News

Health Bill fails after ‘cheap date’ slur

Published

9 years ago

April 4, 2016

Cheap date: Leighton Andrews

A MAJOR piece of legislation failed to be passed, following an unfortunate remark by Labour Minister Leighton Andrews.

Plaid Cymru had originally offered members a free vote on the Public Health (Wales) Bill, which has caused some controversy due to its stance on ‘vaping’. The original draft Bill called for a ban on vaping which would have matched the current smoking ban.

However, opposition parties united against the proposals, which meant that Health Minister Mark Drakeford offered a compromise, which restricted the use of e-cigarettes in schools, restaurants, public transport, premises which provide childcare, and transport hubs.

It was thought that some Plaid Cymru AMs, including Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones and Llyr Gruffydd, would have voted in favour of the Bill following these compromises, and as late as Wednesday afternoon, most commentators assumed that the Bill would be passed.

At this point Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews angered Plaid members. Referring to the help he had received from them in passing the Local Government Bill previously, he referred to the party as ‘a cheap date,’ which led Simon Thomas AM to want that he ‘may come to regret that remark.’

Plaid Cymru voted with the Conservatives and the Lib Dems against the Bill, which also provided a plan to licence tattoo artists, banned ‘intimate piercings’ for under-16s and called on councils to provide a ‘local toilets strategy.’

This meant that the vote was tied on 26 apiece, and following tradition, Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler voted against.

After the meeting, Professor Drakeford said he was ‘disappointed that the Bill had been voted down: “It puts to waste five years of careful preparation and constructive work with a very wide range of stakeholders and supporters,” he added.

It was suggested that Plaid Cymru’s response was somewhat over-the-top, especially given that Elin Jones had been instrumental in the Bill reaching its present state.

However, Ms Jones hit back over social media: “I worked with Labour on a fair compromise on e-cigs, but my party is not their ‘cheap date’,” she said.

Conservative Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar’s party had consistently opposed the Bill, focusing on the positive effects of e-cigs on those giving up smoking: “I have long argued that introducing this ban would be a huge step backwards for smoking cessation and efforts to improve public health, and I’m delighted that pressure from the Welsh Conservatives and other opposition parties yielded results in the end,” he said.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: “This is a decision that will affect thousands of people, yet Plaid decided to vote based on whether they were a ‘cheap date’ or not. While that is utterly bizarre and somewhat farcical, I of course welcome their u-turn.

“Labour’s illiberal plan flew in the face of medical evidence. E-cigarettes are a useful way for smokers to give up on tobacco and there is no doubt they have saved lives.”

It is worth pointing out that under the amended legislation, vaping was only banned in areas with high concentrations of children, people eating, or public transport.

Richard Hyslop, Chief Executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association said:

“We are delighted that a majority of Welsh Assembly members have chosen to vote against the Welsh Government’s public vaping ban.

This ban was not based on any credible evidence, and it was clear by the wide coalition of organisations opposing this ban, that it lacked any significant support within the public health community or the wider Welsh population.

If this ban had been supported today, it would have resulted in fewer smokers switching to vaping, and many vapers sadly returning to smoking. We are delighted that this will now not be the case.”

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

8 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.