The Plaid AM for Mid and West Wales welcomed reassurance from the Minister that tourism will be treated as a separate case due to its strategic importance for Wales and that responsibility for developments in the tourism sector would now be wholly be under the Tourism Minister. Previously policy making and funding for tourism within the Assembly government were separated. Under the new plans these will be brought together into the Tourism department making it more efficient and effective.

Following questions raised by Nerys Evans AM, the Economy Minister, Plaid’s Ieuan Wyn Jones said:

“We focus on marketing Wales as a visitor destination in the rest of the UK and internationally, developing tourist infrastructure and on grading and supporting hospitality businesses – both to provide information to visitors and to raise standards. For economic renewal, we will move investment funding for tourism from the former Single Investment Fund to be under direct management of our tourism team. The principles described in this document will be applied to future use of these funds, with an increased emphasis on supporting tourism infrastructure and improving environmental performance of the sector.”

Plaid AM for Mid and West Wales Nerys Evans said:

“This is great news for the tourism industry in Wales and is recognition of the vitally important role it plays. Due to its distinct nature, tourism is the one key sector that will still have access to grants. This money will now be managed by Alun Ffred Jones, the Tourism Minister, who is already responsible for the policy making in this area. I am confident that this will lead to a more effective approach and will benefit the industry as a whole.”

A Plaid AM has called for a thorough evaluation of the benefits of the Communities First programme and its successor programme, Communities Next. Mid and West Wales representative Nerys Evans said that she was unconvinced that the programme had provided value for money even in its latest form and that it should be cancelled and replaced if it’s value to Wales’ economy and communities could not be clearly demonstrated.

Since it was introduced in 2001, Communities First has swallowed up nearly a quarter of a billion pounds worth of public funds in Wales (see notes for most recent costs). Ms Evans said that the Welsh public should be allowed to see for themselves how well that huge amount of money had been spent – and what benefits for Welsh communities had resulted from the programmes.

Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales, Nerys Evans said:

“Communities First is one government programme that should now be opened up to full public scrutiny. Ministers have resisted calls for a public enquiry into how the programme has been run, even though there have been damning reports and serious allegations made. The very least we should be able to expect is an honest appraisal of what outcomes have been achieved. While we’re all aware that there have been some positive results, there have also been some serious failures. That’s why a full evaluation needs to take place.

“Communities First has until May to prove that it is something that has been worth the huge amount of money that has been spent on it since it was first introduced in 2001. If it cannot be proven that this project is performing for our nation and our communities, then it should be cancelled as soon as possible. We clearly need to ensure that our communities are developed in a sustainable way – but schemes used to do that have to be effective, achieving real-world results that are value for money.

“We have had an initial taste of the financial hardship that is going to remain with us for the coming years – and the effects on efforts to regenerate our economy and our communities could be severe. The Conservative/Lib Dem Westminster government clearly hasn’t taken Wales’ needs into consideration during its early days so we have to ensure that every penny of Welsh government funding is targeted in the most effective way.”

Those are two key questions being asked by Plaid Cymru in response to suggestions that the ConDem Coalition intend to hold a referendum on changing the voting system for Westminster elections on the same day as next years elections for Wales’ National Assembly.

Plaid’s Nerys Evans AM called the situation farcical, adding that the plan proved that the ConDem coalition would even put a referendum on AV over Wales’ Assembly elections – despite the fact that neither the Conservatives nor Lib Dems support adopting the AV voting system.

Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales, Nerys Evans said:

“After stating only a matter of weeks ago that a referendum should not be held on the same day as an election, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are now proposing to hold a referendum on the same day as an election. And this referendum is over adopting a voting system that neither party supports. This is a farcical situation to say the least.

“Behind the farce there are some serious questions about whether or not the Secretary of State for Wales has any influence around the UK cabinet table. Did she even raise the fact that there will be a Welsh election on that day? If not, why not? And what happened to the Conservatives’ previous opposition to holding a referendum on the same day as an election?”

The festival will see more than 250 events being held across the county including coasteering sessions, kayak trips, sea angling championships and cookery classes.

In the Senedd Plaid AM Nerys Evans said:

“Pembrokeshire Fish Week is an excellent celebration of the county’s seafood and fishing heritage. More than 250 events are held for local residents and visitors alike, and is a fantastic example of promoting food tourism and a model for other parts of Wales to learn from.

This festival is an opportunity to show people everything Pembrokeshire has to offer from the county’s breathtaking coastline, fishing industry and excellent local produce.”

In his response Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said:

“It is important that we emphasise that we have local produce here that is just as good as any other produce in the world, and, if we market it properly, it will represent an additional attraction to tourists”

Nerys gyda Grŵp Epilepsi Caerfyrddin/Nerys with Carmarthen's Epilepsy Group

Plaid AM Nerys Evans said:

“As Chair of the Assembly Cross Party group on Epilepsy I was delighted to host this event and of course to welcome members of the Carmarthen Epilepsy Group to the Senedd. This event was an opportunity to raise awareness of the issue because understanding of the condition is not only low among the general public but also among politicians. A survey carried out in 2007 found that almost 90 per cent of MPs questioned did not know how many people in the UK have epilepsy. This lack of awareness is worrying and if we want to improve the services for the 456,000 people who have the condition in the UK we need to make sure that people are aware and understand the condition fully.

Although these figures are a concern I do however feel that here in Wales we are leading the way on this issue. Of course there is a lot more that can and should be done but it is reassuring to know that the Welsh Government is taking the issue seriously and by holding events like the one we did this week we are bringing the condition to the top of the political agenda. The event was very well attended and I was extremely pleased to be able to speak with my constituents and hear their personal experiences.”

Plaid Cymru Education spokesperson and AM for Mid and West Wales, Nerys Evans said:

“The people of Wales deserve to know exactly where the ConDem parties in Wales stand on the issue of so called ‘Free Schools’ which is being pushed forward by their London bosses. Will they be pushing for the same system here in Wales? The only people who will really benefit are private companies. This may well be acceptable to the ConDem cabinet, 67% of which went to private school, but it is not acceptable for the communities of Wales.

“The free Schools system is typical of the ‘free market’ ideology of the London parties and can only lead to selection and privatisation. The English education secretary claims that the schools will drive up standards but the reality is that it will push out the pupils that struggle to perform. We already know that Academy Schools exclude twice as many pupils as their local authority equivalents. Furthermore the experience of Academy schools has shown that teachers also lose out, in many cases having weaker terms and conditions and less pay than their counterparts in local authority schools.

“Plaid is committed to developing an education system that benefits all pupils, from all backgrounds, not just the lucky few. The reality is that Free Schools are not answerable to their parents, pupils or communities but to the companies that back them. Parents, pupils, teachers and communities in Wales deserve to know whether the ConDem parties think that the communities of Wales should be subjected to this creeping privatisation of education.”

Plaid’s Nerys Evans said:

“This has been a very popular and successful scheme and hopefully this new scheme will encourage more children to get involved and try new sports and activities which they will carry into adult life. This makes swimming more accessible for youngsters which enable them to undertake regular exercise, and also to learn to swim or improve water safety skills.

Only last week results of an annual survey showed that obesity amongst Welsh children had risen from 16% last year to 19% this year. The aim now is to make sure that these figures are lowered and providing free swimming for children could be a step in the right direction to ensure that this happens.”

In response to these concerns Pembrokeshire County Council assured Nerys that in future the beach will be cleaned weekly over the Winter months and daily from May until September.

Plaid’s Nerys Evans said:

“The County Council has assured me that Manorbier beach will now be cleaned every week during the Winter months and daily between May and September. It was disappointing to hear about the rubbish that was left on the beach and the dunes recently because it doesn’t send out a positive message to tourists. It’s very important that our beaches are kept clean all year round so that tourism in the county can thrive.”

Over the last few months up to 100 people who can’t receive broadband in these villages have been registered with the Welsh Assembly RIBS scheme. This has ensured that Llanfynydd and Cil-y-cwm are two of only four ‘notspot’ areas in Wales that will be broadband enabled this year. The aim is to complete the work by the end of the summer.

Plaid AM Nerys Evans, who is chair of the assembly cross party group on broadband in rural Wales said:

“I’m pleased to hear that this campaign has been successful. When you consider that only four villages throughout Wales will be receiving broadband this time around it’s fantastic news that two of those villages are here in Carmarthenshire. I’d like to thank everybody that returned the RIBS registration forms to us because that has ensured that Llanfynydd and Cil-y-cwm have been prioritised for this work. The response we had to the questionnaires showed how important this issue is to people in the area.

Everybody who responded wanted to have access to broadband and it is obvious that the lack of broadband at the moment seriously affects the local economy. Local companies have told me that it was impossible for them to communicate effectively or purchase goods online while working parents said that it was impossible for them to work from home.

Therefore this is excellent news and I’d like to congratulate the minister on his hard work with this issue.”

Carmarthen East and Dinerfwr AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas said:

“This is excellent news for the communities of Llanfynydd and Cil-y-cwm. It is quite shocking that pockets of Carmarthenshire still have to make do without decent broadband services. Whilst other parts of Wales can take broadband for granted the service is still out of reach for many residents in our rural areas. This will be a huge boost to the local residents and businesses.”

The Deputy First Minister for the Economy and Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones said:

“Access to the digital world is crucial in a modern global economy and we cannot afford to leave anybody behind. This is why we have committed to finding ways for the relatively few areas in Wales that remain unable to access broadband.

“There is no doubt that high-speed internet service is vital for communities in every part of the country. Top broadband links are vital for developing the knowledge economy, improving the ability of businesses and individuals to network and innovate.

“Not only is fast web access a feature of many households – but it is essential that businesses are fully equipped with first-class ICT infrastructure to compete successfully in a global market. And in line with the goals we set in the One Wales agreement, I want to see communities in rural areas sharing fully in the benefits.”

Fifty one people responded to the questionnaire and stated their wish to receive broadband but are currently unable to do so. Local residents said that a lack of broadband meant that local businesses were unable to compete; working parents couldn’t work from home; tourism companies can’t take bookings; farmers are unable to report animal movements; unemployed have difficulty job hunting and there is an increasing feeling of rural isolation especially with elderly residents.

At the same time 28 residents informed Ms Evans and Mr Glyn Thomas that they experience severe problems with the telephone line including unavailability of service for long periods of time and bad quality service.

Nerys Evans, who is Chair of the Assembly Cross Party Group for Broadband in Rural Wales, said:

“It is obvious from the response we’ve had to the questionnaires how important this issue is to the residents of Llanfynydd as it is in other parts of rural Carmarthenshire. Everybody who responded wants to have access to broadband and it’s obvious that the lack of broadband seriously affects the local economy. Local companies said that it was impossible for them to communicate effectively or purchase goods online while working parents said that it was impossible for them to work from home. Farmers told us that they were unable to report animal movements or file VAT returns online.

There is no doubt that a lack of broadband is a huge problem for rural businesses who suffer by comparison to urban-based businesses. It is possible that a business may choose to invest elsewhere which means rural communities suffer economically. Secondly, rural areas may not be able to receive commercial and public services via broadband, which means people are being socially excluded as a result of their geographical position.

Not only that, but 28 respondents told us that they are having severe problems with their telephone line which is unacceptable in this day and age. I urge the Government and BT to find a solution in order to ensure that Llanfynydd residents are treated fairly.”

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas added:

“More must be done to ensure that these services are made available in Llanfynydd. It is quite shocking that pockets of Carmarthenshire still have to make do without decent broadband services. Whilst other parts of Wales can take broadband for granted the service is still out of reach for residents in Llanfynydd. We are in the middle of a recession and yet vital tools for business and the economy are being denied locally.”