Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 2 October 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 1:44, 2 October 2018

Well, first of all, can I welcome him—[Laughter.]—as leader of Plaid Cymru, in this, of course, his first question? He is the tenth party leader that I have faced across this Chamber, which tells you something about the success of the Welsh Labour Government in remaining in Government for that time.

Can I also pay tribute to his predecessor, Leanne Wood? Leanne is somebody with whom we—. Well, we tussled across this Chamber, and outside, but none of it was ever personal, and certainly I know she’s done a great deal for the position of women in politics in Wales, and I know she still has a great deal to offer our nation. [Applause.]

Let’s compare and contrast here. Unemployment is 3.8 per cent. That is lower than the UK average, and that was something that nobody could ever have thought would happen 10 or 15 years ago, but that is the reality of it. We’ve seen the highest figures, the best figures, for foreign direct investment for 30 years, with investment projects the length and breadth of Wales that have brought many, many jobs into Wales—and, importantly, high-skilled jobs as well, not jobs that are here because wage rates are low. If we look at education, what we have done in terms of supporting our students, what we have done in terms of raising standards in Welsh schools, introducing in the near future a Welsh curriculum that's tailored for Wales, having the right qualifications system for Wales, that is something that we are proud of. We have ensured that more and more money has gone into the health service, even as we’ve seen that money being diminished year after year after year by a Tory Government that is hellbent on austerity. So, I stand very proud by my record. The people of Wales, clearly, have an opinion on it, given the fact that I’ve been here for the past nine years.

Now, let’s focus on one thing he has said, which I think is fair to point out to him. He has said, I understand, that he wishes to cut taxes—9p in terms of income tax, getting rid of council tax, getting rid of business rates, and the replacement with another form of taxation. But I have to say to him that that is a £6 billion gap that would need to be found. So, what work—I’m not asking him a question, but it will be interesting to see what work has been done in order to make sure that his new proposals would plug what would be a very substantial gap.