What's New

Sex slaves shame of Welsh brothels (Wales on Sunday) (22/08/10)

Nearly 100 trafficked women from Eastern Europe and Asia are thought to be working in Welsh brothels, according to a new police report detailing the extent of people trafficking in Wales...

AMs tell us their holiday plans (Western Mail)(16/08/10)

As the great summer holiday getaway continues a year after the UK’s staycation damp squib, Senedd correspondent David Williamson asked a selection of AMs where they intend going in 2010...

Local AM backs rural IT training scheme - 'giving local businesses what they need' (12/08/10)

Labour's Rural Development spokeswoman Joyce Watson AM was briefed by Coleg Powys on Rural IT Wales, its new initiative which offers a free, practical way to help small mid Wales businesses get the IT skills they need...

Pembrokeshire tidal turbines could power 1,000 homes (Western Mail)
HUGE turbines could be submerged off the Welsh coast as part of the latest project to take advantage of the country’s tidal energy resources.

Joyce urges people to use credit union to avoid Christmas debt and to give children a good start (05.08.10)
Local Assembly Member JOYCE WATSON AM encouraged people to use their local Credit Union to start saving for Christmas.

AM voices police cut concerns (04.08.10)
Concerns about cuts in local police services are being taken to the Dyfed Powys chief constable by Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson.

LOCAL AM TO DISCUSS LOCAL POLICING CUTS THREAT - Local Neighbourhood Policing under threat from Tory Lib Dem coalition cuts (04.07.10)
Dangerous road layouts in Pembrokeshire could be changed after a Labour AM warned that they could cost lives.

Have your voice heard: AM urges you to speak out on older people in hospital (27/07/10)
A local AM is encouraging local people to share their experiences of how older people are treated in hospital.

Pembrokeshire road review ordered after AM raises concerns (27/07/10)
Dangerous road layouts in Pembrokeshire could be changed after a Labour AM warned that they could cost lives.

AM toasts to Welsh meal deal (16/07/10)
Combining Welsh food with Welsh drink is the best meal deal around, Joyce Watson AM has said...

Coalition cuts will devastate communities, warns AM (16/07/10)
Devastating cuts by the Westminster coalition have been labelled “dangerous and irresponsible” by a Labour Assembly Member...

Fire law will save lives, says AM (16/07/10)
A new law on preventing domestic fires will save lives, a Labour Assembly Member has claimed...

Mental Health services confusion cannot continue, says AM (16/07/10)
A new law on mental health services must include services for young people, an Assembly Member has claimed...

Joyce welcomes new Aberystwyth Labour Party members (14/07/10)
Local Assembly Member Joyce Watson AM welcomed new members to Aberystwyth Labour Party last Friday...

Call for evidence: Dignity and respect in hospitals (13/07/10)
Are you an older person, or a relative, carer or friend of an older person, who has been in hospital for more than five consecutive days within the last two years?...

Full steam ahead for station renovation, says AM (13/07/10)
Local Assembly Member Joyce Watson has praised local school children and WI members for their work to spruce up Harlech station...

Littering culture must be binned, says AM (09/07/10)
Fly tipping and litter which is not put in the bin can have a lasting effect on the local economy, Assembly Member Joyce Watson has claimed. The Labour Member for Mid and West Wales added that illegal fly-tipping adds a burden to the work of local authorities who are left to clear up the mess...

Joyce welcomes investment to keep pool at the ‘heart of the community’ (09/07/10)
Joyce Watson AM for Mid & West Wales today congratulated the community in their victory in being awarded around £800,000 of investment through the Community Asset Transfer Programme (CAT) – a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government...

Local initiative is an example to be followed, says AM (09/07/10)
The Green Valleys initiative in Brecon should act as an example of how communities can contribute to their area whilst simultaneously tackling climate change, Assembly Member Joyce Watson has said...

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Video Biography

Sex Trafficking a Welsh problem, says AM

Authorities across Wales need to work together to tackle the trafficking of women for prostitution in Wales, an AM has said.

Joyce Watson, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, has claimed that despite examples of good practice in some parts of the country, there is a poor understanding amongst many bodies as to their role in tackling human trafficking. It is claimed that such lack of co-ordination leads to trafficked women being used as slaves, too afraid to contact the police.

‘For this problem to be tackled properly, all relevant agencies, such as local authorities, the UK Border Agency, the police and the third sector, need to perform their task effectively. All pieces of the jigsaw need to be in place.

‘In my report ‘Knowing No Boundaries’ on how the problem is dealt with in Wales, it was clear that there are examples of where this is already happening. However, some authorities demonstrated a poor understanding of the nature of trafficking and its existence in Wales; it is crucial that authorities learn from each other’s experiences and expertise and work together.

‘Whilst this remains the case, trafficked women will continue to be abused day after day and those guilty of organising this inhumane crime will continue to get away with it.’

In her report, Mrs Watson calls for a post to be created to co-ordinate all the relevant agencies and draw upon best practice from around the country.

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Sex slaves shame of Welsh brothels

Aug 22 2010 by Ciaran Jones, Wales On Sunday

Nearly 100 trafficked women from Eastern Europe and Asia are thought to be working in Welsh brothels, according to a new police report detailing the extent of people trafficking in Wales.

The figures were released by Britain’s top cops as they revealed that an estimated 2,600 women have been trafficked in to England and Wales to work in the sex industry.

The Setting the Record report from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) found that about 17,000 of the estimated 30,000 women working in off-street prostitution are migrants.

Of those migrants, 2,600 were deemed to have been trafficked, while 9,200 were identified as vulnerable migrants who may be further victims of trafficking.

But Jeff Farrar, assistant chief constable of Gwent Police and Acpo Cymru’s lead on protecting vulnerable people and human trafficking, said the picture in Wales was not reflected by the overall statistics in the report.

There are estimated to be 479 women working in off-street prostitution in Wales. Of these, an estimated 55 are Asian, with a further 40 from Eastern Europe and another 48 whose origins are unknown, as well as 337 who are British.

Mr Farrar said: “The figures indicate 10% or more across the whole of the UK of women working as off-street prostitutes are potentially trafficked individuals.

“But in Wales the number is a lot less. Over 95% of young women working in off-street prostitution in Wales are local.

“That doesn’t mean trafficking is not a concern but the scale in Wales does not reflect what we are seeing nationally. On our most recent intelligence in the case there are less than 30 of the 500 working as off-street prostitutes that might be considered as trafficked.”

Njida, from Nigeria, said she was brought to Wales by a woman and forced to have sex with men against her will.

She said: “When we arrived in the UK she took me to a house where she told me that I would have to have sex with men for money as it had cost her a lot to bring me to the UK and she needed to earn the money back.

“I did not want to do it. I never wanted to be a prostitute. But from that day I was locked in a room for months and forced to do it. The men who came to have sex with were incredibly violent and I was terrified.”

Assembly Member Joyce Watson – who chaired a cross-party working group looking at trafficking in the sex trade earlier this year – said women were being enslaved in the industry.

She said: “Trafficking is a modern-day slavery which is happening near us now, and not just in our big cities.”

Mr Farrar said the police currently have no intelligence to suggest organised gangs are bringing women to Wales to work as prostitutes.

He said: “In Wales it is on a very, very, very low scale and we have not picked up at all any indication of co-ordinated organised crime groups, but I am not saying it doesn’t exist.”

But Dr Mwenya Chimba, development, research and information manager at charity Bawso (Black Association of Women Step Out), which runs a trafficking project, said victims felt unable to come forward because they would be blamed by the authorities for their plight.

She said: “It is not even a case of being blamed by their families. Even the systems here blame them. The attitude is: ‘They knew what they came for so they deserve what they get’.”

She added: “Everyone is looking for a better way of life – they may be coming from a Third World country and hoping to get a better life. Some apply for legitimate jobs, and some are brought in to work as au pairs or house helps – every woman has a different story to tell.

“None has come here knowing she was going to be working in the sex industry.”

Njida’s name has been changed. Her case study was supplied by the Human Trafficking in Wales website.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/08/22/sex-slaves-shame-of-welsh-brothels-91466-27111431/

AMs tell us their holiday plans

Aug 16 2010 by David Williamson, Western Mail

As the great summer holiday getaway continues a year after the UK’s staycation damp squib, Senedd correspondent David Williamson asked a selection of AMs where they intend going in 2010

WALES’ politicians are dashing across Europe and enjoying a brief moment of freedom before an Assembly session littered with Godzilla-sized challenges commences.

In the coming months they will have to scrutinise a budget riven with cuts, fight a referendum to win full law-making powers for the Assembly, and then go to the polls for re-election.

The final weeks of August represent a brief opportunity for AMs to spend time with their children, read a work of fiction, and breathe oxygen that hasn’t come through the Senedd’s air conditioning system.

In choosing a break, they are forced to deal with the annual age-old question of where to go – and what particular message it conveys to the electorate – that their counterparts at Westminster have been grappling with since their choices first came under increased public scrutiny.

Prime Minister David Cameron has just begun his holiday in Cornwall, where just two years ago as the then leader of the opposition he was famously photographed on a beach wearing floral shorts and a faded polo shirt.

Setting out in suitably frugal and practical terms why a UK holiday would be on the cards for the Cameron family this year, he said: “We have some great holiday locations in Britain and I can tell you that, as someone who is expecting a baby this autumn, I think you will find my holiday will be in Britain this year.”

Nick Clegg is known to visit Olmedo in northern Spain every summer, near the birthplace of his wife Miriam González Durantez and the city where they got married.

Labour leadership contender David Miliband, meanwhile, is taking a cottage in Northumberland, while his brother Ed Miliband will be in a cottage in Cornwall. Fellow contender Ed Balls will be touring the United States in a camper van.

And it is a similar mixed bag of destinations when it comes to our politicians in Cardiff Bay. Is it a year for taking the plunge and taking an expensive school holiday-time break – when the mark-up can be up to 85% on a package holiday compared to its term-time equivalent?

Or is it another year for a UK break – like the mass “staycation” that gripped recession-hit UK last year – risking the widespread predictions of a generally dull finish to this year’s holiday season?

From the traditional West Wales family caravan break, epic European train rides and biking through German forestry, our AMs spill the beans on this year’s holiday plans.

Angela Burns

Conservative AM for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire

The straight-talking politician is looking forward to briefly escaping the political jungle for the glories of south-west France.

She said: “I hope to dangle my toes in the pool, lift my eyes to the Pyrenees and remember that I am a Mum, that I can be nice, that I can wear dresses, that I am married, that the ends of my fingers don’t have to be keyboard-shaped and there are more exciting things to read than the economic renewal programme or anything to do with waste.”

During the remainder of the recess she will deal with constituency issues, visit the sites of planning applications and visit local shows, but she is sceptical about AMs who claim to use their holidays for high-falutin’ political purposes.

She said: “[Anybody] who e-mails you to say they are reading anything worthy, are out canvassing for next year or are on a trip to some grey country somewhere to study Marxist literature should be quietly but firmly ignored!”

John Griffiths

Labour Counsel General and AM for Newport East

He has yet to book his holiday but hopes to get away for a fortnight by the coast somewhere in southern Europe.

He knows that he will be packing Paul Foot’s Red Shelley, a 1981 study of the iconoclast poet.

Mr Griffiths also has plans for “some weekend mountain and coastal walking in Wales”.

Alun Davies

Labour AM for Mid & West Wales

Firmly on fatherhood duties this summer, the AM said: “We had a wonderful beautiful little baby boy, named Rhys after my father, at the end of July and so myself and Clair are not having a holiday this year. We are staying at home to look after the little man.”

He added: “At the moment I’m very well employed changing nappies and rocking cots!”

Alun Ffred Jones

Plaid Cymru AM for Arfon and Heritage Minister

The Heritage Minister has swapped the official car for a bicycle this year.

“I spent a week cycling in the Black Forest, Germany and a week in Blaenau Gwent at the Eisteddfod,” he said.

Mr Jones has also managed to put down the text of the Welsh Language Measure and pick up some lighter reading.

“I sped through Stieg Larsson’s door-stopper The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I’ve just started the dramatist Mike Povey’s autobiography and Daniel Williams’ study of the relationship between the Welsh and the Civil Rights Movement in North America, entitled Canu Caeth,” he added. “That’ll keep me going.”

David Melding

Conservative AM for South Wales Central

Having also turned his thoughts to the United States, like Alun Ffred Jones, Mr Melding said: “I took my main holiday at Easter while lecturing in the US – I visited Savannah and Charleston, quite wonderful Southern cities.”

He is halfway through Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind, which he describes as “not Tolstoy but surprisingly well written”.

As the leading Conservative advocate of a federal Britain, it is no surprise he is also reading Allan Massie’s The Thistle and the Rose – “a stimulating Toryish study of the relationship between Scotland and England”.

Joyce Watson

Labour AM for Mid & West Wales

Intending to visit another Celtic nation, camera in hand, she said: “I am off to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland with my sister and her husband who live in Stranraer, and my husband ... [We] are staying in Stornoway and Skye. We are also going to St Kilda and I am hoping to get some fantastic shots of landscape and birds and any wildlife that I can.

“My family bought me a new camera for Christmas and now’ is my chance to use it. I am a keen birdwatcher and wildlife enthusiast…”

Jonathan Morgan

Conservative AM for Cardiff North

He is looking forward to recharging under Spanish blue skies, with the added pleasures of “too much food and wine!”.

He plans to take “quite a few books” including former Tory whip Gyles Brandreth’s Something Sensational to Read in the Train and “plenty of other light-hearted stuff”.

He said: “As chair of the Public Accounts Committee it’s good to get away from anything too complicated!”

Nick Bourne

Tory Assembly leader

His carbon-friendly holiday features an epic train ride to Italy via Paris and Lugano.

He said he had been reading the “Prince of Darkness”, referring to Peter Mandelson’s recent memoir The Third Man.

The Mid & West Wales AM has also enjoyed Tom Sharpe’s The Gropes and a selection of PG Wodehouse and Colin Dexter novels.

He is now delving into Michael Palin’s diaries.

Mark Isherwood

Conservative AM for North Wales

In what must be a busman’s holiday for anyone working in Cardiff Bay, he has spent a few days in Cardiff with “some of the progeny”.

He used the stay as a base for sightseeing and visiting his mother.

But he also has a week in Corfu booked with his wife and four of “the offspring”.

This, he said, would be “our first-ever overseas holiday together”.

Previous holidays had been in a caravan in Abersoch.

Gwenda Thomas

Labour AM for Neath

Someone who has no plans to desert the Welsh caravan holiday this year, however, is Gwenda Thomas.

She said: “I will be making the most of our family caravan in Tenby again this summer with some light reading, some leisurely walking and some fishing.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-politics/welsh-politics-news/2010/08/16/ams-tell-us-their-holiday-plans-from-a-caravan-in-tenby-to-southern-european-jaunts-91466-27069099/

Local AM backs rural IT training scheme - 'giving local businesses what they need'

Labour's Rural Development spokeswoman Joyce Watson AM was briefed by Coleg Powys on Rural IT Wales, its new initiative which offers a free, practical way to help small mid Wales businesses get the IT skills they need.

Mrs Watson said: "Once again Coleg Powys is giving local businesses what they need, and I am delighted that our Welsh Assembly government has made the commitment to fund this.

"These new IT courses offer the practical skills in an easily accessible form which all small businesses need to run modern software. As someone who has run small businesses locally, I know how much difference this service will make."

Rural IT Wales (http://www.ruralitwales.co.uk/) is WAG funded and free to those who are employees, owners and managers of small businesses (9 employees or less) operating in the Environmental and Land Based Sector in Wales.

The course offers multi level entry formal training in Microsoft office software, including Excel, Access, internet and email, with one to one training and mentoring for those who need it.

Each module offers a total of 10hrs teaching can be split into 2-3hr sessions over 3-4 weeks. On completion of modules individuals should be able to obtain an IT qualification.

Group training sessions are held at local venues, with support in the workplace. Training programmes are also accessible online so people can complete assessment work in their own time.

For further details on the course call the lead training provider, Coleg Sir Gar on 01554 748570 or email info@skillspeoplesuccess.com to find out what other support your business could benefit from.

Pembrokeshire tidal turbines could power 1,000 homes (Western Mail)

Aug 7 2010 by Robin Turner, Western Mail

HUGE turbines could be submerged off the Welsh coast as part of the latest project to take advantage of the country’s tidal energy resources.

The scheme – effectively an underwater, tidal version of a wind farm – will be installed on the seabed in Ramsey Sound in Pembrokeshire.

The channel between the mainland and the island is known for its strong tidal currents and will initially host three 15m tidal turbines connected by a triangular frame that measures 36m on each side.

If the trial is successful, the unit, which should produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes, will be extended by a factor of 10 in 2013.

The £1.4m scheme, developed by Cardiff firm Tidal Energy, has been awarded a £572,000 grant by the Assembly Government.

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said: “We think tidal energy offers a massive investment opportunity. It will go a long way to achieving the target of 10% of power coming from renewable sources by 2025.”

The DeltaStream turbines, developed in the Pembrokeshire village of Little Haven, use kinetic energy from tidal flows.

The system can be placed into the water using a barge.

Chris Williams, development director at Tidal Energy, said: “Compared to other energy technologies, tidal resources are the only predictable source of renewable energy.

“Tidal streams are created by the constantly changing gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the world’s oceans.

“This drawing of water creates currents that are guaranteed while, most importantly, tidal energy is also environmentally acceptable, since tidal power is freely available and only a device is required to capture it.

“No greenhouse gases or other waste is produced during the operation and it requires no fuel consumption.”

He added that numerous studies had been carried out to ensure the turbines have little impact on marine wildlife.

Mr Williams said: “As well as being environmentally friendly, DeltaStream has been designed to be easily installed and removed.

“It does not involve any piling or preparation of the seabed and we have slowed the turning speed of the rotors considerably.

“However, the prototype test, which will last for around 12 months, will tell us a lot more about any impact on wildlife and that will be incorporated in future designs.

“At the end of the study, Wales will be at the forefront of a renewable energy system that I believe will be successful around the world.”

Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson is a strong backer of the Tidal Energy project.

She said: “This small Welsh company is leading the world, and I have been excited by these developments for some time.

“I brought the team to the Assembly in Cardiff Bay last May to make their case, so I am delighted the minister has now announced funding to develop their innovative technology.

“In Pembrokeshire we know too well the difficulties of getting clean, affordable energy in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

“Unlike most other renewables, it will be invisible. This technology appears to offer simple, sustainable, low-cost and environmentally-sensitive energy, which would make a huge difference to us.”

Tidal Energy has to get Assembly Government and UK Government consents before starting the trial.

But Mr Williams hopes the red tape will be completed soon so a start can be made on testing the system.

As part of the trial, Tidal Energy will be carrying out site surveys, environmental assessments and design work at the demonstration site at Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire.

During the 12 months of the project, the prototype turbines will provide a sustainable source of electricity to the people of nearby St Davids.

DeltaStream was conceived in Little Haven by local marine engineer, Richard Ayre.

The technology will be assembled at a local quay and lowered to the seabed following connection to a sub-sea cable. Once installed it has a generating capacity of 1.2MW.

Tidal Energy is backed by Cardiff renewable energy company Eco2, Wales’ largest renewable development company, with projects in biomass, wind and landfill gas.

Chief executive of Eco2 David Williams said: “Tidal power provides a great opportunity to help Wales and the UK Government meet its renewable energy targets. However, investment and commitment is required now to make sure that Wales does not fall behind activity being carried out elsewhere. That is why attaining this funding is so crucial at this time.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/08/07/tidal-turbines-to-be-installed-in-ramsey-sound-91466-27014836/

Joyce urges people to use credit union to avoid Christmas debt and to give children a good start (05.08.10)

Local Assembly Member JOYCE WATSON AM encouraged people to use their local Credit Union to start saving for Christmas.

Haven Credit Union attended the recent public advice surgery she organised in Haverfordwest.

Mrs Watson said: "Credit Unions are a force for good, offering their members an easy and convenient place to save, and access to low cost loans when required. They offer a valuable service to everyone - business people, families, employed or unemployed, young people or those who have retired.

"If savers start putting a small amount aside now for Christmas it will help avoid financial difficulties in the new year.

"I am pleased to be a member of Haven Credit Union, which also provides child trust funds.

"However, the new UK Government have decided to axe Child Trust Funds for new born babies, so this week the payments will plummet, then at the end of the year the scheme will be abolished. Other grandparents will be deprived of the chance to pay into their grandchildren's child trust funds, as I will be doing for my new granddaughter.

"I am bitterly disappointed that the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government has chosen not to give our children this hand up.

"The child trust fund can instil the savings habit in whole families, offering saving opportunities for children in low income families, and The Welsh Assembly makes additional payments. None of this will be available to the next generation of our children."

Local councillor Tom Tudor added: "Credit unions are vehicles for transforming lives - changing communities and making life better for people, and I would urge local people to use them."

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Ends

Notes:

Haven Credit Union serves Pembroke, Monkton, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Neyland, Haverfordwest and the surrounding areas.

The Credit Union has grown from strength to strength, working closely with local employers, housing associations and community groups.

They have a Junior Savers section, and run Puffin Savers Clubs in schools, and are CTF providers for Child Trust Funds.

http://www.havencreditunion.org.uk/

Caption (l to r): Cllr Tom Tudor, Joyce Watson AM, James Roach-John, Chairman, Haven Credit Union and Richard Champness, Volunteer, Haven Credit Union.

AM voices police cut concerns (04.08.10)

Wednesday 4th August 2010

Concerns about cuts in local police services are being taken to the Dyfed Powys chief constable by Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson.

She says that neighbourhood policing is under threat as cost savings are made across the force and is meeting chief constable Ian Arundale to discuss the issue.

Mrs Watson said: “Bobbies on the beat make us all feel safer in our homes and communities. Yet one of the first acts of the new UK government coalition was to slash the police budget for this year. This year they plan to cut costs equivalent to the salaries of 31 constables across the Dyfed Powys area, with proposed further cuts equivalent to between 475 to 760 constables in years to come.”

She added: “As a former member of the Dyfed Powys Police Authority I know that neighbourhood policing relies on having policing teams on our streets protecting our communities, fighting crime and listening to residents’ concerns.

“While everyone recognises that the national deficit must be reduced, safety has to come first. Frontline policing should be prioritised. Fewer police and PCSOs will mean higher crime rates and more dangerous streets.”

http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/8311848.AM_voices_police_cut_concerns/

LOCAL AM TO DISCUSS LOCAL POLICING CUTS THREAT - Local Neighbourhood Policing under threat from Tory Lib Dem coalition cuts

Local Labour Assembly Member JOYCE WATSON AM will meet the Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police to discuss issues including threatened cuts to local police services.

Mrs Watson said: “Bobbies on the beat make us all feel safer in our homes and communities.

“Yet one of the first acts of the new UK government coalition was to slash the police budget for this year. This year they plan to cut costs equivalent to the salaries of 31 constables across the Dyfed Powys area, with proposed further cuts equivalent to between 475 to 760 constables in years to come.

“As a former member of the Dyfed Powys Police Authority I know that neighbourhood policing relies on having policing teams on our streets protecting our communities, fighting crime and listening to residents’ concerns

“At the General Election Labour committed to halving the deficit by making tough choices, but we prioritised maintaining police funding.

“The Tories made no such commitment, while the Lib Dems called for 3,000 more police officers, so both parties have let us down, and we need to fight these cuts to our police.

“Under Labour there were record numbers of police working in neighbourhood teams and crime fell by 43 per cent. Cutting police officers is not the way to fight crime and anti-social behaviour.

“The Coalition Government advocate putting fewer serious criminals in prison and restricting the ability of the police to use the DNA database and CCTV to catch criminals, at the same time as cutting police budgets.

“Whilst everyone recognises that the deficit must be reduced, safety has to come first. Frontline policing should be prioritised. Fewer police and PCSOs will mean higher crime rates and more dangerous streets.”

Have your voice heard: AM urges you to speak out on older people in hospital

A local AM is encouraging local people to share their experiences of how older people are treated in hospital.

Labour Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales Joyce Watson AM said:

"Older people are the backbone of our society, yet sadly I hear far too many stories from them and from their families about poor treatment in hospital.

"Most NHS staff do an excellent job, but it is time these issues are addressed and older people are treated with the respect they deserve.

"I am delighted that The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales Ruth Marks has taken this issue so seriously, and I would urge all concerned to make their views known as part of her Review into whether older people are treated with dignity and respect whilst in hospital."

For more information click here.

Pembrokeshire road review ordered after AM raises concerns

Dangerous road layouts in Pembrokeshire could be changed after a Labour AM warned that they could cost lives.

The three-lane road layout on Arnolds Hill on the A40 in Pembrokeshire is being reviewed after local Labour AM Joyce Watson raised safety concerns with the Minister for Transport and Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones.

Joyce Watson met the Minister to warn that the existing layout provides insufficient warning to drivers ahead of two lanes merging.

The Minister said he fully agreed with her about maximising safety and taking account of existing problems when improving roads, and that he agreed to review the existing road markings at these locations to see if any improvements can be implemented.

Joyce Watson AM said:

“The current three-lane system is dangerous; I myself have been overtaken at speed a number of times when the lanes merge.

“The road has no defined signage that lets the driver know they are about to run out of road, other than a sign that says the road is narrowing. This appears when it is far too late to take corrective action if the driver is travelling at speed, which is often the case.

"This is a tourist area and we want to keep our visiting families safe.”

“I welcome the decision to look at the road’s layout, and I look forward to the conclusion of the review. It is clear that there are better road layouts being used elsewhere and the lives of the people who use the Arnold’s Hill road should no longer be placed at risk.”
-

AM toasts to Welsh meal deal

Combining Welsh food with Welsh drink is the best meal deal around, Joyce Watson AM has said.

The Labour Member for Mid and West Wales claims that Welsh wine, beer and cider should be drank alongside Welsh lamb, pork or beef to create an authentically Welsh meal.

Mrs Watson joined with Paul Williams, landlord of the Ship Inn in Solva, to sample a full Welsh meal and believes that Wales could match Indian and Italian meals for popularity and taste.

Mrs Watson, who is also Labour’s Rural Affairs Spokesperson said:

“We have become accustomed to drinking Italian wine when eating a pizza and drinking Cobra beer when having a curry. There is no reason why we cannot follow the same idea here and create a Welsh meal deal.

“Wales already enjoys an international reputation for its beef, pork and lamb, we now have the opportunity to expand this to include wine, beer and cider.

“I have had a delicious meal at the Ship Inn in Solva where Welsh produce is always on the menu and I hope that other restaurants and pubs follow this example.”

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Coalition cuts will devastate communities, warns AM

Devastating cuts by the Westminster coalition have been labelled “dangerous and irresponsible” by a Labour Assembly Member.

Joyce Watson AM claims that cuts to public spending announced by the Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition could ruin communities across Wales. Mrs Watson believes that Chancellor George Osborne’s request that government departments prepare for cuts of up to 40% could have substantial implications for Wales.

Joyce Watson, who is a Labour Member for Mid and West Wales, said:

“Everyone will suffer as a result of these cuts. To give just one example of the implications, I have had correspondence from one police force that they will be forced to reduce their frontline services.

“These cuts will lead to a drop in the number of police and teachers. When you combine this with the fact that the Tories have already abandoned broadband services for rural Wales, it is clear that they have no interest in protecting individuals and businesses during these very challenging times.”

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Fire law will save lives, says AM

A new law on preventing domestic fires will save lives, a Labour Assembly Member has claimed.

The new law would make it compulsory for all newly built houses to be fitted with sprinklers which would prevent fires from spreading throughout the house, Joyce Watson AM has said.

Speaking during a debate in the National Assembly for Wales, the Labour Member for Mid and West Wales said:

“It is tragic that on average twenty people die each year in domestic fires in Wales, this law will hopefully mean that none do so in the future.

“Fires not only cause the indefinable, inconsolable grief and sense of loss at losing a loved one, they also lead to despair at losing the family home and all the irreplaceable items within it.

“I would like to pay tribute to Ann Jones AM, who brought forward this law; she has a wealth of expertise in this area and her skill and tenacity will mean that many lives will be saved.”

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Mental Health services confusion cannot continue, says AM

A new law on mental health services must include services for young people, an Assembly Member has claimed.

Joyce Watson AM believes that people reaching adulthood are in danger of being let down by confusing services. The Labour AM claims that a new law on mental health services should be amended to include young people and therefore avoid having to navigate between services.

The Labour Member for Mid and West Wales said:

“At present there can be confusion around which services are available when a person turns 18, that is when they are no longer classified as a young person but as an adult.

“If the legislation were to be broadened to include young people, such confusion would not exist and better services would be provided.”

Mrs Watson has also warned that thousands of prisoners in Wales with mental health needs are in danger of being abandoned.

“There is no room for ambiguity when it comes to providing services for people who suffer from mental health difficulties.

“I feel that the legislation as it stands would leave service providers without clear guidance on how to treat prisoners with depression or other illnesses.”

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.

Joyce welcomes new Aberystwyth Labour Party members

Local Assembly Member Joyce Watson AM welcomed new members to Aberystwyth Labour Party last Friday.

Mrs Watson said: "I was excited to meet young people with such interesting views. I thoroughly enjoyed attending a vibrant branch with such a good exchange of ideas.
"We have gained 18 new members this month alone. They are from all walks of life, and we are growing where other parties are not. Local members have reached out to share their ideas to defend public services and improve the lives of people across Ceredigion."

Labour Deputy Mayor of Aberystwyth and acting branch Chair Richard Boudier said: "We're delighted that people have come to join us, because we are offering a progressive left commitment to fight for key public services. We're having a membership drive now, then in September we will launch our new campaigns offering a fresh alternative to the tired two party system which has dominated Aberystwyth for so long."

Branch Secretary Dylan Lewis said: "I was delighted by the large turnout at the meeting, and I am now confident that we can successfully move the branch forward and meet the challenge of next year's election and referenda.

"It was great having a local Labour AM to welcome our new members. So often when we have knocked doors people have said that they'd like to vote Labour but they didn't think we could win in this seat."

Ceredigion Constituency Chair Linda Grace said: " I am delighted naturally with the increase in membership in the North and this is reflected elsewhere in Ceredigion, as indeed it is across the country. Clearly people are unhappy with this government's policies of massive cuts which will inevitably undermine public services."

Joyce added: "This growth in Labour membership is happening right across the UK, as the impact of the new Westminster government's cuts become clear.

"A wide range of local people have joined, not just those who defected from the Liberal Democrats as a result of their decision to join with the Tories in government. I would urge anyone who is interested in practical solutions to defend our services to contact the local party and find out more."

Call for evidence: Dignity and respect in hospitals

Are you an older person, or a relative, carer or friend of an older person, who has been in hospital for more than five consecutive days within the last two years?

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is undertaking a Review on whether older people are treated with dignity and respect whilst in hospital.

What we want to know

We want to find out about your experiences, both good and bad, when you are in hospital as an in-patient. This may include:

• Personal privacy, including issues with mixed sex wards and facilities
• Communications, including how people are informed about, and involved in decisions about their care, the type of language used and terms of address
• Food and nutrition including offering and respecting choice, identifying and providing appropriate assistance
• Personal hygiene such as condition of hospital bathrooms, assistance with washing if appropriate, and the use of incontinence pads
• Managing end of life care
• Recognising older people in all their diversity
• Planning for discharge including when to plan and how this is communicated
• Autonomy and identity including access to personal items such as glasses and false teeth and personal possessions
• Awareness of individual rights and understanding of how to complain
• Any other examples of good or bad practice related to maintaining dignity and respect.

The Panel of Inquiry will not cover clinical diagnosis or treatment, the transportation of people to and from hospital, or discharge arrangements beyond hospital.

Aims of the Review

The Review wants to make practical recommendations to improve situations when people are not treated with dignity and respect and to spread good practice.

Sending us your evidence

Please ensure written evidence is less than four pages or 1500 words. You are welcome to use the language of your choice.

We may contact you to provide opportunity for you to give your evidence in person, this is entirely at your discretion and should you decline this will not affect the submission of your evidence into the Review.

Responses should be sent to Ask@olderpeoplewales.com

Delyth Lewis
Secretariat to the Inquiry Panel
Older People’s Commissioner for Wales
Cambrian Buildings
Mount Stuart Square
Cardiff CF10 5FL

The closing date for evidence is Monday 16 August 2010

Protecting your information

Both the oral evidence and written evidence in part or in full may be published alongside the Commissioner’s Review. However, we appreciate that some of the evidence that we are likely to receive will be of a sensitive and highly personalised nature and we will take all the necessary steps to anonymise examples we are given of poor practice. Information that we consider to be personal data will not be published.

If you are providing any information, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, please indicate which parts should not be published. If you would like any further details about how we will use your information, please contact us.

Accessible formats

If you would like a copy of this document in Braille, large print or audio format, please contact the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. Contact us by emailing ask@olderpeoplewales.com or by telephone on 08442 640670

Full steam ahead for station renovation, says AM

Local Assembly Member Joyce Watson has praised local school children and WI members for their work to spruce up Harlech station.

Harlech train station has been given an unusual facelift by members of the Harlech Women’s Institute (WI), working with students from Ysgol Ardudwyl and Coleg Harlech. Mrs Watson met members of the WI to celebrate the completion of the renovation work.

The artwork at the station includes a mural of the Druid story of the Birth of Taliesin which was designed by Helen Barlow, a student at Coleg Harlech. WI members swept the platforms at the station, planting flower tubs and encouraging students from Ysgol Ardudwyl to join in the painting.

Mrs Watson said: “It is great to see such community engagement and I think the work completed by the group is fantastic. It is always heartening to see residents taking pride in their local community and I am hopeful that the group’s dedication can spread to the wider community.

“I am also encouraged by the close working relationship which existed between the WI and Ysgol Ardudwyl in completing this work; such co-operation should be replicated not only in Harlech but across Wales as a means of boosting community cohesion.”

For further details about Joyce Watson’s work or to contact her please click on www.joycewatson.co.uk.