A Vision for World Class Maternity Services in Wales

New plans to encourage pregnant women in Wales to follow healthier lifestyles were announced today as part of a new strategy from the Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government to improve maternity services.

Wales has the highest rates in the UK of expectant mothers who smoke or are obese.

The draft strategy says that healthy lifestyle options which positively impact on a woman and her family’s health will be actively promoted by all health professionals caring for expectant mothers. Health services, social services and voluntary organisations will play a more prominent role as well as the traditional midwife, the strategy says.

Gwenda said: ‘This draft strategy will lay out new policies to improve the health of expectant mothers and their families. I would urge all individuals and organisations with an interest in child and family health to respond to this consultation, as there is nothing more important than making children’s health better’.

The proposed measures, which are part of a new draft strategy being published today for consultation by the Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government, are designed to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable maternity services. The draft strategy sets out plans to ensure that maternity services in Wales will:

• aim to be among the best anywhere in the world;
  
• place the needs of the mother and family at the centre of maternity care, including offering support for all new families;
  
• provide a range of high quality choices of care, from midwife to consultant-led services, in a range of settings that include home, hospital, or midwife-led birth centres;
  
• employ a highly trained workforce which is empowered to deliver; and,
  
• encourage a learning environment that supports research and development and use of the best evidence, with constant monitoring for quality and safety of provision.
  

The draft strategy, and details of how to respond to the consultation can be found here

Children's Rights Measure Moves Forward in Wales

The rights of children in Wales took another step forward recently when the National Assembly for Wales approved the Labour-led Assembly Government’s Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure.

The purpose of the Measure is to place a duty on Assembly Government Ministers to have due regard in taking strategic decisions to the rights and obligations in respect of children that are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Gwenda Thomas AM said: ‘This is excellent news for children’s rights. The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government pioneered the existing rights-based approach for children and young people in Wales, and this, together with their position in Welsh society, will be strengthened.’

For further details about the measure, please click here.

Financial Inclusion: An Extra Grant of £150,000 has been given to continue funding the Wales Financial Inclusion Champions.

The Financial Inclusion Champions provide advice and support to organisations that help people in Wales who are experiencing financial difficulty. Help with accessing financial services such as transactional bank accounts and direct debit payments can make a big difference to managing personal finances and preventing people getting into debt.

The Champions also work with the All-Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit to tackle the problem of loan sharks and illegal money lending. They raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks and provide advice and support to victims. The champions also work to ensure people are aware of other sources of affordable lending, such as credit unions.

The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to helping people manage their money, regardless of their income, social status or ability. In July 2009 the Assembly Government launched Wales’ first Financial Inclusion Strategy, ‘Taking Everyone into Account’. The Strategy seeks to improve access to debt and money advice, affordable credit and savings options, as well as promoting financial capability.

In addition, the Assembly Government has introduced a number of schemes to help people manage their money. For example, the Assembly Government has:

• Provided £3 million to increase Council Tax and Housing Benefit take up, widening the focus to families with children, as well as pensioners.
  
• Incorporated financial education into the core curriculum in Welsh schools. Students from the age of seven can now learn how to manage their money in both the maths and PSE curriculum.
  
• Recently provided £3.4 million of joint Assembly Government/European funding to help deliver the One Wales commitment to continue credit union development. Such funding has helped achieve all-Wales credit union coverage and has seen credit union membership rise to 50,000.
  
• Introduced a £36.5 million Mortgage Repossession Scheme enabling housing associations to buy the homes of people who are facing repossession due to mortgage arrears.
  
• Provided £747,000 to introduce Citizens Advice Cymru’s advice line to provide greater access to important benefits and debt advice
  
• Provided an extra £500,000 to raise awareness of benefits for the families of disabled children.
  

Gwenda said: ‘This funding for the Welsh Champions team is excellent news. It is very important that people are given the support and advice they need to help manage their money and get out of debt’.

‘The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy makes a tremendous difference in supporting people who are having financial difficulties and give advice to prevent such difficulties occurring again. However, although a lot has been done, more is necessary.

‘Although we have come a long way there is still a lot to be done. Helping people gain the skills and confidence to manage their money is particularly important in these difficult economic conditions.

‘Everybody in Wales should have access to affordable financial products, and the confidence and capability to use them. People should be able to plan for their futures with a reasonable degree of security, possess the knowledge to avoid getting into financial difficulties, and know where to find help if necessary.'

Continuing the Fight Against Child Sexual Exploitation

Earlier this month, as Deputy Social Services Minister, I published new guidance to safeguard children and young people from being exploited in Wales. The Guidance on the Safeguarding of Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation has been published to aid teachers, health professionals, social workers, the police and other key practitioners in Wales to tackle sexual exploitation.

The guidance aims to help practitioners identify children at risk, equip them to protect these vulnerable children to take action against the perpetrators. The sexual exploitation of children and young people is completely unacceptable and I am determined to do all I can to help eradicate it.

Children are robbed of their childhood and this form of abuse can have a serious long-term impact on every aspect of their and their family's lives. This document will steer a multi-agency approach to identify and offer protection and long-term support to children and young people who are at a risk, or have been a victim of sexual exploitation.

Bernardo’s Cymru assisted in producing the guidance and will be delivering training events throughout the year. Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, stated: ‘Child sexual exploitation is a hidden for of abuse and so being able to recognise the signs and symptoms is essential. I hope practitioners will embrace this new guidance.’

Gwenda

AM’s concerns for exploitation of elderly ex miners

Gwenda Thomas AM today issued a warning to all ex miners living within her constituency after she made investigations on behalf of an elderly miner who had been presented with a £4000 bill for solicitor’s fees.

The gentleman had been contacted by telephone and then visited by the solicitor’s representative claiming that they had been given his information by the NUM. He was then persuaded to seek compensation for deafness even though he had already successfully claimed over 10 years ago. His original claim negated any further compensation which has led to the presentation of this extortionate bill for administration costs and medicals.

Mrs. Thomas has warned Wayne Thomas the Area Secretary for the National Union of Mineworkers, who are now using this information and will be instructing their volunteers to display posters warning ex miners of this practice.

Wayne Thomas stated, ‘Unfortunately there are many firms of solicitors contacting ex miners throughout the UK insinuating that their approach has been endorsed by the NUM, simply to give them credibility. They are trawling mining communities in South Wales, telling people who have had previous settlements for hearing loss, that they can claim again from British Coal, which they cannot.’

Gwenda Thomas AM has also learned that when the miners are told that they cannot claim further, they are then targeted again by an offer of assistance to claim for Industrial Disablement Benefit through the DWP.

‘This is a dreadful form of abuse of the vulnerable and elderly,’ expressed Mrs. Thomas. ‘There are no charges for anyone applying for this benefit and for unscrupulous people to try and profit from this is appalling and discredits those solicitors who have worked hard for our miners in the past. ‘

Mrs. Thomas then urged anyone who believes that they have been targeted in this way to contact either her self or the NUM directly, who will be able to advise them of the best course of action.

‘Do not agree to, or sign, any agreement until you have sort advice,’ emphasised Mrs. Thomas, ‘and do not pay anyone to help you apply for Industrial Disablement Benefit. My advice is to contact the Welfare Rights Unit at Neath Civic Centre who are qualified to give you free assistance.’

Landfill fund awards £50,000 to Cwmgors Community Centre

In the latest round of funding applications, Landfill Community Fund distributor, WREN awarded over £50,000 to Cwmgors Community Centre on behalf of WRG who run the Pwllfawatkin Landfill site near Pontardawe.

The project will improve the existing community centre by extending the usable space, and using partitioning to make better use of existing meeting rooms. This is to allow maximum use of the centre for a full range of users and for different activities to be staged at the same time within building.

Gwenda said: ‘It is particularly pleasing that a project in a community such as Cwmgors near to the landfill site is able to be supported. WREN would like to see more applications from an area of a 10 mile radius from the WRG Pwllfawatkin site, and I would urge community groups and community councils to contact them with their project ideas to determine if they are eligible for WREN funding'.

Organisations and community groups requiring funding for beneficial projects should visit their website or contact WREN on 01953 717165

For more information contact Meleri Jones on 07720 169 721 or email
meleri.jones@wren.org.uk

The Landfill Communities Fund (previously known as the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme) gives landfill operators the opportunity to divert 6.7% of their annual Landfill Tax bill into the communities and environments around landfill sites. To date the LCF has funded over 24,000 projects with half a billion pounds in funding.

Resources: www.ltcs.org.uk www.entrust.org.uk
WREN is the UK's largest distributive environmental body and has funded over 3500 projects across much of the UK with over £85 million since 1998. With a Head Office in Norfolk WREN distributes the Landfill Communities Funds to community and environmental projects within ten miles of landfill sites owned by Waste Recycling Group Ltd.

Projects applying for funding from WREN are assessed by an individual panel of locally based experts for their suitability, sustainability and community benefit.

Resource: www.wren.org.uk

Waste Recycling Group Limited is one of the UK's leading waste management services companies and handles in excess of 15 million tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste each year. Around 50% of Waste Recycling Group's business is accounted for by waste management contracts with more than 40 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales.

The Company operates facilities for the reception, recycling and disposal of waste, including a network of waste transfer and recycling centres and a regional network of operating landfill sites, and manages nearly 70 civic amenity sites on behalf of local authorities for use by the general public.

Welsh Recycling Rate Reaches 45%

Wales recycled or composted 45 per cent of its municipal waste between July and September 2010, according to figures released today. The statistical release Municipal Waste Management, July – September 2010 shows that the municipal recycling rate in Wales increased by 4 percentage points on the same period in 2009 with Neath Port Talbot playing its part.

The amount of municipal waste Wales produced decreased from 432,000 thousand tonnes in July – September 2009 to 409,000 thousand tonnes in July – September 2010. The amount of household waste produced per person decreased from 77 kg to 68 kg.

These figures continue the upward trend in recycling in Wales over the past decade. While recycling and composting are traditionally higher during the summer months and decrease in the winter, 45 per cent is the highest quarterly Welsh recycling rate to date.

Gwenda Thomas AM said, ‘These figures illustrate that Wales leads the way in handling waste. Councils, such as Neath Port Talbot, do excellent work, and they must be encouraged to continue working closely together with other local authorities so that they can all feel the economic, social and environmental benefits of high recycling’.

‘Moreover, momentum must not be lost if the goal of recycling 70 per cent of our waste by 2025 and being zero waste by 2050 is to be achieved. Services - such as weekly food waste collections – must be developed to reach this target, and councils, communities, businesses and every home needs to play its part to deliver this target’.

Notes:

Wales is the first country in the UK to adopt statutory recycling targets for municipal waste. The Waste (Wales) Measure – which introduces statutory targets - received Royal Approval in December 2010. The first statutory target will be 52 per cent for 2012 – 2013, rising gradually to 70 per cent by 2025.

Wales is also:

• The only country in the UK where every local authority offers a separate food or food/green waste collection
  
• The first to introduce the Landfill Allowances scheme. Every local authority in Wales has met every target since
  
• The first to introduce carrier bag charges, in October 2011
  
• The first to set out exactly what we will do to reach 70 per cent recycling by 2025
  

The statistical release Municipal Waste Management, July – September 2010 can be found at here under Latest Information.
The Waste (Wales) Measure can be found at on the Welsh Government website

Tourism Survey Shows that Wales Exceeds Expectations

Results released show that Wales’ tourism industry held up well to the challenges of 2010 with the publication of the UK Tourism Survey Results from January to September 2010.

Gwenda Thomas AM said: ‘Tourism plays a major part in the Welsh economy, and these figures indicate how robust the industry is. Wales is a fantastic place to visit, and there are many attractions in my own constituency, such as waterfalls, historical sites including Aberdulais Falls, Neath Abbey, and the canals, all set in countryside of outstanding natural beauty. These results show how attractive the country is to visitors’.

The new figures, which include the peak summer months, show that between January and September 2010, UK residents made 7.28 million visits involving at least one night’s overnight stay to Wales. This is 1% down in comparison with the same period in 2009 (7.36 million). However in the period January-September 2010 the total number of staying visits by UK residents to the UK as a whole fell by 4% compared with the same period in 2009.

The total number of nights spent in Wales by UK domestic visitors on these trips was 28.89 million, 1% up on the corresponding period in 2009. In January-September 2010, the total volume of nights spent by UK residents to the UK as a whole fell by 7% compared with 2009.

From January-September 2010 visitors to Wales spent £1,237 million, compared with £1,207 million for the same period in 2009, an increase of 3%. In the first nine months of 2010 total expenditure by UK residents on trips to the UK as a whole fell by 6% in comparison with the January-September period in 2009.

In Wales, short holidays (1-3 nights) have shown the biggest growth: 10% up in terms of trips, 8% up in terms of nights and 23% up in terms of expenditure in comparison with 2009.

Launch of the BIG Innovation programme

The Big Lottery Fund’s BIG Innovation programme has been launched. The Big Lottery Fund is making £5 million available to support completely new ideas or approaches that haven’t been tried anywhere else in the UK. BIG is committed to bringing about real improvements to communities most in need but recognises that existing ways of meeting need do not always work and that some needs are new with no ways of addressing them.

Over the next three years, Big Lottery Fund will make grants of between £20,000 and £1 million to fund projects to tackle social inequalities.

Gwenda said: ‘I would urge people and organisations to apply to the Big Lottery Fund for funds to tackle emerging and existing social problems that exist in their local communities’.

The closing date for applications under round one of the programme is 2.00pm on 21st February 2011.

For further information about the BIG Innovation programme please visit our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

John Warman, Lib Dem Councillor, Joins Welsh Labour

I was delighted today to welcome John Warman into the Welsh Labour Party. John has been the Councillor for the Cimla since 1972 and was at one time a parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems. The decision to cross the floor of the council chamber cannot have been an easy one and I admire John’s courage and commitment to his principles.

John tells me that he reached a point, after the party leadership broke their pledge on student tuition fees, when he realised he could not continue as a Lib Dem Councillor. As he said today “I cannot abide hypocrisy in politics, and what Clegg and others have done in Government is unforgivable.”

I suspect there will be many other principled Lib Dems in Wales who have had similar feelings since the Coalition came together. I urge them to look carefully at the Coalition’s current policies, to compare these policies with those outlined in the Welsh Labour Manifesto, and to decide for themselves which most closely match their political ideals.

Gwenda

Pontardawe Parking Consultation Extended

Gwenda Thomas today welcomed the decision by Neath Port Talbot Council to extend the consultation on the introduction of car parking charges in Pontardawe.

Mrs Thomas said: “After receiving many representations from concerned residents I contacted the Chief Executive’s office before Christmas to request an extension to consultation period. I am extremely glad that Steve Philips has recognised that a three week period over the Christmas holidays was not sufficient for a meaningful consultation.”

The consultation period will now run until the 14th of January.

Mrs Thomas said: “I would now encourage all residents and shoppers from Pontardawe to respond to the Council’s proposal. This is controversial proposal and could have important consequences for Pontardawe town centre.”