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

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Altaf Hussain asks "what steps is the Welsh government taking to tackle fuel poverty this winter?"

This follows what he describes as the UK Labour government's "heartless" decision to cut the winter fuel payment.

Eluned Morgan points to a package of support including funding for safe and warm hubs across Wales, the fuel vouchers scheme and a campaign to raise awareness of entitlement to pension credit.

She says "we are investing more than £30 million this year in the new Warm Homes Nest scheme to help tackle fuel poverty. We are also continuing to fund the Fuel Bank Foundation to support delivery of a national fuel voucher and heat fund scheme for those in fuel crisis."

Around 10 million pensioners in Wales and England who are not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get the annual winter fuel payment, worth between £100 and £300.

The UK government said most pensioners would benefit from a rise in the state pension.

It comes as annual gas and electricity prices rise by 10% or £149 in Wales, Scotland and England.

The Welsh government defines fuel poverty as when people have to spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home properly.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Llyr Gruffydd asks what is the government doing to address the issue of waiting times for assessing children for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area.

He says "following a FOI, I have been staggered by the waiting times experienced by children in north Wales. Sixty-two per cent of all the children referred for assessment have had to wait over a year for that assessment. Fifty children have been waiting over four years, and one child has waited over five and a half years for that assessment. That is longer than the secondary school career of most pupils. These children are clearly being let down - yes, by the health board, but also, if I may say so, by your government for failing to address the issues. So, how soon will we see this change, because these are some of the most vulnerable children in Wales and they are tired of waiting, and they deserve better."

Eluned Morgan says she understands "how frustrated some of those children and parents will be" but says there has been a 59% increase in demand. She says "a national multi-agency rapid service redesign event later this month will lay the foundations to secure sustainable services that will meet children’s needs."

The Betsi Cadwaladr health board says on its website , externalthat "waiting times are unfortunately very long. It can take up to 3 years for your child to receive their first appointment. This is something we are working hard to reduce, however at present this is the situation".

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds asks the first minister to "state the number of patients who waited more than 24 hours for a bed after arriving at the hospital in an ambulance?"

Eluned Morgan replies "in September 2024, there were 1,497 cases where patients were admitted to a hospital bed more than 24 hours after arriving at emergency departments by ambulance. We have stated clearly to the health boards what our expectations are in terms of improvement, and yesterday a 50-day winter challenge for integrated care was launched in support of that".

Jane Dodds says "last week a resident of mine was in touch to say that his partner had waited 36 hours in order to gain hospital admission. His partner spoke to the ambulance drivers and found that 11 out of the 12 ambulances in Carmarthenshire were actually waiting outside Glangwili hospital to admit their patients."

Eluned Morgan replies that "waiting 36 hours is wholly unacceptable under any circumstance, and it is important that health boards are aware of that".

There has been a significant increase in handover delays between ambulances and emergency departments in recent years, with around four times as many hours lost in the latest twelve months compared with 2017.

Data on handover delays can be found on the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee’s (EASC) Ambulance Service Indicators dashboard, external.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth raises the issue of recruitment and retention of nurses.

He points out that NHS nurses in Wales have rejected a 5.5% pay increase proposed by the Welsh government.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had announced that almost three-quarters (72%) of those who completed the RCN’s consultation voted against the 2024/25 pay increase for NHS staff.

The first minister replies "we'll always be open to discuss, with the RCN, about how we can come to a conclusion with this very difficult issue. But, obviously, budgets are tight, 5.5 per cent is an above-inflation pay rise, and, of course, it is what we've offered to other people in the NHS."

Rhun ap Iorwerth also points out that "the nursing agency bill, whilst it has come down a little, was still at a staggering £142 million last year. The RCN's 'Nursing in Numbers' report, published last week, tells us that that could pay for 4,677 full-time, newly registered nurses, and if Labour fail to tackle the staffing crisis, that agency bill can only grow."

The first minister responds, "the fact is that it's come down considerably - the amount of money we spend on agency - and the RCN have been very welcoming of the fact that that has definitely come down."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, points out that this week marks Eluned Morgan’s 100th day as first minister.

He questions the first minister on the government's "50-day challenge" which seeks to help more people safely return home from hospital and to ease winter pressures on the health and care system.

He criticises a lack of targets - "what exactly the figures will look like at the end of the 50-day challenge? People need respite, and the staff in particular need respite from the horrendous pressures they're facing. Give them some hope, give us those figures".

As an example, he says "the consequences of the blockages in our health service were shown again down in west Wales, in Nantgaredig Rugby Club, where a player was left on the pitch for six hours because an ambulance could not come because they were tied up with other emergency calls or outside an A&E department".

The first minister replies that the issue of delayed discharges is a "difficult nut to crack" for the NHS in Wales, like the NHS in other parts of the UK, but points to increased investment.

She adds, "I can tell you in relation to the 50-day challenge that we're asking the teams to target the people who have been in hospital the longest, 25 per cent of the time. So, that's 350 people against the 1,500 or so in terms of delayed discharges. So, there are your figures and obviously we are holding the health authorities to account in relation to those kinds of targets."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Labour MS for Swansea East Mike Hedges seeks "a progress report on the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro".

First Minister Eluned Morgan replies that "Transport for Wales are developing plans for up to seven new railway stations for the Swansea bay urban area, and these form part of our plans to improve public transport in south-west Wales, which will be shaped by the regional transport plan which is currently being developed."

The Welsh government held a consultation in early 2021, external, during Ken Skates' first stint as transport secretary, presenting options for improving rail services within the south west Wales area.

These included increased frequency of long-distance strategic services, increased local services from west Wales to Carmarthen and Swansea, new stations and improvements to existing stations, and development of a Swansea Bay and west Wales Metro network.

The first minister agrees with Mike Hedges that the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro has had a far lower profile than the South Wales Metro.

"Transport is as important into the Swansea city region as anywhere else in Wales" says Mike Hedges.

The first tangible signs of the long-awaited South Wales metro have been appearing for many passengers with new and additional services.

The South Wales Metro is Transport for Wales' (TfW) answer to London's Tube - an integrated public transport service involving trains, trams and buses, which is currently being constructed in south-east Wales.

This work is particularly focused on what rail bosses call the core Valley lines – these are the lines that connect Cardiff with Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert.

Image source, TfW

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