I challenged the First Minister over concerning figures showing that the number of children living in long-term workless households has increased in Wales, despite the number falling by 92,000 across the UK last year. Carwyn Jones needs to explain why Wales has the lowest average weekly earnings amongst the UK nations and Gross Disposable Household Income per head trailing UK levels after 18 years of Labour Welsh Government, with himself at the helm for the last eight of these.
Questioning the Education Secretary over rural school closures, I stated “When I attended the call-in on the rural school closures in Flintshire last year, evidence-based presentations were made in accordance with the Welsh Government's own School Organisation Code. Despite that, the schools were closed after an entirely party political speech by the Council Leader”, and asked what action she can take if evidence shows that the data being used by a Council are in apparent breach of the Code. She replied that she had promised to strengthen the Code, but any changes would not be retrospective.
Speaking at the Welsh Conservative Policy Forum in North Wales, I noted that the value of goods and services produced per head of population in Flintshire and Wrexham had fallen from almost 100% of the UK level in 1999 to just 84%, and that in its draft 2018/19 budget, the Labour Welsh Government proposes to give Flintshire the 19th and Wrexham the 18th lowest level of local government revenue funding per head of population out of 22 Welsh Local Authorities.
Instead of stating that Flintshire wouldn’t get any more money unless it came from Westminster, perhaps Flintshire Council’s Labour Leadership should therefore be demanding fairer funding for the County from their colleagues in the Labour Welsh Government.
I popped in to the Public Inquiry in Penyffordd following Flintshire’s refusal of a planning application for 190 homes in open countryside and outside the settlement boundary. Flintshire is one of the few Welsh local authorities still without a Local Development Plan. The Planning Inspector’s recommendation will go to Lesley Griffiths AM as the Cabinet Secretary responsible for planning. After a Planning Inspector recommended and the Welsh Government approved plans in Llay earlier this year, Lesley Griffiths stated “controversial issues such as this will continue until Wrexham Council adopts a Local Development Plan”.
As Wales Species Champion for the Curlew, I attended an information event about the ‘Curlew Country’ Project to reverse the Curlew population decline in Shropshire and the Welsh Marches.
Assembly engagements included Financial Capability Week, ‘Be The Spark’ innovation driven entrepreneurship as a national imperative for Wales, Smart Energy GB and Cross Party Group on Muscular Dystrophy and Neuromuscular Conditions.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.