Freedom Central » Mick Bates

Mick Bates found guilty of assault on medical staff

Newswire — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:20:37 +0000

The BBC report that the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, Mick Bates has been convicted of assaulting medical staff who were treating him after a fall.

Mr. Bates, 63, had denied three common assault and public order offences on 20 January. But a judge at Cardiff magistrates court rejected his defence he had a medical condition which left him unaware or responsible for his actions. He was ordered to pay a total of £5,490 in fines, costs and compensation.

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “Mick Bates has been a dedicated and effective voice for Montgomeryshire over many years. This judgement is a personal tragedy for him and his family but it is one we must respect.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are clear that this conviction for a public order offence is incompatible with the high standards we expect of our elected representatives. Proceedings have begun to terminate his membership of the party.”

Wales on Sunday gets it wrong again

Peter Black — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:43:36 +0000

The Wales on Sunday’s star columnist, Matt Withers demonstrated once more today his paper’s maxim of ‘never let the facts get in the way of a good story’ when he took a bit of political knockabout from a Tory blog and turned it into an alleged news item.

Mr. Withers swallowed hook, line and sinker the claim that Welsh Liberal Democrat AM, Mick Bates did not feature on a recent leaflet sent to all homes in the Montgomeryshire constituency. He then went on to compound the error by alleging that this means that Mick has stopped doing his job as an Assembly Member.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If Mr. Withers had bothered getting hold of a copy of the leaflet he would have seen that (a) it is a party political pamphlet, promoting candidates in the next two sets of elections and thus nothing to do with the work of the local Assembly Member; and (b) it did feature Mick Bates.

Mick Bates of course does continue to work hard as the local Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire both in his constituency and in Cardiff Bay and can often be seen in his office before 8am on sitting days. The allegation by Matt Withers that Mick has not been seen in the Assembly for two months is an outright lie, easily rebutted by just checking the Record of Proceedings.

After the newspaper stories about his run-in with an ambulance crew, Mick took one week off sick during which time he also worked in his constituency office, whilst seeking appropriate medical advice, but he was back in the Assembly and voting immediately after half term and he has been there ever since.

Perhaps Matt Withers could do some basic checking in future instead of just promoting the interests of Conservative and Plaid Cymru candidates in his column.

Welsh Liberal Democrats lead Assembly into cross party consensus on Copenhagen

Mick Bates — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:57:52 +0000

Following a Welsh Liberal Democrat debate the Welsh Assembly has agreed, with cross party support, to reduce emissions by 40% by 2020. As the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for the Environment and Sustainability, I will now writing to Gordon Brown calling on the Prime Minister to take forward the message to Copenhagen that Wales and the UK is committed as a nation to agree a vital new global deal, to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

The Copenhagen Climate Summit on December 7th is now less than 30 days away. With this key conference on the horizon, tackling climate change is high on the agenda in Wales, Westminster and Worldwide.

There is only a small window of opportunity to stop dangerous climate change and keep global temperatures below a 2oC rise, so ambitious political leadership is crucial. Norway and Germany have lead by example, offering a 40% emissions cut. The Scottish Government under the Climate Change Bill has set a fantastic target of reducing emissions by 42% by 2020.

Today Wales also had an opportunity to stand up and be counted as a country willing to lead by example, to do all it can to demonstrate willing to secure a legally binding deal that recognises the right scale of contribution needed.

I am delighted that the Welsh Government, lead by the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has reached a cross party consensus today to reduce emissions by 40% by 2020 against the 1990 baseline, and to encourage other governments to do the same.

I will be writing to Gordon Brown to highlight the clear message this sends that Wales is committed as a nation to agree a vital new global deal to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change and we hope the Prime Minister will carry this message forward to Copenhagen.

Mick Bates to stand down in 2011

Newswire — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:14:39 +0000

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, MIck Bates has announced that he will not be seeking re-election at the next Assembly elections in 2011.

Mr. Bates will be 63 at those elections. He has said that he has made the decision purely for family reasons and so as to enjoy a happy retirement with his wife Buddug, who is retiring from her job as a teacher this summer.

Mick is widely respected in Montgomeryshire as a hard-working constituency AM, who is viewed by many as a ‘man of the people’. However, he will also be missed in the Assembly where his passion and energy has been evident in the work he has done on rural issues and on alternative energy.

Mick was a founding member of the influential and very successful National Assembly Sustainable Energy Group (NASEG) and has worked with the industry and with other AMs over a number of years to change the approach of both the Welsh and Westminster Governments to these issues.

He was also responsible for the reintroduction of free school milk for key stage one pupils and has pioneered a number of important initiatives to support and improve the farming industry. He has done valuable work in the field of affordable housing and has been instrumental in promoting carbon neutral housing and Community Land Trusts.

With two more years to go before he steps down we are confident that Mick will be able to add to that list.

Mick Bates AM calls for the banning of electric shock training devices

Freedom Central — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:58:00 +0000

Dog behaviourists and trainers denounce them; scientific research shows that they can cause severe interference and pain; and new research shows that dogs trained using confrontational methods will continue to be aggressive – so why are electric training devices still legal?

The Kennel Club is alerting the public to the imminent launch of the Welsh Assembly Government’s second consultation to ban the use of electric shock training devices, including collars, mats and leads, in Wales.

Following the Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones’s announcement in June of last year that she intends to ban the use of electric shock training devices, Wales is now clearly leading the way in the UK in legislating against their use. The formal second consultation will decide what sort of ban will be applied and how this will be implemented, and is due to be published in the coming weeks.

Mick Bates and the Kennel Club have long been campaigning for a complete ban on the sale and use of electric shock training devices across Wales. It is now clear that Wales is the only administration in the UK that is prepared at this stage to ban the use of such devices on welfare grounds. Both DEFRA and the Scottish Government are waiting for further research to be completed. This research is costing the Government a total of £469,000 at a time when Defra resources for companion animals are scarce. This despite the fact that the Welsh Assembly has taken the decision to ban the use of shock collars based on existing scientific evidence.

Pain and fear are not humane methods by which to train a dog. Good dog owners and trainers can train their dogs with praise rather than punishment. If the most highly trained dogs, such as assistance dogs and police and armed forces dogs, can be trained without the use of electric shock training devices, why can’t all dogs?

Positive methods train dogs quickly, easily and reliably, with absolutely no fear, pain, or damage to the relationship between the owner and the dog. There is no justification for electric shock training devices.

Bates calls for review of Small Business Rates Relief Scheme

Freedom Central — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:39:00 +0000

Montgomeryshire Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Mick Bates has written to the First Minister to highlight the plight of small businesses in Wales and is calling for a review of the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme to help businesses survive through the recession.

Mick said:“Small businesses are an integral part of the local economy and I am deeply concerned that many are being forced to close due to the high threshold for small business rate relief.

“There are many small businesses which have a rateable value not far over the £9,000 threshold, they are facing the same problems, struggling to survive in this difficult economic climate, as those under the threshold and yet only receive a 50% rate relief.

“I believe that the Business Rates Revaluation should occur on a more frequent basis than a five yearly cycle to adapt to a dynamic market. An increase in the threshold for small businesses would provide an immense boost for the many small businesses across Wales struggling to survive.

“In the current economic climate I am urging the First Minister to re-evaluate the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme, which can play a key role in mitigating the anxiety faced in running a business at this difficult economic time. It is crucial that the Assembly Government takes all action possible to support small and medium businesses and give them a fighting chance to get through the recession.”

Bates celebrates plastic fantastic day

Freedom Central — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for the Environment and Sustainability, Mick Bates, has welcomed the announcement by the Minister Jane Davidson that the Assembly Government will launch a consultation on a levy for plastic bags in June.

The Climate Change Act 2008 gives the Assembly Minister for Sustainability the power to force supermarkets to charge a levy. This change originated from a petition presented to the Assembly and a subsequent Committee report. Mick Bates, who has worked hard for this reform was overjoyed:

“We need to tackle the causes of waste from the very onset in order to minimise waste from the very start. A levy on plastic bags would encourage people to recycle their carrier bags or find alternatives in order to avoid paying the levy, thereby reducing the number of bags that would need to be produced each year.

“It is estimated that we use 490 million plastic bags in Wales each year and many of these go into landfill to leave a vast legacy for many generations to come. Plastic bags take hundreds of years to break down in the environment. They are a danger to wildlife, particularly marine animals. They also block drains, leading to an increased risk of flooding.

“A plastic bag levy would lead to a reduction in the number of plastic bags used and would act as a catalyst to increase public awareness of litter and environmental issues generally. The big question for the Minister is how she will get the power to nominate who uses the money raised by the levy, to ensure that it is re-distributed for the benefit of the environment.”

Mick Bates calls on WAG to end rhetoric on climate change

Freedom Central — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:38:00 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for the Environment and Sustainability, Mick Bates, is calling for an end to the rhetoric on climate change. He is urging the Assembly Government to bring back schemes such as the Powys CO2i domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy project.

Mick Bates was speaking in light of the latest official figures, which show that Wales now ranks 13th in an international league table of the worst emitters of carbon dioxide emissions.

At 15.57 tonnes per person in 2006, Wales’ CO2 emissions are significantly higher than in all three other UK nations, with Northern Ireland standing at 10.17 tonnes per capita, Scotland at 10.02 tonnes and England at 9.26 tonnes per capita.

Mick Bates said: “It is deeply disappointing that with all the Assembly Government’s rhetoric on climate change, carbon dioxide emissions in Wales have only reduced by 1.6% per year since 1990, the base year for calculations.

“If the Labour-Plaid Government has any intention to reach the One Wales target to reduce CO2 emissions by 3% per year from 2011, then they must commit to higher targets. If Wales is to contribute fully to the UK target to reduce carbon emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010, emissions need to reduce by 4.6% per year between 2007 and 2010.

“We urgently need to see more promotion and support for energy efficiency and demand reduction, with more focus on decentralised energy production rather than giving the go-ahead for developments such as the gas-fired power station at Pembroke, which does not even conform to the highest possible environmental standards.”

Powys and Ynys Môn have the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions from domestic sources, while Cardiff has the lowest emissions per capita from domestic sources.

“Rural areas such as Powys must look to tackle the existing housing stock, as many homes are not on the gas network or have solid walls which are difficult and expensive to insulate” he added

“It is crucial that the Assembly Government invests now to bring back excellent schemes such as the Powys CO2i domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy project. During the 18 months that this project ran numerous energy savings measures were installed, including for example nearly 2,000 cavity wall insulations, over 2,500 loft insulations, 140 solar hot water panels, 300 hot water tank jackets and over 20,500 low energy light bulbs. This type of project will be key to helping to reduce carbon emissions from the domestic sector.”

Another target that will be missed by WAG

Freedom Central — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, Mick Bates has warned that the Welsh Assembly Government has “little hope” of hitting its 2010 renewable energy target. He said there was a “stifling lack of progress” in wind farm development:

The assembly government has pledged that it will increase green energy by 10% by 2010. It said £6.5bn worth of renewable energy projects were either planned or underway in Wales.

But Mr Bates, speaking in his capacity as an AM, and not in his role as chair of the assembly’s sustainability scrutiny committee, said there was “little hope” of reaching the green target set by officials in 2005.

He urged the assembly government to support companies in the wind sector suffering as a result of the economic downturn, which he said was happening in Germany and Spain.

Mr Bates added: “Times are clearly changing as the US has taken the lead in the production of wind power, while here in Wales with frustrating local objections we have seen a stifling lack of progress over the past few years.”

He said at this rate the assembly government stood “little hope of reaching the 4TWh target under TAN 8, let alone more ambitious targets under the renewable energy route map”.

Welsh Lib Dems lead first motion for annulment of subordinate legislation in this Third Assembly by Mick Bates AM

Freedom Central — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrats take a lead in the Assembly today, bringing forward the first motion of annulment to be tabled in this Third Assembly. They are seeking to annul the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 that seek to extend the areas in Wales designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.

In tabling this motion we were not seeking to avoid addressing genuine pollution issues arising from agriculture. The intention was to highlight that we cannot sit back and wave through subordinate legislation, in particular where we do not believe that the action chosen is appropriate or that the least cost effective measures available to deliver the required effect have been selected.

The Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 have been consistently opposed by the farming unions and farmers across Wales. Nitrates are a valuable and important nutrient for farmers, which farmers have no desire to use indiscriminately or wastefully. Livestock numbers are falling, which has led to a decline in nitrogen fertiliser use by a quarter in the 10 years to 2006, whilst farm yields have continued to grow.

Against this background, these factors combined have led to major progress being made in meeting the objectives of the EU Directive in areas already designated as NVZs and the benefits to be obtained from the implementation of the Nitrates Directive appear slight, while farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones will have to invest heavily in new infrastructure to store slurry and manure that could cost in excess of £50,000.

However, the main reason for tabling this motion today is to raise concerns over specific issues within the regulations, primarily in relation to the appeals process, as we are concerned that the regulations as they currently stand will not allow farmers to make proper appeals against the introduction of new NVZs.

Some appeals are likely to be highly technical in nature and we believe there should be a certain level of expertise amongst those hearing the appeals. Planning Inspectorate Wales officers who will determine NVZ appeals will be asked to rule on issues that are highly technical in their nature and which require considerable expert knowledge. It is crucial that there is genuine expertise in place if farmers are to have a fair hearing.