By Elections August 2015

By Elections August 2015

 

Caerphilly, Crosskeys - Labour hold

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012	since 2008	since 2004
Labour	354	50.6%	-4.3%	+0.6%	-20.6%
Plaid Cymru	179	25.6%	+12.9%	-1.8%	+7.1%
UKIP	166	23.7%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Conservative			-3.9%	-11.8%	-10.3%
Independent			-28.4%	-10.8%

 

 

Powys, Glabury - Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012	2008 result	2004 result
Liberal Democrat	457	44.4%	from nowhere
Conservative	415	40.3%	-10.9%
Independent	106	10.3%	-8.1%
Green	52	5.0%	from nowhere
Independent Morris			-30.5%	unopposed	unopposed

Press release Re Recycling Targets

Recycling in Wales reaches highest ever rate

New figures published today show that Wales is recycling more than ever before and continues to lead the UK.

Mike Hedges said… I welcome the increase in waste recycled from 53% to 57% in the last year; this places Swansea within touching distance of next year’s target of 58%. It is important for people to recycle where possible.’

The latest provisional figures indicate that the reuse, recycling and composting rate for 2014-15 is 56%, an increase of 2 percentage points on last year’s figures and 4% higher than the statutory target of 52%.

Local authorities across Wales are continuing 　to work hard in encouraging households to increase the amount they recycle. 　

The figures show a decrease in non-recycled household waste to 47 kilograms per person, for the January to March quarter of 2015, which illustrates the good progress being made in reducing the waste going to landfill.

　

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Press Release on improving critical care figures

Mike hedges weclomes New report that shows that critical care Survival rates are improving

More people are surviving life-threatening injuries and illnesses as a result of the specialist care they receive in Welsh critical care units, a new report has revealed.

The second all-Wales annual report on critical care services shows that survival rates for people receiving treatment in critical care units are increasing in Wales. The report also highlights the progress made in critical care services and the priorities for improvement.

Mike Hedges AM said … I welcome these figures that show that the Wales Government‘s investment in Critical Care services is paying dividends. The survival rates are particularly impressive. I look forward to further investment in Critical Care to further improve the services’.

Almost 10,000 people in Wales receive critical care every year in Wales. Demand for this specialist treatment has risen steadily – in 2011-12 there were almost 9,000 admissions and in 2014-15 there were more than 9,700 admissions; an 8% increase –and demand is set to rise further, partly because of Wales’ ageing population.

Areas of progress highlighted in the report include:

Survival rates are improving, with 83% of patients discharged to another ward in 2014-15, up from 79% in 2011-12


Re-admissions to critical care within 48 hours are very low – less than 1% of all people discharged from critical care. This highlights that ward-based care and the discharge process are effective


Significant improvements have been made in the safe transfer of critically-ill patients who need to move between hospitals as a result of training and continuous audit – 78% of all transfers are graded as good or excellent.

Areas for improvement include:

The average length of stay in critical care units has been increasing steadily over time, from 114 hours in 2010 to 130 hours in 2014 (October to December)


Two-thirds of patients experienced a delay when they were ready to be discharged from critical care by more than four hours during 2013-14


More than 138,000 critical care bed hours were lost in 2014 as a result of these delayed transfers of care – this is equivalent to 16 critical care beds


In 2014, 94% of all non-clinical transfers in Wales were due to a lack of a critical care bed


Percentage bed occupancy has been consistently above the 70% recommended rate by the Intensive Care Society.

The Welsh Labour Government has set health boards a target to reduce delayed transfers of care in critical care units by 10% per quarter

Press release on primary care fund

£3.5m investment brings health care closer to home

A multi-million pound investment by the Welsh Labour Government in local health services across Wales is helping the NHS deliver more care closer to people’s homes and reduce pressure on hospital services, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

In November 2014, 　the Welsh Labour Government created its first £3.5m primary care fund, which included £2m to improve and develop the skills of NHS staff working in the community and GP surgeries. The fund also provided more eye care services in local communities, with £600,000 allocated to each of Wales’ seven health boards to provide additional eye care appointments closer to people’s homes instead of in hospitals.

Mike Hedges AM said ….. ‘ I welcome this update on the Primary Care Fund; Primary care is of vital importance and it is good to see the Wales Labour Government developing these new services’

Projects include:

　　　　　　　　 In Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, a partnership has been established with the merger of three smaller practices in the Swansea and Amman valley area to create the first stage of a multi-disciplinary primary care workforce system, with a telephone triage service, resulting in an increase in patient consultations with a nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or advanced paramedic, freeing GP time and reducing missed appointments.

In Cwm Taf University Health Board, five salaried GPs have been appointed, and placements secured, to support and a further two will be appointed shortly.


up a new service for south Powys and another will complete specialist palliative care training. Two children’s phlebotomy services have been set up in Brecon and Newtown, led by a qualified nurse and run by healthcare support workers and supported by a play therapist.

• Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board has employed community optometrists to work in its eye casualty. This has improved the skills of primary care practitioners and strengthened joint working between primary and secondary care.

This year, the Welsh Government has been able to increase the size of the primary care fund to £40m, investing in community-based services and the primary care workforce to deliver more high-quality care closer to people’s homes and prevent the need for people to travel to hospital for their care.

Press release on Rent Smart Wales Scheme

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Rent Smart Wales Scheme

Mike Hedges AM welcome the Rent Smart Wales scheme, the brand for the new landlord and agent registration and licensing scheme which comes into effect this autumn.

Mike said….. I welcome this initiative which will help improve standards in the private rented sector. For too long rogue landlords have been able to operate with impunity and redress for tenants has been exceedingly difficult. This new scheme will mean Private Landlords will have to register and receive training on their responsibilities to tenants. Tenants should see an improvement in service they receive from landlords as a result of this Bill.

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 aims to improve letting and management standards for people who rent private accommodation across Wales. The legislation means Wales will become the first country in the UK where managing landlords and agents will need to undertake training to ensure they are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

From this autumn:

• all private landlords will be required to register with Rent Smart Wales. They will also have to register their properties


if a landlord wants to manage the property themselves, they must demonstrate they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence, and undertake training


alternatively, they will be able to appoint a licensed agent to manage the property on their behalf.

Further information can be found here.

　

　

Consultation ON openING up the great outdoors

The Welsh Labour Government is asking for views on how opportunities to access the outdoors for responsible recreation can be improved.

Mike Hedges said…. ‘I welcome this consultation and urge people interested in accessing our local countryside to take part in the consultation. We need to protect peoples access to the countryside’

With some 60% of people living in Wales stating they would like to visit the outdoors more often, Welsh Labour’s Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant has launched a consultation on improving opportunities to access the outdoors.

Wales’ 33,000km of public rights of way network provides opportunities for local tourism and economic regeneration. However the current 'network' of public rights of way is widely perceived to be outdated. The system legislates for individual paths rather than networks and has resulted in routes not linking up as well as gaps in provision.

The Wales Coast Path demonstrates the economic worth outdoor recreation can bring - generating £32.2m of additional demand in the Welsh economy, £61.1m of GVA, and 730 person-years of employment.

The consultation is seeking views on ways to reduce the costs and burdens associated with administering public paths and wider access; how current and future recreational needs can be better met and ways to tackle some of the practical difficulties of improving opportunities for all.

The consultation is open until 2^nd October and can be found here.

Why I am supporting Jeremy Corbyn

Why I am supporting Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy gives hope to both the party and the country.

I have always wondered how the First World War generals could have been so stupid trying the same tactic time after time. Yet more of what failed in 2010 and 2015 a form of austerity light is considered by some the solution next time. If it fails in 2020 we can always try it again in 2025.

 You win elections when you give the electorate hope. When they think you are on their side. Labour lost in 1959 and in 2015 because we were not prepared to differentiate ourselves from the Tories. We are the party that stands up for the poor, the down trodden and exploited. We are the party of the ordinary workers and their families not of the casino capitalists of the city of London.

I want to debunk two myths. Firstly is that you keep the last election vote and add to it.

Remember the last election, the experts, the leadership, the planners had it all worked out. All we need to do to win is add the disillusioned Liberal Democrat to our 2010 voters and we would win. According to electoral calculus 7 % of the electorate who voted Lib Dem in 2010 voted Labour in 2015 so we should have won or at least come a close second..

But 2% of 2010 Labour voters voted SNP, 1% voted UKIP, 2% voted Tory and 1% voted Green. If we had held on to that vote we would have polled 36.4% of the vote to the Conservatives 36.9%.

We cannot take our voters for granted and try and gain some conservative ones by moving to the right. Some people have said we lost due to lazy Labour voters not voting. It is my view we lost because too many ex Labour voters could not see how we would make their lives better. Why voting Labour would make a difference.

The second myth is that you win elections from the centre ground. If that was true the Lib Dems would win every election Although the Liberal Democrats most successful elections have been when they moved to the left.

Was the Attlee government in 1945 in the centre ground?

Were the Wilson Governments in the centre ground?

Was Thatcher in the centre ground?

Is Cameron in the centre ground?

We in Wales, when led by Rhodri Morgan, set clear red water between us and the Labour Party in London and we won.

 

What are my constituents telling me.

Statements on my Facebook feed from my constituents include

“If he (Jeremy)  gets elected as leader of the Labour Party I will come back from the Greens the only other party that leans to the left and in support of the people.”

“I believe it needs to change people’s minds and lead rather than take the populist view. That's what it was good at back when it started. Make fairness, caring and looking after the worker and the disadvantaged an electable ticket rather than trying to be a less conservative Tory party”

“I feel the Labour Party has forgotten its roots and those who started it. It was from trade unionists we came!! For a Labour Party to abstain from voting on welfare rights is completely diabolical.”

Finally we win when we offer the electorate hope, when we appear economically competent, when we appear a party of principle and that is why  I am supporting Jeremy Corbyn for leader.

Mike Hedges welcomes New campaign TO promote positive parenting

Welsh Labour’s Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has announced a new campaign providing advice for parents on positive approaches to raising children.

Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I welcome this new campaign to improve parenting skills; this work will compliment work already being undertaken through work at places such as Flying Start projects. I hope that parents will look at the website and pick up tips on how to encourage better behaviour from their children through spending time talking with them.’

‘Parenting. Give it time’, which will start this autumn, will highlight how offering encouragement and praising children for good behavior is more effective than harsh punishments when children do things wrong.

Parents will be encouraged to give time to talk and listen to their children and given tips on how to encourage better behaviour, by adopting positive parenting strategies. 　It will also highlight the need for parents to look after their own well-being and help them manage stress.

From the autumn, ‘Parenting. Give it time’ will promote positive approaches to raising children through a number of different media channels. A dedicated website will provide parents with parenting tips, information, advice and signposts to sources of further support.

　

　

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Press release - young people urged to have MENINGITIS vaccine

Young people are being urged to have the meningitis ACWY vaccine, which is being introduced in Wales from Monday.

This is in response to an increasing number of cases of meningococcal group W disease in the UK.

Mike Hedges AM said … ‘welcome this initiative to increase the number of 13-18 yr olds who are taking up this vaccine. The evidence is that the number of cases of meningitis is increasing and this provides an opportunity to ensure that the maximum number of people are vaccinated as possible – I urge anyone who qualifies for the vaccine to take up the offer’

Based on advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) – the national body which advises governments about vaccination – the vaccine will replace the existing meningitis C vaccine, which is given to teenagers and people starting university.

From Monday, all students under 25 who are attending university for the first time this autumn will be eligible to receive the MenACWY vaccine. 　There will also be a catch-up Programme for all 13 to 18-year-olds.

The catch-up programme will begin with all young people with a date of birth between 1 September 1996 and 31 August 1997 who will be offered the vaccine by their GP. Younger people will be invited to have the vaccine either in school or by their GP over the next two years.

Young people going to university in September are urged to contact their GP surgery in order to organise the vaccination as soon as possible.

　

Ends

　

Press release on Super Fast Broad band expanstion in Wales

Superfast broadband availability grows in Wales

Swansea East AM Mike Hedges has welcomed the latest Ofcom Communications Market Report which highlights the progress of superfast broadband in Wales.

Mike said.. I welcome this news that Superfast Broadband is becoming more available in Wales; I have asked questions at the Assembly and directly to BT concerning parts of Swansea East, including Llansamlet and Birchgrove, which have yet to get access to fast internet speeds. Fast broadband speeds are essential for small and medium sized business to grow their business; it is also an increasingly important consideration for people when they purchase houses.’

The report finds that Wales has the highest availability of superfast broadband of any of the devolved nations, with nearly four in five (79%) of premises now able to access it. 　

Fixed broadband take-up and internet take-up are also up, along with tablet ownership among adults.　　

Ofcom concludes that the increase is largely due to the roll-out of the Superfast Cymru programme – the partnership between Welsh Labour Government, BT and the UK Government which is bringing superfast broadband to areas which would otherwise not receive it.

　

　

Ends

July 2015 Major Council by elections in Wales

Gwynedd, Morfa Nefyn - Plaid Cymru hold

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012	since 2008	since 2004
Plaid Cymru	315	71.9%	-5.5%	+12.2%	+21.6%
Llais Gwynedd	123	28.1%	+5.5%	-12.2%	from nowhere
Independent					-40.0%
Independent					-9.7%
Total votes	438		90%	86%	80%

Denbighshire, Prestatyn East - Conservative hold

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012 "top"	since 2012 "average"	since 2008 "top"	since 2008 "average"
Conservative	528	50.9%	+9.3%	+10.0%	-21.7%	-20.3%
Labour	373	36.0%	+7.1%	+6.8%	+8.5%	+7.2%
Independent	76	7.3%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Plaid Cymru	60	5.8%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Previous Independents			-25.6%	-25.8%
Green			-4.0%	-4.1%
Total votes	1,037		82%	86%	89%	93%

Wrexham, Llay - Liberal Democrat gain from Labour

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012 "top"	since 2012 "average"	since 2008 "top"	since 2008 "average"
Liberal Democrat	700	52.2%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Labour	353	26.3%	-38.4%	-39.6%	-6.6%	+1.1%
No Description - Broderick	124	9.2%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Conservative	64	4.8%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
UKIP	60	4.5%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Independent - Dodd	41	3.1%	from nowhere	from nowhere	-19.9%	-24.9%
Previous Independents			-35.3%	-34.1%	-44.1%	-46.9%
Total votes	1,342		105%	116%	80%	96%

Caerphilly, New Tredegar - Labour hold

Party	2015 votes	2015 share	since 2012 B	since 2012 "top"	since 2012 "average"	since 2008 "top"	since 2008 "average"
Labour	648	82.5%	-2.8%	+9.8%	+12.3%	+8.4%	+9.5%
UKIP	90	11.5%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Conservative	47	6.0%	+3.0%	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere	from nowhere
Plaid Cymru			-11.7%			-25.9%	-26.8%
Independents				-27.3%	-29.8%
Total votes	785		97%	59%	65%	63%	66%