Carwyn Jones: Well, we have, of course, in place a recruitment campaign, which has proven very successful. We put extra resources into CAMHS when that was needed, when demand did become very high and that demand needed to be satisfied. I can say that more than 154,000 people have been seen by local primary mental health support services since their introduction, as part of the implementation of the...
Carwyn Jones: Well, I take the view that an independent process is the best way of doing that, and that's why we've tabled the amendment that we have.
Carwyn Jones: Well, he has been partial himself in the words that he has alleged the Counsel General used—that's the problem. The committee is there to scrutinise me as First Minister—of course it is—but I take the view, and I think reasonable people will take the view, that, where there is an issue such as this, an independent process is the right to process to deal with the issue.
Carwyn Jones: Well, I think, by his comments today, the leader of the opposition has shown that it's highly political what he's trying to do; it's nothing to do with it being impartial at all. I saw his comments over the weekend, when he said that he wants an investigation up to the present day, for no apparent reason. Also, he said that the committee should make recommendations about the running of the...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, I do. It is right to say, for example, with CAMHS, demand did outstrip what was available. There's no question about that and that's why we put the extra £8 million a year into children and adolescent mental health services in order to deal with that. If we look at the new funding that's been announced for mental health, on top of the general increases, £22 million of new funding has...
Carwyn Jones: Well, it is a fact that around 25 per cent to one third of referrals to specialist CAMHS are redirected to other services because the referral is inappropriate for what is a highly specialised service. Now, that's done to ensure that those children who require specialist support are able to receive it in a timely manner. Of course we expect CAMHS to deal with those young people who need help...
Carwyn Jones: Well, it comes as a surprise to me, as I stand here every week, to suggest that I'm not scrutinised, because I can guarantee Members that certainly I am. Can I make the point that statistics are not changed by Government? They're dealt with independently, and it's up to the UK Statistics Authority to decide how it gathers statistics. It's not something Government decides. Yes, it is true to...
Carwyn Jones: This is a man who voted in favour of privatising electricity and gas. That's the reason why prices have gone up. The fact is there's no real competition, people don't really understand how to get the best tariff, despite people's best endeavours to do that. In fact, the service was far better when we had a nationalised provider, and that is something I'd like to see return in the future. It's...
Carwyn Jones: Well, I mean, first of all, I had some rumbling from the party opposite about the overcharging of customers—in 2015, when my party stood in the general election, they accused us of being Marxists for wanting to put a price cap on energy prices. That's how much they cared for ordinary people. We all know what the Tories are like. Now, in answer to the question posed by the leader of UKIP,...
Carwyn Jones: He talks about driving poor and vulnerable people into the red; the privatisation of energy was one way of doing that—we know that. His party stood on a programme of a flat tax, which would increase taxes for the vast majority of poorer people, and reduce them for people who are earning more. He's in no position to lecture anybody else about looking after poorer people. Let me ask him...
Carwyn Jones: A very topical question, if I may say. Through the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the creation of Natural Resources Wales, we already have, of course, some of the most advanced environmental legislation and integrated enforcement arrangements in the world.
Carwyn Jones: If you look at the local authority environment and sustainable development single revenue grant, a total of £61.79 million has been allocated to the local authorities for 2017-18. That is something that is hugely important, on top of, of course, the spending that will come from Government. But, again, I say to him and his party, he is in no position to lecture us about money when, yet...
Carwyn Jones: There is a Bill. There will be a decision about when it should be published. At present, what I would like to see is that the House of Commons accepts the amendments. If that does come to pass, then we won’t need a continuity Bill, but it's true to say that one has been drafted.
Carwyn Jones: I pay credit to my colleague Lesley Griffiths and those who held the position before her for the fantastic work that's been done on recycling. Back in 2000, we recycled about 4 per cent of waste arisings in Wales. There are stretching targets for the future, but also we need to work with others to make sure that the level of packaging is reduced. It's difficult to do it at the Welsh level,...
Carwyn Jones: The former Minister for Skills and Science met with Damian Hinds, the Minister for employment, to discuss the DWP’s estate plans, and he agreed to keep Welsh Government updated on any potential transfer of DWP functions from Gabalfa, and other locations, to a new hub north of Cardiff.
Carwyn Jones: Well, it's a matter, of course, for the DWP, but, at that meeting, what was confirmed by the DWP Minister involved, the Minister for employment, was they were looking to relocate staff from five DWP benefit offices to an office north of Cardiff. It was said that the Minister would keep Welsh Government informed, but, clearly, it's hugely important that people know what is planned and know...
Carwyn Jones: It's a matter, of course, for Cardiff council to produce its local development plan, ensure there is a five-year housing supply, and, of course, that plan is produced in accordance with national planning guidance.
Carwyn Jones: Providing opportunity for first-time buyers in Monmouthshire, and, indeed, across Wales, has always been one of our key priorities. Home ownership is a significant part of our 20,000 affordable homes target, and Help to Buy—Wales is supporting this with nearly three quarters of new homes purchased through the scheme being first-time buyers.
Carwyn Jones: I'm sure they will be attracted by the fact that council tax is substantially lower in Wales than it is in England under the Conservative Government. But he asked the question about stamp duty. We understand, of course, there will be a need to respond to changes to stamp duty policy following the UK Government budget. Now that the UK Government has announced a relief for first-time buyers,...
Carwyn Jones: There's been a great deal of exploitation of leasehold where leases have come to an end. Of course, there are some areas, as my friend will know, such as apartments and flats, where leasehold tends to be something fairly normal. When it comes to houses, however, Wales has a history, where leaseholds have come to an end in the past, where people have been charged large amounts in order to buy...
