I now call on the party leaders to question the First Minister and, first of all, the leader of the opposition, Leanne Wood.

Diolch, Lywydd. I’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Cardiff campaigner Annie Mulholland, who sadly passed away on Sunday after fighting a long battle with cancer. Annie was a vociferous campaigner for a new drugs and treatments fund to end the postcode lottery and the exceptionality clauses, which would mean that patients would no longer be forced to move to a different address or across the border to access the drugs or treatments that they need. It’s a tribute to Annie’s work that that unfair system will now come to an end. Can you confirm today that your Government will press ahead with establishing an independent panel to review the current system and that people who are affected by cancer will have an input and be involved in those changes from the outset?

Can I first extend my sympathies to Annie’s family? It’s a very difficult time for them, I know. Yes, of course I can confirm that, under the terms of the compact that was reached between our parties, we will be looking, of course—. Well, we’ll be introducing a new treatments fund, but, on top of that, we’ll be looking at whether there is a better way to deal with individual patient funding requests and of course to see if there’s a better word or better terminology that can be used—other than the word ‘exceptional’.

You should be commended, I think, First Minister, for your movement on this point because, during the election campaign, both you and your candidates argued against the ending of the postcode lottery and this question of exceptionality. You also failed to meet with campaigners from the Hawl i Fyw campaign. Will you now agree to meet Irfon and Rebecca Williams from that campaign group so that they can share with you their experiences and so that they can also make sure that the new system removes obstacles from patients like Irfon and Annie Mulholland?

I have to say to the leader of the opposition that I have met Irfon and Rebecca Williams. I met them indeed in Llandudno Junction at the offices there. It was a very useful meeting. There were issues that they raised that I wasn’t aware of and they have helped me to look to determine how policy should be framed in the future.

Also, before the election, I gave a commitment, and, indeed, I think—well, I can’t speak for other party leaders, but I think the commitment was that the offer was there for all to meet with Irfon once again and to once again examine the issues.

I welcome that commitment from you this afternoon, First Minister. Campaigners and charities warmly welcomed last week’s agreement between Plaid Cymru and Labour on this matter, because of that specific commitment to create a fairer and more equitable system here in Wales. This commitment would not have been there were it not for those campaigners. Will you give a commitment today that you and your new health Minister will respond positively to the recommendations of the review so that, in the future, the people who need new drugs and treatments will no longer be subjected to the injustices that were faced by Irfon Williams and Annie Mulholland amongst others?

Well, certainly, there is a need to examine the current system in terms of whether there should be a national panel or local panels for individual patient funding requests—we’re open to that—and, of course, the use of the word ‘exceptionality’. There has to be something, otherwise there would be difficulties in terms of determining how drugs would be allocated, but, without prejudging anything, we enter this with an open mind. We take on board the views of others who say that it is difficult where you have a situation where somebody in one part of Wales can access a drug and someone in another part of Wales can’t. Clearly, that’s a very difficult position to defend and that’s why, of course, in accordance with the spirit and the terms of the agreement, this is something that we’re looking to revisit.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I’d like to identify myself with the comments about Annie Mulholland. I had the pleasure of sponsoring the event that was held and was widely supported by many Members of the previous Assembly, and, indeed, the previous health Minister spoke at that event in the Pierhead. Through her tenacity, through her dedication and her commitment, rather than letting her illness prevent her from doing things, she opened many, many doors and enforced the notion in many people’s minds that nothing should be off limits, irrespective of whatever one’s diagnosis is. I think that event over in the Pierhead really did emphasise the strength of character that the lady, Annie Mulholland, was, and her family can be justifiably proud of her endeavours. I’m sure that they would have wished that she was with them today, but she certainly made best use of the time that she had left to her when she had her terminal diagnosis. So, her loss will be greatly felt among many community members and, indeed, Members of the previous Assembly and friends and family.

First Minister, you put your Government together last week after, obviously, being voted in as First Minister. Can you confirm today that all members of your Cabinet are bound by collective responsibility on all issues that are brought forward by the Welsh Government?

Yes.

Thank you for that answer. [Laughter.] One of the key programmes that you will be bringing forward is obviously the M4 relief road and, in particular, your own personal support, and, therefore, identifying that with the Welsh Government, over the development of the black route. Now, you answered a question earlier about the process about the public inquiry. In a written question back to me this week, you’ve identified that the commissioning date for the road would be 2018—spring 2018. Can you, with confidence, say that you believe that that is a realistic commissioning date of spring 2018, and what gives you confidence that that date will be stuck to so that the moneys can be drawn down and used to solve the problem around the bottleneck around Newport?

Well, I’m confident that the inquiry will conclude by the latter part of next year. We can’t prejudge what the inquiry will say. I do take that there’s been much debate in this Chamber and outside about the black route versus the blue route, or perhaps an alternative route. You’ve heard me say that the blue route is hugely problematic in terms of the fact that it’s a dual carriageway, it goes past many people’s houses, and involves the demolition of buildings. So, it’s not pain-free. The black route—of course, we see that there have been some objections; they need to be examined and I’m more than happy for there to be an inquiry that examines not just the black route, but looks at another route as well. It’s important that the public understand the reasoning behind the position that we have taken so far, which is that the black route appears to be the most likely route.

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. Obviously, the Government has committed itself now to the commissioning of this project by 2018—spring 2018. I appreciate that the public inquiry is outside of your hands, but, with a fair wind, then the commissioning will happen and we will look at developments with interest on these matters.

The other issue that is of time sensitivity is, obviously, the local government elections in May next year. Obviously, in the last Assembly—and you’ve spoken at length on this particular issue about local government reorganisation and you’ve put a lot of personal political capital into the reorganisation of local government across Wales. Can you confidently say today that there will be local government elections in May next year and that your Government will not be looking to postpone those elections by bringing forward either new proposals for a local government map here in Wales or, indeed, actually moving the date so that there can be wider consultation over local government reorganisation in Wales?

No, I think those elections will take place. I can’t envisage a scenario where they wouldn’t. So, in answer to his question, yes, they will take place next year. In terms of the local government reorganisation, it’s clear to me that the map would not attract support in this Chamber, but I do know that, in this Chamber, there’s support for local government reorganisation. So, it’s a question of spending the next few months examining what common ground there may be between the parties so we can remove the situation where we have 22 local authorities, one of which collapsed entirely, and six of which were in special measures at one point in education. It’s not a sustainable model. There’s not a huge amount of disagreement over that, but, of course, it’s a question of whether an agreement can be reached on a cross-party basis on a future and more sustainable model for local government in Wales.

Leader of the UKIP group, Neil Hamilton.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Mr First Minister, you will have seen in the news this week that the United States has increased its tariffs on cold-rolled steel imports to the United States from 266 per cent to 522 per cent. This week, of all weeks, of course, we have all, in the forefront of our minds, the future of Port Talbot steel making. The EU, by contrast to the United States, has a 14 per cent tariff on that kind of steel import into the EU. Will you support our proposal that the EU should increase its tariffs to the levels that the United States have?

Yes, I would, and the Member, of course, will know that it was the UK Government, unfortunately, that opposed the raising of those tariffs. It wasn’t the EU opposing it; it was a position taken then by the UK Government. They’ve given an explanation for that, but, I think, in the light of what’s happened across the world, that we do need to see fairness for our own steel producers.

I have no difficulty in endorsing the criticism that you, as First Minister, have made of our Government for not supporting realistic tariffs on dumped Chinese steel. It is certainly—[Interruption.] It is certainly not UKIP policy to support the present level of tariffs in the EU. But what this does show us, first and foremost, is what happens when you outsource your trade policy to an unelected body based in another country. So, what I would like to see, and I hope that the First Minister would agree with this, is a return of our policy to introduce anti-dumping duties to these shores of the United Kingdom by recovering our seat on the World Trade Organization. I wonder if the First Minister would agree with that.

The difficulty, of course, with the argument he puts forward is that, if the EU were to raise tariffs against steel and the UK were to leave the EU, those tariffs would apply against UK steel. So, we would then find ourselves facing an enormous tariff barrier if we wished to export into the EU, and 30 per cent of steel produced in Wales is exported.

But the real problem with devolution in this country is not the degree of exports that we have from this country to the EU, but the flood of imports from China into the EU, which is causing paralysis throughout the steel industry in the whole of the EU. The problem that we face is that elected politicians, ultimately, do not call the shots in the EU. That’s why our recommendation is for the people of this country, in Wales in particular, to vote to leave the EU on 23 June.

We have to remember that it was a decision taken by an elected UK Government not to support the raising of the tariffs. That was the decision taken, not alone by the UK Government, but by other Governments—at least one other Government—as well. But, from my perspective, I think it’s hugely important that, yes, we have a tariff wall against cheap imports coming here from other parts of the world, but we don’t have a tariff wall against UK steel being imported into the EU.