CONCERNS over the future of skilled industrial jobs in Pembrokeshire have been raised following a meeting between two Senedd Members and Valero.

Claire Archibald MS and Paul Marr MS met with a senior representative from Valero to discuss the future of Pembroke Refinery, apprenticeships, and the pressures facing the UK refining industry.

Pembroke Refinery is one of the most important industrial sites in Wales, supporting hundreds of direct jobs as well as many more through contractors, suppliers and local businesses.

Speaking after the meeting, Claire Archibald MS said the refinery was “hugely important” to Pembrokeshire.

She said: “It supports skilled jobs, apprenticeships, contractors, local businesses, and families across the county. These are exactly the kind of well-paid, long-term jobs we should be protecting in west Wales.

“Valero raised serious concerns about the pressure being placed on UK refining, particularly through carbon costs and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

“If we make it too expensive to produce fuel here, we risk pushing jobs, investment, and production overseas. That would be bad for Pembrokeshire, bad for UK fuel security, and would not help the environment if the same fuel is simply imported from elsewhere.”

Ms Archibald said the Welsh Government had a role to play in supporting major industrial employers.

She added: “Ministers cannot just stand back and say this is nothing to do with them. They have responsibilities around economic development, skills, planning, regulation and infrastructure, and they are also part of the UK ETS framework.

“I will be pressing the Welsh Government to engage properly with Valero, listen to the concerns being raised, and treat Pembroke Refinery as the strategically important site it is.

“Pembrokeshire has already lost too much industry over the years. We should be doing everything sensible to protect skilled jobs, support apprenticeships and keep major employers investing here for the long term.”

Paul Marr MS said Pembroke Refinery remained a vital part of the local economy.

He said: “The message from Valero was clear: if we want to keep major industry in Wales, we have to make sure the policy environment allows businesses to invest, compete and plan for the future.

“We cannot afford to take sites like Pembroke Refinery for granted.”

Ms Archibald said she will now raise the concerns with the Welsh Government and ask what action ministers are taking to support Pembroke Refinery, protect skilled jobs and secure future investment in Pembrokeshire.

PAUL DAVIES MS has called on the Welsh Government to set out whether it will consider introducing a national screening programme for prostate cancer in Wales.

Mr Davies said he had requested a formal statement from ministers on prostate cancer services, including whether screening could be introduced to help improve early diagnosis.

He has also asked for an update on whether Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy, known as SABR, will be made available to patients in Wales. The treatment is already available to some patients in England.

Mr Davies said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Wales, and it is vital that patients have access to the very best treatments to improve outcomes.

“We need to understand whether the Welsh Government will consider a national screening programme, and whether Welsh patients will be given access to treatments that are already available across the border.”

The call comes amid continuing concern about cancer waiting times and access to specialist treatment in Wales.

Union says Welsh Government has funded repairs, meals and swimming lessons but failed to address one of the biggest pressures facing schools

SCHOOL leaders have welcomed extra Welsh Government funding for repairs, free school meals and swimming lessons — but warned that pupils with additional learning needs have been overlooked.

The criticism came after the Welsh Government set out its supplementary budget for 2026-27, including £40m for school buildings and repairs, £15m to expand free school meals in secondary schools, and £2m for swimming lessons.

Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said the extra capital funding for school buildings was welcome and would “go some way to plugging the gap”.

She also welcomed the expansion of free school meals, saying no child should go hungry because of their parents’ financial circumstances.

But Ms Doel said the “significant omission” was the lack of additional funding for ALN provision.

She said: “It beggars belief that of money that has come to Wales thanks to investment into additional needs in England, not a penny has gone to support pupils with ALN in Wales.

“We have seen local authorities, directors of education and the profession united on the need for significant investment in supporting our most vulnerable learners, but this government has chosen to ignore the pleas for support.

“It calls into question whether education is a key priority for this government.”

ALN pressure

Additional learning needs provision has become one of the major pressures facing schools and councils across Wales, with rising demand for specialist support, assessments, staffing and placements.

School leaders argue that without dedicated funding, already stretched school budgets are being forced to absorb costs which can affect support for both ALN pupils and the wider school community.

The Welsh Government says the supplementary budget is designed to support key priorities, including public services, schools, health and the cost of living.

But NAHT Cymru said the absence of new ALN money was difficult to justify at a time when schools are repeatedly warning that vulnerable learners need more support.

The Herald has asked the Welsh Government how much of the school buildings funding will come to west Wales and why no specific additional allocation has been made for ALN provision.