Adam Hale
Wales political producer

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Rhun ap Iorwerth's first statement to the Senedd as first minister has seen him confirm that he brought up Welsh independence with Sir Keir Starmer.

"Yes, I mentioned independence," the Plaid Cymru leader said, in response to a suggestion by Reform's Dan Thomas that the fact he raised it in a phone call last week indicated he was distracted by constitutional matters.

Plaid has ruled trying to hold a referendum on independence in the first term of a government, but has said it will set up a national commission that would look at building the case for Wales as a separate nation state.

And today ap Iorwerth said he wanted to "lead a national conversation creating that confidence in our ability, undoubtedly, to be an independent nation like so many countries like ours".

In the meantime, he said his government would seek further powers for Wales, including early progress on the devolution of justice and policing, the Crown Estate and developing a fair funding formula for the country.

Reform's Thomas said he was disappointed that ap Iorwerth's first discussion with the prime minister had touched on independence, saying "people want politicians focused on the issues that matter," including the cost of living.

He said Reform had surged across Wales - with 34 seats in the Senedd - "not because of constitutional obsessions or ideology".

Elsewhere ap Iorwerth said free school meals will be expanded to secondary school pupils from families in receipt of Universal Credit "from September" and a new childcare offer "will be the most generous in the history of the UK".

But interim Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates said Plaid's childcare policy was announced seven months ago "and still the public haven't had an answer to that very basic question of how it would be funded".

Our live coverage is now coming to an end. You can read more about today's events here.

Labour aren't the only ones to announce their spokespeople, with the Conservatives having done so last week.

Everyone in the Tories' group of seven has a brief. They are:

• Darren Millar - leader of the Welsh Conservatives, shadow minister for the armed forces and veterans
• Paul Davies - deputy leader, shadow Trefnydd, chief whip and shadow minister for the Welsh language, culture, tourism and sport
• Natasha Asghar - shadow minister for health and social care
• Andrew RT Davies - shadow minister for farming and the environment
• Janet Finch-Saunders - shadow minister for enterprise, connectivity and energy
• Peter Fox - shadow minister for finance, local government and communities
• Sam Rowlands - policy director, shadow minister for education, families and the constitution

David Deans
Wales political reporter

Before today's Senedd session, Welsh Labour held a photocall on the parliament's steps

The party once held half of the seats here, but they now have just nine - less than 10% of the Senedd.

Labour also announced its list of spokespeople. Every member will have a portfolio, except Sarah Murphy who is on parental leave and Huw Irranca-Davies, who is now presiding officer (or Llywydd in Welsh).

The spokespeople are:

• Ken Skates – interim leader of Welsh Labour and spokesperson for health, care and national security
• Jayne Bryant - spokesperson for housing, communities, public and preventative health
• Mike Hedges - spokesperson for culture, sport, local government and legislation
• Vikki Howells - chief whip and spokesperson for environment, farming, energy and transport
• Lynne Neagle - business manager and spokesperson for children, education, and lifelong learning
• Shav Taj - spokesperson for employment, equalities and economic transformation
• Huw Thomas - spokesperson for finance, democracy, citizenship, and Welsh language

No NHS waiting targets in Plaid's 100 days planpublished at 15:04 BST

15:04 BST

Owain Clarke
Wales health correspondent

Rhun Ap Iorwerth said today that putting NHS waiting lists will be one of his government's top priorities.

But Plaid Cymru's plan for the first 100 days contains no targets - just a commitment to set up "review" of NHS performance and a "task and finish" group to look at the issue and come up with a plan.

There'll also be a "summit" of health bosses to discuss shifting more resources into preventative and community care - but no sense yet about how this will happen.

The lack of concrete NHS targets is perhaps unsurprising at this stage, as any new additional money found for the health service could take months to bring about an effect.

But the scale of the challenge the new government faces will become clear when the latest NHS Wales performance stats for March and April are published on Thursday - they will be the figures the new government inherits.

And that ends today's session in the Senedd.

The next meeting will be on 2 June, presiding officer Huw Irranca-Davies confirms.

Reform Senedd member Jason O'Connell raised comments made by new Plaid Cymru Senedd member Beca Brown in a magazine in 2001, in which she said she hated the English "as a race, as people, as a country, and for what they've done to Wales and the Welsh".

"Do you stand by these comments, and what are you and your party going to do to ensure that this anti-English xenophobic sentiment is rooted out and stopped?" asks O'Connell.

Ap Iorwerth said Brown was "from an English background herself, and the article I think you're referring to was written from that point of view of explaining the ridiculous nature of elements of the discussion about identity".

Laura Anne Jones, of Reform, questions Llyr Gruffydd's ministerial title of rural resilience and sustainability and that farming and agriculture is not in the name.

She demands a commitment that farmers will be listened to.

"Don't you agree with Reform that agriculture deserves to be a top priority for any government in Wales," she says.

"Oh ye of little faith," says ap Iorwerth.

Plaid has always championed agriculture and rural Wales, and the sustainability of the environment, he says.

Tory MS Natasha Asghar demands to know if Plaid would develop a toll-free M4 relief road.

Ap Iorwerth says there are two ministers looking at the "connectivity agenda", but does not make any commitment on a relief road.

Image source, PA Media

New figures on HS2 which show the project could now cost up to £102.7bn"revise upwards the injustice for Wales," says Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Plaid wants to seek funding for Wales from the project, which is classed as England and Wales despite not crossing the border.

He says there is a "majority in the Senedd for enhanced devolution".

"Financially, fiscally, Wales is held back because of that unfair funding formula," he says, which he says is also about having greater tax powers.

Adrian Browne
Wales political reporter

Rhun ap Iorwerth says he brought up independence with Sir Keir Starmer during a phone conversation with the prime minister last week.

The Welsh first minister was responding to a suggestion by Reform's Dan Thomas that the fact he raised it indicated he was distracted by constitutional matters.

Ap Iorwerth says: "Yes, I mentioned independence.

"I have a level of ambition for my nation, when I said that I want to lead a national conversation creating that confidence in our ability undoubtedly to be an independent nation like so many countries like ours.

"But I said to the prime minister, as I have said throughout my time in politics and will continue to do so, we deal with the issues that we deal with now and we set a journey that the people of Wales will ultimately have to decide on the trajectory and the pace of."

Huw Thomas, newly elected MS for Caerdydd Penarth, says he was struck there was no mention in Rhun ap Iorwerth's statement of the need to build new homes.

He says Plaid's manifesto had targets below what was needed. Does the first minister plan to cut the housing grant, he asks.

Ap Iorwerth says inadequate housing is a legacy of 27 years of Labour.

He says he would "probably" like to have more ambitious targets, but says they had to be deliverable. He says they were higher than Labour's.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Anthony Slaughter, Wales Green party leader, speaks in the Senedd for the first time since he won a seat in the election.

"What matters to us is action, not words," he says, calling for action on climate change, for workers in precarious jobs and for tenants in poor accommodation.

"This was an election to change. Change has to be more than words."

Welsh Conservative Paul Davies says it is vital that the Welsh government "urgently intervenes" to stop Hywel Dda health board from taking services from Withybush and Bronglais Hospitals.

Ap Iowerth says he will be working with his health minister to ensure there is "real recognition" of concern in communities.

He talks about protecting local services while building a "sustainable" service for the future.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Labour's Caerdydd Fynnon Taf MS Shavanah Taj says hard working school support staff are only paid during term time.

Her party had promised at the election to address that. She asks if the first minister would agree to the policy.

Ap Iorwerth says "we have to have an eye on how we address these issues", but does not commit to the idea.

Helen Jenner of Reform says she came from a classroom job to her role as an MS for Bangor Conwy Mon.

She says many teachers today are facing stress and behavioural problems from pupils.

She asks what will the Welsh government do to safeguard teachers in the workplace.

Ap Iorwerth says it is important to think of the pupils but also enable the success of teachers.

He says both his parents were teachers and had been presidents of teachers unions.

"Too often education has been allowed to slide in the list of national priorities," he says, adding his government will not allow that to happen.

"Supporting teachers, recruiting more teachers, ensuring the profession is attractive is vital," he says.

Party leaders have had their say and now Members of the Senedd (MSs) will ask their questions to the first minister.

Millar finishes on grooming gangs - which the Tories have called for an inquiry on.

"Will you review the information hat is available to you" he asks.

Ap Iorwerth says restricting mobile phones in schools is something Plaid will pursue in government, and says it will do everything it can to look after the welfare of vulnerable people, tying it up with the devolution of criminal justice.

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Darren Millar of the Tories says they would have liked a "very different Senedd" following the election.

But he says the voters have cast their views. "Whilst we will disagree with your on many issues, we will on these benches share you ambition" for a better Wales, he says.

He says when Plaid brings "sensible measures that genuinely improve the lives of the people of Wales, we will support you".

But he says they will hold them "rigorously to account".

Millar says the "sands of time are already beginning to rush downwards" on Plaid's 100 day plan.

He says Plaid previously supported the declaration of an NHS emergency, and asks him if he would do now.

He also asks if he would support restricting mobile phone use in schools, saying the Conservatives would support that.

Skates says Labour's main focus will be on whether the government is improving people's lives.

In response, ap Iorwerth says he welcomes and embraces "robust scrutiny" from the party Plaid Cymru replaced in government.

He says his government will drive forward a "strong green agenda", and says on funding he says they have made "ambitions" plans that they know are "achievable".

On childcare, he says: "We will give it our best shot with a programme carefully thought out".

Image source, Senedd Cymru

Ken Skates, for the Labour group, says it was disappointing not to see a prominent role for the environment in the new Plaid cabinet.

"What will ministers do to tackle river pollution?" he asks, something he argues cannot be ignored.

Skates says Plaid's childcare policy was announced seven months ago "and still the public haven't had an answer to that very basic question of how it would be funded".

"Reprioritising is not a real answer," he says, demanding to know what will be cut.

He asks how much money will be taken from hospitals to primary care: "How many professionals in secondary care may lose their jobs?"