4. What assessment has the First Minister made of plans to move the Assembly's operations to north Wales for a week? OAQ55184

Llywydd, it is not for the Executive to make an assessment of a legislature's intentions, but your officials continue to be in discussion with Welsh Government officials on the plans for Senedd Clwyd.

Yes, I take on board the separation between the Executive and the Assembly, but to the public outside this is all public money. It seems to me that this proposal is a colossal waste of public money and is nothing more than a PR stunt. A week in north Wales isn't going to rectify 20 years of neglect. Now, the First Minister is calling on the UK Government to give money for flood victims, but he isn't going to make any comment on spending all this public money on politicians having a jolly. Does he agree with me that all Members should oppose this waste of money and boycott that week's proceedings?

Llywydd, none of those are matters for me. I entirely disagree with the points the Member makes, just as a Member of the Senedd, because I think it is really important that we are seen, that we are visible, that we demonstrate to people in every part of Wales the relevance of what goes on here to their lives. I know that the Commission is planning, organising and will be managing the Senedd Clwyd proceedings, and I understand, Llywydd, that you plan to release further details of the event later this month. I look forward very much to being with other Members in north Wales in June.

First Minister, while, clearly, there will be some public debate about whether it's appropriate to relocate the Senedd to north Wales for a week's worth of business, I think it's more proper for me to direct my questions to you regarding your Government's responsibilities.

I was very pleased to see that you visited Llanfair Talhaiarn in my constituency last week to meet with flood victims there who've been washed out three times in eight years. Can I ask for you to continue to engage with constituents in Clwyd West and elsewhere in north Wales? And what plans does your Government have to take more Government departments to north Wales in the future and to locate more of those civil service jobs that are currently based in Cardiff out into the regions?

I thank the Member for that. I was very pleased to be in his constituency last week and I was very pleased to be with the leader of Conwy County Borough Council, with Natural Resources Wales and others, and to have the opportunity to meet directly with people who've been affected by flooding and to hear from them about ideas that they were able to contribute as to how flood defences can be strengthened in that village for the future.

Welsh Government Ministers are in north Wales absolutely regularly. I'm looking from here to the end of the row—every member of the Cabinet I see from here to the Minister for the Welsh language has been in north Wales in recent weeks. The event that this Senedd plans to hold in June will be an opportunity for all Government Ministers to be not just at the events that the Senedd will hold, but to be in all parts of north Wales, listening, learning, talking and seeing how we can strengthen the relationship between north Wales residents and the work of the Government that seeks to serve them.