���˿���

The twenty-fourth FMQs of 2023 comes to a close.

Thanks for following - join us again next week.

The Senedd will once again be lit tonight in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine’s flag as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and its people.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan asks “how does the Welsh government support communities in the Rhondda that have been affected by a significant reduction in local public transport?”

Mr Drakeford replies that "£46 million was available from bus budgets to prevent the widespread disruption of bus services. Local authorities, Transport for Wales and operators are working together on a regional basis to plan the network that best meets the needs of the travelling public".

Heledd Fychan says, "whilst people understand the need to close the train line in order for the south Wales metro work to be completed, the works, coupled with a reduction in local bus services and the closure of Maindy bridge in Ton Pentre, means that travel is severely disrupted".

Image source, Getty Images

The monetary policy committee of the Bank of England meets again on Thursday of this week.

The first minister says he used his quarterly meeting last week with the Bank of England "to set out my concerns that when it comes to interest rate rises, the Bank of England has already overcorrected, that the rises that they have already put in train risk choking economic recovery".

The value of UK mortgage arrears jumped by almost a third in April to June compared with the same period last year, the Bank of England has said.

The Bank of England has raised borrowing costs in the hope that economic activity will slow, bringing down inflation, the rate at which prices are rising.

The theory is that raising interest rates makes it more expensive to borrow money, meaning people have less to spend, reducing demand and slowing inflation.

However, although inflation is showing signs of slowing, the current rate of 6.8% is much higher than the government's 2% target.

Image source, PA Media

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says the UK is an "unequal" union, and refers to HS2 funding as one example - "the perhaps £6 billion currently denied to us by the Conservative UK government. The actual figure, I suppose, is up for debate because the Tories are making such a hash of delivering HS2".

Mr Drakeford replies, "I am in favour of redesigning the United Kingdom, he is in favour of breaking it up. That's the difference between us."

As far as HS2 is concerned, the first minister says "if there is any truth in the rumours that we read about it now not proceeding into the north of England, then the fiction that has been used by the Treasury to deny funding here to Wales will be exposed even further".

Rhun ap Iorwerth replies "I'm not interested in breaking up Britain but in building up Wales. I don't consider myself to be a separatist, I think we can be closer together as independent nations within these islands."

Image source, HS2

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, asks what level of protection will be given to the NHS in the Welsh government's budget.

First Minister Mark Drakeford replies that "a decade of Tory austerity" has led to the financial problems.

But Mr Drakeford adds, "this government will always prioritise the national health service. That has been the character of the conversations that we have had right across the summer to make sure that despite the pressures that are there and the difficulties that the health boards are reporting, we are mobilising whatever help we can find across the Welsh government to protect them from the worst of the effects of his party’s onslaught on public services."

The Welsh NHS may have overspent by more than £800m by the spring of 2024, according to ���˿��� Wales analysis.

Inflation has hit hospitals, leading to spiralling fuel, staff and drug costs, while demand for treatment has risen due to the post-Covid backlog.

Mr Davies asks "have you got your priorities right, first minister? There is a petition, as we’ve heard, on the Petitions Committee website against the 20 mph blanket ban that is up to 162,000 signatures. You are proposing to put another 36 politicians into this institution, at a cost of £120 million, and yet, when I offer you a simple chance to offer some comfort to those in the health service and those who depend on the health service that it would be afforded some form of protection in the budget round, you choose not to take that opportunity to offer that protection."

Alun Davies, Labour MS for Blaenau Gwent, wishes the first minister a happy birthday, leading to expressions of ‘hear, hear’ in the Siambr.

The first minister jokes, "some people take a day off on their birthday, so I'm told."

The Llywydd Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table questions to the first minister and Welsh ministers. Each member may enter their name into a ballot.

Conservative Tom Giffard asks “what steps is the Welsh government taking to monitor the impact of default 20mph speed limits on journey times?”

He points out that a petition opposing the new 20mph default speed limit in Wales has had a record-breaking number of signatures.

With more than 160,000 signatures, the petition asks the Welsh government to "rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law".

Mr Giffard calls on the Welsh government to do so.

"No' is the First Minister Mark Drakeford's answer.

Mr Drakeford says "a monitoring framework for 20 mph zones will be published by the end of September. This will set out the key performance indicators. One of these will be vehicle journey times and journey time variation on main through routes."

The Welsh government has committed to “continuously review” the impact of new limits.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of First Minister's Questions.

The meeting is held in a hybrid format, with some members in the Siambr (Senedd chamber) and others joining by video-conference.

You can click on the play button above to watch the proceedings from 1.30pm.