborative spirit. When the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and I met with the Chancellor in…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Inter-governmental relations
Diolch yn fawr. The Welsh Government is determined to deliver on our priorities. We will do this by working with public sector partners, those in Wales and beyond, in particular the new UK Labour Government. As First Minister, I commit to bringing energy and…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks very much. What we know is that the very poorest pensioners will continue to be supported, but we also know that the pension credit is the gateway for unlocking that financial support. That's why, in Welsh Government, we've got a long-standing…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Receiving pension credit is the key for many older people in Wales to unlock further entitlements. Age UK recently estimated that 56,100 people in Wales are eligible but they're not claiming pension credit. Through collaborative work with the UK Government…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks very much, Lesley, and it was great to visit Wrexham town centre with you recently to see what, already, has changed as a result of that investment in the town centre, because we have a long track record in Wales of that Transforming Towns funding…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
We're working closely with the UK Government on their spending review to ensure investment opportunities for growth and jobs in Wales, including in Wrexham, are prioritised.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
No, we're not going to pause the Bill. I think it's a really important Bill. And when you hear of the profiteering in a home in Liverpool last week, where, literally, councils were being asked to pay £20,000 a week to support people in care—that is not a…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
We have listened to the people of Wales, and they've been clear that better access to social care is a priority for them, and this has reinforced better access to social care as a continued priority for us as a Government. Progress has been made, as I…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I think there's recognition that this wasn't a model that we expected to see, and I think there has been real frustration. But I think we are in a situation now where, following negotiations, Bridgend council have agreed to contribute £0.8 million to repair…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks very much, and I absolutely understand the frustration of your constituents. This was not a model of how we wanted this particular project to work. It's a mechanism of insulating external walls; 104 homes were affected. It was because of poor…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Welsh Government awarded £2.65 million of grant funding to Bridgend County Borough Council for remedial works on affected homes. My officials are due to meet with them early next month to review progress made on the mobilisation works on the affected…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks very much, Rhianon. You're quite right, the fact that we were able to make that offer was because we now have a Labour Government in Westminster. That was a priority, and because they awarded it in England in full, complying with the recommendations of…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Well, thanks very much. You’re quite right, the NHS in Wales is challenged. We all know that. The demand is unbelievable. I mean, the fact that there were more than 1.5 million referrals into hospitals in a year, more than half the population of Wales. It’s…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Our priority for iechyd da, a healthier Wales, is to cut waiting times for NHS services. We've made clear to health boards what our expectations for reductions in waiting times are, and they're set out in the planned care recovery plan. And we're working with…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thanks very much, and this is precisely why we’ve got that moratorium. It’s exactly to make sure that there is an appropriate way to make sure that the manure doesn’t find its way into our rivers. It’s a real problem; it’s not a problem just for rivers, it…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I’d be very happy to speak to my deputy about this matter. I think it is important that we make sure that we have a thorough understanding of that situation in relation to free-range status, so we’ll look into that.
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Diolch yn fawr. Well, we know that Natural Resources Wales are very keen to make sure that we review the regulation in terms of enforcement of spreading of organic materials on land in Wales, and I think it is important that we take a precautionary approach…
