NURSE TRAINING PLACES TO INCREASE BY 10% IN WALES The Welsh Labour Government has said that the number of nurse training places will increase by 10% in 2016-17 as part of an £85m investment package in the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Welsh Labour’s Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has announced that nurse training places will rise by 135 in 2016-17 to 1,418 - an increase of 10%, on top of the 22% increase in 2015-16. This will be the highest level of nurse training places in Wales since

devolution.

David Rees AM, Unit 6, Water Street Business Centre, Gwyn Terrace, Aberavon 01639 870779

Printed and published by David Rees AM, Unit 6, Water Street Business Centre, Gwyn Terrace, Aberavon, Port Talbot SA12 6LG

DAVID REES AM WELCOMES FURTHER SUPPORT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The National Assembly recently passed the Welsh Governments extension of the council tax reduction scheme. The proposals mean that many families in Aberavon will continue to receive much needed support with their council tax bills.

This is in stark contrast to England where the UK Government left the scheme with underfunded local authorities, this has resulted in the support all but disappearing in many places. The commitment to the scheme is in addition to a better than expected Local Government settlement for Welsh Local Authorities who will receive more than £4 billion funding from the Welsh Government in 2016-17. This represents a small reduction of 1.4% across Wales and specifically a decrease of just 0.5% in Neath Port Talbot, from the amount received last year on a like for like basis. It also includes £35m to continue the Welsh Labour Government’s commitment to prioritise schools funding and an extra £21m is included for social services.

SUPPORTING OUR STEEL INDUSTRY

Aberavon’s MP and AM, Stephen Kinnock & David Rees, have both called on the UK government to do more to help the steel industry. TATA steel in Port Talbot is facing challenging times and everything possible must be done to reduce costs facing the industry. It is clear to all that the high cost of energy in the UK compared to our European competitors needs to come down to help make Welsh steel making competitive in a global economy.

Stephen Kinnock has been pressing the government to roll up its sleeves and take action on matters that are major road blocks for the steel industry.

“The dumping of Chinese steel on the British market, is the greatest challenge facing the British steel industry. Far more can be done to support the steel industry without the Government’s breaching state aid rules. The Government must work with Europe to deal with the issue of Chinese steel dumping. Unfortunately, all we have heard from the Secretary of State and his team are warm words and excuses. David Rees added “To date this Tory UK Government has failed our steelworkers and it’s time for them to act before it’s too late. The recent report from parliament’s Business, Innovation & Science Select committee highlights this failure. We need the UK Government to act now to save our steel industry and not say sorry when it’s too late.”

David has also called for the Welsh Government’s Task Force to look at every option possible and to work with TATA in partnership to ensure Port Talbot remains a viable steel works in their plans. He said “We cannot rule out any idea and must give every consideration to schemes that can make the steel works more viable, including investment into projects such as the new Power Plant. The workforce in Port Talbot can deliver the steel we must now give them a chance to be able to do it in the future.”

£45M OF NEW INVESTMENT TO DEAL WITH WINTER PRESSURES

The NHS in Wales will receive an extra £45m of new investment to help it respond to winter pressures, the Welsh Labour Government has announced. The money for this financial year will come from Welsh Government reserves and will help health boards across Wales treat and care for the increase in people using services at this time of year. During the first week of January alone, the health service experienced a significant surge in demand for urgent and emergency care services above and beyond that experienced in the same period of 2015. Thanks to investment by the Welsh Labour Government, funding in the Welsh NHS is now at record levels, with £6.7bn being spent on health and social services this year, growing to £7bn the next financial year.

EXTRA FUNDING TO REACH OUT TO MISSING VOTERS

As voter registration week draws to a close, Welsh Labour’s Public Service Minister Leighton Andrews has taken action to increase voter registration in Wales. The Minister has previously expressed disappointment over the Tory UK Government’s decision to rush into individual voter registration ahead of the Assembly election and supported the Electoral Commission’s view that it should be delayed. The Minister has announced funding of £330,000 from the welsh Labour Government to local authorities to help increase the number of voters on the electoral role. This will allow them to send a letter to every home in Wales to check whether electoral register information is correct, after the same activity

provided good results last year.

PORT TALBOT ENTERPRISE ZONES PROPOSALS

FURTHER CONSULTATION ON BLUE BADGE

The Welsh Labour Government is to consult on extending Blue Badge eligibility for temporary conditions and on streamlining the assessment process. Welsh Labour’s Transport Minister, Edwina Hart has published the responses to the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group, set-up to consider ways to improve the Blue Badge Scheme, which provides free parking to people with disabilities in Wales.

The Minister agreed some immediate actions, including working with other organisations to improve enforcement and a communication campaign on the importance to badge holders and to deter abuse and misuse of the scheme. A public consultation will be undertaken early next year on extending the Blue Badge eligibility to people with temporary qualifying conditions that are likely to last at least 12 months. Changes to the assessment process will also be consulted on, including the need for GP assessments and speeding up the process for those re-applying for a badge.

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ABERAVON AM SUPPORTS THE ‘BITE THE BALLOT’ CAMPAIGN

David Rees AM is supporting the National Voter Registration Drive, which running between the 1st and the 7th of February, to encourage young people to vote. The drive is organised by the non-party Bite the Ballot campaign in partnership with a host of collaborators. They are coordinating a week of social action, calling on people to register to vote and have their say in how Wales is run.

Last year’s drive was hugely successful with 441,696 people registering to vote 90% of which were online registrations. The campaign is a reaction to the startling statistic that 10million people are missing from the register. Mr Res is encouraging unregistered voters in Aberavon to check out bite the ballot on Facebook or twitter and most importantly to register. This can be done by visiting www.nvrd.co.uk.

David Rees AM said: “The National Registration Drive is a fantastic initiative which achieved tremendous success last year. It would be great to see the campaign do even better this year and we can all do our bit by helping the campaign, on social media. This May we have important elections to decide who will form the Welsh Government for the next 5 years and I would like to see everyone that is eligible to vote signed up and on the register.”

Port Talbot could be designated as an Enterprise Zone by Welsh Government in a step to further assist the area against the impact of Tata Steel announcement.

Economy Minister Edwina Hart said the creation of an Enterprise Zone was a proposal being considered by Welsh Government to provide further potential support and investment to the Port Talbot area following yesterday’s announcement that 750 jobs would be lost at its steel plant.

But the move would require cooperation from the UK Government to provide the Enterprise Zone with the full package of policy levers, as Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) are a matter for the UK Government.

Recently, Mrs Hart chaired a High-Level Task Force meeting and invited representatives from the company itself, the trade unions, individuals to represent local authorities, the business sector, education, health, Careers Wales and other bodies that provide careers and job advice. The aim of the Task Force is to agree on next steps to help those directly affected by the announcement as well as providing support to the wider economy and steel industry.

Acknowledging the impacts are likely to be wider than just the workers being displaced, Mrs Hart added: “We are determined to do all that we can to support the employer, its workforce and those in the local supply chain. The steel industry is a fundamental cornerstone of our manufacturing sector. It sustains thousands of jobs and provides above average salaries, often in areas of below average income. Steel making is part of our heritage and we are committed to ensuring it is part of our future.”

Wales currently has seven Enterprise Zones focusing on different key sectors ranging from Finance to Manufacturing. To date, the Zones have created, assisted or safeguarded over 7,795 jobs in Wales and paved the way for

further investment and development.

£5.8M TO EXPAND MORRISTON HOSPITAL’S RENAL DIALYSIS UNIT

Welsh Labour’s Health and Social Services Minister, Mark Drakeford has approved a £5.8m investment to expand the renal dialysis unit at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital. The investment will redevelop the hospital’s local and regional renal dialysis unit; the renal outpatient department and renal day case and self-care service to bring it up to modern standards. It will provide 23 cubicles with 30 dialysis beds comprising of 19 dialysis cubicles, one line room; four day case cubicles; two day case chairs, and six outpatient suites. The Morriston Hospital unit is responsible for the care of people with kidney disease living throughout South, Mid and West Wales from Fishguard to Bridgend in the south and from Towyn to Llanidloes in the north. It supports units at Withybush Hospital, in Haverfordwest; Glangwili Hospital, in Carmarthen and Padarn Surgery in Aberystwyth. The refurbishment of the Morriston Hospital centre is the last of the Welsh Clinical Renal

Network’s phased refresh of renal dialysis units across Wales.

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SUPERFAST BROADBAND SCHEMES EXPANDED

Two Welsh Government schemes are being expanded to further increase the number of people able to access superfast broadband in Wales, Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James has announced.

Wales already leads the way with the provision of superfast broadband among the devolved nations and Superfast Cymru continues to make good progress with over 530,000 premises in Wales now able to access fast fibre broadband thanks to the project The Superfast Cymru and commercial roll-outs mean that the vast majority of premises in Wales will be able access superfast broadband, but there will be some that will not. Changes to the Access Broadband Cymru and Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher schemes will expand the availability of superfast broadband and will make faster internet speeds available to all homes and businesses across Wales. For a two-year period, the Access Broadband Cymru scheme will be available to all homes and businesses across Wales which currently do not have a superfast connection. This scheme will fund, or part-fund, the installation costs of new broadband connections for homes and businesses in Wales which deliver a step change in download speeds. There will be two levels of funding depending on the speed required, £400 for download speeds of 10Mbps and above and £800 for 30Mbps and above.A range of technologies can be used to deliver superfast speeds including satellite, wireless and 4G. The Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher is being opened up to businesses across Wales to help them meet the initial capital costs involved in installing ultrafast broadband services. The maximum grant available will be £10,000. This scheme was previously only available to businesses located in the Enterprise and Local Growth Zones.

WELSH GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES FREE SWIMMING FOR ARMED FORCES

Free swimming for Armed Forces and veterans is the latest initiative to be launched by the Welsh Labour Government as part of its Package of Support for the Armed Forces Community.

The Welsh Labour Government is providing up to £100,000 over two years to the Welsh Local Government Association to ensure all Local Authorities in Wales have a local scheme in place offering free swimming for anyone currently serving or who has served in the Armed Forces. Members of the Armed Forces and Veterans will be eligible for free swimming using their Defence Privilege Card, available through the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Discount Service, at participating leisure centres.

Extending the Free Swimming Scheme to Veterans and Serving Armed Forces Personnel fulfills another of the Welsh Labour Government’s Programme for Government commitments. Over recent years, the Welsh Government has strengthened its support for the Armed Forces community, including investing in a unique NHS service for Veterans in Wales and extending council tax relief.

A campaign to promote the Defence Discount Service and its Privilege Card in Wales was launched by Leighton Andrews, Welsh Labour’s Minister for Public Services in November 2014. Since then there has been a significant increase in the number of people signing up to the service in Wales, rising from 9,734 members when the campaign launched to 16,666 – an increase of 71%. The Defence Discount Service provides online savings to eligible members, while those who also sign up for the Defence Privilege Card can use it in stores

and in the Leisure Centres as well.

HOSPICE AT HOME SERVICES TO BE EXPANDED THROUGHOUT WALES

Hospice services provided to people in their own homes will be expanded throughout Wales, as part of a move to improve end of life provision across the country, Welsh Labour’s Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething has announced.

Hospice at home services deliver high quality palliative and end of life care in Wales by providing services traditionally found in a hospice or hospital to people in or close to their own homes. This year, the Welsh Labour Government will be investing £455,000 to expand the scheme, while £910,000 funding has been earmarked for 2016-17 and 2017-18. Welsh services providers offer a range of holistic support for patients, their families and carers suffering from an advanced life threatening illness, for example: • Assistance and advice with symptom management • Psychological and spiritual support for those suffering or

effected by an advanced life threatening illness • Assistance and advice in obtaining grants/benefits and

other social support • Bereavement support.

UK GOVERNMENT URGED TO ACT TO PROTECT VULNERABLE TENANTS

Welsh Labour’s Communities Minister Lesley Griffiths has called on the UK Government to protect vulnerable tenants in supported housing from planned changes to housing benefit.

The Tory UK Government has said that it will be capping housing benefit for people living within the social rented sector at the same level for people living in the private sector. The Minister has written to the UK Government Minister for Welfare Reform, to urge him to exempt supported housing from the changes. The Welsh Labour Government believes that supported housing plays a very important role for vulnerable people, including older people, people with disabilities, homeless people, and those suffering from substance misuse problems. The sector also typically has higher rents than those charged in the private sector, because of the necessary services provided,

such as personal care, support or supervision.

PLAN TO TACKLE ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE THREAT

A new plan to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance has been launched by Welsh Labour’s Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford.

The plan provides the blueprint for co-ordinated actions at national and local levels reinforcing the need to work together to tackle one of the greatest health threats facing the country. A public consultation on the plan has been launched to give patients, the public, public bodies and others the chance to have their say on the priorities for Wales in tackling resistance.

Key points from the plan include: • Health boards will develop plans improve infection prevention plans

to eliminate avoidable healthcare associated infections in hospitals, nursing homes and other health and social care environments.

• Health boards will reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and support Antimicrobial Prescribing Teams to promote prudent antibiotic use.

• The Welsh Government, through Health and Care Research Wales, will prioritise research into antimicrobial resistance.

• Public Health Wales will improve the data surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and develop an alerts system for real-time identification of resistant organisms.

Within Wales, antimicrobial usage and resistance has been increasing year on year in hospitals in line with the global pattern. However in the last two years

there have been the first signs of a reduction in primary care.

MORE PEOPLE SURVIVING STROKE

Stroke services in Wales are continuing to improve according to a new report which shows there are more than a thousand fewer deaths from stroke a year compared to a decade ago. Between 2005 and 2014, there were 841 fewer deaths from a stroke in Wales - a 26% fall. Based on a three-year average, Wales saw a fall of more than 1,000 deaths per year between 2003-05 and 2012-14. Key findings from the third all-Wales annual report for stroke, which covers 2015, include:

• For strokes time matters - an average of 82.8% people who suffered a suspected stroke received a package of pre-hospital care from the ambulance service in 2013-14, rising to 93.8% in 2014-15.

• There is an improved awareness of the symptoms of stroke as a result of campaigns such as FAST or Lower Your Risk of Stroke.

• The number of patients receiving clot-busting drugs has continued to increase, from 358 in 2012-13 to 501 in 2014-15.

• The number of patients admitted to a stroke ward within 24 hours has continued to improve - during 2014-15 access to a stroke ward has increased from 50.1% in April 2014 to 75.4% in March 2015.

£45M OF NEW INVESTMENT TO DEAL WITH WINTER PRESSURES

The NHS in Wales will receive an extra £45m of new investment to help it respond to winter pressures, the Welsh Labour Government has announced.

The money for this financial year will come from Welsh Government reserves and will help health boards across Wales treat and care for the increase in people using services at this time of year. During the first week of January alone, the health service experienced a significant surge in demand for urgent and emergency care services above and beyond that experienced in the same period of 2015.

Thanks to investment by the Welsh Labour Government, funding in the Welsh NHS is now at record levels, with £6.7bn being spent on health and social services this year, growing to £7bn the next financial year.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has also experienced a sharp rise in the most critically-ill patients using its services; hospital emergency departments across Wales have reported an increase in admissions of patients, particularly older people, with acute conditions and complex needs and out-of-hour services have

experienced extremely busy evenings and weekends since the start of the year.

VIEWS SOUGHT ON NEW RAIL FRANCHISE FOR WALES The Welsh Labour Government has launched a public consultation to inform the specification for the next Wales and Borders rail franchise.

It is expected that responsibility for awarding the next Wales and Borders Franchise will transfer to the Welsh Government early in 2017 in time for the next franchise to start in 2018. The consultation seeks opinions on the priorities for improvements to the franchise in a number of areas, including: • Services and capacity, Performance, Fares and ticketing,

Rolling stock The consultation is open until 18th March and can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/zmotaex