1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's efforts to promote citizen participation in decision making? OQ56355

Llywydd, the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 creates new opportunities to encourage and enable wider diversity in decision making. The single most significant moment of citizen participation this year will come in the Senedd elections, when 16 and 17-year-olds will take part for the first time. 

I thank you for that answer, First Minister. You will know the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development now regards innovation and public policy to be really important and necessary to involve citizen participation, and, indeed, it's one of the key factors in its well-being index. And do you agree with me that, further to this legislation, the time now has come for an action plan on citizen participation to be developed by whichever party is in position to form the next Welsh Government?

Well, Llywydd, I certainly agree with David Melding that citizen participation is not something to be thought of as a one-off event at an election, but needs to run through the whole of a term of an administration. This Government has been very pleased to work closely with the OECD on a number of different policy dimensions, most importantly recently alongside the work that our colleague Huw Irranca-Davies has led on regional economic policy for Wales, and citizen participation certainly is, as David Melding says, Llywydd, one of the key components of the future that the OECD set out for us. 

The 2021 Act, Llywydd, does place a requirement on local authorities in Wales to develop a public participation scheme, and, alongside that, the Welsh Government provides support through our digital democracy fund, through our diversity in democracy fund, both of which are designed to promote citizens' participation. I agree with what David Melding has said that an incoming Government, whoever might make up that Government, should have citizen engagement in everything we do as a running theme throughout the whole of the next Senedd term. 

Democracy only works properly if the demos, or the people, participate. Over the past year, because of the pandemic, more and more people are aware of devolution, but that progress is fragile. We need action now, surely, to make sure people aren't just aware of decisions being made here, but that they feel engaged. First Minister, if we look at young people, 16 and 17-year-olds have an exciting opportunity this year to vote for the first time, but political education is still not a required topic in the curriculum. In the coming years, I too would love to see more citizens assemblies for young people to promote engagement, but this year needs action now. Pupils are drilled about Tudor governance, but the system used today to elect the Government isn't always properly explained. So, do you think there's an opportunity within the school day this year to ensure that all first-time voters will be able to learn about this before the election, and, in the longer term, shouldn't political education be required to be taught? 

Llywydd, I definitely agree there's a real opportunity, as we move towards the election, to make sure that opportunities are taken to educate our young people in the democratic process and the very important part that they themselves can play within it. The Welsh Government is playing its part in that, alongside the Senedd Commission, alongside the Electoral Commission. We are engaged together in making sure that resources are available for young people, through Hwb and other means, so that those 16 and 17-year-olds who will join us at the ballot box this year have every opportunity they need to understand the responsibilities and the opportunities that are available to them. 

But it does go wider than that, as I'm sure Delyth Jewell will recognise. I very much enjoyed last week my conversation with students at Ysgol y Castell in Caerphilly. And there, at the age of nine, 10 and 11, you have young citizens who are completely interested in the future of their country, having their voice heard in it. And the system we have of school councils and participation of young people in Welsh education, I think, will stand us in very good stead as a nation, as those young people come to maturity and play their own part in our democracy.

We say we want to promote citizen participation in decision making, but, First Minister, six months ago, four in 10 people polled didn't know health was devolved, or thought it was run by Westminster, which your party exploits at UK elections. Wouldn't it be better if we simplified decision making by abolishing our unnecessary layer of Government?

Llywydd, I don't believe that.