Waiting for Wanless…

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Jun 2005

Welsh Liberal Democrats put the spotlight on Labour's record of inaction on health during FM Questions, and hailed it as a key reason why the party lost control of Cardiff and Swansea councils.

Mike German, leader of the Assembly Group, said: "You tell us that that the health service is improving, yet the leaders of both Cardiff and Swansea councils have blamed Labour's defeat on the state of the health service. Famously, Cllr Goodway said: 'If I've been chased down the garden path on any issue it's been the fact that the health service in Wales does not compare favourably with that in England and people are aware of that.'

"Do you agree with Cllr Goodway that the health service in Wales does not compare favourably with England?"

Mr German pointed out that seven of the top ten questions on today's order paper were on the health service and that seven of the top 15 questions to the Secretary of State for Wales at the last Welsh questions were on the health service.

He added: "Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 phone-in on health yesterday was so swamped with callers from Wales complaining about the health service in Wales, that the BBC has promised to run another phone-in just for Wales. You don't see the same effect when you look at the questions asked of the PM, or the Secretaries of State for Scotland or Northern Ireland. Or the First Minister for Scotland. Why do you think that one issue dominates in Wales but nowhere else? And when are we going to get the reforms Wanless indicated 12 months ago."