How did the First Minister obtain the information provided by Hywel Dda Health Board used in his response to Adam Price AM during First Minister's Questions on 30 January 2018?
Welsh Government officials regularly make contact with health boards and NHS Trusts in order to be able to brief Ministers to carry out their roles. This information is essential to enable us, for example, to reply to correspondence from AMs and the public, be informed for events and visits and respond to Assembly scrutiny.
On 26 January 2018, Welsh Government officials contacted Hywel Dda University Health Board via email following sight of the oral question Adam Price AM had tabled for last Tuesday. The contact was made in this case because officials had noted the statement Mr Price issued jointly with Jonathan Edwards MP about the health board’s Transforming Clinical Services programme and therefore sought reassurance from the LHB about how they were engaging with local politicians on this matter. This request was instigated by officials as the usual and established practice.