The Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys is holding a series of public meetings across the region to seek the views of communities about priorities for their local areas.  

Alun Davies last night hosted the second town hall style public meeting of the taskforce at Merthyr’s Red House, the arts and creative industries centre in the Old Town Hall.

Speaking following the meeting he said: 

“We can feel that understanding and awareness of the work of the taskforce is growing and the engagement sessions we’ve held to date have been invaluable in helping to shape our priorities. 

“It is vital however we continue to work with and listen to communities throughout the lifetime of the taskforce.

“From the discussions we’ve had with the public so far, some key themes have emerged. These include the importance of linking businesses with local schools to give young people the confidence and skills they need to enter into the world of work and the importance of linking infrastructure like industrial sites, schools, colleges and transport initiatives together, ensuring true connectivity for the valleys. 

“I would urge anyone who feels passionately about where they live to engage with the work of the taskforce and have their say. We’re here to listen and your views will help shape our shared vision for the valleys.”

The taskforce was set up by the Welsh Government in July and aims to build on work previously undertaken across the South Wales Valleys in a more coordinated and targeted way to meet the needs of valley communities.

To learn more about the work of the taskforce or to sign up to attend one of the public meetings, please visit the Facebook page.

By Kezia Dugdale

The effects of Brexit and the drumbeat of a second independence referendum coming from Nicola Sturgeon means that questions about how we run our country are again at the centre of our politics.

But what is clear is that neither a Tory hard Brexit nor a divisive second independence referendum is what the majority of Scots want.

People want change, but they don’t want the country to be divided again. Instead, we need to start thinking about how we work together. We need a new deal for how power is redistributed in this country. One that brings power closer to communities. Not just in Scotland but across the whole UK.

Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson sit in the Scottish Parliament chiefly because of the efforts of the Scottish constitutional convention in the 1980s, which led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament.

It was Labour that championed devolution for decades. And it is bitterly disappointing to Labour politicians like me that in a decade of SNP government, they have not unlocked the potential of devolution.

That potential includes bringing power closer to the people, bridging the gap between the governed and those who govern and to give people more influence over the decisions that affect their lives.

The vote for Brexit isn’t just the failure of the Remain campaign; it’s a failure of our system of government.

If you think Westminster feels remote in Glasgow then imagine how it feels in Wigan or Sunderland.

I lost count of the number of colleagues from across the rest of the UK who reported back from the doorsteps during the EU referendum that people were willing to gamble on Brexit because, really, how much worse could it get?

In Scotland those feelings revealed themselves two years earlier during the independence referendum.

Then it was my turn on the doorstep to hear that, while the SNP had not made the case, people were willing to take a leap into the dark because, really, how much worse could it get?

In a generation the UK has gone from feeling that things can only get better to things can’t possibly get worse.

That’s why we need to change how we govern ourselves.

Our system of government was not doing the job it should have done before Brexit or the independence referendum.

That’s why I want to see a People’s Constitutional Convention and a new Act of Union to renew the UK for a new age.

This proposal means more powers for Scotland but strengthens the whole UK as well.

It seeks to build out from the benefits we already derive from being part of the UK, and it would bring power closer to people.

Our country feels so divided just now. Between remain and leave, yes and no, rich and poor. But together we’re stronger. That’s why Labour is making the case for bringing power closer to communities, redistributing power through the UK the way we redistribute wealth through the UK.

That’s a better future for Scotland than a hard Tory Brexit, or a divisive second independence referendum.

That’s why we need to change how we govern ourselves.

This article originally appeared in the Daily Record on 14/02/17

Speaking today at the Nucleus (Nuclear and Caithness Archive) in Wick, NDA chairman Stephen Henwood, said:

Today we see a new chapter in the important role Caithness has played in the UK’s nuclear history. For many decades Dounreay was at the forefront of the development of the British, and world, nuclear industry and now Nucleus will see this knowledge protected for future generations.

NDA Chief Executive John Clarke added:

Across the UK, at over 17 sites, we have accumulated large volumes of important and valuable records, some dating back to the 1940s. Now we have Nucleus, we have ensured that this information is accessible, secure, and managed efficiently for the taxpayer.

At its peak, Dounreay employed more than 3,000 staff and brought a wide range of contracts for local businesses. By placing Nucleus in Wick, the NDA is honouring our responsibility to help offset the economic impact of closing down sites that were once major regional employers.

Located near one the UK’s earliest nuclear research sites, Dounreay in Scotland, the Nucleus archive will have a dual role: as well as housing nuclear records, the facility will contain a collection of local Scottish records that has outgrown its existing home.

An exercise lasting at least five years is now under way to collect many thousands of important plans, photographs, drawings and other records from locations across the UK for transfer to Nucleus.

The site’s records – including plans, drawings, photographs and other information – will be the first nuclear collection transferred to Nucleus from the 17 NDA sites. The Caithness collection, with records dating back to the 16th century, are already in place.

Up to 26 km of shelving has been installed in a series of secure pods to take the material and ensure it is preserved. Nucleus will employ a staff of approximately 20 including archivists, preservation experts and support staff.

An operation has already been under way for a number of years to retrieve, collate and organise the huge quantities of records that are currently stored at or near individual sites.
It is hoped that, during 2017, Nucleus will be granted Place of Deposit status by The National Archive at Kew.

Once achieved, it will become one of the largest accredited repositories outside London.

An official opening ceremony will take place later in the year.

Archive material will be catalogued, indexed and stored in a carefully controlled environment, with humidity and temperature kept stable to minimise the potential for deterioration.

Old decaying documents will be transferred to archive-quality paper by on-site preservation specialists, and digitised for improved accessibility.

It is anticipated that interest in the nuclear material will be overwhelmingly from academics, regulators, journalists, industry representatives and all other researchers. The information will be provided digitally, wherever possible, avoiding risks of damage to the original material.

The triangular single-storey building has a large public area, including a reading room and community space for exhibitions, study or training.

The archive will also fulfil an important role for the future geological disposal facility (GDF) that is being developed for the UK, acting as a central repository for detailed waste records that must be safeguarded for many generations.

Discussions are also under way with the wider nuclear industry, including the Ministry of Defence, new build developers and operators of the UK’s current nuclear power stations, to potentially consolidate their records at Nucleus.

Nucleus Archive – video showing construction progress

Case study: NDA archive: Nucleus (the Nuclear and Caithness Archives)

The Welsh Government Warm Homes programme, which includes Nest and Arbed, provides funding for home energy efficiency improvements to low income households and those living in deprived communities across Wales.

The £104 million funding includes £32 million of the additional £40 million funding announced in the Final Budget last month. The remaining £8 million will be invested in other green growth initiatives.

The Welsh Government funding will also lever in around £24million of European funding, in addition to Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding.

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, announced the funding during a visit to Trowbridge to see how households have benefited from previous Arbed funding.

Cardiff County Council were recently successful in receiving further Arbed grant funding and take up has been extremely positive, with over 75% of residents signing up for a survey within two weeks of applications opening.

There are now over 300 homes in the area involved in the Arbed scheme, with a further 100 planned over the next few months.

The Cabinet Secretary said:

“During the winter months how to keep warm while also meeting high energy bills is a very real concern for many low income households across Wales. I am therefore delighted we are committing £104million to our Warm Homes programme over the next four years.

“The Warm Homes Programme aims to make improvements to homes, such as boiler and heating upgrades and applying loft insulation, to increase energy efficiency, reduce household bills and in turn reduce energy use and climate change.

“There is also an emphasis on using the local supply chain to make these changes, creating jobs, developing skills and boosting the local economy.”

Mr and Mrs Foley, who received external wall insulation in Phase 2 of the Trowbridge energy efficiency scheme, said

“Not only does our home look lovely, but we have made over £200 worth of energy savings in just 6 months! The energy advice we have been given has been so helpful.  Simple tips for everyday life. We are so grateful for the scheme.”

Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the
International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance report, said:

“This report exposes the Government’s complete and shocking
failure to maintain its commitment on defence spending to our Armed Forces and
to the country.

“Just weeks after the Prime Minister was lecturing our allies
about increasing spending to meet the 2 percent NATO commitment, it is now
clear that her Government is unwilling to commit the necessary resources to our
nation’s defences.

“As the Defence Select Committee has shown, the MoD was already
barely scrapping over the 2 percent mark and had changed its accounting methods
to give the illusion of keeping the commitment. To be spending less than 2
percent of GDP on defence is utterly unacceptable, particularly in this time of
immense global uncertainty.

“Labour is committed to spending at least 2 percent of our GDP
on defence spending, as we consistently did when in government.”

ENDS