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Politics

Gething forgets to mention £25,000 donation

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THE LOOK on Vaughan Gething’s face could’ve curdled milk.

It had all started with an innocent enough question from former ministerial colleague Julie Morgan.

Ms Morgan asked about access to transport for visually impaired people.

Mr Gething responded with a combination of soft soap and reassurance.

Ms Morgan followed up by relating what happened to one of her visually impaired constituents, Ryan Moreland.

Mr Moreland needed to attend hospital. He ordered a taxi. The taxi driver saw Mr Moreland waiting with his guide dog and drove off. Later, another taxi driver charged him (unlawfully) an extra £5 for letting his guide dog into the taxi.

Mr Gething moved from smooth reassurance to practised outrage with barely a flicker. The facts were so immediately to hand that it was almost as though he knew what Julie Morgan would ask him.

The taxi company, Veezu, had dismissed the driver who had failed to collect Mr Moreland and reported them to Cardiff City Council’s licensing department.

Vaughan Gething praised Veezu for its prompt action.

Disability discrimination was unacceptable, and the First Minister stressed his government’s determination to provide disability training to taxi drivers to avoid repetition.

Even a pointier question from the Conservative Shadow Transport Minister, Natasha Ashgar, about facilities at TFW-operated railway stations didn’t deflect Mr Gething.

His government is committed to doing the right thing.

Andrew RT Davies rose to ask a without-notice question.

Mr Davies began neutrally: “The question that started this session of question time from Julie Morgan indicated that a taxi firm obviously had broken the discrimination rules against disabled people.”

The Conservative leader pressed home his point more combatively.

“I believe the owner of that taxi firm contributed to your leadership campaign, First Minister.”

Veezu did contribute. It contributed £25,000.

Mr Davies continued: “In referencing them, I am sure you inadvertently would have declared an interest. Still, I’m sure you’ll want to put that on the record so people can understand that you did receive a donation from them.”

At that point, Mr Gething’s face turned to stone.

Since the last Questions, he’d spent the time claiming the £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign by an environmental crook was not a matter that needed independent scrutiny. 

And he’d been pantsed by Andrew RT Davies in front of the whole Chamber for a basic oversight.

The pretence he should be judge and jury over ministerial proprietary flew out of the window.

Mr Davies pressed further, but the damage had been done with his initial point.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth underlined Mr Davies’s point. 

Before asking the First Minister about the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Mr ap Iorwerth observed: “Perhaps the First Minister should reflect on whether a declaration of interest is needed when he mentioned not once but twice, in positive terms, a taxi firm, Veezu, that he was given £25,000 by as a donation to his campaign.”

Mr Gething responded by confusing the declarations of contributions made to the Electoral Commissions about who bankrolled his leadership campaign and his absolute obligation to declare a personal and potentially prejudicial interest regarding Veezu to the Welsh Parliament. 

They are entirely separate issues. 

If the First Minister doesn’t understand the difference, an independent inquiry will clarify it for him. It’d certainly do a better job than a very limited internal review/whitewash headed by Carwyn Jones.

News

Social care funding position ‘unsustainable’, says Welsh Local Govt Association

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COUNCILS are calling for urgent investment in the upcoming Welsh Government Budget to help meet huge funding pressures in social care.

A WLGA survey of council budgets has identified £106m of in-year pressures in social services (2024-25). An additional £223m pressure is anticipated next year, representing 40% of the overall pressure for local government (£559m) just to stand still.

The Welsh Local Government Association has written to the Welsh Government outlining the severe outlook for social services.

Councils warn that without further help, meeting care and support needs will become increasingly difficult, impacting NHS and health care service delivery with residents waiting longer for care in the community.

Councillor Charlie McCoubrey, WLGA Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “Councils across Wales support the First Minister’s priority in improving access to social care and to create the healthier Wales that we all want to see. But the gravity of the financial challenge faced by social services and local government cannot be overstated. Simply put, the position is unsustainable.”

“More and more, councils are having to focus social care spend on addressing increasing demand for services and rising cost pressures in critical frontline services, leaving fewer and fewer resources available for preventative support. Prevention and early intervention support is vital for helping people maintain independent, healthy lives, improving life chances, preventing homelessness, and avoiding individuals and their families from reaching crisis point.

“Sustainable investment in social care also needs to be seen as an essential component to the ambition of building an NHS that is fit for the future, where health is about more than healthcare and hospitals. Services such as, housing, culture, youth, and economic development, have a huge role to play in influencing the conditions that keep people well and healthy in their own communities. Investment in such services delivered by councils brings multiple benefits, including for individuals and longer-term savings to the public purse.

“The harsh reality is that without additional investment, councils will face difficult choices and decisions on how best to balance their budgets whilst focusing on maintaining essential services. Any new legislative requirements or expectations of councils will need to be fully funded – the hope of doing more with less is long passed. Without increased funding for social care, the existing financial pressures will grow and unfortunately, will severely affect the ability of councils to provide timely, high-quality care and support to those who need it most.”

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Education

Tenby school built just eight years ago could need new roof

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A £75,000 feasibility budget to look at ways of tackling roof leaks at Tenby’s VC school, including a complete new roof for the school built just eight years ago, has been backed by senior councillors, with the potential of seeking redress from those who built it.

A report for Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet members at their November meeting, presented by Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham, said: “Since being established in 2016, and having been built as part of the Band A tranche of the Council’s 21st Century Schools Programme, the Tenby VC School building has experienced water ingress in roof areas.

“A number of these have been repaired, but unfortunately a number of leaks have resulted in a weakening of the structure and components within the roof construction. In order to reduce the load on the roof, the PV/Solar array which was installed at the time of the school’s construction has been removed; furthermore, a number of ‘props’ remain in place internally in order to support vulnerable areas of the roof.

“Over the past months, a number of discussions have taken place between the council’s professional construction services team and an external structural engineer to determine some possible options going forward.

“Such options range from limited intervention with a reliance on ongoing repair and maintenance, to a replacement of the entire roof structure. Given that the preferred option could result in a funding requirement in excess of £300,000, the council’s Capital Strategy requires Cabinet to approve feasibility funds.

“A project board has been established to review progress until the agreed works have been completed, the membership of which includes the headteacher and chair of the governing body.”

The report added: “As an operational school, it is considered essential that the roof issues at Tenby VC School can be resolved at the earliest opportunity. A feasibility exercise is required to be undertaken, but due to the constraints imposed by the terms and conditions of the most recent Welsh Government Capital Maintenance Grant, it cannot be funded via this grant.

“In accordance with the council’s Capital Strategy, Cabinet is asked to approve a £75,000 feasibility budget to explore the above options. Unless funded from an existing revenue budget, the feasibility study will be funded from the programme for administration reserve.”

Members agreed to approve a budget of £75,000 to fund a feasibility exercise to explore the options identified and to see whether there is potential redress from the contractors involved in building the school.

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Entertainment

Ambitious Welsh Wildlife Centre plans submitted

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PLANS to modernise the Welsh Wildlife Centre near Cardigan with a new public entrance and a raft of other works which will make it more accessible to all have been submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales seeks permission for a long list of changes at the Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran, including an extension to the visitor centre building and associated works, with a new public entrance with a timber canopy roof structure, an open terrace with ancillary rooms below, an enclosed platform lift for disabled access, an external stepped access, a new pathway connection, reconfiguration of the vehicle turning area and disabled parking bays, a replacement footbridge, a new plant enclosure and the introduction of ‘Brise Soleil’ to the south and west.

A supporting statement, by Childs Sulzmann Architects, says: “The visitor centre was built in the 1990s with an award-winning concept design. However, the usability of the building and some elements of its condition have deteriorated over the years, requiring modernisation.

“In particular, access to the visitor centre for people on the approach to the building is confusing and unclear, with external entrance doors provided at each side of the building. For instance, visitors can often be found in the offices on the lower ground floor level by mistake, whilst looking for the shop or café which are provided on the upper floors.”

It adds: “The Welsh Wildlife Centre welcomes an average of 70,000 visitors per year including tourists and has a strong local following. Whilst the centre is much-loved, there are a number of inherent failings developing at the site which are putting pressure on the centre’s ability to operate and WTSWW are addressing these with a programme of building and site improvements with the support of external funding bodies.”

It says: “This important local facility and visitor attraction will be enhanced and improved, by providing a clear and legible single entrance to the building, together with re-configured accessible parking bays and a platform lift for wheelchair users and ambulant disabled people to directly access the new public entrance.

“Further improvements to accessibility, which include the new external stairway to the open terrace and public entrance, the widened replacement footbridge and the connecting path to link the accessible parking area with the main footpath to the visitor centre, will contribute to the principles of promoting and providing access for all.”

Plans for a new play area at the Welsh Wildlife Centre near Cardigan were recently approved by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The latest proposals will be considered by county planners at a later date.

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