Fears over plant plans - S. Wales Guardian Article

Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Assembly minister Gwenda Thomas has expressed concerns about plans to develop a waste recycling plant at the former Abernant Colliery site near Rhydyfro.

She fears it will lead to increased numbers of heavy goods vehicles thundering through Pontardawe and Rhydyfro, causing a hazard for pedestrians and motorists alike.

And she has also expressed concerns that nearby residents will have to put up with bad odours and increased numbers of vermin.

Ms Thomas said the plans propose the composting of up to 100,000 tons of commercial waste each year.

Waste will include food products and will be converted into fuel pellets for burning in an incinerator.

“My real concerns are for the residents of the surrounding area,” she said.

“I am worried that there will be serious problems associated with the operation of this plant.

“One problem will be increased traffic by heavy goods vehicles to and from the site.

This will, of course, affect the residents of Pontardawe and Rhydyfro as the lorries will pass through these places.”

Ms Thomas also says there is a possibility of bad smells arising from the site and affecting surrounding areas, the presence of increased numbers of rats, cockroaches, flies, and the possible polluting of nearby watercourses by foul water.

“As the residents of this area already suffer from the presence of the landfill site at Pwllfa Watkin, this waste recycling plant should not be a further imposition on the local population,” she added.

The original article can be found here.

Statement on Proposed Waste Recycling Facility at Former Abernant Colliery site near Rhydyfro, Cwmgors

I am very concerned about proposed plans for the development of a Waste Recycling Plant at the former Abernant Colliery site near Rhydyfro in the Swansea Valley.

These plans propose the composting of up to 100,000 tons of commercial waste each year; this waste will include food products and will be converted into fuel pellets for burning in an incinerator.

My real concerns are for the residents of the surrounding area. I am worried that there will be serious problems associated with the operation of this plant. One problem will be increased traffic by heavy goods vehicles to and from the site; this will of course affect the residents of Pontardawe and Rhydyfro as the lorries will pass through these places.

I am also worried about the possibilities of bad odours arising from this site and affecting surrounding areas, the presence of increased numbers of vermin such as rats, cockroaches, flies, and the possible polluting of nearby watercourses by foul water run off.

As the residents of this area already suffer from the presence of the landfill site at Pwllfa Watkin, this waste recycling plant should not be a further imposition on the local population.

Gwenda Thomas AM and Peter Hain MP Joint Statement on the proposed closure of Post Offices in Neath for submission to Post Office Ltd.

NEATH AM GWENDA THOMAS has been working closely with NEATH MP Peter Hain to fight for the future of the Post Offices under threat in the Neath area.

The public voiced their opinion in the meeting organised by Cllr. Doreen Jones in Aberdulais. Meetings have also taken place regarding the other Post Offices under threat such as Cwmgors and Maesyffynnon and numerous people have contacted both our offices. The Post Office officials have been made aware of the practical problems resulting from their closure programme as well as the social cost of the cutting of services.

Post Offices are at the heart of the community and if they are lost it will be sorely felt.

The Post Office Development Fund has done a lot in the past to improve Post Offices and we are pleased that this will resume in about six months time.

We will also press for the Post Office management to look at alternative options where the sub post master or mistress does not wish to continue. This could be installing Post Office facilities in other premises or existing premises as in Aberdulais. We stand ready to lobby the UK Government should this prove necessary given the need to provide an accessible facility for the people of Aberdulais. The needs of the elderly and disabled must be of paramount importance.

We will jointly lobby the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government so that the favourable terms which Post Offices receive under the Small Business Rate Relief scheme will be extended to those premises which agree to undertake postal services in place of closed Post Offices.

Thursday 10th July

Neath Guardian Article 9th July 2008

I am pleased to see that Neath Port Talbot College are providing nursery accommodation at Coleg Pontardawe, on the Afan and Neath Campuses.

These are called Lilliput Day Nurseries and they offer 127 full-time, and part-time places. They care for 200 children.

Each nursery is staffed by a leader, deputies and qualified nursery nurses, many of them are ex-learners from the College. This means good quality childcare for learners, staff and the local community is provided. College staff are given peace of mind knowing that their children are well looked after while they pursue their career and daily work.

I know that one of the main barriers to learning for mothers or fathers with young children is a lack of trusted, flexible childcare. Lilliput Day Nurseries services are reliable, flexible and of good quality. This is reflected in recent Care Standards & Social Services Inspectorate for Wales Inspection Reports.

Many nursery places are funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Learner Support Fund so there is often no cost to the learner and the learner also has peace of mind that their child is well looked after and happy while they are studying, going out on work placements or taking examinations.

The nurseries also train students by providing work experience and short-term practical placements as a vital part of their learning experience. In addition, long-term modern apprenticeships are provided for learners, allowing them to qualify to NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Childcare. Most are employed on qualifying as Nursery Nurses. Some have gone on to take up supervisory positions with local childcare providers or taken childcare positions abroad in America and Australia.

In today’s competitive job market there has never been a greater need for a work force which is better qualified and skilled and this skilled workforce will enable us to compete as a nation internationally. This nursery helps to achieve this by allowing parents to improve their skills base, it is also important in that mothers or fathers may compete on an equal footing and abolish social divisiveness which is line with the aspirations of the Welsh Assembly Government. I am pleased that these nurseries which are of such value to the community have been provided by a partnership of Neath Port Talbot College, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Labour led Neath Port Talbot Council.

Western Mail Column: ‘Working together will improve social care sector’

Working together is the key to improvement, says Gwenda Thomas

TOO often the public only hear about the shortcomings in social care services.

While these failings need to be improved, they only represent a small proportion of the services that are provided to the most vulnerable people in society.

There are a huge range of social care services throughout Wales that work with people and families, who are experiencing problems and need support.

The demands on these services are ever growing and there are higher expectations as we as citizens want to have a greater say about the services.

The Welsh Assembly Government has already taken positive steps towards taking social care forward. We are currently seeking additional powers in the area of charging for non-residential social care.

As things stand, charging for home care and other non-residential social services is at the discretion of individual local authorities.

This has resulted in significant variations in policies for services across Wales.

We have a One Wales commitment to achieve a fairer and more consistent approach to charging for all adult recipients of non-residential social services.

By legislating against such disparities we will fulfil this and we are currently in the process of obtaining the necessary new powers.

Earlier this year I announced a new £4.5m-a-year, three-year scheme to help older and disabled people live more independent lives.

The new funding is being put towards preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and supporting people to live in the community.

By ensuring that every stage of the care pathway is as effective and integrated as possible we can increase capacity for services to support people to live more independent lives.

The Assembly Government’s 10-year strategy – Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities – sets out our vision for social services as a core service within local government covering adults and children.

We are also seeking to use the new opportunities for Legislative Competence Orders to extend the powers of the Assembly Government in relation to children’s services and carers’ rights, enabling us to bring forward distinct service initiatives of our own here in Wales.

This will be seen in the strategy we are developing for vulnerable children being accommodated. It will be supported by two legislative planks – the Children and Young Person’s Bill and our own Measure, which will focus on children at risk because of parental problems.

There are some 4,800 children in care – parental drug or alcohol misuse and mental health problems are the main causes of entry of into care.

But a wider group of children who are known to social services and other agencies either do not enter care, or do so after a time, and yet fail to thrive and reach their full potential.

We will shortly consult on new arrangements to improve the delivery of health and social care to families where substance misuse coexists with concerns about the welfare or vulnerability of a child and to pilot a new integrated family support services.

We have an opportunity to set a new direction for services for our most vulnerable children.
We must strive to achieve good quality care for children, adults and older people – whether in family, residential or community settings and have to use all our resources to best effect to do so.
Social services must work closely with health services and with voluntary and private providers to develop service models for the future which can respond flexibly and effectively to people’s needs.

Everyone in the sector is aware that there are occasional instances where individuals and their families are sometimes let down by the care system. But there is also plenty to shout about when it comes to social care in Wales.

I am confident that by ensuring all stakeholders work together we will further improve the sector for the benefit of those that need it most.

Gwenda Thomas AM is Deputy Minister – Health and Social Services

Neath Guardian Column - 19 June 2008

Last week, it was announced that the number of people in employment in Wales is at record levels, stands at 1,360,000, up 20,000 over the previous year. This means that 72.5 per cent of the working age population of Wales is in work. The unemployment rate in Wales now stands at 5.3%, with the inactivity rate also falling dramatically over the last twelve months. Who could have thought, even fifteen years ago, that Wales, in 2008, would be on the brink of full employment?

Also last week, the Labour-led Assembly Government was able to announce that Wales is well on the way to becoming the world’s first Fair Trade Nation. The announcement follows a two-year campaign to increase the availability of Fair Trade products across Wales, and encouraging schools, businesses and other organisations to switch to Fair Trade.

When I started my column in the Guardian last year, I promised to use it to promote local charities and other voluntary groups and organisations in my constituency. This month, I want to mention the work of the Soroptimist International movement in Neath.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. I was delighted to have been asked to attend and speak at the Diamond Jubilee Banquet of the Soroptimist’s in Neath at the Glyn Clydach Hotel a few weeks ago, and was delighted to be able to welcome guests from Soroptimist International branches in Yorkshire, France and Romania to Neath and to Wales.

The president of the Soroptimist’s in Neath is Christene Thomas, and as part of her work, she has chosen a number of charities she will support during the next twelve months. She is supporting Cerebra, which provides Services to Brain Injured Children and Young People. One in forty children suffers a disability as a result of brain injury. On Monday evening 23 June, Christene has arranged for Cerebra, which is based in Carmarthen, to give the Soroptimist’s in Neath a presentation on the work they do. She is also supporting Barnados Cymru, and The Smile Train, which is dedicated to helping children in the world who suffer from cleft lip palate by empowering and training doctors to allow them to perform the operations and research to find a cure.

If you wish to contact me for any help and assistance that you feel I can provide you as your local Assembly Member, you can contact my office on 01792 869993 or e-mail blocked::mailto:gwenda.thomas@wales.gov.uk. You can also keep up-to-date with my activities as your AM by logging on to http://www.gwendathomas.com/

Statement by Gwenda Thomas AM – A&M Transport

Following the news that A&M Transport of Pontardawe has called a meeting of creditors with a view of going into liquidation, Pontardawe-based Neath AM Gwenda Thomas said:

“I’m very disappointed to learn that A&M Transport has asked to be put into liquidation.

“My immediate priority is to ensure that everything possible that can be done will be done to safeguard the futures of the workforce.

“I’ve been in contact with the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan this morning to see what assistance the Welsh Assembly Government can give to support the employees that will be affected by this decision.