Tuesday’s plenary also saw the First Minister face questions on biological sex.
There was disruption in the chamber as shouting broke out when the First Minister admitted he had met with Reform UK’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas.
In his questions to the First Minister, Mr Thomas pressed him to disclose if he had had any talks with other political parties, if there are any potential areas of compromise within the supplementary budget, and if he’d be willing to work with Reform.
The First Minister responded: “When I speak of wanting to be a co-operative government, that means having conversations with leaders of Reform, the Conservatives, Labour, and the Green Party.”
Mr ap Iorwerth said his government is ‘determined’ to put in place their programme for government and recognises that to do so it will need cross-chamber support.
Leader of the opposition Dan Thomas began his questions to the First Minister by drawing attention to the ‘plight’ of student nurses.
He called on Mr ap Iorwerth to share if any of the £145 million allocated to the NHS in the supplementary budget will be used to ‘guarantee student midwives and student nurses a job when they finish their training.’
Noting that there are ‘some things […] that money can’t buy,’ the First Minister said the current problems facing graduates are due to ‘over-commissioning’ in 2022.
Natasha Asghar, the Conservative health spokesperson, pressed the First Minister to reveal what action the Welsh Government will be taking following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the ‘definition of biological sex.’
Ms Asghar told the Siambr she was recently contacted by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board staff who had received a presentation titled ‘transcending boundaries, celebrating transgender awareness week and how to be an ally’.
She said: “I’m all in favour of diversity, but I would much rather NHS staff focus on patients and delivering care, than them being distracted by training sessions that do not improve patient care and frontline services.”
Ms Asghar said the staff who contacted her said they felt extremely uncomfortable with the session, describing it as highly sexualised and inappropriate.
She added: “I can’t say I blame them when you hear some of the presentation’s content.”
Ms Asghar asked the First Minister how the Welsh Government will ensure public bodies are following the law and ‘protecting women’s spaces.’
Noting the Supreme Court decision was not ‘a victory of one side over another,’ the First Minister expressed the need for political leadership.
He said: “She [Ms Asghar] mentions ‘concerned members of staff’. We hear from very concerned trans people who feel that they are being disempowered and put at risk, even, by the current debate.”
