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

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Mark Isherwood calls on the Welsh government to do more to support access to services and activities for disabled children.

He says, "as chair of the cross-party groups on disability, on autism and on death issues, barriers to accessing services and activities encountered by disabled children are regularly raised with me. At the 20 February meeting of the cross-party group on disability, we received a presentation on the evaluation report on swimming lessons for disabled children by charity Sparkle and Disability Sport Wales. Eighty-one per cent of family carers said there were barriers to accessing community-based swimming lessons, the majority involving neurodiverse children."

The first minister - a former lifeguard - replies "the disabled people's rights plan has been shaped. It's being completed as we speak. It's involved 350 external stakeholders, which includes children, and that will be consulted upon very shortly. There will be opportunities then for people to feed back in that process."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Tassia Haines

Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams calls for better data on breast cancer to give a clearer picture of the disease in Wales, reflecting the call by Tassia Haines who campaigned for better cancer treatment before she died from secondary breast cancer.

Sioned Williams says "the first reports of the national audits for primary and metastatic breast cancer were published last September, but the reports were unable to deliver a comprehensive picture of primary and metastatic breast cancer in Wales due to incomplete data."

The first minister replies, "you’re quite right that Tassia Haines was one of the most inspirational women I’ve ever met. She was dying and she would not let go of this issue. She was absolutely all over the detail of what needed to be done and she did change the Welsh government and the NHS in Wales, and I want to pay tribute to her. Her legacy lives on today, certainly in terms of the support for metastatic breast cancer nurse specialists. That, of course, is a workforce matter, and it's up to health boards to determine that. But you are quite right - we still need to do a lot more work on data".

A damning report into cancer services in Wales by Audit Wales earlier this year found confusion, lack of clarity and duplication at a leadership level.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, TfW

Former first minister Vaughan Gething seeks a statement on investment proposals for the Global Centre of Rail Excellence development.

Plans for the "world class train testing facility for a UK and European market", on the former Nant Helen surface mine and Onllwyn coal washery at the head of the Dulais valley, were announced by Welsh government in 2018.

Planning permission was granted in summer 2021, a new company called GCRE Ltd was created to deliver the project, and it was meant to be fully operational by summer 2025.

The cost is £400 million - £70 million from public funding, with £330 million being sought through private investment procurement.

But the public procurement process was not completed in autumn 2023 as intended and the new target date for finding suitable private investors was the end of the 2024/25 financial year. This was also the target date for GCRE Ltd becoming majority owned by a private investor(s).

The first minister says "GCRE is currently in the process of securing private investment for capital construction of the facility and is in a detailed dialogue with a potential funder".

She elaborates, "we are committed to delivering the GCRE through the programme for government and you'll be aware that there have been many issues that have hampered securing private sector investment to date that have been completely beyond the control of the Welsh government and GCRE, which launched in early 2023 in, of course, what was one of the most challenging of investment environments. Now, the funding options remaining still focus firmly on a private sector solution. We are working through contingency plans which will include, though, both private and public funding sources just to make sure everything is covered. I'm sure you will understand that there are commercial sensitivities around such deals. I'm very mindful not to prejudice any ongoing negotiations. All of the options must, though, secure funding for work to start this Senedd term, so we do hope that things will move quickly."

The complex would allow trains to be tested on special tracks - laid out on 4.5 mile (7.3km) and two mile (3.1km) ovals - at speeds of up to 100mph (160kph).

The first minister also refers to a recent report which highlighted that the centre could create over 1,000 jobs and a potential £300 million uplift for the local economy.

She says around 200 companies have indicated their desire to use this facility.

Last Tuesday, when the Welsh government's spending plans for the next year were given the go-ahead in the Senedd, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said in the Siambr that "today with this budget, we turned the corner, moving beyond austerity to investment and to growth".

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says Mark Drakeford had been speaking "clearly without being sent the memo saying that, within hours, the Labour government at Westminster would announce sweeping cuts to welfare, taking away a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people."

Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves has earmarked several billion pounds in draft spending cuts to welfare and other government departments ahead of the Spring Statement.

Rhun ap Iorwerth says "this is something that directly affects Welsh government and the use of its budget. The first minister can't hide on this one. Will she muster the courage to tell Keir Starmer that enough is enough, or is she refusing to give a voice to the voiceless at a time when they need it most?"

The first minister replies, "every week, you come in here and you ask me questions that are relevant to the Westminster government. I will continue to give you lessons week after week on how devolution works. It works because I am responsible for certain areas and they're responsible for others. I don't know why you keep asking me about areas over which I don't have responsibility."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

In the week that International Women's Day was celebrated (March 8), Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, asks "in order that people across Wales can appreciate and understand what the Welsh government was celebrating over the weekend, what’s your definition of a 'woman'?"

The first minister replies, "Oh, really? Is that right? Is that right, Darren? On the day that we want to celebrate women, you want to start a culture war. That is not something that I'm engaging with; it is not something I'm engaging with."

Darren Millar adds, "let me help you by giving you the definition that I use of a woman. To me, a woman is an adult human female."

He says "it is important that everybody understands that a woman is an adult human female so that we can protect women’s rights and ensure that women here in Wales flourish."

He describes himself as "a pro-women’s rights potential first minister".

The first minister responds, "did you not learn anything from why you lost the last general election? I mean, honestly, what people care about is the economy, they care about the NHS, they care about housing, they care about education, they care about connecting communities. Those are all the things that I am absolutely focused on, and I am not playing games with your culture wars, because actually the people of Wales are not interested in that."

In the Labour conference in 2021, Sir Keir Starmer said it is "not right" to say only women have a cervix.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

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 MS Jenny Rathbone asks "what progress is the Welsh government making on improving secondary care for treating endometriosis?"

First Minister Eluned Morgan replies, "we recognise the difficulties women face in accessing specialist services for health conditions, particularly surgery for endometriosis. Officials are working with the women’s health network and the gynaecology implementation network to strengthen secondary care, and with the joint commissioning committee to explore establishing specialist commissioned services for tertiary care."

She refers to the first Women’s Health Plan for Wales launched in December, setting out a 10-year vision to improve healthcare services for women.

The plan includes a commitment to "provide further training of endometriosis as a chronic condition and education as part of the curriculum".

Jenny Rathbone says, "the news that there is going to be a further look at commissioning specialist services, including tertiary services, is very good, because the women’s health plan is somewhat silent on improving access to surgery to remove the invasive endometritis from other organs outside the womb."

The Welsh government is spending £3m on a women's health hub in each health board by March 2026.

Research by charity Endometriosis UK found the average diagnosis time for endometriosis in Wales was nine years and 11 months in 2024.

This was the longest diagnosis time across the UK and had increased from nine years in 2020.

The first minister now tells MSs the women’s health plan "includes an action to sustainably fund and deliver a model for tertiary care provision in Wales for endometriosis. Now, this is a medium-term approach within the action plan, which means there’s a timescale from three to five years."

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition associated with menstruation where tissue similar to the lining of the womb is found in other areas of the body, including the fallopian tubes, pelvis, bowel, vagina and intestines.

In rare cases it has even been found in the lungs, eyes, spine and brain. It was once thought that the only place in the body where endometriosis did not occur was the spleen, but in 2020 it was found there also.

Symptoms include severe to debilitating pain often in the pelvic area, fatigue, and heavy periods, and the condition is also associated with infertility.

Image source, BBC / Studio Lambert

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

The meeting is held in a hybrid format, with some members in the Siambr (Senedd chamber) and others joining by video-conference.

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