Carwyn Jones: Our ‘Framework for Action on Independent Living’ sets out our plans to support disabled people in Wales to live independently in their communities. We will be looking to review the framework this year, embracing, of course, the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Carwyn Jones: Well, it's clear that the constituent who contacted you has gone through a difficult experience. It needs to be investigated. Could I ask the Member to write to me and I will, of course, write back to her to provide her constituent with an explanation?
Carwyn Jones: The national transport finance plan sets out the measures we are taking to ensure that the south-east is connected via an effective, affordable, reliable, modern and fully integrated public transport system.
Carwyn Jones: The franchise itself is going well, but I wouldn’t expect, of course, the rail franchise to deal with the issue of bus services. But, of course, in April of next year, this institution will gain control of bus services, and then that provides us as a Government, and the Assembly as an institution, the opportunity to integrate bus and rail services given the fact that control will rest in...
Carwyn Jones: The M4 east of Cardiff is affected by many factors. The metro will have some effect, but not as great an effect as for those communities that are to the west of Cardiff. Initially, of course, what the metro will do will be to upgrade and improve the existing railway lines, and then, of course, look to expand via light rail to new communities. But the next phases of the metro that include...
Carwyn Jones: Well, the first thing to emphasise is that the metro it not a greater Cardiff transport system. The fact that Transport for Wales will be based in Pontypridd is a sign of the commitment that we make to Valleys communities, but cross-valley links will be important. We understand that. They will be provided in the main, certainly in initial stages, by buses. We know there are many people who do...
Carwyn Jones: Can I thank the Member for Islwyn for reminding me of what I said on the weekend? And, yes, it is a sign of the commitment that we make to commuters—the fact that we are upgrading the metro, the fact that we’re committed to the north-east metro, the fact that we’re looking at upgrading trains when the franchise comes to us, the fact that we will look, once powers come to us next year,...
Carwyn Jones: We are in ongoing discussions with Newsquest regarding its recent and planned redundancies. Officials have received information from the company on current staffing levels at the site, and will use this information to determine if the terms and conditions of their grant have been breached.
Carwyn Jones: Well, the first thing I can say is that it’s right that we should pursue every penny if the grant terms and conditions have been breached. That much is true. Secondly, before looking at a fund, what we are going to establish is an independent forum for the media in order to consider the challenges over the ensuing years and to see in which way we can ensure that we have strong and robust...
Carwyn Jones: Well, we are aware of 14 planned redundancies. I can say, as I said last week, that we provided in 2015 £245,808 to Newsquest towards the creation of 50 jobs and the safeguarding of 15 jobs at Maesglas. That award was conditional on the jobs being in place until May 2020. The operation has exceeded that planned job creation target so far, but it’s important that the terms of the grant are...
Carwyn Jones: Well, as I said, the conditions of the grant have been met thus far, but the conditions have to be met until May 2020. If they are not, then we will seek to recoup the money. As far as officials are concerned, they have been in discussions for some time with Newsquest. As is customary in these situations, we look to see what help we can offer. But, let it be made very, very clear that, if the...
Carwyn Jones: Well, first of all, I can say that officials have provided the company with information on accessing the services of ReAct for redundant workers, and on the appropriate Careers Wales services. Business Wales is available in order to look at providing the kind of financial help that the Member for Cardiff North has mentioned. But there is no doubt that many of us fear that we will see a steady...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, we discussed this at length last week when I met the Prime Minister and met with David Davis. At that stage, it was unclear, on the part of the UK Government, whether it would be a short letter or a longer letter; a longer letter, in other words, outlining the entire case, or the entire position that the UK would take in the article 50 negotiations. But, it seems to me that what will...
Carwyn Jones: Well, I listened to the comments made by the leader of Plaid Cymru over the weekend, and they were identical to the comments, except for one issue, that I’ve made in the past. The only issue that is different is the terminology that’s used—she uses ‘membership’; we use ‘participation’. I don’t seek to say that there’s any difference between us in terms of what the outcome...
Carwyn Jones: As I said, much of what she said is basically what I said the week before and in the weeks before that. We’re in no different a position in terms of that. Well, let me explain: first of all, I am not as optimistic—probably the wrong word, but as optimistic as she is that there will be any money post 2020. I’m not convinced there will be any money to replace structural funds. I’m...
Carwyn Jones: Yes, it is. The health boards are being told—the four are being told—that they must keep within budget. They were told that at the very beginning. They must not harm services as a result of that. We will look again at their accounts in June, and if further action needs to be taken, if they are unable to deliver on that, then that action will be taken.
Carwyn Jones: It’s four out of seven. First of all, waiting times are not going up. It’s four of seven, but he asked the question, ‘What will happen if they don’t come in within budget?’ We look very carefully at what they are doing. If they do not come in in budget without harming services, then we will have to look carefully at the governance of those boards, and we will not shy away from that...
Carwyn Jones: Well, other health boards are managing. Powys is a health board, and it buys in most of its services. In fact, one could argue that it’s more difficult for Powys, because so few services are actually provided in Powys because of its rurality, yet Powys manages. Again, the message that we have given to the health boards that are saying to us that they will not come in on budget is: ‘You...
Carwyn Jones: Well, officials are in discussions, but our preferred position is that we should take over the running of both the bridges—take control of the tolls. Before we do that we would have to have a robust understanding of what the condition and upkeep costs of those two bridges are. The figures we’ve had vary wildly. That would need to be nailed down—almost literally, I hope—but we’d need...
Carwyn Jones: The Member has raised these issues before. We did look at them. It appears to us that, because of the nature of the legislation governing the Severn bridges, they are reserved. That does not mean, however, that the points that he’s already raised should not be investigated further. I’ll do that and I’ll write to him because they merit further investigation. Of course, the tolls on the...
