Mike Hedges Asks Finance Cabinet Member about the impact of Apprenticeship Levy and praises Welsh Further Education Colleges

Mike Hedges Asks Finance Cabinet Member about the impact of Apprenticeship Levy and praises Welsh Further Education Colleges

Speaking after the Senedd on Wednesday, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said…. ‘I wanted to make the point that the UK Governments scheme has fallen well short of its own publicity while Further Education colleges are making big contributions to the process of getting people ready for employment. These local institutions deserve a lot of credit for the work they are undertaking in our local communities. I have met people in my constituency who are now working because of the support and encouragement while undergoing apprenticeship training in FE colleges in Swansea. They speak very highly of the local FE Colleges and I endorse their views.’

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Mike Hedges AM - Would the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that the UK Government's much-vaunted apprenticeship levy has now been exposed for what it is: nothing more than a tax on employers, which has done little to improve access to apprenticeships? Will he also agree that the further education colleges in Wales are doing a phenomenally good job in training apprentices to the benefit of our country?67

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Mark Drakeford AM - Well, of course Mike Hedges is right, Llywydd. The apprenticeship levy is simply a tax, in any other name, and a very badly designed tax, and a tax that is friendless, as far as I can see, amongst the nations of the United Kingdom and amongst employers as well. It was a botched job from the start. There was no prior discussion with Scotland or Wales. We could have helped the then Chancellor of the Exchequer to do a better job of it had he simply allowed us, as the statement of funding policy required, to be part of the design of what he was intending to achieve.68

I certainly agree with Mike Hedges that further education colleges in Wales do an excellent job in responding to local economic needs, in matching young people with careers that they will be able to develop over the long term. I've recently myself met with apprentices at Airbus and in Tata in south Wales, and they all had really impressive stories to tell of the support that they have received from major employers in Wales, and how that has been matched by a genuinely responsive approach by their local education authorities and the further education colleges on which they rely.   

Mike Hedges AM welcomes £9.5 million EU investment which will help Wales move towards a low carbon economy

Mike Hedges AM welcomes £9.5 million EU investment which  will help Wales move towards a low carbon economy

2 renewable energy projects will benefit from £9.5 million of EU funding, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford announced today, at an event to celebrate the impact of EU funds in Wales

Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘ This is great news for Wales and for Swansea Community Solar Energy in particular. I have visited this great local company and am thrilled that they will now be at the forefront of a market leading pilot project. We need to be as innovative as possible to meet the challenges of climate change and the need for Green Energy. This project could lead to further investment in new technologies in the Swansea Area. I wish this company the best of luck in delivering this project.’

The £14.4 million GSCS (generation storage consumption supply) scheme, will receive £9 million of EU funding.

It will use cutting-edge battery technology to generate and store electricity from renewable and low carbon sources, which will then be distributed to local businesses at a discounted rate.

GSCS will provide revenue-saving opportunities at sites in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

The £0.9 million community solar energy storage scheme in Swansea – Swansea Community Solar Storage with Direct Local Supply – will receive  £600,000 of EU funds to supply electricity to up to 300 local consumers.

Based at Wales’ first community-owned solar farm, the innovative scheme aims to create a larger local community energy model to support many more communities across Wales.

Speaking at the event in Cardiff, Professor Drakeford said:

“This investment is another positive example of how the Welsh Government is supporting innovative projects using EU funding and highlights the importance of securing replacement funding for Wales from the UK Government when we leave the EU.

“We are committed to creating a sustainable low-carbon energy economy in Wales and aim to generate 70% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030.

“These two projects will play an important role by supporting local businesses and communities to use renewable energy and help us achieve this goal together.”

Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“As a government we are committed to accelerating the transition of our energy system in Wales, particularly through the increased use of renewable energy. Our priorities are to increase energy efficiency, reduce our reliance on energy generated from fossil fuels and to actively manage the transition to a low carbon economy to benefit Wales.”

Iestyn Morgan, lead director from the Infinite Renewables Group, said:

“GSCS is an exciting new initiative, which will deliver energy cost savings to the business community. It supports the Welsh Government’s commitment to create a sustainable low-carbon economy by moving towards a smart energy future that combines local clean energy, storage and micro grids.”

Ant Flanagan, from Gower Power Solar Storage, said:

“The holy grail of community energy is enabling local energy consumers to benefit directly from renewable energy generation and storage assets – not only by sharing profits but also by reducing bills.

“This EU investment will enable us to carry out a market leading pilot. We are looking forward to working with great partners to make savings to national transmission costs and put money back into local people’s pockets, while also delivering wider community benefit programmes.”

Mike Hedges AM asks for Welsh Government Statement on the Planning Inspectorate making decisions which consistently over rule local authorities and the wishes of those who live with the consequences of these decisions.

Mike Hedges AM asks for Welsh Government Statement on the Planning Inspectorate making decisions which consistently over rule local authorities and the wishes of those who live with the consequences of these decisions.

Speaking after the Senedd, Swansea East AM said… I welcome the response from the Leader of the House. Local Authorities are the people who should make local decisions on planning matters. There should be no role for people who do not live in the area and who do not understand issues such as traffic flows and ‘rat runs’; People who have lived in quiet streets often have their lives turned upside down, after the local authority has made a decision to say no to another HMO in their area. I am pleased that the Welsh Government will make a statement on this in due course.

Mike Hedges AM - The second is a Welsh Government statement on the Planning Inspectorate, including planning inspectors giving permission for houses in multiple occupation against the wishes of the council and local people. I'm sure that's something that the leader of the house knows a great deal about. And if I say Brynmill, well, St Thomas and Port Tennant have now become the new Brynmill. As you know, I do not believe that there's a role for the planning inspector in a democracy. Councils should decide, and an unhappy applicant should go to judicial review. Someone coming in who knows nothing about the area, making decisions that have catastrophic affects upon the lives of individuals, I think, is anti-democratic, and it certainly causes huge problems in my area and, as I know in the past, it has in yours.

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Indeed, yes. On that one, obviously, we don't have any direct control over the Planning Inspectorate, which is a separate organisation to the Welsh Government acting on its behalf. However, we do, from time to time, issue guidance and policy documents around understanding the issues, and I've had conversations with the Cabinet Secretary about whether, for university towns, it's beneficial to do that. I certainly share his concern in that regard and the enforceability of any density policy that any local authority would want to put up and what effect that might have on subsequent appeals. 349

Mike Hedges AM asks for an update on Welsh Government support for Virgin Media staff in the process of losing their staff.

Mike Hedges AM asks for an update on Welsh Government support for Virgin Media staff in the process of losing their staff.

Speaking after the Plenary Session, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said… ‘I know that it might seem as if I am like a stuck record on this matter, but listening to me asking for regular updates is but a small matter compared the stresses faced by my constituents who face a Christmas and new year full of uncertainties as the look forward to losing their jobs in 2019. I am pleased that job fairs and other support have been provided via the Welsh Government and that this will continue in to 2019.’

Questions to the Government Business Manager

Mike Hedges AM - I would like to make two requests for Welsh Government statements. The first is one that the leader of the house is quite used to me asking about, but I make no apologies for continuing to do so because it's hugely important to my and her constituents, and that is an update on Virgin Media job losses and the Welsh Government support for those who are losing their jobs, and it's getting very close now to the time when everybody will be losing their jobs.

Julie James AM - In terms of Virgin Media, the first tranche of redundant staff left the company in November, as I know he's well aware. There are two phases planned for next year as well. Our placement support team has taken on responsibility for providing staff with onsite access to key partners of the taskforce, including Careers Wales,  the Department for Work and Pensions and local employers. The Welsh contact centre forum is a key partner in our taskforce and has arranged job fairs in October at the Virgin Media site and brought recruiting employers to the site as well as providing careers advice for those staff seeking alternative employment. It's too early for me to provide specific details of those who have been successful in securing alternative employment as a result of the job fairs, but we are holding further job fairs to coincide with the additional tranches of staff leaving the company next year. So, our involvement continues in order to make sure that all of the staff who are affected by this have the best possible outcome.

Swansea East AM backs campaign for faster treatment for people with quickest killing cancer

Swansea East AM backs campaign for faster treatment for people with quickest killing cancer

Mike Hedges AM has pledged his support to Pancreatic Cancer UK’s campaign demanding faster treatment for people with pancreatic cancer – three in four patients with the disease die within a year of diagnosis making it the quickest killing cancer. The charity is calling for the Welsh Government to set a new ambition to begin treatment for all pancreatic cancer patients across the UK within 20 days of diagnosis by 2024.

At an event to highlight Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Demand Faster Treatment campaign held at the Welsh Assembly, Mike Hedges AM heard that if avoidable delays to treatment were removed many more pancreatic cancer patients could be eligible for surgery – the only current cure for the disease. To help achieve this ambition the charity  is recommending the roll-out of a new treatment programme which in a recent trial successfully reduced patients’ time to surgery from two months to just over two weeks.

Mike Hedges AM said: “76 people within the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year and tragically less than seven per cent will survive beyond five years. This is unacceptable and much more needs to be done to improve the outcomes for people with this deadly disease.

“I hope everyone in Swansea East will join me in backing this campaign to transform the future for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and help them receive treatment before it is too late.”

The charity released a report to coincide with the campaign which revealed that pancreatic cancer patients who have surgery are ten times more likely to live for five years or more than patients who do not (1). New analysis by Pancreatic Cancer UK shows that if even a modest increase in the proportion of patients receiving surgery (from the current rate of less than ten per cent, to just 15 per cent) was sustained over five years, it could give 2,100 more patients across the UK at least a year of precious time with their loved ones and potentially be lifesaving (*). 

To help achieve the increase, the charity is calling for the introduction of accelerated treatment models for pancreatic cancer within the NHS similar to those which are already in place for more well-known cancers such as breast and prostate. This would include establishing one-stop clinics where patients can have all tests to determine their suitability for surgery in one place. Clinical nurse specialists would be recruited to coordinate with other NHS services addition to supporting patients.  Implementing both of these measures would significantly speed-up treatment decisions. The number of tests required, the wait for results, and the need to consult doctors from multiple specialisms due to the complexity of pancreatic cancer are major causes of delays in treating the disease when there is no time to waste.

Diana Jupp, Chief Executive at Pancreatic Cancer UK said: “We’re extremely grateful Mike Hedges AM has shown his support for our Demand Faster Treatment campaign. Too many pancreatic cancer patients are being denied their only chance of survival because they are simply not being treated fast enough. Three in four people diagnosed with this devastating disease die within a year, making it the quickest killing cancer. It’s so ferocious that patients cannot afford to wait. In recent years we have seen outstanding progress in other cancers such as breast and prostate, and a shocking lack of progress for pancreatic. Together we can change that.

“We are urging people from Swansea East to take on this deadly cancer and sign our petition calling on the government to recognise pancreatic cancer as an emergency. We owe it to all those affected by pancreatic cancer to be more ambitious and make sure that everyone is treated within 20 days of diagnosis.” 

Three in four people with pancreatic cancer die within a year of diagnosis, making it the quickest killing cancer. Survival for the incredibly tough disease has lagged behind other cancers since the 1970s, with less than seven per cent of people with pancreatic cancer patients living for five years (4). UK survival for pancreatic cancer is behind that of European counterparts: Belgium and Germany have a five-year survival of 12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. 

Pancreatic Cancer UK is calling on the UK Government and devolved administrations to set a new ambition to treat all patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 20 days by 2024. To find out more about the Demand Faster Treatment campaign and sign the petition, visit: www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/demandfastertreatment

-       ENDS -

MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOMES NEWS THAT SWANSEA WOMENS AID PROJECT HAS BEEN SUCESSFUL WITH A NATIONAL LOTTTERY AWARD.

MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOMES NEWS THAT SWANSEA WOMENS AID PROJECT HAS BEEN SUCESSFUL WITH A NATIONAL LOTTTERY AWARD.

Swansea East Mike Hedges AM said….. ‘This award is really good news; I have met with people who have already benefited from this work of this great organisation. They provide a huge amount of support for people fleeing the scourge of domestic abuse. I am so pleased that this award will enable them to develop services which will benefit the whole of Swansea. I look forward to following the progress of the organisation as it develops this service. If you are in an abusive relationship please seek support and advice from Swansea Women’s Aid’

Swansea Women’s Aid will expand the current DAISE project to incorporate a triage worker at their One Stop Shop, further focus on one to one appointments and introduce further opportunities for mindfulness and counselling. The project activities will be delivered at their main base in Swansea Centre and throughout surrounding areas in existing family centres. The project aims to engage with at least 1,200 women suffering from Domestic Abuse or Sexual Abuse in Swansea.  The £482,109 grant, over two years, will cover staffing costs and other related revenue delivery costs.

AM says “choose respect”

Mike Hedges AM is supporting anti bullying week, 12-16 of November.  This year the organisers are encouraging everyone to ‘Choose Respect.” Encouraging people treat each other with respect. 

The Assembly Member is asking residents to be particularly mindful of how they speak to each other online.

Bullying can have an impact on people of all ages in school, in the workplace and online. 

This week we also celebrate World Kindness day.  Treating people with kindness and respect can make huge difference to how people feel

Mike Hedges “The consequences for the victims of bullying are demoralising, relentless and can be life changing.”

“Anti-bullying week helps to highlight the different organisations out there for people to get support from. If you are being bullied – please speak with someone you can trust”

“If you witness bullying please speak out”

“Remember bullying is not only done by children, adults do it as well often in the work environment”

“Let’s take a stand against bullying ‘Choose respect’ and say ‘NO’ to bullies.”

Mike Hedges AM calls for money to be found for funding of Teachers Pension contributions

Mike Hedges AM calls for money to be found for funding of Teachers Pension contributions 

Swansea East AM has asked the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, for the Welsh Government to pass on any extra money from Westminster to pay for the increases in Teachers pension contributions – the cost of which will fall on school budgets if nothing extra is found either from Westminster or the Welsh Government.

Speaking after First Minister Questions, Mike Hedges said…. Like many of my colleagues, I am very worried about the costs associated with increasing the contribution to Teachers Pensions. With schools already facing real pressure after the recent budget settlements, the idea that they might have to find significant extra money for teacher’s pensions is horrifying. I am very worried indeed that this will see a big impact on school budgets which may in turn impact on the number of teachers in our schools. I would urge the First Minister to pass on any extra money from Westminster to schools in full.

Mike Hedges AM - 1. Will the First Minister make a statement on funding the increase in teacher pension contributions? OAQ52895

First Minister of Wales

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Carwyn Jones AM - I share the concerns of others in the public sector that the proposed changes to public sector pension schemes risk diverting further funding from front-line services. The UK Government is responsible for these changes and we have made it clear that they must fund the increase in pension contributions.3

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Mike Hedges AM - Can I thank the First Minister for that answer? The cost of funding the increase in the employer teacher pension contributions follows the decision of Westminster to implement cost capping and this will fall mainly on school budgets. Unless money comes from Westminster—and there may be money from Westminster—will the First Minister commit that any money that comes as a consequential of the additional money for schools in England to cover the pensions will actually be given to schools in Wales?4

First Minister of Wales

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Carwyn Jones AM - Well, we have already made it clear that local authorities are first in the queue, although there is a queue in terms of funding, but that depends on whether we do get consequentials. What is not fair, nor is it right, is the situation to arise where the UK Government imposes extra costs on local authorities that the Welsh Government is then expected to fund. That clearly can't be right. So, where costs are imposed by a Government, we have an agreement with local authorities where we say that any new costs will be funded. The UK Government needs to do the same. 

MIKE HEDGES ASKS FIRT MINISTER TO CLOSE COUNCIL TAX LOOP HOLE

MIKE HEDGES ASKS FIRT MINISTER TO CLOSE COUNCIL TAX LOOP HOLE

Speaking after First Minister’s Questions, Mike Hedges said… ‘I think that some people can play the system to avoid paying the premium on Council Tax for 2^nd Homes. I asked that loopholes be closed. We must make it as difficult as possible for people to avoid paying what Local Authorities are entitled to levy on 2^nd Homes.’

Mike Hedges AM - Will the Welsh Government legislate to ensure that all properties built or adapted for housing have to pay council tax based upon the band they're in and any second home premium charged by the local authority, or that the business rate relief for rented out properties is abolished? Because I think this is a loophole: it has to be available for 140 days; it is quite easy to make something available for 140 days, and get round it. It has to be let out for 70 days, whether renting out to family counts, which a lot of people do, in that you collect more rent, but they let family members use it, and therefore that builds up to the 70 days. So, will the Government look at taking either of those two actions, to ensure that local authorities get the money they deserve?16

First Minister of Wales

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We've legislated to allow local authorities to charge council tax premiums on second homes. As I said in the answer earlier, it's the responsibility of the Valuation Office Agency—independently of the Government—to determine the status of each property in Wales. As I said, those second home owners who try to game the system could find themselves facing very large backdated bills for council tax. But, again, I refer to the answer I gave earlier, where a review is being conducted, to examine the scale of the problem in different parts of Wales.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes news that Welsh Government launch consultation into banning third party sales of puppies

Mike Hedges AM welcomes news that Welsh Government launch consultation into banning third party sales of puppies

Speaking after the announcement by the Environment Secretary, Lesley Griffiths, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said… ‘I welcome this announcement; I have been contacted by a number of constituents over the last few months as the legislation has come into effect in England, saying why the same law should apply in Wales.  This announcement is the start of the process which will see a similar law enacted in Wales.’

I urge people to take part in the process once the consultation commences. I will post details of this on my website in due course.

The Welsh Government, has announced a consultation will be launched in the New Year into the impact of banning the third party sales of puppies and kittens.

The consultation will look to gather evidence on what stage the government should intervene in large scale breeding premises and address concerns about animal welfare.

Press release on Question to First Minister on Incinerators

Speaking after the First Minsters Questions, Mike Hedges said…. With Health Concerns to the fore when residents have contacted me about this type of facility,  It is important to clarify why some polluting facilities have regulations which say they can’t be built within a certain distance of houses and others have no such restriction. With the evidence regarding the Health impact of living close to incinerators at best uncertain it would be best to act on the side of caution and not permit incinerators to be built close to residential areas. I will continue to urge that the Welsh Government amend TAN 21 to reflect the same rules as applies for opencast sites.

Mike Hedges AM - 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policy on the building of incinerators? OAQ52842

First Minister of Wales

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'Planning Policy Wales' and technical advice note 21 on waste provide a comprehensive framework for assessing proposals for waste management infrastructure in Wales. And we, of course, support the implementation of overarching waste management policy that's contained in 'Towards Zero Waste'.  52

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Mike Hedges AM - Thank you for that answer. TAN 21, as you've just outlined, covers waste disposal, but, unlike opencast, where, since 2009, coal mines have to be built more than 500m away from homes, there does not appear to be a rule on distance of incinerators from houses. I've an incinerator planned for the Llansamlet area of Swansea that is close to both houses and a school. Will the Welsh Government consider a distance from houses and schools for the building of incinerators and amend TAN 21 accordingly?53

14:05

First Minister of Wales

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Well, there'd have to be a scientific basis for doing that—as to why 500m would have a beneficial effect. But what I can say, of course, is that incineration and co-incineration are subject to the stringent protective requirements of the industrial emissions directive. They've been incorporated into Welsh legislation for a number of years and they include requirements that there should be strict emissions limits for potentially polluting substances; there are monitoring requirements and operating conditions that are applied through environmental permits issued by the environmental regulator. I can also say that, if there are adverse impacts, of course, on amenity or the environment, and they cannot be mitigated, then planning permission, of course, can be refused on those grounds.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Positive parenting campaign which was launched this week

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Positive parenting campaign which was launched this week

A local AM, Mike Hedges, is urging parents to find out more about a new resource that promotes positive parenting. The ‘Parenting. Give it time’ campaign promotes the benefits of positive parenting approaches to help parents manage challenging periods in a child’s development.

Positive parenting techniques are the most effective ways of managing difficult behaviour and help parents develop good relationships with their children

The campaign provides a dedicated website, Facebook page and printed resources offering tips and information for parents. 

From birth, these include:

·         take time to model the behaviour you want to see

·         make time for praise

·         take time for love and affection

·         make time to listen, talk and play

·         between the ages of 2 to 7, make time to set boundaries and routines to your day.

The campaign is part of the wider support for parents and is being launched ahead of the Welsh Government introducing legislation to ban the physical punishment of children in Wales.

Mike Hedges AM said….. “It’s not easy being a parent, children do not come with instructions.  The 'Parenting - Give It Time' campaign is a great helping hand to parents and well worth taking a look at.”

“It is about positive parenting and gives advice on situations that every parent will recognise.  Positive parenting techniques are known to assist children to become confident and happy and help children to understand boundaries.”

“The Welsh Government are committed children’s rights and ensuring every child in Wales grows up in an environment that allows them to have the very best start in life.  This campaign is about supporting parents to achieve that outcome.”

MIKE HEDGES ASKS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MINISTER FOR UPDATE ON WELSH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR VIRGIN MEDIA STAFF BEING MADE REDUNDANT

MIKE HEDGES ASKS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MINISTER FOR UPDATE ON WELSH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR VIRGIN MEDIA STAFF BEING MADE REDUNDANT

Speaking after Plenary, Mike Hedges said…. ‘It is vital for the employees at virgin to receive all of the support possible from the Welsh Government. I am pleased to hear that support for Virgin Media employees is ongoing and that jobs fairs will shortly be held at the site. It is imperative that people are supported into well paid jobs.’

Questions to the Leader of the House and Government Business Manager

Mike Hedges AM - I would ask for two statements, the first—this will come as no surprise to the leader of the house—an update regarding staff in Swansea being made redundant by Virgin Media, this statement to include details of what the Welsh Government is doing to help the staff find alternative employment, and any update on the redundancy terms being offered. 

Julie James - Thank you for those two issues. With Virgin Media, as the Member well knows, throughout the summer, officials have been in meetings with both Virgin Media management and its employee representatives to assess the situation as it evolves and to be sure our assistance is available where appropriate. The Welsh Contact Centre Forum is arranging jobs fairs to be held later this month at the Virgin Media site. The fairs will bring together recruiting employers within the area, as well as providing careers advice for those staff seeking alternative employment. 

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS MINISTER TO CONSIDER USING BOTTLE DEPOSIT SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE REUSE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS MINISTER TO CONSIDER USING BOTTLE DEPOSIT SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE REUSE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES

Speaking after Questions to the Welsh Government Environment Minister Hanna Bleddyn, Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘When I was a child everyone took pop bottles back to the shop because of the 5p or later 10p return on the bottle – the bottle had value – as I said in my question, people feel plastic bottles have no value so therefore they are more likely to throw them away. It is time to bring back the deposit on a bottle so there is an extra incentive to encourage reuse of the bottle – it worked in the past and I sure it will be a success again’

Mike Hedges AM - Since devolution, there has been an increase in our municipal recycling rate from 5 per cent to 64 per cent, which is phenomenal. It's driven by policy, but can I say, it's driven more by landfill tax, so it has put pressure on local authorities to ensure that they do recycle?349

Recycling is, of course, only one of the three Rs to reduce waste into landfill. The others are 'reduce' and 'reuse' and I believe the other two are more important. Which is environmentally the better: use one plastic bottle 10 times or recycle 10 plastic bottles? The latter improves recycling rates. I would suggest that the former was environmentally much better, and I think that is an important point.350

Those who create their own compost do not count against recycling, although, obviously, they're recycling and they're cutting down on the amount of energy used to move things to be recycled. I speak as someone who is very much in favour of not just a deposit-return scheme, but one where you actually reuse the bottles afterwards. Those of us from the Corona pop age group will be well aware of taking a bottle back and getting 5p or 10p—it worked. I think it is important that—. Plastic, too often, has no value, and that's why people are quite happy to throw it away. You wander around football grounds and other parks and you'll see plastic bottles being thrown because they're of no value. I think that we need a deposit-return scheme.351

I also think that we ought to bring in some form of tax to level the playing field between glass and plastic. When I went to buy a bottle of vinegar a few weeks ago and it came in a plastic bottle, I was somewhere between amazed and surprised. The question is: should we be measuring recycling, or should we be measuring residual waste for incineration and landfill? Isn't that a better indication of how well we're doing? And would the Minister agree that that would be a better measure of environmental success, because otherwise we're penalising the reusers and we're penalising the reducers?352

17:05

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Hanna Blethyn AM  - I thank Mike Hedges for his contribution and the insight into different vinegar bottles in the local supermarket. You raise a very important point with that anecdote as well, and the importance of the three Rs in the waste hierarchy. Recycling is at one end, and we've got reduce and reuse before that, which is why the emphasis on a circular economy is so important, and the number of reuse organisations that we're supporting is expanding across Wales. You referred back to the days of Corona pop. I think I'm just about old enough to remember it, although I don't think it's the right public health message when I said I was allowed to keep the change to buy a 10p pick-and-mix bag in the shop. But you said about the DRS and the opportunities, potentially, there to incentivise people to collect bottles, or that you hear tales from elsewhere in Europe where they have got DRS, where enterprising young people, particularly after large major events, go and collect the bottles and then return them to wherever the product return facility is, and get the tokens or the receipts back for it. So, the Member raises very important and valid contributions, which I'm sure will be considered.

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS FOR BETTER SUPPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND FOR MORE EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF LOCAL AUTHORITY SPENDING ON SUPPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS FOR BETTER SUPPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND FOR MORE EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF LOCAL AUTHORITY SPENDING ON SUPPORT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

Speaking after Plenary, Mike Hedges said….. I welcome the work the Welsh Government already undertakes but there is more to be done – and some of it will not cost that much money. Transport is an issue for all sections of our communities but more so for disabled people. Some small changes as outlined in my speech would make a huge difference to disabled people

Regarding the Independent Living Grant – it is a shame that this is no longer available as it made such a difference to people’s lives. It is however available to Local Authorities within other grants. It is therefore important that we ensure that the spend on these activities doesn’t drop; currently there is no effective monitoring of the spend – there should be and I hope that the Cabinet Member acts upon my suggestion’

           

Can I first of all welcome the Welsh Government's statement? I'm sure no-one would disagree with the Welsh Government's commitment to help disabled people to fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions and dreams—everybody should be able to do that. I agree that this is no easy task, because it requires us to work hard to remove barriers that get in the way of such ambitions.333

As the Cabinet Secretary said, there are 75,000 disabled people in Wales who are actively seeking work or would like to work. That's almost 2,000 per constituency. Can I declare an interest? My sister, who is one of your constituents, is actually one of them.334

Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that unless we have quotas or a financial incentive, then employers and personnel departments will not change their attitudes? We're going to have to either incentivise them or do something to them. It's pointless saying, 'We want you to employ more disabled people'—we've said that for decades, and they haven't. So, I think we need to do something much more active than we have.335

Can I just talk about transport? We have a series of simple actions that could make life easier for those with disabilities to travel, such as public transport announcing stops and the removal of pavement clutter to help those with sight loss; public transport showing the next stop to help those with hearing loss; wheelchair access to public transport; road crossovers; and more than one wheelchair user being able to use a bus at any one time. These are not asking a lot, but they would make huge differences to the lives of a lot of people who suffer with disabilities.336

On the independent living grant, I belong to that large number of people, including in our party, who are disappointed that it ended. What I will ask is—. I don't think it's going to be coming back, so I'm not going to ask whether you'll bring it back, because I think the answer is going to be 'no', but can I ask that the Cabinet Secretary, whichever one it happens to be, asks that local authorities report their spending in that area? So, although it's not a specific grant, it'll get reported back how much each local authority spends on it, and that'll be reported in such a way that it becomes available to all of us. So, if our local authority is spending less than they did previously, I think many of us would want to take it up with them. 

MIKE HEDGES AM SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL CREDIT UNION DAY.

MIKE HEDGES AM SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL CREDIT UNION DAY.

18 October is International Credit Union Day where people come together to celebrate the role of Credit Unions.

International Credit Union (ICU) Day® celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement. The day is recognized to reflect upon the credit union movement's history, promote its achievements, recognize the hard work and share member experiences. International Credit Union (ICU) Day® has been celebrated on the third Thursday of October since 1948.

Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I am pleased to support the Credit Union Movement; I recognize the role that Credit Unions play in supporting people who are on low incomes and who otherwise might go to High Interest lenders or even loan sharks. When people are in a financial crisis they often find it difficult to access loans from traditional lenders – if you are in this situation, I would strongly urge you to get in touch with your local credit union rather than go to anyone like Provident or a payday lender.

The local Credit Union for Swansea now is Celtic Credit Union – they can be contacted at –

https://celticcreditunion.co.uk/

PLEASE CONTACT THEM FOR ADVICE IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.’

MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOMES THE NEWS THAT INDIVIDUAL PATIENT FUNDING REUEST REVIEWHAS CONCLUDED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PROCESS IS SIMPLER AND BETTER UNDERSTOOD.

MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOMES THE NEWS THAT INDIVIDUAL PATIENT FUNDING REUEST REVIEWHAS CONCLUDED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PROCESS IS SIMPLER AND BETTER UNDERSTOOD.

Mike Hedges AM said after the release of the Statement by Welsh Government Health Secretary, Vaughan Gethin,   ‘I am glad that this process has concluded and that Health Secretary has accepted so many of the recommendations from the review. I am pleased that the new processes are working well and the review confirms that the process is simpler and understood.’

WRITTEN STATEMENT

BY

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT

TITLE	Individual Patient Funding Request (IPFR) Review
DATE	10 October 2018
BY	Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services

An Individual Patient Funding Request (IPFR) is the process health boards and the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) use to consider providing a patient with a treatment which is not routinely available in NHS Wales.

In July 2016, I announced an independent review of the IPFR process, to consider the criterion used to make IPFR decisions - clinical exceptionality - and the potential to reduce the number of IPFR panels. 

In January last year I published the report and sought feedback on it.  In March I announced that I accepted and would implement the recommendations contained in the report. 

The report concluded that, rather than attempting to prove a patient was clinically exceptional, a clinician should prove the patient would gain significant clinical benefit from the treatment requested and that the treatment offered reasonable value for money for NHS Wales (recommendation 11).  In May 2017, NHS Wales issued new national guidance NHS Wales Policy: Making Decisions on Individual Patient Funding Requests, which incorporates these new criteria.  All health board IPFR panels are adhering to the new guidance.

The report recommended that each health board should continue to have its own IPFR panel, rather than establishing a single national panel, so this practice has continued (recommendation 20).  A single panel was considered impracticable, due to the number of IPFRs and the logistics of managing a single panel.  The application form was re-designed to reflect the new criteria (recommendation 27) and the electronic version launched in December.  A standard template for the IPFR panel meeting minutes was developed to record a broad estimate of the IPFR’s benefit and value (recommendation 15) by September.

Ten recommendations (9, 12-14, 16-18 and 20-22) endorsed current practice in the NHS such as disregarding the availability of a treatment, affordability or non-clinical factors when the IPFR panel makes its decision; seeking expert advice for the IPFR panel when

necessary; monitoring the outcomes of IPFRs and documenting the reasons for the IPFR panel’s decision.  They were implemented immediately by continuing current practice.

Seven recommendations (2-8) addressed commissioning issues, which can impact on IPFRs.  NHS Wales produced all-Wales prior approval process guidance and an application form (2 and 5).  Health board commissioners held meetings to share good practice and co-ordinate commissioned services (3).  The All-Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre website has updated information on how the IPFR process works and the alternative commissioning routes for access to medicines and non-medicines (4 and 6).  Health boards are using agreed standard text to explain why patients in Wales may not choose their place of treatment (7), even though their health board may send them to another healthcare provider for treatment.  The WHSSC website has been revised to give clearer information about which services it does or does not commission (8).  These recommendations were implemented by October.

An NHS staff working group has been established to draft the new commissioning framework (recommendation 1), reflecting the changes brought about by implementing the other recommendations.  The framework is still in development.

One recommendation (10) was to set a consistent national policy on the use of inexpensive interventions requested via IPFR.  Health boards and WHSSC already have arrangements in place to maximise the use of interventions of equal effectiveness but lower cost; for example, health boards already routinely use generic and biosimilar medicines over more expensive branded medicines without the need for bureaucratic approval arrangements.  There will be occasions where it is appropriate to use the IPFR process even where an intervention is inexpensive; simply because a medicine is less expensive does not mean it is appropriate to deviate from the usual treatment pathway. 

There were three recommendations (24-26) to improve the training for clinicians.  By September, clinicians had received training sessions as part of their continuing professional development (24); there were guidance notes for clinicians about explaining the IPFR process to patients (25); a decision-making guide had been developed to help clinicians with the IPFR application process and each health board had a single point of contact for help with the application (26).

A Quality Assurance Advisory Group was established, and held its first meeting in January, to review randomly selected IPFRs from each health board (recommendation 19).  The Group reports to medical directors and to the Welsh Government’s Chief Medical Officer.  Members have been involved in developing new training materials for patients and clinicians (recommendation 23).

I would like to reiterate my thanks to the members of the review group, for carrying out such a demanding task amongst all their other commitments; to the patients and organisations who provided evidence, and to everyone who has worked so diligently to make the IPFR process simpler and better understood.