Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate, has obtained data from the Environment Agency that show levels of sewage in the Burry Inlet from Pembrey that are once again in breach of European standards. Readings for sewage bacteria (Feacal Coliforms and Feacal Streptococci) in the inlet rose from 10 parts per 100 ml. on July 1st and 32 on the 9th July to 400 on the 17th July and 420 on the 23rd July. During July, sewage bacteria thus increased by more than three thousand percent (3000%). This follows heavy rain on the night of the 15/16th during which the Ashburnham sewage pump discharged untreated sewage for 12 hours. As heavy rain also fell on the night of July the 28/29th, it is expected that levels of sewage bacteria will continue to be very high during the next week.
While these reading are classified as ‘good’ by the UK and EU standards, the Environment Agency’s own figures show they are many times worse than the vast majority of beaches in Wales tested by the Agency. In addition UK/EU standards of ‘good’ water quality have been criticised for causing a number of health risks. Conditions proven to be associated with sewage pollution in bathing water within acceptable (‘good’) UK/EU levels are problems of the digestive tract and skin diseases. The EU has much higher bathing water standards than these where sea life is in danger of being poisoned by algae growing on sewage particles (eutrification). Since 2002, parts of the Burry Inlet have been classified as being at risk in this way.
Following an intervention by Dr. Davies on 30th June, Plaid MEP, Jill Evans met with representatives of the European Commission to inform them of recent levels of sewage pollution and continuing cockle deaths in the Inlet. As a result of this meeting, infringement proceedings, leading to a possible £1 million per day fine on the UK Government, have been started. Ms. Evans will be informing the European Commission of the recent surge in pollution.
Dr. Davies said:“The Environment Agency allows Dŵr Cymru to release raw sewage into the inlet in circumstances where sewage would otherwise flow back towards people’s homes. Of course discharging sewage is better than allowing it to flood people’s homes, but it is shocking that Dŵr Cymru continues to put people in Llanelli, Pembrey and Burry Port in this position.”
“Following a report form the UK Government on the need to separate sewage and storm water, it is likely that Welsh law will make the separation of sewage and storm water compulsory. In the light of this, Dŵr Cymru has publicly committed itself to separate sewage and storm water by replacing old and deficient pipes such as those that have served Llanelli, Burry Port and Pembrey for decades. The company has also indicated its intention to build a new water treatment works, but what we need to see is a timetable for replacing the pipes and building the sewage works. We pay high water rates in Llanelli and it is right that we expect Dŵr Cymru to respect its obligation to us to keep us and our homes safe and to preserve the cockle industry.”
Cllr Robin Burn from Pembrey said: “People in Pembrey and all along the inlet should not have to accept that their bathing water is polluted time and again because the sewage processing plant at Bynea is inadequate. UK Standards for bathing water are low and pose risks to people’s health. Added to that, the estuary is a particularly sensitive area and we are in danger of losing the cockle industry. Dŵr Cymru must commit to building the new water treatment works.”
Cllr Malcolm Davies of Pembrey added:
“People in Pembrey are worried that once again Cefn Sidan next year will not be awarded a blue flag. This is in marked contrast to the increase in Welsh beaches that reach this level and there are fears that it will have an effect on people’s confidence in the safety of the water and their willingness to visit Pembrey. It is very frustrating that the Environment agency, which is the body that awards Blue Flags is also the body that allows this pollution to happen when there is a storm”.
Notes to Editor:
Welsh Water/ Dŵr Cymru response to the DEFRA paper calling for a halt to releasing surface water through the sewage system can be found at: http://www.dwrcymru.co.uk/English/library/publications/surface%20water%20management%20strategy/english.pdf
For complications associated with sewage pollution within acceptable EU/UK levels see for example: Prieto, MD et al. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55:442-447. http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/55/6/442
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
Myfanwy fights to keep Jobforce scheme to help Llanelli’s children out of poverty
Responding figures that show an increase in the number of children living in poverty in Wales, Dr Myfanwy Davies Plaid’s Westminster Candidate for Llanelli has strongly criticised Government plans to cut funding for a scheme that helps Llanelli’s lone parents back into work or training.
Myfanwy is joining the fight to save a scheme offered by jobforce Wales that provides free childcare to lone parents so the can work or complete the training they need to return to work.
Myfanwy said:
“The official figures show more children in Wales slipping back into poverty which will have a huge effect on the choices they have in life. Next week Parliament will discuss the Child Poverty Bill that aims to take some of the positive steps our Assembly has already taken towards eradicating child poverty. I welcome the debate and it is a wholly good thing to introduce targets for raising parents’ income such as those proposed in the Bill. But those targets are meaningless while Gordon Brown is still planning vicious cuts in schemes that help parents back to work”.
“One very concrete example of the UK Government’s failure to deal with child poverty is the fact that the New Deal for Lone Parents in Llanelli has come to the end of its funding. There are dozens of lone parents in Llanelli who have expressed an interest in taking up training but can’t do so because they do not have the resources to look after their kids. I will be raising this issue with our AM Helen Mary Jones in her role as Chair of the Assembly Children’s Committee”.
“It is all very well for Gordon Brown and his self-serving MPs to set targets they know will not be met they need to take this chance to put the needs of our families in Llanelli first”.
Diwedd / Ends
Notes to Editor:
In Wales, 32% of children now face living in a home which has less than 60% of the average UK household income. In 1999, the average level of risk that that Welsh child would be in a household that fell below the poverty line was 35%.
While the level of poverty appears to be rising in Wales, in Scotland the rate continues to fall, now standing at 25% of children at risk. Northern Ireland has also kept poverty levels stable at 26%.
Link to the full Rowntree Foundation Report:http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/end-child-poverty-wales-summary.pdf
Next Tuesday Parliament will begin to discuss The Child Poverty Bill that will require the Government reports on progress towards eradicating child poverty and includes targets on increasing family income
Myfanwy is joining the fight to save a scheme offered by jobforce Wales that provides free childcare to lone parents so the can work or complete the training they need to return to work.
Myfanwy said:
“The official figures show more children in Wales slipping back into poverty which will have a huge effect on the choices they have in life. Next week Parliament will discuss the Child Poverty Bill that aims to take some of the positive steps our Assembly has already taken towards eradicating child poverty. I welcome the debate and it is a wholly good thing to introduce targets for raising parents’ income such as those proposed in the Bill. But those targets are meaningless while Gordon Brown is still planning vicious cuts in schemes that help parents back to work”.
“One very concrete example of the UK Government’s failure to deal with child poverty is the fact that the New Deal for Lone Parents in Llanelli has come to the end of its funding. There are dozens of lone parents in Llanelli who have expressed an interest in taking up training but can’t do so because they do not have the resources to look after their kids. I will be raising this issue with our AM Helen Mary Jones in her role as Chair of the Assembly Children’s Committee”.
“It is all very well for Gordon Brown and his self-serving MPs to set targets they know will not be met they need to take this chance to put the needs of our families in Llanelli first”.
Diwedd / Ends
Notes to Editor:
In Wales, 32% of children now face living in a home which has less than 60% of the average UK household income. In 1999, the average level of risk that that Welsh child would be in a household that fell below the poverty line was 35%.
While the level of poverty appears to be rising in Wales, in Scotland the rate continues to fall, now standing at 25% of children at risk. Northern Ireland has also kept poverty levels stable at 26%.
Link to the full Rowntree Foundation Report:http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/end-child-poverty-wales-summary.pdf
Next Tuesday Parliament will begin to discuss The Child Poverty Bill that will require the Government reports on progress towards eradicating child poverty and includes targets on increasing family income
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Myfanwy calls on Nia Griffith to protect Royal Mail
Plaid Cymru Llanelli
Ty Bres,
Heol Bres
Llanelli
SA15 1UH
July 2nd, 2009
Nia Griffith MP
6 Queen Victoria Road
Llanelli
SA15 2TL
Dear Ms Griffith,
I enclose a letter sent to you on June 2nd and note that I have not yet received any response to this from your office.
I had asked you to oppose plans to privatise our Royal Mail to protect jobs and to preserve the level of service we expect and need. As you will know your colleague Lord Mandelson has now admitted that the UK Government will not push through legislation to part-privatise the Royal Mail in the near future because no buyer could be found.
It is also very clear that among your more outspoken colleagues this is an unpopular measure and failing to get the bill passed would be an embarrassment for the Government.
While the climb-down is welcome, it not good enough for the plans to be shelved so that they can be resurrected when a buyer is found or when the Labour whips think they can win the debate. Not even the Tories dreamed of privatising the Royal Mail and you must know that job losses will follow from this move and that there can be no justification for supporting a measure that puts more jobs in Llanelli at risk.
I urge you to pledge publicly to people in Llanelli that you will vote against these reckless measures when they come up for debate.
Yours faithfully,
Myfanwy Davies
Ty Bres,
Heol Bres
Llanelli
SA15 1UH
July 2nd, 2009
Nia Griffith MP
6 Queen Victoria Road
Llanelli
SA15 2TL
Dear Ms Griffith,
I enclose a letter sent to you on June 2nd and note that I have not yet received any response to this from your office.
I had asked you to oppose plans to privatise our Royal Mail to protect jobs and to preserve the level of service we expect and need. As you will know your colleague Lord Mandelson has now admitted that the UK Government will not push through legislation to part-privatise the Royal Mail in the near future because no buyer could be found.
It is also very clear that among your more outspoken colleagues this is an unpopular measure and failing to get the bill passed would be an embarrassment for the Government.
While the climb-down is welcome, it not good enough for the plans to be shelved so that they can be resurrected when a buyer is found or when the Labour whips think they can win the debate. Not even the Tories dreamed of privatising the Royal Mail and you must know that job losses will follow from this move and that there can be no justification for supporting a measure that puts more jobs in Llanelli at risk.
I urge you to pledge publicly to people in Llanelli that you will vote against these reckless measures when they come up for debate.
Yours faithfully,
Myfanwy Davies
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Myfanwy and Hywel Williams join Llanelli bingo protestors at Westminster
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams MP and Plaid’s Westminster candidate in Llanelli Dr Myfanwy Davies, today joined forces with bingo players from Llanelli to campaign against unfair taxation on bingo.
The group from Llanelli lead by Nigel Griffiths traveled 330 miles to fight for their bingo club’s future by protesting in Dean’s Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Protestors wore Alistair Darling masks, carried several placards, some even circled the square aboard the ‘Bingo bus’, and even joined in a game of Bingo on the green to champion the cause.
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams has previously warned that the decision to increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22% could signal a decline for Bingo clubs.
A Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the decision was recently defeated by Labour MPs. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker remain taxed at 15%.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP said:
“The Government's treatment of the bingo sector is incredibly unfair. In the Budget, the Government announced that it had removed the VAT on participation fees for Bingo players, but at the same time has increased the rate of bingo duty from 22%. This makes no sense in practise.
“Tax fairness is essential during the recession and this taxation on licensed bingo halls is dangerous as it targets the heart of our communities, and in particular older women and those from lower income households. Bingo halls provide a safe and friendly environment for the whole community to meet and socialise.
“The protestors have championed this cause fantastically today. I hope that the Government will now see for itself that bingo clubs and their constituents are suffering under this burdensome tax.”
Dr Myfanwy Davies added:
“Bingo has been part of life in Llanelli for as long as I can remember and the last thing we need in the town centre is for the club in Market Street to have to close.
“This is a completely unfair and ridiculous tax on people’s enjoyment. Bingo is already taxed once and there is no justification for treating bingo differently from online poker or any other form of gambling.
“We’ve come today to show those MPs that voted for the tax hike will see that they cannot ignore the voice of their constituents.”
The group from Llanelli lead by Nigel Griffiths traveled 330 miles to fight for their bingo club’s future by protesting in Dean’s Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Protestors wore Alistair Darling masks, carried several placards, some even circled the square aboard the ‘Bingo bus’, and even joined in a game of Bingo on the green to champion the cause.
Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams has previously warned that the decision to increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22% could signal a decline for Bingo clubs.
A Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the decision was recently defeated by Labour MPs. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker remain taxed at 15%.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP said:
“The Government's treatment of the bingo sector is incredibly unfair. In the Budget, the Government announced that it had removed the VAT on participation fees for Bingo players, but at the same time has increased the rate of bingo duty from 22%. This makes no sense in practise.
“Tax fairness is essential during the recession and this taxation on licensed bingo halls is dangerous as it targets the heart of our communities, and in particular older women and those from lower income households. Bingo halls provide a safe and friendly environment for the whole community to meet and socialise.
“The protestors have championed this cause fantastically today. I hope that the Government will now see for itself that bingo clubs and their constituents are suffering under this burdensome tax.”
Dr Myfanwy Davies added:
“Bingo has been part of life in Llanelli for as long as I can remember and the last thing we need in the town centre is for the club in Market Street to have to close.
“This is a completely unfair and ridiculous tax on people’s enjoyment. Bingo is already taxed once and there is no justification for treating bingo differently from online poker or any other form of gambling.
“We’ve come today to show those MPs that voted for the tax hike will see that they cannot ignore the voice of their constituents.”
Monday, 29 June 2009
Myfanwy and Jill Evans MEP fight for answers on cockle-deaths and flooding in Europe
Following a request by Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate, Plaid MEP Jill Evans will meet with representatives of the European Commission on Wednesday (1st July). Recent figures show that cockles are continuing to die in large numbers putting the future of Llanelli’s cockle industry at risk. Last week a packed meeting called by a National Assembly Committee also heard accounts by people across Llanelli who had been victims of flooding.
Myfanwy is concerned that the existing flooding problem is being made considerably worse by the effects of more extreme weather but also by insufficient attention given by government agencies to the impact of some large-scale housing developments on draining surface water and on over-used sewage facilities.
Myfanwy has recently backed calls for independent scientific research to explore the reasons for the cockle deaths so that action can be taken while there is still a fishery to protect.
Ms. Evans will question the representatives of the Commission on where responsibility lies for calling for environmental impact assessments to assess the full impact developments will have on our environment. She will also ask officials about potential sanctions where for organisations have not called for these assessments where risks to the environment such as flooding have followed. Ms Evans will also request details of investigations into events similar to the cockle deaths elsewhere in Europe and will ask for these reports to be made available to Welsh scientists, cockle pickers and campaigners.
Ms. Evans said:
“Flooding in Llanelli is becoming much more severe and more frequent. This is partly due to the more extreme weather but it is a cause for concern that many new developments in the area that involve concreting over land that would drain water have not been subject to proper environmental impact assessments. I am not against new houses where they are affordable and needed, but we must make sure that new developments are properly assessed and that sensible measures are built into them to allow water to drain and to prevent flooding elsewhere”.
“I have been supporting the fishermen’s campaign to find out what is killing the cockles for a number of years. It is sad and frustrating that we are no nearer to getting real answers while the fishery risks being destroyed. There is no substitute for rigourous scientific research into this, and I will use my meeting with the representatives of the Commission to gather evidence on similar events in other places.”
Myfanwy said:
“I am delighted that Jill Evans has been able to organize a meeting with representative of the Commission so quickly. Our communities are suffering from severe flooding on a much more regular basis than was previously the case. The Assembly’s meeting last Friday confirmed to me the importance of making sure that new developments along the estuary do not effect flooding elsewhere. Jill Evans is also intending to raise the issue of the cockle deaths. We urgently need to know what is killing the cockles so that we can act to preserve the fishery and the livelihoods that depend on it.”
Myfanwy is concerned that the existing flooding problem is being made considerably worse by the effects of more extreme weather but also by insufficient attention given by government agencies to the impact of some large-scale housing developments on draining surface water and on over-used sewage facilities.
Myfanwy has recently backed calls for independent scientific research to explore the reasons for the cockle deaths so that action can be taken while there is still a fishery to protect.
Ms. Evans will question the representatives of the Commission on where responsibility lies for calling for environmental impact assessments to assess the full impact developments will have on our environment. She will also ask officials about potential sanctions where for organisations have not called for these assessments where risks to the environment such as flooding have followed. Ms Evans will also request details of investigations into events similar to the cockle deaths elsewhere in Europe and will ask for these reports to be made available to Welsh scientists, cockle pickers and campaigners.
Ms. Evans said:
“Flooding in Llanelli is becoming much more severe and more frequent. This is partly due to the more extreme weather but it is a cause for concern that many new developments in the area that involve concreting over land that would drain water have not been subject to proper environmental impact assessments. I am not against new houses where they are affordable and needed, but we must make sure that new developments are properly assessed and that sensible measures are built into them to allow water to drain and to prevent flooding elsewhere”.
“I have been supporting the fishermen’s campaign to find out what is killing the cockles for a number of years. It is sad and frustrating that we are no nearer to getting real answers while the fishery risks being destroyed. There is no substitute for rigourous scientific research into this, and I will use my meeting with the representatives of the Commission to gather evidence on similar events in other places.”
Myfanwy said:
“I am delighted that Jill Evans has been able to organize a meeting with representative of the Commission so quickly. Our communities are suffering from severe flooding on a much more regular basis than was previously the case. The Assembly’s meeting last Friday confirmed to me the importance of making sure that new developments along the estuary do not effect flooding elsewhere. Jill Evans is also intending to raise the issue of the cockle deaths. We urgently need to know what is killing the cockles so that we can act to preserve the fishery and the livelihoods that depend on it.”
Monday, 15 June 2009
Myfanwy and Helen Mary fight to save Llanelli Bingo Clubs
Myfanwy and Helen Mary slam Gordon’s Bingo Tax
Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate and Helen Mary Jones Llanelli’s Plaid AM have spoken out against the double taxation on bingo clubs that MPs voted on last week. Myfanwy has accused Gordon Brown’s government of placing Llanelli’s bingo clubs at risk.
The warning comes after Welsh Labour MPs defeated a Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22%. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker will remain taxed at 15%.
Myfanwy said:
Bingo clubs are an important part of social life in Llanelli. They provide safe entertainment and are places where women in particular come to meet their friends. This is a tax hike on bingo, when duty on other forms of gambling will remain the same. This is entirely unfair.
She warned:
“Bingo clubs may have to close in Llanelli over the next few weeks. Along with Helen Mary Jones, I will be supporting customers and staff at Llanelli’s bingo clubs who are very concerned about the situation”.
Helen Mary said
“There is widespread support for bringing down the rate of Bingo duty from 22 per cent to 15 percent in line with the tax rate for every other form of gambling. This is about fair play for one of the most popular pastimes enjoyed by people in all communities."
Myfanwy and Helen Mary will be talking to staff and customers at Bingo Clubs in and around Llanelli over the next few weeks.
Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate and Helen Mary Jones Llanelli’s Plaid AM have spoken out against the double taxation on bingo clubs that MPs voted on last week. Myfanwy has accused Gordon Brown’s government of placing Llanelli’s bingo clubs at risk.
The warning comes after Welsh Labour MPs defeated a Plaid-backed SNP motion to reverse the increase in the rate of duty from 15% to 22%. Other forms of gambling such as casino or online poker will remain taxed at 15%.
Myfanwy said:
Bingo clubs are an important part of social life in Llanelli. They provide safe entertainment and are places where women in particular come to meet their friends. This is a tax hike on bingo, when duty on other forms of gambling will remain the same. This is entirely unfair.
She warned:
“Bingo clubs may have to close in Llanelli over the next few weeks. Along with Helen Mary Jones, I will be supporting customers and staff at Llanelli’s bingo clubs who are very concerned about the situation”.
Helen Mary said
“There is widespread support for bringing down the rate of Bingo duty from 22 per cent to 15 percent in line with the tax rate for every other form of gambling. This is about fair play for one of the most popular pastimes enjoyed by people in all communities."
Myfanwy and Helen Mary will be talking to staff and customers at Bingo Clubs in and around Llanelli over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Myfanwy's Open Letter on Royal Mail privatisation
Plaid Cymru Llanelli
Ty Bres,
Heol Bres
Llanelli
SA15 1UH
June 2nd, 2009
Nia Griffith MP
6 Queen Victoria Road
Llanelli
SA15 2TL
Dear Ms Griffith,
I have heard that the Government intends to announce the privatisation of part of the Royal Mail in the course of the next few days. Along with postal workers and many people in Llanelli, I am outraged by this foolish and reckless step. No sensible government would sell off this vital public service, particularly so during the deepest recession we have seen in our lifetimes. The disastrous Tory years taught is that brutal job cuts follow privatisation. We cannot afford to loose any more jobs in Llanelli - least of all through the intentional action of the UK Labour Government.
The Hooper Report commissioned by your Labour Government says that the Royal Mail should be partly privatised to release funds to enable it to modernise. The report claims our Royal Mail is not as efficient as other European postal operators. But the evidence it offers to support this is misleading and inconclusive. For example, it confuses pricing and operational efficiency. It fails to take account of the different domestic markets. It ignores the negative effects of our Royal Mail being an established operator. Worst of all, the report does not explore how Royal Mail could modernise by other means and does not even suggest how much money would be needed to support that process. Many people suspect that the whole process has been biased in favour of selling off this national asset to continental competitors such as DHL or INT.
The privatisation of the Royal Mail on the basis of this flawed report would be nothing short of an act of vandalism. The consequences will be felt first by loyal Royal Mail workers but very soon I fear we will all be suffering a decline in service and a jump in prices. This is the lesson of previous Tory privatisations.
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote against these measures when they come up for debate. People in Llanelli want the Royal Mail to remain in public hands and it is right that they demand the support of their MP to help protect it.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Myfanwy Davies
Plaid Cymru Westminster Candidate, Llanelli.
Ty Bres,
Heol Bres
Llanelli
SA15 1UH
June 2nd, 2009
Nia Griffith MP
6 Queen Victoria Road
Llanelli
SA15 2TL
Dear Ms Griffith,
I have heard that the Government intends to announce the privatisation of part of the Royal Mail in the course of the next few days. Along with postal workers and many people in Llanelli, I am outraged by this foolish and reckless step. No sensible government would sell off this vital public service, particularly so during the deepest recession we have seen in our lifetimes. The disastrous Tory years taught is that brutal job cuts follow privatisation. We cannot afford to loose any more jobs in Llanelli - least of all through the intentional action of the UK Labour Government.
The Hooper Report commissioned by your Labour Government says that the Royal Mail should be partly privatised to release funds to enable it to modernise. The report claims our Royal Mail is not as efficient as other European postal operators. But the evidence it offers to support this is misleading and inconclusive. For example, it confuses pricing and operational efficiency. It fails to take account of the different domestic markets. It ignores the negative effects of our Royal Mail being an established operator. Worst of all, the report does not explore how Royal Mail could modernise by other means and does not even suggest how much money would be needed to support that process. Many people suspect that the whole process has been biased in favour of selling off this national asset to continental competitors such as DHL or INT.
The privatisation of the Royal Mail on the basis of this flawed report would be nothing short of an act of vandalism. The consequences will be felt first by loyal Royal Mail workers but very soon I fear we will all be suffering a decline in service and a jump in prices. This is the lesson of previous Tory privatisations.
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote against these measures when they come up for debate. People in Llanelli want the Royal Mail to remain in public hands and it is right that they demand the support of their MP to help protect it.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Myfanwy Davies
Plaid Cymru Westminster Candidate, Llanelli.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)