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

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell raises the issue of child poverty.

He says "by 2029, Wales will have the highest child poverty rates in the UK. Within Wales, the rates are shocking. For example, in the region that we represent - in Carmarthenshire, for example, some 30 per cent of children are living in poverty; in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, it is in the region of 32.5 per cent. We know that these numbers are exacerbated because of the two-child benefit cap, with some 65,000 children in Wales affected by that cruel policy introduced by the Tories, which is being continued by the Labour Party."

Eluned Morgan replies "we are concerned about child poverty, and the best way to reduce child poverty is to ensure that those who have children have access to good-quality jobs, and that's why growing the economy is so important, so that they can have those jobs and can earn that money to help their children. Now, of course, we are not content with the situation in terms of the two-child benefit cap, and we've made that very clear for many months."

A target to eradicate child poverty in Wales by 2020 was scrapped in 2016.

Children are defined as living in poverty if they live in homes where the income of their household is less than 70% of the UK average.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Natasha Asghar asks what the Welsh government is doing to boost apprenticeships.

Eluned Morgan says the Welsh government is "on course to deliver 100,000 apprenticeships this Senedd term, supported by £144 million of investment, and that's backing real skills, real jobs and real futures. Our national campaigns are challenging old stereotypes, and they're making apprenticeships a first-choice path for young people and employers alike."

People can search for an apprenticeship on the Find an Apprenticeship, external section of the Welsh government's website.

Natasha Asghar says "this government’s decision to slash the apprenticeship budget by 14 per cent is having a damaging impact, with a 20 per cent drop in overall apprenticeships... That means more than 900 fewer people seizing apprenticeship opportunities."

She focusses specifically on construction apprenticeships, as "that sector has seen a staggering 48 per cent decline in uptake, that’s 205 fewer construction apprenticeship starts compared with the same quarter last year. And let’s be clear, this sharp decline is down to the government’s budget cuts and the decision to remove the level 2 foundation apprenticeship. Research has found that, in this first year, and after the removal of level 2, there were 1,075 fewer construction apprenticeships compared to the previous year."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Mabon ap Gwynfor expresses concerns over the funding of social care following the UK government's spending review.

Eluned Morgan says "we're investing over £6.1 billion in local services this year, including a new £30 million grant to transform pathways of care. We understand that decent care isn't a luxury, but a necessity. This Welsh Labour government is backing carers, backing families and laying the groundwork for a national care service."

Mabon ap Gwynfor says there was a "complete failure" in the spending review "to fund the care service".

Professor Gerry Holtham wrote a report seven years ago which said social care for older people could be funded by raising income tax in Wales between 1-3%, depending on age.

Care home owners have said a national care service would erase inequalities in funding between councils.

Costs for social care are currently met either by a resident or their local authority.

Timeline

• June 2018: Holtham report becomes the latest in a long line of inquiries and commissions designed to prompt action on the issue
• February 2020: Welsh ministers say they are looking at increasing income tax to pay for care
• April 2021: Just before the last Senedd election, that plan was ruled out by Labour
• September 2022, external: The Welsh government says it wants to set up a national care service, but that it would take about 10 years

Scotland and England have had similar issues with getting a national care service off the ground.

The Scottish government dumped its plans in January because of a lack of support and questions about how it would be paid for.

The UK government has set up a commission to start looking into funding for a national care service in England but it will not report back before 2028.

Image source, Getty Images

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review "leaves Wales trailing behind".

He says, "Plaid Cymru has a positive vision for Wales, believing, without doubt, that this is not as good as things could get for our nation. We need that vision for fairness, for prosperity, and for new opportunities to be created, but we know that it needs investment. It's why there's deep frustration year after year at the way Wales is funded."

He says the spending review leaves Wales with "the worst real-terms growth in the capital budget of all devolved governments, a worse deal than Scotland and Northern Ireland, a capital block decreasing between 2026 and 2030, the risk of real-terms cuts for some services according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the slowest growth in Welsh government day-to-day spending outside of the austerity years, and the prospect of cuts to budgets beyond health looming large."

He challenges the first minister to "disagree with any of those facts".

Eluned Morgan says the review means "we have seen £5 billion in terms of public spending. That's money that we can spend on the things that matter to the people of Wales, including things like health, education and making sure that we can produce quality jobs. The fact is that when we do get money into Wales it's really important that we are supported and that it's spent on those communities, and I'm afraid that in the past your party has demonstrated that you won't stand by us and with us and support a budget that would go into supporting communities."

Rhun ap Iorwerth adds that "£445 million in rail funding, roughly half of what we should be getting in high speed 2 line consequentials alone over the spending review period, let alone make up for historic underfunding by both Labour and Conservative governments. Applying the first minister's own calculations, Wales will lose more than £100 million in capital funding every year because of HS2's designation as an England and Wales project."

Eluned Morgan says "this is a good first step to addressing the historic underfunding when it comes to real rail infrastructure, and let's not forget this is not devolved".

In the chancellor's spending review, the UK Labour government pledged £445m for rail projects in Wales, £118m for restoring coal tips and extra cash for the day-to-day spending of the Welsh government.

On a visit to south Wales on Friday, Rachel Reeves said she had given the Welsh government "everything they'd asked for" which prompted Plaid Cymru to accuse Eluned Morgan and Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens of lacking ambition for Wales.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, asks whether the first minister regrets turning down his call in January for a Wales-wide inquiry into grooming gangs.

He says "you suggested that the issue had been politicised to the point where people feel threatened, and twice expressed disappointment that I was raising the issue in the Senedd. When describing the experiences of just one Welsh victim, I was jeered at, heckled and interrupted by Members of this Senedd, including, I am very sorry to say, members of your own Welsh government."

He asks "do you accept that the delay has caused further harm and hurt? And will you now give a full public commitment that the Welsh government will back that UK inquiry and instruct all public bodies under your control here in Wales to cooperate fully with it, because victims and their families deserve nothing less?"

Eluned Morgan replies, "this is an incredibly sensitive issue, and whenever we discuss these issues, it is really important that we put the needs and concerns of the victims right at the very centre of what we do. I want to reassure you that there is absolutely no complacency in the Welsh government. If women or children are being abused, I want to know about it and I want us to step in and to prevent it. And that's why we know that there's already been this independent inquiry into child sexual abuse that was chaired by Alexis Jay, and we are already undertaking the recommendations set out there.

"As you will be aware, the steps that happened were that the prime minister commissioned Baroness Casey to carry out an audit in relation to grooming gangs. So, we didn't say that we were rejecting it, we said, 'Let's do the audit first.' That audit has now taken place and Baroness Louise Casey herself has now said that she has changed her mind about a national inquiry and, of course, we welcome the decision made by the prime minister to undertake a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, and of course they will have our full co-operation."

Today a survivor of child sexual exploitation has repeated her call for a Wales-specific inquiry into the issue.

The woman, who goes by the pseudonym Emily Vaughn, had her experiences shared in the Senedd earlier this year by the Welsh Conservatives as they pushed Welsh ministers to instigate a separate inquiry.

Darren Millar says "I've been in touch with Emily in recent days, and had a conversation with her again this morning, and she told me that she's been trying to raise concerns about grooming gangs in Wales for many years, but feels completely let down by the authorities, by so-called experts, and indeed by the Welsh government. So, can I ask you, first minister, will you agree to meet Emily, with me, in person, so that you can hear first-hand about her experiences, and so that we can capture her concerns and finally work together by putting party politics aside to make sure that this inquiry delivers justice for Emily and thousands of victims like her across this country?"

Eluned Morgan replies, "too many women and girls have suffered at the hands of these perpetrators. I have already met with women who were based in a hostel that was clearly being targeted by some people. I have met with police commissioners to discuss this issue. And I think the important thing is that we continue to keep the victims at the forefront of our minds and that we follow now where the inquiry takes us."

In February, the Senedd rejected calls for a Welsh inquiry, but members voted unanimously that the Welsh government should consider one.

Image source, Getty Images

Plaid Cymru MS Adam Price asks "when will the government implement the provisions of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 in relation to electricity projects, including transmission and distribution infrastructure?"

Eluned Morgan replies "I’m proud to say that we’ve laid the regulations today, and from December communities will finally have a real say over big energy infrastructure. This is a Labour government doing devolution properly, standing up for rural Wales, putting people before profit, and giving local voices more power than ever before."

Coincidentally, the National Grid is beginning a consultation today over plans for three large new electricity substations on over 30 acres of farmland in west Wales.

National Grid Electricity Transmission have drawn up the plans for a 400kV station and two 132kV stations for National Grid customers at the same site near the village of Llandyfaelog in Carmarthenshire, occupying 12 fields.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

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

Russell George - an independent member since being among the 15 people charged with betting offences by the Gambling Commission investigating alleged cheating related to bets on the timing of last year's general election - raises the topic of Welsh government support for farming.

First Minister Eluned Morgan says the Welsh government is "backing farmers with over £366 million going into farm support this year alone".

Russell George describes the Welsh government's decision not to align with the UK government's policy on the bluetongue virus from 1 July as "disastrous".

He says it will "cost the mid Wales economy significantly. It's also an impractical policy as well. This isn't just my view, this is the view of auctioneers and farmers who I met with at Welshpool livestock market yesterday. You will know, first minister, that this is one of the biggest markets in Wales and England, smack on the border - in fact, you can see the English border from the market itself. This policy, announced last Thursday, will have huge implications for cross-border trade."

Eluned Morgan adds, "I know there's considerable concern in rural communities in relation to bluetongue, and I know the deputy first minister [Huw Irranca-Davies] is doing everything in his power to try and keep it out of this country. Discussions have taken place with all our key stakeholders, including farmers' unions, including the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and the Livestock Auctioneers Association... I want to assure you that this policy will be kept under review and will respond to the ongoing situation."

Spread by midges, bluetongue presents no threat to food safety or human health, but can have serious consequences for ruminant livestock like sheep and cattle.

A restricted zone (RZ) in England - limiting the movement of animals - has continued to expand over recent months as the disease has spread.

From 1 July, the UK government has decided to designate the whole of England as an RZ,, external which in practice means movement controls are lifted as the focus shifts to encouraging uptake of new bluetongue vaccines which alleviate the symptoms.

The Welsh government has placed limits on moving livestock from England into Wales in response to the spread of the bluetongue virus.

Cattle, sheep and goats would need to test negative for the potentially fatal disease before they can be transported across the border.

Image source, The Pirbright Institute

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Eluned Morgan’s thirty-first 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.