News
Pembrokeshire Tourism slams lack of clarity on reopening strategy
THIS WEEK Pembrokeshire Tourism and colleagues from Tourism Associations throughout Wales have reacted to the ongoing lack of direction for the tourism industry by once again calling on the Welsh Government to provide a clear plan for the reopening of tourism sectors and to finally publish guidance on new working practices designed to keep visitors and staff safe.
A spokesperson from Pembrokeshire Tourism posted on Facebook saying: “As tourism operators, we understand and support the need for caution from a public health point of view.
“It is vital that our communities and health services are protected but what is the point of feeding in the lockdown concerns of tourism industry providers and members of the public if no action is taken to move things forward?
“This is not a case of so-called “wealth over health”. Economically, the C-19 crisis is a disaster for everyone. The irrecoverable loss of £millions from the local economy that tourism brings in will affect every community throughout Pembrokeshire and impact on everyone whether they are employed in tourism or not. Under these circumstances, it is our role to represent not only our members but also the wider industry. A resumption of trade for tourism sectors can help to minimize the economic impact that will be felt by communities across the county.”
This is the letter Pembrokeshire Tourism wrote to the First Minister:
Dear First Minister,
I write to you as both the Chairman of Pembrokeshire Tourism Association, and as the owner of a long-established Pembrokeshire accommodation business.
Absolutely nothing could have prepared us for what Covid-19 has done on a global scale. However, it is closer to home where our major concerns now lie – with the livelihoods of every single tourism economy business in Pembrokeshire.
Essentially it is quite clear that we are increasingly anxious about the lack of clarity on opening dates given the level of damage being caused to our sector by a delay in providing clear guidance.
Without exception, businesses are completely aligned with the need to prioritise public health and work with our communities – it is these same businesses that help support the financial and economic health of the communities around them.
However, right now the lack of clarity on reopening strategy and dates is putting our businesses at much greater risk than we ever expected when we embarked on this lockdown in March.
Having “Wales closed for the summer” in the headlines across national press this week has made a bad situation worse – with a marked jump in bookings and business order cancellations noted across the board. It is not surprising that ever-increasing numbers of business leaders are now looking at the prospect of redundancies and closure – potentially leaving a huge hole in their communities.
I don’t think I can express clearly enough the worry and frustration sweeping the sector when this could have potentially been avoided if there was clarity on a date. Adding to the frustration is the fact that our neighbours England and Ireland, as well as the rest of Europe, are able to offer their tourism sectors more certainty. Here businesses can market their reopening in good time to capture a sensible base level of bookings from this historic low.
I will take this opportunity to add our voice to the increasing chorus of businesses, large and small, looking for a light at the end of this long tunnel. For the sake of our livelihoods – please give us back some hope, the alternative is unthinkable.
Yours sincerely
Jane Rees-Baynes
Chair
Pembrokeshire Tourism
Education
Lib Dem leader meets student union after scrapping of teacher training
Last week, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds visited Aberystwyth University to meet students following the announcement that the University will be scrapping their Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) program.
The announcement comes after the publication of an Estyn inspection report last year, which found that the institution had “been too slow” when it came to prioritising student support.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have now called for the University to produce and implement an action plan that will enable the reintroduction of this course at the earliest opportunity, as well as for the Uni to rectify any similar shortcomings in other training programs.
Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:
“Aberystwyth university has long been seen as a cornerstone of education here in Wales, and its role in shaping the future of Welsh-medium education is pivotal.
However, the decision by the Education Workforce Council to withdraw accreditation for their teacher training program now puts this at risk.
The report published by Estyn rightfully identified several flaws in the Uni’s approach to supporting student teachers, along with requiring the University to make significant improvement.
The decision of the EWC suggest that these improvements have not been made.
We are now calling on the University to get their act together, fix the shortcomings in this program and begin plans to reintroduce the course as soon as possible.
Commenting, a spokesperson for the Welsh Young Liberals said: “There was an overwhelming lack of support, especially for Disabled Students, which has been consistent since 2020.
Previous lecturers were always late, and assignments were marked late and inconsistently.
As a joint honours student my timetable is very erratic, and this has an adverse effect on my wellbeing.
This does not however, mean that the course should be cut, Aberystwyth university should be looking to improve the course and help deliver the next generation of teachers.”
Commenting, the Welsh Liberal Democrat PPC for Ceredigion Mark Williams said: “The reputation of Aberystwyth University as a well-respected centre of education is rightfully a source of pride for many residents here in Ceredigion.
This is why it is so dis-heartening to hear that the Uni have failed to take the recommendations in the 2023 Estyn report seriously, leading them into the embarrassing position of losing their accreditation which risks delivering a severe blow to the future of Welsh-medium education.
The lack of foresight from the Uni in this regard is deeply worrying and I hope that, for the sake of both the students and the wider community, they take all the steps needed to restart the course at the earliest opportunity.”
Crime
Manslaughter charge following death in Carmarthenshire
DYFED-POWYS POLICE have confirmed Jason Thomas, 39, from Llanelli, has been charged with manslaughter following an incident on Saturday, March 25.
Police were called to a property in Robinson St, Llanelli to concerns for the welfare of a man.
Liam Rhys Morgan-Whittle, 22, was taken to hospital where he sadly passed away.
Jason Thomas was quickly arrested and later released on conditional bail while the police investigation continued.
He will appear at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday, May 30, it has been confirmed.
News
£10,000 legal row over English-only parking charge notice continues
THE LANGUAGE campaigner Toni Schiavone will appear in court in Aberystwyth for the fourth time on Monday, 13 May over his refusal to pay an English-only parking charge notice, after the parking company One Parking Solution won an appeal to reintroduce the case in January.
This is despite the judge, Gareth Humphreys, warning that the company should carefully consider the value of continuing with a case that has already been “long, beyond unfortunate” and has cost the parking company over £10,000 in legal fees to date.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith have called on the court to rule that English-only parking charge notices are insufficient as ruled by the judge Mervyn Jones-Evans in a recent case in Caernarfon, and on the Welsh Government to legislate to ensure the rights of Welsh speakers in the private sector are respected.
Toni Schiavone received the English-only notice for not paying for parking in a car park in Llangrannog in September 2020.
The original case was thrown out of court in May 2022 because a representative from the parking company was not present, and the second case in August 2023 was also thrown out because the case was presented late and under incorrect rules.
On 26 January this year, One Parking Solution won an appeal enabling them to continue prosecuting Mr Schiavone, after the judge ruled that there were no grounds to throw the first two cases out of court.
Speaking at the hearing in January, Toni Schiavone said he had received a letter with costs of £10,156.70 a the day before from One Parking Solution, and that the company had acted “disrespectfully, unreasonably and vindictively.” According to research by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, translating the notice into Welsh would have cost only £60.
Siân Howys, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Welsh Language Rights Group said:
“It is disappointing that One Parking Solution have decided to resubmit this case, but the real reason Toni must appear in court yet again is because the rights of people who live in Wales to use the Welsh language are not ensured in statute. We have seen other cases of this recently as HSBC and the energy company OVO have weakened or even abolished their Welsh-medium services, without any serious response from our Government.
“We call on our members and supporters to be present on 13 May to support Toni, and to demand that the right to use the Welsh language in all aspects of life is respected through legislation.”
On 30 January, the Welsh Government voted against Heledd Fychan MS’s motion on behalf of Plaid Cymru in the Senedd to set Welsh Language Standards on a statutory basis for institutions in the private sector, such as banks, supermarkets and private car parks.
During the debate, Siân Gwenllian MS referred to Toni Schiavone’s case as an example of the need to legislate to ensure the rights of Welsh speakers. Discussing the parking company, she said:
“Once again, the response is arrogant and insulting.
“Why must Welsh speakers continue to campaign and demand services through the medium of Welsh?
“It is high time that the basic rights of Welsh speakers were respected through statute, and that in all aspects of life.”
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