Thanks for following - join us again
after the Easter recess.
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.
Senedd CymruCopyright: Senedd Cymru
Holiday let tax changes
Conservative Russell George says "there's huge concern that remains in regard to the Welsh Government's changes requiring many holiday let businesses to be let for 182 days a year, and making them move from the business rates system to the council tax system, which would then increase their tax burden and make many of those businesses unviable".
The first minister says the changes are "fair and reasonable".
He adds, "If you're a business, then I do not think it is unreasonable to say that you should be making your property available to be let for 252 days and that you should actually let it for 182 days; then you are a business. If you're not operating as a business, it doesn't mean you have to fold; it just means that you pay the council tax like anybody else."
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Some dentists giving up NHS work
On access to dental provision, the first minister says only 20 out of 400 NHS contracts have been handed back by dentists, and many of the 20 have been successfully retendered.
Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell says "Llandeilo, Haverfordwest, Fishguard - examples of dental practices in my area where NHS provision has come to an end over recent months. The dental situation in rural Wales is critical at the moment, and the change to contracts recently has caused real concern."
BBCCopyright: BBC
'Devolve control over all water in Wales'
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price demands the devolution of control over all water in
Wales, something he says was promised six years ago.
Mr Price says Wales is the only country in the UK denied the right to legislate on all
the water within its borders.
He explains that the Welsh Government currently can only regulate
water companies wholly or mainly in Wales, which excludes Thames Water that is planning, he says, to transfer an extra 180 million litres
a day from Wales to the south east of England.
He asks what pressure the first minister intends
to bring to devolve control of water.
Mr Drakeford refers to a report in the Guardian newspaper that Thames Water has been told by the Environment Agency it needs to do more to fix the 630m litres of water it leaks a day before it starts taking water from the River Thames or from Wales to tackle drought problems.
The first minister refers to that as an "outbreak of sense".
He elaborates, "I do not, myself, sign up to a nationalist view of water. I don't object to English people drinking Welsh water, but what I do say is that the economic, environmental and wider benefits for Wales must be demonstrated in any relationship in which the natural resources of Wales are used to the benefit of other citizens in the United Kingdom, and in any renegotiation of those contractual arrangements, then the price that is paid for that precious natural resource must reflect the value of that resource to Wales as well as allowing its beneficial use for other UK citizens."
BBCCopyright: BBC
BBCCopyright: BBC
Adam PriceImage caption: Adam Price
Betsi Cadwaladr health board
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh
Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to comments by Mark Polin who chaired Betsi Cadwaladr health board until he and other board members were forced to resign.
Mr Polin accused Health Minister Eluned Morgan of not taking any responsibility for improving healthcare.
Mr Davies says "some of the assertions within that opinion piece do deserve a public answer from you, as leader of the Welsh Government, notably, the concerns that were raised by himself and the board members to the health minister and the director general of the NHS here in Wales, back in September, where he raised longstanding concerns and issues that simply went unaddressed. His words, not mine. Why did the Welsh Government not respond to these concerns and support the board at the time?"
The first minister replies, "I don't accept at all that those things went unnoticed because the minister and officials were in very regular dialogue with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, including the board. The board has responsibilities. You don't discharge your responsibilities simply by telling somebody else that you've got a problem. You have an obligation, as a board, to address the issues that are within your legal area of responsibilities. So, while there was undoubtedly a dialogue, and while the minister and officials here were always responding to concerns that were raised with the Welsh Government, to simply say 'We told the Welsh Government about that', as though that is the full extent of your responsibility, I simply don't think that that is the way the system is ever intended to operate."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies
'National learning' report on Covid
Mr Drakeford says a "national learning" report on Covid will be published by the end of the month.
He accuses Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan of repeating a "conspiracy" about causes of death being changed.
Heledd Fychan says "a number of constituents from South Wales Central who lost loved ones to Covid-19 have contacted me regarding the nosocomial [originating in a hospital] investigation. I understand that the interim report is imminent, but many bereaved families are concerned, as they still haven't heard anything at all in relation to their loved ones, whilst others have received letters telling them that Covid wasn't the cause of death, despite it being on the death certificate. Their understanding is that only a coroner would be able to change the cause of death, yet families are being told this without being presented with any evidence to support the change. So, rather than receive answers about how their relative contracted Covid-19 in hospital, they are now having to fight, once more, for the cause of death to be acknowledged. Can you please confirm what the purpose of these investigations are: learn lessons and provide answers to families, or is it an exercise to try and reduce the official numbers of Covid deaths in Wales? Surely, this once again illustrates the need for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry."
The first minister replies, "the member's allegation is both offensive and absurd. Of course, the efforts that are being made are not some conspiratorial effort to change the number of people who died from Covid here in Wales. What an utterly, utterly absurd allegation to make here on the floor of the Senedd. The efforts that are being made are led by clinicians—are they part of your conspiracy as well?"
BBCCopyright: BBC
Mark DrakefordImage caption: Mark Drakeford
Social prescribing
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.
Asked
by his Labour colleague Jayne Bryant about the use of social prescribing,
the first minister replies there are many examples including the Ffrind i Mi project, which supports those who are lonely or isolated.
"Recent research demonstrates a clear year-on-year increase in referrals and use of social prescribing in all parts of Wales," he says.
Social prescribing by health professionals
includes referring patients to a range of non-clinical services, such as
activity groups, debt management advice, employability skills training and
volunteering.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Croeso
Hello and welcome
to our live coverage of the eleventh session of First Minister's Questions in
2023.
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.
Live Reporting
Alun Jones
All times stated are UK
Senedd CymruCopyright: Senedd Cymru 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC Adam PriceImage caption: Adam Price 
BBCCopyright: BBC Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies 
BBCCopyright: BBC Mark DrakefordImage caption: Mark Drakeford 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Latest PostHwyl fawr
The eleventh FMQs of 2023 comes to a close.
Thanks for following - join us again after the Easter recess.
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.
Holiday let tax changes
Conservative Russell George says "there's huge concern that remains in regard to the Welsh Government's changes requiring many holiday let businesses to be let for 182 days a year, and making them move from the business rates system to the council tax system, which would then increase their tax burden and make many of those businesses unviable".
The first minister says the changes are "fair and reasonable".
He adds, "If you're a business, then I do not think it is unreasonable to say that you should be making your property available to be let for 252 days and that you should actually let it for 182 days; then you are a business. If you're not operating as a business, it doesn't mean you have to fold; it just means that you pay the council tax like anybody else."
Some dentists giving up NHS work
On access to dental provision, the first minister says only 20 out of 400 NHS contracts have been handed back by dentists, and many of the 20 have been successfully retendered.
New NHS contracts issued by the Welsh Government include a requirement to see new patients but the British Dental Association claims this to the detriment of those already registered at practices.
Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell says "Llandeilo, Haverfordwest, Fishguard - examples of dental practices in my area where NHS provision has come to an end over recent months. The dental situation in rural Wales is critical at the moment, and the change to contracts recently has caused real concern."
'Devolve control over all water in Wales'
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price demands the devolution of control over all water in Wales, something he says was promised six years ago.
Mr Price says Wales is the only country in the UK denied the right to legislate on all the water within its borders.
He explains that the Welsh Government currently can only regulate water companies wholly or mainly in Wales, which excludes Thames Water that is planning, he says, to transfer an extra 180 million litres a day from Wales to the south east of England.
He asks what pressure the first minister intends to bring to devolve control of water.
Mr Drakeford refers to a report in the Guardian newspaper that Thames Water has been told by the Environment Agency it needs to do more to fix the 630m litres of water it leaks a day before it starts taking water from the River Thames or from Wales to tackle drought problems.
The first minister refers to that as an "outbreak of sense".
He elaborates, "I do not, myself, sign up to a nationalist view of water. I don't object to English people drinking Welsh water, but what I do say is that the economic, environmental and wider benefits for Wales must be demonstrated in any relationship in which the natural resources of Wales are used to the benefit of other citizens in the United Kingdom, and in any renegotiation of those contractual arrangements, then the price that is paid for that precious natural resource must reflect the value of that resource to Wales as well as allowing its beneficial use for other UK citizens."
Betsi Cadwaladr health board
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to comments by Mark Polin who chaired Betsi Cadwaladr health board until he and other board members were forced to resign.
Mr Polin accused Health Minister Eluned Morgan of not taking any responsibility for improving healthcare.
Mr Davies says "some of the assertions within that opinion piece do deserve a public answer from you, as leader of the Welsh Government, notably, the concerns that were raised by himself and the board members to the health minister and the director general of the NHS here in Wales, back in September, where he raised longstanding concerns and issues that simply went unaddressed. His words, not mine. Why did the Welsh Government not respond to these concerns and support the board at the time?"
The first minister replies, "I don't accept at all that those things went unnoticed because the minister and officials were in very regular dialogue with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, including the board. The board has responsibilities. You don't discharge your responsibilities simply by telling somebody else that you've got a problem. You have an obligation, as a board, to address the issues that are within your legal area of responsibilities. So, while there was undoubtedly a dialogue, and while the minister and officials here were always responding to concerns that were raised with the Welsh Government, to simply say 'We told the Welsh Government about that', as though that is the full extent of your responsibility, I simply don't think that that is the way the system is ever intended to operate."
'National learning' report on Covid
Mr Drakeford says a "national learning" report on Covid will be published by the end of the month.
He accuses Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan of repeating a "conspiracy" about causes of death being changed.
Heledd Fychan says "a number of constituents from South Wales Central who lost loved ones to Covid-19 have contacted me regarding the nosocomial [originating in a hospital] investigation. I understand that the interim report is imminent, but many bereaved families are concerned, as they still haven't heard anything at all in relation to their loved ones, whilst others have received letters telling them that Covid wasn't the cause of death, despite it being on the death certificate. Their understanding is that only a coroner would be able to change the cause of death, yet families are being told this without being presented with any evidence to support the change. So, rather than receive answers about how their relative contracted Covid-19 in hospital, they are now having to fight, once more, for the cause of death to be acknowledged. Can you please confirm what the purpose of these investigations are: learn lessons and provide answers to families, or is it an exercise to try and reduce the official numbers of Covid deaths in Wales? Surely, this once again illustrates the need for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry."
The first minister replies, "the member's allegation is both offensive and absurd. Of course, the efforts that are being made are not some conspiratorial effort to change the number of people who died from Covid here in Wales. What an utterly, utterly absurd allegation to make here on the floor of the Senedd. The efforts that are being made are led by clinicians—are they part of your conspiracy as well?"
Social prescribing
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.
Asked by his Labour colleague Jayne Bryant about the use of social prescribing, the first minister replies there are many examples including the Ffrind i Mi project, which supports those who are lonely or isolated.
"Recent research demonstrates a clear year-on-year increase in referrals and use of social prescribing in all parts of Wales," he says.
Social prescribing by health professionals includes referring patients to a range of non-clinical services, such as activity groups, debt management advice, employability skills training and volunteering.
Croeso
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the eleventh session of First Minister's Questions in 2023.
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.