Politics

UKIP attack Plaid on hate crime

Published

7 years ago

October 18, 2017

Plaid Cymru should concentrate on IS threat: UKIP

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has been called upon to take more positive steps to tackle hate crime in Wales.

The earnest and consensual tone of the debate was, however, undermined afterwards by a furious attack on a Plaid Cymru amendment by UKIP.

In a Senedd debate on Tuesday, October 17, members debated the impact of hate crime in Wales’ communities and progress being made to stem the tide of prejudice and violence.

The debate took place against the background of National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

‘UNNOTICED CRIMES’ TO BE TACKLED

Moving the substantive motion, Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said: “All hate crimes are abhorrent. We have seen a number of awful incidents across the UK this year, and I would like again to extend my sympathies to the victims, their families, and everyone affected.”

The Communities Secretary continued to state that while large hate crimes took the headlines, the Welsh Government was also committed to tackling the sort of hate crimes which happen on a smaller scale ‘which often go unnoticed in the wider world’.

In the previous year, Mr Sargeant reported that the figures for hate crime show that 2,941 hate crimes were reported in Wales during 2016-17, which is a 22.3% increase on 2015-16. However, while he was disappointed by the increase, which he explained was attributable to ensuring that such offences were reported and catalogued correctly, he explained that more victims were encouraged to come forwards than hitherto.

Mr Sargeant sounded a warning note of ‘real concern at the rising number of hate crimes committed last year’, including racial abuse; people being shouted at simply for speaking a language other than English—in some cases where the language being used was Welsh; and even of disabled people suffering abuse on buses and trains.

79% RISE IN RACE HATE CRIMES

Responding for the Conservatives, Mark Isherwood revealed to members that overall, police-recorded hate crimes in England and Wales in 2015-16 increased a further 19%, with 79% being race hate crimes.

In July to September 2016, police-recorded hate crime increased 52 per cent in Dyfed Powys to 35 incidents, 22% in north Wales to 56 incidents, 22% in Gwent to 77 incidents and 10% in south Wales to 276 incidents.

Police-recorded hate crime figures in England and Wales published this weeks show a further 29% rise in 2016-17.

Mr Isherwood said: “Home Office statisticians say that this is thought to reflect both a genuine rise in hate crime and ongoing improvements in crime recording by the police.

“Last month, new research showed that the number of lesbian, gay and bi people in Wales experiencing hate crime had jumped from 11 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent this year.”

PLAID AMENDMENT ‘TENDENTIOUS’

Plaid Cymru’s Bethan Jenkins moved an amendment to the motion that called on the Welsh Government to tackle the ‘radicalisation of white men into far right groups’.

While that amendment did not cause a great deal of debate on the floor of the Senedd, although Neil Hamilton from UKIP suggested although he and his party broadly supported the Welsh Government’s efforts there was an ‘attempt to use the issue of hate crime in order to grind political axes’ and described Plaid’s amendment as ‘tendentious’.

After the debate had concluded and the motion passed – including the Plaid amendment – Mr Hamilton’s response and that of his party was a little less measured and far more direct.

SINGLING OUT WHITE MALE RACISTS UNFAIR

A statement from UKIP claimed that ‘Plaid Cymru are once again burying their heads in the sand of Islamic political extremism’.

The statement continues: ‘Plaid Cymru’s amendments are an attempt to divert attention from the main practical problem. By singling out white men, they are also targeting individuals on a racial and gender basis’.

Focusing on the headline events instead of the detail of the motion reporting hate crimes at the local and community level as in the debate, the statement says: ‘The facts show that Islamist terror poses the largest threat to our communities and that should receive the bulk of police and intelligence resources.

‘The activities of individuals and groups described by Plaid Cymru as “far right” cannot be ignored but they are peripheral to the main risk to our safety and liberty posed by ISIS and other so-called ‘Islamic’ groups’.

UKIP Group Leader Neil Hamilton commented: “Plaid Cymru needs to wake up and stop making excuses for politicised Islamic extremism. Political correctness blinds Plaid Cymru to the real threat to British liberal values and undermines the protection of our way of life from those most ready and willing to destroy it.”

The fact that the hate crime debate referenced the increasing number of small incidents of criminal behaviour that targeted people on the basis of their difference from others that took place in small communities, towns, and cities across Wales and was not about terrorism was not mentioned in the release. The fact that those incidents usually – but not always – consisted of racial abuse directed at minorities was also not mentioned.

Education

Pembrokeshire free school transport call to be heard at County Hall

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to allow school pupils from Johnston and Tiers Cross access to free school transport to the nearby Haverfordwest high school is to be heard by councillors next week.

Due to a change in catchment areas the pupils are no longer able to access free transport to Haverfordwest, instead coming under the Milford Haven catchment area.

A petition calling for the reinstatement of the former catchment area to access free transport for pupils to Haverfordwest was recently started in the county.

The e-petition, which ran from September 18-November 1 on the council’s own website, attracted 351 signatures, meeting the threshold for a debate at the relevant Pembrokeshire County Council overview and scrutiny committee, in this case the Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28.

The petition, started by Kirsty Coaker, reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to change Johnston and Tiers Cross School Catchment back to Haverfordwest.

“Children of Johnston and Tiers Cross are now ineligible for free school transport to Haverfordwest High due to the areas no longer being in ‘catchment’.

“Both Johnston and Tiers Cross are Haverfordwest postal codes and are classed as Haverfordwest, yet the school catchment is Milford Haven.

“Please help our children access suitable transport to and from secondary school.”

The e-petition will now be considered at the November 28 meeting.

Climate

Pembrokeshire group plans for larger community wind turbine

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A NORTH Pembrokeshire group which has raised more than £76,000 from its community wind turbine for local projects is hoping to expand with a bigger turbine.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Abergwaun Community Turbine Ltd, through agent Machynlleth-based Dulas Ltd is hoping to get permission for a larger turbine to replace the existing Abergwaun Community Turbine.

The proposed turbine, in a pasture field at Trebover Farm, to the south of Fishguard, would be 67m tall, the existing 2015 one being 45 metres.

In supporting statements, parent company Transition Bro Gwaun said: “The Community Climate Fund (CCF) is the mechanism by which Transition Bro Gwaun (TBG) is fulfilling our ambition of funding projects in Fishguard, Goodwick and across North Pembrokeshire, using income from the community wind turbine.

“The core themes for grants are climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhancement of biodiversity and improvements to community resilience through promotion of community engagement and resource sharing.”

In 2015, TBG raised its 50 per cent share of capital funding for the project by means of loans from 28 local individuals and four community groups, contributing a total of £286,500, the other 50 per cent contributed by landowners Parc-y-Morfa Farms Ltd.

The statement added: “Profit generated by sale of electricity from the turbine is split 50:50 between TBG and Parcy-Morfa Farms Ltd through the jointly owned trading arm, Abergwaun Community Turbine. By the end of 2022, all loans had been repaid, allowing the launch of TBG’s Community Climate Fund. This year we have awarded our third round of grants bringing the total amount granted to £76,036.”

In 2022, £15,274 was awarded to seven projects, including Fishguard Sports AFC to install solar panels on their clubhouse as part of their Tregroes Park development, Ysgol Bro Gwaun for their Increasing Biodiversity and Bees project, and Nevern Valley Veg / Llysiau Cwm Nyfer to install a solar powered vegetable irrigation scheme.

In 2023, £39,85 was made available for seven projects, including Sea Trust Wales to part fund the installation of solar panels on the Ocean Lab roof and to produce a display on solar technology, Letterston Memorial Hall to part fund the installation of an air source heat pump heating system, and Fishguard and Goodwick Rugby Club to install solar panels on their clubhouse.

2024 awards of £20,917 were made to six projects, including Theatr Gwaun to insulate their loft to reduce heating loss, Parc Cerrig Growers for developing a rainwater harvesting system with a pond to irrigate their allotments, Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture for an electric cargo bike for delivering organic vegetables in the Fishguard and St Davids areas, and Nevern Valley Veg to develop wildlife ponds and rainwater harvesting for food production.

The supporting documentation concludes: “The repowering of the existing turbine at Trebover would require a limited increase in turbine size which would result in a very limited change in landscape and visual effects in comparison to the existing Trebover turbine.”

The application will be considered by planners at a later date.

Business

Call to end ‘fad’ of ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to end the ‘fad’ of permanent ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire for their benefit and the befit of the schools, instead using visiting ‘therapy dogs’ is to be heard next week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28 will consider a public submission by Robert Thomas – who works with therapy dogs – on the subject of school dogs.

The submission reads: “My definition of a school dog is one that spends long periods in the school and is managed and owned by school employees not outside assessed and insured visiting therapy dogs who stay for an hour with a competent handler.

“The welfare of many dogs in schools in Pembrokeshire has been compromised over the last few years and we are concerned that the rise in the popularity of school-owned or teacher-owned dogs is an animal welfare issue.

“I can think of several school dogs in Pembrokeshire where it has gone wrong for the animal.”

He cites examples of ‘school dogs’ the county, where he says they have had to be removed, with the animals being unsettled, barking and even nipping on occasions, showing “a lack of understanding of animal welfare”.

His submission adds: “We have done some work with the Animal Welfare team at the Welsh Government around licensing this field, a consultation was completed in March 2023, currently awaiting the outcome.

“It has become a fad across the country and many dogs spend all day in schools supported by staff members who have another job to do. It feels like PCC does not have a policy overarching animal welfare policy in schools to protect dogs from being seen as staff members and there purely for human benefit, not the dogs.

“Dogs need to rest and sleep during the day and not in school. The visiting therapy dog model works best as the impact is greatest and the welfare of the dog is managed externally. If the dog is there all the time that can diminish the impact, and the novelty can wear off for the pupils.

“In my experience schools should concentrate on teaching and leave the therapy dog introduction to those that have the expertise in animal welfare.”

The submission will be considered by committee members at the November 28 meeting.