Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Peter Hain has just addressed the Assembly, but fear not, I am not live blogging. It was far too lively a debate to miss out on! I wanted to intervene to voice my concerns on the sale of student loans bill, and the problems that may arise if a private company chooses to change the rules and regulations with regards the loans system in the future. Nevertheless, I did not get the chance amongst all the ya boo politics, which I’m sure was a sign of comfort to Hain as that is what he is used to at Westminster!

The point of interest for me was Hain’s reference to a referendum on a Parliament for Wales. He described himself as a ‘devolutionist‘, yet when it came to making moves to supporting a referendum as agreed between Labour and Plaid, he fell short of supporting it outright- going back on his argument that we need firm public support and cross party support before we can even consider holding a referendum.

Ok, so he doesn’t want to be reminded of how we lost the referendum in ’79, but times have changed and I don’t quite think that he’s amended his opinion to coincide with that sea change in Welsh opinion, both in favour of a referendum and to the concept of a Parliament for Wales.

We need a much firmer declaration of support from Hain if this referendum is to happen, let alone win it. He may be appeasing those in his party who are opposed to the referendum at this point- namely those MP’s who now have little better to do than to talk about putting a Welsh dragon on the British flag! But we can’t sit around waiting for them to feel better about the situation. The Convention is happening, and as far as the One Wales agreement goes, the referendum is too.

Now all we need to know is whether Hain and co. will ever be won over by the need to take this a step further, and create a proper Parliament for Wales. To have to go cap in hand to Hain in the first place is more than I can take- for him to sit on the fence like he is doing presently is unacceptable.

Bethan Jenkins: Do you have any knowledge of whether the child poverty implementation plan that was constructed in November 2006 will be carried through to this Assembly? At several meetings with representatives of Save the Children Wales, they expressed their concern about this strategy and whether the Assembly will receive a report on the implementation plan?

The First Minister: Yes, I believe it to be the case. You tend to get overly concerned about the names of particular implementation plans, but the broad thrust of having a strategy to eradicate child poverty by 2020 is an absolutely solid commitment of the One Wales administration.

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Bethan Jenkins: A wyddoch o gwbl a gaiff y cynllun gweithredu ar dlodi plant a luniwyd ym mis Tachwedd 2006 ei gario drwodd i’r Cynulliad hwn? Mewn sawl cyfarfod gyda chynrychiolwyr Achub y Plant (Cymru), mynegasant eu pryder ynghylch y strategaeth hon ac a fydd y Cynulliad yn cael adroddiad ar y cynllun gweithredu?

Y Prif Weinidog: Bydd, credaf fod hynny’n wir. Yr ydych yn tueddu i bryderu’n ormodol am enwau cynlluniau gweithredu arbennig, ond mae byrdwn cyffredinol cael strategaeth i ddiddymu tlodi plant erbyn 2020 yn ymrwymiad cwbl gadarn gan weinyddiaeth Cymru’n Un

Responding to Equal Opportunities Committee Report on Service Provision for young people with disabilities.

Bethan Jenkins: Thank you for the report. I just wanted to mention that Stephen Dyer, Amy Barrett and Daniel Beynon, members of the reference group that helped to shape today’s report, are present here today, and they want a reassurance from the Minister that the voices of young people, especially young disabled people, will continue to be heard. Disabled children must have the same access to services as other children in Wales have. Lots of disabled people are now involved in organisations such as Funky Dragon, but I believe that such organisations should carry more weight in political decision-making. I would like to echo their representations and ensure that their voices are heard strongly and clearly today.

Jane Hutt: You are very much a champion for young people, and I welcome them here today. We had a robust and challenging session with Funky Dragon on Thursday, and many Assembly Members—and, most importantly, Ministers—were put on the spot and questioned and scrutinised. I was pleased that we were able to find funding last year, when Jane Davidson was the Minister for education, to support the network of young disabled people in Wales, which had done some pioneering work following the big international conference that it organised in Swansea. Young disabled people will steer us through the conference later this week, and will certainly be at the forefront of scrutiny, challenging how the Government responds to this important report. Diolch yn fawr.

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Bethan Jenkins: Diolch ichi am yr adroddiad. Yr oeddwn am ddweud bod Stephen Dyer, Amy Barrett a Daniel Beynon, aelodau o’r grŵp cyfeirio a roddodd help imi lunio’r adroddiad hwn heddiw, yma heddiw, ac maent am gael sicrwydd gan y Gweinidog y bydd llais pobl ifanc, yn arbennig pobl ifanc anabl, yn parhau i gael ei glywed. Rhaid i blant anabl gael yr un mynediad i wasanaethau â phlant eraill yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o bobl anabl yn ymwneud â sefydliadau fel y Ddraig Ffynci erbyn hyn, ond credaf y dylai sefydliadau o’r fath gael mwy o ddylanwad ar benderfyniadau gwleidyddol. Hoffwn ategu eu sylwadau a sicrhau bod eu lleisiau’n cael eu clywed yn gryf ac yn glir yma heddiw.

Jane Hutt: Yr ydych yn sicr yn lladmerydd o blaid pobl ifanc, ac fe’u croesawaf yma heddiw. Cawsom sesiwn rymus a heriol gyda’r Ddraig Ffynci ddydd Iau, a rhoddwyd sawl Aelod o’r Cynulliad—ac, yn bwysicach na hynny, Weinidogion—mewn picil a chawsant eu holi a’u rhoi drwy broses graffu. Yr oeddwn yn falch ein bod wedi llwyddo i ddod i hyd i arian y llynedd, pan oedd Jane Davidson yn Weinidog dros addysg, i gefnogi’r rhwydwaith o bobl ifanc anabl yng Nghymru, a oedd wedi gwneud gwaith arloesol yn dilyn y gynhadledd ryngwladol fawr a drefnodd yn Abertawe. Bydd pobl ifanc anabl yn ein tywys drwy’r gynhadledd yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon, a byddant yn sicr ar flaen y gad o ran y broses graffu, gan herio’r ffordd y mae’r Llywodraeth yn ymateb i’r adroddiad pwysig hwn. Diolch yn fawr.

Bethan Jenkins- I wish to raise the pressing issue of three constituents of mine from Swansea, Venera Aliyeva, and her children, Anna and Murat Memedov, who are being detained in a centre in Bedfordshire. They will be sent back to Azerbaijan, and they are in fear of their life. Could we make any representations to Westminster on this issue, to show that we are in support of retaining them in this country?

Carwyn Jones- Forgive me for not commenting on the specific case that you raise, as I do not know the full details. However, you raise an important point: people who are living in this country, and who face the threat of deportation should have full access to the law and to financial support to enable them to pursue their case. That is the mark of a civilised society. We have always had people moving to our shores from elsewhere. We are—to quote the First Minister—an island of immigrants; it is simply a question of when we arrived here. We sometimes forget that. I agree with the suggestion that, where we have what seems to be a difficult situation, people should have full access to justice so that their cases may be heard.

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Bethan Jenkins-
hoffwn godi mater brys yn ymwneud â thri o’m hetholwyr o Abertawe sy’n cael eu cadw mewn canolfan yn Swydd Bedford, sef Venera Aliyeva, a’i phlant, Anna a Murat Memedov. Byddant yn cael eu hanfon yn ôl i Azerbaijan, ac maent yn ofni bod eu bywydau mewn perygl. A fyddai modd inni gyflwyno unrhyw sylwadau ynglŷn â hynny i San Steffan, er mwyn dangos ein bod o blaid eu cadw yn y wlad hon?

Carwyn Jones-
Maddeuwch imi am beidio â gwneud sylwadau ynglŷn â’r achos penodol y cyfeiriwch ato, gan nad wyf yn gwybod y manylion yn llawn. Fodd bynnag, yr ydych yn codi pwynt pwysig: dylai pobl sy’n byw yn y wlad hon, ac sy’n wynebu’r bygythiad o gael eu hanfon o’r wlad gael mynediad llawn at y gyfraith ac at gymorth ariannol i’w galluogi i ddadlau eu hachos. Mae hynny’n arwydd o gymdeithas waraidd. Mae pobl wastad wedi bod yn dod i’n glannau o leoedd eraill. Yr ydym—a dyfynnu’r Prif Weinidog—yn ynys o fewnfudwyr; yr unig wahaniaeth yw pa bryd y cyraeddasom yma. Yr ydym yn anghofio hynny weithiau. Yr wyf yn cytuno â’r awgrym, lle mae gennym sefyllfa sy’n ymddangos yn un anodd, y dylai pobl gael mynediad llawn at gyfiawnder fel bod modd i’w hachosion gael eu clywed.

My second question is on Swansea’s shared services. There has been a declaration to save some of the Remploy factories, but there has not been any sort of announcement on the retention of the Swansea shared service centre. The staff at the centre are concerned that Anne McGuire, the Westminster MP, who is responsible for this, continues to say that the centre will be moved to Leeds. Could the Government make further representations to Anne McGuire, and ask why this decision has been made prior to the consultation process ending, given that it should rest with Peter Hain?

Carwyn Jones: Your points on shared services will be on the record. Those points can be made to Anne McGuire

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Mae fy ail gwestiwn yn ymwneud â gwasanaethau a rennir yn Abertawe. Cafwyd datganiad yn ymwneud ag achub rhai o’r ffatrïoedd Remploy, ond ni chafwyd unrhyw fath o gyhoeddiad ynglŷn â chadw’r ganolfan gwasanaethau a rennir yn Abertawe. Mae staff y ganolfan yn poeni y bydd Anne McGuire, yr AS yn San Steffan, sy’n gyfrifol am hyn, yn dal i ddweud y bydd y ganolfan yn cael ei symud i Leeds. A fyddai modd i’r Llywodraeth gyflwyno mwy o sylwadau i Anne McGuire, a gofyn pam y gwnaethpwyd y penderfyniad hwn cyn i’r broses ymgynghori ddod i ben, gan gymryd mai Peter Hain a ddylai gael y gair olaf?

Carwyn Jones: Bydd eich pwyntiau ynglŷn â gwasanaethau a rennir yn cael eu cofnodi. Gellir cyflwyno’r pwyntiau hynny i Anne McGuire.

Bethan Jenkins: You just mentioned eating disorders, which is an issue that greatly interests me. A few months ago I spoke about Ali Valenzuela from Swansea, who could not get access to services. Another of my constituents, from Porthcawl, had a consultation set up in the Princess of Wales Hospital but it was cancelled. She has had to go the Priory in Bristol. I urge you to look into this urgently to see what we can set up in Wales. We are trying to establish u an all-party group on eating disorders in the Assembly, but urgent action needs to be taken because so many people are going to England for services that should be provided in Wales.

Edwina Hart: I have discussed this with officials and have been trying to look for the necessary funds to be made available to start to provide an adequate service in Wales. Health Commission Wales has authorised quite a lot of treatment for individuals in the Priory in Bristol and elsewhere, but the issue is what happens when they come out of the Priory and what local services are available to them. Assembly Members have raised several cases with me. The response to one, which was to attend an arts class once a week, is not the response that I would expect at a local level. People need support groups and assistance. They need to address the whole issue of how they feel about their body and their life, and we certainly do not have all those services in place across Wales. I will aim, during the course of the next three years, budget permitting, to prioritise these issues.

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Bethan Jenkins: Yr ydych newydd grybwyll anhwylderau bwyta—mater sydd o ddiddordeb mawr imi. Ychydig fisoedd yn ôl soniais am Ali Valenzuela o Abertawe, na allai gael mynediad at wasanaethau. Trefnwyd ymgynghoriad ar gyfer un arall o’m hetholwyr o Borthcawl yn Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru, ond diddymwyd yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw. Mae wedi gorfod mynd i’r Priory ym Mryste. Fe’ch anogaf i edrych ar hyn ar fyrder i weld beth y gallwn ei sefydlu yng Nghymru. Yr ydym yn ceisio sefydlu grŵp hollbleidiol yn y Cynulliad ar anhwylderau bwyta, ond mae angen cymryd camau brys oherwydd bod cynifer o bobl yn mynd i Loegr er mwyn cael gwasanaethau y dylid eu darparu yng Nghymru.

Edwina Hart: Yr wyf wedi trafod hyn gyda swyddogion ac wedi bod yn ceisio chwilio am y cyllid angenrheidiol er mwyn gallu darparu gwasanaeth digonol yng Nghymru. Mae Comisiwn Iechyd Cymru wedi awdurdodi cryn dipyn o driniaethau i unigolion yn y Priory ym Mryste ac mewn lleoedd eraill, ond yr hyn sy’n digwydd pan ddeuant o’r Priory a pha wasanaethau lleol sydd ar gael iddynt yw’r broblem. Mae Aelodau’r Cynulliad wedi codi sawl achos â mi. Nid yw’r ateb i un, sef mynd i ddosbarth celf unwaith yr wythnos, yn ateb y byddwn yn ei ddisgwyl ar lefel leol. Mae angen grwpiau cefnogi a chymorth ar bobl. Mae angen iddynt fynd i’r afael â’r modd y maent yn teimlo ynghylch eu corff a’u bywyd yn gyfan gwbl, ac yn bendant, nid yw’r holl wasanaethau hynny ar waith gennym ym mhob cwr o Gymru. Os bydd y gyllideb yn caniatáu hynny, byddaf yn anelu at roi blaenoriaeth i’r materion hyn yn ystod y tair blynedd nesaf.

Voting for the Big Lottery’s £50 million has started. Please log on to www.thepeoples50million.org.uk and vote for Sustrans’ Connect2 project, and get your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. As well as getting people to exercise more, Connect2 will take practical action to tackle climate change and reduce congestion.

The project is made up of 79 schemes across the UK – nine of which are in Wales.In Carmarthen, Clydach, Port Talbot, Merthyr, Pontypridd, Newport, Monmouth, Cardiff and Rhyl we want to tackle the obstacles presented by busy roads, railways or rivers which prevent people from walking and cycling for everyday journeys – to the shops, school, work etc. We face tough competition from three projects across England and need your help to create a healthier more sustainable future: just a minute of your time could make all the difference. Internet voting starts today and closes at 12 noon on Monday 10 December.

There’s also be a telephone vote on ITV1 on the weekend of December 7th, with the results expected on the 12th.
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Mae’r pleidleisio ar gyfer £50 miliwn Y Loteri Fawr wedi dechrau.

Ewch i www.thepeoples50million.org.uk a phleidleisiwch dros brosiect Connect2 Sustrans, a gwnewch yn siŵr bod eich teulu, eich ffrindiau a’ch cydweithwyr yn gwneud hynny hefyd.Yn ogystal â chael pobl i wneud mwy o ymarfer corff, bydd Connect2 yn cymryd camau ymarferol i fynd i’r afael â newid hinsawdd a lleihau tagfeydd traffig.

Mae’r prosiect yn cynnwys 79 cynllun ledled y DU – gyda naw ohonynt yng Nghymru.Yng Nghaerfyrddin, Clydach, Port Talbot, Merthyr, Pontypridd, Casnewydd, Trefynwy, Caerdydd a’r Rhyl rydym am fynd i’r afael â’r rhwystrau a grëir gan ffyrdd prysur, rheilffyrdd neu afonydd sy’n rhwystro pobl rhag cerdded a beicio ar gyfer siwrneiau bob dydd – i’r siopau, i’r ysgol, i’r gwaith ac ati.Rydym yn wynebu cystadleuaeth gref gan dri phrosiect o wahanol rannau o Loegr ac rydym angen eich cymorth i greu dyfodol mwy iachus a chynaliadwy: gallai munud o’ch amser wneud gwahaniaeth.Mae pleidleisio ar y rhyngrwyd yn dechrau heddiw ac yn cau am 12 canol dydd ar ddydd Llun 10 Rhagfyr.

Bydd yna hefyd bleidlais ffôn ar ITV1 ar benwythnos y 7fed o Ragfyr, gyda’r canlyniadau i’w disgwyl ar y 12fed.

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Vote now online for Sustrans’ Connect2 at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk. We need your vote to win 50 million pounds for walking and cycling. Phone voting from landlines and mobiles begins on 7 December – please text ‘Connect2′ to 80010 or complete the form at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk if you would like to be sent the number to vote.

Due to problems with the Assembly server I won’t be able to do my guest blogger section this week, so it will restart after the weekend if the IT is working again at the Assembly.

I was going to write a letter to the Western Mail and local papers in response to Ray Davies, a Caerphilly Councillor’s recent criticism of Plaid for entering the House of Lords, but Dafydd Iwan got in there first!

I know Ray well, and was probably just as surprised as Dafydd Iwan to read the somewhat angry letter in the papers this week from Ray. If he was a Plaid member, then I could totally understand his resentment for our change in policy, but for someone who has remained in the Labour party as an anti war activist over the years, who has had to defend his party’s involvement in Iraq and so on, I find it quite perplexing that he has responded in such a manner.

Before I was a member of any political party, and when I invited Ray to speak at Aberystwyth Guild of Students as part of activities surrounding the peace movement in Wales, I always asked him why he was a member of a party that he campaigned so much against. His answer was (to generalise) that he wanted to make changes from within, and help in restoring ‘Old Labour’. He was always so clear in that opinion and aim, and didn’t once question his membership to Labour, even when the Labour run Council at Caerphilly had run ins with him over his determination to continue to protest during peace protests using non violent direct action.

Of course, I agree with Ray on the issue of the House of Lords, but that is a decision which party members have taken. Had it been a policy imposed on members, then the discussion would be quite different. If we decide to become members of political parties, and want to remain as such, then sometimes we can’t always get our own way- however much we try! We can obviously campaign against ideas before they become ingrained in policy if we disagree with them vehemently, and we can even choose to leave the party if our principles do not fall in line with the party’s general direction. Nevertheless, Ray must know that there is a broad church of people in every party, and that is how it will always be.