Dr. Myfanwy Davies, Plaid's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Llanelli and local Plaid AM, Helen Mary Jones, have welcomed a u-turn from Labour over support for older disabled people. Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance previously been under threat to pay for Government schemes in England.
The Government has now promised that they will no longer be looking to change them in the next Parliament.
Myfanwy and Helen Mary had supported local disabilities and pensions campaigners in fighting the threat and had worked closely with Plaid colleagues in Westminster to oppose these changes which would have seen thousands of elderly and vulnerable people in Llanelli between £65 and £75 per week worse off on average.
Dr. Davies said:
“This U-turn doesn’t come a moment too soon– although some might question its timing just before a general election”.
Across Llanelli, 4,000 people depend on Attendance allowance while 8,000 people depend on Disability Living Allowance.
“These people are all either disabled or over the age of 65, the groups least likely to be able to live on their own and look after themselves.
“The proposals that Labour made last summer put enormous pressure on our most vulnerable people. It is wrong that so many of them and their families have had to live with the uncertainty about how they would manage to live independently if this support was taken away”.
“It was unacceptable that the Government suggested these cruel cuts in the first place”.
“They are not doing our most vulnerable people a favour by removing the threat that they themselves made.”
Helen Mary added:
“We have fought these changes since they were first suggested and we have been supporting local disability rights and pensioners groups in putting pressure on the Government to change its mind”.
“It is clear that the combined pressure has helped the Government towards this last minute conversion”.
“We should not have needed to defend support for the most vulnerable but, time and again, we have had to do so. Decisions on support for our most vulnerable need to be made by the Assembly in Cardiff so that we can avoid the distress caused to so many older and disabled people by these cruel cuts initially planned by Labour.”
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary back local businesses saying ‘Fuel duty hike must be postponed’
Plaid Cymru’s Myfanwy Davies and Helen Mary Jones have today (23/03) called for a freeze on fuel duty ahead of the Budget on Wednesday.
Fuel duty is set to rise by 2.55 pence per litre from April 2010 (1% above the rate of inflation) which will cost the average family an extra £200 a year and cause further problems to small businesses already struggling with higher fuel duties. Plaid has insisted that this duty hike should be postponed.
Campaign organisations such as the Road Haulage Association have come out in support of Plaid’s calls for a fair fuel duty regulator. Under such a plan, an unexpected spike in petrol prices would lead to a freeze on fuel duty.
MPs from Plaid and the SNP have tabled a an official statement urging a freeze on fuel duty and repeating calls for the establishment of a fuel duty regulator.
Arwyn Price of Gwynne Price Coaches in Trimsaran said:
“This has been our family business since 1956 and times have seldom been harder. I received the new diesel prices this morning, and even with a bulk discount, we will be paying nearly 10% more that in July last year and that is before the tax increase.
The Government is already raising fuel costs above the rate of inflation. When fuel cost goes up as it has, the least they can do is freeze the tax increase. If they don’t re-think in tomorrow’s budget, we are going to find things even more difficult”.
Myfanwy said:
“It is our communities - in and around - Llanelli that will feel the pinch of this fuel hike. Hard-working families are struggling to run a car, but these sky high fuel taxes also impact on prices in stores as costs rise to deliver food and other products to the shops. Our local businesses such as Gwynne Price Coaches and our many taxi companies make an enormous contribution to our local economy and will find it even more difficult to make ends meet”.
“After a year that has seen rocketing fuel prices, it is utterly irresponsible to ad to the burden facing local businesses and working families. Once again, the Labour Government is completely out of touch with communities like ours”.
Llanelli AM Helen Mary Jones added:
“This is just punishing ordinary people for a banking system failure that the London government helped to create. Our London-based friends simply don’t seem to understand the impact that rising fuel prices are having on ordinary people and communities.”
Plaid’s Westminster leader Elfyn Llwyd MP added:
“Rising fuel duty prices are already crippling industry – but it is also an unfair burden on struggling families, small businesses, rural areas in particular, and also sectors such as the emergency services will be hit especially hard by this.
“We will continue to fight this fuel hike and urge the introduction of a fuel duty regulator at the Budget to ensure price stability as well as lower fuel taxes.”
Fuel duty is set to rise by 2.55 pence per litre from April 2010 (1% above the rate of inflation) which will cost the average family an extra £200 a year and cause further problems to small businesses already struggling with higher fuel duties. Plaid has insisted that this duty hike should be postponed.
Campaign organisations such as the Road Haulage Association have come out in support of Plaid’s calls for a fair fuel duty regulator. Under such a plan, an unexpected spike in petrol prices would lead to a freeze on fuel duty.
MPs from Plaid and the SNP have tabled a an official statement urging a freeze on fuel duty and repeating calls for the establishment of a fuel duty regulator.
Arwyn Price of Gwynne Price Coaches in Trimsaran said:
“This has been our family business since 1956 and times have seldom been harder. I received the new diesel prices this morning, and even with a bulk discount, we will be paying nearly 10% more that in July last year and that is before the tax increase.
The Government is already raising fuel costs above the rate of inflation. When fuel cost goes up as it has, the least they can do is freeze the tax increase. If they don’t re-think in tomorrow’s budget, we are going to find things even more difficult”.
Myfanwy said:
“It is our communities - in and around - Llanelli that will feel the pinch of this fuel hike. Hard-working families are struggling to run a car, but these sky high fuel taxes also impact on prices in stores as costs rise to deliver food and other products to the shops. Our local businesses such as Gwynne Price Coaches and our many taxi companies make an enormous contribution to our local economy and will find it even more difficult to make ends meet”.
“After a year that has seen rocketing fuel prices, it is utterly irresponsible to ad to the burden facing local businesses and working families. Once again, the Labour Government is completely out of touch with communities like ours”.
Llanelli AM Helen Mary Jones added:
“This is just punishing ordinary people for a banking system failure that the London government helped to create. Our London-based friends simply don’t seem to understand the impact that rising fuel prices are having on ordinary people and communities.”
Plaid’s Westminster leader Elfyn Llwyd MP added:
“Rising fuel duty prices are already crippling industry – but it is also an unfair burden on struggling families, small businesses, rural areas in particular, and also sectors such as the emergency services will be hit especially hard by this.
“We will continue to fight this fuel hike and urge the introduction of a fuel duty regulator at the Budget to ensure price stability as well as lower fuel taxes.”
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary take fight to save Llanelli Bingo Club to London
Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones are backing Bingo players at Llanelli’s Argos Bingo club as they ask the Chancellor to take the last chance to scrap a tax hike from 15 to 20% on Bingo that may put the club’s future at risk.
Tomorrow (18/03), Myfanwy will join Bingo players from Llanelli as they present over 500 signed letters from local people in Llanelli to Treasury officials in Westminster. The letters, prepared by Myfanwy and Helen Mary, ask the chancellor to use the Spring Budget on March 24th, to scrap the tax hike.
Llanelli’s Bingo players plan to dress as daffodils and giant bingo balls and will protest against the tax hike in Parliament Square from 2.15 tomorrow afternoon. They plan to present the letters to the Treasury later in the afternoon.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Tomorrow (18/03), Myfanwy will join Bingo players from Llanelli as they present over 500 signed letters from local people in Llanelli to Treasury officials in Westminster. The letters, prepared by Myfanwy and Helen Mary, ask the chancellor to use the Spring Budget on March 24th, to scrap the tax hike.
Llanelli’s Bingo players plan to dress as daffodils and giant bingo balls and will protest against the tax hike in Parliament Square from 2.15 tomorrow afternoon. They plan to present the letters to the Treasury later in the afternoon.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary back Llanelli Bingo players in fight against unfair tax
Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones are backing Bingo players at Llanelli’s Argos Bingo club as they ask the Chancellor to reconsider a tax hike on Bingo that may put the club’s future in jeopardy. Myfanwy visited Argos Bingo Club on Monday March 1st to hand over letters to the Chancellor for bingo players to sign and return to them.
Last Summer the Labour Government announced it would drastically increase taxes on Bingo while taxes on all other forms of gambling would remain the same. Llanelli’s Bingo players travelled down to Westminster to protest against this unfair treatment. Myfanwy and Plaid MPs met with the protesters and offered their support. In contrast to Llanelli’s Labour MP, who voted for the tax increase, Plaid MPs have consistently voted against this unfair tax.
Nonetheless, tax on bingo is still increasing from 15-20% and will severely effect clubs such as the Argos in Llanelli. The last chance for the Government to review the decision will be at the Spring Budget and so Myfanwy and Helen Mary want to be sure that the Chancellor understands the depth of opposition to the changes in Llanelli before he makes those decisions.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
Why should casinos in London still be taxed at the original rate and the future of our Bingo club be put at risk? I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax and that he will reconsider adding this additional burden to one of our landmark town-centre businesses”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “These have been very difficult times. Particularly during January, we were seeing very few of our usual customers. We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Copies of the letter have been left at the Argos Club and will be presented to Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary Group, when he visits Llanelli next Monday (15th)
Last Summer the Labour Government announced it would drastically increase taxes on Bingo while taxes on all other forms of gambling would remain the same. Llanelli’s Bingo players travelled down to Westminster to protest against this unfair treatment. Myfanwy and Plaid MPs met with the protesters and offered their support. In contrast to Llanelli’s Labour MP, who voted for the tax increase, Plaid MPs have consistently voted against this unfair tax.
Nonetheless, tax on bingo is still increasing from 15-20% and will severely effect clubs such as the Argos in Llanelli. The last chance for the Government to review the decision will be at the Spring Budget and so Myfanwy and Helen Mary want to be sure that the Chancellor understands the depth of opposition to the changes in Llanelli before he makes those decisions.
Myfanwy said: “The last thing Llanelli needs is to loose the Argos Club. It is a place to meet and to socialise, particularly for older people, and it provides jobs in the town centre. Like many town centre businesses, the Argos Club has seen fewer customers coming through the doors and at a time like this, it deserves Government help - not this unfair tax-hike.
Why should casinos in London still be taxed at the original rate and the future of our Bingo club be put at risk? I hope the Chancellor will take this last chance to show that he understands communities like ours.”
Helen Mary said: “This is an unjust tax on people’s enjoyment. It is in hard times that you can tell what a Government’s priorities are. The Labour Government and it’s local MP, who voted to keep the tax increase last summer, have very different priorities from ours. But we hope that the letters will demonstrate to the Chancellor the depth of feeling against the tax and that he will reconsider adding this additional burden to one of our landmark town-centre businesses”.
Nigel Griffiths, Manager of the Argos Bingo Club said: “These have been very difficult times. Particularly during January, we were seeing very few of our usual customers. We hope very much that the Government will think again about raising the tax. After all, if it drives us all out of business, it will not be able to collect the tax in any case”.
Copies of the letter have been left at the Argos Club and will be presented to Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary Group, when he visits Llanelli next Monday (15th)
Thursday 4 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary raise concerns about addiction support for former soldiers
Myfanwy Davies, Plaid's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Llanelli and local Plaid AM, Helen Mary Jones, have raised concerns about support for service men and women in dealing with a drug and alcohol problems once they leave the Army.
Last week in the House of Commons (22/02), the Armed Forces Minister, announced that in 2008 and 2009 over a thousand soldiers had been discharged as a result of positive drug tests.Today (04/03), following a request from Myfanwy, Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary group submitted questions to the Minister asking what assistance was offered to these soldiers with a known drug habit once they had been discharged and what other help was available to them to help them adapt to civilian life.
Myfanwy said: “We are very worried about these figures because high levels of addiction are reported among former soldiers. It appears that for some, addiction problems may start when they are still in the Army and faced with the strain of a difficult and dangerous job with much less time between tours of duty that was recently the case.
The Army has a responsibility towards its soldiers while they are serving, but they also need support as they adapt to the difficulties of civilian life. How much more difficult must this transition be for a former soldier when he or she has a drugs problem? I am very pleased that my colleague Elfyn Llwyd was able to ask the Minister these important questions. Ex-soldiers and their families deserve our support.”
Helen Mary said: “Plaid in Westminster has worked very hard to get support for our former soldiers. These figures mean that we need to be pressing for the Army to take more responsibility for providing help with drug problems to former soldiers in civilian life”.
Elfyn Llwyd, said: “It is all very well for the Minister to say that the Army does not tolerate drug use but we need to know what assistance is offered to the soldiers who test positive for drugs when they are discharged. I believe that drug abuse is a growing problem within the Forces and particularly among former soldiers. I’m afraid this problem may continue to grow and so I look forward to hearing what the Minister intends to do to deal with this very serious problem.”
Last week in the House of Commons (22/02), the Armed Forces Minister, announced that in 2008 and 2009 over a thousand soldiers had been discharged as a result of positive drug tests.Today (04/03), following a request from Myfanwy, Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of the Plaid Parliamentary group submitted questions to the Minister asking what assistance was offered to these soldiers with a known drug habit once they had been discharged and what other help was available to them to help them adapt to civilian life.
Myfanwy said: “We are very worried about these figures because high levels of addiction are reported among former soldiers. It appears that for some, addiction problems may start when they are still in the Army and faced with the strain of a difficult and dangerous job with much less time between tours of duty that was recently the case.
The Army has a responsibility towards its soldiers while they are serving, but they also need support as they adapt to the difficulties of civilian life. How much more difficult must this transition be for a former soldier when he or she has a drugs problem? I am very pleased that my colleague Elfyn Llwyd was able to ask the Minister these important questions. Ex-soldiers and their families deserve our support.”
Helen Mary said: “Plaid in Westminster has worked very hard to get support for our former soldiers. These figures mean that we need to be pressing for the Army to take more responsibility for providing help with drug problems to former soldiers in civilian life”.
Elfyn Llwyd, said: “It is all very well for the Minister to say that the Army does not tolerate drug use but we need to know what assistance is offered to the soldiers who test positive for drugs when they are discharged. I believe that drug abuse is a growing problem within the Forces and particularly among former soldiers. I’m afraid this problem may continue to grow and so I look forward to hearing what the Minister intends to do to deal with this very serious problem.”
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