Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

This week has been a bit frantic. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the cross party group on eating disorders’ response to the framework. I’ve had so many emails from carers on this matter, and it brings me to tears the struggle many of them have been through to ensure their loved ones receive the treatment they need in Wales. I sincerely hope that this new National strategy, along with the finances invested by the WAG will kick start the long awaited development of services for those with eating disorders in Wales. If you have any more comments, make sure they get to me by 4pm today at the latest!

This week I also delivered a letter of complaint to the BBC from AMs regarding their refusal to show the appeal for the people of Gaza-a humanitarian appeal. The arguments by the BBC just do now stack up. The appeal is to give assistance to the people of Gaza who are injured, who cannot return to their homes, or have no homes to return to. Since when was providing aid political? It is obviously very much the case judging from the BBC’s insistence not to show the appeal, this despite showing elements of the appeal during news coverage of their own refusal to air it! The irony!

You’ve probably heard by now that Janet Ryder has stood down as Education spokesperson for Plaid Cymru. We’ve had a mini reshuffle, and I’m being told that I’m taking on doing some of the parties reactions or work on culture from the Assembly backbench team- so I’ll be getting involved in the progress of the Welsh Language LCO no doubt, and sitting on the Communities and Culture committee. I don’t think Janet’s action is a sign of cracks in the coalition at all. Its healthy for backbench AMs to have their own opinions and to scrutinise the Government where appropriate- whether Plaid is in the government or not. There’s no denying that there are sometimes tensions between the group and the Ministerial team, but if we tried to stifle that opinion, then what sort of democratic party would we be? There’s an argument for the development of a more robust structure between spokespeople and the government, so that if there are tensions of any kind, that these can be thrashed out honestly and openly amongst the ruling parties. Commuication does vary, and sometimes this means that unneccessary problems arise.

Anyway, I’m off to finalise my tax return before I start ranting….

Have a nice weekend

To all you ‘the referendum won’t happen’ commentators out there, I thought I’d show you this question that Helen Mary Jones asked in the Assembly on Tuesday. Rhodri Morgan said that the commitment to a referendum as set out in ‘One Wales’ is ‘as strong as ever’, and when pressed further about whether he expects to be able to hold the referendum before 2011, his response was positive. I won’t dignify quoting the response from Tory AM Paul Davies, who moaned about the current system not working, but at the same time thinks that it is premature to discuss the future of the Assembly at this point in time. This is obvious in that he, alike many other AMs, MPs and MEP’s have failed to reply to my letter concerning organising a meeting about the preparation for a yes vote in said referendum.

The campaign group ‘True Wales’ have mobilised already, and are actively undermining the All Wales Convention and its work. Why should those who believe in further powers for the National Assembly sit back and listen to the way that they choose to mislead the people of Wales? I went on a radio show about the first All Wales Convention meeting with a member of True Wales, and their arguments just don’t stack up. On the one hand they are saying that the Assembly does not communicate our message effectively, yet when I argued back that this was due to the mess of a system that currently stands, they could not defend their stance. I gather that they do not want the Assembly to be abolished, but then why do they want to sustain a system that is clearly unworkable, and which hinders our abilities to work, to communicate effectively with the Welsh public? We need only take the trials and tribulations surrounding the Housing LCO to show that the current system is patchy, taking aside the fact that it is definitely not my system to defend.

I’m hoping to organise a meeting of politicians who are interested in debating this matter in the next few months, while the All Wales Convention, and the future powers of the National Assembly are on the political agenda. In my mind, it is precisely because of the economic situation that we need more powers for this institution, so that we can carry out the work that we were elected to do smoothly and efficiently without going cap in hand to London at every juncture. The people of Wales deserve better.

Helen Mary Jones: Will the First Minister give an update on progress towards a referendum on full law-making powers under Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006?

The First Minister: The All-Wales Convention will report to the Assembly Government on the referendum issue. It moved into its latest phase last week, with public events at the McArthur Glen out-of-town retail park and the Seaside Social and Labour Club in Port Talbot. It is designed to reach voters whose views can be difficult to attain. The overall commitment, as set out in ‘One Wales’, remains as strong as ever.

Helen Mary Jones: I would like to confirm the last bit of your answer. Subject to a positive outcome to the convention’s work, would you still expect to be able to meet the ‘One Wales’ commitment to hold a referendum before the election in 2011?

The First Minister: I would indeed.

I don’t have time to do blogging justice today. I’ve got to scuttle off to an event which I am rather nervous about as organisers have said that they want me to translate words from old Welsh ( gwenhwyseg) in to modern day Welsh. I don’t think that this can be to show that politicians have other interests, as I have never claimed to be a Welsh language specialist! But there we are, it will be an experience…. I’ve done a vlog which is on my youtube site, but the sun is in my eyes, so its not the best one I’ve ever done. Feel free to take a look at it anyway.

I’ve just been watching Obama’s inauguration. I didn’t catch the beginning but he’s certainly an inspiring speaker. Oh to have so many turn up to political events in Wales! I truly hope that he can be the change that Americans are so desperately crying out for after the disastrous Bush administration. An  historical day it is, and the expectations are high for Obama to deliver- not only to save the American economy, but the World’s also..Now where have I heard that before?!

In the Assembly today we had a statement on open cast mining, and the implementation of 500 meter buffer zones- this has been Plaid Cymru policy for a while, and so I welcome the announcement. So too do I welcome the health impact assessments for open cast mining developments. I hope we can monitor its implementation, although I would prefer that no opencast mining took place at all.

I’ll have a few things to blog about tomorrow- I wanted to comment on the fact that MPs may be potentially exempt from releaseing their expenses to the public. One word comes to mind- hypocrisy. How can the government justify spending thousands of pounds to develop ID cards, keep thousands of innocent people’s information on the DNA database, when they refuse to be open and accountable themselves? Disgraceful.

Media reports today show that Israel has announced a unilateral ceasefire, suspending their 22 day ‘Operation Cast Lead.’ The Telegraph reports that Israel will not enter talks with Hamas, and that ‘if Hamas does not attack Israel and does not provoke Israel, we will honour the ceasefire.’  An Israeli security chief has stated however that  the military operation “is not over,” and that the next few days will be critical in determining whether they will resume operations.  A summit of European leaders and Arab leaders is set to take place today in Egypt in a bid to add momentum to the peace talks. Hamas has also announced a one week ceasefire in response to Israel, calling on Israeli forces to remove troops from Gaza. Barak Obama has stated that he will enter negotiations after his inauguration on Tuesday. Will this suspension of hostilities provide enough of an opportunity for negotiations to take effect?

In other news, Matt Withers wades in to the Nick Bourne expenses saga by suggesting that Tory HQ ( aka Cameron and co) have stepped in to stop Nick Bourne from being ousted as leader in Wales for fear that this may ruin the party’s credibility in an election year. This could well be the case, but why should we be surprised at that news? I assumed that’s how Unionist parties worked. Problems with Tories in Wales= Cameron being involved as their overall leader. The Tories in Wales may well have announced their support for Nick Bourne in a statement to the press, but I’m sure tensions are still simmering under the surface. How long this unity will last is the question. If it means anything at all, I do believe that Nick Bourne has been attacked disproportionately in the press over allowances, although now that a Labour candidate has reported him to the police, the story has added momentum and will no doubt run and run.  Lets just hope the review of AMs allowances amends the system for the better, so that there is little opportunity to fuel the media’s obsession with allowances.

Another story of interest today notes that an officer serving with Prince Harry has suggested that a colleague stole Harry’s infamous videos from his laptop and allegedly sold them to the press. Of course, such action would be unacceptable, but I’m more interested in discovering whether Harry will be held responsible for his actions, rather than whether or not he is upset that a colleague has undermined his confidence in such a way. Its embarrassing that someone who represents Wales, who holds the name or our country in his title acts in such a way, whether he said what he did two, three or ten years ago. It shows that the Armed Forces are still faltering with regards to implementing equality of opportunity measures within their structures, and I support the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s call for an inquiry in to anti-discrimination measures within the Armed Forces.

 If people are led to believe by those in positions of responsibility that words like ‘paki’ are acceptable to use in our everyday lives, then what hope do we have of creating a tolerant and equal society? On Question Time last Thursday the panelists rightly criticised Harry’s comments on the video in question, but then progressed by feeling sorry for him, stating that he is under pressure as a young Prince and so on. I have no sympathy on this level. If Harry wants to use his position in a positive way, then do so. If he doesn’t want the airs and graces, or the trials and tribulations of being a member of the Royal family then surely he knows that that too is an option.

And finally- a story that made me chuckle in today’s Observer was a study by sociologists at the University of Essex who have carried out a study stating that if you want to avoid relationship heartbreak in later life, then one must avoid the passion of ’puppy love’ as this leads to unrealistic expectations for future relationships.

He exclaimed,’ remarkably, it seems that the secret to long-term happiness in a relationship is to skip a first relationship. In an ideal world, you would wake up already in your second relationship.”

 Hmm, very enlightening- now tell me how that works?! I’m glad the government are giving money to Universities for vital research like this;-)………….

I’ve just got back from the protest in Swansea city centre. It was really well attended, and a successful demonstration. I spoke at the demo to show support for the campaign to end the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Over 1,000 people have now been killed, and today we hear that two people were killed near a UN-run school. So much for Israel keeping true to their word in not targeting innocent civilians! There is set to be an Israeli cabinet meeting to determine whether or not there will be a unilateral ceasefire. Has Israel achieved its aims by acting in this way? Will it decide to end the military bombardment of Gaza amid mounting statements that their actions amount to war crimes?

I spoke to some Palestinians at the demo today, whose families are living in Gaza.They told me of the awful circumstances there. One relative is working at the hospital, and cannot prioritise treating those who are suffering the most, as they do not have the medical capacity to do so.  Aid is not reaching the area, and Save the Children report that the lulls in Israeli attacks are not sufficient for them to mobilise and to assist the wounded because they are not being told when they will take place, and for how long. People were telling me today that children are witnessing, and experiencing the most horrific scenes. I do not see how Israel can justify its actions. Let me be clear, I do not agree with Hamas retaliating with rocket attacks, but Israel’s actions fly in the face of their claims to be acting ‘proportionally’ in relation to Hamas. Their argument is not justifiable in light of the death and destruction that they have caused, and continue to cause, in Gaza.

Plaid’s Jill Evans MEP and Dafydd Iawn were today speaking at the demo in Cardiff, and called on the Welsh Assembly government takes part in European efforts to offer medical treatment to Palestinian children injured in the invasion. The EU initiative was proposed by the Belgian government, with the EU Commission co-ordinating the medical evacuation of badly injured children to hospitals in Brussels.  Plaid has also welcomed the halt in trade talks between the EU and Israel in relation to elevating Israel’s trade agreement with Europe in a bid to put pressure on Israel to announce a ceasefire.

I sincerely hope that everyone who is interested in this issue attends the Assembly debate on Wednesday at the National Assembly for Wales- sending a clear sign from Wales that Israel’s actions are unacceptable, and that diplomatic efforts for a lasting peace must be prioritised.

I’ve been away from the blogosphere of late- apologies- again. It seems that however much I try to take things a little slower this term, the more impossible it becomes! I’m really pleased by the news from the Assembly’s business committee that Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM’s efforts in tabling a named day debate on the situation in Gaza has been accepted, and that we will have an hour long debate next Wednesday around 2.30pm here in the Assembly. I hope that those who are interested in the situation in Gaza will attend, and we will be organising a meeting beforehand also to garner momentum for the ensuing debate.

 This is a pressing issue, which Welsh citizens clearly care about judging by the protests and public meetings that have and are still being organised in Wales. Its only right therefore that AMs have the opportunity to debate such issues- despite us not having the power over International affairs- unfortunately. Today’s news that a medical centre has been targeted by Israeli forces is another reason why we must keep this issue on the political agenda. 

I am really disapointed that Barak Obama has said nothing on this issue apart from the fact that he is keeping an eye on it until he takes office. The argument for not commenting now doesn’t wash- he has already made clear statements on what he intends to do in Guantanamo, Iraq and Iran, so why not the situation in Palestine? George Bush is laughing his way to his Texan retirement home -thinking that he has tied the US into supporting Israel regardless of their blatantly unacceptable behaviour in bombing Gaza to destruction. Until the US shifts its position, shows that Obama’s election is the ‘real change’ that everyone has been waiting for, and initiates communication with Israel and Hamas, then a positive future seems less viable. So I urge you all to attend the debate next week at the Assembly, and to lobby AMs to support the motion in noting the situation in Gaza.

On another International issue, I met with many members of the Iraqi Christian Association in Wales yesterday. They gave me a clear insight in to the plight of minorities in Iraq, and the way that they are treated by the many tribal leaders in Iraq. One person said to me ‘ Yes, we had Saddam Hussein, he was one Dictator. Now we have 40 of them’. There was a divergence of opinion amongst the group as to the occupation- some initially supported US and British involvement, believing that Iraq would be a better, more democratic place without Saddam, others were cynical of this ever happening when outside forces were dictating the agenda in Iraq.

 One thing is clear however,  they are now all unanimous in that the occupation has led to destruction and poverty in Iraq, and that as Christians, they are being sent from their homes, being held to ransom, and attacked on the streets. I met 3 elderly Iraqi women at the meeting in Swansea- all of whom are over 70 years old. They have been instructed to return to Iraq, but they have no homes, or families to return to. Deportation officials tell them that they will not be sent back to Iraq for now, but that they will not be given status in Wales, or any support from the authorities bar a few measly meal tokens from Tescos.

This seems a barbaric way to treat such elderly women. I believe that the Westminster government knows that it is unsafe for them to return, but if they acknowledge that by granting them asylum, it will be an inevitable admission of their failure to rebuild Iraq as a democracy, as a shining light in the Middle East. In a very black and white analysis of religion, Christians in Iraq have been associated automatically with Western governments by some Muslim extremist groups, and are targeted as a result of this belief. From what I have read in the press, and from what I have heard from the Iraqis that I spoke to, their voices and concerns are being put at the bottom of the pile. How long will this continue? How long will the Westminster government try and ignore what is happening on the ground in Iraq?

I hope to organise an event in the Assembly with the Association in the near future so that other AMs can take an interest in this matter- affecting constituents in their region and beyond.

On the final issue today, I raised the fact that there was a protest today against the demolition of Troed y Ton Care Home by the Labour run Council in Bridgend. There was a protest today at the Council offices, which I could not attend unfortunately as I have to be here on a Tuesday. Judging by the Facebook group on this matter, and from emails from campaigners, it seems that little consultation was carried out with residents and carers, or at least there was a lack of clarity about what would happen, where the current residents would be moved to, and where staff would work. I echoed the Deputy Commissioner for Older People’s concerns on the closure of care homes, and called on the government to conduct and inquiry on how care home closures are managed, and to assess fully the affects on communities.

Sorry that I have been positively awful in blogging of late. I’ll get back to it properly next week. For now, I just want to let you know about a competition asking members of the public to submit pictures of what they consider to be real beauty in order to challenge the pressures on people to join the size-zero culture that leads many to eating disorders. The cross party group on eating disorders has launched this in the run up to eating disorders awareness week in February. The press release is here, and you can see all the details here. Post your photos for the competition on our flickr group page here.

Judges include International Rugby referee Nigel Owens, Amanda Protheroe Thomas, Madeleine Brindley from the Western Mail, and Martin Staniforth from Dove Self Esteem. Competition closes on the 16th of February with an event on the 25th of February at the Senedd, 6pm. Hope you can make it!

Here is a letter that I have sent to the press today on the consultation on a framework for the treatment of eating disorders in Wales. Below are attachments of the information, and the summary of the consultation.

Dyma lythyr isod rwyf wedi danfon i’r wasg heddiw ar yr ymgynghoriad ar fframwaith ar gyfer triniaeth o anhwylderau bwyta yng Nghymru. Isod mae atodiadau o’r wybodaeth, a chrynodeb o’r ymgynghoriad.

 Editor-

I am writing to encourage readers to take part in a consultation announced by the Welsh Assembly Government on an eating disorders framework for Wales. It outlines ways that health services can improve provision for people with eating disorders, and suggests where additional funding and resources can be targeted. Current arrangements for treatment of eating disorders in Wales is very patchy, and research shows that GPs and other care professionals do not receive enough training or support to deal with concerns from patients.

It is also clear that the current system of sending patients with severe eating disorders to private clinics in England is neither sustainable nor acceptable for the NHS, or for families and carers. If you wish to comment, please email mentalHealthPolicyMailbox@wales.gsi.co.uk or send to me on bethan.jenkins@wales.gov.uk by the 30th of January. We must make sure that the £1.5m the Minister announced as new funding for provision for treatment of eating disorders is used effectively and efficiently, and that a strong National framework is in place in Wales.

Bethan Jenkins Plaid AM

Chair Cross Party Group on Eating Disorders

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Today’s retro report in the Western Mail from 2002 informs us of Dafydd Elis Thomas’s eagerness to scrap the oath of allegiance to the Queen that AMs must take before they take office. The full story can be seen on the BBC website here. He said that the requirement is ’a technical necessity within the [Government of Wales] Act that I want removed” in an interview with Plaid’s now disbanded Triban Coch magazine.

He also went on to say that the word ‘royal’ should not be used in the title of events such as the Royal Welsh Show, which, naturally, I agree with. However, there has been little action on scrapping the oath of allegiance to the Queen since this revelation in 2002. Call me naive or uninformed, but I did now know that Dafydd Elis Thomas held such opinions on the oath as unfortunately, the Assembly Commission has bent over backwards to become part of the status quo in relation to the monarchy, and has made no signs of changing such a stance. Now that I am aware of Dafydd’s comments, I will raise the issue with him in the new Assembly term.

 I want to take an oath of allegiance to the people of Wales, not to an outdated institution such as the monarchy. At least AMs should be given the opportunity to choose whether or not they take a royal oath of allegiance. At the end of the day there is a religious and non religious version of the oath, so why not accommodate the royalists and the republicans in our midst? This is the case in Northern Ireland.  Anyway, you’d be surprised- there are more Labour AMs who are republicans than you know about publicly.

The organisation Republic which campaigns for an elected Head of State has launched a ‘challenge the oath’ campaign to seek to introduce and alternative oath of allegiance.  Human rights lawyer Louise Christian is to take on Republic’s planned legal challenge against British oaths of allegiance- seeking a change to the law so public officials, elected politicians and new citizens can take an alternative oath, one which pledges allegiance to the country rather than to the Queen. I sincerely hope that this campaign is successful in 2009.

On another topic altogether it seems that Jane Davidson AM and I have more in common than meets the eye. Her New Year’s resolution is to start cycling, which is also my aim! We’ll have to compare notes on the best folding bikes available…..not in the Chamber of course….

Happy New Year.