The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to make the statement—Rebecca Evans. 

Diolch, Llywydd. There are two changes to this week's business. A statement on the Wales coast path and on active travel have been added to today's agenda. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Minister, please could we have a statement from the Deputy Minister for culture on what more can be done to protect our important historic monuments from vandalism? Last week, the Roman amphitheatre in Caerleon was once again the target for vandals, with stones being removed and thrown around. Removal of these stones has damaged the structure of this ancient monument and its underlying archaeology. Incidents have also been reported of suspected vandals being abusive and threatening to the custodian of the site. Minister, please could we have a statement from the Deputy Minister on what more we can do to protect such sites from these mindless criminals?

Thank you very much for raising this particular case in the Chamber. Of course, vandalism and destruction of protected monuments is thankfully very, very rare, but when it does occur, it's obviously something that's of deep concern and regret to the communities affected particularly, but also to all of us in terms of our Welsh history and our Welsh heritage. If there is an update that the Minister's able to provide in this particular case, I'll ask him to write to you.

Trefnydd, in a written statement on 30 April, the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip expressed her concerns with regard to the findings of Her Majesty's Inspectorate report on the Western Bay Youth Justice and Early Intervention Service, published on 28 March this year. The report showed that the amalgamation of youth justice services from Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend was poorly implemented, and the organisation created in 2014 has failed to adequately protect the children and young people, and the wider public, in the area. The report found that none of the three local authorities have taken full responsibility for the service, there was inconsistent partnership work, variable quality of casework, and inadequate day-to-day management, and managers and staff were, quote,

'left to firefight and respond to the symptoms of significant systemic problems.'

Essentially, the report finds that it is often impossible to tell if children and young people in Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot are being protected at all. Even though youth justice is a non-devolved matter, there are clear links to devolved areas such as social services and early intervention. Now, as Welsh Government officials are involved in discussions with a number of bodies on this matter, will the Welsh Government, therefore, commit to providing an oral statement, focusing particularly on the progress needed and being made against the recommendations contained within this report?

Thank you very much for raising this issue. Of course, there is an oral statement tabled for the Assembly for next week on justice blueprints, and this might be an opportunity to raise some of these particular matters with the Minister on that day.

Trefnydd, obviously, following the announcement last Friday that the Tata joint venture with Thyssenkrupp is at risk and unlikely to go ahead and that they were suspending the process of a joint venture, can we call for an oral statement from the Minister for Economy and Transport—but, actually, I'd prefer it from the First Minister, as I think this is that important—relating to the actions the Welsh Government will take to work with Tata to ensure the future of the steel industry here in Wales? It's a crucial element for the steel industry, and we need an opportunity to ask questions of the Minister to ensure that we understand fully the actions they will take to protect steel in Wales. They've done it so far—the Welsh Government has to be commended on its history of support for the industry—but here we are again, facing another 2016, effectively, following the announcement last Friday, and the workers in Port Talbot, the workers in Shotton, the workers in Llanwern, Orb and Trostre all need to have confidence that there is a future for the industry here in Wales.

On a second point, could we also have a debate in Government time on the shared prosperity fund? In responses to a debate in Westminster Hall, called for by my colleague Stephen Kinnock MP, it was clear the message coming through from the Government was that this shared prosperity is going to be more of an all-UK type of prosperity fund and that we will not necessarily be getting the same type of funding we get now and we won't necessarily be in control of that funding. It's about time now we had a debate here so we can make sure that the whole Assembly has a debate and we're able to send a clear message from this Assembly to Westminster that they should honour the commitments they made and not invent new ways of slicing up the money for their Conservative friends in the English counties.

Thank you, David Rees, for raising both of those extremely important issues this afternoon. Clearly, this is a worrying time for those who work in the steel industry across Wales, and, as we stood by our steel industry throughout the crisis of 2016, we will again work collaboratively with the industry and with its supply chains, and also with the recognised trade unions, to support the steelworkers and the communities around them through this important next period.

The Minister for economy, Ken Skates, spoke with the executive director of Tata Steel Europe and also with steel unions on Friday following the announcement, and he'll continue to work closely with Tata to discuss how we can best support the industry in light of the recent announcement. I know it was his intention to issue a written statement today, but I'll certainly make him aware of your request to discuss the issue in person with him.

I'm very taken by your suggestion of a debate on the shared prosperity fund. I think it would be an excellent opportunity for this Assembly to send a clear message to the UK Government that any Brexit shouldn't mean a penny lost or a power removed from Wales, and we've certainly come to some strong conclusions about how the shared prosperity fund should operate in future. I think that sending a strong united message on that would be particularly useful.

Can I call for a single statement on support for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, in Wales? Last Sunday, as you might be aware, was ME Awareness Day, on 12 May, and this month is ME Awareness Month. I called for a similar statement on 13 November, or last November, after I hosted an event here with the Welsh Association of ME and CFS Support and with ME Support in Glamorgan, and the showing of a film called Unrest, which led to calls for the health Secretary here to address as a matter of urgency the continuing need for improved access to timely diagnosis, for GPs to fully understand the symptoms of the condition, and for the development of a standardised training and awareness programme in Wales.

We also saw a copy of the ME Trust's 2018-21 strategy 'A Vision into Action' paper, which said that parts of the UK, such as Wales, had no specialist services. Unfortunately, the Minister responded by stating she didn't think there was any need for supporting statements. The Minister is pleased with her refill policy and no doubt will be bringing something back to the Chamber in the course of it to tell us how well it's doing. Well, we haven't, as far as I'm aware, yet heard.

I've now been contacted again by Dr Nina Muirhead, who spoke at that event, who has been diagnosed with ME/CFS herself, following glandular fever, who's not only a NHS doctor but an academic working at Cardiff University. She tells me that she's been in touch with the major health conditions policy manager at the Welsh Government, who she believes is now working on policy for major chronic health conditions, including ME/CFS, and she reiterates that, prior to becoming ill herself, she followed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, which perpetuated her misunderstanding of the condition by recommending cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise, where, from her experience, there's no psychological component, and exercise, if anything, was making matters worse. She concludes that the reality of ME/CFS is a serious, heritable, neurological condition. I therefore call for a statement and hope that you will be more forthcoming than your predecessor when I called for a similar statement last November.

Thank you for raising this this afternoon, and also for the opportunities that you've taken to host events in the past on this particular issue to raise awareness amongst Assembly Members. We do understand the challenges faced by people living with this condition and the impact that it can have on their daily lives, and also the importance of ensuring that the correct advice is available to them and also the correct treatments, and that's why we're working with healthcare professionals and the third sector to strengthen ME services available across Wales. I will ask the health Minister to reflect on your comments this afternoon and to provide you with an update on the latest situation.

The issue of train overcrowding has been brought to my attention by concerned staff working for Transport for Wales. I know from my own experience that packed carriages during rush hour can be absolute hell. I've been informed that there have been occasions where a guard has refused to take a train further due to severe overcrowding. Now, apart from being dangerous for passengers, it's also leading to heated confrontations with staff, who often bear the brunt of considerable frustration and anger. My contact says, and I quote:

It is a serious concern and I believe that it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt either through accident or anger.

Now, I know that the set-up is a new one, but this has to be dealt with by this Labour Government. Do you agree that safety is paramount? And can we have a statement from the transport Minister to this Senedd setting out that he is aware of these issues and that he is taking swift action to ensure that our trains are safe for passengers, safe for staff and worthy of a developed country in the twenty-first century?

Well, of course we do agree that safety is paramount and that's one of the reasons why we've ensured that there are guards on all trains, for example, where we're seeing them stripped away from services in other parts of the UK. I think the best way forward would be for you to write to the economy Minister with the specific examples you've given this afternoon. He'll be able to take them up, then, with Transport for Wales.

Trefnydd, as you know, yesterday, BBC Wales carried a story about farmers being unable to recycle their plastic waste due to Wales's only recycling centre, I think, moving from a payment basis to a charge basis for the intermediate operators. I appreciate that the Welsh Government have responded that this is an issue between farmers and the private sector, but there clearly is an impact on the environment and on farmers, indeed, of course, if there is an increase in the disposal of plastic waste on land, either by burying or burning, as has been spoken about. So, I wonder if we could have an update or an intervention from the Welsh Government on this situation. I appreciate that it is an issue within the private sector, but there are consequences for the public sector as well, so I think it'd be good to hear the Welsh Government's further opinion on this, because there is great concern amongst farmers I've spoken to.

Secondly and more optimistically, I'm sure you are aware that yesterday was the Food Awards Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium—a great showcase of Welsh food, and we know the importance of that for tourism. There were two winners from my area—at least two winners—Sugarloaf Catering and Scrumptious Monmouth. But I know that there were also winners from across Wales. I'm sure you'd like to send congratulations to those winners and, indeed, to the runners-up, and perhaps we could hear, at some point, from the Welsh Government an update on the food strategy and how that ties in with tourism and food festivals and the like across Wales. Because Wales has a lot to give on the European and world stage in the food market.

Thank you very much. In relation to agricultural polythene, it is the case, as you set out in your contribution, that the disposal of farm plastic is a commercial matter between the farmers, the collectors and the plastic film waste plants that can and do recycle it, and that farmers do have a responsibility to ensure that their plastic is disposed of correctly. The Minister did suggest that you write to her with your concerns, and I'm sure she will respond accordingly.

On the second issue, I'm very happy to congratulate Sugarloaf Catering, Scrumptious and all the other winners at the food awards yesterday. Of course, the food industry is one of the rising stars in the Welsh economy. We've got a huge amount to be proud of in terms of the quality and the provenance that we're able to demonstrate in our food, and we do have a food tourism action plan that brings together those two elements, recognising the important contribution that the food industry can also make to our tourism offer in Wales.

The Government, as we've already heard today, of course, a fortnight ago declared a climate emergency, and this Assembly made a similar statement too. Now, I would expect that there would be a great deal of activity happening behind the scenes within the Welsh Government to respond to that statement and to clearly demonstrate that that statement is meaningful. I would assume, for example, that we would need to look again at the Government's legislative programme to ensure that that is fit for purpose in terms of meeting the challenge facing us, and that challenge has intensified now, of course, having recognised that it is an emergency. So, it would be good to have a statement from Government outlining any changes to its legislative programme as a result of that statement.

Also, could the Government make a statement to explain how the announcement of a climate emergency is going to impact upon the process of deciding on the M4 relief road in Newport, because, clearly, one would assume that the weighting given to the various factors would shift as a result of that statement?

May I also ask the Government and the Minister for Finance for an opportunity to have an update on the written statement released today? I understand that an error has emerged in terms of the work of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs on implementing devolved income tax in Wales, to the point where the coding for Welsh taxpayers has been incorrect, with many Welsh taxpayers being coded as being Scottish, and as a result have paid the Scottish tax level rather than the Welsh income tax level. Now, there isn't a great deal of detail in the Government's statement as to how many people have been affected, how this could have happened, and what HMRC is doing to solve this problem. So, some update on that situation, and perhaps an opportunity for us as Members to ask questions, would be something that I would appreciate.

Could I ask for a statement from the health Minister as well? I read with interest and welcomed the written statement last week in relation to cross-border healthcare arrangements and the agreement that has been reached in relation to the dispute with the Countess of Chester Hospital. There's nothing in the statement that tells us what the nature of that agreement or that compromise is. My understanding from a UK Government ministerial statement is that the UK Government will pay the disputed costs for this year, and that the Welsh Government will then step in and pay it in future years. I'd like to understand—this disputed 8 per cent, apparently, is relevant, of course, in this particular context, but it's relevant as well in every other particular context where we see health services being purchased from across the border. So, are we here running the risk of establishing a precedent where, if the Welsh Government agrees to pay the disputed 8 per cent for the Countess of Chester, then it's opening itself up to having to pay that to the 50 other health trusts and services that provide services to the NHS in Wales? So, it would be good to have an opportunity maybe for either an oral statement from the health Minister or some further information about the exact nature of that agreement, because the financial implications, of course, for our already beleaguered health boards could be very, very substantial.

Thank you for raising those various issues this afternoon. The first matter you raised was the issue of the climate emergency that was declared by the Welsh Government, and then you asked specifically about the legislative programme. Of course, the First Minister brings forward an annual statement on the legislative programme, which I believe takes place in June, so he'll certainly be making that statement as normal. The Minister for environment and rural affairs will also be bringing forward a statement to the Assembly on the low-carbon delivery plan, which includes 100 of those actions and priorities in terms of tackling climate change and carbon emissions. On the matter of the M4 relief road, the process has been clearly set out. I'm not going to be drawn into any further comment on it this afternoon, save to say that the First Minister has set out in his written statement the process and the expected timescale for a decision to be made.

With regard to the C code and the issues that that's had in terms of Welsh taxpayers, it is extremely disappointing that this has happened, but it does, I suppose, vindicate the very cautious approach that we did decide to take in terms of our approach to this issue. I have had discussions with HMRC, and the reason that I was unable to set out in my written statement the extent of the issue is because HMRC don't yet know the extent of the problem, because they have to run a number of tests, which they'll be doing in this month, and then further tests again in September to establish those individuals who have been assigned the wrong code by their employer or the person operating the payroll. But I obviously will commit to updating the Assembly and, particularly, the Finance Committee, as soon as I am able to on all of those issues.

The final issue that you raised was the matter of the Countess of Chester, and of course the agreement has been reached for 2019-20 only. But the health Minister has said that he would be happy to write to the health committee with further details and also, then, to make that letter available to all Assembly Members.

Organiser, could I seek two statements, if possible, please? One in connection to press reports on the weekend in the financial papers around developments of the Ford engine plant and, in particular, the Welsh Government's site at Brocastle and the potential for Jim Ratcliffe's company to come there and build a potential 4x4 vehicle to replace the Land Rover model. I appreciate the Welsh Government has been in negotiations. I appreciate those negotiations have been long and they are commercially sensitive, but there are press reports coming out now, obviously, making various views known as to the potential of this application. An update on where the negotiations are and, in particular, what development the Government has in mind for the Brocastle site in particular, where construction has now just begun, would be beneficial for the local community, as well as obviously workers connected with the Ford engine plant, to understand what progress, with the limits of commercial confidentiality, has been made, because, as I said, these negotiations have been going on for some time and the press are now speculating on this.

Secondly, could we have a statement from the transport Minister in relation to what work the Welsh Government is doing around the A4119, and in particular the arterial roads into the A4119, and junction 34 on the M4 up to junction 33? This is a regional transport issue, where people using those roads are literally gridlocked in the morning coming out from the Valleys—Llantrisant, Talbot Green, Pontyclun, and further up—and then on the way home, the traffic is severe to say the least. I appreciate the metro system is on the cards to come forward in the next five, 10, 15 years, but this gridlock, in effect, is happening here and now and is causing a huge amount of distress to drivers and, frankly, in some instances, is very dangerous. People are looking for as many rat runs as they possibly can, through lanes that are totally unsuitable for the volume of traffic, given the gridlock people are finding around the junction 34 and the road A4119. So, a statement over what action the Government is engaging in, with partners such as the transport agency and in particular the local authority, to alleviate some of this congestion would be most welcome.

On both of those issues, so the Ford engine plant and also the congestion issues around the A4119, I will ask the Minister with responsibility for economy and transport to write to you in terms of what he is able to say with regard to the Ford engine plant, but then also plans to address the congestion issues and any discussions he's had with other relevant agencies.

I had intended to request a statement on the announcement made today on taxation, and the error with the coding. I'm pleased that that's already been raised, but I do intend to ask a topical question on that issue.

If I could ask for a statement from the Minister for health responding to concerns about an event stakeholders locally have been invited to. It's called, and I quote: 'Cwm Taf Morgannwg safeguarding board's first ever Celebration of Good Practice event'. Now, this follows the damning and distressing report about maternity services in Cwm Taf health board, where mothers and babies certainly were not safeguarded. Whilst recognising that more bodies are involved in this event than just the health board, can I invite the Minister, who of course has rejected calls for his resignation, to at least respond to that invitation and serious concerns locally that have been raised with us that this is entirely inappropriate and deeply insensitive?

On the first issue of the C code, I'd be more than happy to take any opportunity to discuss with you or any other interested Assembly Members the latest update and, obviously, to keep Members informed and to share communication that I’ve had with HMRC on this particular issue.

On the matter of Cwm Taf and the safeguarding board area, that obviously is a large area where there is a huge amount of practice going on. I think it is important, especially in difficult situations such as the one that we find ourselves in now, to recognise good practice when we see it and to ensure that those people who are working hard and delivering well in terms of safeguarding feel supported to continue doing that and feel that they do have their good contribution recognised. Because, clearly, this is an extremely sensitive and difficult situation.

I thank the Trefnydd.