The next item on the agenda is the business statement and announcement, and I call on Jane Hutt.

Diolch, Lywydd. I’ve made some amendments to this week’s business. I’ve expanded the title of the oral statement on the establishment of the new treatment fund and the independent review of the individual patient funding request process, and I’ve added a statement on the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games homecoming 2016. I’ve reduced the time allocated to tomorrow’s questions to the Counsel General in line with the number of questions tabled, but business for the next three weeks is as shown on the business statement and announcement found among the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Minister, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure on Road Safety Week, which is coming up in November? There’s been some concern that many motorists across Wales, and, indeed, other parts of the UK, are not having their eyes tested frequently enough and that this is leading to an increase in the risk of motor traffic accidents. I’d like to hear from the Cabinet Secretary what he’s going to do about that and whether there might be an opportunity to use the signs—the messaging signs—across the A55 in north Wales and the M4 and other trunk roads across Wales to actually encourage people to have their eyesight tested during that week in order to take advantage of some of the free tests that are available.

Well, the Member raises a very important point and the Cabinet Secretary will be prepared to make a statement on this point, so thank you for raising it.

Could we have a debate on setting up the constitutional convention that’s long been proposed by the First Minister? Now that we are going to possibly lose 11 MPs in Wales when the numbers go down from 40 to 29, and, with the vote to leave the EU, it’s likely we will lose four MEPs, isn’t now the ideal time to acknowledge that there are too few Assembly Members to do the job properly here in this Chamber and that all these items should be considered together? Wouldn’t having had a constitutional convention have been the ideal opportunity to look at all these representation issues in the round?

Well, Julie Morgan raises a very important point and she’s raised this on previous opportunities. I think—of course, the boundary commission proposals are out for consultation—it will have a major impact in terms of how our Welsh communities will be represented and we will be making our views in terms of disadvantage that could be caused by proposed changes. Of course, it has an impact on the Assembly and on us as Assembly Members and elected representatives in terms of how our constituents are represented in Parliament. Of course, those issues are going to be—in respect of Assembly elections—included in the Wales Bill currently before the Lords and should come into effect from Easter 2018, if that Bill becomes law. But I think the issues around political representation and around—and you raised issues about our representation in this Chamber—changes to parliamentary and European representation as well, the loss of MEPs, and significant expansions of our responsibilities as well from the Wales Act 2014 and potential changes from the current Wales Bill, all make this a very worthy and important area for debate and discussion.

Leader of the house, is it possible to have a statement from the First Minister as to how he conducts his press arrangements? Last week we had a rather bizarre scenario where a rogue press release seemed to correct—or not, as the case may be—Government policy on the free movement of people. We were told that the six points that were put out were the key points for the Government, and then after 40 minutes they needed changing by another press release. I do think that in most democracies that would be laughed out of town, but, sadly, in Wales, it didn’t seem to get laughed out of town, because it now seems to pass for Government policy. Could we understand exactly how these checks and balances are put in place so that there can be a semblance of credibility restored to the Government’s position when it comes to the Brexit negotiations?

This is a matter that I’m sure the vast majority of the people of Wales are not only unaware of, but, in terms of what they want to know and what they want to hear, it’s what the First Minister actually said. I think the important point is what the First Minister actually said was released as delivered by the Welsh Government press office at 10.04 a.m. last week, on the twenty first.

Leader of the house, this morning I attended the funeral of Ann Wilkinson from Usk. Many Members of the fourth Assembly before will remember Ann and her tireless work and dedication to the case of cancer patients, cancer sufferers, across Wales. She very sadly died two weeks ago, but she leaves behind a legacy of which she and her family can be proud. Members of the last Assembly will remember her sitting in the gallery above through many debates, and she delivered a petition to this Assembly calling for a cancer drugs fund and better access to drugs. Would you agree with me, leader of the house, that the best tribute that this Chamber and this Assembly could pay to Ann Wilkinson and other cancer sufferers across Wales would be to develop a fully-fledged cancer treatment fund? I notice that there is a statement later on developing a treatment fund. Can we see that that does include access to those very important cancer drugs at the earliest opportunity for the memory of Ann, but also for other cancer treatment victims across Wales, who really do not want to spend the last few months and weeks of their lives fighting for what really is their basic human right?

Of course, Nick Ramsay, this is a very important point that you’ve brought to us today in terms of recognising and giving our deepest sympathies to the family of Ann Wilkinson. That’s the important point from what you’ve said today, what you’ve brought to us today, and that you were at Ann Wilkinson’s funeral. Of course, we do wish, I’m sure, as a whole Assembly, to recognise her and her courage, and the fact that she made a stand and has sadly lost her life. But I think the most important thing to come from that will be made very clear in a statement shortly by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport, because he will be announcing a new treatment fund. I’m sure she would welcome that. It is important that that’s a new treatment fund that will ensure that people in Wales have fast access to new and innovative treatments for life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. And, of course, that, I think will be an important point to the Member and recognised today.

The Welsh Government has been vocal in calling for an end to free movement of people and labour between the UK and the European Union, and, of course, one of our most important trading partners, and one of the countries where movement occurs most between Wales and another country, is Ireland. Can we have a statement by the First Minister as soon as possible on whether the Welsh Government wants to end free movement of people between the UK and all EU states? Or, if not between Wales or the UK and all EU states, how do they practically envisage an open border between Wales and Ireland?

Well, of course, the First Minister and the Welsh Government’s view on freedom of movement has been articulated a number of times, not only by the First Minister, but by other Ministers as well. This is a very serious issue, it’s a sensitive issue, and it’s an issue where we have to look at this in terms of fairness, proportionality, and also recognising the views of people in Wales. I think you raise an important point, and, in fact, it’s an important point that the First Minister responded to very clearly last week in terms of questions on these issues.

I thank the Minister for her statement. Further to that, may I ask the Cabinet Secretary for business for a full debate, in Government time, on Historic Wales? This is the proposed body by the Cabinet Secretary for culture to reorganise activity in this area and to establish a new body to take over the business-side activities of organisations such as the National Museum, Cadw and so on. This is a crucially important issue and I would urge the Government to table a full debate in Government time on this issue. Thank you.

The Member does raise an important issue and it is something in terms of Historic Wales and where we can move forward on that, obviously with full consultation and opportunities for committee consideration; I’m sure there will be an appropriate time to bring a statement to this Chamber.

Thank you, Minister.