3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's progress in relation to health policy within the fire and rescue services? OQ60950

Thank you. Workplace health and safety is a matter for employers. However, we have reached an agreement with fire and rescue authorities and unions on reducing the risks of cancer that firefighters may face in their work.

Thank you for that response, First Minister.

The University of Central Lancashire was commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union to conduct the UK firefighter contamination survey in order to provide an evidence base for understanding the risks and common sources of contaminant exposure to firefighters, and the findings were stark. Instances of cancer among firefighters aged 35 to 39 are up to 323 per cent higher than in the general population in the same age category. That's 323 per cent higher.

Now, work, of course, is under way to better protect firefighters from exposure, as we see through the DECON campaign, but there is currently no form of preventative cancer or other disease monitoring programme in place for UK firefighters. Now, a study of occupational disease mortality rates of Scottish firefighters concludes that preventative health monitoring is urgently required to protect UK firefighters' health. Does the First Minister agree, and will he commit now to bringing in specific health monitoring for Welsh firefighters?

There are two things. The first is I understand the occupational risks for a range of different workers, including firefighters. In fact, during my career as a trade union solicitor before coming to this place, I worked on cases, and personal injury cases as well as, indeed, employment cases, that looked directly at consequences for firefighters when they've attended incidents to protect the public. So, I recognise this is a very real issue for this group of workers and, potentially, for others.

I'm pleased he's mentioned the research that the FBU commissioned from the University of Central Lancashire. Actually, we've taken that through our social partnership forum and we haven't just considered their recommendations, but we're looking for work that can be done to understand what we can do to improve the occupational health and safety position for firefighters.

When it comes to his specific request around cancer screening for firefighters as an occupational group, we'd need to see an evidence base that comes through the advice that we get as a Government and for our service through the UK National Screening Committee. We'll continue to monitor not just the evidence base, but recommendations from that key committee about how we make best use of our resources. If we deploy them into a particular area, then there may be a challenge about whether those screening resources could be used to greater effect in different areas of the population. So, that evidence will guide us about the best use of resources to deliver the best return, but, whether firefighters or otherwise, there is clear guidance available, if people are concerned about symptoms or occupational exposure, about where they can go for both support and advice in the world of work and outside it.

First Minister, recent research has shown that there's a direct correlation between exposure of firefighters to fire effluents and poor mental health. In particular, it's been shown that endocrine disrupters, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, which are gas-phase flame retardants used in furniture and carpet padding and in hard plastic casings, not only lead to hormone imbalances and neuroendocrine dysfunction, but can also lead to conditions such as depression and anxiety. Studies have shown, for example, that pregnant women face a heightened risk of depression and anxiety, and exposure to these chemicals, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, has a potential knock-on effect for the children, who, as a result of maternal depression, are more likely to experience general psychopathology, exhibit more internalising and externalising problems, and suffer from diminished cognitive functioning as well as to display sub-optimal physical growth. With this in mind, First Minister, what steps are the Welsh Government taking to ensure that fire and rescue services in Wales inform their staff of the risks to mental health from exposure to these chemicals, and what steps are you taking to enforce strict codes of practice that reduce the likelihood of chronic exposure? Thank you.

Thank you. There are a number of different points. It's worth reflecting, from the initial question, on the research undertaken by the University of Central Lancashire and what it means. Part of this was about how to protect firefighters from exposure to contaminants that may be linked to cancer. There are broader potential impacts as well, and none of these should surprise us. If you're going into a fire incident, the nature of the chemicals and the change that takes place can't always be accurately predicted. There is, though, an evidence base about the links to exposure and also what that then means for the breathing apparatus provided to firefighters in those circumstances. That underpins the work that's been done, and we have reached agreement on taking forward a number of the recommendations, and fire and rescue authorities are looking at that. Now, obviously, Julie James is now the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the fire service, so we'll be coming back to that, not just through social partnership, but in the updates we get on whether that is being taken forward by fire and rescue authorities based on the recommendations made in the FBU report. So, we have agreed on a programme for work; it's now about making sure that's carried through, and then whether we see an improvement in the physical and mental health impacts for our firefighters.