00:00Just last week the First Minister said she was reserving her judgment on recent benefit cuts
00:06imposed by the UK government until she knew the full extent of the impact on Wales. She
00:11since received a letter from Liz Kendall explaining what impact assessment took place but she has so
00:16far refused to reveal the contents of that letter. Something the Tory leader Darren Miller says is a
00:20pattern of a lack of transparency from Eluned Morgan. So I don't think there's a lack of
00:25transparency in relation to Covid and as I've just mentioned I have no problem at all in Liz
00:35Kendall publishing that letter and I hope she'll do so this afternoon. Publishing the letter is a
00:42hot topic for Welsh politics and it's not just the Tories as Plaid Leader Srinath Iorwerth says
00:47that not publishing the letter makes it look like there's something to hide. Publishing that response
00:52is rather important and if she won't release it will she at least acknowledge that just as in the
00:59scrutiny committee last week she is exposing this Labour government's absolute lack of fights on
01:05behalf of the people of Wales. Do you know what my mother studied at a Saunders Lewis and he gave
01:14her a tip once. Learn to listen. Did you not listen to what I said? I don't have a problem
01:23with that letter being published and I'm hopeful that it will be published this afternoon. It's
01:28not mine to be published but I'm hopeful it will be published this afternoon. But what I know, what
01:35I know is that there are people in this country who are suffering who need us to stand by their
01:44sides. The people affected by the welfare cuts can be forgotten about among all the politics and the
01:50Plaid Leader wants the First Minister to remember that there is far much more at stake than just the
01:55will she won't she over the letters contents. The First Minister would probably be happy with some
01:59of the newspaper headlines last week. Says First Minister refuses to back welfare cuts but I'll
02:05tell you what I find quite deplorable. That headline could just as easily have said the First
02:11Minister refuses to condemn the welfare cuts. We've got Save the Children and Action for Children
02:18saying this is a political choice of the most vulnerable children. 50,000 more children into
02:24poverty. Resolution Foundation lower income households £500 a year poorer. Barnardo's a
02:29bad situation made even worse. Are they all wrong First Minister or are you reserving judgments on
02:34that as well? Look I'm really pleased the UK government has committed to invest an additional
02:42billion pounds a year to build towards a guarantee of personalised support when it comes to employment.
02:49I think that's really constructive that's standing by people that's following the kind
02:54of approach that we have in relation to youth and employment.
Comments