2. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to make Wales a dementia-friendly country? OAQ51303

'Taking Wales Forward' commits the Welsh Government to making Wales a dementia-friendly nation through developing and implementing a new national dementia plan. We hope to have that agreed with stakeholders by Christmas, with a view to publishing it as soon as possible in the new year. 

Thank you. Last month, I was really proud to present Griffithstown Primary School with their dementia friendly award, the first school in Gwent, and one of the very first schools in Wales to receive the award. Every single class in the school has taken part in the initiative from reception to year 6, with older pupils also visiting patients at County Hospital and participating in an innovative scheme called 'Shimmer my Zimmer', where they decorated and personalised Zimmer frames so that people with dementia could recognise their Zimmer and use it more often. Will the First Minister join me in congratulating Griffithstown Primary School on the fantastic achievement of receiving this award, and also on the brilliant inter-generational work they are pioneering, which we know can make such a huge difference to the lives of people living with dementia?

Very much so, very much so. I think it's incredible the innovation that's been shown, in ways that most people wouldn't think of, to help people with dementia. I think it's hugely important as well that that—it's not a phrase perhaps that I'd generally use—inter-generational understanding is promoted, where young people do understand what the effects of dementia are, how they can help people with dementia, and, of course, to be able to understand what families and individuals face as challenges if somebody is diagnosed with dementia. I think it's a fantastic idea, fantastic concept, and I very much congratulate the school.

First Minister, as well as Wales ageing as a nation, the trends are quite different within different parts of Wales, and the Valleys, for example, have a much greater demographic ageing trend than the nation as a whole. Are you confident, First Minister, that our provision of dementia services is sufficiently decentralised, and also that the resourcing of it is sufficiently aimed at those areas where the ageing trend is most severe?

Yes, I am. If there is any difficulty in that regard, I would expect that of course to be a part of the discussions that have taken place with stakeholders over the dementia action plan, and I'd expect that to be reflected in the plan if that was identified as a challenge. What I can say is we have been working with the task and finish group, for example, which has been working with the Alzheimer's Society, with the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project, and the Older Person's Commissioner as well. And our plan is informed by the responses that have been received by that task and finish group. As I said, we hope to be in a position where we can agree the plan by the end of this year, with a view to publishing it as soon as possible at the beginning of next year.

First Minister, the one issue that comes up time and again when I speak to the families of those who have dementia is the problem in Wales of having a specific contact worker for families who want someone to turn to whenever they would wish to do that. Now, having that kind of pledge and ensuring that such a worker is available would allow Wales to be innovative in the care that it provides to people with dementia and their families. Does the First Minister share my view that this should be a part of the final strategy, and is he confident that that will be part of the strategy?

Well, this is something that will have to be considered as part of the consultation that has taken place. May I say that the plan itself will be built on the basis of acknowledging the fact that people suffering with dementia have rights, and, therefore, in what way can we ensure that those rights are respected? This will have been part of the discussion that has taken place to date, and it will be part of the discussion on the plan itself. May I also say that the plan itself will also be considered by an action group in order to ensure that the plan works in the way that it should?

First Minister, according to Health in Wales, dementia affects over 42,000 people in Wales alone, and it's estimated that, in just a few short years, this could increase by at least a third. It is therefore vital that Wales becomes a dementia-friendly nation as soon as possible, to ensure that those living with this terrible condition, and their families, are supported at every stage. First Minister, what is your Government doing to increase public awareness about dementia and how to reduce the risk of developing this devastating condition?

Well, at the heart of our approach is the need to ensure that people can remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. That means working with organisations to promote dementia-friendly environments. We've seen an example from my colleague, Lynne Neagle, of how that can be done with schools. And it is hugely important that people understand that dementia is not something that affects everybody in the same way and at the same rate. And so we know that people's needs will change over time, and it's hugely important that people understand that. And as part of promoting a dementia-friendly Wales, increasing people's understanding of the condition is obviously an important part of that.