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

Image source, Senedd Cymru

"We were short-changed in relation to HS2; we will continue to make the case for that to be corrected," says the first minister.

But she adds she is not expecting consequential funding in the forthcoming UK government budget.

"I think it's important to manage expectations. I am not expecting anything to be announced in the forthcoming budget, but what I will say is that I have been making those representations; I've been making them very loudly, very clearly, and made it very clear that we're not backing down from this."

The HS2 project was designated an "England and Wales" scheme by the UK Treasury.

That means it did not trigger the mechanism that would usually send money to the Welsh government, when UK government spends money on projects in England that Cardiff ministers have powers over in Wales.

That mechanism is known as the Barnett formula.

Image source, HS2

Labour MS Jenny Rathbone highlights the need to reduce food waste.

The first minister replies, "we are focused on reducing and preventing waste across the food system. Our circular economy strategy 'Beyond Recycling' has an ambition to halve avoidable food waste by 2025 compared to the 2007 baseline, and by 60 per cent by 2030, by taking action to support the reduction of food waste throughout the supply chain."

She commends the work of FareShare Cymru, which redistributes surplus food to charities that turn it into meals for vulnerable people, all with the help of volunteers.

Image source, Getty Images

As 15 October is Shwmae Su’mae Day, Conservative Janet Finch-Saunders greets MSs with "Shwmae".

It began in 2013, according to the organisers, "to promote the idea of starting every conversation with shwmae, su’mae or shwdi! The event aims to show that the Welsh language belongs to us all – fluent speakers, learners or those shy about their Welsh".

The literal translation is “how are things” but they are often used in the place of or alongside helô to greet someone.

Image source, Swci Delic

Eluned Morgan says she is "excited" by the potential of seagrass to absorb carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere.

She says, "I found out a really interesting statistic recently, which is that seagrass has the potential to store up 170 per cent more carbon per square mile compared to forests. That is incredible; I thought that was incredible... seagrass - wow, that's a revolutionary concept for me. I only learned this last year. Very excited, and I think we should do more in this space".

What is seagrass?

Seagrass absorbs and stores carbon dioxide, and a single hectare of seagrass meadow can harbour up to 80,000 fish and 100 million invertebrates, according to Seagrass Ocean Rescue.

It could play a vital role in the response to the climate and nature crisis, and healthy meadows are critical for biodiversity.

They provide nursery grounds for commercially important fish, such as cod and plaice, and a habitat for a range of species, including octopus, seal and anemones.

It is also an important carbon sink as it draws carbon from the water through photosynthesis, stores it in its tissues and buries it in the seabed.

Image source, Lewis Jefferies/WWF

Conservative Laura Anne Jones asks "what assessment has the first minister made of the safety of coal tips in Wales?"

Eluned Morgan replies that around 2000 inspections have been undertaken since 2020, and "we are also modernising our legislation through the new disused tips Bill, due to be introduced to the Senedd shortly".

She says she has "made the case" to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for funding to address the issue.

The Coal Tip Safety Taskforce has identified 2,566 disused coal tips in Wales, mostly in the southern valleys, external.

The taskforce, set up by the Welsh government, includes the Coal Authority, local councils and Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Old tips are graded according to risk, with 267 in category C needing an annual inspection and 83 in category D needing twice-yearly inspections.

The remaining 2,200 tips in categories A and B will need fewer checks, but inspections have also already started on tips in category B too.

Why is this happening?

The tips are a legacy of decades of coal mining in Wales, which at its peak in the early 20th Century saw 620 collieries operating.

When coal was dug out, the "spoil" or waste material removed at the same time was piled into tips and became part of the landscape in mining communities.

But bad weather brings the risk that some may become unstable, and this led to a major exercise over recent years to collect comprehensive data on each tip.

The C and D priority tips involve around 1,500 different landowners and 600 people who have properties on them. The exercise has shown the complexity of land ownership around tips - some can have multiple owners.

Just over a third of tips in the most at-risk categories are in public ownership, but most are privately or commercially owned.

Image source, Getty Images

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth seeks clarity on what the NHS cross-border working plan actually entails and accuses the Welsh government of a “word soup” that “gave patients false hope”.

The first minister says "it is all about practical, common-sense steps, and that's what we're doing. We've brought in these experts, who are telling us what works well in the NHS in England, and they'll be working with the experts from Wales on how that will work best. And let's be clear also that, actually, supporting each other is something that already happens. It happened already. That's why people who, for example, have cleft palates living in Bristol, come to Wales for their support, because we have the expertise. The same thing in relation to plastic surgery: we have expertise here and they send them here. That is the way it works and so, of course, if we can help each other out, we will, and we do."

Rhun ap Iorwerth replies, "of course there's co-operation already happening, but on this announcement of new cross-border working, the first minister is genuinely making it up as she goes along, I think. We know nothing about these plans because there were no plans, were there? We've asked Ministers to publish the relevant terms of reference—nothing; governance arrangements—nothing. We don't even know what the financial implications are. Let's be honest about what happened here: Labour put out a conference press release to try to take a bit of the pressure off themselves on their health failures, and in doing so they gave patients false hope."

The cabinet secretary for health denied in interviews with BBC Wales on Sunday that a cross-border working plan would see more patients being treated in England. Jeremy Miles was asked on Sunday Supplement if patients would be forced to go across the border. He replied, “that actually isn’t what was announced by the first minister and by the secretary of state. What was announced was a new way of working, where both the NHS in Wales and the NHS in England can learn from what’s working well in the other.”

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, warns that a National Insurance increase for employers in the UK government budget would lead to more unemployment in Wales.

Eluned Morgan replies "I'm not going to take lessons from a Tory Government that left office with the highest tax rates in 70 years. I will not take lessons from you."

Andrew RT Davies adds, "when the Conservatives left office in July, we had the fastest growing G7 economy, we had inflation back to 2 per cent and we had unemployment at record low levels".

In March, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) - the independent body which makes forecasts for the government - predicted that the Treasury will collect 37.1p of every pound generated in the economy in 2028-29.

That would be the highest level in 80 years.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams asks "how is the Welsh government supporting South Wales West residents who have been affected by the redundancies at Tata steelworks?"

First Minister Eluned Morgan replies "we continue to work with the transition board, local authorities and stakeholders to support local communities with their health and mental well-being through local health boards. We're also using the £100 million of funding to invest in skills and regeneration activities for the local area."

Sioned Williams calls on the first minister to "ensure that there is specific funding available to ensure that Neath Port Talbot council, and neighbouring local authorities, receive support to meet the additional demands on their services".

Eluned Morgan replies "there is a special fund set aside to assist those people who have suffered because of the changes at Tata. Eighty million pounds is available in that fund, which will be distributed by Neath Port Talbot council."

Steelworkers drilled the final hole in the last remaining blast furnace in Port Talbot last month, bringing to an end the traditional method of steelmaking in south Wales.

The controversial move at the UK’s largest steelworks is part of a restructure that will cut 2,800 jobs.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Eluned Morgan’s fifth 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.