Tag Archives: political

£4m investment in major expansion by Dyfed Steels will create and safeguard 200 jobs in Llanelli

Despite the current crisis affecting the steel industry, MD David Thomas who founded the Llanelli based business 41 years ago, is currently turning away a significant volume of business annually due to lack of capacity.

By adding further value to their products Mr Thomas has identified expansion opportunities and with £750,000 support from the Welsh Government the investment will be undertaken at its Llanelli site, as opposed to another of its sites in England.

Dyfed Steels plans to redevelop an existing property adjacent to their site in Llanelli into a new processing centre to increase capacity, capability and efficiencies and will invest nearly £3m in new equipment to support the growth of the business increasing throughput by 10,000-15,000 tonnes per year.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:

“Dyfed Steels is an indigenous Welsh company of considerable importance to both the economy of Llanelli and West Wales. It is the company’s 41st year of trading and in that time it has achieved considerable success without the assistance of the public sector. It is now operating in what is an extremely difficult climate for the steel industry and I am delighted the Welsh Government is supporting its investment to safeguard their Llanelli operation.

“This major investment by an indigenous business in a critically important industry will safeguard and create new high value jobs and help the company increase capacity and grow its market share in more profitable processed work.

“As a major customer for both Tata and Celsa steel their expansion will also have a beneficial knock on effect for the wider steel industry in Wales.”

MD David Thomas said:

“We are very grateful for the support shown by the Welsh Government, which during a time of great concern for the Steel Sector in the UK, their support became a necessity. Dyfed Steels Ltd needs to remain competitive in order to continue its leading presence within a challenging market. We will now continue to strive to ensure not only the future of the business but to encourage growth, safeguard jobs and create as many new staff opportunities as possible. We aim with this additional support to increase our production capacity, attract new business opportunities and to continue as a growing, established family business in West Wales.”

The business services more than 2000 customers across a range of sectors including agriculture, construction and engineering and offers a complete range of processing services from the simplest cut bar to high volume sophisticated processing of the highest specification.

It currently employs 270 people across 10 sites across the UK, of which 173 are employed at its head office and main processing and distribution centre in Llanelli. Its Welsh operations are in Port Talbot, Newport and Newtown.

February 8, 2017 NewsWelsh GovernmentGovernmental • political • Welsh Government

News story: City of Rotterdam and Primula Seaways report published

Collision between the pure car carrier City of Rotterdam and the ro-ro freight ferry Primula Seaways on the River Humber.

MAIB’s report on the investigation of the collision between the pure car carrier City of Rotterdam and the ro-ro freight ferry Primula Seaways on the River Humber, UK on 3 December 2015 is now published.

The report contains details of what happened and the subsequent actions taken:

February 8, 2017 HM GovernmentHM GovernmentGB • Governmental • HM Government • political

Haitian Government, UN and partners launch two-year plan aimed at saving lives, building resilience

7 February 2017 – The United Nations together with relief organizations in Haiti have launched a two-year, $291 million response plan with the Government to reach more than 2.4 million people across the island that was struck by a devastating hurricane last October.

&#8220With more than 98 per cent of Haitians exposed to two or more types of disasters, and over half of its population living in poverty, Hurricane Matthew has once more demonstrated Haiti’s weakened ability to cope, recover and adapt to shocks from natural disasters,&#8221 noted Mourad Wahba, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, in the plan’s foreword.

The two-year Haiti Humanitarian Response Plan. launched yesterday, is built on lessons learnt that the island that the transition from a relief-focused type of operation &#8211 like one that follows a disaster like an the earthquake &#8211 to a longer-term development approach in fragile countries should be seen as a convergence process rather than sequential since the humanitarian and development needs occur simultaneously.

According to estimates undertaken by the Humanitarian Country Team, some 2.7 million Haitians will require humanitarian, protection or early recovery assistance in 2017, of which 2.4 million will be targeted countrywide. The October hurricane severely exasperated pre-existing humanitarian, socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities and disparities.

Under the plan, humanitarian interventions with a focus on improving access to lifesaving services to those affected by Hurricane Matthew, cholera, and other diseases, as well as on protecting the most vulnerable will be scaled up.

At the same time, actions to promote resilience and access to durable solutions will be implemented, targeting those displaced due to the 2010 earthquake, Hurricane Matthew, as well as those repatriated or voluntarily returned from neighbouring Dominican Republic.

Also, the Humanitarian Country Team will continue to support Government-led efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and response at the national and decentralized levels.

The specific objectives include:

Strengthening affected population’s resilience through timely life-saving assistance, improved access to basic services and immediate livelihood restoration;
Ensuring a rapid and effective response to cholera outbreaks and other waterborne diseases;
Ensuring protection and promotion of the achievement of durable solutions for persons coming back from the Dominican Republic, those displaced still living in camps and people affected by Hurricane Matthew; and
Strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus and supporting local emergency preparedness and response capacity.

February 7, 2017 UN News Centre - Top StoriesUN – Top News Storiesglobal • Governmental • political • UN • United Nations

China to introduce review commission on cyber security

A commission will be established to deliberate important policies on cyber security and organize reviews, according to a document released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Tuesday. The document, on the security of Internet products a… read more

February 7, 2017 GovWorldMagEast AsiaChina • Governmental • political

Afghanistan: UN condemns deadly suicide attack in Kabul near Supreme Court

7 February 2017 – The United Nations condemned today’s suicide attack outside the Supreme Court complex in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and stressed that those behind the deadly bombing must be held to account.

“We express our condolences to the families of the victims and convey our solidarity to the Government and people of Afghanistan,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson.

According to media reports, at least 20 people were killed and more than 40 were reportedly injured in the suicide bombing, which took place outside the Afghan Supreme Court complex.

“Indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including employees of the judicial institutions, are violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and cannot be justified,” said the statement, adding: “Those behind today’s bombing and other such despicable acts must face justice.”