“The tourism Industry in Wales is in very good shape. And the fact that we saw record breaking spend from overseas visitors last year and crossed the million visitors for the first time in 8 years is excellent news.  We fully recognise how competitive the market is and the challenges facing the industry.  Our future vision – especially in light of the EU Referendum result – is to do more again to build on this sense of confidence and to internationalise our reputation and approach.”

“Although most of our performance indicators look good and feedback from the industry is positive, overnight GB figures are showing a fall in 2016 compared with the record year of 2015, in line with reductions for Britain as a whole.  However, the overall picture for Wales – taking into account tourism day visits, international visitors as well GB overnights visits – suggests that Wales will see a substantial increase in overall tourism volumes compared with 2015  the total of visits across all three categories was 16% up over the first nine months –  which builds on the previous two record-breaking years.

“Campaign work now continues to convert interest and opportunities arising from the weak pound into bookings for the summer.  A boost to the Visit Wales budget means that there is £26.3m available to invest in marketing and product development this year this increase has enabled us to pull together a more ambitious  programme than ever before for  2017.”

Welsh Local Authorities recycled on average 63% of waste for the 12 months up to December 2016, compared with 59% over the same period from the previous year.

Altogether, 19 of the 22 Local Authorities in Wales increased their recycling rate by at least one percentage point, compared with October to December 2015. When grouped together rural authorities continue to have the highest recycling rate, with an average of 65% of waste recycled in the 12 months to the end of December 2016.

The latest figures follow a report released by Resource Magazine earlier this year, which ranked Wales third in the world for recycling.

Wales is now recycling double the amount it did a decade ago and continues to be used as an example of good practice for the rest of the UK.

Welcoming the latest statistics, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“Today’s statistics are encouraging evidence we are meeting the ambition set in our Programme for Government to further our lead over other nations in recycling and minimise landfill.

“The latest report shows we are still exceeding our statutory 58% recycling target and remain well on track to meet our 70% target by 2025. This achievement has not been easy, but we have made some significant changes and I would like to thank householders and Local Authorities for embracing these and making a real commitment to recycling.

“While this success is to be applauded, there are still challenges ahead. Half of all the rubbish collected from the kerbsides of households is easily recyclable material, with a quarter being food waste. It’s important we continue to work together to make sure this material is recycled so we can reduce the impact on the environment and reduce costs for Local Authorities.”

The IAA was established in North Pembrokeshire in 2010 as an area where increased measures would be applied to tackle all sources of bovine TB. These included stricter cattle controls, improved biosecurity, badger vaccination and testing of all goats and camelids. This is an approach which has never been tried before in the UK.

Today’s report suggests the methods being applied in the area are working, with the disease situation in the IAA improving faster than in a nearby comparison area, where incidence fell by 23% over the same period.

The proportion of herds under restriction for bovine TB in the IAA has also fallen to 14.3%, compared with 22.3% in 2010.

Welcoming the report, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“We’ve made significant progress since we began our TB eradication programme in 2008 and over 95% of herds in Wales are now TB free. While some will attribute this to herd numbers falling in recent years, it is important to note the proportion of these herds with TB has also reduced by 26% since 2008.

“Today’s report is encouraging and shows, over time, all the measures used in the IAA have had a positive impact on the disease. This is further evidence our approach to reducing the incidence of TB is working, with numbers of new incidents now at their lowest in 12 years.”

The report also reinforces the fact a recent increase in the number of cattle slaughtered across Wales because of bovine TB does not reflect a worsening situation. Instead, the rise is largely due to an increase in the use of the more sensitive gamma interferon blood test and more severe interpretation of the skin test. The increase is largely confined to the areas which carry out the most gamma testing.

The Cabinet Secretary added:

“Late last year I launched a consultation on the next steps in our TB eradication programme. Many of the responses to this consultation agreed we need to take a more regional response, which will build on the progress we have already made and accelerate our advance towards a TB free Wales. I shall be making a statement on the future of our TB eradication programme next month.”

The introduction of Quarantine Units (QU) will enable keepers to choose between using an approved QU to manage livestock movements or continuing to adhere to the Six Day Standstill (6DSS) on their whole holding. The new arrangements simplify the standstill regime and allow greater flexibility for livestock keepers, while maintaining movement control to prevent the spread of disease.

Lesley Griffiths said:

“I am pleased to announce Quarantine Units will come into force on 12 June.  Each individual livestock keeper will now have more flexibility and be able to decide which approach – QUs or Six Day Standstill best meets their requirements. Ahead of their implementation, I would advise livestock owners to familiarise themselves with the Quarantine Units operational rules and requirements.

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop added:

“The alternative arrangements to the Six Day Standstill were developed at the request of, and in close collaboration with the industry. They have been worked through systematically, and collaboratively, with the support of Independent Veterinary Risk Assessments. I am confident this additional flexibility addresses and resolves issues raised by the industry around the Six Day Standstill whilst not increasing the risk of disease spread”.

The cost of certification for 18 months, including VAT, is £172.80 for one QU or £244.80 for two.

The Concordat between the National Commissioning Board, National Provider Forum (Wales) and the WCVA-hosted Alliance of Alliances will be launched by the Minister at the United Kingdom Homecare Association’s (UKHCA) Annual Domiciliary Care Provider Forum in Cardiff later today. UKHCA is the professional association of home care providers and represents over two-thousand members across the United Kingdom

The Concordat sees those who commission and provide social care in local authorities, health boards as well as the third and independent sectors, pledge to focus on delivering quality services based on the needs of individuals as well as delivering value for money.

The Welsh Government is committed to supporting social care, including domiciliary care, investing an additional £55 million in total in the sector in 2017-18. This includes an extra £25 million to help local government respond to the pressures, and an extra £19 million to help manage workforce costs. 

The Concordat forms part of the work the National Commissioning Board is carrying out to support regional partnership boards, which were provided for by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.  These bring together health, social services and the third sector to plan and deliver integrated care and support services.  From April 2018, all of the partners within Boards will be required to pool their money and jointly commission care home placements for adults, rather than doing so separately as is currently the case.  

Minister for Social Services and Public Health, Rebecca Evans said: 

“Commissioning can sometimes be seen as a ‘backroom’ function, rather than a core component of delivering quality care. That is simply not the case.

“That is why I am delighted that commissioners and providers of social care, as well as advocates for citizens and communities, have come together to develop this Concordat. It commits to an integrated approach to commissioning which both provides value for money and improves people’s wellbeing.

“This is in keeping with the vision of our revolutionary Social Services and Well-being Act, which focuses on delivering  sustainable care services which put the needs of individuals at their heart. 

“Dave Street, Chair of the National Commissioning Board, said: “We are all well aware of the serious challenges confronting health and social care in terms of rising demand, workforce and financial pressures. Commissioners, providers and the advocates of citizens and communities need to work together to find effective solutions to these challenges. 

“The Concordat is designed to help the National Commissioning Board, Provider Forum and advocates for citizens and communities nominated through the WCVA-hosted Alliance of Alliances, to work collaboratively on the shared objective of developing effective commissioning practice across Wales to improve outcomes for people in need of care and support.”