News

Health Bill fails after ‘cheap date’ slur

Published

10 years ago

April 4, 2016

Cheap date: Leighton Andrews

A MAJOR piece of legislation failed to be passed, following an unfortunate remark by Labour Minister Leighton Andrews.

Plaid Cymru had originally offered members a free vote on the Public Health (Wales) Bill, which has caused some controversy due to its stance on ‘vaping’. The original draft Bill called for a ban on vaping which would have matched the current smoking ban.

However, opposition parties united against the proposals, which meant that Health Minister Mark Drakeford offered a compromise, which restricted the use of e-cigarettes in schools, restaurants, public transport, premises which provide childcare, and transport hubs.

It was thought that some Plaid Cymru AMs, including Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones and Llyr Gruffydd, would have voted in favour of the Bill following these compromises, and as late as Wednesday afternoon, most commentators assumed that the Bill would be passed.

At this point Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews angered Plaid members. Referring to the help he had received from them in passing the Local Government Bill previously, he referred to the party as ‘a cheap date,’ which led Simon Thomas AM to want that he ‘may come to regret that remark.’

Plaid Cymru voted with the Conservatives and the Lib Dems against the Bill, which also provided a plan to licence tattoo artists, banned ‘intimate piercings’ for under-16s and called on councils to provide a ‘local toilets strategy.’

This meant that the vote was tied on 26 apiece, and following tradition, Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler voted against.

After the meeting, Professor Drakeford said he was ‘disappointed that the Bill had been voted down: “It puts to waste five years of careful preparation and constructive work with a very wide range of stakeholders and supporters,” he added.

It was suggested that Plaid Cymru’s response was somewhat over-the-top, especially given that Elin Jones had been instrumental in the Bill reaching its present state.

However, Ms Jones hit back over social media: “I worked with Labour on a fair compromise on e-cigs, but my party is not their ‘cheap date’,” she said.

Conservative Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar’s party had consistently opposed the Bill, focusing on the positive effects of e-cigs on those giving up smoking: “I have long argued that introducing this ban would be a huge step backwards for smoking cessation and efforts to improve public health, and I’m delighted that pressure from the Welsh Conservatives and other opposition parties yielded results in the end,” he said.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said: “This is a decision that will affect thousands of people, yet Plaid decided to vote based on whether they were a ‘cheap date’ or not. While that is utterly bizarre and somewhat farcical, I of course welcome their u-turn.

“Labour’s illiberal plan flew in the face of medical evidence. E-cigarettes are a useful way for smokers to give up on tobacco and there is no doubt they have saved lives.”

It is worth pointing out that under the amended legislation, vaping was only banned in areas with high concentrations of children, people eating, or public transport.

Richard Hyslop, Chief Executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association said:

“We are delighted that a majority of Welsh Assembly members have chosen to vote against the Welsh Government’s public vaping ban.

This ban was not based on any credible evidence, and it was clear by the wide coalition of organisations opposing this ban, that it lacked any significant support within the public health community or the wider Welsh population.

If this ban had been supported today, it would have resulted in fewer smokers switching to vaping, and many vapers sadly returning to smoking. We are delighted that this will now not be the case.”

Business

Plaid energy policy challenged by Labour after Adam Price interview

Published

2 hours ago

May 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LABOUR SAYS MINISTERS MUST EXPLAIN COST AND TIMETABLE FOR PYLON PLANS

PLAID CYMRU’S approach to energy infrastructure has come under scrutiny after Energy Minister Adam Price was challenged over plans to reduce the use of overhead pylons in Wales.

Mr Price defended the Welsh Government’s position during an appearance on BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement, arguing that communities must have greater confidence in how major grid projects are handled.

Plaid Cymru has pledged to give communities a stronger voice over energy developments and to look more closely at alternatives to overhead transmission lines, including underground cabling where possible.

The issue has become increasingly sensitive in rural parts of Wales, where proposed pylon routes linked to renewable energy schemes have raised concerns about landscape impact, tourism and local consultation.

However, Welsh Labour said the minister had failed to explain when any restriction on pylons would take effect, or who would pay the additional cost of placing cables underground.

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Adam Price keeps saying how clear their manifesto was and yet he won’t say when they’re banning pylons. They won’t say who is paying for the extra cost of undergrounding cables.

“Without certainty, companies won’t invest. That’s thousands of clean, green energy jobs at risk. Plaid need more than a plan to have a plan.”

Labour said the Welsh Government must now set out how its policy would work in practice, including whether it amounts to an outright ban, what exemptions would apply, and how any extra costs would be funded.

The debate highlights the challenge facing ministers as Wales seeks to expand renewable energy generation while addressing public opposition to large-scale grid infrastructure.

Community

Pembroke Fair praised as well-organised community event

Published

2 hours ago

May 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HORSES, STALLS AND FAMILY CROWDS RETURN TO MONKTON

FAMILIES, horse owners and visitors turned out in force for Pembroke Fair on Saturday (May 23), with many praising the event as one of the best organised in recent years.

Held at the Community Centre Field in Monkton, the annual fair brought together horse owners, traders and local families for a traditional day centred around horses, ponies, stalls and socialising.

Coloured cobs, heavy horses, ponies and horse-drawn traps attracted attention throughout the day, with many visitors gathering around the field to watch the animals being shown and led around the site.

A variety of stalls selling everything from clothing and ornaments to tack and second-hand goods helped create a lively market atmosphere, while food vendors kept visitors fed throughout the day.

Despite overcast conditions at times, the event remained busy, with many attendees staying for several hours to enjoy the traditional fair atmosphere.

Community members later took to social media to praise the smooth running of the event, with several publicly thanking organiser Charlie Price for his efforts in bringing the fair together.

Comments described the day as “well organised” and praised the welcoming atmosphere, with many saying it was encouraging to see a long-standing local tradition continuing to thrive.

The fair once again brought together members of the travelling community, local residents and horse enthusiasts from across west Wales.

A horse drive was also due to take place on Sunday (May 24), continuing the weekend’s celebrations.

Photo captions:

Traditional gathering: Horses, ponies, horse-drawn carts and market stalls drew crowds to Pembroke Fair in Monkton on Saturday (Pic: Herald).

News

Watchdog criticises health board over £10m GP contract checks

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HEALTH board has been criticised by Audit Wales after GP contracts worth more than £10m were awarded without sufficient due diligence checks.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board allowed a GP partnership associated with eHarley Street Primary Care Solutions to take on eight GP contracts in south-east Wales, with a combined annual value of around £10.1m.

Audit Wales said the board should have carried out greater scrutiny before approving the arrangements, including checks on financial resilience, workforce plans, business risks and the partnership’s ability to manage several practices at once.

However, the watchdog found no evidence of fraud and noted the board was dealing with significant pressure in general practice, including vacant contracts and limited interest from other bidders.

The report said weaknesses in governance and scrutiny contributed to later disruption and uncertainty for patients and staff when problems emerged.

Concerns included financial and workforce pressures, unpaid invoices, and issues relating to tax and pension payments. Some contracts were later handed back, requiring the health board to step in to protect services.

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care, said the findings were “deeply concerning”.

She said: “Patients and staff were left facing disruption and uncertainty because proper scrutiny was not carried out before these contracts were awarded.

“The Welsh Conservatives believe lessons must be learned to ensure robust checks are in place, protect frontline services and restore confidence in primary care across Wales.”

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board accepted the recommendations and said it had already strengthened its processes.

Audit Wales said the case highlighted the need for stronger checks before GP contracts are transferred, particularly when a single partnership is taking on multiple practices in a short period.