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RT HON HILARY BENN MP TO VISIT THE RHONDDA - 18/02/04   back   return to top of page 

The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development, will be visiting the Rhondda on Wednesday 25 February at 2pm . The Secretary of State will be visiting Porth County Community School and will talking to pupils from both Porth School and Ysgol Gyfun Cymer.  

He will be giving a speech on International Development and taking questions from the students.  

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LABOUR CALLS FOR NEW PASSENGER SHELTER AT YNYSWEN STATION - 02/01/03   back   return to top of page

Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews is backing local people in their call for a new passenger shelter to be built at Ynyswen station. The previous shelter was removed, allegedly because of vandalism. 

 

Leighton Andrews (right) with local Ynyswen man Emrys Thomas, with Mr David Lewis (distance)

standing in the remains of the old shelter.

Mr Andrews said: “This is an important station serving local factories like Burberry’s and Griffin Windows. Passengers need protection from rain and wind when waiting for trains. Local people want the shelter reinstated and we are supporting their demands”.   

Leighton Andrews (left) with Christine Nedahl, Emrys Thomas and David Lewis standing in the remains of the old shelter

Rhondda Labour Party has written to Railtrack to urge them to reinstate the shelter.

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ASSEMBLY SCHEME COULD HELP RHONDDA POST OFFICES - 02/01/03   back   return to top of page

Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews is urging post offices in the Rhondda to apply for support from the Labour Assembly’s new Post Office Development Fund.  

The Fund is open to subpostmasters of post offices in the 100 most deprived wards in Wales. Eligible wards in the Rhondda include Maerdy, Tylorstown, Llwynypia, Treherbert, Clydach, Cymmer, Ynyshir, Trealaw and Penygraig. Mr Andrews is writing to subpostmasters in the relevant areas. 

LEIGHTON ANDREWS

The funds are intended for post offices which perform an important social role in the community and are intended to prevent or reduce the risk of post office closure. 

Applications for the first round of funding have to be in by 31st January 2003. 

Mr Andrews says: “This is an important initiative by Labour’s Assembly to maintain a presence of local post offices within the community. It’s another example of the Assembly seeking to invest in community regeneration and renewal.”

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Rhondda Labour welcomes Minister’s drugs announcement - 17/10/02   back   return to top of page   

 

Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews has welcomed Welsh Assembly Finance Minister Edwina Hart’s announcement of more money for action against drugs.

Ms Hart announced in her Budget Statement on 15th October that she was allocated £11.2 million over the next three years for a new Safer Communities Fund to support local partnerships working with South Wales Police Forces’ drugs task force. Ms Hart said: 

 

“This is because I know that there is great concern about the threat to these communities from the influx of class A drugs”. 

Ms Hart also announced that she would be making a further statement about the resources for treatment services in her final budget in November, following her review of treatment services.

 

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Rhondda Labour tell Assembly Minister of need for treatment support - 09/10/02   back   return to top of page     

Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews has written to Edwina Hart, Assembly Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities, to make the case for further support for treatment facilities for drug users who want to come off drugs.

 

Ms Hart is conducting an urgent review of the whole area of drugs policy in Wales. In his letter Mr Andrews tells Ms Hart of the recent experiences in the Rhondda, including the many drug-related deaths over the last year. Mr Andrews says:

 

“Over the last month Chris Bryant and I have had a number of discussions with the police, with a number of care and health service providers and agencies, and with users and parents of users, as well as public meetings involving Rhondda Against Illegal Drugs. (RAID). Our view is that policy should make it as hard as possible to become a drug addict, and as easy as possible to stop being one.

 

“While we believe that there are four principal interlocking areas of policy that are essential in dealing with the drugs issue, namely prevention, law enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation, we have also formed the view that there is an urgent need to ensure that those users who need treatment, not least in order to help them come off drugs, have access to the right facilities at the time they need them. That means additional local treatment services of the right kind to handle the numbers of users that need them. We have heard from users themselves that they are aware that if they go to prison, they will get treatment. In the community, there are fewer facilities. We very much hope that the provision of additional facilities in the Rhondda will be an area you will look at very carefully.

 

“As far as prevention is concerned, we are very heartened by the excellent work undertaken by the DARE project which is now actively underway, with the cooperation of the police, in 20 Rhondda schools. The schools themselves are enthusiastic about the scheme, and very positive about its outcomes. Sadly the scheme does not enjoy the support of Rhondda Cynon Taff Council.

 

“On the law enforcement side, we are also encouraged by the work being undertaken by the police locally, and by the fact that local police are now involved on a wider regional basis to attempt to stop the importation of drugs from outside the Rhondda (indeed, from outside Wales). The police tell us that possibly as much as 80% of street-crime in the area is drug-related. They also have to cope with the fact that many of the dealers are small-time and themselves users bringing back drugs to sell, for example from Bristol, in order to obtain enough for themselves to use. The police are actively involved in community projects like RAID and also DARE.

 

“Treatment is a major issue. We understand that there are a number of kinds of treatment and support that are needed, and that users are frequently prone to relapses. But we do believe that, from what we have heard from users themselves, there is a real need for more community and home-based services in the Rhondda.

 

“Rehabilitation depends on a number of factors, not least the education of employers so that they do not discriminate against users seeking to rehabilitate themselves. We believe that organisations such as ELWA, the Probation Service, as well as local authorities, have a major role in this.”

 

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Rhondda Labour tells banks to ‘pull their weight’ on Assembly grants info - 03/10/02     back   return to top of page   

Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews has called on the Assembly to encourage clearing banks to do more to provide advice on Assembly grants to all new business start-ups and other small businesses. He says the banks aren’t “pulling their weight” in ensuring that new businesses get the advice they need. 

Mr Andrews was following up comments form local businesses at the Rhondda Business Conference recently held by Chris Bryant MP.   

In a letter to Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies, Mr Andrews says 

“I am writing to ask that you and your officials look urgently at the situation concerning small business support from the clearing banks in Wales. You will be aware of views expressed at the business conference in the Rhondda recently concerning the banks. 

“It is my own view that the banks could be doing far more in Wales to promote the range of grant and other funding opportunities available from the National Assembly, and I remain to be convinced that they are pulling their weight in this area.” 

Mr Andrews, who himself started up a successful business in 1996 and has run a number of other small businesses, said “I think the banks need to work harder to support small businesses. With all the bank mergers, some of them are providing far less in terms of business support than they did even five years ago. 

“The banks should provide full information on all possible support available from the Assembly and other public bodies.”

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LABOUR WARNS  WINDFARM PROMOTERS - 25/09/02    back   return to top of page

Rhondda Labour Party has warned the promoters of the proposed windfarm in the Rhondda that they can expect “tough questions” about their proposed development when the planning application is submitted to Plaid Cymru-run Rhondda Cynon Taff Council next month.   

In a letter to Arts Factory Chief Executive Steve Cranston, Rhondda Labour Assembly Spokesperson Leighton Andrews says:

“At this stage, I do not feel that the public has sufficient information on which to base a decision. This is not a criticism of the Arts Factory: you have been open about your plans and I am aware of the exhibitions you have mounted and literature which you have produced. 

“You will be submitting your planning application in the next month. My own view is that the public will want to know a lot more about the plans than has been the case so far, not least given the fact that these turbines would be in the Rhondda for at least 25 years. 

“The public is worried about the impact on the landscape visually and physically, and about noise disturbance, and will need convincing of the real community benefits that it is claimed will flow from the scheme”. 

Mr Andrews, who visited the Arts Factory headquarters this week to discuss the plans with Mr Cranston, said that the Rhondda Labour Party would be launching its own consultation on the plans to run alongside the planning application process. 

He has also warned Mr Cranston that the Arts Factory’s private sector partners, United Utilities, will also come under scrutiny.  

“We will want to ask tough questions about your plans, which have not been sufficiently addressed in your presentational materials so far. Given that you have a substantial private sector backer, we will want to see real efforts made, through audiovisual materials, models and simulations of the real impact of the proposed turbines in terms of noise, appearance and physical maintenance. 

“The question arises as to what additional benefits might be brought to the Rhondda Valleys in terms of community investment through a share of any profits, or in terms of the tourism potential you are claiming for the scheme. This will depend ultimately on how compelling your business plan is, and we will want to see some independent assessment of the claimed economic benefits. We will also have detailed and tough questions about the commitments your private sector partners will give in terms of community benefits, responsibility for removal and provision against failure of the scheme.” 

Mr Andrews is urging local people to contact either him or Chris Bryant MP at the Rhondda Labour Party Headquarters, 5 Cemetery Rd, Porth with their views.

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