Eluned Morgan’s thirty-eighth session as first minister comes to a close.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price asks the first minister to "outline the schedule for establishing a community bank in Wales".

Eluned Morgan replies "we've said that we would like to see a mutually owned community bank in Wales, a bank that puts people before profit. That’s why we’ve worked through Banc Cambria, backing operators with over £400,000 to test and develop new models. But the fact is that powers over banking sit with Westminster. We are pressing banks to go faster on hubs, super automated teller machines and face-to-face access. The timing of any new delivery rests though with commercial parties. But, let me just be clear, our commitment to financial inclusion in Wales is rock solid."

Adam Price says, "over the past few days, Lloyds Bank has announced that it is going to be closing the last bank branch in Ammanford, and instead they're offering what they call a 'community banker', namely somebody who will be visiting every fortnight to sit in the corner of a café locally. That's the reality of these banking hubs that the banks are talking about. Instead of accepting these crumbs from the tables of financial institutions that have exploited our communities, who aren't concerned about the interests of local people, why don't we create a community bank that will be here for our people on a long-term basis, rooted in our communities and meeting the financial needs of the people of Wales across the nation?"

The creation of a community bank was a Welsh Labour manifesto commitment going into the 2021 election, with the ambition to open thirty branches across Wales "over the next decade".

The proposal was to establish a mutual bank called Banc Cambria that would be "owned by and run for the benefit of its members" and would improve banking access across Wales.

In 2023 Monmouthshire Building Society (MBS), which was developing the idea on the Welsh government's behalf, stopped working on the proposals because of the "unpredictability" facing the UK economy.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Andrew RT Davies asks whether the first minister regrets declining an invitation to the state banquet for President Trump.

Mr Davies says "titans of businesses that have trillions of pounds of turnover" were there.

Eluned Morgan replies, "I take my responsibility as the First Minister of Wales very seriously. I have attended a previous state banquet. What I do know from attending that state banquet is that it’s not an appropriate place for you to do business deals - that is simply not the nature of the occasion. The place to do those business deals is in the investment summit that we’ll be hosting in December."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Paul Davies asks "what is the first minister’s assessment of the delivery of health services in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area?"

Eluned Morgan replies "health boards are responsible for delivering safe, timely, high-quality care, and this Welsh Labour government is giving them the full backing to do it. In Hywel Dda, that means extra funding, direct intervention and hands-on support from our NHS improvement team - from £481,000 for a new gamma camera at Withybush to £2.7 million for urgent and emergency care".

Paul Davies says "the reality is that accessing even some of the most basic NHS services is a real problem for many of my constituents; whether it's a GP, a dentist or an ambulance, it is a serious struggle for many people to access services quickly in that area. Of course, it's the health board's view that centralising services away from people will improve service delivery, and as you know, I'm firmly against plans that result in people having to travel further for vital and essential services".

Eluned Morgan adds that in Hywel Dda "90 per cent of mental health assessments for under 18-year-olds are being done within 28 days of referral; when it comes to over 18-year-olds, 98 per cent of them are being done. Now, that is massive improvement, along with the improvement we’ve seen for two-year planned care. And outpatients waits of over a year falling by 97 per cent in the last year. I do think that Hywel Dda is starting to turn things around."

Earlier this year, the chief executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board, Prof Phil Kloer said he is making a "strong case" to the Welsh government to invest in existing hospitals, after plans for a new urgent care hospital for west Wales were shelved.

In November 2024, Hywel Dda admitted a new hospital was unlikely to be built for at least 10 years.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Labour's Julie Morgan asks "what is the Welsh government doing to ensure people with pets can secure housing tenancies?"

Eluned Morgan replies "no-one should have to choose between a roof and their dog or cat. For so many people, pets are family. They bring comfort, they bring care, and they bring companionship. No-one should have to give that up just to get a tenancy, and that’s why this Labour government’s Renting Homes Act stops landlords from unreasonably refusing pets."

Julie Morgan says "one of my constituents in search of a rental property found everywhere had the same statement: no pets allowed, everywhere she looked".

She asks "what more can the government do to move this issue on and to make people and animals’ lives happier and more fulfilled?"

The first minister says "we’ll encourage best practice in the private rental sector to tenants with pets through an amendment to the Rent Smart Wales code of practice for licensed landlords".

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 which commenced on 1 December 2022 tells tenants that "any pet clause in your contract should allow you to ask for permission to keep a pet. Your landlord would not be allowed to unreasonably refuse the request."

Earlier this year, the UK government shelved plans to allow landlords in England to require their tenants to take out special insurance if they own pets.

The measure was proposed in England alongside stronger legal rights for tenants to keep animals in the Renters' Rights Bill announced last autumn.

But the UK government ditched the idea, arguing that appropriate insurance products may not become widely available quickly enough.

Image source, Getty Images

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth takes issue with comments by the first minister at the Labour party's autumn conference.

Eluned Morgan accused Plaid Cymru and Reform of being "a different poison, same bottle" in a speech to the Labour conference in Liverpool on Sunday.

Rhun ap Iorwerth says the language is "unbecoming of her office".

He elaborates, "in politics, words do matter, so I would ask the first minister to reflect on her choice of tone and terminology. One, does she really think that Plaid Cymru and Reform are so similar? Where we promote unity, they sow division. It's progressive versus regressive. Where we advocate for Wales to stand on its own two feet, they flirt with the idea of direct control from Westminster, silencing Wales's voice. Where we promote our culture and language, they proudly say it's not a priority. And then there's the Trump-style language."

The first minister replies, "Reform wants to divide our communities and Plaid wants to divide our nations. Reform wants to blame foreigners and Plaid wants to blame Westminster."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to Reform UK's former leader in Wales admitting taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia while being a Member of the European Parliament.

Nathan Gill, 52, from Llangefni, Ynys Môn, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.

Darren Millar says "the current Reform leader in Wales, who doesn't of course live in Wales, Nigel Farage, has disgustingly also cosied up to the Russians in the past. He's spoken openly of his admiration for Vladimir Putin, and even pushed the Russian propaganda lie that the west provoked the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Do you agree with me that Reform is a clear and present danger to our national security here in Wales and across our United Kingdom?"

Eluned Morgan says she agrees, adding "I must say that we knew that Reform is a threat in Wales, that there is a real possibility of corruption and chaos, and now we have evidence of that through someone who was the former leader of Reform in Wales. I think we've all been appalled by the act of the former leader of Reform in Wales, a person who was a member of this chamber, one of seven members elected to the party led by Nigel Farage".

Darren Millar then refers to the UK government's plans to introduce a digital ID system, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said would ensure the country's "borders are more secure".

He asks whether the first minister supports the plan.

Eluned Morgan replies, "personally, I don't object to this. I think we are open to working with the UK government on the development of a digital ID card and the implications there are for Wales. I want to see what that looks like. I want to make sure that they understand that we want that as a bilingual card, that we want to make sure that the Welsh flag is part of it, and I would object to it being called a 'Brit card'".

Darren Millar says "I find it astonishing, frankly, that a government that bleats on and on and on about there not being enough money for Welsh public services, is backing a digital ID scheme that the London School of Economics has said will cost £20 billion, that's £20,000 million, across the UK in the first 10 years alone. About £1 billion of that would come to Wales to invest in our NHS so that we can get people off those horrific waiting lists, into our schools so that young people can get the education they need, and investment, of course, into our roads so we can get our economy moving again."

Under the proposals, announced by the prime minister last week, all adults working in the UK will require a digital ID card in order to work - part of an attempt by the UK government to crack down on illegal immigration.

The IDs, which will be stored digitally on smartphones, will include details such as name, residency status, date of birth, nationality and a photo - in theory, making it harder for people without status to find jobs.

It will not, however, be compulsory to carry your ID on a day-to-day basis.

The UK government says the ID scheme will be rolled-out before the next UK general election, which by law must be held no later than August 2029.

Image source, PA Media

Plaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell asks what action is the Welsh government taking "to address challenges facing town centres" in the region he represents in the Senedd, mid and west Wales.

Eluned Morgan says "since 2020, we’ve invested over £70 million in regeneration across mid and west Wales, with landmark projects like Western Quayside in Haverfordwest and Cardigan market hall. On top of that, £335 million in business rates relief this year is allocated to help businesses, along with a consultation on fairer rules, so that small, local shops aren’t left carrying the can."

Cefin Campbell refers to "stark" figures that suggest there are, on average, 680 businesses in Carmarthenshire closing every year, with the last quarter of 2024 recording the lowest level of new businesses being established in the county.

He says "Labour's current policies are failing our town centres".

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 asks "how is the Welsh government encouraging communities to use clean energy?"

First Minister Eluned Morgan replies "we're powering Wales up ourselves - £13 million, this year, into community energy, 60,000 homes warmer and cheaper since 2011, and with Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, every penny from big renewables will stay in Wales. And this isn't just numbers; it's people - Powys council cutting bills with solar and batteries, Urdd Llangrannog reinvesting energy savings into young people. That's a fair transition—bills cut, jobs created, and Welsh communities in charge."

Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, the renewable energy developer established by the Welsh government in 2024, aims to "deliver renewable energy projects across the public estate, and to optimise the benefits to Wales from a portfolio of wind energy projects, and potentially other smart energy solutions".

Image source, Senedd Cymru

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

The Siambr (Senedd chamber) has closed for renovations until March 2026, as work is underway on altering it to accommodate the 96 Members who will be chosen in the next Senedd election in May 2026.

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.