Thank you, Llywydd. I won't sing the question, I'm afraid. 

1. What support does the Welsh Government provide to prevent flood damage resulting from climate change in communities in north Wales? OQ57533

Llywydd, in line with the co-operation agreement, our draft budget sets out increases in both capital and revenue funding for flood and coastal defences across Wales, as we respond to the challenges of climate change.

Thank you for that response. It's good to hear that. Of course, one frustration is that it takes so long, very often, to deal with repairing infrastructure. In the meantime, the damage can become worse, and the costs can increase. I'm thinking of examples such as the B5606 in Newbridge near Wrexham. It's over a year now since the damage was done there. And Llannerch bridge in Trefnant, Denbighshire, where it's been a year since the damage occurred to the bridge there. In both cases, local residents, when they used to be able to complete short journeys, now have to take very long journeys because the infrastructure's been lost, and that brings a cost in terms of the carbon footprint too. 

So, can I make a request that the Government looks urgently and favourably at requests from local authorities for investment to restore those two examples of infrastructure lost as a result of flood damage and climate change, because the delays mean not only that the work will be more expensive in financial terms, but that there is a higher cost in terms of climate change too?

Well, Llywydd, I thank Llyr Gruffydd for those questions. One of the reasons why we have provided more revenue in the system is to help local authorities to prepare bids for funding to carry out work where that work is necessary. And we recognise the fact that local authorities have had difficulty in bringing everything together and submitting their bids to us. For example, I'm not familiar with the example that Llyr Gruffydd referred to in Wrexham, but I am familiar with Llannerch bridge, and, at the moment, we haven't received a bid from the local council there. 

So, what we have done is not only increase capital funding to carry out that work, but we've also provided revenue to help local authorities and others to prepare for that work, to put their bids together so they can be submitted to us, and in so doing, to accelerate the process that we have. 

First Minister, many seaside resorts across north Wales are, as you will know, exposed to flood risk, including Towyn and Kinmel Bay in my own constituency. Now, there are plans to improve the sea defences in Towyn and Kinmel Bay, as part of the coastal risk management programme. But the proposals that have been developed by Conwy County Borough Council to date are pretty unattractive in comparison to some of the schemes elsewhere in north Wales, including in Colwyn Bay and neighbouring Rhyl, and they just do not seem to reflect the important status of Towyn and Kinmel Bay to the visitor economy. So, First Minister, can I ask you what assurances can you provide to the constituents in Clwyd West in terms of the ability of the Welsh Government to work now with Conwy County Borough Council to bring forward new coastal defence flood protection improvements in the Towyn and Kinmel Bay area that will not only improve flood protection but also enhance the coastline, improve access to our local beaches, and make these resorts more attractive for locals and visitors alike, so that they can achieve blue flag status once the works are completed?

I thank Darren Millar for that question, Llywydd. He raises a number of important issues. He's right, of course—Conwy County Borough Council is the flood risk management authority for those stretches of the coast, Kinmel Bay to Llanddulas, and the other stretches that he mentioned. As I said in my answer to Llyr Gruffydd, one of the reasons we have increased the revenue side of our budget is to allow local authorities to have some more capacity to develop the schemes that they then put forward for funding. There are 10 coastal risk management programme schemes across north Wales, and the money is set aside—£190 million, I believe, in total—to allow all those schemes to go ahead.

There's an issue that the Member raises that I think is quite a tricky one. The money that is put aside for the coastal risk management programme has to focus on protecting communities and businesses, and so on, from floods—coastal flooding. And it's not primarily there, therefore, to increase the attractiveness of areas, or to attract tourism, but, of course, those are really important considerations when these schemes are being designed. Now, there are tensions, therefore, sometimes in bringing different funding streams together, to make sure that, when work is being carried out, it does the main thing—protecting communities from flood and coastal flooding risks. But the considerations that Darren Millar raises about how those works then impact upon the attractiveness of an area and contribute to its economy more widely are important ones. And I'll make sure that that point is relayed to the people who are responsible for overseeing the programmes.

First Minister, I welcome the Welsh Government's recent announcement of a free tree for every household. Constituents have asked me to enquire whether it will be possible for households to join together and to plant their trees in communal spaces, to create mini forests and, in some cases, to help soak up surface water in communal areas that could possibly otherwise lead to the flooding of homes.

I thank Ken Skates for that, Llywydd. He makes an important point—that tree planting is part of the natural flood defences that we are keen to promote as a Welsh Government. I thank him for drawing attention to our scheme to encourage tree planting by every citizen here in Wales. Ken Skates will know, Llywydd, that the scheme has two components: households will be able to choose a tree themselves and plant it in their own garden, or they will be able to make their tree part of a communal effort. That part of the scheme will be led by the Woodland Trust. I think it's great to hear that there are communities in touch with their local Senedd Member asking how they can act together through this scheme to make a difference of the sort that Ken outlined. In February, a dedicated page will be published by the Woodland Trust—a web page—and then those groups will be able to be in touch with the Woodland Trust and see how that great opportunity for more tree planting can be put to use in that collective way and make a difference in flooding and in other community amenities.

Question 2 [OQ57495] is withdrawn. Question 3 is next, from Delyth Jewell.