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
'Great days for Wrexham'
"These are great days for Wrexham" says the first minister ahead of the victory parade to celebrate winning the National League and promotion back to the English Football League.
He adds, "great days in football, but also everything that that has done to raise the profile of the city and its newly acquired city status, and the Welsh Government goes on being absolutely committed to the Wrexham gateway project. Twice it’s been turned down by the UK government, and now Welsh authorities are stepping in to make sure that the redevelopment of the ground can be completed not simply to the standard that will be required for Wrexham’s return to the football league, but to make sure that international sport - football, rugby union, rugby league have all been played internationally at the Wrexham ground - and we want to make sure that that is possible for Wrexham in the future."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Mark DrakefordImage caption: Mark Drakeford
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Wrexham sealed their return to the Football LeagueImage caption: Wrexham sealed their return to the Football League
Cardiff Airport
Asked about the future
of Cardiff Airport by Conservative MS Natasha Asghar, the first minister says "we remain committed to supporting the airport to recover from the impact of the pandemic and become a self-sustaining vital piece of Wales's national infrastructure. Recent announcements of more services and flights demonstrate that Welsh passengers have increasing opportunities to fly from closer to home."
Natasha Asghar says "it's no secret that I firmly believe that Cardiff Airport has been a huge waste of money, with more than £200 million of taxpayer's cash pumped into it over the years. In my eyes, the best place for it is indeed in the private sector where it might actually stand some chance of success".
Cardiff AirportCopyright: Cardiff Airport
House building
Asked by Jack Sargeant about what is the Welsh Government doing to increase the number of council houses in Wales, the first minister does not specify whether or not his government is on course to meet its house building target.
He says "from the figures that we have available, between 2008 and 2011 local authorities in Wales built 128 homes. In the three years for which the most recent figures are available, 2019 to 2020, local authorities built 1,376 houses."
He adds, "82% of new affordable housing in Wales in the last year was social housing. In England, that figure was 13%."
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Is Covid public inquiry covering key Welsh issues?
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price expresses concerns about a lack of witnesses and core participants to the UK Covid public inquiry with expertise of the situation in Wales.
He says, "I think it is certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to that the exclusion, so far, of any expert witnesses with particular expertise in Wales, and the exclusion of two important organisations from core participant status, is evidence in favour of the proposition that many of us here and outside this Chamber have represented: that there will be insufficient focus on Wales in this inquiry."
The first minister says, "it's not for me to take a view on who the inquiry chooses to hear from. It will have weighed up the different applications it has. If anybody believes it's made the wrong judgment, then the person to talk to is the chair of the inquiry, not the First Minister of Wales."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Adam PriceImage caption: Adam Price
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The Welsh Government had huge powers over people's lives in Wales during the pandemicImage caption: The Welsh Government had huge powers over people's lives in Wales during the pandemic
Covid public inquiry
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh
Conservatives in the Senedd, who has campaigned for a separate inquiry into the Welsh Government's handling of the pandemic, relays concerns by the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group about "non-disclosure and the timeliness of the evidence that the Welsh Government is submitting to the inquiry".
Mr Drakeford says the Welsh Government has supplied thousands of documents to the UK inquiry and is fully engaged in the process.
He says it was a decision of the inquiry when to release witness statements to the bereaved families group.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies
UK PARLIAMENTCopyright: UK PARLIAMENT
Baroness Hallett is chair of the inquiryImage caption: Baroness Hallett is chair of the inquiry
'Unacceptable experience for passengers across north Wales'
The first minister says he agrees with the call by the Plaid Cymru MS for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, for the devolution of powers over rail infrastructure and corresponding funding.
He also says, "many of the mainline services across north Wales are a UK government responsibility, and they are delivered by Avanti West Coast.
"Poor performance and inadequate service levels on this essential route has placed additional pressure on regional services run by Transport for Wales and delivered an unacceptable experience for passengers across north Wales."
BBCCopyright: BBC
River pollution
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.
The Labour MS for Swansea East, Mike
Hedges asks
what action is the Welsh Government
taking to reduce river pollution.
The first minister refers to the River Pollution Summits he has chaired and to the resulting action plan.
Regarding the river Tawe, Mr Hedges says "we have raw sewerage discharge, agricultural pollution and microplastics... Things I believe that could help include the planting of trees and bushes, making it a planning condition on new developments that impervious coverings are not allowed, except for a driveway with a limited width; to have greater control over the use of fertiliser on farmland, and to completely ban microplastic use in commonly-used materials such as cosmetics."
Croeso
Hello and welcome
to our live coverage of the thirteenth 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 
BBCCopyright: BBC Mark DrakefordImage caption: Mark Drakeford 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Wrexham sealed their return to the Football LeagueImage caption: Wrexham sealed their return to the Football League 
Cardiff AirportCopyright: Cardiff Airport 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media 
BBCCopyright: BBC Adam PriceImage caption: Adam Price 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images The Welsh Government had huge powers over people's lives in Wales during the pandemicImage caption: The Welsh Government had huge powers over people's lives in Wales during the pandemic 
BBCCopyright: BBC Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies 
UK PARLIAMENTCopyright: UK PARLIAMENT Baroness Hallett is chair of the inquiryImage caption: Baroness Hallett is chair of the inquiry 
BBCCopyright: BBC
Latest PostHwyl fawr
The thirteenth FMQs of 2023 comes to a close.
Thanks for following - join us again next week.
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.
'Great days for Wrexham'
"These are great days for Wrexham" says the first minister ahead of the victory parade to celebrate winning the National League and promotion back to the English Football League.
He adds, "great days in football, but also everything that that has done to raise the profile of the city and its newly acquired city status, and the Welsh Government goes on being absolutely committed to the Wrexham gateway project. Twice it’s been turned down by the UK government, and now Welsh authorities are stepping in to make sure that the redevelopment of the ground can be completed not simply to the standard that will be required for Wrexham’s return to the football league, but to make sure that international sport - football, rugby union, rugby league have all been played internationally at the Wrexham ground - and we want to make sure that that is possible for Wrexham in the future."
Cardiff Airport
Asked about the future of Cardiff Airport by Conservative MS Natasha Asghar, the first minister says "we remain committed to supporting the airport to recover from the impact of the pandemic and become a self-sustaining vital piece of Wales's national infrastructure. Recent announcements of more services and flights demonstrate that Welsh passengers have increasing opportunities to fly from closer to home."
Natasha Asghar says "it's no secret that I firmly believe that Cardiff Airport has been a huge waste of money, with more than £200 million of taxpayer's cash pumped into it over the years. In my eyes, the best place for it is indeed in the private sector where it might actually stand some chance of success".
House building
Asked by Jack Sargeant about what is the Welsh Government doing to increase the number of council houses in Wales, the first minister does not specify whether or not his government is on course to meet its house building target.
He says "from the figures that we have available, between 2008 and 2011 local authorities in Wales built 128 homes. In the three years for which the most recent figures are available, 2019 to 2020, local authorities built 1,376 houses."
He adds, "82% of new affordable housing in Wales in the last year was social housing. In England, that figure was 13%."
Is Covid public inquiry covering key Welsh issues?
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price expresses concerns about a lack of witnesses and core participants to the UK Covid public inquiry with expertise of the situation in Wales.
He says, "I think it is certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to that the exclusion, so far, of any expert witnesses with particular expertise in Wales, and the exclusion of two important organisations from core participant status, is evidence in favour of the proposition that many of us here and outside this Chamber have represented: that there will be insufficient focus on Wales in this inquiry."
The first minister says, "it's not for me to take a view on who the inquiry chooses to hear from. It will have weighed up the different applications it has. If anybody believes it's made the wrong judgment, then the person to talk to is the chair of the inquiry, not the First Minister of Wales."
Covid public inquiry
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, who has campaigned for a separate inquiry into the Welsh Government's handling of the pandemic, relays concerns by the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group about "non-disclosure and the timeliness of the evidence that the Welsh Government is submitting to the inquiry".
Mr Drakeford says the Welsh Government has supplied thousands of documents to the UK inquiry and is fully engaged in the process.
He says it was a decision of the inquiry when to release witness statements to the bereaved families group.
'Unacceptable experience for passengers across north Wales'
The first minister says he agrees with the call by the Plaid Cymru MS for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, for the devolution of powers over rail infrastructure and corresponding funding.
He also says, "many of the mainline services across north Wales are a UK government responsibility, and they are delivered by Avanti West Coast.
"Poor performance and inadequate service levels on this essential route has placed additional pressure on regional services run by Transport for Wales and delivered an unacceptable experience for passengers across north Wales."
River pollution
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.
The Labour MS for Swansea East, Mike Hedges asks what action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce river pollution.
The first minister refers to the River Pollution Summits he has chaired and to the resulting action plan.
Regarding the river Tawe, Mr Hedges says "we have raw sewerage discharge, agricultural pollution and microplastics... Things I believe that could help include the planting of trees and bushes, making it a planning condition on new developments that impervious coverings are not allowed, except for a driveway with a limited width; to have greater control over the use of fertiliser on farmland, and to completely ban microplastic use in commonly-used materials such as cosmetics."
Croeso
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the thirteenth 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.