The new updated and strengthened guidance, which will be issued for a 12 week consultation this autumn, will focus on affordability and will also address a number of different issues that schools need to consider.

The Education Secretary has also once again urged parents/carers of eligible children to speak to their council about applying for the new PDG-Access fund.

PDG-Access offers parents/carers £125 to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for their child.

Looked-after children and learners eligible for free school meals will be eligible for this grant if they are entering reception class in primary school, entering year 7 in secondary school or aged 4 or 11 in special schools, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Units or Pupil Referral Units.

Kirsty Williams said:

“Reducing the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers is at the heart of our national mission to raise standards.

“Parents and guardians face many different costs when it comes to school uniform as well as activities both in and outside of school.

“Making school uniform guidance statutory is just one of the ways we can help reduce these costs.

“I also want to encourage the parents/carers of eligible children to keep applying to councils for PDG-Access funding. This is money that they are entitled to and could make a real difference to the cost of not just school uniform but equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school too.”

The trade mission is supported by the Seafood Market Development project, which recently received over £1 million from the Welsh Government and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

This will be the first time a Welsh seafood delegation has visited Hong Kong. Seafood Expo Asia will enable the delegation to explore exporting opportunities for their lobsters, crabs, oysters, scallops and other quality Welsh seafood products.

As part of the trade mission, Welsh companies will also have the opportunity to visit local shellfish markets and meet with wholesalers and retailers to better understand the expanding Chinese seafood industry.

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

“Brexit presents both challenges and opportunities for our fishing industry. We are doing all we can to help the industry prepare for these challenges and adapt to a post-Brexit world.

“Since the EU referendum, there has been increased interest from Welsh producers to export to China and other Asian markets. We are keen to help them explore the opportunities these markets can offer. The Seafood Development Project has an important role to play in supporting the sector as the UK prepares to leave the European Union helping to market Welsh seafood domestically and internationally.”

Welsh participant companies:

The Lobster Pot – Based in Church Bay, Anglesey, it supplies fresh live European blue Lobster and brown crab to wholesalers and retailers worldwide.

WM Shellfish – Based in Holyhead, the company supplies king and queen scallops, lobster, brown crab, spider crab, whelks and blue mussels to the wholesale, retail and catering trade.

Tethys Oysters – Based in Pembrokeshire, the company produces high-quality native oysters (Ostrea edulis) for the export markets.

Ross Shellfish – Based in Caernarfon, it supplies periwinkles as well as other shellfish products including mussels, clams and scallops.

CamNesa – Seafood consultancy based in Ceredigion, providing advice and support to the seafood industry. In particular, brown crab, lobster and whelk’s trade.

It will mark the first time that the race has visited Carmarthenshire with the county set to welcome the strongest ever line-up in race history, with reigning Tour de France and Giro d’Italia champions Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome competing for Team Sky.

The city of Newport last hosted the Tour of Britain in 2004, while the final stage of the 2017 race passed through the city on its way to the overall finish in Cardiff.

The first stage of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race will be put under starter’s orders by Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford. Speaking ahead of the race, Professor Drakeford said:

“I am delighted to be opening the first stage of this iconic race. Pembrey Country Park is an impressive venue for the Grand Depart, not only because it is a very popular visitor attraction but also because it has recently invested in cycling facilities, including the first national closed road circuit in south Wales.

“The Tour of Britain has become a key event in the Welsh sporting calendar and I am pleased that the Welsh Government has been able to support this event once again this year.

“The Welsh public has always given the cyclists a really warm Welsh welcome and I’m sure that with Geraint Thomas amongst the starting line-up, people from across south Wales will come out to support the cyclists as they travel from Carmarthenshire to Newport on the first day of the race.”

Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting Stage One of the Tour of Britain in Carmarthenshire for the very first time. We have made no secret of our ambition to become the Cycling Hub of Wales and this prestigious event coincides with a huge investment to cycling infrastructure in Carmarthenshire, including off road tracks and circuits, active travel routes and cycling trails.

“This event seals Carmarthenshire’s reputation not only as a growing visitor destination, but also as a first-class location for major events.

“We are overwhelmed by the huge support we have had in recent weeks and especially grateful to our communities who have worked together to give riders and visitors the warmest of welcomes.”

Councillor Debbie Wilcox, Leader of Newport City Council, said:

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Tour to Newport and cheering them across the finish line of stage one on the first day.

“Newport boasts such a diverse landscape which lends itself perfectly to events such as the Tour – from flat, urban routes to challenging climbs and descents through beautiful countryside. I’m sure the cyclists, supporters and spectators alike will enjoy the leg and their time in our city.”

Race Director Mick Bennett said:

“Following the fantastic victory of Geraint Thomas in the Tour de France this Summer it is fitting that we can welcome him, along with the reigning Giro d’Italia champion Chris Froome, to the opening stage of this year’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain in Wales. We are looking forward to our first every visit to Carmarthenshire and think it will be a very special occasion for everyone involved with activities planned across the route to celebrate the occasion.

“In this of all years it is fitting that we finish our opening stage in Newport, the home of Welsh Cycling, and are looking forward to an exciting finish on Usk Way in the city.”

Welsh Cycling CEO, Anne Adams-King said:

“Welsh Cycling is pleased that Wales is hosting the Grand Depart for the 2018 OVO Energy Tour of Britain profiling our beautiful countryside and showcasing the City of Newport town centre.

“It’s fantastic for people to see 4 welsh riders in the peloton alongside some of the best riders in pro-cycling. An exciting start to the tour that will inspire a generation of youngsters to experience cycling.”

The OVO Energy Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step, taking place between Sunday 2 and Sunday 9 September 2018.

Three hard-hitting advertisements show an individual’s choice to donate their organs being over-ridden by family members, because they didn’t talk to them about their decision or registration on the organ donor register to become a donor. 

The Welsh Government is urging people to talk during Organ Donation Week (September 3 to 9) to prevent lifesaving transplants being missed because families did not know their loved one’s organ donation decision.

Surveys show around 80% of people in the UK support organ donation, however only 33% of people have told their family that they want to donate. In circumstances where a family does not know their loved one’s decision, they are far more likely to refuse to allow organ donation to take place. 

Data published by NHS Blood and Transplant showed that in 2017-18 there were 22 cases in Wales where families either overrode their relatives’ decisions to donate organs, or didn’t support deemed consent. 
With an average of 3.2 organs retrieved per donor in Wales in 2017-18, this could have resulted in as many as 70 additional transplants.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: 

“We want to encourage everyone across Wales to talk with their loved ones about their organ donation decision.  We know awareness and understanding is increasing, but it is really important we reach the Welsh public on this issue.

“We have seen huge improvements in our consent rates, increasing from to 59% in 2015-16 to 70% in 2017-18, however when there are still people dying waiting for a transplant we must work harder to further increase the consent rate to have a significant impact on reducing transplant waiting lists.

“If you know you want to be an organ donor, then simply tell your loved ones.  Your family will be involved in any discussions about organ donation if you are in a position to donate your organs when you die. This could make an already difficult time more stressful if families have never discussed organ donation. 

“If you support organ donation, remember to speak to your family and friends about it.”

Just having a chat can help benefit the people of Wales and the UK by reducing the number of people dying whilst waiting for a suitable organ to become available, and transforming the lives of others.

It is your decision whether or not you would like to donate your organs after you die. 

Once your decision is made, you can choose to:

• Opt in – this is your decision to become a donor. 
• Do nothing – You will be treated as having no objection to being a donor and your consent will be deemed.  
• Opt out – this is your decision not to become a donor.
• You can register a decision at any time by calling 0300 123 23 23 (Calls to this phone line will be answered by NHS Blood and Transplant) or visiting organdonationwales.org or by telling your family (and friends).

Last week at the Royal Welsh Show, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths chaired a ‘Dry Weather Summit’ with key agricultural partners to discuss the dry period and its impact on farmers.

The Summit was an opportunity to identify what the Government and industry can do collectively to mitigate some of the issues arising from the current weather conditions.

With only 19mm of rainfall in Wales during June, the availability of water and grazing for livestock and the subsequent impact on crop growth has been unprecedented.  

During the Summit, the Cabinet Secretary made a commitment to explore what measures the Government could introduce to support the industry, in the immediate, medium and longer term.

A technical note for farmers on the support available in the short term is available on the Welsh Government website.