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

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Andrew RT Davies refers to a "recent report that Cardiff and Vale health board released about conditions in the theatres at the university hospital where illicit drugs were identified, theft was identified, sabotage was identified, and bullying was identified, along with numerous other incidents that, frankly, are horrific to think were going on in such a sensitive setting".

He says Llais "only had sight of that report on the day of publication".

Llais , external (the Welsh word for voice) is the independent statutory body set up by the Welsh government "for the people of Wales to have their voices heard in the planning and delivery of their health and social care services".

Llais was set up in 2023 to replace the seven community health councils in Wales.

Eluned Morgan replies "I think we were all very concerned when we read the reports relating to the theatres review at Cardiff, and I do hope that the health board is taking very serious measures to correct some very difficult situations there. You're quite right, Llais should be engaged with the health board. That is a statutory process. They have engaged with over 40,000 people this year, which is a massive increase on last year, but it does make sense for the health board to have at least discussed with Llais."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan asks "how is the Welsh government aiming to address the concerns regarding the inconsistent policy implementation of school transport policy noted by the review of the Learner Travel Measure in 2021, external, and align and improve school transport provision across Wales?"

Eluned Morgan replies "in the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure, we set out the statutory obligations local authorities must adhere to regarding school transport. Beyond this, they have the discretion to offer greater provision if they wish to. We believe it is right that councils are empowered to make decisions that best suit their needs."

Heledd Fychan says Rhondda Cynon Taf county council is not using that discretionary power when it comes to access to Welsh-medium education.

She says, "in the Rhydyfelin area of Pontypridd, for example, there will be no bus transport available to the nearest Welsh-medium secondary school, which is 2.9 miles away, whilst there is a new English-medium school on the doorstep. So, I know that a number of parents there are going to take their children out of Welsh-medium education or won't even send their youngest children to Welsh-medium schools because of the change. A 13-year-old pupil from this area wrote to me to say, in her words, 'I love the fact that I can speak Welsh and I don't want to stop. I want to carry on attending my school without arriving there feeling tired and coming home feeling tired too'."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Altaf Hussain - previously a consultant orthopaedic surgeon - asks "what is the Welsh government doing to prevent the waste of resources within the NHS?"

Eluned Morgan replies "the NHS works very hard, each year, at preventing waste and making recurrent savings that help support the delivery of its services."

Altaf Hussain refers to a constituent's case waiting years for a knee operation.

He says, "Placed on waiting lists for surgery, it was suggested by their GP to seek private healthcare. Making enquiries with a private provider, they then noticed an NHS e-mail used by medical professional secretaries arranging appointments. Because of this, it can be assumed that whilst working for the NHS, secretaries are conducting additional unpaid work beyond their job description for outside organisations during their NHS working time."

He calls on the first minister to "ensure all health boards remind staff that double jobbing is illegal, and commit to an all-Wales audit to establish how wide reaching it is".

Eluned Morgan says "people who are paid by the taxpayer to work in the NHS should be doing nothing but working for the NHS, and I'd be very concerned if they are using that time to do any kind of private practice."

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth calls on the first minster to "condemn the UK Labour government for betraying Wales" on the reclassification of the £6.6bn Oxford-Cambridge line to an “England and Wales” project.

He says "we were getting our share until Labour actively moved the goalposts. Labour went out of its way to make sure Wales wouldn't get the money when the big spending really began. Labour created a new HS2 scandal."

Eluned Morgan says "I've been clear and I've been consistent when it comes to rail funding that we have not been getting our fair share of funding in a position that the Tories left us with for over a decade. Now, the fact is, the difference between us, the difference between the Tories and the UK Labour government is that they've recognised that injustice. I don't know what's going to be in the spending review, but the one thing I do know is that if Labour gave Wales a total land of milk and honey, Plaid Cymru would still find fault. The spending review hasn't been published yet, we're expecting something positive from the spending review, but it's really important that we keep on making the case for us to have our fair share of funding."

The project was previously classified as an England-only project.

However, the Treasury announced last week it should have been classified as an England and Wales project, but documents show it was originally classified as England-only.

The Treasury said it was a "publishing error" in a 2020 document and the project was always considered an England and Wales development.

The UK government has told BBC News the East-West project was being financed through its "rail network enhancements pipeline", which it said was also funding schemes in Wales.

Image source, Network Rail

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to a "screeching U-turn" by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on winter fuel payments.

He says, "first minister, you are supposed to stand up for Wales, yet what did you actually do in terms of this winter fuel allowance? You did absolutely nothing. You could have stood by our pensioners. You didn't. You could have introduced a Welsh winter fuel allowance. You didn't. You could have stood up to Keir Starmer and demanded that he replace and restore this winter fuel allowance sooner. But, you didn't. So, will you take the opportunity this afternoon, first minister, to apologise to the more than half a million Welsh pensioners that you let down?"

Eluned Morgan replies "I'm absolutely delighted that the prime minister has listened to the concerns of pensioners across Wales and across the rest of the country...I'm really pleased, because we have made representations to the prime minister on this issue, he has changed his mind and that will make a difference to thousands - hundreds of thousands - of pensioners across Wales this winter in a country where we do have more older people and housing that is more difficult to heat. So, this will be of huge benefit to those people. I don't think that it's bad to listen to people and then to make sure that you respond to them."

Darren Millar adds, "let's see if you can stand up for Wales on another issue, because this week is NFU Cymru's Welsh Farming Week, a week in which we celebrate the role of our farmers in putting food on our tables and helping to support our Welsh economy, yet your UK government's decision to introduce a family farms tax is having a detrimental impact on the future of our farming industry here in Wales.... When it came to our pensioners, you failed to stand up for them; will you stand up for our farmers now and call for this family farms tax to be scrapped?"

Eluned Morgan replies "I am responsible for devolved issues. Winter fuel is not a devolved issue and neither is inheritance tax. And let me just be clear that, as a UK government tax, it's the responsibility of the UK government to undertake assessments of the proposed changes."

The plans to tax inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m at a rate of 20% were announced in Rachel Reeves' first Labour budget.

The UK government has said the changes will only affect the wealthiest 500 farms each year, but farming groups argue as many as 70,000 could be affected.

Last July, the UK government announced it would be withdrawing the winter fuel payment, worth up to £300 per year, from more than 10 million pensioners.

It meant that last winter only those receiving pension credit or another means-tested benefit would be eligible - an estimated 1.5 million individuals.

However, following pressure from charities, unions and MPs including its own backbenchers, the Labour government announced it would partially reverse that decision, expanding eligibility to more than three-quarters of pensioners.

Under the revised policy, nine million pensioners in England and Wales with an annual income of £35,000 or less will receive the payment this winter.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Conservative Peter Fox expresses safety concerns about the Gilwern to Brynmawr section of the new A465 Heads of the Valleys road.

He says, "on this section, there are no laybys, very little by way of hard shoulders, and the road is not suitable for cars to stop. In effect, it's basically a smart motorway. We know there are a multitude of concerns about these types of road, not least because, if a vehicle breaks down or if there is an accident, vehicles can be left stranded and emergency services may struggle to get through."

Eluned Morgan says "this has been a long programme, no doubt about that, but it is a programme that has created over 2,000 jobs during the course of the project, a massive local spend, the supply chain, £203 million, 158 apprentices, all of those people have benefited as a result of the direct work on the road, and that's before we start talking about what the knock-on effects are going to be economically with that alongside the metro opening up the Valleys."

She adds, "obviously, we will make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that safety on that road is at the forefront of our thinking as well."

The last traffic cone and contraflow was removed from the road in south Wales last month after a £2bn upgrade that started back in 2002.

The 28-mile (45km) improvement is designed to bring prosperity to one of the UK's most deprived areas and cut journey times between west Wales and the Midlands.

Image source, FCC Construction

Image source, Senedd Cymru

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

Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams asks "what assessment has the Welsh government made of the impact on poverty levels in Wales of the UK government's policies?"

First Minister Eluned Morgan replies "using the Wales-specific claimant data published by the Department for Work and Pensions, and the evidence from authoritative sources, the data comes from the DWP, and we use evidence from authoritative sources, such as the Bevan Foundation and Policy in Practice, to assess the impact of the welfare reforms proposed in Wales. We will report on this in response to the UK government's green paper on the reform of benefits."

Sioned Williams says "today’s damning report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that nearly 0.5 million people in Wales live in deep poverty. And that poverty is deepening further as a result of political decisions. Children in families with three or more children have a poverty rate of 43 per cent, and the two-child limit is playing a key role in that. The incomes of people in Wales could be cut by £466 million by the plans to cut welfare, changes which the report again says will have a devastating effect on poverty levels."

More than three-quarters of pensioners will receive the winter fuel payment this year after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed a major policy U-turn.

Nine million pensioners in England and Wales with an annual income of £35,000 or less will now be eligible.

The payment, worth up to £300 to help with energy bills during the coldest months, was paid only to those on pension credit last year.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

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