The sixth FMQs of 2023 comes to a close.

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The Senedd will once again be lit tonight in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine’s flag as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and its people.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Lesley Griffiths says she cannot understand how the UK government can claim that HS2 is an England and Wales project.

In 2021 a cross-party group of MPs called for HS2 to be reclassified as an England-only project so Wales receives proportional funds.

They said the UK government's own analysis concluded the rail project would produce "an economic dis-benefit to Wales".

Lesley Griffiths explains, "I think the continued categorisation of HS2 by the UK government as an England-Wales project, despite the recommendations by the Welsh Affairs Committee to reclassify as an England-only project, really scuppers our ability to be able to invest in rail in Wales, and I know the Minister for Finance and Local Government continues to make that point to the Treasury, either to the Chancellor or to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and has asked the UK government to revisit the classification decision, and then provide Wales with a Barnett consequential which would be around £5 billion".

Image source, HS2

Conservative Janet Finch-Saunders says "in the Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru co-operation agreement, you make a clear promise to ask Transport for Wales to work with local authorities in north-west Wales and the Welsh Government to develop plans for an integrated transport system. Now, rather than seeing progress, Conwy County Borough Council, Gwynedd and Welsh Government have failed to deliver for my communities in the Conwy valley."

Lesley Griffiths replies, "we are working on a new model for bus services in Wales, which will allow us to work with local authorities so that we can design together the bus networks that their communities need, because they're the ones best placed to enable us to work with them and make sure that we put contracts in place to deliver them.

"What we'll be doing as a government is putting people before profits".

Lesley Griffiths describes the UK government's levelling-up funding as an "assault on the devolution settlement".

She says "levelling-up in Wales means a £1.1 billion loss in unreplaced EU funds - a Welsh budget cut in real terms".

She adds, "I think having deeply flawed UK government programmes foisted on us is not something to celebrate at all. They'll have a very limited impact. They'll probably be poor value for money as well.

"I think many excellent bids were put forward, but unfortunately missed out because UK ministers in London just picked winners and losers and made decisions on local projects here in Wales".

Conservative Sam Rowlands says "those councils in Wales successfully applying for those 11 projects with £200 million worth of funding, I'm sure, is welcome for many communities and are going to be transformative for people up and down Wales. More broadly, of course, Wales received three times the amount of funding per head than the south-east of England - the highest area per head of funding across Great Britain".

The Llywydd points out that Conservative Laura Anne Jones has unconventionally withdrawn her question even though she is present in the Siambr. She was meant to ask "what consideration did the Welsh Government give to the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill when creating the LGBTQ+ Action Plan?"

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price criticises the Welsh Government's decision to only extend the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) - which was due to come to an end in March 2023 - for a transitional period of three months.

Mr Price says "three quarters of all public transport journeys in Wales are made by bus, but buses get a fraction of the investment currently earmarked by the government for rail.

"Cutting that funding further at a time of falling passenger numbers and rising costs will decimate the bus network; it will disproportionately disadvantage women, children and young people, the elderly, the disabled, workers on low incomes, and rural and Valleys communities.

"Cutting subsidy to bus transport in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is among the most regressive acts you have ever proposed".

Lesley Griffiths says the BES was introduced to keep vital bus services running throughout the pandemic and they now need to start to transition away from emergency style funding.

She says the extension of three months gives the industry "short term stability".

Lesley Griffiths also says there had not been a return to bus use pre-pandemic.

"A lot of it is about funding, you can't spend funding you haven't got".

She adds: "We are in a very difficult position in our budget. We haven't been able to confirm the bus industry funding package for the next financial year as yet".

She promised further updates "as we go through this month".

Lesley Griffiths tells Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, that a Clean Air (Wales) Bill will be introduced this year.

New air quality targets would be set by ministers and a requirement for a review of plans to tackle air pollution every five years.

Local authorities would be given more powers to tackle vehicles stopped with idling engines, including outside schools and healthcare settings, and the penalties they can hand out would be increased.

Mr Davies says the proposed legislation "has been talked about for many years" and describes the context of "2,000 premature deaths and £1 billion of expenditure with the Welsh NHS. That's the cost of dirty air on people's lungs and associated health conditions."

The Llywydd (presiding officer) Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table questions to the first minister and Welsh ministers. Each member may enter their name into a ballot.

Former Labour minister Ken Skates asks what assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on young people.

The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths replies "analysis shows that families with children are more likely to be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, particularly children from a household that has protected characteristics. We are supporting young people and their families through initiatives, including our childcare offer, help with school costs, free school meals, and our young person’s guarantee".

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the sixth session of First Minister's Questions in 2023.

The Trefnydd (Senedd business manager) Lesley Griffiths continues to stand in, following the passing of Clare Drakeford, wife of the first minister.

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.

Image source, PA Media