----------------- ----------------- |  | | Last Updated: Tuesday, 18 May, 2004, 16:38 GMT 17:38 UK |
Wales: First Minister's Questions (18/05/04)
|  Rhodri Morgan rejects the idea of war with the English |
Liberal Democrat Group leader Mike German burst into life today and apologised for his brief term in office. At First Minister's questions he admitted that, as part of the LibLab coalition in the first Assembly, he got it wrong. And he challenged the First Minister to accept that too. But Rhodri Morgan said the LibDem leader was "off beam". He said the Labour Assembly Government has got the diagnosis and the direction of travel right. Ieuan Wyn Jones stuck to the issue of quangos in the hope of embarrassing the First Minister over his claims in Opposition that they should be made accountable. The Plaid Cymru leader wanted to know why so much money in the health service was spent by quangos. Mr Morgan was just pleased Plaid Cymru were acknowledging so much money was being invested in the health service. Questions Mike German (Leader, Liberal Democrat Group) asked why there were 22 separate action plans for the 22 local health boards but no all-Wales strategy for the National Health Service. He asked when the government will take a lead over bed blocking.
The First Minister said he was encouraging closer working with social services departments and the NHS to reduce delayed transfers of care. He pointed to health authorities which were performing best and said it was the challenge to see how to �'bottle the essence of good practice'', so others can learn from them. Mike German asked the First Minister to admit that the LibLab coalition in the first assembly got it wrong. He apologised to the people of Wales for his role in the last assembly, and challenged the First Minister to do the same.
The First Minister said his comments were "off-beam". He accepted that there is an issue over the boundaries between health and social care, such as when people with chronic conditions are being managed in acute beds, but it is being addressed.Leighton Andrews (Labour) asked about financial support for local authorities.
The First Minister said he was pleased to see the council tax rises this year being the lowers since 1996. Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru Leader) asked why unelected quangos such as the local health boards were spending more money than elected bodies. He asked why the First Minister attacked the Tories for cronyism and now does the same thing.
The First Minister thanked Mr Wyn Jones for acknowledging health expenditure has grown massively. He challenged Plaid Cymru's leader to identify where the cronyism is.Mick Bates (Liberal Democrat) asked the First Minister to be courageous about GM food labelling in Wales and be zero tolerant of GM foods in Wales.
The First Minister said the consultation headed by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Food Standards Agency closes in June. He said the labelling regime is already very tight at the moment - 0.9 per cent of any ingredient in food has to be labelled as such.>Janet Davies (Plaid Cymru) said it was technically possible to detect GM food content lower than 0.9 per cent. She asked whether the First Minister will put forward, in the consultation, that the regime should be the lowest amount technically possible.
The First Minister said he couldn't place it into the consultation himself, but expected it to emerge from it.Helen Mary Jones (Plaid Cymru) said ELWa was failing to deliver a strategic approach to the Welsh medium at Further Education level.
The First Minister said a bilingual strategy for Further Education was being developed and that around 9000 are learning in FE colleges through the medium of Welsh.Peter Black (Liberal Democrat) asked how the First Minister was addressing the problems identified of learning through web-based welsh-medium.
The First Minister said he didn't know of any specific problems. He said it was important to know that students can get their qualifications through a web-based Welsh medium.Brynle Williams (Conservative) asked what the government can do to held the milk industry, which he says is in "meltdown".
The First Minister said there is a strategy to assist milk farmers to add value to their products, but he said the Assembly Government cannot intervene on the price of milk. He said the strategy in place has invested 27 million pounds to help problems facing the industry.Carl Sarjeant (Labour) said Labour had helped the industry by providing free school milk.
The First Minister said the figures show an increase in milk consumption for key stage one. He said the latest indication is that the upward trend is increasing. Mick Bates (Liberal Democrat) said that free school milk was the Liberal Democrats' idea. He asked whether the idea will be extended to key stage two.
The First Minister said he had no proposals to extend it.Nick Bourne (Welsh Conservative Leader) asked why there has been a fall in the number of beds by three per cent, why 82,000 more people were on waiting lists and whether it was time for a change in health policy.
The First Minister said the government was investing for the future. He said the capacity of medical schools has increased by 89 per cent and the number of nurses leaving training is up by 70 per cent. He said it may take a while, but it is starting to show.Nick Bourne said the fact remains: waiting lists are higher now than since Rhodri Morgan came to office. He said 10 per cent of the population are on a waiting list.
The First Minister said that progress was being made, especially in the service provided by primary care. He said the Conservatives halved the number of doctors in training and Labour has rebuilt that. Ieuan Wyn Jones asked about the possibility of having a Wales-only bill on banning smoking in public places.
The First Minister said that they have requested a bill, agreed by the assembly, to be in the next Queen's Speech. He mentioned the bill currently going through the House of Lords by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, although there is not much hope that the bill can complete all the stages in the House of Commons.Nick Bourne asked whether the Assembly should "get into the game earlier" and achieve some cross-party support for the measures.
The First Minister said the assembly can't get in much earlier. He said the bill was first passed in January. He said it should not be a party issue, or a cross-party issue. He said it was a matter of exploring the issues which might let Wales follow the path of the Republic of Ireland and ban smoking from public places.You can see First Minister's Questions in full on BBC Parliament from 1500 GMT on Saturday.
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