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Welsh tax plans for 2019 revealed by Finance Minister Rebecca Evans

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FINANCE MINISTER Rebecca Evans has announced the Welsh Government’s Tax Policy Work Plan for 2019.
This year’s plan focuses on developing the government’s approach to taxation in Wales – exploring the scope for continued improvement to tax administration, while further strengthening the links between tax and policy areas, and ensuring taxes remain fair throughout this process.
The plan aims to develop government proposals to build the Welsh tax base, while continuing to make the case for devolution of air passenger duty to Wales, taking forward consideration of land and property taxation, and continuing to work with the UK Government on disposable taxes and other environmental taxes. The Welsh Government will also explore further the funding options for social care in the future, progress plans to devolve powers for a vacant land tax to Wales, and develop thinking on a tourism tax.
Ensuring Welsh taxes are working effectively is a key priority in 2019. Following the successful introduction of land transaction tax and landfill disposals tax last year, and with Welsh rates of income tax going live on April 6, the government will continue to work closely with the Welsh Revenue Authority and HMRC. As part of this coordinated approach the government will also consider options for developing information resources, including data sharing and analysis to strengthen the evidence base for tax policy decisions and improved tax administration in Wales.
Continuing to build on the government’s open and transparent tax policy making process also remains a key priority. A long-term plan to build capacity on tax policy and administration will be developed, and work with the UK and other devolved governments to share best practice and address common challenges will continue. The aim is for Welsh taxpayers to understand the government approach to taxation and be clear how their taxes are supporting public services in Wales.
The Minister for Finance and Trefnydd said: “Our annual tax policy work plan is an important part of the communication process, building on what we have achieved and learned so far and identifying areas we want to explore further.
“I am committed to ensuring our tax policy is developed in an open and transparent manner and this plan is an invitation to anyone who wishes to contribute to our thinking, and help shape Welsh tax policy.”
The Welsh Government’s tax policy is being developed in line with the principles set out in the Tax Policy Framework. A report summarising the main findings will be published alongside the draft Budget in the autumn.
The full tax policy work plan for 2019 is available at: https://beta.gov.wales/tax-policy-work-plan-2019

Crime

Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman’s body found in Cardigan boatyard

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Victim’s family informed as officers appeal for witnesses who were near the scene from Thursday night

POLICE have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of a woman’s body at a boatyard in Cardigan.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to Netpool Boatyard at around 12:35pm on Saturday (Nov 15) after the body of a woman was found.

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.

The woman’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

There has been an increased police presence in the town since Saturday afternoon, with officers cordoning off the Netpool slipway and nearby access roads. Late on Saturday night, a boat covered in black plastic sheeting was removed from the scene as part of the ongoing forensic investigation.

Detectives are appealing for information from anyone who may have been at, or seen activity around, the boatyard from 9:00pm on Thursday, November 13 onwards.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police via the website https://orlo.uk/olxMg, email [email protected], or call 101, quoting reference 144 of November 15. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Community

Best of Brass concert set to light up St Davids Cathedral

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TWO of Wales’ finest brass bands will come together next month for a spectacular evening of music at one of the county’s most iconic venues.

The Goodwick Brass Band will perform in concert with the world-number-one ranked Cory Band at St Davids Cathedral on Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 7:30pm.

Organisers say the event, titled Best of Brass, promises an unforgettable night for music lovers, showcasing the very best in Welsh brass banding. The Cory Band, famed for their rich sound and innovative performances, will share the stage with Goodwick Brass Band, Pembrokeshire’s own national champions, in what is expected to be a sell-out concert.

The concert takes place by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of St Davids Cathedral, offering a rare chance to hear two elite ensembles perform within the stunning acoustics of the historic setting.

Tickets are priced at £15, £12, and £10, and are available from West Wales Arts Centre, Goodwick Post Office, St David’s Bookshop, Musicians World in Haverfordwest, and Yr Hen Emporium in Cardigan, or directly from any band member.

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Entertainment

Local premiere for S4C documentary on Pembrokeshire’s ‘Cannabis Cove’

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Exclusive screening revisits one of Wales’ most remarkable police operations

A TWO-PART documentary exploring a major drugs bust that stunned a quiet Pembrokeshire seaside town will have its exclusive English-language premiere in Newport next week.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay, produced for S4C, takes viewers back to 1983, when the peace of Newport was shattered by one of the most extraordinary police investigations in Welsh criminal history.

That summer, the town became the unlikely centre of an international smuggling ring after a local fisherman, Andy Burgess, spotted something unusual at a remote beach called Pwll Coch—known locally as Seal Bay.

Soon after, authorities discovered a concealed hatch on nearby Traeth Cell Hywel. Beneath it lay a man-made underground chamber stocked with food, radio equipment and fibreglass resin — “like something straight out of James Bond.”

The mystery unfolds

As detectives began to investigate, residents reported strange activity around Newport — unfamiliar luxury cars on rural lanes, and strangers flashing £50 notes in local pubs.

What followed was a sprawling investigation that reached from Pembrokeshire to Scandinavia and the Middle East. Within days, three men — Robin Boswell, Ken Dewar, and escaped drug trafficker Sam Spanggaard — were arrested.

However, the case soon hit a snag: the drugs had disappeared. Without the contraband, the entire prosecution risked collapse. Detectives began to suspect there was a local connection — someone who knew the coastline well.

Forty years on

More than four decades later, S4C’s new documentary returns to the mystery with rare interviews, archive footage, and dramatic re-enactments.

For the first time, it includes testimony from a local man — known only as “Jim” — whose words are voiced by an actor to protect his identity. “Jim,” who once modified cars for Boswell, became unwittingly entangled in a smuggling network stretching from Pembrokeshire to Morocco and beyond.

The two episodes retrace both the discovery of the secret underground chamber and the international scope of the operation that followed.

Local resident Wendy Phillips recalled: “Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew each other’s business — that’s just how you were brought up.”

Screening in Newport

The pre-broadcast English-language screening of Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, November 20, at Canolfan Bethlehem, Upper West Street, Newport.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with retired detectives Don Evans and John Daniels, who worked on the original case, alongside the film’s director James Hale.

Entry is free, but donations will be taken on the door to support Canolfan Bethlehem.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay airs on S4C later this month.

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