2. Will the First Minister make a statement on access to Welsh Ministers? OAQ(5)0118(FM)

Ministers are accessible in a variety of ways.

Your Government has made sure that Wales has the weakest protection in the UK against commercial lobbying. There is no register. The last Presiding Officer said that we don’t have the same problems as Westminster. But, from what I can see, companies like Deryn, selling access and information to the highest bidder, seem to be everywhere in this Assembly. I wasn’t even allowed to submit a question about cash for access to Welsh Ministers. Clearly, we do not believe in open Government. So, what are you hiding, First Minister?

Sorry, I need to clarify that all questions that are tabled in order are accepted to be asked in this Assembly, and your question has been accepted as it is in order.

I submitted a question about cash for access to Welsh Ministers—

No, no—

So, one is on the record, but my substantive question to the First Minister is: you clearly don’t believe in open Government, otherwise you’d have a register and we’d have regulations. What are you hiding? What are you hiding?

Nothing. Commercial lobbyists don’t have access to Welsh Ministers.

First Minister, perhaps I can turn matters a bit more constructively. I think it’s very important that politicians, and particularly Ministers, listen, and I hope you’ll identify ways in which your Ministers, either individually or collectively, can listen to the vital interests out there of stakeholders, and individuals indeed. Your predecessor used to have open-mike sessions of the Cabinet; I think these have fallen into disuse. There may be other methods but, really, listening to people’s views is key to good governmental decision-making.

I entirely agree with that, and being able to engage with organisations is hugely important. It’s right to say that open-mike sessions haven’t taken place for some years. However, I did travel around Wales offering myself up as part of a masochism strategy, taking questions from members of the public, and, like all Members—well, I trust all Members—I hold surgeries in my constituency in order to listen to the views of my constituents.

I think that the issue that the Plaid Cymru member raised are perhaps important ones. Transparency is paramount. Now, we know that lobbying exists in reality, in political circles, but we do have to make sure that it’s done legitimately, and we need to know who’s lobbying who at times. Are there any plans to establish a register of lobbyists here in Cardiff Bay?

Well, these are matters that were looked at by the standards committee in 2013—not a committee that’s run by Government—and it came to the conclusions that it did. Just to re-emphasise, Ministers do not meet with commercial lobbyists; Ministers, of course, do meet with organisations, such as charities and so forth, in order to listen to their views. But it’s certainly not the case that commercial lobbying companies are able to bring clients to meet Ministers. That is certainly not happening, and nor will it happen.