Eluned Morgan’s fifty-second session as first minister comes to a close.

Next week is the Senedd’s spring half term recess.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Labour's John Griffiths, MS for Newport East, asks "what further steps will the Welsh government take to strengthen the Welsh language in all parts of Wales?"

Eluned Morgan says the Welsh government "remains fully committed to strengthening the Welsh language in every part of Wales through Cymraeg 2050, expanding opportunities for everyday use".

Cymraeg 2050 has the aim of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. According to the 2021 Census, 17.8% of residents aged three or older in Wales, which is approximately 538,000 people, said they can speak Welsh.

John Griffiths says "it's a great challenge to build the Welsh language in areas such as Newport East, where it isn't strong. Important steps have been taken - Welsh-medium education, for example - but a great deal of work remains to be done in order to develop community use of the Welsh language. So, it's therefore time to create new ways of strengthening the language in Newport East in order to make further progress."

The first minister replies, "I think it's incredible how much progress we've seen in terms of the Welsh language in a place like Newport. In 2013, 620 children attended Welsh-medium schools, and by 2023, there were 1,340 children doing so, so that's more than doubled in a decade, and that's the direction we want to travel in".

She adds that the visit of Eisteddfod yr Urdd to the city in 2027 will be an opportunity to "ensure that the community is more aware of the language and the possibilities that lie therein".

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Tom Giffard asks how is the Welsh government supporting pubs and breweries in the region he represents.

The first minister says the Welsh government "is backing pubs and breweries in south-west Wales with significant support, including £8 million in new rates relief for food and drink venues, permanent reliefs worth £250 million a year and £140 million in small business rates relief, benefiting many breweries. These businesses also benefit from the drinks cluster, the food service programme, Perthyn grants of up to £80,000 for community takeover of pubs and skills programmes that help to boost workforce development."

Last week, the Welsh government announced a one-year business rate discount of 15% for pubs, restaurants, cafes and live music venues.

Tom Giffard says "we are losing far too many" pubs and breweries and he focusses on the fact that Wales' business rates cut is two years shorter than a similar scheme in England for pubs and live music venues.

He points out, "the Campaign for Real Ale themselves said last week that the one-off, one-year discount was nowhere near enough to stop more pubs from shutting their doors. In England, pubs are being offered a 40 per cent discount on business rates bills for the next three years. Unless that is matched by the Welsh government, what we'll see is pubs in Wales at a competitive disadvantage compared to those pubs over the border."

The first minister replies, "I do understand that pubs and other places are under pressure. I do understand that one of the worst times for pubs was when the Tory UK government interest rates soared, hitting businesses across the country. I think it is important to recognise that, actually, we do have different sizes of pubs in Wales; for example, the average rateable value of properties in Wales is around £19,000 and that compares to £34,000 in England, so it's right for us to adjust to our own models here in Wales. We have a relatively high proportion of small properties that qualify for relief, and just to give you a sense of the difference, the cost of our small business rates relief is equivalent to 10 per cent of total rates revenue in Wales; in England, it's 4 per cent."

Last week, Eluned Morgan said the public need to stop watching Netflix, "get out of their homes" and go to the pub for a drink to save struggling businesses.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Janet Finch-Saunders seeks a statement on the special measures status of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

Eluned Morgan replies, "Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was placed in special measures due to serious concerns about the safety and quality of services, access to timely care and its operational grip and control. We've been clear about the changes it must make and have published the improvement criteria it must meet. The third annual progress report will be published in March."

Janet Finch-Saunders says, "In November 2020, it was pulled out of special measures despite concerns being raised about that happening, but we know that was just prior to a Senedd election, and it should never have been allowed at that time to go out of special measures. Those special measures now have cost well over £100 million. They're level 5, because of the shocking failures in governance, leadership and culture. It's fair to say they quite often spend well over their budget, often to the tune of around £40 million overspend."

Eluned Morgan says, "there is, clearly, more work to be done in Betsi. I think we've got to recognise, though, that improvements have been made since they were placed in special measures. There's a stable board in place, the latest Audit Wales structured assessment recognised strengthened corporate systems of assurance and the concerns about waiting times data - those have been rectified. But, there is more work to be done in terms of improving the quality of healthcare for the people of Wales."

It was put into "special measures" for a second time by the Welsh government in February 2023 over serious concerns about its governance and leadership.

The health board previously spent more than five years, between 2015 and 2020, under the highest level of Welsh government oversight and control.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Labour's Mick Antoniw - former counsel general (the senior legal advisor to the Welsh government) and MS for Pontypridd - calls for stronger laws on fly-tipping and littering.

He explains, "it is a strange society we live in now, isn't it, that people drive along in their car and will happily just throw litter out of the windows into the streets, and onto our kerbs, cleared up one week and then throw again the following week. We've also seen the terrible scenes where the criminality of fly-tipping is now becoming a large criminal business that needs to be tackled. Do you agree with me that we need to actually start looking, certainly in the next Senedd, at new legislation that not only strengthens the importance of keeping our environment clean, but also enforcement, which includes stronger laws to prevent littering, fly-tipping and that criminality, but also to increase the education in this area, and I think also to ensure that we put firmly within our legislative framework that the polluter should pay, and that means educating magistrates and justices within the justice system, so that they understand how serious these offences are, and that the consequences should reflect the cost of clearing up and properly dissuading people from this type of activity?"

Eluned Morgan replies, "I think this is something that really upsets people across Wales. I think it is something where there's a visceral response by the public. They hate seeing litter and they want something to happen. That's why I am pleased, actually, that we are seeing more prosecutions. I think we've seen double the number in recent years. But we try to do what we can in terms of presenting 100 trail cameras for local authorities, so that they can ensure those are happening. We're supporting enforcing projects in Neath, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Pembrokeshire, and we're exploring changes to fixed penalties for small-scale fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences. I'm sure there's more we can do, and I think it is important for us to continue looking at what further steps we can take and what are the areas we need to focus on. I think that certainly prosecuting is one of them."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, says Eluned Morgan's statement on Sir Keir Starmer was "mealy-mouthed".

He elaborates, "it doesn't say, and at no point have you said, that you have full confidence in the prime minister or his leadership. Of course, it's hardly surprising, is it, because, in recent months, you've been slagging the prime minister off at every opportunity. Just weeks ago you made it clear that the prime minister wasn't welcome in Wales to campaign, unless he brought some goodies with him. You refused to say, when you were asked time and time again in an interview with the BBC, when you were asked whether he was doing a good job, you refused to say whether you thought he was doing a good job or not. And this is a man who appointed Peter Mandelson to the most powerful and important diplomatic posting that this country has, in the full knowledge that Peter Mandelson had maintained a close relationship with a convicted paedophile".

He asks "for clarity's sake right now, tell us: does the prime minister have your full confidence - yes or no?"

She replies, "Yes, he does. And I contacted him after our Cabinet meeting, because it's my job to be in the Cabinet meeting, to let him know that he has my support, prior to that meeting with the parliamentary Labour Party last night. I think this country has had enough of changing prime ministers every couple of years. The idea of a Tory asking me about the performance of the prime minister is, frankly, laughable. Darren, you were an apologist for Rishi Sunak, you were a supporter of Liz Truss, you were a cheerleader for Boris Johnson, you were an applauder of Theresa May, you were a proponent for David Cameron. All of these people made a major contribution to crashing the economy and leaving us with a situation we have today, where people are struggling to pay their bills. My job is to help them, and that's what I'm focused on doing."

Darren Millar reminds members that "it's over 12 months since I challenged you to set up a grooming gang inquiry here in Wales. You told me 12 months ago that there was no need for a grooming gang inquiry, there was no evidence of grooming gangs operating here in Wales... We know that the UK government announced that is was going to have a UK-wide grooming gang inquiry in June, but nothing seems to have happened since, and yet other cases of grooming gangs operating in Wales are coming forward. Can you tell us, first minister, where is that inquiry up to, why are you dragging your feet, and when will victims here in Wales see some progress? "

The first minister says "we take the issue of violence against women and women's exploitation, when it comes to the way they are treated in our communities, very seriously, and that's why we will very shortly be publishing a report on what we intend to do as a government in relation to that. The UK grooming gang inquiry is the UK government leading on that. We have, of course, made it clear that we are very keen to make sure that Wales is included and taken seriously, and the kinds of people who may have been victims, that their witness statements should be taken seriously as well in relation to that."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Following lack month's sacking by Conservative group leader Darren Millar of his shadow health secretary James Evans for talking to Reform - a party he has since joined - the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have 13 members each in the Senedd.

So the two parties now take turns to ask the first leader's questions to the first minister.

Plaid Cymru goes first today.

Rhun ap Iorwerth says, "The prime minister appointed Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States, despite knowing of his continued relationship with Epstein. That is not the level of judgment one would expect of a prime minister".

He asks, "does the first minister agree with me on that? And assuming that she does, why didn't she come out and say so publicly immediately?"

Eluned Morgan replies, "Keir Starmer was elected with a clear mandate to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and I support him in the job that he was elected to do? When Labour succeeds in government, the people of Wales become better off, and that is my key concern. My job as first minister is to improve the lives of people in Wales, not to provide a running commentary on Westminster politics. I have never been a fan of Peter Mandelson. I never felt that he held the same kind of values as we do in Welsh Labour. The recent revelations that he shared sensitive government information with somebody who could benefit financially I think was a low that many people hadn't expected. But also, of course, what is important now is that Keir Starmer takes this opportunity to refocus the issues relating to Epstein on to the women and girls who have been abused. That's where the focus needs to be and that's where the focus needs to stay. I think that the prime minister is an honourable man, he's committed to public service, and I think that he wants to do right by the country."

Rhun ap Iorwerth adds, "her attack on Peter Mandelson is no doubt justified; her continued defence of the prime minister, of course, raises more questions. And whatever the depths of chaos in Downing Street, the first minister's record is one of, ultimately, defaulting to supporting Keir Starmer. But here's a first minister not knowing, on this occasion, which way to turn. Having failed to join the criticism of Keir Starmer yesterday, neither did she come out to defend him until a day later, with a statement this morning. But I guess that it was inevitable that she would in the end."

Eluned Morgan replies, "I am focused on the needs of the people of this country. I do not jump up in the middle of a Cabinet meeting to respond to issues going on in Westminster. That is not the way you run a country".

Rhun ap Iorwerth claims "the real reason why the first minister is so passive when it comes to passing judgments on the prime minister is because she is equally as weakened as he is. She has invested so much political capital in supporting him she can't back down now."

On Tuesday morning, Eluned Morgan said in a statement that she backs Sir Keir Starmer remaining as prime minister, saying "the country needs stability in an age of instability".

But in her statement Morgan also called the Lord Mandelson scandal "deeply troubling" and that "once again, the voices of women and girls were ignored".

It comes a day after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for Sir Keir to resign, after which Morgan was criticised for remaining silent as Sir Keir battled to shore up his premiership.

UK cabinet ministers, including the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, responded to Sarwar's call by offering their support to the prime minister.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Llywydd Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table questions to the first minister.

Labour's Joyce Watson raises the topic of Welsh government support for charities in Wales, and says "I welcome the Welsh government’s commitment to supporting Welsh charities, with £10.9 million funding to Third Sector Support Wales, which is an increase of £2.3 million on last year."

In Welsh Charities week, 9 – 13 February, First Minister Eluned Morgan pays tribute to the 27% of people in Wales who do volunteering work in charities, and she outlines financial support.

She says, "it's quite remarkable how many people do volunteer - 27 per cent of the population is a large proportion of the population, and I would pay tribute to them. It's not only good for the people they serve, but it's good for them as well, and I know a lot of people get a lot of enrichment in their own lives as a result of that. To support the work that volunteers do, the Welsh government is investing more than £3.57 million directly into volunteering this year."

Plaid Cymru's Peredur Owen Griffiths warns that hospice services caring for people at the end of their lives are at risk because of the current funding model.

He says, "I visited St David's Hospice Care in Newport last week, where I met the chief executive officer, Emma Saysell, again. And I was told during my meeting that, like many other charities, St David's Hospice Care is not generating the same income through the shops as they once did. This has been partly attributed to the rise of reselling websites. This changing trend compounds the financial situation that some charities find themselves in. It also underlines Plaid Cymru's call for a new financial settlement for end-of-life care services."

The first minister replies, "we have taken this seriously. It's not something you can fix overnight. We've had a very clear, phased programme of work in relation to hospice funding and end-of-life care. We have been reviewing that funding, and we recognise that if these are not there, there will be a knock-on effect to our hospitals. So, we are continuing with that work."

Nine of the 14 hospices in Wales have said they face a financial deficit in 2025-26, while one has closed and another is temporarily shut because of increased running costs and funding difficulties.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Eluned Morgan’s fifty-second session of First Minister's Questions.

The Siambr (Senedd chamber) has closed for renovations as work is underway on altering it to accommodate the 96 Members to be chosen in the Senedd election in May.

So the 60 MSs are meeting in Siambr Hywel, the original debating chamber that housed the then National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2006.

The meeting is held in a hybrid format, with some members in Siambr Hywel and others joining by video-conference.

You can click on the play button above to watch the proceedings from 1.30pm.