Politics
Green homes efforts ‘not up to the challenge’

Llyr Gruffydd: Discussed Plaid’s home improvement plan
PLAID CYMRU’S Shadow Environment Minister Llyr Gruffydd has said that Labour is not up to the challenge of climate change, and that the Party of Wales’ plan to introduce a new home energy efficiency programme is necessary if Wales is to meet its emissions target.
Mr Gruffydd criticised the Labour government’s current efforts to retrofit homes warning that their energy efficiency programmes are nowhere near the scale required to meet the size of the challenge. At the current rate of the Labour government’s efforts to retrofit homes, he said, it would take 78 years to achieve the level of energy efficiency required in Welsh homes.
Plaid Cymru has promised to bring forward the biggest energy efficiency programme Wales has ever seen.
Mr Gruffydd said: “A Plaid Cymru Government after May will embark on the biggest home energy efficiency programme that Wales has ever seen. A multi billion pound programme to transform what is at the moment one of the most energy inefficient housing stocks in Europe.
“Not only would this help with stimulating job creation, it would also tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions. A win, win, win for Wales.
“Bringing all the worst performing houses up to an adequate rating would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from housing by 40%, and reduce the number of households in fuel poverty by 40%, reducing energy bills for people in Wales by £423m every year.
“This would bring a staggering 132,000 households out of fuel poverty, which has the added benefit of reducing the amount of respiratory illnesses and coldrelated winter deaths amongst the elderly – taking some of the pressure off our stretched health services.
“And in the process it would create over 6,000 direct jobs, and over 14,000 gross jobs, when you take supply chain spending and the multiplier effect into account.
“Labour has been content with its modest programmes that have had limited success. It’s clear that Labour is not up to the challenge, and that more decisive action is required. A Plaid Cymru government is that change that Wales needs.”
Politics
Dowson dissents on new CEO

A PEMBROKESHIRE county councillor has come forward to oppose the appointment of the authority’s new Chief Executive despite not voting against it when an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council considered.
Controversial Pembroke Dock Central county councillor Paul Dowson issued a press release in which he said that the new CEO had ‘no track record’ in the role.
Last Wednesday (March 31) Pembrokeshire County Council overwhelmingly voted in favour of Major-General Will Bramble’s appointment.
Councillors voted 48 votes for with two abstentions and one against.
Milford Central councillor Stephen Joseph’s was the sole vote against the appointment.
Cllr Joseph is a noted booster of former CEO Ian Westley, whose departure with a £95,000 pay-off caused controversy.
An Audit Wales investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Westley’s pay-off is due to report within a few weeks.
Major-General Bramble is currently the Senior British Officer in Italy and Deputy Commander of the NATO Corps in Italy.
His track record was not enough to impress Cllr Dowson, however.
Cllr Dowson said: “He has no experience in a local authority having spent his career entirely in the military.
“I felt that the massive responsibility that comes with this role and the salary level requires more than just one candidate at final stages.
“Cllrs Josh Beynon and Di Clements both stated, ‘give him a chance”.
“I’m afraid at this level you don’t give someone a chance,especially one with no track record in the job.
“He was a very good candidate but I’m not prepared to make a decision on an option already chosen by the senior staff committee and presented to the full council for approval.
“The candidate was strong but the post should have been readvertised and he should have been put forward for the final round when others were competing for the job too.”
Politics
Criticism of Labour’s water pollution policy grow

RIGHT OBJECTIVE WRONG METHOD
Fraser McAuley, CLA Policy Advisor, said: “The Government’s laudable objectives can be better met by an approach which focuses attention where it’s most needed. Where a problem doesn’t exist, we should not be imposing unnecessary costs on a hard-pressed sector in a future of uncertainty.
WG HASN’T LISTENED TO THE SCIENCE
Janet Finch-Saunder said: “CLA Cymru is bang on the money here over Labour’s unfair stance on nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ).
‘CULTURE WAR’
Carmarthen East & Dinefwr’s MP, Jonathan Edwards, went further and accused the Welsh Government of stoking a ‘culture war’ between farmers and the environmental lobby for electoral advantage.
“The Labour Government have also failed to consider the emergence of innovative slurry management technology.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Cris Tomos, said: “It is concerning that the Labour Welsh Government continues to ignore farmers and the farming unions.
“These regulations could be detrimental to the farming community, especially to the Welsh family farm.
A TIGHT TIMETABLE
If Labour intends to plough on with its legislation, it really has to get its skates on.
‘GREEN’ CREDENTIALS
Having promised a Clean Air Act for Wales in its 2016 manifesto, it is nowhere near bringing any such legislation forward. It appears it’s more in the presentation and consultation than in the statute book.
As Jonathan Edwards notes above: you’d think there was an election coming.
Suppose Labour cannot form a majority government propped up by votes from individuals like Dafydd Elis Thomas. In that case, it will need to haggle over its future plans or face legislative deadlock.
Education
Senedd approves Wales’ National Curriculum

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