Today is Mark Drakeford's last day in office and his last First Minister’s Questions.

Drakeford, who announced he would retire last December, had said when running to be leader, if elected he would only serve for five years.

He will submit his resignation later today but here’s a look at what was said in the chamber at his last FMQ:

• Drakeford talked about Wales’ standing in the world, saying that Wales is “confident in its identity” and welcoming to others
• He also touched on Covid – his handling of which will be prominently remembered - saying he believed the Welsh government would be better prepared for another pandemic
• Asked about taking the Welsh electorate for granted, following Drakeford’s recent comments about Labour’s bond with the Welsh people, he said “we never take a single vote for granted,” and that the Welsh assembly should be proud of demonstrating "mature, progressive politics”
• And of course the 20mph policy also came up, as Drakeford was asked whether he would scrap it as his last act as FM. Drakeford replied that he was "hugely proud" of it and that Wales was at the leading edge of policy change
• His successor's campaign donations also came up, and Drakeford said he looked forward to supporting Vaughan Gething from the back benches

As FMQs finished, Drakeford was applauded by all members in the chamber. There's a bit more Senedd business going on now before his resignation statement.

Although his final First Minister's Questions is done, Mark Drakeford's final one was from Mabon ap Gwynfor who asked him about Gaza.

He said 1.7m people are facing appalling famine. "We haven't seen this kind of event for decades", ap Gywnfor says.

He asks if Drakeford would join calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and presses the government to support any future appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which he says cannot launch one right now because of the war.

The DEC brings UK charities together to raise funds for emergency aid.

Drakeford tells the Senedd that the Welsh government "wants to see a ceasefire", and said he expects ministers to participate in an appeal should one be launched.

Mark Drakeford has just completed his final First Minister's Questions in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

As the session – a largely conciliatory one, although not without a few testing questions from his political rivals – came to an end, those within the chamber gave him a round of applause.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said a landslip at a tip at Tylerstown in 2020 brought back memories of the Aberfan disaster, which killed 144 people in 1966.

He remembered his memory of the disaster as a child when he returned home from school and saw pictures from the scene on television.

Answering a question from Rhondda MS Buffy Williams, Drakeford said: "Those hundreds of thousands of tonnes of spoil that moved down the mountainside simply brought to the surface again all those memories and that folk history of the damage that has been done to Wales and Welsh communities by that industrial heritage".

He said former Welsh Secretary Simon Hart was always "genuine in his immediate response to those events", but said the Welsh government "had been unable to persuade the UK government to offer its contribution to the remediation of a history that predates devolution by decades".

He said it was a regret that "the Covid experience" had meant the Welsh government was yet to put a coal tip safety bill before the Senedd, but promised it would come later in the term.

Rhun ap Iorwerth asks about Drakeford’s successor, Vaughan Gething, who has attracted controversy for accepting a £200,000 campaign donation from a company run by a man convicted of environmental offences.

The Plaid Cymru leader also asks if the money should be returned also criticises comments Gething made when asked about the topic by a reporter when he said that “every serious journalist” should know “you are not entitled to make decisions as a minister”.

Drakeford says he has worked closely with Wales' current economy minister for many years and knows “what a careful and considered person he is when it comes to decision making”.

“I look very much to supporting him and the Welsh government from the back benches,” Drakeford says.

Opposition ask about 20mph but play nice during Drakeford's last FMQpublished at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 19 March

14:33 GMT 19 March

Gareth Lewis
Political Editor, BBC Wales

It is Mark Drakeford’s last First Minister's Questions and there is - perhaps not surprisingly - an element of everyone being nice to each other.

But there’s more than a nod to what’s coming with Vaughan Gething poised to take over tomorrow, against a backdrop of internal Labour disquiet over donations made to his leadership campaign.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth asks whether the Welsh Government welcomes scrutiny after Gething’s quip about the sort of questions “serious journalists” would ask.

And responding to a question from Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, he warns of “hours and hours” prepping for FMQs.

Last week Drakeford said he wouldn’t miss two things – media interviews and FMQs itself.

Oh, and how could we go without the speed limit question… to laughter all round the FM says he “sometimes worries” for a smiling Tom Giffard after the Tory MS asks if he’ll scrap the 20mph limit on his final day.

Image source, Getty Images

Tory MS Tom Giffard asks whether Mark Drakeford's last decision as Wales' first minister could be his "best one" as he asks him to scrap the 20mph policy.

It earned a jokey rebuke from the outgoing first minister, who said "sometimes I worry about Mr Giffard".

"I think he deserved some better guidance from his colleagues than this question would suggest is available to him," Drakeford replies.

"I am hugely proud of the fact that here in Wales, we are at the leading edge of a policy change that will happen far beyond Wales."

"Here in this government, we are always determined that we will do the right thing rather than the thing that is convenient and popular at the time."

He said 20mph speed limits "are already changing people's minds" and "before very log, we will all look back and ask ourselves what the fuss was all about".

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth asks about recent comments made by Mark Drakeford in which he said it is “Labour alone” that has a special bond with the people of Wales.

Ap Iorwerth asks if Drakeford would advise his successor be careful about using that kind of language for fear of sounding like he is taking the electorate for granted.

Labour has always been in power in Wales since devolution in 1999 and Drakeford responds by saying that his mantra to all party members is that “we have to earn every vote that comes our way”.

“We never take a single vote for granted,” he said.

Drakeford adds that Labour has always had the largest number of seats “by a significant margin” in the Welsh Parliament although it “has never governed alone”.

Drakeford says he is proud of forming alliances with other parties and said the Welsh assembly should be proud of demonstrating "mature, progressive politics".

Andrew RT Davies asks how the Welsh government will be ready for another pandemic in the coming years.

Drakeford says he believes the government - and the world - would be "better prepared."

Senedd leader Davies follows up with some kind words for the first minister.

"We've had some interesting exchanges, some colourful exchanges and some passionate exchanges," Davies told the chamber.

In his final question, the leader of the opposition asked what advice Drakeford will give to his successor Vaughan Gething so "that same passion and that same conviction can come over".

Drakeford said he had "never doubted the commitment that the leader of the opposition brings to the difficult job he has to do or the motivation for the questions he asks me".

"In terms of preparation, I just say to my successor that it will take hours and hours of his time because it's unavoidable," he adds.

"If I had a hope for this forum and these questions, it will be that just occasionally we all focus a little bit more on generating light than generating heat."

Image source, Tata Steel UK

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies makes clear he will talk about Drakeford's decision to quit at his resignation statement later.

He shook Mr Drakeford's hand before today's FMQs had begun.

In his allotted time he asks Mr Drakeford about the "troubling news" that coke ovens at Port Talbot will stop operating.

He asks whether the government has asked for assurances that Tata Steel will not bring other site closures forward three months.

Mr Drakeford said it is "very serious and very difficult", but says they have been told closing the ovens will not impact the timeline of the first blast furnace.

Drakeford is asked about the impact his time in office has had on Wales’ standing in the world, to which he responds that Wales is “confident in its identity” and welcoming to others.

Joyce Watson, Labour MS for Mid and West Wales, says it's also important to recognise the Welsh government has built relationships with countries including France, India, the United States and Poland.

She then asks Drakeford about his assessment of these relationships moving forward.

He says his government has made it a priority to invest in promoting Wales abroad, saying “we have lived through difficult times reputationally”.

He adds that whatever anyone thinks about Brexit, many people abroad have perceived it as an example of the UK turning in on itself. He adds that Covid has also had an impact on international relations.

“That’s why as a government we have put so much energy and effort into making sure we continue to invest in those relationships we have with so many old friends,” he tells the Senedd.

Mark Drakeford's final First Minister's Questions begins with a question from former Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.

Price asks about pollution from metal mines, following a study from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) warning a child could become cognitively impaired from eating eggs and vegetables produced in the vicinity of one.

He asked Mr Drakeford whether people living near the 129 most polluting mines have been informed of the risks.

Mr Drakeford replies by saying Wales is covered in metal mines and adds NRW have a programme of working on the most polluted lead and metal mines.

"There may be more to do to make sure that when searches are done as part of buying property, that people are alerted to the fact that there are potential risks to human health," Drakeford tells the Senedd.

So we're up and running in the Senedd and Mark Drakeford is at the stand for his final First Minister's Questions after more than five years in Wales' top job.

He will tender his resignation to the King later this afternoon after taking a final round of questions from opposition leaders.

The Welsh Parliament, who will ask him questions for the last time as Wales' first minister today, will sit on Wednesday to confirm his replacement, Vaughan Gething.

Now let's now go to Senedd for the FMQs, stick with us as we bring you the latest. You will also be able to watch by pressing Play at the top of this page.

Mark Drakeford accepts that Covid shone a light on Wales having its own government and powers more than anything else since devolution in 1999.

As a result, Drakeford's profile is far higher than any of Wales' previous three first ministers - even though two of the them were in power significantly longer.

Wales had its own rules, health service, test and trace system, and vaccination rollout - and having around 200 pandemic press conferences beamed into people's homes made Drakeford a household name, certainly in the UK.

Drakeford previously said about the Covid pandemic: "It has drawn attention to the devolved nature of the United Kingdom in a way that many people hadn't noticed or weren't keen to notice before.

Daniel Davies
BBC Wales political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

In his five years as Wales' first minister, Mark Drakeford didn't just deal with a global pandemic but personal tragedy too.

His beloved wife of 46 years Clare died suddenly, aged 71, last year.

Understandably, it was a huge personal blow to Drakeford.

"I was entirely unprepared for the ferocity of grief," he told Channel 5 News presenter Dan Walker.

"Thank goodness for work. Being in work has been sustaining, it gives you something to do, it gives you a rhythm to the week, it gives you distraction from what otherwise is an entirely miserable experience."

In a speech to Labour members last year, he drew on that emotion and said it would not deflect him from his work.

BBC Radio Wales

One of the most divisive policies from Mark Drakeford's time as Wales' first minister is the 20mph speed limit policy on roads in built-up areas.

Days before standing down, Drakeford defended the controversial policy and said he was surprised by the level of opposition and anger towards it.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, he said he was "very proud of the policy".

"It will save people's lives … particularly save the lives of children," he said.

"You can either just spend your time sitting back and doing the easy things, and hanging on to the political capital that you've accumulated, or you can do the difficult things, the challenging things."

He added that while the level of opposition surprised him, all attempts to reform the way people drive in the UK "have always been hugely controversial".

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Davies
BBC Wales political correspondent

Image source, Welsh government

Ahead of his final First Minister's Questions in the Senedd, there are some familiar Mark Drakeford accessories here: the satchel, the sweater.

In the era of the digital workplace, Drakeford hasn't given up on working with paper and pen.

The mug with a children's rights design seems appropriate because child poverty was going to be a priority for him as first minister.

And what better reading material for the Covid FM than an advance copy of the latest collection by Gillian Clarke, Wales's former national poet. These poems start during lockdown.

Adrian Browne
BBC Wales political reporter

The first minister in Wales, and similarly in Scotland, (Northern Ireland is slightly different due to the power sharing arrangements) is the equivalent in the Welsh government of the prime minister in the UK government.

The first minister is the face of the Welsh government, the person seen as representing the character, the spirit of that administration.

The first minister is ultimately responsible for everything the Welsh government does, working with ministers and civil servants to put the policies of that administration into practice across a range of areas such as health, education, local government and agriculture.

Also, after appointing their cabinet, monitoring how ministers are performing - as well as whether they should be promoted, demoted, left where they are or dismissing - is a matter for the first minister.

You can read more about the Welsh first minister's responsibilities here.

Before submitting his resignation today, Mark Drakeford held his final cabinet meeting in Cardiff on Monday.

After five years, numerous reshuffles, an election and a global pandemic... here's a few snaps for the album from that final cabinet!

Image source, Welsh government

Image source, Welsh government

Image source, Welsh government

One of Mark Drakeford's last tasks as first minister will be taking a final round of questions from opposition leaders in the Welsh Parliament.

He will return to his Senedd lectern later to give a resignation statement, before formally offering his resignation to the King later on.

On Wednesday, he will be replaced in the role by Vaughan Gething.