WELSH CONSERVATIVE Shadow Farming Minister Andrew RT Davies has called on Plaid Cymru ministers to stop funding public information campaigns which he says undermine Welsh meat.

The criticism follows a Welsh Government response to a written question from Welsh Conservative Senedd Leader Darren Millar, which showed £662,000 was allocated to the Climate Action Wales campaign during 2025-26.

Examples of the campaign include online advice on ‘green food choices’, sustainable eating and meat-free options, alongside wider material on energy, travel and consumer behaviour.

The campaign gives advice on reducing carbon emissions through choices on food, travel, energy and purchasing. Its sustainable food guidance says meat is among the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from ruminant livestock such as cows and sheep.

It also advises people to limit red and processed meat, while saying those who do eat meat should try to buy local, sustainably farmed produce where available.

Mr Davies said Welsh meat should be promoted rather than undermined.

He said: “Welsh meat is of the highest quality and the industry forms a key part of our economy.

“Plaid Cymru separatists must celebrate it, not fund campaigns that undermine Welsh meat.

“No project aimed at discouraging meat consumption should receive public funds.”

The Welsh Government response said the figures related to public information campaigns connected to the previous government’s policies.

SCHOOL leaders have warned that a Welsh Government plan to increase incentive payments for trainee teachers in priority subjects risks creating a “two-tier workforce”.

NAHT Cymru said the move may help attract some new teachers, but warned it does not address the wider recruitment and retention crisis facing schools across Wales.

The Welsh Government’s priority subject incentive scheme offers grants to eligible postgraduate teacher trainees in subjects including biology, chemistry, design and technology, digital technology and computer science, mathematics, international languages, physics and Welsh.

Laura Doel, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, said: “While we agree that an ambitious plan to help schools struggling with recruitment and retention of teachers is needed, we don’t think focusing on subject-specific incentives is the way to go.

“This risks creating a two-tier workforce and appears to be a short-term sticking plaster solution for a systemic problem.”

She said there appeared to be no requirement for teachers to remain in schools for a set number of years after induction in order to keep the payment.

Ms Doel added: “We know a significant proportion of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of teaching.”

NAHT Cymru said ministers should focus instead on the wider pressures affecting teachers, school leaders and primary schools, as well as secondary subjects where recruitment is difficult.

The union said improving pay, terms and conditions, and reducing workload would do more to make teaching an attractive long-term career.

Ms Doel said: “By going further in restoring the real-terms value of pay, which fell sharply over the previous decade, improving terms and conditions, and bearing down on unsustainable levels of workload, ministers could make the profession an attractive long-term career proposition once again.

“But schools also need fairer funding to recruit the staff and support staff they need and deliver for pupils.”

She said ensuring schools receive the full consequential funding owed through the Barnett Formula should be a priority for the new administration.

NAHT represents more than 38,000 school leaders across early years, primary, secondary and special schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ministers say unsuitable homes are worsening health and contributing to delayed hospital discharges across Wales

POOR or unsuitable housing is directly affecting people’s health and placing additional strain on NHS services in Wales, the Welsh Government has admitted, following the publication of a major new report warning of the growing health impacts of inadequate homes.

The warning comes in a new report by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), which argues that poor housing is worsening physical and mental health, increasing hospital readmissions and adding avoidable pressure to health and social care services.

The report says millions of people across the UK are living in homes that fail to meet their needs, with problems ranging from damp and poor accessibility to unsuitable living environments for older people and those with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

The Welsh Government acknowledged the issue when asked for comment by The Pembrokeshire Herald.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Poor or unsuitable housing directly impacts people’s health and places additional pressure on NHS services.

“Delayed discharges linked to unsuitable housing are a serious concern and we are taking steps to improve patient flow and reduce delays, strengthening joint working between health, social care and housing services so people can leave hospital safely.

“This Welsh Government has been clear that housing is a public health issue, which is why we are aligning action across government, including through dedicated ministerial oversight, to create a healthier population.

“We are also strengthening adaptation services to support independent living and prevent avoidable admissions and are establishing a new national development body to speed up delivery of accessible social homes.”

The RCOT report argues there is little point discharging patients from hospital if they are returning to homes that worsen their condition or fail to meet their needs. It also highlights growing concerns around delayed hospital discharges, accessibility and an ageing population.

In west Wales, Hywel Dda University Health Board said housing and wider living conditions have a significant effect on health outcomes.

James Severs, Executive Director of Allied Health Professions and Health Science at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Most of what determines our health and well-being sits beyond the NHS. While healthcare is vital, it is the conditions in which people live, learn, work and age that have the greatest impact on health outcomes. As a Health Board, we recognise that the NHS contributes only a proportion of overall population health, with wider factors such as housing, education, employment and the environment playing a much larger role.

“This is why our strategy for ‘A Healthier Mid and West Wales’ is focused on moving beyond an illness-centred model of care to one that prioritises prevention, early intervention and support in communities. We are committed to working in partnership with local authorities, the third sector and our communities to address these wider determinants of health, reduce inequalities and enable people to live healthier lives, well lived.”

The report states that almost half of adults in Wales are already living with long-term health conditions and warns that failing to address poor housing could place increasing pressure on already stretched services.

The Pembrokeshire Herald has approached Pembrokeshire County Council for comment.