llanblogger joins Pavilion audience for live
TV Q&A session with Carwyn Jones
* Carwyn Jones chats to audience members after the programme.
Labour’s leader in Wales faced a barrage of questions from a
lively Llangollen audience at the Pavilion last night (Friday).
Carwyn Jones, the country’s First Minister until the May 5 Assembly
Election began, was the latest party boss put on the spot by voters as part of
BBC Wales’s Ask the Leader series.
First pre-arranged question of the live half-hour programme
came from Laura Davies who asked why Labour had “screwed up” the NHS in Wales.
Mr Jones replied that despite the budget of the devolved Welsh
service being cut by 10% by the Westminster Conservative government, Wales was
spending “more than ever before” on its NHS.
He added: “Most people get a good service for most of the
time. But when we see there's a problem we take action."
Mr Jones cited the case of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health
Board, covering North Wales, which had been placed in special measures by the Welsh Government because people had lost confidence in it.
But he said: “We are making sure that it regains the confidence
of the people of North Wales and it is beginning to regain that confidence.”
He also claimed that Wales was spending more on the NHS than
England.
Asked by Dr Rhys Davies about the GP recruitment crisis
currently affecting the health service, Mr Jones said that to take the pressure
of family doctors it was essential that patients didn’t “default” to visiting
their GP before trying other avenues for health advice, such as pharmacists and
GP nurses.
Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies claimed that the
local health situation had not been helped by the closure of the town’s cottage
hospital.
Second question came from Mike Evans who referred to the “disconnect”
between the Welsh Government and voters in the north of Wales, and challenged Mr
Jones to explain why Cardiff felt “more remote” to people in this region than
Westminster.
The Labour chief replied that there were more Assembly
Members representing North Wales than there were MP’s for the region.
He went on to detail some of the money recently spent in the
north, such as on new schools and hospitals and the face-lifting of the A55
trunk route.
Mr Jones was asked by an audience member what benefits the
Northern Powerhouse, being promoted for the north of England by Chancellor
George Osborn, would bring to North Wales.
“I don’t see it as competition,” he answered.
Explaining that the suggested powerhouse would mean better
transport links within its area, Mr Jones said that Welsh Labour had just
announced plans for a North Wales metro link, adding there would be a metro
summit called by Labour within 100 days if the party won the assembly election.
He also told the audience that Labour had already improved
the country’s road and rail links, including the rail line from Holyhead to
Cardiff, and was now improving broadband links in North Wales.
Third questioner Michael Stokes asked Mr Jones if he planned
to work closer with UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn if his party won the
election.
Mr Jones replied: “I welcome support from all colleagues
elsewhere in the UK.”
There was no answer from him when asked by programme presenter
Bethan Rhys Roberts if he thought that Mr Corby didn’t look like a Prime
Minister.
Final question came from James Wallace who asked the leader whether
he apologised for “taking his eye off the ball” when it came to education in
Wales.
“I don’t think we have,” responded Mr Jones.
He said that schools were being built or rebuilt right
across Wales while “nothing like that” was happening in England.
“We now have more young people sitting in facilities that
are appropriate for the 21st century,” he pointed out, adding that Wales
now had better GCSE results than ever before and A Level results that were also
improving.
Asked by an audience member about what cash support Labour
was planning to provide for university students in Wales, Mr Jones answered: “We
will maintain our support for students at a higher level than in England.”
