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Budget is good news for Pembrokeshire

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AS PART of a series of payments made from the Westminster Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ Fund, the regeneration of Haverfordwest’s town centre got a massive shot in the arm.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb has welcomed the announcement that £17.7m has been secured from the UK Government Levelling Up Fund for Pembrokeshire.

Pembrokeshire is in the first tier of areas eligible for the Levelling Up Fund created by the UK Government to replace EU funding. The funds are being financed directly by the Westminster Government. Today, local Councils across the UK are finding out which bids have been successful.

Mr Crabb has been working with Pembrokeshire County Council on the bid to the Levelling Up Fund to support the ongoing regeneration of Haverfordwest town centre. The bid focused on the need to make the historic town centre a more attractive place for visitors.

Now that this money has been secured, it will enable the restoration of the 900-year-old historic castle into a high-quality all-weather visitor attraction and develop the river’s potential as a feature of the town centre.

Commenting, Mr Crabb said: “I have worked hard to support Pembrokeshire County Council in their bid to the Levelling Up Fund and make the case to the Treasury about why Pembrokeshire should be put at the front of the queue for this funding.”

“I am delighted that the Chancellor has listened.

“It means that the money I have secured for Pembrokeshire can turn these plans and aspirations for Haverfordwest town centre into reality. It is now up to Pembrokeshire County Council to use this money to support traders and boost local economic activity.”

MINIMUM WAGE RISE

The headline takeaway from a Budget long on levelling up and short of detail on what it would like is a hike in the UK’s minimum wage.

From April 1, 2022, workers over 23 will get a minimum wage rise from £8.91per hour to £9.50.

While the increase is welcome, it is counterbalanced by increased personal taxation on income, rising prices, and the accompanying cut in entitlement to Tax Credits for those who get the rise.

However, the Chancellor took the chance to change a system that perversely punishes working extra hours or earning more by a loss in Tax Credit payments and/or Universal Credit.

Before the Budget, for every £1 earned over the Tax Credit limit, Universal Credit recipients lost 63p in what the Chancellor described as “a tax on work”. Mr Sunak cut that to 55p/£1. Setting the level at that originally intended when the taper in Tax Credits was originally proposed by Iain Duncan-Smith.

While that sort of measure would usually only come into effect at the start of a new tax year (in this case, next April), the Chancellor told the Commons the cut will come into effect no later than December 1.

That means earnings by those affected by the current arrangements will rise in the run-up to Christmas.

An increase in the National Minimum Wage will be affected by an increase in inflation, especially as the rise in the former will not come in until next year.

On top of that, the Chancellor announced a £500 increase in the threshold for the basic income tax rate.

Mr Sunak claimed a single mother with one child earning the National Minimum Wage would be better off by over £1,100 per year.

DUTIES CUT AND FROZEN

In what’s bound to be a popular move with pub-goers, the Chancellor announced an overhaul of duties on alcohol.

Describing the system as ‘outdated’ and ‘complex’, Mr Runak slashed the number of different duties from sixteen to five.

The strongest drinks (for example, white cider) will see their prices rise. However, beers, ciders, and fruit ciders will see a significant reduction in duty for on-licensed sales.

Fruit ciders, subject to their own duty, will see the largest cut in duty, while beer and cider will fall in price by an average of around 3p/pint.

There will be no increase in excise duty on whiskies. At the same time, sparkling wines had a massive duty cut, reducing their price to reflect their increased popularity and lower alcohol content.

The Chancellor combined those announcements with an extension of rates relief for licensed premises and specific relief on draught beer sales.

Mr Sunak also announced a freeze on fuel duty.

NOT SO NEW MONEY

A Raft of spending pledges made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in his Budget speech on Wednesday (October 26) consisted of repackaged spending commitments already made.

A large announcement that England’s city regions would get £6.9bn to spend on new transport infrastructure contained £1.5bn of new funding. The balance consisted of £4.2bn committed in 2019 under Theresa May’s Government and further funding for public transport, which the PM announced in 2020.

Similarly, £5.9bn of NHS funding for England is extra cash plus old spending commitments put in new wrappers.

MORE MONEY FOR WALES

Wales will receive extra funding through the Barnett formula – a mechanism the UK government uses to allocate additional money to the devolved nations when it spends more in England.

However, Mr Sunak said Wales would benefit by £2.5bn over the Barnett formula over the term of the three-year spending review.

The most contentious uses of Westminster’s powers, the levelling up and shared prosperity funds, are added to that funding. Money from them will be paid directly to those commissioning eligible projects and not to the Welsh Government.

Part of Westminster’s rationale is that the Welsh Government does not target spending on priorities it identifies as UK-wide.

For example, if the Westminster Government said it would invest £6bn in the NHS in England, Wales would get £300m. However, that money could be spent where the Welsh Government saw fit and not necessarily where Westminster intended it to go.

The Welsh Government’s position is straightforward; all money spent in Wales on matters over which it exercises control should be allocated to the priorities it identifies. It will not or cannot separate specific funding from Westminster’s overall spending grant.

The Chancellor’s announcement of extra funding for specific projects in Wales, bypassing Cardiff Bay, will increase tensions between Westminster and the Welsh Government.

RAISING REVENUE

The Chancellor cannot long put off dealing with two specific problems affecting government funding.

The first is well-known, but action has so far been avoided: the shrinking tax base.

The UK government raises around £800 billion a year in receipts – income from taxes and other sources – equivalent to around 37% of the size of the UK economy, as measured by GDP.

The majority are from three main sources: income tax, National Insurance contributions (NICs) and value-added tax (VAT). Together these raise over £460 billion.

The UK’s working-age population is rapidly contracting. That means less money raised from direct taxation. The effects of the contraction on public finances are already being felt.

What the UK’s current workforce pays in National Insurance now doesn’t pay for or contribute to their pensions but their parents’ and grandparents’.

As people live longer and in worse health, workers now and in the future face paying more of their wages in tax to support the retired and elderly ill.

The weight of the pensions bill was £101bn in the last financial year, approximately two and a half times the total defence budget.

As a point of comparison, the total amount paid out in working-age unemployment benefits was a fraction under £2bn.

Taxes on consumption fall proportionately most heavily on those with the lowest incomes.

Imposing increased taxes on consumption would effectively cut the incomes of the lowest earners. It would also hit those voters in post-industrial marginal seats upon whom the Government depends for its majority.

REPLACING DUTY

The second issue is less acknowledged but no less challenging.

Fuel Duty raises £21bn a year.

Increased fuel efficiency in motor vehicles means they need to refuel less often. That means less fuel duty coming into the Treasury.

The Government aims to decrease reliance on cars for commuting, which will cut the amount of fuel duty even further.

Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles pay little or no Vehicle Excise Duty, and purely electric vehicles pay no fuel duty, either.

Unless there’s a significant change in tack, the Treasury will lose both fuel duty and Vehicle Excise Duty from its annual tax take in pretty short order.

Fuel duty alone amounts to £28bn of revenue each year, and Vehicle Excise Duty is another £6.5bn a year.

Planning to replace that revenue cannot be delayed.

Business

People in Wales are worried about running out of money in retirement

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FEAR of running out of money in retirement is rising among those in Wales with more than half (55%) concerned their savings will not last them through retirement, new research from Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) shows (please see the attached press release).

In general, women are more worried about running out of money compared to men. More than half (54%) of women surveyed are concerned about how long their money will last in retirement, compared to only 44% of men. Around 46% of men who are not worried about running out of money in retirement say it is because they have a final salary pension scheme – compared to just 38% of women who have this.

The study by Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), part of Rathbones Group, among people with stock market investments including pensions, paints a bleak picture – around 55% of those living in Wales are concerned they do not have enough money for retirement. This is similar to the UK average of 56%.

Women are more worried than men that they do not have enough money for retirement. Almost two thirds (61%) of women surveyed are concerned, with 18% of these very concerned they do not have enough money for retirement. This compares to just over half (53%) of men surveyed, with 14% of these very concerned they do not have enough money for retirement.

The Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) study shows that those living in Wales who have yet to retire are realistic about what will happen to their incomes in retirement – 64% expect their monthly incomes to drop on retirement and 36% did not know.

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News

Road closure following serious road traffic collision near Pembroke

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A ROAD traffic collision involving two vehicle led to the closure of the A4075 between Golden Hill and the Fingerpost Junction near Pembroke, causing significant disruption throughout Monday (MAr 18).

Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly before 11:30 AM after reports the incident.

The road was closed to allow for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As the day progressed, it became clear that the closure would be extended, with the road likely to remain shut for an extended period.

The accident, described as ‘serious’ by authorities, prompted an immediate response from Dyfed-Powys Police and emergency medical teams.

Early reports suggest that at least one individual has been injured, although the extent of the injuries remains unclear.

Throughout the day, updates from the scene indicated a significant effort by investigative teams to understand the cause of the crash.

By late evening, after more than nine hours of closure, there was a slight reduction in the length of the road affected, AA Traffic said.

The A4075 is a crucial link between Pembroke and the surrounding areas, and its closure has had a noticeable impact on local traffic and commuters.

Emergency services and local authorities have expressed their gratitude to the public for their patience and cooperation during this challenging time.

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Tragic loss of pony spurs campaign for safer roads in west Wales

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A WEST WALES woman has embarked on a mission to ensure such a tragedy never recurs. Laura Grant, 58, faced an unthinkable ordeal last spring when her Welsh Mountain Section A pony, Katie, was fatally injured on a Carmarthenshire road, leading to a wider call for road safety reforms.

The incident unfolded as Grant, accompanied by a 15-year-old family friend, was enjoying a serene carriage drive with Katie and Billy, a Welsh cob. The tranquillity of their outing was shattered when an impatient van driver’s actions spooked Katie, causing her to bolt into a cattle grid despite her 700 miles of road experience. The tragedy of the situation is compounded by the fact that Katie, a rescue pony lovingly nurtured by Grant for four years, could not be saved.

Grant, devastated by the loss, reflected on the moment, wishing the outcome could have been different. “How I wish I managed to stop her or pulled her into the wall, but it happened so quickly,” she lamented. The incident has not only left a void in her heart but has also paused her passion for carriage driving.

In the wake of this loss, Grant is channeling her grief into advocacy, organising a “Pass Wide and Slow” ride in Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire, to honour Katie’s memory and promote awareness about safe driving near horses. The event, scheduled for September 14, underscores the urgent need for change.

Furthering her campaign, Grant has initiated a petition for “Katie’s Law” on change.org. This proposed legislation calls for the Highway Code’s advice — to pass horses at no more than 10 mph and maintain a two-metre distance — to be legally binding. The necessity of such measures is underscored by British Horse Society data, revealing 100 traffic-related equine incidents in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion in 2023 alone.

Grant’s advocacy extends to urging the Carmarthenshire County Council for greater consideration of equestrian needs, advocating for the restoration and shared use of old riding routes now converted into cycle paths. “Give us back all our old riding routes… We need equestrian access plans for Carmarthenshire, Wales, or better still, the whole UK,” she implores, aiming to prevent further tragedies.

Katie’s legacy, marked by a gold rosette from the British Driving Society for her carriage-driving achievements, continues to inspire a movement towards safer, more inclusive roads.

As the community mourns a “pocket rocket” who brought joy to many, the call for action echoes loud, driven by a hope that Katie’s loss will pave the way for meaningful change.

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