Community

‘No targets, no teeth and no accountability’: ministers’ disability rights plan criticised

Published

8 months ago

June 6, 2025

CAMPAIGNERS warned it will be “impossible” to hold the Welsh Government to account on progress against its disabled people’s rights plan due to a lack of concrete targets.

Mark Isherwood, who chairs the Senedd’s cross-party group on disability, raised concerns that many of the long-term objectives in the draft ten-year plan lack firm commitments.

He said Natasha Hirst, who was part of ministers’ disability rights taskforce, pointed to a lack of funding to implement the plan as well as a scarcity of clear, robust targets.

Mr Isherwood also quoted Joe Powell, chief executive of All Wales People First, who said: “For this plan to succeed we need the appropriate investment into the infrastructure and services to make this aspiration a reality.

“We need clear targets about how we are going to achieve this. Without these, it is very difficult to see how the plan will make a difference to disabled people in Wales.”

The Conservative told the Senedd: “Damian Bridgeman, who chaired the disability rights taskforce’s housing and community working group, said the draft document was a smokescreen rather than a plan.

“He pointed to the absence of new money and a mechanism to track delivery of the action plan further, adding that, ‘disabled people have been reviewed to death, what we need is action – and there’s none of that here’.”

He said Mr Bridgeman described the plan as a “collection of vague intentions dressed up as progress”, with “no targets, no teeth and no real-world accountability”.

Mr Isherwood, who has campaigned on disability rights for decades, warned the plan lacks a commitment to enshrine the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into Welsh law.

The north Walian also warned the UK Government’s plans to cut benefits risk further disabling people in Wales by compounding poverty and exclusion.

During a statement on June 3, Jane Hutt described the plan as a landmark moment in the Welsh Government’s commitment to ensuring an inclusive and accessible society for all.

Wales’ social justice secretary said: “This plan is a ten-year blueprint for progress, designed to ensure its outcomes are realised through actions taken across government.”

Ms Hutt cautioned that UK Government welfare reforms risk overlooking the circumstances and needs of disabled people, and more so in Wales than some other parts of the UK.

Jane Hutt, secretary for social justice, trefnydd and chief whip

She said the plan seeks to position Wales as a world leader in the social model of disability, which says people are disabled by barriers in society – not by their impairment or condition.

Ms Hutt urged organisations and disabled people to have their say by responding to a consultation on the draft plan, which runs until August 7.

Sioned Williams warned the plan has been a “long time coming”, with the taskforce set up after a 2021 report, entitled Locked out, into the impact of the pandemic on disabled people.

Ms Williams told the Senedd: “We must never forget that disabled people comprised 60% of deaths from Covid-19 in Wales, and many of those deaths were preventable and rooted in socioeconomic inequality.”

Plaid Cymru's shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams — Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams

The Plaid Cymru politician stressed the importance of legally enforceable rights – “rights that can literally be the difference between life and death”.

Ms Williams warned planned welfare cuts cast a long, dark shadow over the plan, saying: “The removal of this vital support doesn’t simply reduce income, it rips away the safety net that many disabled people rely on to live with dignity.”

She called for assurances that disabled and neurodivergent people will no longer be detained in secure hospitals in Wales, as highlighted by the Stolen Lives campaign.

Jenny Rathbone supported efforts to embed the social model of disability because “it is society that needs to change, not the individual who happens to have an impairment”.

But she recognised that a huge amount of work still needs to be done.

Julie Morgan, a fellow Labour backbencher, said the plan clearly shows the Welsh Government’s commitment to making Wales an open, inclusive and accessible place.

But Conservative Laura Anne Jones warned the plan “falls short in many critical areas”, with disabled people still facing systemic barriers to work, transport and access to services.

Laura Anne Jones MS speaking during the meeting — South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones

She said: “With rising living costs and sweeping cuts to support services alongside welfare, this plan feels more like a statement of intent than a blueprint for real action.”

Community

Councillor meets chief constable to address Monkton and Pembroke concerns

Published

59 minutes ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COUNTY COUNCILLOR Jonathan Grimes has met with the new Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police to discuss crime, antisocial behaviour and wider community issues affecting residents in Pembroke and Monkton.

Cllr Grimes, who represents Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said the meeting followed his invitation for senior police leaders to visit the area and hear first-hand about local concerns.

The Chief Constable, Ifan Charles, attended alongside officers from the Pembroke Neighbourhood Policing and Protection Team, meeting the councillor in Monkton for what were described as open and constructive talks.

As part of the visit, they also spoke with Monkton Priory Community Primary School headteacher Dylan Lawrence and Danny Nash from Pembrokeshire County Council Housing Services to gather views from education and housing professionals.

Discussions covered a range of issues raised by residents, including domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, antisocial behaviour and environmental concerns such as littering, dog fouling and dangerous or inconsiderate driving.

Cllr Grimes acknowledged recent police successes, particularly in tackling drug-related activity, but said enforcement alone would not solve the area’s challenges.

He said closer cooperation between the police, council services, schools and the wider community would be needed to deliver longer-term improvements.

The councillor added that he plans to encourage residents to form a local community group in the coming weeks, aimed at developing practical solutions and strengthening partnership working across the area.

Community

Wales launches plan to become ‘Carer Aware’ nation

Published

7 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Consultation invites unpaid carers across the country to shape new national strategy

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has unveiled plans to make Wales a “Carer Aware” nation, with a new public consultation launched today (Monday, Feb 2) aimed at improving recognition and support for the country’s thousands of unpaid carers.

Ministers say the move is designed to ensure people who look after relatives, friends or neighbours are identified earlier and treated as partners in decisions about the care of their loved ones.

A draft National Strategy for Unpaid Carers has been developed with input from hundreds of carers and representative groups across Wales. It sets out eight key priorities, including better recognition of carers’ roles, improved access to respite and short breaks, stronger wellbeing support, and measures to prevent young carers from carrying too much responsibility.

Under the proposals, carers of all ages and backgrounds — including disabled carers and those in minority communities — would be able to access clear, local information and help when they need it.

Officials say earlier identification is critical, so carers can receive advice, financial guidance and emotional support from the start of their caring journey, rather than only at crisis point.

The strategy also stresses the need for sufficient alternative care arrangements to allow carers time to rest and protect their own health.

Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care, said many carers do not even see themselves as carers.

“Too often, unpaid carers go unrecognised – even by themselves. They’re simply ‘looking after mum’ or ‘helping out a friend’, but caring can have a profound impact on people’s finances, careers, health and wellbeing,” she said.

“We want Wales to be a place where carers are identified early, where they know their rights, and where they’re treated as partners for the person they care for.

“This consultation is important in shaping a strategy which takes into full account how carers feel and how they’re supported. I’d encourage everyone with an interest to provide their views.”

The consultation is open now and runs until April 13, with responses helping to shape the final strategy and future support services across Wales.

People can take part online via the Welsh Government website.

Community

Flood alert issued for Pembrokeshire coast this evening

Published

8 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Luke Sinclair

Pembrokeshire residents are being urged to prepare for possible flooding along the coastline between St Dogmaels, Cardigan and Amroth, after Natural Resources Wales issued a Flood Alert.

The alert warns that rising water levels could pose a risk to homes, vehicles and livestock, and advises people to take precautions now. Authorities are reminding residents to follow their flood plans, check on family, friends and pets, and ensure essential items and documents are protected.

Residents are also advised to keep mobile phones charged, know how to turn off electricity, gas and water supplies, and prepare a small emergency bag with items such as medication, warm clothing, baby and pet care essentials, and insurance documents. Vehicles, livestock and equipment should be moved from areas likely to flood if possible.

Safety warnings are clear: do not drive or walk through floodwater. Just 30 cm (1 foot) of water can carry a car away, and 15 cm can knock a person off their feet.

For more information, residents can visit Natural Resources Wales – Flood Warnings, check river and sea levels online, or contact Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (quick dial 503013). Updates are also available via @NatResWales on social media.