Motion of no confidence in the health minister

Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has survived a motion of no confidence, following a row about a controversial report into reorganising hospital services.

Opposition parties tabled the motion against Lesley Griffiths after emails emerged between the report's academic author and civil servants

First Minister Carwyn Jones announced that the NHS was "safe at the hands of Lesley Griffiths", during the debate on 18 July 2012.

He said: "The NHS is our creation, it's safe with our government and is safe at the hands of Lesley Griffiths."

Opposition AMs expressed their deep concerns with the lack of trust and confidence they had in the Welsh government's health minister.

However the first minister defended her position and refused to accept allegations that her senior officials had "colluded" with the author of an independent report into the future of the NHS.

Plaid Cymru's health spokesperson Elin Jones led the debate and accused the minister of failing to be "upfront", "honest" and "accountable".

Cardiff West Labour AM Mark Drakeford defended the minister and stressed that these emails were a "misunderstanding" and a "misinterpretation".

Conservative Health Spokesperson Darren Millar said that she had "failed to provide any explanation" as to why the Welsh government was working with the author, Professor Longley, for the case for change.

Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black said that a "whole range of questions haven't been answered adequately by the minister or the author of this report".

The motion of no confidence in Lesley Griffiths was defeated by 29 votes to 28.

Any chance of it being passed disappeared after Plaid Cymru AM Dafydd Elis Thomas announced that he would be absent from the debate describing it as "one which put prejudice before evidence."

This is the first motion of no confidence to be tabled since the assembly election in May 2011.

The motion is supported by the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

Read this in Welsh.