Summary

  • Rhun ap Iorwerth takes his seventh and final First Minister's Questions (FMQs) in the Senedd before the summer recess

  • Opposition party leaders and members of the Senedd grill the Plaid Cymru leader on a range of issues

  • Plaid Cymru faces defeat in a Senedd vote on its spending plans as Labour refuses to support changes to the budget

  • Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas asks when two year waits in the Welsh NHS will end

  • Leader of Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar, pays tribute to Bonnie Tyler, following her death aged 75, and also the former Conservative and Reform politician Ann Widdecombe

  • The Senedd, Welsh for "parliament", sits in Cardiff Bay and now has 96 MSs representing 16 constituencies across Wales

  1. When will long NHS waits end, asks Reformpublished at 14:57 BST

    That's all for today's First Minister's Questions at the Senedd. Here's a reminder of what happened.

    • Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas asks when two year waits in the Welsh NHS will end the Rhun ap Iorwerth said "we want to do it in months"
    • Welsh Labour interim leader Ken Skates wanted assurance of support for businesses and homeowners affected by wildfires and extreme heat and ap Iowerth said his government "will do everything we we can"
    • Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar's tributes to Bonnie Tyler and Ann Widdecombe were echoed by the first minister.
    • Millar also criticises proposals to include glass in Wales' deposit return scheme.
    • As questions took place it emerged that Plaid Cymru is now facing the prospect of defeat in a Senedd vote on its spending plans this evening.

    Our live coverage is now ending. For more on Welsh politics click here.

  2. Millar pokes fun at Farage by-electionpublished at 14:51 BST

    Bins is one of the topics during FMQs. Millar pokes fun at the recent news where Nigel Farage resigned and intends to stand in by-election.

    Millar says: "We all agree that we need to get to grips with litter and improve even further our recycling rates.

    "But we've already got a by-election this summer with a man dressed up as a bin. The last thing we need is another row with about rubbish receptacles, if I can put it that way".

    Ap Iorwerth responds: "Bins being a theme here. I like the rubbish receptacle trashing of the reputation of the leader of Reform".

    He adds at the core of deposit return scheme is "as a principle is people taking things places. So that doesn't make a difference whether it's plastic or glass".

  3. Rural health boards losing out, says Reform MSpublished at 14:41 BST

    Reform MS James Evans tells the first minister that health boards serving people living in rural areas lack sufficient funding.

    "What is your government going to do to protect those rural health boards, to make sure they get the funding they need so my constituents can get the care they need and they pay for in their taxes?" he asks.

    Ap Iorwerth responds that his government's plan to "rural proof" future laws "to make sure that no rural part of Wales is left behind" should help.

    "That should be as as relevant in health as in anything else," he adds.

  4. 'Bin' deposit return scheme for glass, says Tory leaderpublished at 14:31 BST

    Conservative Senedd leader Millar also criticises proposals, begun by the previous Labour Welsh government, to include glass in Wales' deposit return scheme.

    He says it will "impose extra costs on small shopkeepers, force householders to face the inconvenience of having to drive with their cars full of bottles down back to the shops, rather than simply leaving those glass bottles at the kerbside for collection and recycling".

    "Why don't you make it simple for manufacturers, simple for retailers and simple for the public, and bin this unnecessary policy?"

    The first minister says there is an exemption for small retailers and "these are things that the government is taking in into consideration".

    But he adds "we believe that this is doable and we do not believe the threats of the very large manufacturers of extremely large increases in prices".

    The British Soft Drinks Association has warned that the proposals could add around 50p to the cost of some bottles.

    Darran MillarImage source, Senedd Cymru
  5. FM says Reform MS member 'chooses to focus on colour of skin'published at 14:23 BST

    Reform UK Member of the Senedd Joe Martin asks the first minister to update what the Welsh government is doing to promote equality in Wales.

    The first minister refers to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality Sioned Williams' oral statement where she set out priorities for promoting social justice, fostering respect, solidarity and fairness. He adds the government are committed to addressing inequalities in Wales.

    Martin says that schemes, such as a target whereby 20% of all newly hired government employees should be from ethnic minority groups, are "themselves explicitly racist" and "anti-white discrimination".

    He asks the first minister if his government would "deliver the return of race blind meritocracy in Wales".

    Ap Iorwerth replies that the member "chooses to focus on the colour of skin" while he would choose to focus "on the fact that are many people who don't have opportunities because they live in poverty, because they happen to come from a background that has not made those opportunities open to them as they are to somebody as privileged as I have".

    Jo MartinImage source, Senedd Cymru
  6. Plaid facing defeat in vote on its spending planspublished at 14:14 BST

    As questions are taking place it has emerged that Plaid Cymru is now facing the prospect of defeat in a Senedd vote on its spending plans taking place later today.

    Labour has refused to support changes to the budget, with the opposition party saying the Welsh government should withdraw its supplementary budget because of a dispute with teaching unions.

    Two unions have criticised the government over a pay deal and funding for the education of pupils with additional learning needs.

    Labour finance spokesman Huw Thomas said: "Our view is we cannot support a supplementary budget on that basis.

    "The Welsh government need to withdraw it today, negotiate with those unions to get an agreement there and then bring it back to the chamber."

    Without a majority in the Senedd, Plaid needs support from opposition MSs to win the budget vote this evening.

  7. Tributes to Bonnie Tyler and Ann Widdecombepublished at 14:10 BST

    Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar pays tribute to Bonnie Tyler, following her death at the age of 75.

    He says tributes have poured in "about the loss of this Welsh icon".

    Millar calls her a "singer with global fame and impact, a unique artist with a unique voice and we want to pay tribute to her, and send our best wishes to her family and her loved ones".

    He also brings up the shock death of the former Conservative and Reform politician Ann Widdecombe, calling her a "colourful political character" and "precious character to people across the whole of the United Kingdom".

    Ap Iorwerth sends his "condolences to the loved ones of Bonnie Tyler, a national treasure who was a part of my life as long as I care to remember" who "will be fondly remembered by all of us here in in Wales and far, far beyond".

    On Ann Widdicombe, he says "we share in the grief of her loved ones, but also in the fear, around the safety of of politicians and public figures".

  8. What support will people get impacted by wildfires?published at 14:01 BST

    Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates is next.

    He mentions the recent wildfires in north Wales where homes where evacuated and some schools were closed.

    He asks the first minister who is responsible for responding to such events.

    Ap Iorwerth says that it is a cross government, with ministers particularly involved with emergency services.

    He adds that the fires were a "manmade" cause which the government are committed to address.

    Skates responds asking if the first minister can assure the government will support businesses and homeowners who are impacted by wildfires and extreme heat, which ap Iowerth responds "of course, my government will do everything we we can and already have done, to support those who are affected by these fires."

  9. When will long NHS waits end, asks Reformpublished at 13:55 BST

    Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas asks when two year waits in the Welsh NHS will end.

    He says the first minister promised during the election campaign that long waits "would be eradicated within a matter of months" but his health minister said later it would be "by the end of the four year term" of the Plaid Cymru government.

    Rhun ap Iorwerth says his government was commissioning work to create surgery hubs and was "putting in investment through the supplementary budget that we want to get passed today" to ensure there was enough money to "drive down those two year waits".

    "We want to do it in months," he adds.

    Dan Thomas in the SeneddImage source, Senedd Cymru
  10. Reform MS asks if Plaid ministers have made any savingspublished at 13:41 BST

    The first question is from Reform Senedd member Cai Parry-Jones.

    He asks the first minister if the Welsh government has "made any tangible cost savings in any department" since Plaid Cymru won May's Senedd election, and formed the new Welsh government.

    He adds that "smarter management" of the buildings and land the Welsh government owns could save over £10m a year.

    Rhun ap Iorwerth says the government "is about making every pound deliver better outcomes for the people of Wales".

    He says this is why Plaid Cymru ministers are reforming how public services are delivered.

    Cai Parry-Jones in the SeneddImage source, Senedd Cymru
  11. What happened in last week's FMQspublished at 13:37 BST

    Here is what happened in last week's First Minister's Questions:

    • Conservative Senedd group leader Darren Millar told Rhun ap Iorwerth to "get on" with banning mobile phones in schools, after Rhun ap Iorwerth said there were plans for new guidance to achieve that aim
    • The first minister called for "mature conversations", when it was then a week to go to the vote on the supplementary budget which takes place this evening
    • Reform's Dan Thomas said that budget was in "real danger of being voted down", and ap Iorwerth said he recognised his government was in a minority in the Senedd
    • And Labour's Ken Skates, who ap Iorwerth has been hoping to make a deal with, kept up pressure from his party for more additional learning needs funding
  12. Rhun ap Iorwerth's final First Minister's Questions before Senedd summer breakpublished at 13:29 BST

    First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth is about to face his regular Tuesday grilling in the Senedd at First Minister's Questions (FMQs).

    This is the last FMQs session before the Welsh Parliament goes into summer recess at the end of the week.

    Later in today's session a vote will be held on the supplementary budget and we'll see if the minority Plaid Cymru government can get spending plans it has announced since winning power in May through the Senedd.

    We'll bring you live updates from FMQs here and you can also watch the session live from 13:30 BST by clicking play at the top of the page.