This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 30 2015


Like us on Facebook facebook.com/thepembrokeshireherald


HOUSEHOLDS across Wales


can look forward to more affordable water bills in future thanks to Welsh Government regulations which came into force this month. The Water Industry Regulations 2014 reinforces the Welsh Government’s commitment to reducing the number of people who get into debt with their water supplier and will in turn help to make it more affordable for everyone. Natural


Resources Minister Carl Sargeant told The Herald: “The cost of


trying to recover outstanding charges is believed to add between £15 and £20 to the average customer’s bill. This is not right and our Tackling Poverty Action Plan makes it clear that the introduction of a fairer and more streamlined system for recovering outstanding charges is one of our priorities for the sector. These regulations place a duty on all owners of residential properties who let the property to someone else to provide basic information about the occupiers to their relevant water company (Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water or Dee Valley Water).”


31 Political News News Tackling water industry debt Davies calls for more nurses Decline in young NEETS welcomed A DECLINE in the number of young


people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been welcomed by the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James. New figures published this month show that in the 12 months ending 30 September 2014 only 8.3% of 16-18 year olds were estimated


to be NEET, compared with


11.9% at the year ending 30 September 2013. This represents 9,100 young people compared with 12,900. During the same


period ending 30 September 2014, 19.7% of 19-24 year olds (49,000 people) were estimated to be NEET, against 21.4% (51,300) at the year ending 30 September 2013.


Deputy Minister Julie James said:


“Reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training is one of the key targets of the Welsh Government. Today’s figures show that even in tough economic times we are delivering for the people of Wales.”


Wales welcomes plain packaging


THE LEADER of the Welsh Conservatives has called on the Welsh Labour Government to begin to address the pressures in Accident & Emergency department by reversing its NHS budget cuts, recruiting more nurses and stemming the decade-long decline in NHS bed numbers. Labour’s First Minister was today challenged to commit to more nurses in the Welsh NHS at this time next winter. Last week, (ending January 18)


figures for December 2014 revealed Wales’ worst A&E waiting times since the current data collection method was introduced in 2009, with one in five patients waiting more than four hours to be seen.


Between 2002-03 and 2012-13,


NHS bed numbers in Wales fell by 19%.


Last week, the Royal College of Nursing called for the recruitment of an additional 1,000 nurses in Wales to help relieve pressure in acute services. Since 2010, the Welsh NHS has been the UK’s only health service that has had its budget cut.


Last week, Labour Ministers


announced a sudden cash injection of £40m to deal with winter pressures, two months after an equivalent figure was announced for NHS winter pressures in England. Andrew RT Davies said: “Despite


Less appealing: Government wants cigs in plain packets The Welsh Government has


welcomed proposals that will make tobacco manufactures sell cigarettes in plain packaging. Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I welcome this long-awaited move. We have always supported measures to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products. Such a move could play an important part in our efforts to tackle


Andrew Davies: We need more Nurses!


the commendable and tireless efforts of frontline staff, Welsh A&E departments are struggling this winter because of Labour’s legacy of record-breaking budget cuts, the axing of a fifth of NHS beds and acute staffing pressures. After years of imposing record-breaking cuts to the health budget, Labour Ministers have been forced to make a series of knee-jerk panic cash injections to deal with winter pressures and bail out health boards because they didn’t plan for sustainable health services in the first place. Welsh Conservatives are committed to protecting the Welsh NHS budget and consistently opposed Labour’s NHS cuts. Under Labour, a


fifth of all Welsh NHS beds have been axed, leading to the capacity problems that so many Welsh A&E departments are experiencing. It is disappointing that the Labour leader has declined the opportunity to commit to protecting NHS bed numbers and refused to commit to following the advice of the RCN who called for the recruitment of 1,000 extra nurses. Waits of over four hours in A&E are distressing for many patients and Labour Ministers must bring waiting times down by reversing their NHS budget cuts, recruiting more nurses and turning around the decline in bed numbers.”


Leadership key to future of local government


the harm associated with tobacco use. “I expect


to receive STRONG leadership is key to draft


regulations for consideration shortly. “The Welsh Government will


continue to work tirelessly to reduce smoking levels to 16% by 2020.” A year ago, the National Assembly gave consent for the UK Government to introduce


legislation for plain


packaging for tobacco products on behalf of Wales.


£10m investment in local health services


A £10 MILLION investment in


Wales’ primary care services will see a wider range of healthcare professionals deliver care in or close to people’s homes, freeing up GPs’ time and expertise to care for people with more complex needs, said Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford. He said the primary care fund in 2015-16 will help relieve pressures on GPs and their teams and reduce demand on hospital care by improving access to quality local health services. Minister Mark Drakeford said:


“We are shifting focus from hospital- based care to improving population health and community-based care. “The investment will allow


Freeing up GPs: Healthcare professionals will deliver more services


our local primary care clusters to invest in a skilled workforce, build services according to need and, where possible, deliver care closer to people’s homes, relieving pressures on GPs and their teams and demand on hospital services.”


delivering better public services in Wales, said the Minister for Public Services Leighton Andrews, as he outlined a series of actions the Welsh Government will be taking. He has announced:


• The creation of a Public Service Leadership Panel to operate as a


Ministerial Advisory Group • Support for plans by NESTA and Cardiff University to develop an Innovation Lab for Public Services in Wales • A more proactive role for the Welsh Government’s public service Academies. focussing on public service leadership development


• The need for transparency in the use of public service data so that performance can be measured in real time • A new Digital Public Services Fund worth £250,000 per annum to drive new digital initiatives in the public services • A new duty on local government leaders to promote diversity within their councils


'Children in Wales are no better off' - Plaid LABOUR’S flagship education


policies have failed by their own measure, and children in Wales are no better off in their education because of a Labour Government, the Party of Wales Shadow Education Minister Simon Thomas has said.


On the day that the Estyn annual report found standards in primary schools have declined


this year


and, in many cases, this was due to weaknesses in pupils’ numeracy skills, Mr Thomas has highlighted a series of government initiatives that were intended to close the attainment gap and raise achievement levels, but have failed to deliver considerable progress. The Mid and West AM pointed to:


• The Literacy Framework which was intended to raise attainment in reading and writing. Estyn’s report on literacy in Key Stage 3 found that “the LNF was introduced quickly but progress in implementing the framework has been slower than expected.”


• The Foundation Phase which stated that one of its key aims was to reduce the attainment gap. However an evaluation published in January 2015 found that “inequalities in outcomes have generally not fallen following the introduction of the Foundation Phase.” • Flying Start which was intended to improve outcomes for children in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Wales. An evaluation of Flying Start said that “the longitudinal study of Flying Start families showed no statistically significant difference between outcomes for those in Flying Start and non-Flying Start areas.” The Party of Wales Shadow


Education and Skills Minister Simon Thomas said: “Independent evaluations of the Welsh Government’s flagship education policies show that children in Wales are no better off because of a Labour Government. While the aim of these policies is admirable, what is glaringly obvious is the lack of delivery. Delivery is all-important


and that’s why Plaid Cymru wants to work with teachers to realise our goals. Significant changes will not happen on the slashed budgets that Labour is passing on to our local authorities and schools. Plaid Cymru is the only main stream voice in Wales opposed to the austerity agenda that has been implemented


by the Westminster


coalition and supported by Labour.” The Mid and West AM added: “We have ambitious plans for the education sector. The Party of Wales wants to implement the professional standards that


teachers’ training, ensuring that all teachers


teachers want by investing in have


training numeracy, closing the


in literacy, attainment


gap and improving attendance and behaviour. All teachers in all parts of Wales will have access to best practice. We also want to work with teachers to cut red tape and let them get on with the job of teaching.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88