Vaughan Gething’s first session as first minister comes to a close.
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Timely healthcare?
Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams says that residents in her South Wales West constituency are not receiving timely healthcare, and she refers to the number of occasions when Morriston Hospital in Swansea has been under a so-called black alert, triggered only under exceptional circumstances in its emergency and unscheduled care services.
She says that Morriston Hospital has declared such an alert five times over the last five months, and there have been nine over the last year.
"This is simply unacceptable, the severity of this pressure on health services must be directly addressed," says Sioned Williams.
The first minister replies, "this government recognises the need for further improvement when it comes to access to timely and high-quality care across our NHS. It's the primary focus of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and you are now seeing waiting times falling in Wales in successive months. We regularly have the comparison with England - in fact, in 15 of the last 18 months, A&E department performance has been better in Wales than in England. But we recognise much more is required."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Sioned WilliamsImage caption: Sioned Williams
Homelessness
In response to concerns expressed by Plaid Cymru's Luke Fletcher about youth homelessness in Wales, Vaughan Gething says the Welsh government is committed to ending all homelessness in Wales.
Mr Gething says the Welsh government is investing almost £220 million in homelessness prevention and support services this year.
He adds, "this includes over £7 million specifically targeted at early identification of youth homelessness and assistance to help young people develop the life skills they need to live independently".
Mr Fletcher says that End Youth Homelessness Cymru have "identified a need for a serious cultural change in the public sector, whether that's across education, health and others such as housing in order to actually get to grips with this challenge".
Fair funding for Wales?
Plaid
Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth asks how the first minister will ensure "fair funding for Wales" if Labour wins the general election.
Mr Gething replies "I look forward to an ongoing and engaged conversation with the current shadow team within Westminster. I look forward to putting my shoulder to the wheel to ensure that they are a future UK Labour government, and that election cannot come soon enough. That would be good for Wales and good for Britain, to have two Labour governments working together in the shared interests of the people who we are privileged to serve. I look forward to being part of not just that conversation but how we govern and how we make decisions for the ambitious and fairer Wales that I want to see."
Mr Gething said the NHS is "a clear priority for the people of Wales", leaving the Welsh government facing "difficult choices".
BBCCopyright: BBC
Rhun ap IorwerthImage caption: Rhun ap Iorwerth
Donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership campaign
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the
Senedd, refers to the controversial donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership campaign - Mr Gething confirms to Mr Davies that he received £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group.
The company is owned by a man twice convicted for environmental offences.
Vaughan Gething also confirms that any money not spent will be given to Welsh Labour - "the rules require that, in this internal Welsh Labour contest, all donations are declared and both campaigns would need to file their accounts at the end and if there is any money left over that would then go to Welsh Labour as a political donation".
Mr Davies asks, "what measures have you put in place now that you are first minister to make sure that there is not the continuing perception that money can buy influence within your government and a seat at the cabinet table?"
The first minister replies, "I think when you look at where we are and our adherence to the ministerial code and the requirements to separate ministerial interests and constituency ones and personal ones, this government and every iteration of a Welsh Labour led government has a good track record on doing the right thing."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill set to pass its final stage
Llywydd Elin
Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table
questions to the first minister.
Conservative Russell George expresses concerns about a "lack of detail" in the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill, which is expected to pass its final stage in the Senedd later today.
Mr George says, "the Bill does not tell us key details about the pre-application consultation and publicity, about how applications for infrastructure consent are to be made, time frames, the form of consent and local impact reports, how open-floor hearings will be triggered, the examination procedure".
The first minister replies the Bill has "been designed to offer a transparent and thorough and consistent consenting process across Wales that will allow local communities to better understand and effectively engage in decisions that affect them".
The key purposes of the Bill are:
to establish a unified infrastructure consenting process for specified types of major infrastructure both on and offshore (up to territorial seaward boundary), including energy, transport, waste, water and gas projects. The new form of consent will be known as an “infrastructure consent” (“IC”) and will be issued in relation to projects which are prescribed as a “Significant Infrastructure Project” (“SIP”);
to provide that developers must obtain an IC for a SIP. The IC is intended to contain the full range of authorisations required to enable the development to be implemented; and
to therefore replace, either fully or partially, a number of existing statutory regimes for the consenting of infrastructure projects and rationalise the number of authorisations required to construct and operate such development into a single consent.
Most respondents to the consultation agreed with the principle of a unified consenting process, although many wanted more detail on how it would work in practice. Respondents said changes must ensure flexibility, a stronger role for communities and mustn’t be too complex or costly for applicants.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Vaughan GethingImage caption: Vaughan Gething
Focus more on 'generating light than generating heat'?
In his final session of First
Minister's Questions last month, Mark Drakeford said about FMQs, “In
terms of preparation, I'd just say to my successor that it will take up, I'm
afraid, hours and hours of his time, because it's unavoidable that if you come
here and you can be asked a question, not simply any question on the brief you
happen to hold, but any question on any part of the Welsh Government, every
single weekend is a bit like preparing for finals, really, for those of you who
remember that. You spend the whole weekend swotting in the hope that you've
spotted the question that might come up, and very often you haven't spotted it
at all.”
He added, “if I had a hope for this forum and these
questions, it would be that, just occasionally, we all focus a little bit more
on generating light than generating heat. For the surprisingly large number of
people who watch us at work and tune into the things that we talk about, I
think that, in the end, the reason they do that is because they hope to learn
something of the complexity of the debates that we face, and to go away from
these discussions feeling that they are better informed about the decisions
that are being made here on their behalf. Every now and then, just a bit of
thought about the fact that casting a bit of light on those subjects, rather
than generating heat around them I think might lead to the Parliament doing its
job in the eyes of Welsh people in a way that they would really appreciate.”
You can judge for yourselves how much light,
and how much heat, is generated in this and subsequent sessions.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Mark Drakeford's final session of First Minister's Questions last monthImage caption: Mark Drakeford's final session of First Minister's Questions last month
Croeso
Hello
and welcome to our live coverage of Vaughan
Gething’s first session of First Minister's Questions.
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.
Live Reporting
Alun Jones
All times stated are UK
SENEDD COMMISSIONCopyright: SENEDD COMMISSION 
BBCCopyright: BBC Sioned WilliamsImage caption: Sioned Williams 
BBCCopyright: BBC Rhun ap IorwerthImage caption: Rhun ap Iorwerth 
BBCCopyright: BBC Andrew RT DaviesImage caption: Andrew RT Davies -
to establish a unified infrastructure consenting process for specified types of major infrastructure both on and offshore (up to territorial seaward boundary), including energy, transport, waste, water and gas projects. The new form of consent will be known as an “infrastructure consent” (“IC”) and will be issued in relation to projects which are prescribed as a “Significant Infrastructure Project” (“SIP”);
-
to provide that developers must obtain an IC for a SIP. The IC is intended to contain the full range of authorisations required to enable the development to be implemented; and
-
to therefore replace, either fully or partially, a number of existing statutory regimes for the consenting of infrastructure projects and rationalise the number of authorisations required to construct and operate such development into a single consent.
BBCCopyright: BBC Vaughan GethingImage caption: Vaughan Gething 
BBCCopyright: BBC Mark Drakeford's final session of First Minister's Questions last monthImage caption: Mark Drakeford's final session of First Minister's Questions last month
Latest PostHwyl fawr
Vaughan Gething’s first session as first minister comes to a close.
Thanks for following - join us again next week.
Timely healthcare?
Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams says that residents in her South Wales West constituency are not receiving timely healthcare, and she refers to the number of occasions when Morriston Hospital in Swansea has been under a so-called black alert, triggered only under exceptional circumstances in its emergency and unscheduled care services.
She says that Morriston Hospital has declared such an alert five times over the last five months, and there have been nine over the last year.
"This is simply unacceptable, the severity of this pressure on health services must be directly addressed," says Sioned Williams.
The first minister replies, "this government recognises the need for further improvement when it comes to access to timely and high-quality care across our NHS. It's the primary focus of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and you are now seeing waiting times falling in Wales in successive months. We regularly have the comparison with England - in fact, in 15 of the last 18 months, A&E department performance has been better in Wales than in England. But we recognise much more is required."
Homelessness
In response to concerns expressed by Plaid Cymru's Luke Fletcher about youth homelessness in Wales, Vaughan Gething says the Welsh government is committed to ending all homelessness in Wales.
Mr Gething says the Welsh government is investing almost £220 million in homelessness prevention and support services this year.
He adds, "this includes over £7 million specifically targeted at early identification of youth homelessness and assistance to help young people develop the life skills they need to live independently".
Mr Fletcher says that End Youth Homelessness Cymru have "identified a need for a serious cultural change in the public sector, whether that's across education, health and others such as housing in order to actually get to grips with this challenge".
Fair funding for Wales?
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth asks how the first minister will ensure "fair funding for Wales" if Labour wins the general election.
Mr Gething replies "I look forward to an ongoing and engaged conversation with the current shadow team within Westminster. I look forward to putting my shoulder to the wheel to ensure that they are a future UK Labour government, and that election cannot come soon enough. That would be good for Wales and good for Britain, to have two Labour governments working together in the shared interests of the people who we are privileged to serve. I look forward to being part of not just that conversation but how we govern and how we make decisions for the ambitious and fairer Wales that I want to see."
Rhun ap Iorwerth also refers to the first minister's comments defending cuts to Wales' national museum. The museum said at the weekend it is axing 90 jobs.
Mr Gething said the NHS is "a clear priority for the people of Wales", leaving the Welsh government facing "difficult choices".
Donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership campaign
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, refers to the controversial donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership campaign - Mr Gething confirms to Mr Davies that he received £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group.
The company is owned by a man twice convicted for environmental offences.
Vaughan Gething also confirms that any money not spent will be given to Welsh Labour - "the rules require that, in this internal Welsh Labour contest, all donations are declared and both campaigns would need to file their accounts at the end and if there is any money left over that would then go to Welsh Labour as a political donation".
Mr Davies asks, "what measures have you put in place now that you are first minister to make sure that there is not the continuing perception that money can buy influence within your government and a seat at the cabinet table?"
The first minister replies, "I think when you look at where we are and our adherence to the ministerial code and the requirements to separate ministerial interests and constituency ones and personal ones, this government and every iteration of a Welsh Labour led government has a good track record on doing the right thing."
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill set to pass its final stage
Llywydd Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table questions to the first minister.
Conservative Russell George expresses concerns about a "lack of detail" in the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill, which is expected to pass its final stage in the Senedd later today.
Mr George says, "the Bill does not tell us key details about the pre-application consultation and publicity, about how applications for infrastructure consent are to be made, time frames, the form of consent and local impact reports, how open-floor hearings will be triggered, the examination procedure".
The first minister replies the Bill has "been designed to offer a transparent and thorough and consistent consenting process across Wales that will allow local communities to better understand and effectively engage in decisions that affect them".
The key purposes of the Bill are:
Senedd Members discussed their initial thoughts on the Bill on 13 June 2023.
Property company Savills says a unified consenting process has potential to give Wales a competitive advantage over neighbouring administrations.
The Bill follows a 2018 consultation.
Most respondents to the consultation agreed with the principle of a unified consenting process, although many wanted more detail on how it would work in practice. Respondents said changes must ensure flexibility, a stronger role for communities and mustn’t be too complex or costly for applicants.
Focus more on 'generating light than generating heat'?
In his final session of First Minister's Questions last month, Mark Drakeford said about FMQs, “In terms of preparation, I'd just say to my successor that it will take up, I'm afraid, hours and hours of his time, because it's unavoidable that if you come here and you can be asked a question, not simply any question on the brief you happen to hold, but any question on any part of the Welsh Government, every single weekend is a bit like preparing for finals, really, for those of you who remember that. You spend the whole weekend swotting in the hope that you've spotted the question that might come up, and very often you haven't spotted it at all.”
He added, “if I had a hope for this forum and these questions, it would be that, just occasionally, we all focus a little bit more on generating light than generating heat. For the surprisingly large number of people who watch us at work and tune into the things that we talk about, I think that, in the end, the reason they do that is because they hope to learn something of the complexity of the debates that we face, and to go away from these discussions feeling that they are better informed about the decisions that are being made here on their behalf. Every now and then, just a bit of thought about the fact that casting a bit of light on those subjects, rather than generating heat around them I think might lead to the Parliament doing its job in the eyes of Welsh people in a way that they would really appreciate.”
You can judge for yourselves how much light, and how much heat, is generated in this and subsequent sessions.
Croeso
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Vaughan Gething’s first session of First Minister's Questions.
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.