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
NHS
"We need to continue that conversation with the public about how it's not always a GP that you need to see," says Lesley Griffiths.
"I know that GPs in my own constituency are taking on a number of staff within the surgery, for instance pharmacists and physiotherapists, so that they have other staff to take some of the pressure off GPs... Primary care, just as secondary care, is facing unprecedented demands at the current time," she adds.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Lesley GriffithsImage caption: Lesley Griffiths
Polypharmacy
Several MSs express concern about the overuse of prescription medication and polypharmacy (the prescribing or taking of too many medicines).
Rhys ab Owen points out that BBC Panorama recently reported that more than eight million people in England are on antidepressants - which are prescribed for depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder and other conditions. That's one million more people than five years previously.
More than a quarter of patients on antidepressants in England - about two million people - have been taking them for five years. This is despite there being limited evidence of the benefits of taking the drugs for that length of time.
Lesley Griffiths replies, "one has to assume that GPs have looked into alternative therapies, for instance, when a patient comes before them before they prescribe an antidepressant, but we have to take that as a clinical decision by the GP."
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
BBCCopyright: BBC
Rhun ap IorwerthImage caption: Rhun ap Iorwerth
Plaid
Cymru leader Rhun ap
Iorwerth says it is already clear from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry "that Welsh government wasn't prepared for the pandemic".
He calls again for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry. "Surely Welsh government can see now what I and the Covid-bereaved campaigners have long called for, which is that we need that full Welsh Covid inquiry, if we're to have any chance of getting at the real truth and learning lessons," he says.
The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths replies, "I think it really would be ridiculous for me to answer questions on the Covid inquiry at the same time as the first minister is giving evidence. We don't, and we will not be providing a commentary about evidence heard at the inquiry. The inquiry is absolutely the right place for these questions to be answered, not first minister's questions".
Rhun ap Iorwerth says Plaid Cymru has "published a number of proposals looking at how to strengthen the [NHS] workforce through addressing the issue of pay, addressing the issue of the millions of pounds being lost in profits to private agencies."
The Trefnydd replies, "I've seen the five-point plan that Plaid Cymru have come forward with, and I have to say I don't think we disagree with anything that you've put forward. But I'd like to see some detail behind that, and I'm sure the Minister for Health and Social Services would. Obviously, health isn't part of the co-operation agreement, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't be interested to hear your views and to see what we could do."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Local food production
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh
Conservatives in the Senedd, calls on the Welsh government to enhance local food production following the passing of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.
He says, "thirty years ago, of the produce we could grow, we used to be 75 per cent self-sufficient. We are now under 60 per cent self-sufficient - the food that we can produce within this country."
The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths replies, "you will be aware that the focus of the Wales agriculture Bill, all the way through, right from when we first went out to consultation back in 2018, was to make sure that active farmers were rewarded, and that is the focus that we will have going forward. Obviously, sustainable food production is going to be a very important part of the sustainable farming scheme."
Mr Davies calls on the Welsh government to "adopt a target for self-sufficiency in the food that we can produce so that the industry, the policy makers and, importantly, you, as minister, or whoever comes after you, have got a a target to aim for and we can achieve that 75 per cent goal that historically Welsh agriculture and UK agriculture have achieved."
Lesley Griffiths replies, "I like targets for the reason that you have got something to measure, but they have to be pragmatic and they've got to be realistic".
She adds, "I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm not going to decide on such a policy here in the chamber today".
BBCCopyright: BBC
Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies
Zimmer Biomet
Conservative Tom Giffard refers to the decision by American medical manufacturing firm Zimmer Biomet to close its plant in south Wales, putting 540 jobs at risk.
Lesley Griffiths says "the Welsh government is now engaging with the company to understand the rationale for the decision they've made, and to explore any options that exist to protect jobs."
She emphasises, "I should be very clear that Welsh government had no prior notice from the company of this decision. The only way we knew about it was when we'd heard rumours."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Hundreds of workers left Zimmer Biomet following the announcement of its closure on Thursday morningImage caption: Hundreds of workers left Zimmer Biomet following the announcement of its closure on Thursday morning
'How to give succinct answers in oral questions'
The
Trefnydd (the minister responsible for organising government business in the Senedd) Lesley Griffiths stands in for First Minister Mark
Drakeford, who is giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
When she
stood in for the first minister last year, Lesley Griffiths answered 10 questions in 45 minutes.
“Da iawn” (very good) responded the Llywydd Elin Jones, who suggested that the
Trefnydd gives the Cabinet “a tutorial on how to give succinct answers in oral
questions”.
Thinkstock/BBCCopyright: Thinkstock/BBC
The Llywydd appreciates "succinct answers"Image caption: The Llywydd appreciates "succinct answers"
Croeso
Hello and welcome
to our live coverage of the twenty-first 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 Lesley GriffithsImage caption: Lesley Griffiths 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
BBCCopyright: BBC Rhun ap IorwerthImage caption: Rhun ap Iorwerth 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies 
BBCCopyright: BBC Hundreds of workers left Zimmer Biomet following the announcement of its closure on Thursday morningImage caption: Hundreds of workers left Zimmer Biomet following the announcement of its closure on Thursday morning 
Thinkstock/BBCCopyright: Thinkstock/BBC The Llywydd appreciates "succinct answers"Image caption: The Llywydd appreciates "succinct answers"
Latest PostHwyl fawr
The twenty-first 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.
NHS
"We need to continue that conversation with the public about how it's not always a GP that you need to see," says Lesley Griffiths.
"I know that GPs in my own constituency are taking on a number of staff within the surgery, for instance pharmacists and physiotherapists, so that they have other staff to take some of the pressure off GPs... Primary care, just as secondary care, is facing unprecedented demands at the current time," she adds.
Polypharmacy
Several MSs express concern about the overuse of prescription medication and polypharmacy (the prescribing or taking of too many medicines).
Rhys ab Owen points out that BBC Panorama recently reported that more than eight million people in England are on antidepressants - which are prescribed for depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder and other conditions. That's one million more people than five years previously.
More than a quarter of patients on antidepressants in England - about two million people - have been taking them for five years. This is despite there being limited evidence of the benefits of taking the drugs for that length of time.
Lesley Griffiths replies, "one has to assume that GPs have looked into alternative therapies, for instance, when a patient comes before them before they prescribe an antidepressant, but we have to take that as a clinical decision by the GP."
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says it is already clear from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry "that Welsh government wasn't prepared for the pandemic".
He calls again for a Wales-specific Covid inquiry. "Surely Welsh government can see now what I and the Covid-bereaved campaigners have long called for, which is that we need that full Welsh Covid inquiry, if we're to have any chance of getting at the real truth and learning lessons," he says.
The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths replies, "I think it really would be ridiculous for me to answer questions on the Covid inquiry at the same time as the first minister is giving evidence. We don't, and we will not be providing a commentary about evidence heard at the inquiry. The inquiry is absolutely the right place for these questions to be answered, not first minister's questions".
Rhun ap Iorwerth says Plaid Cymru has "published a number of proposals looking at how to strengthen the [NHS] workforce through addressing the issue of pay, addressing the issue of the millions of pounds being lost in profits to private agencies."
The Trefnydd replies, "I've seen the five-point plan that Plaid Cymru have come forward with, and I have to say I don't think we disagree with anything that you've put forward. But I'd like to see some detail behind that, and I'm sure the Minister for Health and Social Services would. Obviously, health isn't part of the co-operation agreement, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't be interested to hear your views and to see what we could do."
Local food production
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, calls on the Welsh government to enhance local food production following the passing of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.
He says, "thirty years ago, of the produce we could grow, we used to be 75 per cent self-sufficient. We are now under 60 per cent self-sufficient - the food that we can produce within this country."
The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths replies, "you will be aware that the focus of the Wales agriculture Bill, all the way through, right from when we first went out to consultation back in 2018, was to make sure that active farmers were rewarded, and that is the focus that we will have going forward. Obviously, sustainable food production is going to be a very important part of the sustainable farming scheme."
Mr Davies calls on the Welsh government to "adopt a target for self-sufficiency in the food that we can produce so that the industry, the policy makers and, importantly, you, as minister, or whoever comes after you, have got a a target to aim for and we can achieve that 75 per cent goal that historically Welsh agriculture and UK agriculture have achieved."
Lesley Griffiths replies, "I like targets for the reason that you have got something to measure, but they have to be pragmatic and they've got to be realistic".
She adds, "I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm not going to decide on such a policy here in the chamber today".
Zimmer Biomet
Conservative Tom Giffard refers to the decision by American medical manufacturing firm Zimmer Biomet to close its plant in south Wales, putting 540 jobs at risk.
Lesley Griffiths says "the Welsh government is now engaging with the company to understand the rationale for the decision they've made, and to explore any options that exist to protect jobs."
She emphasises, "I should be very clear that Welsh government had no prior notice from the company of this decision. The only way we knew about it was when we'd heard rumours."
'How to give succinct answers in oral questions'
The Trefnydd (the minister responsible for organising government business in the Senedd) Lesley Griffiths stands in for First Minister Mark Drakeford, who is giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
When she stood in for the first minister last year, Lesley Griffiths answered 10 questions in 45 minutes. “Da iawn” (very good) responded the Llywydd Elin Jones, who suggested that the Trefnydd gives the Cabinet “a tutorial on how to give succinct answers in oral questions”.
Croeso
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the twenty-first 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.