May I thank the First Minister for his statement, and thank Lord Thomas and the members of the commission for their staggeringly thorough work in getting to the point where this report was brought forward to us as an Assembly? This is the beginning of a journey, if truth be told. I am pleased that we've had a statement today and an opportunity to make some comments. I'm also pleased that time will be allocated early in the new year to having a more comprehensive debate so that we can air these points in a little more detail. But we will then need to work across political parties, and across Parliaments too, in order to take these recommendations forward.

I do welcome the fact that the Conservatives, who don't at present see value in delivering these recommendations, are asking questions about how all of this can be moved forward. It's a matter of concern to me that the kinds of questions posed by the leader of the Conservatives today are at such a fundamental and basic level, and he is perhaps causing me to doubt just how much attention the Conservative Party has given to these recommendations and the thorough work done by Lord Thomas and his team. But I'm willing to accept that we must ask questions at every level so that we can make progress.

There are so many reasons why we, as a legislature, should be embracing these recommendations placed before us. On a point of principle, as lawmakers here in Wales, it's important for many of us here in Wales that we do become a Parliament that is a legislative body that deals with the justice system as a matter of principle. There are practicalities in terms of the difficulties that we face at the moment in delivering co-ordination between justice and the kinds of policies that will influence the justice system.

In Scotland and in England, they can form policy in a different context. But the main reason—and the main reason outlined very clearly in the report by Lord Thomas—for proceeding to implement these recommendations is that the deficiencies that have been highlighted do impact upon real people's lives here in Wales and the way in which the justice system deals with them, be that in how we deal with women within the justice system, how we treat people from ethnic minorities within our justice system, or how we operate legislation within family courts in a way that is sensitive to the needs of our young people and children here in Wales, as the First Minister mentioned.

Many of you, like myself, will have read—or will have started reading—The Secret Barrister, which looks at the deficiencies of the legal system in Britain or in England and Wales at the moment. We have an opportunity here in Wales now to address those weaknesses, which are so well known to many people working within the justice system, and to work in a way that, for the very first time, allows us to formulate a system that is sensitive to the needs of the people of Wales specifically. So, we will work together on these issues.

I do have a few questions. I welcome the fact that there will be a Cabinet sub-committee chaired by the First Minister. What about the role of the civil service in all of this? There are a few things that raise some doubts in my mind as to the attitude of the civil service. The Welsh civil service said that they would need 200 more policy officials, at a cost of around £14 million, in order to implement this kind of change. The suggestion by Lord Thomas was that 10 people would be needed, and that we could create a new model of working, drawing on the expertise of our universities and reflecting the benefits of being a small nation like Wales, in terms of efficiency. So, we don't want to copy what is done at an England and Wales level, but create something that is inherently Welsh. So, I would welcome some comments from the First Minister as to the confidence that he has as to whether the civil service can become an important partner in delivering all of this.

Finally, in terms of the role for the politicians at a UK level to deliver these changes, we heard the First Minister stating earlier that he had been campaigning since 1985, calling for these kinds of changes. Well, I do have to raise some questions as to the influence that you've managed to have on your fellow Labour members in Westminster. We know, don't we, that Labour MPs, for a long, long time after 1985 have been blocking the devolution of elements of the justice system. So, in that context, how confident are you that you can persuade your own party at the UK level, (1) to place these recommendations in a manifesto for an election, and to do so now? The recommendations before us are so clear and so unambiguous that there is no reason why any party couldn't promise to implement these. So, show us that you have the influence within your own party, because I make a pledge to you that the implementation of the Lord Thomas recommendations will be very strongly reflected in our manifesto as we enter this election.