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

Llywydd, the only change I have to this week's business is to reduce the time allocated to the Counsel General for questions tomorrow. Business for the next three weeks is as shown on the business statement and announcement found among the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Last week, the cross-party group on haemophilia and contaminated blood held a meeting to hear about the experiences of those people that had been infected during the 1970s and 1980s, and their families—the dreadful experiences they’d had—and to discuss the payments that are being consulted on at the moment by the Welsh Government. That consultation is going ahead, but the other issue that was raised was the lack of a full public inquiry into how these dreadful things happened in the 1970s and the 1980s. One of the things that the cross-party group would like to do is to make sure that the Westminster Government is aware of our feelings. We’d like the opportunity to debate this in some way or other in this Chamber, so could the business Minister suggest any way forward?

I thank the Member for that question. Julie Morgan, of course, has been chairing the cross-party group on haemophilia and contaminated blood since she was elected to this Chamber, and I indeed joined that meeting last week at the end of the meeting and saw not just the strength of numbers, but the strength of feelings and experience. Of course, the Cabinet Secretary was there for that meeting. He is currently consulting those affected in relation to the payments and the way forward for Wales. He of course was there to update the cross-party group on haemophilia last week. As an interim measure, in fact, payments for the remainder of this financial year, as Julie Morgan will know, will be at the same levels as England, in line with the package of reforms they’ve put in place there. But, of course, there needs to be a response and ideas about how we can best make sure that, for those affected, their everyday living is secured. That’s why we’re looking for further schemes, and further ideas and views for a new scheme from April 2017 onwards. I think this is to ensure that those, as I said, who’ve been affected are properly supported to ensure that the Cabinet Secretary is advised fully in making those considerations and decisions.

Leader of the house, I would like to identify myself with the sentiments of the Member for Cardiff North. As someone, along with Jenny Randerson, who was in the third Assembly dealing with this matter, progress needs to be made on this, and whilst announcements keep coming out, either from Westminster or from here, with the best intentions, it cannot be right that this has been allowed to drag on, and progress is somewhat stilted, shall we say, in resolving the matters around this issue.

I’d also like to ask for a statement in relation to the signs on the motorway that you find—the digital signs. I was approached by a constituent this week who highlighted some of the trivial notices that appear on these signs. Last week, between the Severn bridge and Newport, this constituent of mine pointed out that they were advertising a point about getting your eyes tested. There must be a protocol that is actually adhered to, as to what messages are put out on the—[Interruption]. The point being that people’s attention is distracted. I hear the flippancy of the remark, but you only need one person to take their eye off the road unnecessarily and all of a sudden you’re in the back end of a truck, or you’re in the back end of another car. Surely having signs that say ‘Get your eyes tested’—I’m not quite sure how that informs a motorist about road traffic safety or safety measures they should be taking about the current flow of the traffic. So, could we have a statement from the transport Minister to identify exactly what protocols are in place that govern these displays so that there is a more co-ordinated approach in the messaging that is put up? Sometimes, some of the stuff is quite farcical that appears on there.

I think, in response to your first point, Andrew R.T. Davies, clearly, this is a very important issue. There is a cross-party group, which has been—indeed, we have been working very hard to find a way forward. But, as I said earlier on, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport is consulting on the way forward, and we are in line, at present, with the arrangements that are being implemented in England in terms of those reforms. We’re looking to see whether we can learn from that but also take this forward for a new scheme for Wales from April onwards. I think we can only note your point today in terms of those signs on the motorway, which I’m sure, in terms of road safety and the importance of public health messages, particularly when you’re driving, are very pertinent.

I’m looking for a statement from the Minister for local government about the survey that I raised last week of all female councillors. There was another resignation yesterday of another female councillor from Cardiff council. The Labour group across the way has now lost more than a third of female members, and a council member contacted me today to talk of the ritual sexist abuse that she has to go through. Now, we’re very good at using words in this Chamber, but I noticed that you passed the ball last week to the Presiding Officer, who has no jurisdiction over local government. So, I’m asking that we get a statement from the local government Minister that there will be a survey to assess the experience of our colleagues in local government.

Secondly, this is the third week running now, and the answer you gave last week really didn’t stand up, so I’ll say it again: within a stone’s throw of this Assembly, there are class A drugs being dealt openly on the streets of Butetown. When will we get a statement from the Government? When will we get action? I will invite the Minister to get out of his ministerial car and maybe join me on the streets of Butetown talking to people about their experiences. When will this matter be addressed through a statement?

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

I think the most important point that came out of the debate—the outcome of the debate—last week, was the agreement that a survey of female councillors would be useful and, of course, that was a positive outcome that will be taken forward.

I think, in terms of your issues in terms of substance misuse and concerns about it, particularly in communities and how communities are affected by it, I did respond last week and highlighted the progress that the Minister is making in terms of our substance misuse delivery plan, which is the delivery plan for 2016-18. Of course, it is a plan for working together to reduce harm and it does explain what the Welsh Government is doing over the next two years to improve the outcomes of those affected by substance misuse.

Following the autumn statement made in Westminster, can I ask for a Welsh Government statement on the Swansea bay city region to include a description of Welsh Government financial support, transportation proposals and plans for supporting the economic development of the region?

I think that Mike Hedges would have been very pleased that his calls for recognition of a Swansea bay city region and the prospects for a deal in relation to the region have been heeded because of the hard work led by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government in partnership with, of course, the authorities leading the city region proposals. So, I think the fact that it was acknowledged in the autumn statement that there is progress being made on this is very encouraging.

In addition to endorsing Julie Morgan’s call regarding haemophilia and contaminated blood, having also attended that cross-party group last week, I call for a statement by the health and social services Minister on HIV/AIDS, recognising that Thursday 1 December marks World Aids Day. The Terrence Higgins Trust’s theme for World Aids Day this year is HIV ‘It’s Not Over’. They say we’ve come a long way in tackling HIV in Wales. People living with HIV, diagnosed early and on treatment, now have a normal life expectancy ahead of them. Also, when an individual living with HIV is successfully on treatment and no HIV virus is detected in their blood, it’s impossible to transmit HIV. So, treatment equals prevention.

But, one in six people living with HIV are unaware they have the virus, putting their own health at risk and unwittingly passing on the virus. In Wales, half of new people diagnosed with HIV last year were diagnosed late, the highest rate in the UK. With HIV affecting both gay people and heterosexuals, 68 per cent of all new diagnoses last year were in people aged 25 to 49. Although rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections continue to rise across Wales, and fewer people were on HIV antiretroviral treatment in 2015 than the previous year, access to sexual health services across Wales continues to deteriorate, with no current statutory sexual health service provision of any kind in Powys, sexual health prevention and health promotion services decommissioned in three Welsh health boards—Betsi Cadwaladr, Cwm Taf and Hywel Dda—and support services only funded by the lottery, with funding coming to an end at the end of next March.

The Terrence Higgins Trust is calling for an inquiry into the current level of access to sexual health services across Wales, and the impact in areas where there’s no, or low, access to services. So, we need to know from the Minister what measures he’s taking to tackle HIV in Wales, what action the Welsh Government is taking to address the unacceptably high number of people being diagnosed with HIV late in Wales, and whether the Minister will make a statement to mark World Aids Day, recognising both the importance of that event, but also the worrying figures and statistics highlighted by the Terrence Higgins Trust in Wales.

I thank Mark Isherwood for both those questions and points on the business statement—and, of course, acknowledging that you were also present, Mark, at the cross-party group on haemophilia and contaminated blood—but also the opportunity to draw Members’ attention to the statement that was made by the Minister for Social Services and Public Health on 23 November, the statement on sexual health in Wales, which does address many of the points, highlighting and updating many of the points following a review of the sexual health and well-being action plan for Wales 2010 to 2015. Particularly, you give some of the information in terms of the latest trends on rates of sexually transmitted infections. If we look at rates of STIs and HIV in Wales, although the statement recognises they’ve been high in recent years, laboratory-confirmed data for the first six months of this year show falls in rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV compared to the same period for 2014, which is encouraging.

But obviously the Minister is recognising that we can’t be complacent; we need to take account of circumstances. So, again, she’s announced in her written statement, which I do encourage Members to look at, an acknowledgement of World Aids Day on 1 December, and she’s undertaking a review that’s going to start next year. And also that’s going to be led by, overseen by, a sexual health programme board, chaired by the chief medical officer. And she also, in that statement, acknowledges that we’re going to be introducing a new human papilloma virus vaccination programme, for example, which is relevant to this question today.

I’m going to declare an interest before speaking on this, because I have a number of family members working in the creative industries. But I do have a number of questions that I would like to raise, as it has become evident that the Welsh Government are considering a bid for millions of pounds from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David for a project that includes relocating 55 S4C posts from Cardiff to Carmarthen. I’m not happy that we have received clear answers to date today, and I do ask for a full statement on this issue from the Cabinet Secretary for the economy. The kind of clear answers that we need at present are: what is the purpose of the funding that is sought from the Government? How much money is being requested? Does this represent the financial shortfall alluded to earlier by the Cabinet Secretary? Is there a risk that the Carmarthen project will actually disappear altogether without this additional funding being secured? If the project does not progress, what will happen to the S4C relocation scheme? There are a great number of questions that require answers. I would also like to know what the process will be from now on in from the point of view of the Government, and in looking at the business case, and how you will ensure that you are completely transparent with the public as regards what is happening now. Also, how will you ensure that you come to a robust decision on this, and also on the location of the S4C headquarters?

Sian Gwenllian was able to ask a question following the urgent question today, and I think it’s important that we note your further points on the business statement. I’m going to again repeat that, over the last two years, the Welsh Government has had various discussions with S4C and other partners involved in the move of its HQ to Carmarthen, and those wider developments at the site. But it does remain the case, as the Cabinet Secretary said, that any support from the Welsh Government can only be considered if a detailed and compelling business case is provided that fully articulates and evidences the economic, cultural and linguistic benefits of the development, and demonstrates why public sector intervention is needed to deliver it.

In March 2015, the UK Government passed under section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 a law that made it a criminal offence for an adult to send a sexual communication to a child. This Assembly passed a legislative consent motion to enable that the previous month. However, over a year and a half later, this law, which could help police and stop potential groomers in their tracks, has still not been commenced by the UK Government. Could I therefore ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children on details of any discussions the Welsh Government has had with the UK Government and Ministry of Justice to enact section 67 of the Serious Crime Act to ensure that children in Wales are protected, and that police are given the powers they need to deal with offenders?

I thank Lynne Neagle for that question. I think, since being made aware of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s Flaw in the Law campaign, officials have been in touch with the Ministry of Justice office to look at the current position regarding the commencement of section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015, which Lynne Neagle draws our attention to today. We’re still waiting in fact—we’re still waiting for a response. We’re fully supportive of the inclusion of this section in the Act. We would welcome an update on timing for enactment from the Ministry of Justice’s office, so it’s very welcome that you’ve brought this to the whole Assembly’s attention today. And the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children is following this up with a letter to Liz Truss MP imminently.

May I ask the leader of the house for a further statement by the Cabinet Secretary for communities before the Christmas break on the Rent Smart Wales scheme? It has been reported that more than 13,000 private landlords in Wales may be letting properties illegally after the Rent Smart Wales scheme became law. Last week, I met a constituent, an elderly lady, who owns only one property, which she has rented out for more than 10 years without any problem. Now, the Welsh Government insist that she should pay a registration fee and undergo training in her responsibilities and obligations as a landlord. How many other old-age people or old-age pensioners are in a similar boat? And I would like to know that this country is very friendly to those people who own properties. Can we have a statement again so that the Cabinet Secretary can explain why my constituent has to pay the same fee as someone who owns multiple properties, and why the Welsh Government is putting an excessive burden on good landlords? This lady is going to pay the same fee as the person who owns multiple properties, by the way, so, Welsh Government is putting an excessive burden on good landlords, instead of effectively targeting the bad ones in Wales. So, I’ll be very grateful if the Minister would look into this again, and I ask for another statement. Thank you.

The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children did make a full statement on this last week. I haven’t got the Record of Proceedings in front of me; I’m sure you asked questions of the Cabinet Secretary at that time. This is an important scheme that was backed in terms of legislation, progressive legislation, on this side of the Chamber, and, of course, in terms of implementation, opportunity for scrutiny last week was important. And the implementation of it, of course, will take into account the points that have been raised.

Could we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for environment, energy and climate change regarding future Welsh Government policy towards farming payments and farm support systems in particular? I’m very concerned that the decision to leave the European Union is being used as a Trojan horse by some people to get a land grab onto Welsh devolved policy. We heard the leader of the Welsh Conservatives only this week claiming that farmers would be happier for Westminster to decide farming policy rather than here in our democratically elected Parliament. Well, I’m not happy, and the farmers I talk to aren’t happy about that.

They’re not always happy about what the Welsh Government does, of course not, but there’s a difference between Government and Parliament and it shouldn’t be right that the decision to leave the European Union is being used by the Conservatives not only to take back farming policy from Wales—and, in turn, environmental policy, because they go hand in hand—but also already we’ve heard that convergence and regional development funding policy should also be retained by Westminster.

We want Westminster’s sticky hands off our policies that have already been devolved so that future Governments here can take the decision for the Welsh people. What’s really at the heart of this, of course, is the Conservatives know they will never win a majority in this Parliament so they use the back-door method of a Conservative Government—[Interruption.]—a Conservative Government in Westminster to decide policies for Wales. We fought against that for 40 years and we won that fight and we won’t fight again.

I have to say to the Minister that what’s lacking is there’s a bit of a vacuum. Because the Welsh Government isn’t coming forward with clear plans that Welsh farmers can get hold of, can critique or possibly agree with or say something different should be done, there’s a vacuum for these pernicious ideas to be circulated by the Conservatives. So, I think it would be very valuable for the Welsh Government now to set out its principles for how it will take this forward.

A final point on that that I think the statement should address is there’s a world of difference between four nations coming together at a UK level and agreeing things that are a common good in the field of farming and environment, including things like animal welfare and standards of slaughter and all that kind of—animal diseases. There’s a world of difference between that and Westminster deciding and then telling us what to do.

The second element that I’d like a statement on, because I think it’s related but slightly separate, is how the Welsh Government intends to deal with a potential crisis in migrant farm workers next year. It’s already been flagged up that late-season crops—cauliflowers, potatoes and so forth—at the moment, we’ve about 70 per cent of the migrant workforce that we need to pick those crops. That’s maybe not seen to be a huge issue for Wales at the moment, and more an issue for Lincolnshire and parts of England, but we do have between 20,000 and 30,000 migrant farm workers and food production workers coming into Wales each year, and, if we see a reduction similar to that next year then we will struggle to maintain our abattoirs, we will struggle to maintain some of our seasonal crop picking, and we will struggle to maintain our food production facilities in Wales. If the UK Government is not prepared to give the necessary assurances for EU workers to come and do that migrant work, then we need to look afresh at the idea of Welsh work visas and arguing the case for that, because our agricultural needs and workforce needs must be met in order to ensure that there’s food on our plates. So, I hope we can have two statements from the Government on those matters.

I thank Simon Thomas for raising that today. In fact, Lesley Griffiths, the Cabinet Secretary, was at the Royal Welsh winter fair yesterday. I think it was warmly welcomed; her announcement about payments by 1 December was warmly welcomed—I certainly read the quotes from the farmers’ unions—and recognising, once more, that agriculture is a fully devolved matter and has been since 1999 and we have delivered in partnership with the farming community, with the agricultural sector, in partnership in Government with you and in Government with Welsh Liberal Democrats, and also, of course, in partnership with the farming community. And that’s how we wish to take it forward. If you look at EU regulatory frameworks, of course, when they cease to apply it is for the devolved administrations, it’s for us here in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, to decide if and how—as you say, there are areas where there may be UK-wide frameworks with the UK Government—but it is our responsibility.

Now, I would dispute—in terms of the Cabinet Secretary’s engagement, it’s been full since the referendum result. Not only has she made statements that responded to this, but I think it’s worth saying again not only meeting farmers unions, industry representatives but also hosting those round table discussions on the implications of the UK’s exit from the EU.

The other point that is worth making is that, as it’s clearly been shown, Andrew R.T. Davies—we wonder what his colleagues think about his statements, I would say, over the last few days. I recognise that he’s not here today, but what appetite would there be anyway, in Westminster, to retake responsibility over agriculture in Wales? Actually, in those round-table discussions, the engagement with farmers and the unions and partners in the sector has been about how they can work with us to develop distinctively Welsh agricultural policies.

I think your second point is also very important—it’s on the record—and of course we will consider, again, how we can raise this. Of course, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government is involved in the EU committee that’s been set up; he sits on it alongside ministerial colleagues from other devolved administrations and, indeed, UK Government Ministers as well, looking at those very issues in terms of the farming workforce, which will have a particular impact not just on Wales, but on the rest of the UK.

I’d like to ask the leader of the house for a statement relating to the steel industry. I’ve been pre-empted a little bit by the statement, which I saw when I sat down this afternoon, but over the last couple of weeks, we’ve actually seen some progress in relation to, perhaps, moving forward in the steel industry. Only this weekend, we saw the news that it’s likely that Tata Steel are selling their speciality steels to Liberty Steel, and that seems to be moving forward, but that still leaves the strip products. I note that the statement that we received this afternoon from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure highlights that he has written to Ratan Tata and that he is expecting some answer, but I think it’s time we have the opportunity to have an oral statement, on which we can ask some serious questions based on fact and not rumours that are happening in the steel industry, to ensure that the uncertainty that is still hanging over some of our areas, particularly in my constituency, is cleared up as much as possible—that we see a bright future and that the Welsh Government is taking steps forward. I appreciate that some of those levers are with the UK Government, but perhaps we can also have a link in to what actions and discussions they’ve had with the UK Government on the future of steel.

There’s no question that the Cabinet Secretary will want to engage, as he has shown this afternoon, and update Members accordingly.

Leader of the house, can I call for two statements, please? The first is from the Cabinet Secretary for health. Last week was atrial fibrillation awareness week and Members of this house will be aware that one in five people who suffer from a stroke—6,000 of them every year here in Wales—will have had an atrial fibrillation episode prior to them suffering a stroke. I’d like to know what the Welsh Government is doing in order to promote awareness of AF amongst the general public and, indeed, medical practitioners, because many of these strokes can be prevented if AF is treated.

Secondly, can I ask for an update from the Cabinet Secretary responsible for regeneration on the Government’s progress towards legal action against Lambert Smith Hampton following the regeneration investment fund for Wales scandal? Obviously, in response to the Public Accounts Committee report earlier this year, the Welsh Government said that it was pursuing a legal process against Lambert Smith Hampton, following the advice that the RIFW board received, which resulted in taxpayers losing out on tens of millions of pounds because a good proportion of the land was sold off at rock-bottom prices, including in Abergele in my own constituency, where a piece of land was sold to South Wales Land Developments by the Welsh Government for £100,000 and subsequently sold on for £1.9 million within a very short period of time thereafter. Taxpayers want justice, leader of the House, and I think it is appropriate, now that so much time has elapsed, that Assembly Members receive an update on this very important matter.

The Member raises two important issues. On your first point, of course, in terms of AF and the prevention and detection to prevent strokes—that is a very important point. I think it’s important to note that, from the most recent stroke annual report, over the last 10 years, survival rates following a stroke for people aged 74 and under have improved and the number of people dying from strokes is also reducing. But that has to be partly due to the raising of awareness as you describe, and we will be taking that forward. On your second point, of course, these are recommendations that were made regarding RIFW by the Public Accounts Committee—you were the Chair at the time—and those recommendations are being implemented.

Thank you very much, leader of the house.