10. Will the First Minister make a statement on the governance of NHS Wales health boards? OAQ51686

NHS bodies need to ensure that they have robust governance in place and act in a manner that upholds the values set for the Welsh public sector.

Well, one of the areas of governance that perhaps needs to be reconsidered as a result of today is the maintenance of confidentiality between health boards and Assembly Members. Perhaps the First Minister will address that in response, but the question I wanted to raise, prompted by what's going on in Hywel Dda at the moment, is the level of public dissatisfaction with the method by which decisions are taken and the lack of democracy in the national health service in Wales.

UKIP stood in the last Assembly election on a policy of making health boards elected—six out of the 11 in our proposal, with five professional executives—so that people who are going to be affected by decisions that are taken have a chance to elect the people who are making those decisions for them. What's happening at the moment is that people feel that whatever is going to emerge from this process will be something that's imposed upon them rather than something in which they've had any real role in developing.

Well, as I said, the chair of the health board has confirmed that she will establish a reference group with representatives invited across political parties, and elected members at county level, to regularly update them on transformation work. That meeting will take place on a monthly basis, and invitations will be sent to all AMs, Members of Parliament and elected council members.

First Minister, the parliamentary review recommends the Good Governance Institute's maturity matrix as a way of measuring good governance in health boards. How do we measure good governance now?

Well, through their delivery they have to ensure, of course, a safe and sustainable service in their areas, and I believe that they do that. There will occasionally be difficult decisions that they will have to take; we know that. What is hugely important, though, is that we are able to measure them in terms of their public engagement. There have been problems in the past around this, and not least in Hywel Dda. That's why I do very much welcome what the chair of the health board has said.

Thank you, First Minister. Point of order arising from questions—Rhun ap Iorwerth.

I would like to raise a point of order under Standing Order 13.9. The Data Protection Act 1998 says that no-one should use data in ways that have unjustified adverse effects on the individuals concerned, and that you should handle people's personal data only in ways that they would reasonably expect. We are all data controllers in our own offices here in the Assembly, of course. The Standing Orders say that the Presiding Officer has a clear role in overseeing whether Members engage in conduct that constitutes an offence. On those grounds, would you, Llywydd, give an undertaking to review the response given by the First Minister to a question raised by Adam Price, the Member for Carmarthen East? I think we're talking here about improper use of data. We are talking about access that Government Ministers have to information being held by public services in Wales about Assembly Members, and we're talking about an issue of privileged information being used by Government to attack a Member of this Assembly.

Yes, First Minister.

A statement was sent out by the Member and another, which said, 

'We will be keeping a close eye on these proposals as they develop, and intend meeting with health board representatives at the earliest opportunity.'

It is legitimate, in my mind, to point out that opportunities have been offered. It is perfectly legitimate and open to scrutiny. If Members say they want to meet at the earliest opportunity, it's important that there's an understanding amongst the public that opportunities have been offered, and that is something which apparently—[Interruption.] I heard Rhun ap Iorwerth without interrupting him. Perhaps he will grant me the same courtesy, and the rest of his party.

Yes, he will. He will grant you that courtesy, and thank you for your response and the point of order. I have noted what's been said here this afternoon. I will give some further consideration to the sharing of data and its relevance to our Standing Orders here, but that is a matter that I will look at further and return to if needs be.