Isherwood speaks out for small businesses

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has emphasised the importance of access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Mr Isherwood is concerned that the Federation of Small Businesses states that SMEs in Wales are significantly less optimistic about their business prospects than their counterparts in the rest of the UK – and that 64% have never heard of Welsh Government subsidiary Finance Wales.

Speaking in the Welsh Conservative Debate on ‘A Vision for Welsh Investment: Invest Wales’, he said: “That is why Welsh Conservatives have launched Invest Wales, using Finance Wales funding to regionalise access to finance for Micro, Small and Medium size Business with Welsh HQs - encouraging High Street lending, not just state banking.

“This would complement the UK Government’s Funding for Lending Scheme, operating since last August to incentivise banks and building societies to boost their lending to UK households and non-financial companies.

“As the Bank of England stated last month 'the Funding for Lending Scheme has helped to improve funding conditions for UK firms' and '35 banks and building societies had signed up to the scheme, representing 82% of the stock of lending to the domestic economy'.”

Speaking in the chamber three years ago, Mr Isherwood highlighted the Banking on Essex initiative, to support SMEs, the first municipal banking scheme to be created since 1915, with Santander Bank as 50% partner – thereby taking half the risk and slashing the amount of costly regulation that a new bank would have to comply with, but that an established bank partner would not.

“As the First Minister then agreed, setting up a new bank can be a costly and protracted business if you start it from scratch and using the expertise that is already in the banking sector to develop a social model of banking makes sense.

 

"Banking on Essex subsequently closed, citing a lack of demand from small businesses – but, as the Federation of Small Businesses has stated 'Wales has the highest share of small businesses applying for credit of any UK region or country'."

 

Invest Wales, with an independent board, 50/50 partnership with banks and other financial institutions and a regional branch structure is the prudent model for Wales’ business and banking sectors.

 

"After all, some 8.4% of the economy in Wales is generated by financial services.”

Strictly pair to star at eisteddfod

The Daily Post is reporting this morning that Strictly Come Dancing couple James and Ola Jordan will add glitz and glamour to the star-studded line-up at this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Llan campaigners lobby Health Minister

* Campaigners, including the Llangollen contingent, gather outside

Lesley Griffiths' Wrexham office. Below left, lobbyists knock on the door.

Llangollen campaigners played a key role in a mass lobby of Wales’ Health Minister Lesley Griffiths against plans to shake-up NHS services in the region.

And Ms Griffiths, who is Assembly Member for Wrexham, was warned by demonstrators she could face electoral problems is she fails to take notice of their case.

The controversial plans by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board include the axing of Llangollen Cottage Hospital.

Campaign groups across north Wales have been opposing various aspects of the proposals and around 60 of them gathered outside the constituency office of Health Minister Lesley Griffiths in Wrexham on Friday afternoon.

Among them were members of Keep Llangollen Health Services (KLHS) who are incensed that measures to wind down the town’s community hospital have already been unexpectedly put in place – before patients watchdog the Community Health Council is due to finish its examination of the shake-up package on March 1.

Maria Haines of KLHS said of the demo: “Basically I summarised the current situation regarding the proposals in general and Llangollen Hospital in particular, including the fact that I have heard that just this week a Llangollen resident needing the type of care provided by community hospitals has been admitted to Mold Community Hospital instead of Llangollen because it has been decreed that Llangollen is not receiving any new admissions.

“I then read an open message to Lesley Griffiths, which was vociferously endorsed by the assembled throng.”

This is the message she read out:  "Lesley Griffiths, at the last election, the people of Wrexham entrusted you with representing their interests, and the interests of the people of Wales in general, in the Welsh Government. And sufficient people throughout Wales voted Labour for your party to be able to form the Welsh Government, and to appoint you to oversee and safeguard the health of the people of Wales – ALL the people of Wales.

“That includes all the people who live a long way from any of the main hospitals, and all the people for whom forming a bond with a sick baby on the Wirral, or supporting that baby's already-traumatised mother, would involve an impossible journey.

“Please, Lesley Griffiths, fulfil the responsibility you have taken on as Health Minister, by: 

·         calling in these plans,

·         looking at them in detail, and

·         compelling the Health Board to maintain and improve existing services, bearing in mind the real needs of ALL the people who need to use them, rather than withdrawing services now on the vague less-than-promise than we might get something else in the future. 

“We are placing our trust in you – but if you betray that trust, we will not go away. And we will not forget, when the next election comes around.  

“Sixty-five years ago, Aneurin Bevan said that: ‘The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it’. 

“Let us assure you, Lesley Griffiths, that there are plenty of people ready to fight for a decent, fit-for-purpose NHS in North Wales – and we are watching very carefully to see whether you are one of us!"

 

* Placards laid outside Lesley Griffiths'

constituency office.

 

Health protesters lobby Minister in Wrexham

The BBC News website is reporting this evening (Friday) that about 80 people staged a rally in Wrexham about health service shake-up plans in north Wales.

The opponents to the plans met outside the office of Health Minister Lesley Griffiths who is the Labour AM for Wrexham.

See the full story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-21389248

A picture accompanying a story on the ITV Wales news website shows someone at the rally holding a "save Llangollen hospital beds" banner: http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-02-08/health-protest-outside-ministers-wrexham-constituency-office/

Minister quizzed over North Wales prison

With those against a prison being built in North Wales claiming it would not create economic benefits, an Assembly Member has called for the Welsh Government to establish the facts.

North Wales Regional AM and Shadow Minister for North Wales, Mark Isherwood, raised the matter with the Minister for Business this week.

He said: "Although it is reported that a prison in north Wales could create 1,000 jobs, and the Wrexham Business Professionals group, for example, said that it could bring much-needed social and economic benefits to the region, opponents -and there are always opponents to everything - claim that many of the jobs would be imported from prisons elsewhere, and that factories on the Wrexham industrial estate, if it went there, would be driven away. What discussions can you or will you have with the UK Government to establish the true costs and benefits so that, in ensuring public engagement, we are dealing with the facts, the real benefits, and the true economic gain."

The Minister told Mr Isherwood that there are plenty of sites in north Wales that are suitable for the development of a prison and assured him that no businesses would have to vacate their sites to accommodate it.

Speaking in the Chamber Mr Isherwood also questioned the First Minister over the prison proposals, asking what role the Welsh Government is playing in assessing the feasibility of proposed North Wales sites, particularly given that, in 2009, the Caernarfon site was cancelled on the basis that it was no longer considered feasible for the proposed provision.

The First Minister said the Welsh Government are working with the Ministry Of Justice in terms of what sites it is looking to identify.

He said: "It is important that a site in the north of Wales is identified as a site for a prison. As part of that work, examining the potential sites will be important to ensure that the prison goes ahead."

North Wales Police begins recruiting Specials

North Wales Police has announced that the recruiting window for Special Constables is now open.

From today (Friday 8^th February) applications for the role of Special Constable are being accepted until Monday 25^th February.

The role of the Special Constable is to assist and support the regular force in meeting local policing needs. They are an important part of the police service and have a vital role to play in the future of policing.

Special Constables undertake valuable work and form a vital link between the regular force and the local community. Special Constables are volunteers, from all walks of life, who want to do something positive for their communities.

With North Wales Police you would be expected to carry out a variety of tasks. Duties could include assisting regulars on patrol, crime prevention work and community liaison projects.

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard said: “We are really keen to encourage local people to get involved with policing their local community.

“Special Constables undertake valuable policing work within communities, but it is not only the locality that benefits from the work of officers. It is a two way process. Individuals joining can develop a whole range of skills including communication, self-confidence, teamwork and initiative. Joining the Specials also opens up a world of opportunity for personal and professional advancement. What’s more, the community also benefits from an increased police presence.”

He added: “We are an equal opportunities employer and are totally committed to the principles of equality and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Indeed, to ensure our service is fully representative of the communities it serves we welcome applications from under represented groups, particularly fluent Welsh speakers.”

Special Constableswork alongside regular officers, and are expected to commit at least four hours service a week. They are given training and a uniform, and have all the powers and authority of regular officers.

Watchdog responds to row over health services

A watchdog body has given a measured response to claims that health chiefs have “jumped the gun” by making changes to some local services - including those at Llangollen Cottage Hospoital - earlier than expected.    

However, the Community Health Council concedes the changes made some people disappointed and even angry.

llanblogger reported on Tuesday that minor injuries services are to be withdrawn from Llangollen Cottage Hospital over the next two weeks 

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) also revealed that, since Monday of this week, the hospital has been accepting no new admissions and that its staff are being re-deployed to other units.  

The Abbey Road hospital  is earmarked for closure as part of a major shake-up of health services approved by the board last month.  

But the two moves have come as a surprise blow to campaigners fighting to retain health services in Llangollen who thought they would have longer before the changes went into effect – at least until they had been fully considered by patients’ watchdog body, the Community Health Council (CHC), which has until March 1 to decide on whether to formally object to the change proposals.  

A spokesperson for campaign group Keep Llangollen Health Services (KLHS) said the moves made a “mockery” of the consultation process. 

BCUHB said the moves had been made because “There is a risk that other services could become more difficult to operate safely as staff start to look at alternative roles and opportunities within the Health Board.”  

Now, in its own response to the developments, the Community Health Council has issued a statement which says:  “Representatives of the CHC were at the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board meeting on Friday 18th January to hear its decisions about proposals to change some health services in North Wales.  

“The Health Board has changed some of its plans in response to what the CHC and others said during the consultation – and we are very pleased about that.” 

It goes on: “A special meeting of the CHC’s Executive Committee was held on the 28th January 2013. This meeting was convened to give CHC members the opportunity to raise any further representations following the health board’s decisions on service changes.  

“The CHC is aware that the health board has now decided to implement some of the changes to services and that in some cases these changes have been undertaken on the grounds of patient safety.  

“Under the Guidance for Engagement for and Consultation on changes to health services, the health board can legally effect service changes and is not obliged to wait for the CHC’s final response on other issues.  

“The CHC has had many calls from people who are very disappointed - indeed angry that the board has turned its face against arguments made against some of its plans.  

“Our job now is to talk through the health board’s final decisions and the CHC is responsible for assessing the proposals in a detailed and consistent way.  

“If the CHC refers any of the decisions to the Minister, we will be called to explain to an independent panel exactly why we think they are not in the interest of local people or the health service. This is why the CHC has matched every proposal to the criteria it set out several months ago. And we will do the same for this final set of decisions. 

“We have until the 1st March 2013 to complete this work and decide whether we should lodge any formal objections.”