News

Tories promise service return to Withybush

Published

10 years ago

April 28, 2016

SENIOR members of the Welsh Conservative Party visited Withybush Hospital on Tuesday (Apr 12) to pledge a return of services to the hospital if elected in May.

The leader of the party, Andrew RT Davies, and local Assembly candidates Angela Burns and Paul Davies met with the local media to discuss health care in west Wales.

Ms Burns emphasised how important health care was in the area, saying that all respondents so far to a survey she had commissioned specified provision of health services as a major issue.

Andrew RT Davies said that investment in the service, to allow commissioners to commission services, would improve the health care service locally, and pledged £800m of investment in the Welsh NHS over the fifth assembly.

When asked if his party had any plans to privatise NHS services, as is happening in England, Andrew RT Davies came straight to the point:

“There will be no privatisation and health will be free at point of need,” he insisted. What the Welsh Conservatives want to do is commit to lowering waiting times and reopen minor injury units to take the pressure off A&Es.”

Mr Davies also pledged to reopen the special baby care unit at Withybush – the closing of which attracted a lot of strong feeling locally.

The reasons given for the closure were finance, ability to train staff, and failure to attract staff. If you get the finance right you can put the training in place. If you put the training in place you can attract medics to come here and develop skills, so it all boils down to the commitment you are prepared to make about finance.

Mr Davies dismissed talks of cuts in other areas, including adult social care: “There will be no cutbacks in social care, because health and social care go hand-inglove,” he added, pointing out that cuts would lead to bed blockage.

Mr Davies also claimed that the average hospital stay in Wales was 6.7 days, while in England it was 4.6

“If we can shave two days off the average stay in hospital, that is saving about £1,000 per bed.”

When asked whether the Welsh Conservatives disagreed with a report from the Royal College of Paediatric Services and Child Health, which suggested that there was ‘no clinical sense’ in returning 24 hour paediatric services to Withybush, Mr Davies said he disagreed with the way in which the report was undertaken.

When asked how they would address long-standing issues in attracting staff, Andrew RT Davies said that finance was key, in that doctors would be offered secure long-term contracts and would have the resources in place to back up their skills and the training necessary to improve.

“What has happened in the last five years is we have had £1b illio n taken out of the health service and that has led to cuts.

“What we need in our politicians is strong leadership and commitment – and we are offering that on both counts.”

He pledged that no cuts to the health budget would be made over the assembly term, and promised the delivery of a rural health care plan.

Ms Burns also pointed out that, without Withybush Hospital, the region would be unable to attract GPs – a concern that has previously been raised by doctors’ surgeries in the county.

When asked whether controversial plans mooted in Westminster to introduce a minimum £35,000 salary requirement for non-EU migrants would affect the ability of health boards to fill job vacancies, Mr Davies said: “The ability to attract staff from outside the EU is key to all health services in the UK,” and suggested it was down to devolved governments to put the right packages in place.

He also claimed that there would be exemptions for health workers to make up shortfalls.

“But what we are aspiring to do is train of our own doctors, our own nurses and our own professional staff to manage and develop our own health service here in “Wales,” he added.

“But in the short term it should be within the gift of any health board to attract staff and we will work with our colleagues in Westminster to make sure that happens.”

Given that the Conservative Government in England has replaced nursing bursaries with a loan system, we asked if the Welsh Conservatives would follow suit. Mr Davies emphatically denied that this would be the case.

When asked how important this election was for Wales, Mr Davies said that it was ‘vital’.

“In 2021, people in Wales will be looking back at a missed opportunity,” he added. “We can’t afford another five years of Carwyn’s crisis.”

Mr Davies was somewhat more reticent when asked whether he would enter a coalition with UKIP to get Labour out of power in Wales: “408,000 people in Wales voted Welsh Conservative in 2015, and 401,000 voted for Carwyn Jones in 2011″

He said, neatly dodging the question : “So more people voted Welsh Conservative in the last 12 months and we have to make sure they turn up at this election.”

The polls in the run-up to the election, which show a gain for Plaid Cymru and a slight falling-away of Conservative support were disputed by Mr Davies, who reminded us that in the general Election, the Tories were polled at 14 points behind Labour in the Gower, which they ended up winning. “What I am seeing on the doorstep, and what all candidates across Wales are seeing, is a positive response for the Conservatives,” he claimed.

Ms Burns, currently predicted to lose her seat to Plaid Cymru, pointed out that ‘her death had been predicted twice before, ‘but I’ve managed to evade it!’ She claimed that when doorstepping in the Labour and Plaid Cymru heartlands ‘people had been positive about the story I have to bring.’

Business

£13m offshore wind funding boost: Pembrokeshire projects among UK winners

Published

28 minutes ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Second round of Crown Estate accelerator backs Welsh innovation as Celtic Sea sector gathers pace

PEMBROKESHIRE has secured a key share of a new £13 million investment aimed at accelerating the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, with Ledwood Engineering in Pembroke Dock named among the successful projects backed by The Crown Estate.

The announcement comes as the UK marks 25 years since its first offshore wind turbines were installed off Blyth, celebrating a sector that now employs 40,000 people and generates nearly a fifth of the nation’s electricity.

Funding to drive growth in the Celtic Sea

Sixteen projects across England, Wales and Scotland will share the funding, with Pembrokeshire’s role in the expanding Celtic Sea floating wind sector highlighted by both UK and Welsh Ministers.

Ledwood Engineering’s project — focused on automated mooring systems — is one of several Welsh schemes selected, alongside work by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and a floating construction station at Port Talbot.

The Crown Estate says the accelerator programme is designed to de-risk early-stage supply chain development, helping UK companies get to the point where they can attract major investment and support the infrastructure needed for construction, manufacturing, assembly and maintenance of offshore wind projects.

This latest funding round is nearly three times larger than the first award last year. If the projects progress to full build-out, they could unlock £2.2 billion of capital investment and create around 3,000 skilled jobs.

Pembrokeshire’s critical role

The Welsh Government says today’s announcement demonstrates that Wales is “building the infrastructure and expertise to lead the floating wind revolution” — with Pembrokeshire a key strategic location because of its deep-water port, skilled energy workforce and proximity to Celtic Sea development zones.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans said:
“This funding is a significant vote of confidence in Wales’ offshore wind capabilities. From Ledwood Engineering’s work in Pembroke Dock to projects testing new technologies for the Celtic Sea, these developments will create high-quality jobs, deliver clean energy and strengthen our coastal communities for generations to come.”

The Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“The development of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea presents huge opportunities for Wales… creating thousands of well-paid skilled jobs. The UK Government is working with partners to develop home-grown clean energy which will secure our supply, reduce bills and help achieve net zero.”

Industry reaction

Julia Rose, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate, said the accelerator is helping early-stage projects reach the point where they can secure long-term investment.

“These innovative businesses will help us move closer towards our clean power and energy security goals. Supporting the onshore supply chain is essential if the UK is to keep pace with the scale of offshore development planned for the next 25 years.”

RenewableUK’s Head of Supply Chain Ajai Ahluwalia added that focusing on high-value components for offshore wind could triple the UK’s current manufacturing capacity and boost the UK economy by £25 billion by 2035.

What it means for Pembrokeshire

With major developments planned in the Celtic Sea, including floating offshore wind farms capable of powering millions of homes, today’s announcement strengthens Pembrokeshire’s position as:

A manufacturing and engineering hub for large-scale renewable infrastructure
A potential operations and maintenance base for future wind farms
A region that could benefit from substantial job creation in the energy transition

The Herald understands that further announcements linked to port upgrades, fabrication facilities and construction-stage investment may follow as the Celtic Sea programme advances.

Community

End of the line for Intercity 125s as GWR retires Castle Class fleet

Published

57 minutes ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final services mark the end of an era for West Wales rail passengers

THE LAST remaining Intercity 125 High Speed Trains on the Great Western network will make their final scheduled journeys this Saturday (Dec 13), bringing to a close nearly 50 years of service on routes across Wales and the West Country.

Great Western Railway confirmed that its refurbished “Castle Class” sets – shortened HST formations powered by the iconic Class 43 locomotives – will be withdrawn from passenger use after this weekend. The trains, first introduced in 1976, were once the backbone of long-distance travel between West Wales and London Paddington, including the direct Milford Haven–Paddington service used by generations of students and commuters.

Although the Castle sets stopped operating long-distance routes in 2019, they continued to run regional services between Cardiff and Penzance, and were a familiar sight in Pembrokeshire during summer diagrams. Until a few years ago, it was still possible to see a 125 working into Pembroke Dock on weekend services.

To manage expected public interest, GWR will operate an additional farewell round-trip on Saturday, leaving Plymouth at 3.16pm, running to Penzance (calling only at Par), before returning at 5.32pm.

GWR said the trains will be replaced by its existing diesel fleet alongside 26 recommissioned Class 175s, which will roll out gradually during 2026.

The retirement brings a wave of nostalgia for many West Wales passengers who remember the era when a full-length 125 left Milford Haven each morning bound for London. The distinctive Valenta engine note, table seating, and early laptop users powering their machines from the staff hoover socket made the service part of local student life in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Saturday’s farewell run will mark the final chapter for a train that transformed long-distance travel and, for nearly half a century, connected Pembrokeshire to the capital at high speed.

If you’d like, we can add a nostalgia breakout box revisiting the Milford Haven–Paddington days, the Red Dragon breakfast service, and the 125 summers on the Pembroke Dock branch.

Local Government

Carmarthenshire welcomes new council leader

Published

2 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

New Cabinet confirmed following Full Council meeting

COUNCILLOR Linda Evans has been appointed Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council and Chair of the Cabinet following a meeting of Full Council on Wednesday (Dec 10).

A long-serving Plaid Cymru councillor for the Llanfihangel-ar-Arth ward, Cllr Evans has served on the authority since 2008 and has been a Cabinet Member since 2015.

Her appointment was formally confirmed during the meeting, where she also announced her Cabinet team — a 10-member executive responsible for the council’s overall business. The Cabinet meets fortnightly to make key decisions and recommendations to Full Council and, in some cases, decisions can be taken individually by Cabinet Members.

All members of the previous administration have retained their roles, with one change: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone joins the Cabinet as the new Cabinet Member for Homes.

The full Cabinet is as follows:

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism: Cllr Hazel Evans
Cabinet Member for Education: Cllr Glynog Davies
Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Communities and Welsh Language: Cllr Carys Jones
Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce: Cllr Philip Hughes
Cabinet Member for Resources: Cllr Alun Lenny
Cabinet Member for Homes: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone
Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services: Cllr Edward Thomas
Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Children and Adult Social Services: Cllr Jane Tremlett
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability: Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen
Leader of the Council: Cllr Linda Evans

Speaking after her appointment, Cllr Evans said:
“It’s an honour to be elected as Council Leader and I look forward to working with the Cabinet and all members across the chamber for the benefit of the residents of Carmarthenshire.”