Politics

Carwyn slaps down Conservative race claim

Published

8 years ago

October 11, 2017

Conservatives can't tell Wales and Scotland apart: Carwyn Jones

A CONSERVATIVE claim that the Welsh Government had refused to take part in a ‘race audit’ with the UK Government was given brutally short shrift by the First Minister at questions in the Senedd.

On Tuesday (Oct 10), the mainstream broadcast media were full of the UK Government’s announcement of the result of its ‘Race Disparity Audit’ and comment on its outcome.

The analysis helps to understand and assess differences between ethnic groups, and to identify those public services where disparities are diminishing and those where work is needed to develop effective strategies to reduce disparities between ethnic groups.

And what the audit revealed was a predictable disparity between White and Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) experience of services such as housing, education, and health. It also revealed a far less anticipated huge variation between BAME experiences depending on region and significant regional variations within individual ethnic groups.

The Audit shows a complex picture and Damian Green, First Secretary of State, commented: ”Although there are many areas where the gaps between groups have narrowed significantly, there is still a way to go before we have a country that works for everyone regardless of their ethnicity. [The report] also challenges us all to show leadership, take accountability and identify where we need to do things differently.”

The Conservative Party in Wales, however, went on to the attack.

A press release from the Conservatives claimed the Welsh Government had refused to take part in the Audit and that refusal was ‘yet another example of the Labour Party putting party politics ahead of the good of hardworking families across Wales’.

The same release went on to provide a statement from Mohammed Ashgar, the Conservative regional AM for South East Wales.

Mr Ashgar was reported to have remarked: “People who have lived with discrimination don’t need a government audit to make them aware of the scale of the challenge. However, this audit will bring significant issues into the open and means that there is nowhere for the government or our public services to hide.

“The United Kingdom is one of the most tolerant countries in the world but this audit will undoubtedly shine a light into areas as a nation where we can improve – building on Theresa May’s pledge to build a country that works for everyone, regardless of their background.

“I would implore the Welsh Government to either conduct its own audit or reconsider its refusal to take part in the UK Government’s report – it’s the least people and communities across Wales deserve.”

At First Minister’s Questions, a question on the subject was posed by Angela Burns, who repeated the line adopted in the Conservative press release about the Welsh Government’s purported refusal to take part in the Audit.

Mrs Burns then went one step further, asking the First Minister: “Is your reluctance in releasing the data because you haven’t got it, or is it simply that you won’t get it?”

Continuing to observe: “And the reason why this is so important is because that data would help us to identify areas of poverty in black and minority ethnic communities, where we might actually be able to take some action and make some differences to those people’s lives.”

Dismissing the Conservative claim as ‘wholly untrue’, he continued: “Scotland has refused to co-operate; we have not.”

The First Minister proceeded to provide a blow-by-blow account of the Welsh Government’s extensive engagement with the UK Government’s Race Disparity Audit Unit (RDAU), which he explained came to a head when The UK Government team asked the Welsh Government to fund and resource data analysis of information it had requested for its own purposes.

With the deadline for the audit fast approaching, Carwyn Jones mordantly observed: “RDAU acknowledged the lateness of that request.

“We made it clear that we didn’t have the resources to support that work at that time, and expressed concern about being asked to undertake such a large exercise before the launch date in July. At that point, we were informed that the Scottish Government had decided not to engage with the project.

“On May 26, RDAU responded to a letter from us with a provisional list of data that would be on the website. On June 2, again we agreed to continue working with the unit, by providing advice on the Welsh data sources, and providing data sets for the RDAU to analyse.

On October 4, a third meeting between officials and RDAU took place. They gave us a glimpse of the content of the website, but did not provide us with a copy of the 45-page report.”

Rounding on the claims of a refusal to participate, Carwyn Jones concluded by remarking: “Perhaps it shows the shambles at the heart of the UK Government that they cannot tell Wales and Scotland apart.”

It is also arguable that the exchange demonstrates the danger of relying on partisan briefings before asking questions of a well-prepared Carwyn Jones.

Business

Huge slurry lagoon to be built in Pembrokeshire countryside

Published

8 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS to build a new slurry lagoon at a 650-dairy herd Pembrokeshire farm have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Richard Morris of Bowett Ltd sought permission for the construction of the lagoon, and associated works, at Quoits Hill Farm, Bentlass Road, Hundleton, near Pembroke.

A supporting statement through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd stressed the applicant does not intend to increase livestock numbers on farm as a result of this 60 by 35 metre development.

“The Morris Family farm at Quoits Hill Farm and specialise in dairy farming. The farm is home to approximately 650 dairy cows plus followers. The herd is autumn calving with milk sold to Laprino. The home farm is grass based and extends to over 300 acres, with more off lying land utilised for growing winter forage.

“The family have invested significantly in recent years in on farm infrastructure to include a rotary milking parlour, silage clamps and covered feed yards.”

It added: “The proposed development seeks to increase the farms slurry storage capacity to above the five-month storage required by NVZ regulations. The existing slurry store and slurry handling facilities are not adequate to comply with the new regulations.”

It went on to say: “The proposed store will provide the farm with 6452 cubic meters of storage capacity (minus freeboard) which will equate to over 171 days storage. It is proposed to use the existing field slurry store as a lightly fouled water store to collect the parlour washings and reduce the size of the store required. Slurry will continue to be scrapped into the existing yard store and then pumped to the new store when required. This work will be monitored closely to reduce the risk of any leakage.”

It concluded: “The proposed development will enable slurry to be spread during the growing season rather than during more difficult weather conditions in the winter. This will be of benefit to farm efficiency and the wider environment.”

The application was conditionally approved.

News

Huge slurry lagoon to be built in Pembrokeshire countryside

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

PLANS to build a new slurry lagoon at a 650-dairy herd Pembrokeshire farm have been given the go-ahead.

A supporting statement through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd stressed the applicant does not intend to increase livestock numbers on farm as a result of this 60 by 35 metre development.

“The family have invested significantly in recent years in on farm infrastructure to include a rotary milking parlour, silage clamps and covered feed yards.”

The application was conditionally approved.

News

Former Pembroke Dock church to be transformed into gym

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PREVIOUSLY refused plans to convert an upstairs storage area for a gym on the site of a former Pembrokeshire town centre church to a flat have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Gethin Beynon sought permission for a change of use of a second-floor storage area associated with the Synergy Health and Fitness Centre, Trinity Building, Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock to residential accommodation.

The site was formerly the Bethel Baptist Church, in the town’s conservation area.

A previous 2021 application was refused on the grounds a balcony and roof lights would impact on the character and appearance of the building, and the conservation area, and “would result in a material and unacceptable increase in the levels of overlooking and would also result in the perceived overlooking of the private amenity areas of the dwellings immediately to the north and east of the site”.

The resubmitted application sought to address those reasons, with changes including a removal of the balcony to the north, a reduction in the number of velux windows, and amended designs.

A supporting statement said: “This amended design is not considered to result in a significant harmful overlooking impact and would reduce any overlooking perception to an acceptable level.

“With regard to amenity provision, this is limited, however given the proposal only forming a two-bedroom unit and having a sustainable location being in the Pembroke Dock settlement, with open space amenity provision and facilities being nearby the proposal would be acceptable.”

An officer report, recommending approval, said: “The development would provide new open market housing within the settlement boundary of the Hub Town of Pembroke Dock, resulting in positive environmental and social impacts through the appropriate reuse of the building and the increase in availability of varied accommodation in the local area and positive economic benefits through expenditure on building materials and on labour during constriction.”

The application was conditionally approved.