Tourism Spend is Way Down

THE Tories today described as “catastrophic” the decision of the Welsh Government to scrap the Wales Tourist Board.Shadow Wales minister David Jones said tourism in the country should be “promoted by properly qualified industry professionals and not by civil servants”.Mr Jones told MPs at Welsh question time: “The tourism spend in Wales over the last four quarters fell by almost 9% whereas across the UK as a whole it increased by 4%.“Last year visitors to Wales spent about £159m less than they did as long ago as 2000.”
He said that in hindsight the decision to “scrap the Wales Tourist Board and absorb it as part of the Welsh Assembly Government has proved nothing short of catastrophic”.
Huw Irranca-Davies said the last year had been difficult but the current organisation could do “an equally good or even better job”.He told MPs: “The strategies are in place, the action plans are in place and what we hope is that Wales tourism will drive forward in the future to have a resurgence of the success it has seen over recent years.”
Blah Blah Blah
Take it out of WAG and let it do its job of promoting Wales. The figures and spend tell a sad story.Wales needs tourists and the best way to attract them is through a properly resourced admin and red tape free WTB
I see Nia Griffiths has also asked that tolls on the Bridge be paid with credit cards - what a great idea, better still scrap the charges.She told MPs at question time: “It hardly offers a welcome to Wales sign to be faced with a charge and furthermore you can’t even use a credit card for it which puts a lot of foreign visitors in extreme difficulties.” She asked what discussions Welsh minister Huw Irranca-Davies had had with the Transport Department and the Welsh Assembly Government about the tolls, which cost £5.30 for a standard car to cross westbound.
Mr Irranca-Davies replied: “There is a review currently being carried out, as I understand it,doesn't he know, for some time in the autumn and this is looking at the whole issue of the toll charges on the Severn Bridge.” He said the review needed to be given time to fully investigate the issue.And how long is that I wonder?

MPs reject cuts in abortion time limit.

MPs yesterday rejected attempts to cut the upper time limit for abortions.A series of amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill had called for the upper 24-week limit to be reduced to between 12 and 22 weeks. Nadine Dorries, whose amendment calling for a 20-week limit was defeated by 332 to 190 votes, said: "There comes a point when it has to be said a baby has a right to life."
The Times says David Cameron risked his reputation as a modernising politician by supporting a cut to 22 weeks, also defeated by 304 votes to 233.
The front page of the Mail, featuring a picture of an ultrasound scan of a 23-week foetus, claims that MPs defied public opinion in keeping the current limit.Did anyone ask th epublic, I wonder if MPs polled their constituents.
MPs also voted to remove the need for clinics to consider a child's "need for a father" when offering fertility treatment, increasing parental rights for lesbians and single women.That could prove controversial and give many small lobby groups ammunition to use against same sex couples.
Conservative Iain Duncan Smith's amendment to tighten the law on IVF treatment was defeated by 292 to 217 votes.
The main non emotional reasons given for lowering the time was that modern methods now makes it possible to preserve life at 22 weeks.
I think every case has to be considered individually, late terminations are not something women take lightly I am sure. I see it as a question best discussed between those involved and their medical advisers.
What I find disturbing is people with very extreme views trying to make decisions on their code of belief.
Gordon Brown had given Labour MPs a free vote on the issue following concerns of a potential rebellion by Catholic ministers.

Older Age Poverty -not just money

Getting older is inevitable, unless Peter Pan exists, but for most it is now something to worry about, not look forwards to. Retirement- that seems to be moving more to 70 than 60, unless of course your a civil servant or public sector worker with a big pension.But its not just money, where is the respect and care that senior citizens should have, well that looks like its on the decline too.
A fifth of people over 65 in the UK (20%) feel their quality of life has worsened in the last year, while only 9% feel it has improved, according to a new survey.One in four older people say they have become so worried about their future that it is affecting their physical health, the study for the charity Help the Aged showed.
The poll by ICM also found that 23% of people aged 65 and over avoid heating their bedroom, bathroom or living room because they are worried about the cost.
One tenth (10%) of people of that age say they are often or always lonely, while 12% are not happy with their quality of life. And more than half (53%) agree that age discrimination is part of older people's everyday lives, with 29% saying health professionals tend to treat older people as a nuisance.The survey forms part of the charity's analysis of the state of older people, called Spotlight.
Other figures highlighted by the charity include the proportion of older people in England who say they are not always treated with dignity in hospital has worsened from 21% to 22% while the provision of low level social care - two hours or less at home a week - has dropped, with 11% fewer households receiving care in England than in the previous year.The charity also says that in the past 12 months an estimated 200,000 extra pensioner households have been plunged into fuel poverty.
The same number of older people are living in poverty in 2008 as in the previous year, with 21% of pensioners surviving below the poverty line, it says.
Paul Cann, the charity's director of policy and external relations, said: "It's appalling that we live in a society where older people feel sick with worry about the future. "The Government must ease their concerns by banning the ageism that continually sinks its poison right into the heart of our society."

Business Findings from BERR

These were published in March, how relevant are they- they take us up to business thoughts to February 2007. They are a year behind. I think that the results if taken now in may key indicator areas would be very different. I know many of my friends who have small businesses are not optimistic and are not looking to expand the business or the staff. Many are thinking of going back to employment, but the job market isn't that vibrant at he moment either.
Key findings from the Annual Small Business Survey produced by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform include:
* There was a 16 percentage point increase in the proportion of SMEs with employees engaged in innovation of products and services (48 percent compared with 32 percent in 2005).
* 65 percent of SMEs were planning to grow over the next two to three years (up from 56 percent). One in five SMEs had taken on more employees in the 12 months prior to the survey while one in seven had reduced the size of their workforce.
* More than half of SME employers (60 per cent) had funded or arranged staff training or development over 12 months prior to the survey. In 2005, that figure was 41 per cent.
* The vast majority of SMEs with employees were led by men; only 14 percent were led by women or by a management team mostly comprised of women. Female led SMEs with employees tended to be smaller than average.
* When asked to suggest the biggest obstacle to success, SMEs named competition as the greatest barrier (15 percent); regulation (14 percent); taxation including VAT, PAYE, NI and business rates (12 percent); the economy (10 percent); and cash flow (10 percent). For the most part, the obstacles cited and their rankings are comparable with those reported in 2005.
1. 9,905 small businesses were surveyed; 8,949 were businesses with employees. The survey was conducted by independent research organisation IFF Research Ltd between November 2006 and February 2007.
2. For the purposes of the survey, an SME was defined as any business with zero to 250 employees.
3. The report presents the survey findings relating to SMEs with employees.
4. The survey is available on http://www.berr.gov.uk/bbf/enterprise-smes/research-and-statistics/research-evaluation/business-surveys/page38370.html

Deputy Governor decides to jump ship

Highly-regarded deputy governor Rachel Lomax will be leaving when her five-year term comes to an end next month. The Independent on Sunday said the Prime Minister had tried to persuade the Swansea-born 62-year-old to stay on as the Bank struggles to cope with fall-out from the global credit crunch.However, she is said to have had enough of “watching monthly base rates” and wanted to explore new ventures in business.She has responsibility for monetary policy and sits on the influential Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates.
I remember Rachel when she was the permanent Secretary at the Welsh Office/National Assembly, she was excellent in that role and quite a woman to contend with. She was very supportive of Ron Davies and they were a good team.
I wonder where her next move will be, hopefully back to Wales in some role.

More Merthyr Bashing

Here we go again ,poor old Merthyr gets it in the neck, in this article Kevin Morgan has a go, when was the last time you were on benefit , or jobless Prof.Morgan.You try getting a job up here,its not easy. Inter generational worklessness raises its head again.We know the story, we have tried the "schemes" just get some decent jobs up here, its not rocket science.Some support for people on Job Seekers would be good too. The staff are depressed,overworked ,fed up,cynical and looking for an out themselves. The support is woeful.Start there.
Panorama returns to its favourite whipping boy again.
Sick benefits outstrip Olympics billMay 19 2008 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail Just a note this is for the UK not just Merthyr -Phewwww

THE “deeply embedded culture of worklessness” is a major handicap holding back the economic regeneration of the Valleys, according to one of Wales’ leading social scientists.

Which One is this ?

THE Assembly Government has announced a £36m Business Start-Up project aimed at creating more than 10,000 jobs and supporting the development of 8,000 new businesses across the nation.
Is this the same one they launched on April 1st that wasnt ready
Details would be good -you try getting them though.

Professionals leave Merthyr

THE Merthyr Tydfil branch of leading law firm Hugh James is likely to be phased out in the next few years.The independent firm has confirmed it is in talks with Merthyr employees about a gradual move of departments from the town to its main base at Hodge House in Cardiff. All staff currently employed in the town office will be offered relocation to Cardiff. The company has said there will be no redundancies.
Hugh James, which employs 600 staff across Wales, has been undergoing expansion plans at its Cardiff headquarters.Part of the company’s redevelopment has been a review of how and where services are provided to clients to meet their needs and demands, as well as those of employees.
A spokeswoman for Hugh James said:”In addition, as a result of the recent appointment to a legal expense insurer, Hugh James will be moving some departments from Martin Evans’ House in Merthyr as soon as possible to join the existing volume operations in Cardiff.“This will allow the firm to streamline its services and take full advantage of its investment in new technology. Other department moves will be staged over the next three years.”

This is sad news, the firm have large offices in Merthyr ,where they started out.They move and their staff will have to commute,but it leaves a huge gap in professional provision for the people of Merthyr and neighbouring towns,
Can something be done to encourage them to stay.
Over to you Huw L and WAG.

Carwyn Is he Leadership Material ?

After seeing him on the Politics Show today I am very doubtful. He was a major yawn ,it really was death by a thousand avoidance's.
Was it Adrian Masters really suck up interview style, no bite no substance.Or is Carwyn really that boring.
He is another Welsh Labourite who is in denial over the reasons for the meltdown in the local elections.He just brushed it off with- this is a blip, we did worse than this in previous elections, its just mid term reactions and its all global issues and that's nothing we can sort out.Ummm get your mates in London to cut tax on fuel may be, read and act on some of Victoria Wincklers recommendation in her recent report,first step,have a good chat to Huw Lewis and Lynne Neagle.The best quip for me was ,wait for it, no one said anything on the doorstep about the Assembly.
He gave bland ,nothing answers when asked about his future ambition in respect of the Labour leadership in Wales.It has to be said Adrian Masters didn't push him either, he was like Mr Smileyman. What a waste of space.
For me ,count him out.

Some Light Reading for the Weekend

A British Bill of Rights: Informing the Debate (JUSTICE): This is the result of research the JUSTICE constitution committee carried out following the Governance of Britain Green Paper last July. The report sets out the terms of reference for a full public debate on a British Bill of Rights - something that all 3 main parties have called for. Link: http://www.justice.org.uk/publications/listofpublications/index.html

Citizen (Unlock Democracy): Unlock Democracy's latest membership magazine.
With Michael Wills MP, Eleanor Laing MP, Vince Cable MP, Simon Woolley, Billy Bragg and more. Link: http://www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/?p=1280

A Guide to Sustainable Communities Act (Unlock Democracy / Local Works): A user's guide to the Sustainable Communities Act, which will became law last autumn and will start to be implemented later this year. Link: http://www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/?p=1284

By-Election Questionnaire (Public Whip): Public Whip has launched an online questionnaire to help people in Crewe and Nantwich make up their minds about who to vote for based on MP's voting records. Link: http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/byelection