Carwyn Jones: I met with representatives from the south Wales National Union of Mineworkers a few weeks ago, and they outlined, again, strongly, the case for a review. We will be writing to the newly elected UK Government, requesting it to consider a review of the scheme. As a Government, we have indicated our support for a review of the current arrangements for the surpluses of the mineworkers pension...
Carwyn Jones: That’s correct, and that’s why we work with local authorities and with bus and train operators to make sure that services are accessible. For example, as part of the work for the south Wales metro, accessibility of trains and stations will be an important part of the development of that project.
Carwyn Jones: Education is devolved, and our priorities are set out in ‘Taking Wales Forward’.
Carwyn Jones: Well, that was on the basis of a Labour Government being elected and providing us with the money to enable us to look at doing that. That has not happened, yet, and when that happens, we will of course want to see how we can ensure that students in Wales are no worse off than those in England, as we’ve done for the past number of years under successive Governments.
Carwyn Jones: We haven’t just taken the Scottish model and implemented it in Wales; the model will be implemented to ensure it is appropriate to Wales. It’s right that we should look at changing the curriculum in order to make sure that it provides young people with the best education possible.
Carwyn Jones: As a Government, we are committed to nurturing supply chains across Wales. The future for Welsh supply chain companies is bright, and supporting Welsh businesses of all sizes to access major investment opportunities now and in the future is a key priority.
Carwyn Jones: Well, I think the first thing that we have to be clear about is what the nature of Brexit might look like. We’re still no clearer as to what that might mean. His party and, indeed, ourselves as a Government, have been very clear that it means full and unfettered access to the single market. Until we have an idea of what the future holds for Welsh businesses, then it will be difficult to...
Carwyn Jones: We remain committed to delivering successful deals for all regions of Wales and to be a full partner in their development and delivery, because, as the Member has said, deals offer Wales, and particularly the regions of Wales, an opportunity to unlock additional Treasury funding to support interventions that can deliver sustainable economic growth. A lot of work needs to be done, of course,...
Carwyn Jones: We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of Welsh businesses who are accessing Welsh public sector contracts. The figure has gone from around about the 37 per cent mark, if I remember, to over a half now, which is a great improvement. Through initiatives such as the supplier qualification information database, for example, and the procurement initiative, we have ensured that Welsh...
Carwyn Jones: Well, we’ll review recycling targets as part of the ongoing review of the Wales waste strategy. As well as evaluating our successful performance against current targets, this will include a consideration of targets to be set beyond 2025.
Carwyn Jones: Well, I’m glad the Member has pointed out that, by the end of 2016, the target was 58 per cent. Indeed, we reached 60 per cent, as a result of the work that was done. The reality is that there is an inbuilt financial incentive for local authorities to recycle more, because they can get more money for the products that they offer for recycling, and they don’t have to pay as much in terms...
Carwyn Jones: It is a problem—I agree with you there. I don’t believe this is something that will be resolved on a Welsh level because so many imports come from other countries where there are different regulations. So, for me, as to the way of ensuring that less waste is generated in the first place, that should be dealt with on a European level at least, but, really, on a global level, in order to...
Carwyn Jones: Well, as someone who lives in Bridgend, it is simple, and I’ve certainly recycled in the new system for the past two weeks without any problem at all. It’s not massively different to the old system, in reality. There have been instances where rubbish has not been collected as it should have been, and that is something I know that the council have been focused on. But I have to say that...
Carwyn Jones: The general election did not deliver a mandate for a hard Brexit, and, as her party and my party have agreed, what we need is full and unfettered access to the single market. That view hasn’t changed and nor will it change in the future.
Carwyn Jones: I would remind the leader of Plaid Cymru what she’s already agreed to as part of the White Paper. The position is well understood. You cannot be a member of the single market without being a member of the EU. You can have access to the single market without being a member of the EU, as Norway has demonstrated and as the EFTA countries have demonstrated. I don’t rule out membership of...
Carwyn Jones: I would sometimes hope that the leader of Plaid Cymru actually listens to my answer and then adapts the question she asks before she asks it. She was accusing me of being all over the place. Firstly, she said to me, ‘You’ve said you’re not in favour of membership of the EU’, and then she talked about EFTA, which is an entirely different organisation, consisting of three countries:...
Carwyn Jones: You weren’t there. How many voices?
Carwyn Jones: Achieving 500 in 2021 remains the Welsh Government’s target. The Cabinet Secretary was correct in the sense that she didn’t set the target, because she wasn’t a Minister at the time, but she is part of the Government that is adhering to that target. But remember, the target is one diagnostic indicator amongst many others such as GCSE performance, the closing of the attainment gap,...
Carwyn Jones: The target remains. We’ll continue to invest in education. We will not have grammar schools in Wales, nor will we reduce education spending, as his party has advocated for many years.
Carwyn Jones: Let me say it for the third time: achieving 500 in 2021 remains the Welsh Government’s target. The Cabinet Secretary was making a statement of fact that she wasn’t the Minister in place at the time the target was set, but the target is the Government’s target. He talks about a coalition of chaos and a shambles. I see that Ruth Davidson, his Scottish colleague, is allowed into UK...
