Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

For those who don’t know, I won the regional list selection for South Wales West on Wednesday evening, with Dai Lloyd in second position, and Myfanwy Davies third on the list. I’m looking forward now to working with the team in the region, to win the referendum, and to work hard for the Assembly elections. Pushing to win Neath for Alun Llewelyn being a key priority of course! I am happy to have been elected with such support from the members. I can only say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this campaign, and I promise them that I will keep to my word, and work hard for South Wales West. Nawr i’r gwaith caled! Diolch i bawb a wnaeth fy nghefnogi. Mae’n fraint i allu gweithio gyda pobl mor clen a gweithgar yng Ngorllewin De Cymru.

AS YOU may be aware of from recent press reports, the Wales Audit Office has a £1m black hole because of pension liabilities that were not disclosed in its annual accounts. To say that this is a problem for Huw Vaughan Thomas, the new Auditor General for Wales who only started his job on the 1st of October, is an understatement.

According to evidence we received on the Public Accounts Committee yesterday, the management committee of the Wales Audit Office, the interim Auditor General, or the internal audit and risk management committee were not told about a severance package of a former employee. A Freedom of Information submission from Leanne Wood AM sparked this whole debate, showing that the severance payment of this former employee of the Audit Office did not appear in the Wales Audit Office accounts. We are informed that the payment to the former staff member is legal, but that the processes by which this was carried out did not conform to International Auditing Standards – standards that the Wales Audit Office demands of its public sector clients.

Much of the evidence that we took yesterday in committee had to take place in private session due to the ongoing case of the former Auditor General, Jeremy Coleman, who is alleged to have had indecent pictures on his work computer, and alleged to have possessed indecent photographs. A full and frank questioning session took place, and will be in the public domain following the court case.

Whatever can or cannot be discussed in public at the moment, the truth is that the way in which the Wales Audit Office operated did not comply with International Auditing Standards, and it is right and proper that this is investigated. I am astonished that in an office of auditors, this was a practice that has only now been identified. Naturally, people will question how an auditing body can criticise other public bodies for failing to adhere to internationally agreed rules if they do not adhere to them also.

People who avidly watch Senedd TV or read transcripts of the Public Accounts Committee will know that for some time I have been calling on the committee to look in to the governance arrangements and management structures of the Wales Audit Office. I called for it after hearing concerns from the trade union Prospect at allegations of bullying at the Wales Audit Office, and of staff grievances going unheard. It has been deeply frustrating that such an inquiry has not initiated, and that I have been told time and again that such issues should not concern the Public Accounts committee. Recent events clearly tell us that it is our interest to carry out work in this area.

I have been informed that we need additional powers as a committee to carry out this work – powers that a Welsh Minister could have applied for if the Constitutional Reform Bill had been passed in the wash up of the previous UK Parliament (I believe Andrew Davies AM, the former Finance Minister, had every intention of seeking such powers)  We are yet to see whether a bill by the new UK government will be introduced to allow for such powers to be sought by the Welsh Government, but I will certainly be lobbying for this on the committee.

We can’t lose sight of the fact that there are talented people who work for the Wales Audit Office, but there is a huge job to do in restoring faith in the Wales Audit Office following these revelations. Of course its welcoming to see that the new Auditor General is going to change the governance arrangements at the office, and that he is going to establish a new remuneration board. But this is motivation from one individual following lobbying by key individuals and trade unions. What is to say that when he leaves that any of the practices introduced will remain?

It is without doubt that our committee will return to this matter in the near future, notwithstanding the fact that we have questions to ask of the external auditors who accepted the accounts of the Audit Office when they did not comply with international standards. Who audits the auditors has been a question that has been asked for far too long, and this must be answered now. The recent Peer review commissioned by the former Auditor General did not, from what I read in the report, assess the accounts of the Wales Audit Office either, although it did address many of the governance issues. This matter can’t wait any longer to be addressed.

Dyma’r araith wnes i yn y Senedd yr wythnos diwethaf ar y mesur iaith. Os oes gennych unrhyw sylwadau eraill plis cysylltwch a mi.

Here is the speech I delivered last week at the Senedd on the Welsh Language measure. If you have any additional comments on this issue, please feel free to get in touch.

Bethan Jenkins: Yr wyf yn diolch i’r Gweinidog am ei datganiad heddiw, ac yn croesawu’r datganiad hwnnw, sy’n rhoi mwy o eglurder ar y sefyllfa o ran statws swyddogol i’r iaith. Yr wyf yn credu ei bod yn bwysig inni ganolbwyntio ar y ffordd ymlaen ac ar sut y gallwn sicrhau nad oes unrhyw anghydraddoldeb rhwng y Gymraeg a Saesneg yn ein cymdeithas. Ar ol gwrando ar y Gweinidog, yr wyf yn gobeithio y bydd yn derbyn y gwelliannau sy’n deillio o’r cam nesaf yn y broses deddfu. Dyna pam yr ydym ni, fel grŵp, wedi cael ein siomi gan agwedd y Toriaid heddiw. Mae’n amlwg nad ydynt yn deall y broses fel y mae, ac maent yn ceisio chwarae gemau gwleidyddol gyda’r iaith Gymraeg.

Yn y drafodaeth hon, mae angen inni ganolbwyntio ar hawliau oherwydd bod llawer o bobl a grwpiau pwyso wedi mynegi eu consyrn am hyn i Aelodau. Yn ol y grwpiau hyn, y prif bwynt yw nad yw’r Mesur arfaethedig yn rhoi hawliau i unigolion, er bod hawliau yn cael eurhoi i gwmniau. Er enghraifft, byddai gan gwmniau yr hawl i apelio yn erbyn safonau a gweithredu’r safonau. Yr wyf yn deall y pwynt am hawliau torfol a chynrychiolaeth i unigolion gan y comisiynydd ond, Weinidog, a ydych yn derbyn bod y Mesur arfaethedig fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, yn sgil cyfyngiadau y Gorchymyn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol gwreiddiol, yn galluogi busnesau i apelio yn erbyn penderfyniadau sy’n eu hymrwymo i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eu gwaith, er nad oes hawl ar hyn o bryd gan unigolion? Er enghraifft, nid oes darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer pobl i fynnu gwersi nofio yn y gymuned. Felly, a fedrwchystyried y posibilrwydd o osod hawl cyfreithiol yn y Mesur arfaethedig i sicrhau hawliau unigolion a chryfhau hawl moesol sydd yn bodoli o dan Ddeddf 1993?

Bu llawer iawn o bwyslais ar rol y comisiynydd fel eiriolwr dros yr iaith Gymraeg yn yr hyn sydd wedi cael ei drafod hyd yn hyn. Fodd bynnag, mae rhai pobl wedi dweud bod angen gwahanu’r rol hyrwyddo oddi wrth rol rheoleiddio y comisiynydd. Fel yr ydym wedi gweld gyda hanes Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg, efallai ei bod yn beryglus inni ddibynnu ar un corff neu unigolyn. Yr ydym wedi gweld enghreifftiau lle nad ywrhai cwmniau a busnesau wedi glynu at eu cynlluniau iaith, a rhaid inni sicrhau bod hyrwyddo a rheoleiddio ar wahan, ac felly, byddwn yn croesawu eglurhad cryfach o sut y gellir sicrhau hwn.

Fel cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar hawliau dynol, ceiswyr lloches a ffoaduriaid, y mater arall sy’n bwysig imi yw’r ffaith nad yw’r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol wedi rhoi tystiolaeth i’r pwyllgor a oedd yn trafod y mater hwn. Deallaf nad yw’r iaith Gymraeg yn un o’i brif feysydd o ddiddordeb ochr yn ochr a meysydd fel hawliau i bobl sydd ag anableddau, a materion yn ywneud a rhywioldeb a hil. Fodd bynnag, yn fy marn i, mae’r ddadl am hawliau ieithyddol yn cydymffurfio a’i rol fel corff sydd yn amddiffyn hawliau dynol. Felly, dylai’r iaith fod yn rhan o hynny. Hoffwn gael mwy o eglurder ynglŷn a rol y sefydliad yn hynny o beth: pa un ai a fydd yn gweithio gyda’r comisiynydd neu bellach yn gweld nad oes rol iddoo ran amddiffyn yr iaith. Gallwn longyfarch y Llywodraeth am ddod a hyn yn ei flaen. Croesawaf fwy o drafodaeth yn y dyfodol a gobeithiaf y gwneir newidiadau cadarnhaol i’r Mesur arfaethedig er mwyn inni hyrwyddo’r iaith Gymraeg yng Nghymru.

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Bethan Jenkins: I thank the Minister for this statement today, which I welcome. It gives more clarity on the situation with regard to official status for the language. I believe that it is important that we concentrate on the way forward and on the way in which we can ensure that there is no inequality between the Welsh and English languages in our society. Having listened to the Minister, I hope that he will accept the amendments emanating from the next stage of the legislative process. That is why we, as a group, have been disappointed by the Tories’ attitude today. It is obvious that they do not understand the process as it stands, and they are trying to play political games with the Welsh language.

In this discussion, it is necessary for us to concentrate on rights because many people and pressure groups have been communicating their concerns about this to Assembly Members. According to these groups, the main point is that the proposed Measure does not give rights to individuals, while they are provided to bodies and organisations. For example, companies would have the right to appeal against standards and the implementation of standards. I understand the point about collective rights and representation for individuals by the commissioner, but, Minister, do you accept that, as it stands, the proposed Measure, given the limitations of the original legislative competence Order, would enable businesses to appeal against decisions that require them to use the Welsh language in their work, while this right does not currently exist for individuals? For example, there is no Welsh-medium provision for those wishing to learn to swim. Therefore, can you consider the possibility of placing a legal right in the proposed Measure to ensure the rights of individuals and to strengthen the moral right that exists under the 1993 Act?

There has been a great deal of emphasis on the commissioner’s role as an advocate of the Welsh language in the discussionso far. However, some people have stated that we need to separate the promotional and regulatory roles of the commissioner. As we have seen with the history of the Welsh Language Board, it is perhaps dangerous for us to depend on one organisation or individual. There have been examples of companies and businesses not adhering to their language schemes, and we must ensure that promotion and regulation are separate, and I would therefore welcome a stronger explanation of how that can be secured.

As the chair of the cross-party group on human rights, asylum seekers and refugees, the other issue that is important to me is that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has not given evidence to the committee that dealt with this issue. I am given to understand that it does not define the Welsh language as being part of its main areas of interest alongside areas such as disability rights or matters relating to sexuality or race equality. However, in my opinion, the debate on language rights complies with its role as a body that protects human rights. Therefore, language should be a part of that. I would like more clarity about the role of the organisation in that regard: whether it will work with the commissioner, or whether it no longer sees that it has a role in protecting the language. We can congratulate the Government for taking this forward. I welcome further discussion in the future and I hope that positive changes are made to the proposed Measure in order for us to promote the Welsh language in Wales.

AS PEOPLE who read this blog will know, I have been campaigning for some time with Plaid members in the Maesteg area against the changes to the rostering system at Nantyffyllon Fire Station. Labour party members in the area have tried to say that Plaid were in favour of the Fire Authority’s plans, but this was not – and is not – the case.

The fact that people from political parties across the spectrum have been putting pressure on the Fire Authority not to adopt these new plans has led to the situation whereby the Fire Authority’s executive rejected the plans last week, and agreed to put forward the FBU’s alternative idea at today’s meeting.

The lobby of the fire authority that was meant to happen today has therefore been cancelled. The FBU progressed with its campaign against cuts by the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service but, as we know, the dispute began when management went ahead with a public consultation exercise which included the imposition of a self-rostering duty system. This could have imposed 96 hour shifts on fire crews, and management failed to consult the trade union, according to discussions I have had with them.

Talks are now going to start this week following a robust response from the FBU who held a consultative ballot about taking industrial action supported by a public campaign against cuts in firefighters jobs, and the unacceptable changes to the working patterns. The consultative ballot for strike action is still live and a decision is expected soon, but I hear that strike action is now far less likely given that the FBU’s alternative is being put to the Fire Authority members today. Well done to all those who have supported the FBU and the firefighters in this campaign.

THE loss of 225 jobs at TRW Automotive in Resolven represents a personal tragedy for those involved, and a fresh economic calamity for the Neath Valley and surrounding areas.

There was a time – and not that long ago – when thousands of workers in and around Swansea were employed in the automotive industry, with three employers in particular – Ford in Swansea, TRW Automotive, and Lucas in Ystradgynlais – providing the kind of secure grandfather to father to son career path that marked out Welsh and British engineering.

Those days are long behind us. What really did for them was globalisation – or, rather, the possibilities for savings that globalisation presented to these big manufacturers. Why pay generous, Western economy-level salaries with final salary pension schemes when you can produce the same for around a third of the price in the developing world without the inconvenience of pay (and conditions) bargaining unions?

Ford were among the first to glimpse the opportunities. Talk to the former Visteon workers and they will tell you their view that the chance to dump its pension obligations was an added benefit for Ford when it spun its parts business out and created Visteon. The intention was to move away from the ‘wooden dollar’ system, where the cost of a part was included in the price of the car, towards an internal market, in which plants across the world would compete against one another – often in the same company – for contracts. Rising skills levels in emerging economies made this possible.

From the outset, Ford didn’t give Visteon UK a chance. It forced on the new company the pay and pension contributions it was committed to with staff that transferred from Ford to Visteon UK, and within three months asked it to reduce its prices by a third. Of course, Visteon UK played a significant part in its own demise, but that’s another story.

But the legacy of such profit maximising leaves a reservoir of now-unused, highly-skilled engineers in and around Neath and Swansea. What do we do with these workers? Do we expect them to work in Starbucks, or in another multinational service industry business? What real benefit does that bring the local and Welsh economies when profits are delivered to shareholders outside of Wales? How does it encourage economic development when important decisions are taken in boardrooms in the US, or France, or London (assuming they are decided at boardroom level)?

TRW Automotive now joins this automotive tradition. It simply isn’t enough that we look to encourage new businesses into the areas where such companies have closed up shop. It’s about matching up workforces with requirements and retaining a degree of control so that we can manage and grow the Welsh economy.

I asked, during a short debate on Visteon back in April, whether we want companies like Ford in Wales. When Linamar announced its closure earlier this year, workers there told me that Ford had lifted not a finger to help. The company has received millions from both the UK Government and the Welsh Assembly Government so that it can build its Ecotec engine in Bridgend, but none of the components will be sourced in Wales. In short, Ford controls its involvement in the economy to its own end, which can be quite some way from what is good for the welsh economy.

Both TRW Automotive and Visteon/Linamar boasted workers that could produce components that couldn’t be built anywhere else in the world. That has to count for something when we are marketing our skills.

I would like to see the creation of indigenous businesses whose roots in Wales would leave them more attuned to the economy, culture and traditions of this country. We simply don’t have enough world-beating businesses. Why do we not have a Scottish Power, for example? Wales is crammed with energy possibilities, from carbon fuels to renewables. Sure, there are variables, like being able to invest in a delivery network, but if Scotland can manage it, why can’t Wales?

On a personal level, it simply isn’t good enough to “retrain” proud and time-served engineers as baristas. Having purpose in work has been proven to bring benefits for communities, and businesses that lay down proper roots, that bring to the communities in which they are situated prosperity – real prosperity, as opposed to 30-odd low-skilled positions, deliver benefits in other ways, too.

We now have the opportunity with the Economic Renewal Programme, we have a real opportunity to move away from the mistakes of the past, to re-purpose our economy in a way that brings long-lasting and meaningful benefit.

So we know the problem, and the goal. I’d be interested in hearing, from businesses and elsewhere, how we can get there.

I AM FEELING a little tired after running the Kidney Wales 10k as part of the Plaid Cymru team. The political parties category was sponsored by Positif Politics, and I am pleased to tell you that the Plaid team won. I hope this now reflects the result of the Assembly elections next year, of course;-) Thanks to the Plaid team members who ran so well, and who dedicated their time to supporting an important National charity. Yes, I missed the last night of Conference I’m afraid, but it was worth it.

I had a good time at Plaid Conference. It’s difficult not to in Aberystwyth. I was pleased that the party members retained our stance against top-up fees in Wales and that we will oppose further increases to fees if the UK Government decides to do so following the Browne review. It’s an important Plaid policy, and members of the youth wing as well as others spoke passionately in its favour.

I was also pleased that the motions that I drafted for the Neath branch and for Undeb were passed. Discussions on the future of social care, pensions investment and broadcasting were all very lively. I also had the chance to speak at a few fringe meetings – one hosted by the Welsh Refugee Council Council, discussing the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers, as well as a meeting by Oxfam on women in India, and the experiences of Julian Rosser from Oxfam while in India. Its always important for political parties to look outside to other countries, and to see how we can learn from others, or adapt policies and ideas here in Wales.

I am now back to work in the region, and will update you on my work as the month goes by.

At the end of the week, I will be heading off to my favourite town by the sea, Aberystwyth, for Plaid conference. It’s an important conference in so much as that we now need to prepare for next year’s Assembly election, and the referendum on more powers for Wales. It is going to be a busy year, that’s for sure.

I am particularly looking forward to hearing a key note speech from the Plaid candidate for Neath, Alun Llewelyn. The Plaid team in Neath have worked so hard over the years, and so well together, and I am sure that we will hear about this dedication in his speech.

Not wishing to pre-empt what he will say too much, I do hope that he will talk about how we need to win more seats on the Council so that Plaid can take over the running of a tired, Labour-run Council, whose officials had the absurd idea of making Council staff members re-apply for their positions in a bid to cut costs.

I’ve written an article on this matter for the Evening Post, noting that I cannot see in these plans any suggestion of top managerial staff having to re-apply for their jobs. Talk about double standards. We need a breath of fresh air in the area, and I hope that Alun will work hard to win Neath next year, so that this can build momentum for the Council elections in 2012. I find it very difficult to progress local concerns and issues with Neath Port Talbot Council at the moment, especially in corresponding with it regarding school closures and public sector pay. Labour need to realise that they can’t take people for granted and that they need to take on board concerns from ALL elected representatives in the area- not just from Labour representatives.

I’ve put forward three motions via the Neath Plaid Cymru branch that are being discussed at the Plaid Conference. One is on social care – initiated as a result of our campaign in Glyn Neath against the closure of Trem y Glyn care home. I also put forward a motion on the future of the media in Wales as a result of the serious lack of plurality in news in South Wales West, and the attempts by a new local social enterprise in the Port Talbot-Neath area to provide more local based news. I also introduced a motion on pensions investment- specifically due to the work that I have carried out in the Swansea area to support the former Visteon pensioners who are now taking legal action against Ford for misselling pensions.

All in all, it should be an interesting conference. In the meantime, I am progressing work on my consultation response to Neath Port Talbot’s Local Development Plan. I will blog further on this matter, but last week I organised a public meeting, which was packed, alongside Plaid activists in Aberdulais who are very concerned about large scale plans for the area that may affect the woodland of the village, the traffic, the wildlife, and the amenities in the village if the plans are accepted as part of the LDP. A local group of people are now setting up a stakeholder group to put forward their views to the council formally, and if you want to get involved in this group, then please just get in touch with me.