Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. It is without doubt the biggest crisis that we are facing in the current climate—the cost-of-living crisis that every household and every business is facing, whether that's here in Wales, whether that's across the rest of the United Kingdom, or indeed across the globe, in fact. There isn't a country that's immune from the...
Andrew RT Davies: My final point then, if I may. And only today, we've seen figures come out about female employment in the workplace where, again, in the rest of the UK the numbers are going up, with greater numbers of females employed in the workplace, but, regrettably, in Wales we've seen a declining headcount in the workplace—a 3.5 per cent decline. What is the Welsh Government doing to make sure that...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, last week we had the waiting times out for the NHS in Wales. In north Wales, which you are the Minister directly responsible for, there are 15,000 people waiting two years or more for a procedure. Will you apologise to those 15,000 people who are waiting such long times on the Welsh NHS?
Andrew RT Davies: Well, Minister, 'sorry' seems to be the hardest word when it comes to talking to the 15,000 people who are waiting two years or more within the NHS in north Wales. Let's offer you a second chance to say sorry: 25 per cent of the population in north Wales are on an NHS waiting list—25 per cent. Will you say 'sorry' to that 25 per cent?
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, on two occasions I offered you the opportunity to apologise to the citizens of north Wales, for which you have direct ministerial responsibility, and, indeed, you are a constituency Member for the town of Wrexham. It is a fact that other parts of the United Kingdom, not just England but Scotland, have all but wiped out the two-year waits. They have all but wiped out the two-year...
Andrew RT Davies: What you forgot to mention, finance Minister, is the £50 billion-worth of support that the UK Government announced on Wednesday of last week that local authorities will be able to benefit from, from the energy price cap. What efforts are you making available to local authorities so that they can draw down this money? And would you agree with me the best way that the UK Government can pay...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. It's nice to see the Deputy Minister shouting from a sedentary position. I hope he speaks as loudly for his patients who are stuck on record waiting lists in his constituency, because I never hear him saying anything about that, I don't. But anytime you want to have a debate on it, Deputy Minister, I'll have that debate with you. First Minister, you travelled to...
Andrew RT Davies: Stop misrepresenting their view, First Minister. Only today they've repeated the request for an independent inquiry here in Wales, and through you not allowing such an inquiry to happen, they have had to accept that the UK route is the best route for them to have these explored. But I ask you again, First Minister, because you didn't address the first question: why is Nicola Sturgeon wrong in...
Andrew RT Davies: I'd tread carefully on saying that's she's resigned and trying to use that in a political forum. I understand that she's resigned for personal reasons, which does happen, First Minister, and I'm not trying to say anything to the contrary about the integrity of any inquiry. I happen to believe that an independent inquiry here in Wales, but also on a UK level, would speed up the process to get...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week I challenged you on your inability to bring forward a COVID inquiry, and there is a difference between the view that I take and you take, and I accept that, and that's a political difference. However, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru do want that independent inquiry. During your answers to me, you indicated that they'd...
Andrew RT Davies: I accept the point that you've made, First Minister, but last week, you did try and make the point that they had 'moved on', when in fact your opening remarks directing us to their press release last week clearly show that they do want a Wales-wide independent inquiry. But the record will speak and people will make their judgment accordingly. I'd like to raise with you, First Minister, my...
Andrew RT Davies: One of the examples that was used in that report, First Minister, was children turning up with severe burns and, because equipment was not available, staff were having to put children into sinks to cool their burns or use the showers in the staff changing rooms. That's the level of the challenge in that A&E department, and indeed A&E departments across the whole of Wales. What I would also...
Andrew RT Davies: Will you take an intervention?
Andrew RT Davies: You're talking about supply and demand. We know for a fact that we need about 12,000 houses completed every year in the Welsh property market. At the moment, at best, the Government is completing about 6,000, maybe as low as 5,000 in a bad year. We're not even getting close to what the demand is. Surely you recognise that as a problem, and calling for considered planning control permissions...
Andrew RT Davies: The point I interjected on with Mike Hedges was the ability to build more houses. We're only building about 6,000 a year when we know that we need 12,000. I didn't mention anything about state intervention whatsoever.
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, on the weekend, there were a series of incidences where ambulances could not turn up to critical incidents. Ben Symons, a 22-year-old, was laying on a football pitch in Cefn Cribwr with a serious back injury. His mother said at the time that there was a disgraceful wait involved, five hours, and that the system is broken. Do you agree with his mother?
Andrew RT Davies: I, unlike you, First Minister, have never voted to cut a health budget. You have, First Minister. Your party has been running the health service here, which the ambulance service is an important part of, for the last 23 years. [Interruption.] Another incident happened in Merthyr Tydfil, where a patient was left on the floor after a 15-hour wait—a 15-hour wait—where the individual's...
Andrew RT Davies: First Minister, I used a direct quote from Mr Keith Morris's daughter. Pressure is when you see someone you love rolling around on the floor in pain and the service that you are looking to for help hasn't arrived for 15 hours. That's pressure, First Minister. You are the First Minister, you haven't said once in response to my two questions the solution that the Government is proposing to take...
Andrew RT Davies: You'll probably be Chancellor before long. [Laughter.]
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, I would just like to inform you that we do have six regional Members and one constituency Member who do run in parallel with the M4, so we do have a vested interest, and that's an increase in the number of Members who came back after the 2021 elections. What I would like to ask you, First Minister, is: after the waiting time figures that came out...
