Tag Archives: Governmental

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£85,000 to develop Deeside transport schemes as plans for North Wales Metro gather pace

Flintshire Council has been awarded  £85,000 to help it  develop bus and active travel projects along the B5129 at Queensferry and to Deeside Industrial Park in order to improve transport links to key employment sites. 

Ken Skates said the funding will also help Flintshire to strengthen its transport links in anticipation of the Welsh Government’s ambitious North Wales Metro project, which will provide wider integrated transport links across North Wales.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: 

“Our ambitious plans for a Metro scheme in North Wales will require significant investment, with huge potential rewards for the local economy. To this end, the £50 million earmarked in our recent budget will see our plans for the North Wales Metro really take shape. 

“In the meantime, I’m delighted that we are able to support local authorities, like Flintshire, in investing in improved bus access, in facilitating active travel and in linking communities with jobs – something which will be key to the success of the wider North Wales Metro.”

Councillor Bernie Attridge, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment said 

“I am pleased to receive the additional funding to help develop our transport solution to improve all modes of transport into Deeside Industrial Park. Improved transport links will ensure that Deeside continues to be the destination of choice for businesses into the future.”

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Welsh Government • •

Press release: Court of Appeal increases the sentence for duo who blew up cash machines

The Court of Appeal has today increased the sentences of 2 men from Sale, Manchester following a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Mark Marfleet, 37, and Paul Warmisham, 35, were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for a number of offences including conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to cause explosions.

Between June 2015 and September 2015 the pair stole two cash machines and attempted to steal another, using explosives to blow the front of the machine to access the money inside.

A woman and her four-year-old son who were living in the flat above one of the cash machines had to be rescued through an upstairs window after the blast damaged their home and filled the property with smoke.

The financial loss and damage caused to property totalled to about £138,000.

Whilst on bail for these offences, Marfleet also robbed a newsagents with another man who remains unidentified. The two men were armed and during the robbery doused the shopkeeper in petrol and threatened to set him alight.

Marfleet was sentenced to 11 and a half years imprisonment, whilst Warmisham received a 7 and a half year custodial sentence.

Following a referral to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP, the sentences for both offenders were found to be unduly lenient. The judge then increased Marfleet and Warmisham’s sentences’ to 18 years and 13 years respectively.

Following the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“The actions of these offenders showed a serious lack of consideration for the safety of those around them. The long lasting effects on the victim and her young son cannot be underestimated.

“I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed that the original sentence was unduly lenient and has sought to increase the sentences given to these offenders.”

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HM Government • • •

News story: Car manufacturers celebrate record year

Last year saw a 17-year high in the number of cars built in the UK, official SMMT records have revealed. In 2016, 1.7 million cars came off the production line, up 8.5% on the year before.

Demand from overseas has helped to drive this increase with more than 1.3 million cars destined for export to over 160 countries. The manufacture of premium brands has helped make the UK the second biggest producer of premium cars after Germany.

With a car rolling off the production line every 20 seconds, and with over 163,000 people employed in the industry, the UK auto sector has seen a real revival.

Business Secretary Greg Clark welcomed the news:

Our modern industrial strategy will make the UK one of the most competitive places in the world to grow a business and these figures show why the UK automotive sector has such a vital role to play as we build on our strengths and extend excellence into the future. We are providing long-term investment and support, so that all our auto companies, and the vital supply chain it supports, can strive for even greater success in 2017.

Government is continuing to back the UK auto sector. That is why, on top of the £1 billion government and industry has committed to research and development, a further £390 million, announced at Autumn Statement, will be invested to develop and accelerate the transition to cleaner, connected and autonomous vehicles, strengthening the UK’s position as a leader in this vital sector.

Alongside this, the Automotive Investment Organisation, created in 2013, has already helped create or safeguard 20,000 jobs in the UK automotive supply chain and secured £1.5 billion in new capital investment.

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HM Government • • •

First Minister launches 2017 programme of events to mark centenary of First World War

‘Programme 2017’ is the latest in the Welsh Government’s series of annual Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918 brochures which highlight events and projects of Welsh interest taking place in Wales and further afield throughout the year. The launch coincides with the First World War Partnership Day 2017 event held in Builth Wells on 26 January.

The central focus for this year’s commemoration is the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), which will be commemorated at a National Service of Remembrance at the Welsh Memorial in Langemark, Belgium on 31 July 2017.

The Third Battle of Ypres is of particular resonance for Wales as it claimed the lives of many Welsh soldiers including the renowned Welsh language poet, Hedd Wyn. Hedd Wyn was killed on 31 July 1917 and is buried at the nearby Artillery Wood cemetery, close to Ypres.

People are welcome to attend the National Service of Remembrance but must register in advance (external link) by 26 March 2017. Entry will be by pre-booked tickets only.

Other key events include the re-opening of Hedd Wyn’s home following the £3.4m re-development led by Snowdonia National Park Authority and supported by the Welsh Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Welsh Government will also hold a number of cultural events in partnership with the Government of Flanders on the shared history of Wales and Belgium.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: 

“Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914 – 1918 gives us the opportunity to remember the lives of those who served in the First World War.

“The sacrifices the people of Wales made, alongside the rest of the UK and allied forces, should never be forgotten. Programme 2017 is testament to the outstanding level of collaboration and engagement seen across Wales since 2014, which set to continue through the year and beyond.

“It is important future generations understand how this terrible war shaped modern Wales, and we must learn lessons from the past to take us into a more peaceful future.”

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Welsh Government • •