Following concerns raised by members of the Breakthro’ Llanelli group, Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster candidate for Llanelli, and Breakthro’ sponsor, supported committee members when they met with Robin Moulster the Senior Principal Officer for Learning Disabilities on Friday. The group which supports social activities for children and adults with learning disabilities also helps them integrate in to society. Last year Carmarthenshire County Council asked the group to separate its activities for children and adults leading to doubling staff costs with no additional income. Myfanwy raised the issue of funds for the group and asked for a meeting with a senior official at the County Council. At the meeting which was eventually held last Friday, Myfanwy and the committee members described the range of activities that Breakthro undertakes and their value to the children and adults. They also explained how the shortfall of £5,000 in funding would mean that the group could not continue after this year. Myfanwy and committee members were delighted that Mr.Moulster pledged £1,500 in funding immediately and also promised to try to find funds to meet the remaining funding gap.
Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:
“I’m delighted that the Council has decided to support the important work that Breakthro’ in Llanelli does. Social activities might not seem to be a priority but they are the chance for many of these young people to have a social life. The young people also have tasks in Breakthro’ like organising rotas, collecting funds and in some cases learn skills like DJ-ing and sitting on committees. The skills the young people learn help them integrate and nobody who has seen them raising funds in the town centre would say that they are not happy and confident in each other’s company”
“We still have some way to go to address the rest of the funding gap. As ever, we will be raising money for the activities but alongside that, we’ll be working to find those with the County Council and others to restore the money that will allow us to pay a part-time wage to our convenor who is currently working for free”.
Wednesday 25 March 2009
Sunday 15 March 2009
Myfanwy calls on Westminster Government to scrap ID card scheme to save schools and hospitals
Responding to the news that Wales may face a £500 million cut in public spending next year, Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster candidate for Llanelli, has backed local teacher Aerona Edwards in calling on the Westminster Government to abandon its controversial plan to introduce ID cards. Myfanwy and Mrs Edwards are calling on Gordon Brown’s Government to redistribute the money to protect basic services like education and health.
Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:
“The ID card scheme goes way beyond establishing a secure ID card. It will be more extensive than anything existing in another country and will give the Home Secretary unprecedented powers over an individual’s actions. Scrapping the scheme is clearly the right thing to do.
“The Government’s confused response to the financial crisis also means that public services face a huge cut in Wales next year. Given that the Government’s own figures showed the cost of the ID card scheme would be £5.5 billion, scrapping it would release funds that we desperately need to protect our jobs and public services like schools and hospitals”.
“In terms of introducing direct and unaccountable power over its citizens this government has shown itself to be more destructive than even the Thatcher government was. They have to stop putting their own narrow priorities first and take action now to protect the public services all of us need and deserve”.
Aerona Edwards a former secondary school teacher from Cleviston Park, Llangennech added:
“It's hard to imagine what a cut of 500 million would do to schools in Wales. Cuts in education put children's chances in life at risk and they affect the most vulnerable children most. Gordon Brown’s Government has admitted that ID cards won’t stop terrorists. The scheme is completely unnecessary and it won't work. I would ask Gordon Brown to reconsider because we so badly need the money for our schools”.
Helen Mary Jones’ initial press release on spending cuts to Wales: http://www.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=101;ID=1128;lID=1
The ID card plans will allow the, Home Secretary to cancel or require surrender of an identity card, without a right of appeal, at any time. For more information see: http://www.no2id.net/
Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:
“The ID card scheme goes way beyond establishing a secure ID card. It will be more extensive than anything existing in another country and will give the Home Secretary unprecedented powers over an individual’s actions. Scrapping the scheme is clearly the right thing to do.
“The Government’s confused response to the financial crisis also means that public services face a huge cut in Wales next year. Given that the Government’s own figures showed the cost of the ID card scheme would be £5.5 billion, scrapping it would release funds that we desperately need to protect our jobs and public services like schools and hospitals”.
“In terms of introducing direct and unaccountable power over its citizens this government has shown itself to be more destructive than even the Thatcher government was. They have to stop putting their own narrow priorities first and take action now to protect the public services all of us need and deserve”.
Aerona Edwards a former secondary school teacher from Cleviston Park, Llangennech added:
“It's hard to imagine what a cut of 500 million would do to schools in Wales. Cuts in education put children's chances in life at risk and they affect the most vulnerable children most. Gordon Brown’s Government has admitted that ID cards won’t stop terrorists. The scheme is completely unnecessary and it won't work. I would ask Gordon Brown to reconsider because we so badly need the money for our schools”.
Helen Mary Jones’ initial press release on spending cuts to Wales: http://www.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=101;ID=1128;lID=1
The ID card plans will allow the, Home Secretary to cancel or require surrender of an identity card, without a right of appeal, at any time. For more information see: http://www.no2id.net/
Thursday 5 March 2009
Elfyn Llwyd MP will meet with British Legion Officers in Llanelli to discuss support for servicepeople
Dr. Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, has invited Elfyn Llwyd MP for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy and leader of Plaid’s Parliamentary Party to meet with representatives of the Royal Britsh Legion in Llanelli on Friday 6th March.
The meeting will take place at 2pm in room 4 in the Town Hall. Aerona Stupe, the regional director of the Royal British Legion is expected to be present, along with the chair and officers of the Llanelli branch.
Mr. Llwyd has recently raised concerns about the support provided to service people during and after their time in the forces.
Following a number of cases of ex-servicemen convicted of criminal offences in Wales, Mr. Llwyd tried to obtain figures on the number of ex-service people in prison and received an unsatisfactory reply. He then contacted the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) to conduct a survey of its members. Evidence unearthed by the survey indicates that thousands of former armed services personnel who served either in the Gulf or Afghanistan have been convicted of criminal offences and sentenced to a term of imprisonment following discharge from the army*. The results have caused real concern as they suggest that as many as 8,500 former soldiers are currently in custody in the UK - almost 10% of the prison population for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - with over 7000 of those in custody in England and Wales. The case histories show that the majority of ex-soldiers suffered at some stage or another from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that very few had received any counselling or support at any time after their discharge from the Army.
Elfyn Llwyd who has previously campaigned on Gulf War Syndrome, succeeded in obtaining a debate on support for service people during and after service. As a result of the Westminster Hall debate on 21st of October 2008 , extra psychologists have been sent out to Afghanistan and Iraq and the Government are looking into ways to care for veterans once they return home.
Mr Llwyd said:
"Having come across several incidents where members of the armed forces were committing offences which really were a cry for help, I tabled a parliamentary question which gave a somewhat innocuous answer. I wasn't happy with that because I have witnessed ex-servicemen being sentenced for serious assaults in courts in North Wales and these offences were occurring with worrying regularity.
If this is a matter of resources, then that will not wash**. At a time when serving soldiers must make do with inferior kit, failure to act on the problem will be seen as further evidence that the Government has breached the covenant with the armed services in the most serious way.
Speaking from her office in Llanelli on Tuesday Myfanwy Davies said:
“It is deeply worrying that at a time when the armed forces are recruiting very actively from our communities, they have not been offering the most basic support needed by young men and women who have undertaken this difficult, dangerous and often traumatic task. If proper treatment had been available for these disturbed servicemen, I am convinced that 100s if not 1000s would not have offended. The government is letting them and their families down very badly indeed.
“Elfyn’s work in pursuing this issue and obtaining more psychological support has drawn wide acclaim and I am very pleased that he is coming to Llanelli to meet with representatives of the British Legion.”
The meeting will take place at 2pm in room 4 in the Town Hall. Aerona Stupe, the regional director of the Royal British Legion is expected to be present, along with the chair and officers of the Llanelli branch.
Mr. Llwyd has recently raised concerns about the support provided to service people during and after their time in the forces.
Following a number of cases of ex-servicemen convicted of criminal offences in Wales, Mr. Llwyd tried to obtain figures on the number of ex-service people in prison and received an unsatisfactory reply. He then contacted the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) to conduct a survey of its members. Evidence unearthed by the survey indicates that thousands of former armed services personnel who served either in the Gulf or Afghanistan have been convicted of criminal offences and sentenced to a term of imprisonment following discharge from the army*. The results have caused real concern as they suggest that as many as 8,500 former soldiers are currently in custody in the UK - almost 10% of the prison population for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - with over 7000 of those in custody in England and Wales. The case histories show that the majority of ex-soldiers suffered at some stage or another from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that very few had received any counselling or support at any time after their discharge from the Army.
Elfyn Llwyd who has previously campaigned on Gulf War Syndrome, succeeded in obtaining a debate on support for service people during and after service. As a result of the Westminster Hall debate on 21st of October 2008 , extra psychologists have been sent out to Afghanistan and Iraq and the Government are looking into ways to care for veterans once they return home.
Mr Llwyd said:
"Having come across several incidents where members of the armed forces were committing offences which really were a cry for help, I tabled a parliamentary question which gave a somewhat innocuous answer. I wasn't happy with that because I have witnessed ex-servicemen being sentenced for serious assaults in courts in North Wales and these offences were occurring with worrying regularity.
If this is a matter of resources, then that will not wash**. At a time when serving soldiers must make do with inferior kit, failure to act on the problem will be seen as further evidence that the Government has breached the covenant with the armed services in the most serious way.
Speaking from her office in Llanelli on Tuesday Myfanwy Davies said:
“It is deeply worrying that at a time when the armed forces are recruiting very actively from our communities, they have not been offering the most basic support needed by young men and women who have undertaken this difficult, dangerous and often traumatic task. If proper treatment had been available for these disturbed servicemen, I am convinced that 100s if not 1000s would not have offended. The government is letting them and their families down very badly indeed.
“Elfyn’s work in pursuing this issue and obtaining more psychological support has drawn wide acclaim and I am very pleased that he is coming to Llanelli to meet with representatives of the British Legion.”
Sunday 1 March 2009
Myfanwy calls for a dialogue with County Officers on meeting the needs of autistic adults and planning new services
Dr. Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, has called on her colleague Helen Mary Jones, Llanelli’s Plaid AM, to ensure that Carmarthenshire looks after its autistic adults and understands the needs of autistic children in order to plan services. In April last year Wales became the first country in the world to introduce a national strategic action plan to help the estimated 30,000 people in Wales directly or indirectly affected by autism.
The Welsh Assembly Government’s Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Strategic Action Plan aims to ensure that county council education, housing and social service departments work together to improve the lives of people with autism. The plan was funded in the first year (2008/09) through 1.8 million pounds to be shared between our 22 Councils.
During the first years, County Councils are expected to assess the need for autism services in their areas and to give a full account of all the services available to people with autism from childhood through to adulthood. Responding to the National Autistic Society’s campaign to raise awareness of the mapping and needs assessment, Myfanwy has called on Helen Mary to meet with council officials to discuss the exercise in the County.
Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:
“I’m delighted that Helen has agreed to call meetings with the council’s representatives so that they can report on progress in mapping existing services and assessing the need for new services. Families need to know what progress has been made and how they can contribute to these processes which will be so important for planning future services”.
“Parents have particular concerns about funding services for autistic adults. There are excellent projects in the county that enable adults with autism to live independent and full lives. For example intensive supportive housing schemes combine a high level of care but still allow adults to keep their benefits so they can maintain independence through paying rent and contributing to carers’ pay”.
“However alongside these examples there is a sense of disappointment among the families of autistic children that young people with autism who are too old to use children’s social services are not routinely provided with the same support services”.
Helen Mary has requested to meet with Bruce McLernon, Director of Social Care and Housing in Carmarthenshire.
The Welsh Assembly Government’s Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Strategic Action Plan aims to ensure that county council education, housing and social service departments work together to improve the lives of people with autism. The plan was funded in the first year (2008/09) through 1.8 million pounds to be shared between our 22 Councils.
During the first years, County Councils are expected to assess the need for autism services in their areas and to give a full account of all the services available to people with autism from childhood through to adulthood. Responding to the National Autistic Society’s campaign to raise awareness of the mapping and needs assessment, Myfanwy has called on Helen Mary to meet with council officials to discuss the exercise in the County.
Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:
“I’m delighted that Helen has agreed to call meetings with the council’s representatives so that they can report on progress in mapping existing services and assessing the need for new services. Families need to know what progress has been made and how they can contribute to these processes which will be so important for planning future services”.
“Parents have particular concerns about funding services for autistic adults. There are excellent projects in the county that enable adults with autism to live independent and full lives. For example intensive supportive housing schemes combine a high level of care but still allow adults to keep their benefits so they can maintain independence through paying rent and contributing to carers’ pay”.
“However alongside these examples there is a sense of disappointment among the families of autistic children that young people with autism who are too old to use children’s social services are not routinely provided with the same support services”.
Helen Mary has requested to meet with Bruce McLernon, Director of Social Care and Housing in Carmarthenshire.
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