2. Will the First Minister commit to a review of how digitisation can support the better delivery of public services? OAQ52217

Can I commend the Member, first of all, for his interest in this? I know he has a very deep interest in digitisation and the opportunities that it affords, not just the threats that are sometimes perceived as being there. We are reviewing progress on the use of digital and data in public service delivery, to ensure we are maximising the potential for digital to contribute to our approach to public service delivery in Wales.

Thank you very much. It takes 55 days to start the recruitment of a nurse, after they've handed their notice in, and we're spending some £59 million on agency nurses. NHS Shared Services estimate that, using existing technologies, they can take 30 days off that time, saving some £13 million. There are opportunities like this right across public services to free up resource to deliver front-line services. The Welsh Government has announced a review of automation and digital, and I recently met with Professor Phil Brown, who is leading that, and I must say we are very fortunate to be having him leading that work and the expert panel that's been put together. I think it's a very exciting piece of work, but it's a piece of work that looks primarily at skills, and at labour force issues, not at the whole raft of issues right across the public sector. Both use artificial intelligence but, crucially, existing technologies we have available now that are not being harnessed. So, would the First Minister look into the whole piece and not just the labour market dimensions?

I agree, and it's an issue I know the Member has raised with me privately: how do we look at digitisation as a way of improving public service performance? He's given an example there, which he's given to me before, and it's hugely important the recruitment process is speeded up. The question is, then, how do we do it. Well, there are a number of recent or current reviews that cover aspects of digitisation—the parliamentary review on health looked at it, for example, in the field of health; the Reid review, in terms of innovation; and the Bowen review in terms of the workforce. Now, within health, 'Informed Health and Care' sets out the vision for the delivery of digital services to support health and social care services and policies. The parliamentary review made a specific recommendation on digital services, which will be taken up within the transformation plan, which is part of a paper that will be considered by Cabinet. And of course, we have in Julie James a Cabinet Secretary who is taking forward the digitisation agenda. What I want to avoid is for digitisation to be taken forward in different compartments rather than taken forward as an opportunity across Government.

Of course, First Minister, access to the internet and, indeed, good broadband speeds are now considered as one of the main utilities that a family or a household should have. However, the latest communications market report for Wales found that just over eight households out of 10 actually can access the internet—83 per cent. So, that leaves 17 per cent of people who cannot access the internet. Now, when they cannot access the internet for services that are only available online, then they are at a great disadvantage. Now, at present, for example, also, to register as a landlord under Rent Smart Wales costs £33.50 if you complete the application form online, but £80.50 for a paper-based application. And in Aberconwy, a number of my constituents have actually had to pay this extra money and found it quite an unfair system. Will you commit to reviewing processes across all Welsh Government public service providers to ensure that such discrepancies and, indeed, these natural barriers are removed?

I think I have to say to the Member that I think the information she's using is out of date—possibly a year out of date. That is my understanding. We look at Superfast Cymru, for example, and what we have done with that. It has meant that a substantial number—nearly, not 100 per cent, but more than 90 per cent—of premises in Wales have access to superfast broadband. That would not have been done without Welsh Government intervention. If this had been left to the market, many of her constituents would have been left without broadband forever and a day. So, the intervention that we have put in place as a Government has ensured that many, many people will have access to broadband that otherwise they would not have. There will be a small percentage of the population who will need to look at other solutions in terms of accessing a broadband speed that people will find acceptable. We are proud of our record in rolling out broadband across rural communities in Wales that would otherwise have no access at all.