Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Well you’ll be pleased to know that its my birthday today. There may be a tiny chance that I won’t get so many ageist comments  from the press etc anymore, but I don’t think that will be the case! Anyway, for those of you in the Assembly today, I have chocolate cake to share if you wish to have a slice! I can’t eat it all myself….

I’m posting today to provide you with links to the consultation on student finance that was announced last week. You can see the terms of the consultation and the comments form at the bottom of this blog. I’ve had to ring the Welsh Assembly Government IT team to get a copy because the link isn’t working on the website. If you have the same problem, let me know because this may stop people from taking part in the process, and we don’t want that!

 I did ask for an extension of the consultation period, because students are usually only back in University at the end of January- which doesn’t give them that much time to respond, but I’m sure if people advertise the fact that its out there, then many more will respond.

I think most people know my opinion on student fees by now, so there’s no point in me going over old ground. All I’ll say is, we are in an economic crisis largely due to the fact that people were able to build up huge amounts of personal debt. I don’t think that any government should introduce a policy that will mean that more students will incur larger sums of debt when they graduate. The ‘ipod’ generation will undoubtedly suffer more than other generations due to this economic downturn, therefore government’s should be acting in every way possible to ensure that people do not have to continue being in a cycle of debt.

 Surely this crisis can teach us a few lessons, as opposed to trying to put plasters over it, and return to the system that got us in this mess in the first place? Isn’t now the time to be looking at alternative measures, a different way of working?

We have a debate on the final budget today at the National Assembly, and then I am going to the Politician of the Year awards. I missed Peter Hain’s famous speech last year, so I thought I would go this year to see what entertainment value some of the speakers can give us… Perhaps I can try and record some of it for a youtube clip….watch out…..

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 Asylum Seekers
Q7 Bethan Jenkins: Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Assembly Government support offered to asylum seekers in Wales?

Brian Gibbons: As you know, asylum issues are not devolved. However, the Assembly Government works in partnership with the Home Office to take forward the successful inclusion of refugee and asylum seekers in Wales. The Assembly Government provides significant support to asylum seekers to access devolved services, such as health, housing, education and social services.

Bethan Jenkins: I am sure that you will join me in congratulating organisations such as Asylum Justice and the Welsh Refugee Council on the work that they do in Wales. Therefore, do you, along with your colleague Diane Abbott MP, condemn the recent comments of Phil Woolas MP that those who are working on behalf of asylum seekers are undermining the law and playing the system? Do you think that those comments are unacceptable?

The Presiding Officer:Order. The Minister has wide responsibilities, but I do not think that they include Mr Phil Woolas.

Brian Gibbons: No, certainly not, and that is what I was going to say. We have a very productive relationship and we provide many kinds of support, including financial support, to the Wales Refugee Council, Supporting Others through Voluntary Action, Displaced People in Action and many other organisations involved with refugees and asylum seekers in Wales. Generally, we have a positive and constructive relationship with them, of which we are proud.

…………..It seems that Welsh Labour can’t have an opinion on what their colleagues in Westminster say, but when the MPs want to tread on the feet of their AM colleagues, this is deemed acceptable- take Peter Hain last night on Dragon’s Eye for instance. He seems to think that the One Wales agreement to hold a referendum is an aspiration, not a commitment. Will Labour AMs stand up to correct him or will they let London tell them what to do?

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Ceiswyr Lloches

C7 Bethan Jenkins: A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y gefnogaeth a gynigir gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru i geiswyr lloches yng Nghymru? OAQ(3)0529(SJL)

Brian Gibbons: Fel y gwyddoch nid yw materion sy’n ymwneud â lloches wedi’u datganoli. Fodd bynnag, mae Llywodraeth y Cynulliad yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda’r Swyddfa Gartref i sicrhau bod ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yn cael eu cynnwys yn llwyddiannus yng Nghymru. Mae Llywodraeth y Cynulliad yn darparu cefnogaeth sylweddol i geiswyr lloches i gael gafael ar wasanaethau datganoledig, megis iechyd, tai, addysg a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol.

Bethan Jenkins: Yr wyf yn siŵr y byddwch yn ymuno â mi i longyfarch mudiadau megis Asylum Justice a Chyngor Ffoaduriaid Cymru ar y gwaith a wnânt yng Nghymru. Felly, a ydych, ynghyd â’ch cyd-Aelod, Diane Abbott AS, yn condemnio sylwadau diweddar Phil Woolas AS bod y rheini sy’n gweithio ar ran ceiswyr lloches yn tanseilio’r gyfraith ac yn chwarae’r system? A ydych yn meddwl bod y sylwadau hynny’n annerbyniol?

Y Llywydd:  Trefn. Mae gan y Gweinidog gyfrifoldebau eang, ond nid wyf yn meddwl eu bod yn cynnwys Mr Phil Woolas.

Brian Gibbons: Nac ydynt yn bendant, a dyna’r oeddwn ar fin ei ddweud. Mae gennym berthynas gynhyrchiol iawn ac yr ydym yn darparu sawl math o gefnogaeth, gan gynnwys cefnogaeth ariannol, i Gyngor Ffoaduriaid Cymru, Cefnogi Eraill drwy Weithredu Gwirfoddol, Alltudion ar Waith a nifer o fudiadau eraill sy’n ymwneud â ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yng Nghymru. Yn gyffredinol, mae gennym berthynas gadarnhaol ac adeiladol gyda hwy ac yr ydym yn falch o’r berthynas honno.

………..…………..Mae’n ymddangos fel nad yw Llafur yng Nghymru yn medru cael barn ar yr hyn mae eu cyfoedion yn San Steffan yn gwneud, on mae croeso mawr i’r ASau ymyrryd yng ngwaith yr ACau- mae’r hyn a ddywedodd Peter Hain ar Dragon’s Eye yn enghraifft clir o hynny. Mae e’n meddwl bod y darn yng Nghymru’n un sy’n son am refferendwm yn cyfeirio at y ffaith ei fod yn ddyheuad i gael refferendwm, ac nad yw’n gytundeb. A fydd ACau Llafur yn barod i gywiro Peter hain, neu a fydden nhw’n caniatau i Llafur Llundain dweud wrthynt beth i wneud?

Another week is fast drawing to a close at the National Assembly, and next week is our last week at the Assembly before the Christmas break- not that that means I will not be working of course ( I can’t speak for other AMs though)

I’ve been busy again this week. I’m sure most of you have seen this story on children’s DNA in the Western Mail, I spoke at the launch of the evaluation of the Women’s Universities Mentoring Scheme on Tuesday, and I also attended a meeting last night regarding the work that needs to take place in Swansea in preparation for hosting the Urdd Eisteddfod in 2011.  Soon I’m off to visit a constituent who has a concern with regards to funding for  IVF treatment. I’ll see if there’s any way that I can assist with her concern.

I believe that Dragon’s Eye are doing a piece on tonight’s show regarding the referendum, at least I’ve done a short clip for them so I take it that they are following it through. I hear that Peter Hain will be in the studio to talk about the issue. Let’s see whether he has an opinion on Labour AMs being told not to reply to my letter on setting up a cross party discussion on this issue. The ball is in Labour’s court on this one. Still no reply from Labour, or the Conservatives for that matter. I’ll give them a few more weeks, and see who will turn up to the meeting I organise in January.

That’s all for now folks. Feel free to keep up to date on the work I do over on www.bethanjenkins.org.uk

PS I can’t for the life of me think of a blog post title for today as this is only a short blog in passing. Do excuse my lack of imagination. I can’t seem to get my creative juices flowing at all today. There is an art to effective, eye catching titles for blogs. I’m sure someone has written an article out there on the blogosphere…..

I’m sorry that I haven’t blogged in a while. Last week was so busy, and I have been off work ill today ( politicians do get ill too believe it or not!)

My blog has had more contributions on the yes vote than any of my other blog posts of late, and thanks to all who have contributed. I’m sure the debate will continue, especially when I attempt to set up a meeting in the New Year. I’ve had replies from a few politicians- no Labour ones as yet, although one Labour AM has indicated that he/she will react. Time will tell.

People are reading far too much in to this nevertheless. I don’t want to create rifts in Labour, I don’t want politicians or Plaid to lead the campaign, I just want to get something up and running.There really is no conspiracy theory!The discussion suggesting that this referendum is but a smokescreen for Welsh Independence is missng the point entirely. Let’s put the scaremongering aside for a moment, and let the people who want to see a positive outcome on a referendum on a parliament for Wales move forward- together.

On another note, today is National Aids awareness day. I’ve tabled a statement of opinion to mark the day, and will be asking AMs to wear red ribbons tomorrow at the National Assembly.

There is still a huge amount of stigma out there about those who suffer from HIV/ Aids, and there’s a lot more that we should be doing to combat this stigma.

I recently visited the Aids Trust Centre based in Swansea, whose clients told me of how they feel isolated in their own communities, and that sexual education in schools must be developed urgently. They also noted that it was hard for them to register with Dentists as there is still stigma about their illness- they are often refused treatment, or will only be seen at the end of the day when a Dentist can clean all the equipment thoughroughly after use. If this isn’t humiliating, I don’t know what is.

Ill be raising some of the issues above during business questions tomorrow, and with both the Education and Health Minister respectively.

Tomorrow we also have another meeting of the cross party group on eating disorders at 6pm. We will be receiving a presentation from Dove about its self esteem work in schools, an update on our meeting with the Minister, and we will be discussing ideas for an event to mark Eating Disorder Awareness Week in February 2009. I hope you can attend….