It was a case that shattered confidence in the British legal system, sparked an Oscar-winning film and eventually an apology from a prime minister.

Some thought when Tony Blair apologised to Gerry Conlon, Paddy Armstrong, Paul Hill and Carole Richardson, it drew a line under one of the most scarring episodes of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
But supporters of the group, known as the Guildford Four, believe the fight for justice continues.
Campaigners have fought to see secret documents relating to the case and now a lawyer has claimed a 30-year embargo on their release has "magically" been changed to 75 years.
The BBC has submitted a request to see the papers and sought clarification on the embargo from the British government, but despite repeated requests has not received a response.
The Guildford Four were jailed for life after the IRA detonated bombs at two pubs in Guildford on 5 October 1974, killing five and injuring scores more.
But, the four always protested their innocence and in 1989 the Court of Appeal quashed their sentences, amid doubts raised about the police evidence against them.
The case became considered one of the worst miscarriages of justices in British legal history.
The Troubles: 1968-1998
The day the Troubles began
Paramilitaries in the Troubles
Forty years on from the bombings, and 25 years after the Guildford Four were freed, fresh calls for the results of a public inquiry into the scandal to be published in full have come from solicitor Alastair Logan, who represented the group.
He wants evidence received in private during Sir John May's inquiry - held from 1989 to 1994 - to be made public.
Mr Logan, who sits on The Law Society's Human Rights Committee, said part of the inquiry was held in secret because three Surrey Police officers - who were later cleared - were facing trial on charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
"The consequence of that was neither the defendants nor their legal representatives were entitled to be present or to know what evidence May had given to him," he said.
He asked to see the evidence at the time of the inquiry but was told it was embargoed for 30 years.
But this year, it emerged in news reports on Gerry Conlon's death the embargo had changed to 75 years, he said.
"We have no explanation, firstly as to why it [the embargo] was changed, or any explanation as to why they should have been embargoed anyway.  After all, it was a public inquiry," he said.
When asked what he believed was in the papers, Mr Logan said: "I suspect, lies."
He said he believed police officers and others involved in the case knew the report would be secret and they could not be challenged and "could have continued lying".
Mr Logan said: "I suspect that that's the probable reason why 75 years has been substituted for 30 - just to make sure that everybody in any connection with the case is long dead before the papers ever come out."
He said the damage done to the Guildford Four and their families had been enormous - with what he described as conspiracies to keep young, innocent people in jail for 15 years.
"I don't feel that justice is seen to be done if there are secret deals going on, secret parts of Sir John May's inquiry [and] secret documents held by the government," he said.
Mr Logan sought clarification from The National Archives, which holds the papers at Kew, but has not yet received an answer.
But a spokeswoman for The National Archives told the BBC the closed records for the inquiry had a "review date" of 2019, which had not changed.  But, she did not make clear whether that meant the papers could be made public at that point.
Mr Conlon demanded the release of the papers before he died, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) revealed this year.
The SDLP, which draws most of its support from the nationalist community, told David Cameron at prime minister's questions that Mr Conlon and accompanying people had been promised access to the archives and asked for the "dying wish of an innocent man" to be honoured.
The Northern Ireland Office, when asked whether any action would be taken, told the BBC it was seeking more information from the SDLP about what had been said to Mr Conlon - but the SDLP said it was waiting to hear from the government.
BBC iWonder: The IRA's journey to peace
When the BBC contacted the government to seek confirmation of the embargo and an explanation about why the papers were kept secret, it was passed from the Northern Ireland Office, to the Home Office, and then to the Cabinet Office, and then back to the Home Office.
Calls to place the papers in the public domain have also come from former police officer Robert Bartlett, who was on duty on the night of the bomb attacks.
Mr Bartlett remembers arriving at the scene to find a dead body in a gutter, injured people sitting lined up against a wall, and dozens of hysterical, angry, upset people.
As the first officer entered the Horse and Groom pub, the floor gave way and the injured, dying and dead fell into the pub cellar, he said.
A second bomb exploded half an hour later in the nearby Seven Stars pub.  But, as a result of evacuations following the first blast, there were few further casualties.
He said police dealt with the aftermath professionally, but as accusations against the force emerged over the years he was left with no idea what had happened.
Calling for the release of Sir John May's findings, Mr Bartlett said: "I would like to see all the background, because what I know at the moment is the police officers that were prosecuted were found not guilty and that the alleged offence they committed was marginal."
He also said he had never believed the Guildford Four were subjected to violence by officers.  Gerry Conlon had always claimed he was stripped, beaten and tortured.
Mr Bartlett said: "It was not the culture."
After the Guildford Four were released, an investigation into the case by Avon and Somerset Police found serious flaws in the way the Surrey force handled the case.
In a statement, Surrey Police said discrepancies in police records were discovered during the Avon and Somerset inquiry, and when the convictions were quashed the force accepted that decision.
It said the conduct of individuals in relation to their recording of interview notes and evidence given at trial became the subject of exhaustive enquiries, which led to three officers standing trial and being acquitted in 1993.
The statement said: "Surrey Police has never sought to underestimate the importance of this aspect of the case which was dealt with in detail by the May inquiry report."
"[But] policing has evolved significantly in the past 40 years and it is difficult to make comparisons to how the investigation was undertaken in 1974 when compared with today.
"Custody and prisoner processes have greatly improved and are closely regulated and there is a dedicated counter-terrorism policing structure in place nationally."
The perpetrators of the attacks were never prosecuted.
The "Balcombe Street Gang", a four-man IRA unit, later claimed responsibility but were not charged.
They had been given life sentences after a bombing campaign in the 1970s, but were released under the Good Friday Agreement.
Prof Marie Breen-Smyth, from the University of Surrey, has called for a full, open inquiry.
She said people needed "the clear light of day shone on all of the dark corners".
The Guildford attacks were among the IRA's first attacks on the mainland, and she said the organisation's political motives were to give people in the Home Counties a taste of what life was like in Northern Ireland, and to increase pressure on the British Government.
Guildford was known as a "garrison town", with several barracks nearby, at Stoughton and Pirbright and Aldershot in Hampshire, and a night-life that was popular with the 6,000 military personnel then in the area.
Prof Breen-Smyth, a politics expert from Belfast, said there had been two wrongs - the pub bombings themselves and the miscarriage of justice.
She said: "We know who did the bombings.
"We don't know who did the miscarriage of justice, because the miscarriage of justice was perpetrated by people within the justice system."
And she said: "I would welcome the opportunity for the files to be put into the public domain so we can actually see what went on. That's not happened.
"Apologies are fine and well and they're certainly help, but they do not reinstate justice.
"They do not give people back lost decades of their lives."
Prof Breen-Smyth said after the attacks and subsequent arrests, no Irish person visiting the mainland felt entirely safe, and another of the casualties of the bombings was justice.
"It really needs to be seen by those who are watching and regarding it as a shameful episode that people have left no stone unturned to reinstate the good name of the British justice system," she said.


Saidy Janko has left Celtic to sign a four-year contract with St Etienne in France.

The 21-year-old full-back joined the Scottish champions from Manchester United in the summer of 2015.
The Switzerland Under-21 international made seven appearances for Celtic last season before being loaned out to Barnsley.
"Joining a club of this magnitude is a great opportunity for me," Janko told the Ligue 1 club's website.
"This is one of the biggest French clubs with a wonderful history and fantastic supporters. Yesterday I visited the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium. It is a very impressive stadium that resembles Celtic Park.
"Physically, I feel very good. I resumed training with Celtic two weeks ago."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Newcastle's European Challenge Cup hopes hang by a thread after a last-gasp defeat in south-east France.

Chris Harris went over as the visitors led 10-7 at half-time, despite David Melee's try for Top 14 side Grenoble.
After being pegged back, Craig Willis converted after Calum Green's try and added a penalty for a 10-point lead.
But a Grenoble penalty try led to Green being sin-binned, with Etienne Fourcade and Fabrice Estebanez scoring either side of Scott Wilson's try for victory.
Newcastle are 10 points behind pool leaders Ospreys, who host Lyon on Sunday, with only the side finishing top guaranteed a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Harris' try came on his return from an ankle injury as Dean Richards named a completely changed starting XV, while the bonus-point win still leaves Grenoble adrift at the bottom.
Grenoble: Dardet; Heguy, Edwards, Capelli, Hand; Marie, Kornath; Hayes, Mele, Bosch, Dupont, Gelin, Estebanez, Batlle.
Replacements: Fourcade, Jacquot, Rossouw, Jolmes, Kimlin, Saseras, Guillemin, Waqa.
Newcastle: Connon; Marshall, C Harris, Burdon (capt), Kibirige; Willis, Egerton; B Harris, Sowrey, D Wilson, Witty, Botha, Robinson, Orr, Temm.
Replacements: Cooper, Brocklebank, S Wilson, Green, G Young, M Young, Waldouck, Catterick.
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More than 500 firefighters are set to battle a blaze in the Australian state of Victoria, one of the world's most fire-prone regions on New Year's Eve.

Evacuation advice has been issued to Kennett River, Grey River and Wongarra. Most residents have left their homes.
But a wind change on Thursday afternoon eased the threat to these communities, fire authorities said.
Firefighters and aircraft from NSW and New Zealand are on standby in case the fire breaks containment lines.
The fire is the same one that destroyed more than 100 homes at Wye River and Separation Creek over Christmas Day.
It now covers around 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres) and is likely to pose a threat to communities along the famous Great Ocean Road for months.
In South Australia a fire is threatening homes at Mosquito Hill south of Adelaide.
Aircraft have been sent to the area but the fire is burning very fiercely, South Australia Country Fire Service spokesman Brenton Eden told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Mr Eden said residents in the area should execute their emergency plans.


Cranes and lifting specialist EnerMech has won a contract extension worth up to £19m from BP for projects in the Caspian Sea.

The contract includes all seven BP-operated platforms in the area, as well as the Shah Deniz gas development project off the coast of Azerbaijan.
The agreement extends an existing £33m five-year deal by up to three years.
Under the contract, the Aberdeen-based firm will provide personnel, materials, equipment and engineering services.
It has trained more than 40 Azerbaijani nationals in crane operations and employs more than 60 Azerbaijani personnel on the BP contract.
EnerMech cranes and lifting director John Morrison said: "BP is a valued client and the award of this contract extension underlines our credentials in providing frontline cranes and lifting services on major international projects."


Scotland Yard is considering whether to launch a criminal investigation into claims the Independent Police Complaints Commission deliberately suppressed evidence during an inquiry into alleged police misconduct.

Three police officers were cleared at a misconduct hearing in July and have lodged a criminal complaint with the Met about the conduct of the IPCC.
Scotland Yard said it was "assessing" information relating to "two linked allegations of crime". The IPCC said it was "aware" of the allegations.
The IPCC has previously apologised for failings in the way it dealt with the case,
It concerned a black firefighter, Edric Kennedy-Macfoy, who was Tasered by police during a disturbance at Harrow, north-west London, in September 2011.
The fireman claimed he had been assaulted and racially discriminated against by police.
Last year, the Metropolitan Police apologised and paid him compensation to settle a civil claim he had brought against the force.
Three months ago, as a hearing was due to start against three policemen accused of gross misconduct, their legal teams say they received material that had not previously been disclosed.
It allegedly contained accounts from eyewitnesses, including other police officers and bystanders.
The IPCC withdrew from the case and the officers were formally cleared.
At the time, the watchdog issued an apology to Mr Kennedy-Macfoy and the officers saying that it had identified "procedural shortfalls".
It said they "related to disclosure of relevant material and the need for further investigative work, including witness interviews, which it became clear were not conducted during the investigation".
The organisation set up an "in-depth review" headed by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.
However, the police officers have made a formal complaint alleging the IPCC deliberately withheld evidence and that criminal offences may have been committed.
The IPCC commissioner in charge of the misconduct investigation into the police officers was Jennifer Izekor.
In a statement commenting on the allegations made by the officers about the IPCC, Ms Izekor said: "I am confident that these allegations are without foundation.
"It would be inappropriate to say more at this stage."
Scotland Yard said: "We can confirm that in September the MPS [Metropolitan Police] received two linked allegations of crime, relating to issues arising from a misconduct hearing in July 2016 which was halted because of issues with disclosure.
"The allegation [sic] has been recorded and is being assessed," the force said, although it did not specify against whom the complaints had been made.
An IPCC spokesman said: "The MPS has made us aware that two linked allegations are being assessed and as such it would be inappropriate to say more at this stage."
If an investigation were to be launched, it is thought it would be the first time that a police force had examined criminal allegations made against the police watchdog.
John Downes, the lawyer representing the officers, said their lives had been "tarnished" by the misconduct allegations.
"We welcome the news that officers from Scotland Yard are assessing the criminal claims against the IPCC. My clients have suffered for the past five years since the original incident.
"They now hope the allegations they have made against the IPCC are taken seriously by the Metropolitan Police and look forward to being updated soon."


People who have surgery towards the end of the week are more likely to die than those who have procedures earlier on, researchers say.

A British Medical Journal report into non-emergency operations in England, suggests the overall risk of death from such planned procedures remains low.
But it shows "unacceptable" variation in survival rates through the week, a leading body of UK surgeons says.
The government says it is committed to safe care for patients at all times.
Researchers from Imperial College London gathered data from all non-emergency surgery undertaken by the NHS in England in 2008-11.
Looking at some 4 million operations they found more than 27,000 deaths within a month of surgery, putting the average risk of death at 0.67%.
The researchers say they are concerned about the significant variation over the week, with the risk lowest for surgery carried out on Monday and then increasing with each subsequent day to peak at the weekend.
The paper shows people who have their operations on Friday are 44% more likely to die than those who have a procedure on Monday.
Professor Antony Narula, of the Royal College of Surgeons, who was not involved in the research, said: "It is not acceptable that there should be such a wide variation in the mortality rates following elective surgery, according to the day of the week the operation takes place."
The researchers say the findings may be due to a poorer quality of aftercare at the weekend, when people who have their surgery later in the week need it most.
Dr Paul Aylin, lead author of the study said: "The first 48 hours following a procedure is most critical and when things can go wrong, such as bleeding and infections. If you don't have the right staff, this is likely to contribute to things being missed.
"If I were a patient I would take comfort from the fact the overall death rate is low, but if I were to have an operation towards the end of the week I would be interested in whether the hospital had the appropriate services to look after me throughout my recovery, including at the weekend."
He says the higher risk of death could be due to fewer doctors, nurses and many non-clinical staff being available on Saturdays and Sundays.
And the study suggests the risk of dying was higher still for surgery conducted over the weekend - 82% greater than on Monday - though the researchers caution only a minority of planned operations currently take place on Saturdays and Sundays.
Previous research looking at emergency procedures shows people are at greater risk of death if admitted during the weekend.
But this is the first large study to look at planned operations, ranging from high-risk procedures such as heart bypass grafts to routine hernia repairs.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "Whilst this research once again highlights the NHS's weekend malaise and makes for concerning reading, it unfortunately doesn't identify a new problem, but rather a failure to address an issue that has repeatedly been highlighted in the past...
"It is a shame that, despite the publication of hundreds of pages worth of reports and recommendations, so little action has been taken to actually address the problems identified."
Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of NHS England, said: "We have established a forum to develop viable financial and clinical options to help our NHS provide more comprehensive services seven days a week."


The Hindhead Tunnel has been closed in both directions owing to what police believe is a "technical fault".

Surrey Police, who were alerted to the closure at about 17:30 GMT, said the tunnel was expected to be closed for "at least another five hours".
Officers have been deployed to help with traffic control and co-ordinate road closures and diversions.
The tunnel diverts traffic on the A3 London to Portsmouth road at the Devil's Punch Bowl.
A Surrey Police spokeswoman urged motorists to avoid the area if possible. A diversion is in place.
The engineers behind the Â£371m tunnel, which opened in 2011, said at 1.25 miles (1.8km), it was the "longest under land" road tunnel in the UK.
Its construction followed decades of severe congestion on the A3.


Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth says he "lives in fear" that he might lose out-of-contract defender Aaron Pierre.

Wycombe offered the 23-year-old a new deal in the summer and turned down a bid for him on deadline day in August.
"I've been in exactly the same place (as Aaron)," said Ainsworth.
"You feel loyal because this is the club that gave you the chance but you're also ambitious and have agents in your ears saying 'you can't sign a new contract as it's career suicide'."
He continued: "All I know is that when Aaron puts a shirt on he gives his absolute best for Wycombe. If he goes on to have a fantastic career in League One, the Championship or the Premier League, we have to be proud of him."
Since moving to Adams Park from Brentford in 2014, Pierre has made 127 appearances and Ainsworth has said he is "probably the best centre-half in League Two".
He told BBC Three Counties Radio: "I'm hoping he's here in May and June and still playing because that means nobody came in.
"But I always live in fear because he's a fantastic player and I think he can play higher. I dread saying that because I know he might go one day."


This year's Super Bowl half-time show was a muted affair... solemn, understated and restrained.

We lie. It was pop at its most over-the-top and whether you love her or loathe her, Katy Perry brought her A-game.
The 15-minute slot is one of the biggest TV events of the year.
She's had pretty good reviews so far after powering through some of her biggest songs.
Never one to make a low-key entrance, Katy Perry opened the show riding a giant gold lion. Or a tiger. Some kind of big cat anyway.
She began the huge pop juggernaut of Roar.
Wearing a flame dress, she performed on the back of the cat, at one point leaning so far back we worried, a little.
The stage became a giant chessboard for song number two, Dark Horse.
Chess moves have never been so glam, with break dancing, somersaulting rooks, knights and bishops.
We presume Katy was the Queen.
Song three. Time to bring on guest number one - Lenny Kravitz.
For those who don't know much about him, he played Cinna, Katniss Everdeen's costume designer in the Hunger Games.
He's also an awesome guitarist and joined Katy for a rock version of her debut single I Kissed A Girl, complete with onstage pyrotechnics.
Anyone with an allergy to bright colours and giant mascots was in trouble at this point.
The colour was cranked up to blinding levels for Teenage Dream as Katy was joined by giant dancing palm trees, beach balls and surfboards.
The highlight? Two dancing sharks who were having ALL THE FUN.
She then brought some polka-dotted dancers on for California Gurls.
Guest number two was legendary rapper Missy Elliott.
The pair dueted on Get Ur Freak On and Work It before Katy dashed off to let Missy do Lose Control solo.
There was one final costume change for the half-time climax.
Enter Katy strapped to a giant star, sailing above the crowd for Firework.
Unsurprisingly, the song was accompanied by a giant firework display.
Katy Perry's Super Bowl halftime show: DONE.
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Thistlecrack took a successful first step towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning a novices' chase.

Despite never jumping a steeplechase fence in public, the champion long distance hurdler is already favourite for the sport's top prize.
Trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by jockey Tom Scudamore, the eight-year-old put in a near-foot perfect round of jumping at Chepstow.
He beat Aqalim by four lengths over the 18 obstacles.
BBC Sport's horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght:
"It was more nervous anticipation than excitement as Thistlecrack arrived to jump his first steeplechase fence in public.
"But, taking advantage of the experience gained while jumping 150 times over obstacles placed in the indoor arena at Tizzard HQ in Dorset, he looked like an old pro and was pretty much foot perfect, though at the fourth last he had to show cleverness to, as they say, 'put himself right'.
"It was a brilliant, thrilling front-running display that keeps hopes about this horse in the future soaring."


The number of Afghans displaced within their country has more than doubled to 1.2m over the past three years, rights group Amnesty says.

Conditions for internally displaced people have "dramatically worsened" and many lack adequate shelter, food, water and healthcare, the organisation says.
It called on the Afghan authorities and the international community to ensure their most urgent needs were met.
Last year 11,000 people were killed or wounded in conflict in the country.
"Even after fleeing their homes to seek safety, increasing numbers of Afghans are languishing in appalling conditions in their own country, and fighting for their survival with no end in sight," said Amnesty's South Asia Director Champa Patel.
President Ghani calls for Afghans to remain in country
Why are the Taliban resurgent?
In 2013, there were 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Afghanistan, the organisation said. However those numbers have risen sharply since the withdrawal of most Western forces in 2014.
Correspondents say the Taliban has gained in strength and now controls sizeable parts of the country. At the same time, international aid to Afghanistan has dwindled as other crises elsewhere attract greater attention.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled abroad in search of a better life.
Meanwhile government corruption, lack of skills and a lack of international interest mean an IDP policy launched in 2014 that guaranteed access to food, water and education has seen almost no implementation, Amnesty says.
Instead, many IDPs live under the threat of being forcibly evicted from both private and government accommodation, it says.
Last June, armed men and police officers opened fire on IDPs demonstrating against an attempted forced eviction at the Chaman-e-Babrak camp in Kabul, killing two people and wounding 10, the new report says.
IDPs also face myriad other challenges, Amnesty says, including:
Amnesty has urged the Afghan government to make implementing its IDP policy a priority.
It also wants international donors to provide more funding and expertise.
Earlier this year the UN asked for $393m (Â£269m) in humanitarian funding for Afghanistan, but by May less than a quarter of this amount was forthcoming, Amnesty said.
Some 2.6m Afghan citizens now live as refugees outside the country's borders following decades of war.
However President Ashraf Ghani has called on Afghans to stop fleeing and instead stay and rebuild their shattered nation.


A touring car driver who was seriously injured in an 11-car pile-up is prepared for an "emotional" return to the racing scene.

Luke Davenport, 24, from Cambridge, was left in an induced coma after the collision in June.
He is now home and undergoing rehabilitation to recover from multiple broken bones.
Mr Davenport will be on the sidelines at the British Touring Car Championships in Norfolk on Sunday.
He said the crash had not thwarted his dream of participating in the Le Mans 24-hour race one day.
The incident on 10 June, at the Croft Circuit, in North Yorkshire, happened when Mr Davenport aquaplaned off the track.
He was unable to restart the car and other drivers ended up colliding with Mr Davenport's driver's side door.
Mr Davenport, who lives in Madingley, broke his left tibia, fibula and ankle, damaged ligaments in his right leg and broke his pelvis.
He also broke four ribs, punctured both lungs and broke his collarbone.
Mr Davenport, who dreamt of becoming a racing car driver from the age of seven, started physiotherapy this week.
He said: "We are so fortunate that I'm going to make a full recovery.
"There are a lot of stories of some big names in the sport who have come back from serious crashes to fuel the fire."
Mr Davenport, who started karting before stepping up to touring cars in 2012, said being at Snetterton on Sunday will be "emotional".
"It's Snetterton where I got my first drive, it's my local track and my friends and family were going to be there to watch.
"Just when the car's got race-winning potential, I'm not going to be racing," said the Shredded Wheat Racing driver.


Tens of millions of pounds could have been saved if Northern Ireland GPs had prescribed lower cost drugs, according to a new report.

Stormont's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says NI doctors tend to prescribe more expensive branded medicines.
It says costs for prescription drugs in the rest of the UK have fallen, but those in NI have increased.
An estimated £73m could have been saved if NI GPs prescribed medicines in line with colleagues in Wales, it said.
The report also said around £54m could be generated if average prescribing costs were reduced by 10%.
The PAC says GPs have gone some way to achieve savings in the past four years, but they had little incentive to consider costs as they fell to the Health and Social Care Board.
The committee has criticised the Department of Health for "refusing to accept" that it was possible to do cost comparisons with England, Scotland and Wales for drug costs, describing this as "disheartening".
It also says it is unacceptable that the department has failed to reach agreement with pharmacists on a revised contract for payments.
If this had been done, more than £45m would have been released for patient services, says the PAC.
It believes the system for reimbursing pharmacists is vulnerable to fraud, with the risk of cheaper generic drugs being dispensed when a doctor has actually prescribed a more expensive medicine.
The PAC says the department's decision not to use devolved powers to get information from medicines contractors is "flawed" and a solution should be reached urgently.
Primary care prescribing costs in Northern Ireland are £460m a year - around 10% of all health and social care expenditure.
Health Minister Jim Wells said his department would consider the PAC's findings in the context of "ongoing efforts to ensure that proper procedures continue to be applied to the management of public funds and in delivering improved health and social care".
"Making comparisons with different jurisdictions is not always straightforward and whilst I acknowledge that the report has identified that further efficiencies may be possible, I welcome the Audit Office's acknowledgement that through the efforts of departmental and HSC staff the real terms cost of prescribing has reduced by 18% in the period from 2006 to 2013," he said.
"In the four-year period to 2013/14 the department, through the HSC, has delivered £132m in prescribing efficiencies.
"My department will continue to seek out further deliverable efficiencies through its ongoing engagement with the HSC Board, GPs, pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry."
Mr Wells said a detailed memorandum of reply would be made by the Department of Finance and Personnel to the issues raised by the PAC and it would be inappropriate for him to comment further in advance.


German prosecutors have begun an investigation against former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn.

The probe will look at "allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data", the prosecutor's office said.
Mr Winterkorn quit last week after almost nine years at the helm of VW, saying he had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions results.
Regulators in the US had found "cheat" software in some diesel engines.
In the German legal system, anyone can file a criminal complaint with prosecutors, who are then obliged to examine them and decide whether there is enough evidence to open a formal investigation.
In this case, following the US revelations about the rigged tests, prosecutors in Braunschweig, near VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, received about a dozen complaints, including one from Volkswagen itself, said spokeswoman Julia Meyer.
Over the weekend, German media reported that some of Volkswagen's own staff and one of its suppliers had warned years ago about the illegal use of so-called "defeat devices" to detect when a car was being tested and alter the running of its engines.
11 million
Vehicles affected worldwide
â‚¬6.5bn Set aside by VW
$18bn Potential fines
No. 1 Global carmaker in sales
I'm a VW owner - what should I do?
What next for VW?
Car emissions tests: Not fit for purpose?
VW boss Winterkorn's highs and lows
VW scandal explained
The head of VW's Porsche division, Matthias Mueller, was appointed on Friday as Mr Winterkorn's successor.
VW has apologised for cheating emissions tests, but says that some 11 million cars across the group may can contain the computer code.
A top executive at Europe's biggest carmaker will hold talks in Brussels with a senior EU official. The scandal has cast a cloud over the whole European car industry, with other manufacturers facing demands to disclose if they ever attempted to manipulate emissions tests.
The EU's Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska will meet Herbert Diess, the head of the Volkswagen brand and one of the executives tipped to replace Mr Winterkorn.
"Commissioner Bienkowska will meet the (chairman of VW brand) tomorrow," European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso told a news briefing on Monday.
The EC is the top regulator for pollution emissions in the EU and is under fire for dragging its feet against carmakers despite evidence of suspicious pollution testing.
However, the commission says national authorities have may not have enforced policies sufficiently.
On Monday, VW-owned Audi said 2.1 million of its cars worldwide were fitted with the software.
Some 1.42 million Audi vehicles with so-called EU5 engines are affected in western Europe, with 577,000 in Germany, and almost 13,000 in the US.
Affected models include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5, a spokesman told the Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, Reuters was among several media organisations reporting that VW had suspended senior R&D heads across the group, including from Audi and Porsche.
VW shares have plunged about 35% since it admitted cheating the US emissions tests. The company faces investigations and potential fines from regulators and prosecutors, as well as potential lawsuits from customers and shareholders.
Several countries, including Italy, France and South Korea have launched investigations, and Switzerland has temporarily banned the sale of VW diesel-engine models.


Christmas has come early for one man from south London.

Engineering student Robert Quinn received 46 items worth £3,600 because of a mistake by Amazon and was allowed to keep them.
He was sent a selection of gadgets, including a 3D TV worth £889, tablets, a games console and even a heater.
The goods were 'returns' meant for an Amazon depot, but were instead wrongly dispatched to his home address in Bromley.
"I told them I have a moral issue if people sending this stuff back end up losing out. But Amazon assured me that would not happen," the Liverpool University student told The Sun.
The 22-year-old said he would give some of the items to charity and sell off others to raise money to invest in a small business he's setting up.
He also received a baby buggy, a leaf blower, a single bed, a chest of drawers, a Sony PSP console, a Waterman pen, computer gear, a £170 electric wine cooler, CDs, DVDs and books.
The answer is yes and no, according to Citizens Advice.
Items that firms send to you, but you didn't actually order are called "unsolicited goods". You're well within your rights to keep them.
You have no obligation to send them back to the company or to pay for them. If a company demands payment, that's a criminal offence.
But this doesn't apply to items sent to you by mistake (as happened to Robert); if the order was sent to you twice; or if there's extra stuff on top of what you ordered.
If a firm has left goods with you that weren't unsolicited goods, they still belong to the trader and you should try to give them back.
Firms can take you to court to recover their goods.
That happened last Christmas when online retailer Zavvi sent customers games consoles worth £170, instead of games that cost £20.
If items are sent to you by mistake, you will need to contact whoever sent them and ask them to collect the goods.
That shouldn't cost you anything or inconvenience you in any way. You should also give the company a reasonable deadline to collect the items.
Yes, but it's quite a process.
You must try to contact the company twice in writing, following a set procedure.
Even after you've sold the items, it'll be at least six years before you can spend the dosh. During that time the original owner can still claim the money back from you.
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Former world number one Maria Sharapova may never play again following her failed drugs test, the president of the Russian Tennis Federation says.

The Russian, 29, tested positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open.
When asked if Sharapova would play any more tournaments, Shamil Tarpishchev told R-Sport news agency it was "very doubtful" and added the five-time Grand Slam winner was in a "bad situation".
In March, Sharapova said she was "determined to play tennis again".
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) provisionally suspended Sharapova on 12 March.
She is waiting to hear the full extent of her punishment, which could be as much as a four-year ban, although experts say a six-month or 12-month suspension is more likely.
That is because the World Anti-Doping Association (Wada) admitted in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system.
It even suggested athletes who tested positive for the substance before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January.
However, Sharapova has already admitted she continued taking meldonium past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate.
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One of Ireland's best known actors, Mick Lally, has died at the age of 64.

He passed away peacefully in hospital on Tuesday after a short illness.
Born in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, he worked as a teacher before securing a part in the premiere of the Brian Friel play Translations in 1980.
Lally became a household name in Ireland for his role as Miley Byrne in the RTE soap opera Glenroe and later starred in the BBC series Ballykissangel.
He also appeared in the Hollywood movie Alexander and provided the voice for the Oscar-nominated, animated Irish film, The Secret of Kells.
As a fluent Irish speaker and advocate of the language, Lally had roles in several Irish language films.
He is survived by his wife Peggy and their children Saileog, Darach and Maghnus.


Oxford continued their pursuit of a League One play-off place with a victory at Charlton that left their hosts even further behind the top six.

A hopeful first-half strike from on-loan Everton man Conor McAleny, once of Charlton, took Oxford to within six points of sixth place with two games in hand.
The Addicks, whose disappointment was increased by Chris Solly's red card, remain 13th, three places behind their visitors and 10 points behind the top six.
The hosts almost took the lead with their first attack. Gifted space in the third minute on the edge of the area, Nathan Byrne sent a right-footed shot against the crossbar, but the ball bounced back and away from danger.
Stephy Mavididi also threatened with a run down the left wing and shot that Simon Eastwood saved, but it was as Charlton were appearing to settle that their visitors took the lead.
McAleny found himself with space and few options in midfield and his ambitious, low shot went beyond Declan Rudd's reach and in off the left post.
The Addicks began to respond during the second half with the introduction of substitutes Tony Watt and Joe Aribo, and appealed for a penalty when Ricky Holmes was brought down in the area after the former's cut-back.
In the 59th minute, Mavididi cut in from the left wing and struck against the post, but after the equalising goal they needed continued to elude them, Solly was given a straight red card in the 70th minute for a late challenge on John Lundstram.
Match report supplied by the Press Association
Match ends, Charlton Athletic 0, Oxford United 1.
Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 0, Oxford United 1.
Attempt blocked. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Curtis Nelson.
Ricky Holmes (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Chris Maguire (Oxford United).
Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stephy Mavididi (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Robert Hall (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Philip Edwards (Oxford United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Substitution, Oxford United. Chris Maguire replaces Conor McAleny.
Corner,  Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Conor McAleny.
Ricky Holmes (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Lewis Page (Charlton Athletic).
Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Oxford United. Conceded by Jorge Teixeira.
Foul by Stephy Mavididi (Charlton Athletic).
Philip Edwards (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Jordan Botaka replaces Andrew Crofts.
Tony Watt (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Tony Watt (Charlton Athletic).
Conor McAleny (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Conor McAleny (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Substitution, Oxford United. Robert Hall replaces Liam Sercombe.
Hand ball by Kane Hemmings (Oxford United).
Attempt saved. Kane Hemmings (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) is shown the red card.
Foul by Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic).
John Lundstram (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic).
Conor McAleny (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ricky Holmes (Charlton Athletic).
Joe Skarz (Oxford United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Tony Watt (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Ledson (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Philip Edwards (Oxford United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
Corner,  Oxford United. Conceded by Andrew Crofts.


Hong Kong's government is moving to disqualify four pro-democracy lawmakers from parliament.

The government is launching legal challenges against Nathan Law, Edward Yiu, Lau Siu-lai and Leung Kwok-hung, arguing that the oaths they took when being sworn in were invalid.
It comes after two pro-independence politicians were disqualified after they insulted China during their oaths.
Critics describe the latest move as politically motivated.
However, the government said in a statement the action was "purely based on legal and enforcement concerns" with "no political consideration involved".
Mr Law, Mr Yiu and Ms Lau were part of a new wave of democracy activists elected in September, following Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy "umbrella protests".
Mr Law described the move as an "orchestrated attack... against all democrats and all voters supporting democracy".
This move from the government will be seen as highly controversial to many.
The government took Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung, two young pro-independence legislators, to court in October - in an unprecedented bid to disqualify democratically elected officials.
The government argued that because Ms Yau and Mr Leung used swear words, displayed banners saying "Hong Kong is not China" and used a term considered derogatory towards China as they were sworn in to parliament, their oaths were invalid and they should be disqualified.
Public opinion in Hong Kong was divided over that case - many were critical of the government's involvement, but others were angered by the duo's actions.
However, many more people are critical about the move against the four lawmakers now being targeted.  Their oaths weren't considered as controversial and the president of Hong Kong's parliament had allowed them to take their seats.
These four are also considered more moderate pro-democracy activists. They have not campaigned for Hong Kong's independence from China.
In previous parliamentary sessions, lawmakers have also shouted pro-democracy slogans or protested while oath-taking, without being disqualified.
Leung Kwok-hung, known by the nickname "Long Hair", is a veteran pro-democracy politician. During his oath, he held a yellow umbrella - a symbol of the 2014 protests - varied his pace and shouted pro-democracy slogans after the reading.
Ms Lau is a university lecturer who took part in the 2014 umbrella protests.
She gave her oath in slow motion, pausing six seconds between each word, and later wrote on Facebook that she had done so because she felt the oath was meaningless.
Her oath was invalidated - but she was allowed to retake it later.
Mr Law was one of the students taking part in the 2014 protests - and became Hong Kong's youngest ever lawmaker when he won September's parliamentary elections.
He quoted Mahatma Gandhi before taking his oath, saying: "You can never imprison my mind."
He also altered his tone when pledging allegiance to the People's Republic of China, making it sound like a question.
Mr Yiu, a university professor, advised the students organising the 2014 protests. He added lines to his oath, saying he would "fight for genuine universal suffrage".
His oath was rejected the first time - but he was allowed to retake it later.
Last month, the Chinese government issued a rare interpretation of Hong Kong's law, saying that all oaths taken by office-holders must be "solemn, accurate, complete and sincere", with no deviation from the official wording.
The move was widely seen as an attempt to disqualify the two pro-independence legislators, who had angered Beijing, and critics argued that it undermined Hong Kong's judicial independence.
The government now argues that it has a duty to enforce the law, but Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen has not explained why some pro-Beijing legislators, who had also faced allegations that they varied their oaths, were not facing legal action.


A serving North Wales Police officer has been remanded in custody on charges of possessing indecent images of children, and attempting to groom a girl aged 12 for sexual purposes.

James Calveley Evans, 33, of Maes Pennant, in Mostyn, has been suspended from his job a police constable.
An application for bail was refused at Flintshire Magistrates' Court.
The case was sent to Mold Crown Court where he will appear for a preliminary hearing on 10 April.
Mr Evans is charged with possessing 11 indecent images of children on 31 March.
He is further charged that between 6 and 7 February he sought to arrange or facilitate a sexual offence on a girl of 12 by email.


The biggest stories in the East Midlands in 2014 ranged from an historic reunion in the skies between wartime aircraft to the anniversary of a plane crash disaster.

There was the death of Chatsworth's Dowager Duchess and a poignant royal visit to a Derbyshire artist's hugely popular World War One memorial.
Survivors of an air crash in Leicestershire told their stories, 25 years on.
Of the 117 people on board the London to Belfast flight, 47 lost their lives when it crashed into an embankment of the M1 motorway, having lost both its engines.
The Boeing 737 came down yards from the village of Kegworth in January 1989.
One of Derby's main entertainment venues remains closed after a large fire on the top floor of its multi-storey car park in March.
The blaze in the plant room next door to the Assembly Rooms caused several streets in the city centre to be closed.
The city council has not yet decided whether to repair the venue, upgrade it or build a new one in another location.
They shot dead her parents and buried them in their Mansfield back garden in 1998.
A series of faked letters to relatives ensured the bodies of Pat and William Wycherley lay undiscovered for 15 years, while Susan and Christopher Edwards siphoned off their pensions and their house.
The couple spent the Â£245,000 they stole on old film memorabilia and autographs from stars such as Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper.
They were both jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years, at Nottingham Crown Court in June.
The spotlight was shone on a little-known form of boxing when a man died in Nottingham in June.
Lance Ferguson-Prayogg died after collapsing and falling unconscious during a "white-collar" boxing match at a city nightclub.
The sport, which is not governed by the same rules as amateur boxing, involves boxers - often with a limited amount of training - entering the ring.
In June, eight men were sentenced over the deaths of a mother and her three children after an arson attack on the wrong house in Leicester.
Shehnila Taufiq, daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and Jamal, 15 died in the blaze on 13 September 2013.
Tristan Richards, 23 and Kemo Porter, 19, were sentenced to 35 years and 25 years respectively for their murders.
Six other men were jailed for manslaughter.
A Derbyshire artist's installation, featuring 888,246 ceramic poppies - one for every British and Commonwealth soldier who died during World War One - was visited by royalty on the centenary.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry "planted" a poppy at the Tower of London to mark the date in August.
The installation by Paul Cummins, from Chesterfield, remained in place until Armistice Day.
The skies above Lincolnshire were host to an historic reunion in August.
The world's only two flying Lancasters were united with a Vulcan bomber in a formation flight, described as a "never to be repeated" event.
One of the Lancasters involved in the flypast, which launched from RAF Waddington, was a Battle of Britain memorial Flight aircraft. The other was flown over from Canada.
The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire died at her home at Chatsworth House in September.
Deborah was the last surviving Mitford sister - three women who fascinated and sometimes scandalised British society in the 1940s.
The 94-year-old's funeral was attended by 600 staff from the Derbyshire stately home and hundreds of members of the public.
Prince Charles said he was "saddened" by the news, saying he "adored and admired" Deborah and would "miss her so very much".
Angelina Jolie's attempt at an East Midlands phrase gave BBC News Online one of its most shared stories in the region this year.
The actress put on a Derby accent as she introduced actor Jack O'Connell, who comes from the city, with "Ay up mi duck", at the Hollywood Film Awards in November.
O'Connell plays the lead in Unbroken, a movie, which Jolie has produced and directed.


A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with an "unprovoked" acid attack which left five teenage boys injured.

The alleged attack happened on a platform at South Ockendon station in Essex on Sunday.
Police said a man got off a train and squirted acid at the five boys aged 16 to 18 who were waiting for a train.
Following a police appeal, a 17-year-old from Dagenham was arrested, British Transport Police said.
Live: For more on this and other Essex news stories
Two of the boys were left with "potentially life-changing" injuries to their eyes, faces and mouths.
Wendy Tether, mother of Tyrone Terry, and Denni Walker, sister of Billy Milne, released images of their injured loved ones after the incident on Facebook in an appeal for information.
Ms Walker's post has been shared more than 5,300 times.


Small firms are being "crippled" by the continuing impact of last month's NotPetya cyber attack on Dutch delivery firm TNT,  a business group has warned.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says it has "serious concerns" over the effects of the 28 June attack.
"[It] has been debilitating for some small firms who remain in the dark over when, and if, they can expect their goods to be delivered," the FSB said.
A TNT website message reads: "We regret any inconvenience to our customers."
It adds: "We are implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible to support customers who experience limited interruption in pick-up and delivery operations and tracking systems access."
However, the FedEx-owned firm did not wish to comment directly on the FSB's comments.
Mike Cherry, the FSB's national chairman, said continuing disruption could threaten the survival of its members.
"Small business customers need accurate, clear and frequent updates from TNT to help them with their own contingency planning and a commitment to provide redress to those small businesses who have lost out," he said.
"This is a stark reminder of the danger posed by cyber-crime and how it can strike down smaller businesses indirectly, having a much wider impact on the economy.
"It serves as a major wake-up call on the need to tackle and prevent the growing threat of cyber-crime right across the business community."
FedEx has already warned the US stock exchange that the cyber attack will have a "material" financial effect on the company, given that it did "not have cyber or other insurance in place that covers this attack".
A message posted on FedEx's US website adds: "TNT operates in Ukraine and uses the software that was compromised, which allowed the virus to infiltrate TNT systems and encrypt its data.
"While TNT operations and communications were significantly affected, no data breach or data loss to third parties is known to have occurred."


Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini and Leicester defender Robert Huth have been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association after an off-the-ball clash.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Fellaini swung an elbow at Huth after the German pulled his hair during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The incident was not seen by match officials but caught on video.
Both players, who could be banned for three matches, have until 18:00 BST on Wednesday, 4 May to respond.
The charges were brought after a panel of three former elite referees watched the video evidence and decided the players' actions warranted punishment.
Should Fellaini be found guilty and suspended, he would still be available for the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace because United have three league games left.
Defending the Belgium international, United manager Louis van Gaal said: "It's not in the books that someone has to grab by the hair and then pull it behind - only in sex masochism."
The Dutchman felt his side should have been given a penalty for the incident.
He added: "When I grab you by the hair, what are you doing? Shall I do it? It's also a penalty. When I grab your hair, you react also. I know for sure."
United are fifth in the Premier League but still have trips to Norwich and West Ham before hosting Bournemouth on the last day of the season.
Newly crowned Premier League champions Leicester have two games remaining.
In August 2015, Morecambe duo Kevin Ellison and Ryan Edwards were given three-match bans for violent conduct after they were found guilty of pulling the hair of Wycombe's Marcus Bean.
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Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa continued their impressive run in the African Champions League with a 1-0 win over Zamalek on Wednesday which put them into the semi-finals.

In the other group, qualification will go down to the final day of matches, after bottom side Al Ahly finally recorded a win - beating leaders Wydad Casablanca 1-0.
Zambia's Zesco are tied with Wydad after being held 1-1 by Asec Mimosas of Ivory Coast, who have the same number of points as Ahly.
The loss led to the resignation of Zamalek coach Mohamed Helmi, while captain Hazem Emam has been suspended over an altercation with a team member.
Zamalek chairman accepted Helmi's resignation and has appointed Mohamed Salah  as interim coach.
An own-goal from Zamalek's Ali Gabr in the 79th minute secured Sundowns' qualification to complete a remarkable turnaround for the South Africans in the Champions League.
Sundowns had been eliminated in the final qualifying round for the Champions League last April by AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Demoted to the second-tier Confederation Cup, Sundowns were beaten by Medeama of Ghana in a play-off to suffer further African disappointment.
But on the eve of the June draw for the Champions League groups, the organisers kicked out Vita Club for using a banned player and Sundowns were reinstated.
The victory over Zamalek puts Sundowns top of Group B on nine points - six ahead of Zamalek in second.
We still have to do the business
"The gap is getting closer and closer between us and the north Africans," Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said after the win.
But he cautioned that Sundowns' hard work could come to nothing if they fail to win the title.
"There's a little bit of bragging rights in beating Zamalek, but we still have to do the business," he said.
Bottom side Enyimba of Nigeria are yet to register a point after two matches in this group which is reduced to three teams following Entente Setif's disqualification.
Enyimba and Zamalek play in the final round of group matches to decide which of them will join Sundowns in the last four.
In Group A, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Zesco United of Zambia also had the chance to secure semi-finals places if they both won their matches on Wednesday.
However, Zesco United were held to a draw away to Asec Mimosas in Abidjan to open up the group and keep ASEC's faint hopes of progressing alive.
Asec piled on the pressure on Zesco with a 75th minute strike from Nabi Kone, but the visitors responded five minutes later with an equaliser from Jackson Mwanza.
The result left Zesco level on seven points with leaders  Wydad Casablanca who were beaten at home by bottom-of-the-table Al Ahly of Egypt in the late match.
Asec are a further three points behind.
Ahly had managed just one point from their first three games but Rami Rabia's goal early in the second half in Morocco gave them a fine away win.
Ahly play Zesco and Asec take on Wydad in the final round of matches, so all four teams from Group A still have hopes of going through to the last four.


Lionel Richie was among music stars, including Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Nile Rodgers and Marvin Gaye, honoured by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Richie won the most prestigious prize, given to a songwriter who has already been inducted.
The inductees also included Rodgers' writing partner Bernard Edwards and Wild Thing songwriter Chip Taylor.
Richie, 66, who sang Hello at the piano, said: "This is the best night of my entire life as a songwriter."
The celebration in New York also featured live performances by Jennifer Hudson, the B-52s, Marcus Mumford, Sister Sledge, Jussie Smollett and Rachel Platten.
Petty, whose hits include I Won't Back Down and Free Fallin', called on the audience to encourage young rockers "to live out their dreams like I have mine".
Rodgers was joined by Sister Sledge for We Are Family, the 1978 hit which he and Edwards wrote for them.
Costello performed his 1977 song Alison, and said how grateful he was to Linda Ronstandt for her cover version, which he said helped keep him afloat.
"This honour means all the more to me because I am probably the least commercially successful songwriter to have ever been inducted," he joked.
Seymour Stein, who co-founded Sire Records and signed acts from punk pioneers The Ramones to pop star Madonna, was also honoured, along with Nick Jonas, the singer, songwriter and actor, who is best known as one of the Jonas Brothers.


The UK's immigration chief has questioned whether a measure revoking driving licences of illegal migrants is working, because so few are handed in.

In 2014, the then Home Secretary Theresa May introduced measures to create a "hostile environment" for people in the country illegally.
The Home Office requested 9,732 driving licences be revoked in 2015, but only 337 were surrendered in 2015-16.
David Bolt said this low number "undermines" the impact of revocation.
Mr Bolt, who is chief inspector of borders and immigration, examined two measures that were introduced in the Immigration Act 2014 to be used specifically against people suspected of working illegally in the UK.
They were the power to refuse or revoke a UK driving licence, and the power to prevent the opening of a bank account.
His report found that records in the Home Office's main case working database were incomplete, had been finished incorrectly, or there were delays in updating them.
It said the failings meant some people without leave to be in the country were being missed while others were wrongly flagged as being here illegally.
The report said the small proportion of licences surrendered "undermines the intended two-fold impact of revocation: stopping illegal migrants from being able to drive lawfully, and from using a driving licence to access other benefits and services."
It found the failure in record keeping relating to revoked driving licences were "to some extent mitigated", but added: "It remains the case that some individuals were being wrongly flagged to DVLA as present in the UK without leave, while others who were present without leave were being missed."
There were 583 individuals who left the UK between April 2015 and January, having been stripped of their driving licence.
In five cases, the licence holder had departed the country before their leave had expired and had never been unlawfully resident in the UK.
Mr Bolt's report was also critical of a number of incidents where people had been wrongly stripped of their driving licence.
Last year saw 259 revoked licences reinstated, but the Home Office "did not appear to appreciate the seriousness of such errors for the individuals affected," the report said.
The report found that in cases where an applicant for a bank account or other product was matched to an individual on a "disqualified persons" list, 17 should never have been listed or should have been removed from the database.
It said that out of 169 individuals, only 10 had left the UK after a match had been reported.
A Home Office spokesman said measures discussed in the report "should not be seen in isolation, but as part of the wider action we are taking that has made it harder than ever before for illegal migrants to live in this country".


A merger between Australian gambling giants Tabcorp and Tatts Group has been approved by authorities.

Plans to form a business worth A$11.3bn ($8.6bn; £6.7bn) emerged last year.
Despite objections from rival betting companies, the Australian Competition Tribunal found the merger would have "substantial public benefits."
Tabcorp and Tatts hope joining forces will help compete against the rise of online betting.
Shares in both firms rose by about 5% on Tuesday.
As well as running traditional sports betting facilities, often found in bars and clubs, Tabcorp and Tatts also have businesses including state lotteries and slot machines, known locally as pokies.
While profits fell at both companies last year, some states believe the merger could turn Australia into one of the most profitable markets in the world, outside of Hong Kong.
Betting is a national obsession in Australia which has the world's highest gambling loss per head, according to UK consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, with Australians losing an average of US$1,130 (£918) a year.
The country's watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had flagged "major concerns" about the deal including the market power of Tabcorp's broadcast business.
But Tabcorp bypassed the ACCC by taking the proposed merger straight to the tribunal.
The only condition imposed on the deal is that Tabcorp goes ahead with the planned sale of a gambling compliance business.


Transport group Stagecoach has placed orders for more than 340 buses and coaches in deals worth a total of £70m.

The orders include about 180 low-floor double-deckers for Stagecoach's regional networks, as well as about 60 single-deck vehicles and 40 midibuses.
There are also 34 coaches for the Perth-based group's UK Bus, Scottish Citylink and megabus.com operations.
Falkirk-based coach maker Alexander Dennis and its subsidiary Plaxton will produce more than 300 of the vehicles.
Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus will make most of the others.
The new vehicles, all of which are designed to meet Euro 6 emissions standards, will be introduced in the 2017-18 financial year.
Each will be fitted with CCTV and USB charging points. Most will also have wi-fi installed.
The latest announcement takes Stagecoach's total orders of new buses and coaches to more than £1bn in the past 11 years, the company said.
Group chief executive Martin Griffiths said: "We are continuing to re-invest money from fares in state-of-the-art, cleaner, greener vehicles, digital technology and smart ticketing to deliver an even higher standard of service.
"These latest vehicle orders are an important part of our strategy to encourage even more people to take the bus."


The cause of a fire at a Co-op store in Wrexham is being investigated by police and fire officers.

Firefighters were called to the shop at Shone's Lane, Llay, at 01:12 GMT on Friday.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it believed the fire started in the cash register.
No-one was injured.


The Republic of Ireland produced a stunning victory over world champions Germany to leave automatic qualification for Euro 2016 in their own hands.

Substitute Shane Long's sublime 70th-minute finish from a long kick by keeper Darren Randolph, on for injured Shay Given, secured a memorable win.
Joachim Low's side dominated possession in Dublin but could not find the net.
The Republic will qualify if they defeat Poland in Warsaw on Sunday.
They are already guaranteed at least a play-off place, with Scotland able to finish no higher than fourth.
Jerome Boateng headed over for the visitors before Ilkay Gundogan, Andre Schurrle and Thomas Muller wasted chances as the Republic recorded the most important win of Martin O'Neill's two-year reign.
Home fans celebrated an astonishing victory wildly at the final whistle, yet O'Neill's men still have work to do if they are to join England and Northern Ireland at next summer's tournament in France.
With one round of games remaining on Sunday, Germany - who entertain Georgia - still top Group D with 19 points from nine games while Poland and the Republic are one point behind on 18.
It all points to a thrilling climax to the qualification campaign.
Victory in Warsaw will seal the Republic's third European Championship qualification, whereas a defeat will mean they would have to qualify through the play-offs.
A draw would leave both Poland and the Republic on 19 points - and as to who would clinch second place (assuming Germany do not lose to Georgia), with head-to-head records the top tiebreaker, here's how it works:
Read Uefa's rules and regulations about qualifying for Euro 2016
Few predicted a Republic of Ireland victory before the game and it looked ominous for the hosts as Germany dominated possession from the start.
Arsenal's Mesut Ozil had a goal disallowed as O'Neill's men lived dangerously and defended deeply.
Yet for all their dominance, the 2014 World Cup winners did not register a shot on target until after half-time.
The Republic's cause was not helped when Shay Given, one of six players aged 30 or over in O'Neill's line-up, went off with a twisted knee shortly before the interval.
Yet the longer the game remained goalless, the more confident the hosts became, with two substitutes combining for the winner.
The goal was as simple as they come.
A long kick forward by Randolph from his own area landed deep in Germany's half and Long allowed the ball to bounce once before the Southampton forward lashed past a hapless Manuel Neuer with an exquisite finish.
The Republic were forced to endure a tense finish as substitute Schurrle fired wastefully over the bar on the stretch before Muller blazed another chance wide.
The final whistle was greeted with an enormous roar inside the Aviva Stadium as the former European champions - who won Euro 96, having also triumphed in 1972 and 1980 as West Germany - fell to a rare defeat.
Germany manager Joachim Low: "It was an unexpected and totally unnecessary defeat.
"We made our own life difficult. We have to be more ice-cold.
"Ultimately, we lacked the ultimate consequence and the last pass, and then we made a single mistake and it is a goal.
"Normally we score but there are the occasional matches where we make very little out of a lot of chances."
Match ends, Republic of Ireland 1, Germany 0.
Second Half ends, Republic of Ireland 1, Germany 0.
Attempt saved. Mats Hummels (Germany) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Toni Kroos.
Corner,  Republic of Ireland. Conceded by Jonas Hector.
Corner,  Republic of Ireland. Conceded by Jonas Hector.
Corner,  Republic of Ireland. Conceded by Jerome Boateng.
Attempt missed. Toni Kroos (Germany) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jerome Boateng.
Wes Hoolahan (Republic of Ireland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Toni Kroos (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Wes Hoolahan (Republic of Ireland).
Toni Kroos (Germany) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Shane Long (Republic of Ireland).
Mats Hummels (Germany) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Mats Hummels (Germany).
Shane Long (Republic of Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Germany. Kevin Volland replaces Ilkay Gündogan.
Delay in match Robbie Brady (Republic of Ireland) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Ilkay Gündogan (Germany) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thomas Müller.
Attempt blocked. Toni Kroos (Germany) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
Corner,  Germany. Conceded by Darren Randolph.
Attempt saved. Jerome Boateng (Germany) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Toni Kroos.
Attempt missed. Thomas Müller (Germany) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jonas Hector.
Substitution, Germany. Karim Bellarabi replaces Matthias Ginter.
Foul by Thomas Müller (Germany).
David Meyler (Republic of Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Ilkay Gündogan (Germany) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Matthias Ginter.
Attempt missed. Wes Hoolahan (Republic of Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jonathan Walters.
Attempt missed. Mats Hummels (Germany) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Thomas Müller with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner,  Germany. Conceded by Cyrus Christie.
Goal!  Republic of Ireland 1, Germany 0. Shane Long (Republic of Ireland) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Darren Randolph.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Republic of Ireland. David Meyler replaces Stephen Ward because of an injury.
Delay in match Stephen Ward (Republic of Ireland) because of an injury.
Offside, Germany. Mesut Özil tries a through ball, but Marco Reus is caught offside.
Substitution, Republic of Ireland. Shane Long replaces Daryl Murphy.
Attempt missed. Daryl Murphy (Republic of Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Offside, Republic of Ireland. Wes Hoolahan tries a through ball, but Cyrus Christie is caught offside.
Offside, Germany. Thomas Müller tries a through ball, but André Schürrle is caught offside.
Offside, Germany. Toni Kroos tries a through ball, but Marco Reus is caught offside.


The reopening of Tunisia's Bardo museum following the attack that killed at least 22 people has been delayed until Sunday.

The museum was due to reopen on Tuesday morning but there will now only be a symbolic ceremony.
The museum director told Tunisian media the reasons were technical and logistical.
The reopening, less than a week after the attacks, was intended to show the gunmen "haven't achieved their goal".
There are fears the attack - claimed by Islamic State (IS) - will hit Tunisia's vital tourism industry.
The AFP news agency said that it was "security concerns" that had prompted the ministry of the interior to postpone the opening.
On Monday, Tunisia's prime minister dismissed six police chiefs.
Habib Essid's office said he had noted several security deficiencies during a visit to the museum, which houses a major collection of Roman mosaics and other antiquities.
Two of the gunmen were killed by the security forces during last Wednesday's attack, while a third is on the run, officials said.
The attack was the deadliest in Tunisia since the uprising which led to the overthrow of long-serving ruler  Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Suspects have been arrested over the attack but just two gunmen were thought to have raided the museum.
They are said to have been trained in Libya in an area controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants.
Lyse Doucet: Tunisia's test of transition
Cradle of 'Arab Spring' under threat
The two gunmen seen in footage released by the interior ministry were named as Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui.
They were both killed in a gunfight with security forces inside the building.
In an interview with Paris Match, Mr Essebsi said that "shortcomings" in Tunisia's security system meant "the police and intelligence services had not been thorough enough in protecting the museum".
However, he added that the security services "reacted very efficiently" to the attack and had helped save dozens of lives.
At least 20 foreigners were among those killed in the attack, including British, Japanese, French, Italian and Colombian tourists.
Tunisia has seen an upsurge in Islamist extremism since the 2011 revolution - the event that sparked the Arab Spring.
In recent years Tunisia has been the largest exporter of jihadists in the region, and many of them end up fighting in Syria, reports the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tunis.


"They killed one of our guys and we didn't do anything, no vengeance, nothing, nothing at all," says 18-year-old Jesus.

"We really want to change, we want a new life," he insists.
Jesus is a member of the now defunct Ninos Ricos (Rich Kids) gang in the Panamanian port city of Colon.
A year ago, the Rich Kids heard about an amnesty which newly elected President Juan Carlos Varela was offering gang members willing to join a re-socialisation programme called Safer Neighbourhoods.
The president's offer followed the classical carrot-and-stick approach: incentives for those willing to sign up to the three-year programme and the threat of long prison terms for the rest.
The Rich Kids had already been hit hard by a police crackdown, and with 38 of the 65-strong gang in jail, the remaining 27 sat down to discuss their options.
Jesus had joined the gang at the age of 14.
He insists he never killed anyone, but admits to taking part in shoot-outs with rival gangs.
Since many of the gang members were fathers of young children and afraid of long jail terms, they made a unanimous decision to take up the president's offer.
In a local evangelical church, they now attend daily classes teaching them basic values and life skills.
But just months into the programme, they were faced with the hardest test yet for their resolve to change.
It came one Sunday morning as they were leaving church and about to set up a makeshift goal in the street for a game of football.
Rival gang members drove up in a car and fired at them, killing one of their group.
But instead of reacting to the assault as they would have done in the days before the programme, they just "sat still and did nothing to avenge" the murder of their friend.
The programme tries to teach former gang members not just how to change their behaviour but also how to make a valuable contribution to society.
Having been taught bricklaying and plumbing, they have put their newly acquired skills to the test by constructing a dining hall for needy children.
In a church a few streets away, Taylor, another former gang member enrolled in Safer Neighbourhoods, shows me a picture he has drawn.
"The pastor gives us homework. He told us to draw an image of how we see ourselves in the future," he explains.
At first glance it looks like a stick figure with a machine gun.
But on closer inspection, it turns out to be a drill, and what looked like a machete is a spirit level.
Taylor assures me that if I ever wanted a house in Panama, he would be able to build it from scratch.
"I've just finished a course on roofing, so there," he says.
The programme has not been without controversy and has faced scathing criticism by the Panamanian media.
In addition to training and psychological support, those joining the programme receive $50 (Â£32) worth of food stamps per week.
Some critics regard this as a reward for criminal behaviour.
But Security Minister Rodolfo Aguilera is adamant that the programme's benefits are already outweighing its costs.
About 2,000 youngsters ranging in age from 18 to 35 have enrolled - a third of the estimated number of gang members in Panama.
Official figures suggest that there has been a 31% reduction nationwide in high-impact crimes such as murder, assault, rape and robberies in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year.
In Colon, where 90% of gang members are estimated to have enrolled in Safer Neighbourhoods, there has been no murder for two months.
Before the programme started, between one and two people were killed here per week on average.
Mr Aguilera acknowledges that the crime reduction may well be linked to wider economic and social factors.
But in areas where the scheme has not yet been introduced, crime rates have at best stagnated, he insists. In some cases, they have even gone up.
Not everyone finishes the course, though. An estimated 40% have dropped out.
They either failed their exams or did not want to follow the routine imposed by the programme.
Four hours a day of life skills classes and religious instruction, in addition to vocational training, sports and work schemes such as clearing weeds from school playing fields, do not appeal to all gang members.
Attempts are made to persuade those who drop out to rejoin the scheme, but the minister has a warning for those not willing to change.
The programme's full name of "Safer Neighbourhoods with More Opportunities and a Firm Hand" carries a clear message, he says, emphasizing the "firm hand" approach.
With fewer gang members on the streets, the police can concentrate their efforts on the recalcitrant ones.
Angel, 31, was until recently one of them.
The prospect of going to jail was no deterrent, he says. "It only made things worse."
Eight bullet holes and just as many machete wounds on his body illustrate what he means.
In a complete turnaround, he is now singing the praises of the Lord.
The religious aspect of the programme was not one originally envisioned by the government.
Social workers and psychologists found that having no respect at all for their victims, the law or their elders, the only authority accepted by many gang members was a higher being.
So they got local evangelical pastors on board, who now run many of the classes.
For Angel, it appears to have worked.
He is reluctant to talk about his two decades of criminal activity, and only nods when asked about the rival gang member he killed.
But he professes to be a new man since having found God, totally dissociating himself from his past.
And as if to demonstrate his conversion, he breaks into a song praising God, with the gang members he once led joining in the impromptu rendering.
With one of them swinging a guitar around while not producing a single chord and two more banging the drums with much dedication but little rhythm, it is evident that their musical skills lack refinement.
But their enthusiasm is overwhelming and it comes as little surprise that the government would rather have them clutching guitars than waving around guns.


Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard said the tournament's best team are out after his Ivory Coast side beat Algeria to reach the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

New Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony scored twice as the Elephants won 3-1 to earn a tie against DR Congo.
"I think we have beaten the best team in the tournament," said Renard.
"We needed to be very well-organised and try to counter a team who are very strong individually,"
Renard led Zambia to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012 and added: "When I was with Zambia, the Ivory Coast were better than us but we won on penalties in the 2012 final.
"You need to be realistic in football and put in place the tactics to win a game."
Speaking about the win over Algeria, he added: "In terms of football and ball control they were better but we countered with players like Max Gradel, Gervinho and Wilfried Bony.
"In football you can't afford to think you're better than you are. You need to choose tactics to fit the players you have."
Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff agreed with Renard's comments and as a result had no complaints about his side's performance.
"It was not the best team that won. I can't reproach the players for anything. We had a good few chances that we didn't take," he said.
"The El Arbi Hillel Soudani chance in particular was a great one, and the goal we lost at the set-piece was cruel."
Algeria had to face Ivory Coast after finishing runners-up in Group C to Ghana.
"I think the regret we can have is the goal we lost at the end against Ghana, which led to us playing the Ivory Coast.
"But the way we dominated against the Ivorians gives us plenty of hope. If we played the same game 10 times we wouldn't lose it 10 times."


Coffins have placed outside the Transport for London (TfL) office in a protest by cycling campaigners calling for more safety measures for cyclists.

Stop Killing Cyclists laid 21 cardboard "coffins" on Blackfriars Road to represent the riders killed in London since the group began in November 2013.
Organisers of the No More Coffins event want TfL to invest 10% of its budget on improving cycling infrastructure.
TfL said it was investing nearly Â£1bn on measures that would improve safety.
Eight cyclists have been killed in the capital this year, seven of them in incidents involving HGVs. The death toll in 2014 stood at 13.
The campaign group was set up after six cyclists were killed in the capital in one month, November 2013.
Nicola Branch, co-organiser of the protest, said: "We want 10% of the TfL budget to be spent on cycling infrastructure. At the moment it is only 1.4% of their transport budget and that's nowhere near enough.
"As cyclists we are the canary in the coalmine, you sort out the problem of cycling deaths first and then all the other deaths fall into place."
As part of the protest scores of cyclists lay down with their bikes on the road in a "die-in" near the coffins. Several cyclists also spoke before the event, which is in its third year.
Among the protesters was Vicky Lebreck, 25, from London, who said she was trying to "get my life back together" after her leg was amputated after her pelvis was crushed by a lorry in a crash in December last year.
"I don't think it should be a possible outcome that a mistake made by a driver means people cycling on London's roads should be dying or having dramatic injuries."
Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: "We are investing nearly Â£1 billion in upgrading the existing Cycle Superhighways with greater segregation, introducing major new segregated cycle routes and backstreet quiet routes, and overhauling dozens of junctions both on our roads and on borough roads, to give more protection to pedestrians and cyclists."


Police in the the northern Indian state of Rajasthan are investigating the death of a Muslim man at the hands of a suspected cow vigilante group.

Police officials told the BBC that some men had attacked three vehicles that were transporting cows on Saturday.
Five people were taken to hospital after suffering injuries in the attack, and one of them died on Tuesday night.
The cow is considered sacred by Hindus, and killing the animal is illegal in several states, including Rajasthan.
Senior officer Parmal Gurjar told the BBC that the police had registered a murder case against unknown people after the death of a man identified as Pehlu Khan.
"We are checking video footage to identify the attackers. It seems they were part of a a cow vigilante group," he said.
Mr Khan's uncle, Husain Khan, told the BBC that his nephew was not a butcher but a cattle farmer, and he had bought the cows for his dairy business.
Police have also seized the three vehicles, and registered a case against four people for illegally transporting cows.
Many states have actively started enforcing bans on cow slaughter after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party formed India's federal government in 2014.
The western state of Gujarat last month passed a law making the slaughter of cows punishable with life imprisonment.
In addition to government bans, several vigilante groups who portray themselves as protectors of cows have also been active in several states.
The groups routinely check vehicles and often beat up cattle traders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year criticised the vigilantes, saying such people made him "angry".
However this has not stopped attacks against cattle traders.


AMs gather in the Senedd on Tuesday for arguably the most important announcement in the assembly calendar - the budget.

Mark Drakeford will be presenting the Welsh Government's spending plans to AMs for the first time since he was installed as finance secretary.
The last financial plan - for 2016/17 - saw cuts for local government but rises in funding for the NHS and education.
This year's plan, as in previous years, is likely to be a story of how the government manages declining pots of Westminster cash and what priorities it has.
Last year's budget came to almost exactly £15bn, but for 2017/18 we are expecting that to shrink to something between £14.6bn and £14.8bn.
That would amount to £200m-£400m less cash to spend.
There are inevitably going to be cuts in some parts of the Welsh Government's budget.
Wales cannot raise its own money through taxes yet and so does not have scope to raise extra money itself.  Apart from the proceeds of business rates, it gets all of its money from the UK government.
Some small taxes - stamp duty and landfill tax - will be devolved by 2018, so this is the last budget where they will not be factored in.
At the assembly election Labour - which came out as the largest party and leads the government which includes one Liberal Democrat minister - made a list of pledges which it will need to fund if it is going to keep them.
The fact that the Welsh Government is operating a "one-in, one-out" approach to spending means every new thing being funded needs something else scrapped to pay for it.
A few weeks ago First Minister Carwyn Jones said Labour would keep those promises - but warned there were going to be cuts.
The government's five-year programme includes:
Ministers always face pressure to boost funding for the NHS - and there could well be a boost for health in the budget.
Last week experts warned that NHS Wales faces a £700m black hole in its finances in just three years time.
Wales cut NHS funding in 2010 and for three years after that - leading to a torrent of criticism - but in recent years budgets have been rising.
Currently health and social care account for 48% of the overall Welsh Government budget.
Could this be the year that the budget for health services reaches 50% - or more?
Meanwhile local government is lobbying for no further cuts to councils.
Last year the Welsh Government cut the overall council budget by 2%, although it had felt it was quite generous compared to what happened in England.
Given the possibility of difficult battles for Labour around the corner in next May's council elections, ministers might want to give county halls some respite this time.
We know that Communities First is set for the axe - worth £30m a year.
The scheme has been the Welsh Government's flagship anti-poverty project for 15 years but Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said he was not convinced it was effective.
There are plenty of departments that could see their budgets trimmed - further education and economic development, maybe natural resources.
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams has also expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of Schools Challenge Cymru - a fund aimed at underperforming schools. Could the £20m scheme be coming to an end?
Labour did not win a majority at the last assembly election and must govern by doing deals with others.
Lib Dem Kirsty Williams is already on board with a cabinet post and Labour has an arrangement with Plaid Cymru where the two parties talk about policies in joint committees - a forum where the budget will have been discussed.
Plaid leader Leanne Wood confirmed to BBC Wales on Monday that a deal had been done with Labour to back the budget.
It could be the case that Labour will need to fund one or more of Plaid's manifesto commitments as the price for its support.
The "compact" agreement which saw Plaid back Carwyn Jones's return as first minister listed a set of priorities where the two parties had something of a consensus.
They included childcare and the delivery of new all-age apprenticeships, and increases to the number of healthcare workers and GPs.


A decision to halt plans for four offshore wind farms has been reversed by Scotland's most senior judge.

Lord Carloway ruled that his colleague Lord Stewart was wrong to allow a legal challenge which stopped the developments going ahead.
RSPB Scotland opposed the developments in the Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay over concerns for wildlife.
Scottish ministers approved the Inch Cape, Neart na Gaoithe and Seagreen Alpha and Bravo projects in 2014.
The projects could generate enough power to supply the equivalent of 1.4 million homes.
The RSPB took the matter to the Court of Session in Edinburgh because it thought the Scottish government had acted unlawfully.
The organisation argued that the farms put birds such as the puffin, the gannet and kittiwake at risk.
In July 2016, Lord Stewart said he agreed with the arguments made by the RSPB's legal team.
He ruled that Scottish ministers had breached legal requirements to give proper consideration to the areas being a haven for rare wild life.
Lord Stewart also found the government failed to properly consult interested parties over the environmental impact and that ministers had acted unlawfully by taking into account "unconsulted information" while they made their decisions.
However, Lord Carloway - who was sitting with fellow judges Lord Menzies, and Lord Brodie - ruled his colleague had interpreted the law incorrectly.
The Lord President found the Scottish government acted properly and gave proper consideration to the areas being a home for rare wildlife.
In his judgement, Lord Carloway said the process of informing the public about the environmental impact had been "fully complied with".
He added: "Despite paying lip service to the correct legal test for judicial review, the Lord Ordinary has strayed well beyond the limits of testing the legality of the process and has turned himself into the decision maker following what appears to have been treated as an appeal against the respondent's decision on the facts.
"He has acted, almost, as if he were the reporter at such an inquiry, as a finder of fact on matters of scientific fact and methodology which whatever the judge's own particular skills may be, are not within the proper province of a court of review.
"For this reason alone, his decision on this ground cannot be sustained."
The Scottish government has previously estimated the proposed wind farms could generate between Â£314m and Â£1.2bn for the Scottish economy.
RSPB Scotland director Stuart Housden said the organisation was "hugely disappointed" at the judgement.
"Whilst we fully support deployment of renewable energy, this must not be at any cost," he said.
"Combined, these four huge projects threaten to kill thousands of Scotland's internationally-protected seabirds every year, including thousands of puffins, gannets and kittiwakes.
"These could be amongst the most deadly wind farms for birds anywhere in the world."
The judgement has been welcomed by the wind farm developers.
A spokesman for Red Rock Power, which is developing the Inch Cape wind farm, said it would continue to "work collaboratively" with the RSPB and other project stakeholders to minimise environmental impacts.
Neart na Gaoithe developer Mainstream Renewable Power said the project would help Scotland and the UK meet climate and energy goals, as well as creating more than 500 jobs during construction and more than 100 permanent jobs once operational.
Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "The Scottish government remains strongly committed to the development of offshore wind energy, as this key low-carbon technology offers a huge economic opportunity for Scotland.
"But, crucially, through helping to decarbonise our electricity supply, it also has a key role to play in our fight against the threat posed by climate change to both our society and our natural environment.
"Clearly, protecting Scotland's marine environment is of paramount importance and at the heart of the Scottish government's approach to offshore renewable energy applications, and we are keen to work constructively with both the RSPB and renewable energy developers to ensure the sector has a bright future in Scotland."


Only seven jobs each have been created at two of the Welsh government's enterprise zones in the last year.

More than a thousand jobs were created at the Cardiff and Deeside zones but just seven each at Ebbw Vale and St Athan, showing a "mixed success rate".
The seven zones were set up by the Welsh government to provide business support including financial help.
A spokesman said progress had been made but each zone was unique, and like-for-like comparisons were "unhelpful".
The figures show a mixed picture.
More than Â£70m has been spent on enterprise zones since 2011.
The Welsh government, supported by the chairs of the enterprise zones, initially refused to release figures for the number of jobs created at each one.
The Information Commissioner supported Plaid Cymru's challenge to that position and ordered ministers to make the details public.
The latest figures show jobs created in the 2014-15 financial year.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We have always said that any like-for-like comparisons between the seven enterprise zones are unhelpful and misrepresent the local economic conditions and priorities within each unique zone.
"From the start, we expected each zone to have its own timetable and objectives, but good progress has been made in the zones and all have met individual key performance indicator targets."
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru AM for Ynys Mon and a member of the assembly's enterprise and business committee, said better performers like Deeside might be expected to do well anyway.
"We've been demanding this data not to name and shame those not doing particularly well but to highlight where the focus is needed," he said.
"Enterprise zones have to be more than just a name; they have to be places which deliver growth and secure jobs."