Carwyn Jones: Yes. I'm more than happy to pursue that. My own son's school introduced cashless payments this term, which I have to say, saved on scrambling around for pound coins every week, which is what tended to happen in our house. The important point is this: I don't think it would be right that if there's no credit in a child's account, as it were, that that child should not have a meal as a result...
Carwyn Jones: There are many benefits to schools using cashless systems: helping schools meet the requirement to protect the identity of learners, for example, who receive free school meals, and preventing the situation arising of children losing their lunch money.
Carwyn Jones: There are question marks over England's figures for a start. That doesn't diminish, of course, the pressures there have been on emergency services in Wales and I certainly don't seek to belittle that in any way, shape or form. But the question is this: should you divorce the issue of health and social care, as he's trying to do with his third question? The answer is, 'No, you cannot.' The two...
Carwyn Jones: It's a matter for health boards to ensure they have sufficient beds available. It's not right to say that I said beds weren't important: I said they were only part of the picture. If you look, for example, in England, where spending on social care has been hammered, England is now reaping what it has sown. We have made sure through, for example, the integrated care fund, that more people can...
Carwyn Jones: First of all, I'm aware of the pressures there have been on emergency staff, and I thank them for what they have done. It has been very difficult, given intense spikes in demand—unpredicatble spikes in demand at certain days in the course of the holiday period. We would be delighted—delighted—to spend more on health and social care if the brakes were taken off by the Chancellor of the...
Carwyn Jones: He didn't know about the VAT, did he? That was one of the issues that's blind-sided him.
Carwyn Jones: I'm surprised that the leader of the opposition isn't aware of the VAT issue, and has not said anything publicly to support the Welsh Government and the Welsh taxpayer. It's one thing to say that negotiations are ongoing, but why isn't he standing up and saying to the Conservative Party—a Conservative Party that took funding away from electrification of the railways to spend outside of...
Carwyn Jones: Well, first of all, inflation—that makes a difference to the figures; and, secondly, the UK Government is charging VAT. The UK Government is charging VAT. Here's a challenge for him: why doesn't he go back to his party and say, 'Don't charge VAT for this project'? That would save us hundreds of millions of pounds.
Carwyn Jones: Well, the figure has certainly risen because there's been more of a delay than expected. But we intend to make sure that the issue of congestion on the M4 is dealt with. I wonder what his party's view is.
Carwyn Jones: It seems to me that it's pointless having any kind of consultation. Now, we have no view on this at this stage, and there are reasons for that. [Interruption.] Simon Thomas knows this full well: the reason why we cannot take a view at this stage is because there's an open consultation. We can't shut down the consultation at this stage. There are legal issues surrounding that, for a start....
Carwyn Jones: I think we need to focus not just on the issue of beds, but on the issue of getting people out of hospital as quickly as possible. That means that, if you look at delayed transfers of care, our figures are greatly improved month on month, and greatly improved from last year. We don't want people staying in hospital for longer than they have to. But, of course, the other point that we have to...
Carwyn Jones: Well, the health board itself could answer that. I see no reason why they were not being honest. There are always challenges. The parliamentary review, which all parties that have signed up to, have said that there will be difficult decisions in the future. Now, as a Government, we have no view on this. This is not our policy. These are options that the health board has taken forward. What's...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, we have to ensure that. What I've noticed in other countries—. I was in Uganda three years ago, and the network there was much better than the United Kingdom's. I was in very rural areas that were very difficult to access by road, but when you got there, there were five bars of 4G available. Why? Well, there hadn't been any investment at all in landlines and so they only had mobiles....
Carwyn Jones: It's certainly an interesting idea. I'm informed that the Cabinet Secretary has met with industry representatives in order to discuss this. It's hugely important that, where we have emergencies, there is a sufficiently robust communications network in place in order to deal with those emergencies. As I say, a meeting has recently taken place to discuss that very point.
Carwyn Jones: Well, no-one's going to pretend that mobile coverage is exactly universal, in many parts of Wales. I live in the middle of a town and I can't get mobile coverage in my house. So, we know that there is a challenge for the industry—this is not devolved of course—to make sure that it does extend coverage, as in other countries now. What are we doing as the Government? Well, the mobile...
Carwyn Jones: We recognise the ever-growing importance of mobile communications in rural areas. And our mobile action plan sets out how we plan to work with the industry and regulator to improve mobile connectivity across the country.
Carwyn Jones: Well, of course we take it seriously, and we have to ensure that the structure is in place. One of the problems is there’s such a diversity as regards the way in which cars can be charged. There are at least three sockets that I can think of, as someone who drives a hybrid. What we need, of course, is for the manufacturers to consider how they could have one uniform charger, then it would...
Carwyn Jones: Well, the A55 is of course a key strategic route in the north. Last year, we completed a £42 million programme to bring the tunnels of Conwy, Penmaenbach and Pen-y-clip up to current standards. We're also investing approximately £40 million to upgrade junctions 15 and 16, and another £200 million in the Deeside corridor. In addition, the Abergwyngregyn to Tai'r Meibion advanced drainage...
Carwyn Jones: Our recently published national transport finance plan sets out an ambitious programme of road, rail, bus and active travel improvements as part of a balanced and sustainable plan for transport investment across Wales.
Carwyn Jones: Very good work has been done in Merthyr in terms of—she mentions, of course, Ysgol Afon Taf. I was there, of course, to open the new college in Merthyr as well—a substantial improvement on the original building. It is hugely important that local authorities continue the momentum that has been established in order to see schools replaced and refurbished across Wales, and, again, hugely...
