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The Welsh Government must give assurances it has in place a robust higher education funding policy

Statistics released on Monday by UCAS show the number of applications to Welsh universities for 2012 has fallen compared to the previous year.

Following the deadline on 15 January, the number of applicants received were down by 9.3% on 2011 figures. There was a 12.3% (36,195 applicants) fall from English applicants, which is just over half of the total applications to Welsh institutions. Scottish numbers were down 39.5% and Northern Irish 15.3%, with Welsh applicants dropping by 4.5%.

The Welsh Labour Government’s tuition fees funding policy is heavily reliant on students from the rest of the UK part-funding Welsh students’ higher education. It is therefore very disappointing to see that there has been such a huge drop in the number of English, Scottish and Northern Irish students proposing to attend Welsh universities.

The Minister has often made reference to the fact that his policy was costed for the term of this Assembly based on forecast student numbers. We need to know whether the changes in student numbers, particularly from England, impact on those forecasts. Whilst the Welsh Liberal Democrats support the idea of giving extra support to Welsh students, we need to be assured that the Welsh Government has in place a robust higher education funding policy. We are concerned that the Minister’s failure to be clear on the impact of such changes in numbers will further undermine the viability of Welsh Universities.

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By Aled Roberts – February 1, 2012

Welsh Liberal Democrats call for clarity on Enterprise Zones

Eluned Parrott AM has called on the Business Minister to use her statement later today to end uncertainty over Enterprise Zones.

Among the unanswered questions that the Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for details on are:

• What policy interventions and incentives for business will be involved?
• When will the defined zone areas and maps be published?
• What is the timescale for delivery?
• When will measurable targets be set?
• Are any anchor businesses signed up to specific zones yet?
• Who are the delivery partners in each area?
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are also calling for the Business Minister to clarify the process for selecting the second tranche of Enterprise Zones, including:

• The selection criteria and timescale
• Whether the locations are chosen based on economic potential or economic need
Eluned Parrott, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise, said:

“After much stalling and delay from the Welsh Labour Government, we are hoping in tomorrows announcement we will finally see the details of what the concept of ‘Enterprise Zone’ actually means here in Wales.

“It is essential the Business Minister reveals the actual process of how she is choosing the Enterprise Zones. The first tranche of Enterprise Zones just came out of the blue, whilst for the second round there has been a whole vetting process where Councils have had to apply to be considered. The Minister must reveal why she decided to change this process, because so far it has been far from transparent.”

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By Freedom Central – January 31, 2012

West Wales and Valleys would take a huge financial hit if Labour MPs had their way

A suggestion by former Labour Minister, Jack Straw Britain should repatriate £4.2bn in EU funds to Britain will be disastrous for West Wales and the Valleys.

According to the Guardian, the former Justice Secretary wants all of the money Europe spends on structural funds to be taken off them and handed to the UK Government to distribute instead. Wales is a net beneficiary of this funding to the tune of £915 million.

I strongly disagree with Jack Straw’s comments about European funding. Clearly the Eurosceptics have been dripping poison into his ear. West Wales and the Valleys would take a huge financial hit if Labour had their own way.

Under their plan, Wales could well be a loser in a UK wide distribution of these funds as other parts of the UK could benefit at the expense of our poorest areas.

It is also in Wales’ best interests to ensure that all of Europe has an opportunity to prosper as a huge proportion of Wales’ exports go to the European Union. A healthy European market means more opportunities for Wales.

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By Eluned Parrott – January 31, 2012

Uncertain future of Digital Technium is costing Swansea jobs

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has questioned the future of Swansea’s Digital Technium after information he obtained by way of a Freedom of Information request revealed that since mid-August 2011 only renewals of existing leases in the building have been accepted despite widespread business interest in the Technium. All existing tenancies come to an end in 2013, with a number ending in January and February this year. Only one new lease has been granted since April 2010.

With just over 50% occupancy the Technium has proven itself to be an excellent base of high-tech business and is currently recording a surplus of income over expenditure. This amounted to £35,000 in the 2010/11 financial year and £23,000 between April and October 2011. But uncertainty over the future of the site has already cost jobs.

The Minister’s decision to end European funding for the University of Wales Prince of Wales Innovation Scholarship scheme last year without putting any alternative scheme in place has already seen plans for an IT development centre, which would have created up to 100 jobs in the city, axed.

Mr. Black further understands that despite this, New Zealand Company, Pingar was still prepared to expand its activities within the Technium but was refused a lease and consequently is now looking to relocate to Cambridge, taking several hundred new high-tech jobs with it.

Mr. Black said: “Techniums were built at great public expense and it seems wasteful in the extreme to allow them to become vacant white elephants at the point where they have become profitable and are in demand. I am particularly concerned that the current lengthy review of their purpose and the moratorium on new leases that has arisen out of that is deterring new investment and jobs from coming to Wales, and Swansea in particular.

The Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science needs to act urgently to safeguard high-tech jobs and profitable businesses based in Swansea by ending the uncertainty over the Digital Technium’s future and instigating a viable replacement for the POWIS scholarship scheme. Swansea and Wales as a whole cannot afford to lose ground to other areas of the UK when competing for high-tech business.

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By Freedom Central – January 30, 2012

Assembly Committee to investigate energy from waste plants

The BBC reports that the National Assembly’s petitions committee, under the chairmanship of Welsh Liberal Democrat AM, William Powell, is to conduct an inquiry into the development of waste incinerators around Wales after receiving three separate petitions opposing energy from waste plants planned in south east and north Wales:

The prospect of energy from waste incinerators has its roots in the Welsh government’s waste strategy, entitled Towards Zero Waste, which sets out ambitious targets.

By 2025, ministers want 70% of waste recycled and the residual waste that is left phased out of landfill, which is set to attract increasingly punitive taxes as part of a drive to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by tips.

To deal with the 30% that councils are not able to recycle and will not be able to landfill from 2025, local authorities are forming regional alliances across Wales to bring forward household residual waste projects.

The most advanced scheme is Prosiect Gwyrdd, which brings together five councils in south east Wales.

It hopes to make a final choice between two rival proposals – one for Splott in Cardiff and the other for Llanwern on the edge of Newport – by the end of the year.

Close behind is the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project, also involving five councils, which has whittled its list of potential providers down to three.

It will invite final tenders from two of them later in the year.

Opinion seems to be polarised on the subject: Haf Elgar, a Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner, told BBC Radio Wales’ Eye on Wales programme: “We’re concerned that incineration is really on old technology.

“It essentially takes black bin waste and burns it at a high temperature.

“We believe that’s wasteful because other technologies can sort waste and make the most of recycling and re-using valuable materials that are just burnt in incineration.

“Most of the carbon is released into the air as carbon dioxide. Also other particles are released which can be harmful to the environment and can cause air pollution.”

But, according to project director for Prosiect Gwyrdd Mike Williams, local residents living close to sites where energy from waste plants are being proposed should not have any concerns over their health impact.

“Emissions from these facilities are the tightest and most regulated and enforced across Europe,” he said.

“We follow advice from the Environment Agency and the Health Protection Agency who are very confident that these are clean, safe technologies.

“So we don’t think people have anything to worry about from the emissions from these plants.”

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By Freedom Central – January 29, 2012

Welsh Labour Government is failing our NHS

I have great concerns over statistics released earlier this week that show Government targets for A&E departments are still not being met.

Official figures for December show that 7,974 patients spent more than the Government’s targeted four hour waiting time in A&E departments. The Welsh Government also has a target for 99% of patients waiting no more than eight hours – this target was also missed.

The Welsh Labour Government needs to get its act together with regards to our Accident and Emergency departments. The December statistics have confirmed our worst fears that not a single A&E department hit their desired target for 2011. The end of year assessment is that Welsh Labour is failing our NHS and are doing very little about it. One has to question what is the point of these Government set targets if they are consistently not achieved. I can only imagine how demoralising it must be for NHS staff who work incredibly hard to provide the people of Wales with the very best health service possible, but are not given the tools to do it.

From December 2011, the Welsh Government changed the guidance on how A&E departments would record their waiting times. The Statistics Department have indicated that that these changes should lead to a small increase in the percentage waiting less than four and eight hours in A&E departments. Cardiff and Vale University and Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health boards did not implement the change to the guidance, therefore the actual all Wales figures is likely to be slightly worse than the 89% and 97% figures given.

It is absolutely essential that all Local Health Boards use the same reporting techniques if we are to get a true picture of the exact state of our NHS services. I understand that December was the first month of the changes, but LHBs must ensure that they stick to the exact guidance given, otherwise these vital statistics will be made pointless.

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By Kirsty Williams – January 28, 2012