3. 3. Statement: The Programme for Government — ‘Taking Wales Forward’

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:21 pm on 20 September 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 3:21, 20 September 2016

First Minister, I was very pleased to see the reference to the A55 and improvements that the Welsh Government wants to make to the A55 in your programme for government, but there's not a great deal of detail in what those improvements may or may not be. You'll be aware that we've got congestion problems on some parts of the A55. We've had flooding problems in the past and there is no hard shoulder for many miles of the A55 as well, which causes problems when there’s a breakdown or an accident. Can you tell us precisely which stretches of the A55 those improvements may or may not be made on over the next five years in terms of some progress?

Can you also refer, in addition to that, to any progress that you might be able to inform us about in terms of the development of the sub-regional neonatal intensive care centre in north Wales? I was very pleased to hear the Cabinet Secretary for health in the committee last week make reference to some progress on this, but can you still reassure the people of north Wales that this will be delivered in accordance with the timescales that you have previously set? I am concerned that there may be some delays in the process at the moment.

And, just finally, there is reference to free childcare in the document as well. I'm very pleased to see that you're following the lead of the UK Conservative Government on the free childcare commitments that they have made, but one of the concerns that has been raised with me is that there was a document that was commissioned, a piece of work that was commissioned, by the previous Minister for education in relation to squashing the school week to four days, rather than over the current five-day period. That, of course, would create some turbulence in the childcare market, if we can call it that. What consideration have you given to that as part of your programme for government, and will you join me in dismissing the suggestion of a four-day week in our schools this afternoon?