however, the first minister mark drakeford said this isn't the time _ mark drakeford said this isn'this isn't the time to dip into public purses. what about— time to dip into public purses. what about the _ time to dip into public purses. what about the public? earlier on i was at the _ about the public? earlier on i was at the picket line, plenty of people beeping _ at the picket line, plenty of people beeping their support. this is one of -- _ beeping their support. this is one of -- this— beeping their support. this is one of -- this is— beeping their support. this is one of —— this is wales' biggest hospital. _ of —— this is wales' biggest hospital, six out of seven health boards _ hospital, six out of seven health boards affected by the strike, the majority — boards affected by the strike, the majority of patients will have felt a change — majority of patients will have felt a change. some we know had pacemaker fittin- a change. some we know had pacemaker fitting cancelled, one gentleman who had a cancer surgery cancelled but notably _ had a cancer surgery cancelled but notably

the first minister, mark drakeford, saying that this is not the time to ask the public to reach evenets. what about those members of the public? we have had strikes at six of the seven health boards around wales. so thousands of patients are being impacted today. so, having pacemaker operations cancelled. some cancer operations cancelled. some cancer operations cancelled. even those patients saying that they support these nurses, who they say will go on strike and even beyond the 20th if they have to do. emma, nurses have been on strike in northern ireland today. what hope is there of this pay dispute being resolved there? this is the second time that nurses have gone on strike in northern ireland, twice in three years. last time round, 2019, the issues were much the same, over pay and staff shortages. this time, nurses say that there are some 3000 nurse vacancies in northern ireland, helping to pile pressure on those that are working already in understaffed departments and causing a risk to patient safety as well. one factor in northern ireland that is making the dispute more diffic

the trade unions written an open letter to the first minister, mark drakeford , first minister, mark future walkouts. while the uk government could move in to block scottish gender reforms. it comes after the scottish parliament approved a new bill making it easier and quicker for people to legally change their gender. the bill removes the need for medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and lowers the age of applicants from 18 to 16. it will also reduce the time a person must live as they acquire gender from two years to just three months before it is legally recognised. but this has prompted a clash with the uk government . we have with the uk government. we have concerns of a safety for women and children. let's find out more, particularly the political implications of it in the street . with us now is political correspondent tom harwood tom, just explain to us how the legislation's changed in scotland . and this now scotland. and this now a decision by westminster to say, do we intervene or not? very complicated , yes. this is about complicated, yes. this is about who gets to decid

mark drakeford or was it clark griswold from the national lampoon's christmas vacation? yes. well from national lampoon's holiday vacation that you're absolutely spot on. it was indeed. carl kasell , that was indeed. carl kasell, that well done. very good. 1.7. what hopefully somebody is totting up the points here? okay. it's christmas. it's christmas . christmas. it's christmas. question, question ten taking part christmas may not be important to some people, but it is very important to the rest of us. this is a quote, but it the quote from mark, the transport secretary and a warning to the rail strikers . was it the rail strikers. was it the conductor from the polar express 7 conductor from the polar express ? keith prince polar express conductor, great. it was actually the polar express conductor . very good. and you conductor. very good. and you know that i watched things. it was tom hanks, great film. so what's the schools that does? that was, of course, the christmas. what is the score on the north? the winner of , this the north? the winner of, this quiz. wanted to get

i was very struck something mark drakeford is the first minister in wales .ales because it's devolved he said if nurses are given higher pay said if nurses are given higher pay there'll be fewer treatments , fewer nurses and less cash for the nhs. why don't why doesn't the nhs. why don't why doesn't the conservative prime minister rishi sunak's say that ? well, i rishi sunak's say that? well, i think that's at least in part because nurses do higher pay on a qualified nurse with a bit of experience is . on £37,000 a year experience is. on £37,000 a year . she or he is actually much better . and most of the people better. and most of the people that they are treating and in the way mock has put his finger on something significant because the nhs has got about 12% more money now than it had in 2019. before covid. but it's doing 5% fewer treatment . one of the fewer treatment. one of the reasons is that we are paying people better . another reason, people better. another reason, obviously is that a lot of other care gets more expensive cancer . care has come on b

level so you could argue if you don't have enough money, raise some more, but first minister mark drakefordnal experience of improving waiting lists and particularly domestic experience in uk health care systems, and we focus a lot on the experience of the new labour government in the 20005, that is when we saw the most dramatic improvement. we sought to understand the strategies implemented at that time and what made them successful and then started to look at whether it would be appropriate to apply those now in a different political and economic context and at a time when the health service is in a different space. brute when the health service is in a different space.— when the health service is in a different space. we are told on vafious different space. we are told on various measures _ different space. we are told on various measures that - different space. we are told on various measures that taxation j various measures that taxation levels are decades high, the government will say it is putting more money into the nhs and yet we see these problems your report has highlighted. if it

i think actually mark drakeford often does try take responsibility for things and has often had a sortproach dunng of a more sensible approach during some of the challenges of the last two years. i think i think the welsh government has been quite able to sometimes respond better than probably westminster in the case of the northern mayors, we don't have anyone near the pounds the scottish government do, despite the fact that where i'm sitting here in yorkshire is the size of scotland and the north of england is 50 million people. so i don't think it's unreasonable that we be allowed to have a few more of the responsibilities when to drive our economy. when able to drive our economy. and i think as a station devoted to hear voices around the to hear the voices around the country, i'm sure you've heard loud actually loud and clear that actually many people do what westminster to take a little bit less a over interest in these type of things and actually allow places to do this for themselves. now look, i'm i'm from the north of england as well myself, i think especially when you look ar