Welsh Assembly should have new powers, says report

The Daily Post is reporting today that the Welsh Assembly should be granted new powers to raise taxes and borrow funds to boost capital spending, according to a commission.

The report adds: "But a year long inquiry by the Silk Commission suggests that the ability to vary income tax in Wales should follow only if agreed in a new referendum.

"It also rules out devolution of corporation tax to Wales unless it goes ahead in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

"Borrowing powers for the Welsh Government to boost infrastructure should also be ‘subject to prudent limits agreed with HM Treasury’, the study concludes.

"The 198-page report ‘Empowerment and Responsibility: Financial Powers to strengthen Wales’ makes 33 recommendations to Welsh Secretary David Jones.

"The proposals to hand Wales its own tax and borrowing system for the first time represent ‘a significant change which should be implemented step-by-step to build experience and balancing risks to the Welsh and UK budgets’, the report says."

See http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2012/11/19/give-wales-its-own-tax-and-borrowing-system-says-silk-commission-55578-32261830/

Minister will have final say on health shake-up

* Elin Jones AM.  

Campaigners battling to preserve local health services in Llangollen have welcomed an exchange between Plaid Cymru and Health Minister Lesley Griffiths in the Welsh Assembly.

Plaid’s health spokesperson Elin Jones said to Ms Griffiths:  “Minister, it is important to have a national medical perspective to help plan hospital service configuration  “However, the independence, transparency and integrity of the national clinical forum are important. “It needs to be independent of the Government and the interests of individual health boards.  “Despite events surrounding the possibility of rewriting specific documents, do you agree that there is now a clear divergence emerging between the medical opinion of the national clinical forum, which wants to reduce the number of large general hospitals, and the medical opinion at a local health board level, especially in Hywel Dda Local Health Board and Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board, which want to keep a lot of what they already have, much to the pleasant surprise of some of us? “Given this divergence of medical opinion, locally and nationally, do you now accept that, ultimately, decisions on hospital configuration will have to be taken by you?”

Ms Griffiths (pictured right) replied: “When we started out on this process, I always knew that a part of it would end up on my desk. That is obvious. “I also knew that there would be a divergence in opinion. “I also know that there are many vested interests as we go through this process.  I will come in right at the end, when we have those definitive reports.” A spokesman for the local health service campaigners described the Senedd exchange as “good news”.

 

Tough action demanded over tree disease

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has called for the Welsh and UK Governments to work together to manage the spread of Ash Die Back in North Wales.

Chlara Fraxinea – otherwise known as Ash die back - is an imported fungal disease and experts suggest it has the potential to be as dangerous as Dutch Elm Disease which wiped out 25m trees in the 1970s and 80s.

100,000 Ash Trees in England have been destroyed by the disease with Wales' first case being confirmed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in Carmarthenshire.

The AM said its spread to North Wales was ‘almost inevitable’ and called for ‘clear and co-ordinated’ guidance to help those with infected trees on their land.

Mr Skates said: “Unfortunately the spread of this disease to North Wales is almost inevitable. What we need now is strong leadership from the Welsh and UK Governments and clear guidance being given to landowners who discover this disease on their land in North Wales.

“Infected trees need to be reported quickly and we need clarity as to whether they should then be cut down or left in situ. We need to be guided by expert scientific opinion on this matter, my only concern is to make sure that this happens quickly.

“We also need have clear guidance on how to handle leaf litter, because of the danger of diseased spores being moved to other sites. From this point onwards it may well be a case of moving resources to manage the outbreak as best we can when it finally comes.

“I raised this issue in the Senedd at the start of October, calling for a ban on imports of nursery stock. Sadly we have gone way past that and it now threatens the very survival of some of the most beautiful and historic Ash Trees in North Wales.

“Landowners and members of the public need to be better informed and I will be pressing the Minister for clear guidance from the Welsh and UK Governments.”

Ash dieback was first recorded in Eastern Europe in 1992 and spread over two decades to infect most of the continent.

The first confirmed case in the UK was recorded at a nursery in Buckinghamshire back in March.

Extra housing land earmarked in Llan

Llangollen is one of the areas where it is being suggested extra houses are built to meet future housing requirements in Denbighshire.  

Across the county more than 8,000 new homes could be built as part of the Local Development Plan (LDP) currently under consideration by the Welsh Government.

Proposed sites include greenfield locations in villages  and extra plots have been added to the county’s draft LDP after the Welsh Government said Denbighshire’s initial proposals were insufficient.

Mike Edwards, chair of the Keep Llangollen Special group, points out that among the sites suggested is a 0.26-hectare piece of land at Wern Road in the town which would provide space for eight dwellings.  

Mr Edwards said: “This this is small scale development, but it does impinge on the greenbelt area on the lane which leads up to Castell Dinas Bran and appears to be outside the existing settlement boundary.

“On a general point there is limited scope fortunately for new development within Llangollen due to the topography.”

A recent public meeting was held in Denbigh to oppose the extra homes plan.

Opponents claim tdditional houses across the county would place an “intolerable” burden on the county’s services and infrastructure.

Amongst the additional sites are plans for 172 houses on land at HM Stanley Hospital in St Asaph, 84 on land adjacent to Ysgol Heulfre, Denbigh, 59 on land at two sites in Ruthin and 15 on land at Cynwyd.

Other sites are at Bodfari, Cyffylliog, Dyserth, Llanarmon yn Iâl, Llanbedr DC, Llanfair DC, Llangollen, Llanrhaeadr, Prestatyn, Rhuallt and Rhuddlan.

A hearing on the LDP is due to take place in late January.

Ysgol Dinas Bran goes international

Ysgol Dinas Brân has launched its new Comenius project, with seven other European countries - Estonia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey. 

The aim of this two-year project is to investigate the nature of young people's beliefs, in Europe.

It will involve a number of mini-projects and tasks, coupled with visits by both teachers and students.  

The first event at the school will be the launch of the logo competition, so that the overall project, its final book and its website will have a logo that represents its theme. 

The initial visit was to the Czech Republic, where, in Uhersky Brod, teachers and students had a programme of meetings and events, culminating in their participation in a candlelit procession and a folklore evening. 

Each country will take two teachers and three students to each meeting, the next of which will be in Estonia, in March 2013, followed by Sardinia, in April. 

Wales will host in May 2013 and the project will end in Germany - the project co-ordining country -  in 2014, where there will be a big festival to mark its conclusion. 

Peter Williams, the school’s international co-ordinator, said: “We are hoping that the project will help our students to look more closely at what they believe, themselves, as well as the society around them.

“We are hoping, equally, that they will be able to broaden both their cultural and linguistic experiences, as all student visits are homestay ones.”

New police commissioner speaks out

North Wales' new Police and Crime Commissioner says he will be accountable for "every penny and every decision made".  

 

In a statement on his website, Winston Roddick, (pictured below) who was elected to the new post on Thursday, says: "It is a great honour for me to have been elected as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.

"The people of North Wales who voted yesterday have shown that they want an independent commissioner.

 

"We now need to ensure that this new role works effectively for the communities of North Wales.

 

"Turnout was low for these elections across the UK, but the voters have made a choice.

 

"What is important now is that we work together to ensure the best possible police service for North Wales.

 

"As your Police Commissioner I will act independently of any outside interference and I will not let politics get in the way of delivering the best possible police service.

 

"During my campaign, I promised to increase the visible presence of the police, to ensure security at home and safety on our streets, to work with the Chief Constable and officers to ensure the best police service.

 

"I promised to reach out and build partnerships inside and outside the criminal justice system and be accountable to you for every penny spent and every decision made.

 

"These are now my top priorities.

 

"During the coming weeks I will set out how the office of Police and Crime Commissioner will work and how we will reach out and to communities across North Wales.

 

"I will meet the Chief Constable at the earliest opportunity and start working with him and his officers.

 

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those who supported my campaign and who voted for me."

Police promote plan to reduce cycle theft

* North Wales Police are helping you to protect your bike against theft.

Your local Police Community Safety Team are promoting Bike Register which is a free online bicycle identification and registration initiative which is intended to reduce cycle theft, identify stolen bikes and assist in owner recovery.

Norman Hughes, a Crime Reduction Officer, said: "It is possible to register on line athttp://www.bikeregister.com/ or by returning the registration forms to the Community Safety Team. Bike Register may also be contacted via their free phone number 0800 587 4739.

"Registration forms have been distributed to local cycle stores who have agreed to provide the forms with each new purchase during the Christmas period.

"As a team we have also contacted local cycling clubs promoting the scheme highlighting the possible benefits.

"The support we have received has been very encouraging and I urge everybody to register as it is free and could assist in the recovery of stolen bicycles."

He added: "Once registered, details are posted on a secure on-line database which Police Forces across the country have access to.

"Owners also receive a free log book and specific crime prevention information.

"We have intentionally highlighted this initiative during the Christmas period as bicycles could be included on wish lists of presents.

"The initiative is intended to promote crime prevention and not to raise the fear of crime."

More information is available on the North Wales Police website http://www.north-wales.police.uk/Advice & Support, Bicycle Security.