The third FMQs of 2024 comes to a close.

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Labour's Jenny Rathbone asks "what representations will the Welsh government make to the UK government regarding the Home Office draft guidance that would allow anti-abortion protestors to approach women attending abortion clinics?"

The first minister replies that the 150-metre buffer zones around abortion clinics in England and Wales - that were backed by MPs - must be enforced.

Jenny Rathbone adds, "most people throughout Wales and across the United Kingdom support the women's right to choose to take on that very difficult lifelong commitment to having a child, and women who attend these clinics are at their most vulnerable making that difficult decision, and it is quite appalling that we are winding back the clock to enable people to be harassed at that most difficult moment. It is seriously disappointing that this draft guidance has already been given to police forces and local authorities despite this vote in the UK parliament banning this practice. How on earth can we trust the UK government to obey the wishes of its own parliament?"

The first minister points out that Home Secretary James Cleverly has said that the guidance was drafted before he became Home Secretary, and that he has agreed to meet MPs to discuss their concerns with it, and has given a commitment that all those views will be properly considered ahead of publishing the final version of the guidance.

"I certainly hope that that will be the case," says Mr Drakeford.

A week after the junior doctors’ strike action over pay during which they held a protest outside the Senedd, Plaid Cymru’s Luke Fletcher asks “what progress has the Welsh government made towards offering a fair pay restoration to junior doctors?"

The first minister replies "we have committed to the principle of pay restoration for all of our dedicated NHS workforce. Wales and the whole of the UK needs the funding required for restorative pay rises. Our budget this year allows only the offer currently on the table."

The three-day walkout last week followed a pay dispute with the Welsh government, with hundreds of operations and thousands of appointments postponed.

The Welsh government's pay rise offer of 5% was rejected by the British Medical Association (BMA).

In England, junior doctors have already been given an 8.8% pay increase, but have rejected an additional offer worth 3% on average.

In Scotland, an improved offer of 12.4% has been accepted, while in Northern Ireland a ballot is planned.

Luke Fletcher says "Plaid Cymru was out on the picket lines with junior doctors last week and the strength of feeling was palpable. Pay erosion of almost a third since 2008 has been compounded by astronomical student debts".

The first minister promises that the six month review of the new 20mph default speed limit in built-up areas in Wales will be "meaningful and well-informed".

He explains, "we will, first of all, gather experience. We will weigh up the evidence. And then, we will do two things. Where the guidance needs to be strengthened or clarified, that is what we will do. And then, we will make sure that local authorities have the assistance that they need to implement that guidance in a way that is consistent across the whole of Wales."

Image source, Getty Images

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says "the current UK government, and, perhaps, a Labour government in the near future, must give a far clearer commitment of a willingness to invest far, far more than what's on the table from the current government or what's being pledged by Labour were they to come into power".

Mr Drakeford replies "if we are to have fair transition in future, we will need more money on the table to assist that process. The Labour Party have a plan - £3 billion in the future of steel here in the United Kingdom."

Rhun ap Iorwerth adds "I don't think £3 billion is near enough, either. It's better than the £0.5 billion that's on the table from the current government, but the UK government just isn't investing to help industry prepare for a just transition to a cleaner future like governments in other European countries do. There are subsidies of €50 billion available to help energy-intensive manufacturers in Germany transition to climate-neutral technologies; €2.6 billion is being invested in one region alone in decarbonising its steel industry with hydrogen. We have to be setting the bar so much higher."

The first minister also says he is “genuinely baffled” that Rishi Sunak could not find the time to take a call from him about Tata last week.

Mr Drakeford said former Prime Minister Theresa May had found time when Ford announced the closure of its Bridgend engine plant in 2019.

Mr Drakeford made the request to Downing Street on Friday. The Welsh Secretary David TC Davies was available instead.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to Tata Steel's plans to cut 2,800 jobs from its UK workforce and close both blast furnaces in Port Talbot.

The first minister says "it's devastating news, I think, for the whole of the United Kingdom, because there will be no indigenous steel-making capacity in the United Kingdom if the company's plans go ahead. So, this government is not signed up to the company's plan."

He says the proposals prepared by consultants Syndex are a "credible" alternative plan, adding "I say to the company what I know others have said: I hope they will not make any irreversible decisions, because with a general election happening this year, there is an alternative future for the steel industry for the United Kingdom, and I want Port Talbot to be part of that."

All three unions asked Syndex to prepare an alternative decarbonisation plan for Tata Steel's UK operations, which was endorsed by representatives of Community, GMB and Unite.

It was presented to the company's senior management by representatives of the unions in London on 17 November and involved maintaining one blast furnace in Port Talbot with about 700 job losses that the unions believe could be achieved through voluntary redundancies and redeployment.

Mr Davies says "I disagree with the company's proposal about shutting blast furnace No. 4. I do believe that there's an ability and a route to keep that blast furnace open, and, indeed, all the conversations I've had over recent years with Tata indicated that that was going to be the journey that they would undertake."

He adds that "the UK government has put £0.5 billion on the table along with the company's £750 million to retain steel making capacity in Port Talbot, thus protecting 17,000 jobs in total in the wider economy."

Llywydd 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.

Conservative Laura Anne Jones expresses concerns about the number of speech and language therapy training places available in Wales.

She asks what "urgent action will you be taking to ensure that Wales doesn't fall even further behind in this department, as we all know that, for the services here in Wales, the demand is increasing?"

Mr Drakeford replies that "Health Education and Improvement Wales develop and submit an annual training plan based on information from partners and engagement with NHS organisations and stakeholders. That plan includes an annual assessment of speech and language training places. Funding for training has risen for nine consecutive years in Wales."

He acknowledges the growth in demand for speech and language therapists - "we know that there are real calls for additional staff, particularly people able to offer speech and language services through the medium of the Welsh language, for example".

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the third session of First Minister's Questions in 2024, and the third since Mark Drakeford announced he is quitting after five years in the job.

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 from 1.30pm.