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Davies calls for pre-election review of £1,600 migrant payment scheme

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Opposition leader says public deserves answers before 2026 Senedd vote

SOUTH WALES Central MS Andrew RT Davies has called on Welsh Government ministers to publish a full evaluation of their controversial £1,600-a-month Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot before voters go to the polls in 2026.

The scheme, launched in 2022, was designed to test whether regular payments could help vulnerable groups—particularly young people leaving care—transition into independent living. But Welsh Conservatives have repeatedly criticised the plan, warning that it could be open to misuse or benefit people without legal status in the UK.

In 2023, Senedd ministers wrote to the UK Government asking that asylum seekers receiving the payments should not lose eligibility for legal aid in deportation cases. Westminster rejected the request, saying the proposal risked legal and ethical complications.

Midpoint review criticised

Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday (Oct 22), Mr Davies pressed Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt for assurances that the full findings—covering costs, outcomes, and recipient data—would be released before the end of the current Senedd term.

Ms Hutt confirmed the evaluation was “at midpoint” and would continue into 2027, calling it “an exciting pilot giving financial stability to a generation of young people leaving care.” She said around 600 participants had taken part so far, with a 97% uptake rate.

Mr Davies said the delay was “not good enough,” adding: “The public deserves to know the truth about the scheme prior to the next Senedd election. Continuing the evaluation into 2027 means voters won’t have the facts before they cast their ballots.”

Background and controversy

The UBI pilot was introduced by the previous Labour-led Welsh Government for care leavers aged 18 and over, offering £1,600 a month for two years. Supporters said it would reduce poverty and improve life chances for young adults leaving the care system. Critics said it was poorly targeted and excessively generous.

Debate intensified in 2023 when reports suggested ministers had considered extending the payments to people without settled immigration status. A Daily Express report claimed the government had explored options for illegal migrants—an idea firmly rejected by Welsh Conservatives.

The Welsh Government later clarified that the pilot applied only to care leavers legally resident in Wales and that any wider proposals were at a preliminary stage.

Calls for accountability

An independent evaluation of the pilot is ongoing, led by researchers from across the UK. Ministers say the study will inform future welfare policy and whether the scheme could be extended.

With the next Senedd election due in May 2026, Mr Davies insists that delaying publication until after the vote would undermine public trust.

“The government chose to make this investment,” he said. “It’s only right that we know whether it’s worked before asking people to vote again.”

 

Entertainment

Saundersfoot film to premiere where it was made

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A PEMBROKESHIRE-made feature film is to receive its big-screen premiere next month in the very harbour where much of it was shot.

Near and Distant Things, written and directed by Saundersfoot filmmaker Emily Batty, will be shown outdoors at Saundersfoot Harbour on Saturday, July 18, as part of the Torch Theatre’s Sunset Cinema series.

The drama, filmed in summer 2025, tells the story of a grieving fisherman trying to support his daughter after she returns home, while experiencing dreamlike visions of his late wife.

The film makes strong use of the Saundersfoot landscape, with scenes filmed at the harbour, The Royal Oak pub, Monkstone Point and other familiar local locations.

Emily, 22, who grew up in Saundersfoot and recently graduated from the University of Oxford with a geography degree, has described the project as “a love letter to home”.

She said: “Watching a film set in Saundersfoot, with recognisable faces and locations on screen, in the heart of the harbour itself where we filmed many scenes, feels incredibly full-circle.

The crew pause for a team-photo (Pic: Rachell Lambert Photography)

“I can’t wait to share that experience with people.”

The film was made with the support of a small team and a largely local cast and crew.

Emily said the production had only been possible because of the “incredible amount of local support” received during filming.

She also praised composer and sound designer Zach Worthington, whose work helped shape the atmosphere of the film.

She said: “The score and soundtrack feel so entangled with the landscape of home.

“It’s a little bit folk, a little bit Celtic, and rather emotional.”

Emily, who has written and directed the film under the name Emily Florence, said some of the ideas behind the film had been with her for several years.

Saundersfoot Harbour was used as a filming location and will now host the premiere (Pic: Rachell Lambert Photography)

She said: “Some of the images within the film have been in my head since I was 18.”

She added that Pembrokeshire remains a major source of inspiration for her future work.

“I have a couple of screenplays in the works – I never stop writing – and I’m looking to get agented,” she said.

“I’m excited to continue to tell stories, in whatever capacity that may be.

“I can say that Pembrokeshire is still my muse, and I don’t think I’m done telling stories about home.”

The outdoor screening will take place on the harbour decking, with gates opening at 6:00pm and the film beginning at 7:00pm.

The film is rated PG, but includes themes of bereavement, mental health, domestic abuse and references to suicide which some viewers may find upsetting.

Emily said she hoped the premiere would be a moment of shared pride for the village.

She said: “So many people helped bring this film to life.

“There’s something very special about sharing a story set in Saundersfoot, surrounded by the landscape that inspired it.”

Tickets are available through the Torch Theatre website, with advance booking recommended.

 

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Welsh Government consults on new protections for leaseholders

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LEASEHOLDERS in Wales could be protected from unfair building safety costs under new Welsh Government proposals.

A consultation has been launched on the first steps to implement the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026, which was passed unanimously by the Senedd.

The proposals are aimed at residents living in multi-occupied buildings and focus on who should pay when safety defects need to be put right.

The consultation covers three main areas: limiting the costs that can be passed on to leaseholders for remediation work, creating a tribunal-based system for remediation orders and remediation contribution orders, and setting out how the height of regulated buildings should be calculated.

The Welsh Government says the aim is to ensure residents are not left paying for building safety failures they did not cause.

Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian said: “No leaseholder in Wales should pay for building safety failures they did not cause, and those failures should be rectified as soon as possible.

“This consultation is a crucial step in making sure the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 delivers real protection for the people it was designed to serve.

“As we mark the ninth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, we have a duty to turn this legislation into lasting change — and this Welsh Government is determined to work with partners to make that happen as quickly as possible.”

The consultation is open to residents, leaseholders, building owners and other interested parties.

It closes on September 7, 2026.

 

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Man found dead near Carmarthen railway line died from hypothermia

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A 32-YEAR-OLD man found dead near Carmarthen Train Station died after taking shelter on a bitterly cold night, an inquest has heard.

Edward Mark Owen, originally from Birmingham but living in Ystradgynlais, was discovered in a field beside the railway line on the approach to Carmarthen station on Saturday, January 10.

A Transport for Wales train driver had spotted what appeared to be a body lying face down near the track shortly after 8:30am.

Police and railway staff attended and found Mr Owen lying face down and topless in the field. His coat, T-shirt, phone and cigarettes were found nearby.

Police initially treated the death as unexplained.

Movements traced

The inquest heard that officers later traced Mr Owen’s movements from his home in Ystradgynlais to Carmarthen.

He had nowhere to stay in the town and had taken shelter under a bridge near the railway station during a particularly cold night.

The coroner said Mr Owen had “sadly succumbed to the effects of hypothermia”.

The fact that he had removed his T-shirt and coat was said to be consistent with a confused state brought on by hypothermia.

A conclusion of misadventure was recorded.

The coroner found that Mr Owen died sometime on January 10, 2026.

 

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