Summary

  • Rhun ap Iorwerth faced opposition leaders and Senedd members for the latest First Minister's Questions (FMQs)

  • It comes after ap Iorwerth demanded a "new deal" for Wales from the UK government, at Plaid Cymru's conference in Llandudno

  • And after Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar told the first minister to "get on with the day job" instead of focusing on the prospect of independence, at the Tory party conference in Birmingham

  • Millar also urged the Welsh government to "crack on" with building an M4 relief road around Newport and a third crossing over the Menai Strait at the event

  • Ap Iorwerth says the Green Party anti-Zionist motion was "ill-judged", adding that he believed in a two-state solution.

  1. Postpublished at 15:02 BST 6 October

    That's all for today's First Minister's Questions at the Senedd. The main talking points included:

    • Reform Wales leader Helen Jenner accused "left-wing parties" of having a "sickening anti-Semitism problem", after the Green Party of England and Wales formally adopted a policy saying Zionism is racism at its conference.
    • Rhun ap Iorwerth said he had "always advocated the two state solution" in the Middle East, calling the Greens' policy change "ill-judged" and that he stood "shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish communities in Wales and makes a stand against antisemitism, as I do Islamophobia".
    • Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates said the first minister was giving to the rich while taking from the poor, claiming the early years initiative Flying Start program had been put on notice. But Rhun ap Iorwerth insisted the scheme would be "bolstered".
    • Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar criticises what he called a "massive increase of 30%" in minimum alcohol pricing last week, with ap Iorwerth saying minimum pricing can "have a positive impact on the choices that people make".
    • Rhun ap Iorwerth says the NHS dentist shortage "deeply worries me", that there is a "window in which we can try to act" on the matter but warns there is a "legacy of a lack of attention" to dentistry.

    Our live coverage is now ending. You can read more on Welsh politics by clicking here.

  2. The fairness of school transport is questionedpublished at 14:51 BST 6 October

    Lyn Ackerman in the senedd.Image source, Senedd Cymru

    Concerns about the fairness of rules for how pupils get to schools or college is raised by the Plaid Cyrmu Member of the Senedd Lyn Ackerman.

    The thresholds for pupils to walk - two miles for primary schools and three miles for secondary schools - sometimes do not reflect local geography, she claims, pointing to steep areas in her district of Casnewydd Islwyn that can cause safety concerns.

    "Will the first minister look at whether the current framework is producing fair and consistent outcomes for children across Wales?"

    Rhun Ap Iorwerth calls the school transport provisions vital to ensure young people "get the education they need", while admitting that council budgets have been strained.

    "We are looking at the existing framework and the context of the budget available," he says, adding the issue was a priority for the transport minister.

    "But these are decisions for local authorities to access if a walking route is safe," he responds.

  3. FM 'deeply worried' by NHS dentists shortagespublished at 14:42 BST 6 October

    Reform's Laura Anne Jones brings up the shortage of NHS dentists.

    What is the first minister doing to "finally involve practising dentists to try and help solve this problem?", she asks, warning the "lack of accessibility for NHS dentists is now out of control".

    Rhun ap Iorwerth says the issue "deeply worries me" and that he himself lost his NHS dentist "a long, long time ago, as many of us here have have done".

    He says he government is "in the process" of reviewing the NHS contract with dentists, and that setting up a new dental school in the future may help.

    He says he believes "we have a window in which we can try to act now" but warns "be in no doubt about the scale of the challenge that we face around dentistry because of the legacy of a lack of attention to this over many, many years, I fear".

  4. MS calls for the return of Swansea City to the Premier leaguepublished at 14:33 BST 6 October

    Mike Hedges in the SeneddImage source, Senedd Cymru

    Reform's Llŷr Powell asks a question on the impact of professional sport on the Welsh economy, Labour MS Mike Hedges adds as a supplementary point that as a Swansea City supporter he remembers the positive effect of the Swans being in the Premier League.

    He recalled seeing a "huge crowd of Chelsea fans" at Mumbles and the staying the city up when the Ospreys were in Europe.

    He asks Rhun Ap Iorwerth if he agrees that Swansea City needed to get promoted and for the success of the Ospreys - playing on the first minister's personal sporting allegiances, drawing laughter in the chamber.

    "I'm going to have to be careful here," he says, adding that as a Cardiff City fan he would want the Bluebirds to go up as well as the Swans, and then agreeing on the importance of sporting success for all Welsh teams.

  5. Childcare plans 'always meant to be phased', says FMpublished at 14:25 BST 6 October

    Now a series of questions on Plaid Cymru's plans to expand childcare provision.

    Kiera Marshall, a Plaid MS, says "universality of this childcare offer is key, so that parents can get back to work, and not a single child slips through that gap of provision".

    But Reform MS Cristiana Emsley asks how Rhun ap Iorwerth's government can "promise parents a flexible childcare offer when it still cannot tell them, or this Senedd, what the full policy will cost?"

    The first minister says his government has "put the money in for the first phase, which is the rollout of the 12.5 hours in every part of Wales within this first financial year, and it's £55m".

    Ap Iorwerth says that the "end of the rollout in the government term, you're talking about a significant sum" of £300m to £400m "depending on "uptake and so on".

    "There are lots of different factors, but this was meant to be, and is being done, in a phased way, which is which is the only way that can be done," he adds.

    A group of kids around a set of table that are pulled together with a teacher, using pens and paper.Image source, Getty Images
  6. Minimum alcohol price increase 'massive', says Tory leaderpublished at 14:17 BST 6 October

    Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar criticises what he calls a "massive increase of 30% in minimum alcohol pricing" last week.

    Millar asks: "What consideration is the Welsh government given to the economic impact of the change in minimum alcohol pricing?

    "Especially on retailers close to the Welsh border, who are now seeing their customers nipping across into England in order to do their shopping to avoid these extra costs."

    Rhun ap Iorwerth says he was on the committee that considered the policy, and it decided that "just as with cigarettes, the impact of pricing can have a positive impact on the choices that people make in relation to their their use of alcohol".

    "It's not a ban of alcohol, it's a trigger to make people think," he adds.

    Darren Millar in the Senedd chamberImage source, Senedd Cymru
  7. Welsh Labour leader accuses first minister of giving to the rich while taking from the poorpublished at 14:11 BST 6 October

    Ken skates speaking in the Senedd.Image source, Senedd Cymru

    Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates accuses the first minister of giving to the rich while taking from the poor, claiming the early years initiative Flying Start program had been put on notice.

    "You are pushing ahead with free childcare from millionaires just like the Tories want to do," he says.

    Rhun Ap Iorwerth shot back that Flying Start would be bolstered under his plans to create the "best childcare offer in the UK", adding the universalism in offering the benefits to everyone was the same principle that founded the NHS.

    But Skates claims that giving higher earners access to the childcare offer would cost £15m a year.

  8. Left-wing parties have 'sickening anti-Semitism', says Reform leaderpublished at 13:55 BST 6 October

    Reform Wales leader Helen Jenner says there is what she calls a "sickening anti-Semitism problem among left-wing parties".

    "We've seen it in Labour, we've seen it in Plaid, and just last weekend, the Green Party of England and Wales formally adopted a policy saying Zionism is racism."

    That was a reference to a vote at the Green Party conference.

    She asks: "Do you believe that supporting the existence of a Jewish state is in itself racist, yes or no?"

    Rhun ap Iorwerth replies that he has "always advocated the two state solution" in the Middle East "and I think the decision taken at the Greens conference was ill judged", he adds.

  9. Rural areas overlooked, says Reform MSpublished at 13:40 BST 6 October

    Questions have now begun, with the first one this week coming from Reform Gwynedd Maldwyn Senedd member Andrew Griffin.

    It's about public services in rural areas, with Griffin saying rural mid-Wales is too often overlooked on matters such as schools, rail and hospitals.

    First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth says his government is planning to legislate on "rural proofing".

    He says this will mean "it is not up to the government of the day whether or not they take into account the impact of decisions on rural areas, but that that is put on a statutory basis".

  10. First Minister's Questions is backpublished at 13:25 BST 6 October

    Rhun ap Iorwerth is set to take questions from leaders of the political groups - Reform, Labour and the Conservatives, as well as other backbenchers.

    In the run-up to today's session, the first minister demanded a "new deal" for Wales from the UK government that would put the country on an equal footing with Scotland.

    Speaking at Plaid Cymru's conference in Llandudno, the party's leader said Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised him he would not undermine Wales.

    Meanwhile, at the Tory conference in Birmingham, the Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar told ap Iorwerth to "get on with the day job" instead of focusing on the prospect of independence.

    Millar also told the Welsh government to "crack on" with building an M4 relief road around Newport, and a third crossing over the Menai Strait.

    You can watch the session live by clicking play at the top of the page from 13:30 BST.