Plaid Honorary President Dafydd Wigley was in Llanelli yesterday to set out how electing Dr. Myfanwy Davies as the town’s MP, Llanelli’s communities would have the best chance of gaining the millions owed to them by the London Government.
For many years Plaid has been campaigning for Wales to receive its fair share of support from Westminster. During the past year two independent Inquiries have found that Wales is severly underfunded. Over 10 years, Llanelli’s communities should be £240 million richer.
With most polls now predicting a hung Parliament, and Plaid and the SNP expected to gain their largest ever number of seats, the group would be in a key position to negotiate on a fair deal for Llanelli.
Mr Wigley met local councillors and community leaders at La Caprice café bar and spoke to traders in Llanelli market about steps to draw people into the town centre.
Mr Wigley said:
"With all the polls pointing to a hung parliament, this election brings back memories for me. I was much younger and less hard-headed than Myfanwy, when we last had a hung parliament and I was part of Plaid’s negotiating team”.
“Back then, we won compensation from the Government for miners who had become disabled because of dust in their lungs”.
“This time, with a much larger group and with tough, experienced negotiators like Myfanwy, we will be asking for fair funding for Wales at the price of our support to the next Government on issues like the budget.”
“It is high time Llanelli got a fair deal from London and high time to send an MP to London who will put Llanelli’s needs first.”
Myfanwy added:
“On the same day that the Labour party brought back Tony Blair, that most discredited of British politicians to boost their flagging fortunes, I’ve been very pleased to welcome Dafydd Wigley to Llanelli”.
“If there is anyone who can show how Welsh communities can benefit from a Plaid MP, it is Dafydd”.
“Now we are looking forward to a hung parliament, I want to be able to fight for the support Llanelli needs and that has been denied us for so many years”.
“Whatever they may say this close to an election, both major parties plan cuts. Just by getting fair funding, we could protect our schools, hospitals and care homes and help our local economy grow”.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary welcome u-turn on support for older and disabled people after pressure from Plaid
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.”
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, 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.”
Monday, 22 February 2010
Myfanwy and Helen Mary push for long-term solutions to flooding in Westminster and Cardiff
Plaid’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies and local AM Helen Mary Jones have been pushing for long term solutions to flooding problems in Llanelli. Residents often suffer flooding because the sewage system does not have the capacity to drain extra rain water during severe weather.
At a meeting on the 17th of November, Helen Mary and Myfanwy met with Senior Operational Managers from Welsh Water and were told that at that time, the company had plans to invest up to £6 million pounds in building new storm water drains in Llanelli. The new plans would increase drainage during and after heavy rain. Later that month, on the 26th of November, Ofwat published price limits that would appear to have had some impact on these plans and on the 14th January, Dwr Cymru publicly released a figure of £2.7 million for investment in the storm water drainage programme in Llanelli.
Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company and as such all its profits are used to maintain infrastructure and prevent floods. While cost-savings can be made through efficiencies, there are serious concerns about the effect of the regulator’s decision on these crucial plans for Llanelli.
Myfanwy contacted Elfyn Llwyd MP, leader of the Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Group to ask him to raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain. Mr Llwyd asked the Secretary of State if he agreed that Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water should be allowed to invest in infrastructure such as the flood prevention work that had been planned for Llanelli but that appears to have been adversely effected by Ofwat’s decision on what represents value for money.
Llanelli’s Labour MP Nia Griffiths who was present at the time, did not make any comment on the discussion.
Myfanwy said: “I am very pleased that Mr. Llwyd was able to respond so quickly to our concerns. Flooding is a terrible event and is happening more and more often across Llanelli.
I fully welcome Welsh Water’s current plans for investment in Llanelli. Nearly £3 million of investment in our storm drains will make a difference and I hope that sum can be increased. There are concerns about the possible effect of Ofwat’s decision on the larger programme of investment that was previously described to Helen Mary and myself. We are very happy to discuss the exact figures with managers at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru who are surprisingly reticent about that discussion now. We are of course, sensitive to their need to avoid conflict with Ofwat.
Our aim here, is to make sure that Llanelli gets the investment it needs and it can’t be right that Welsh Water is being judged in the same way as a company run by shareholders because as a not-for-profit company, it has to use income from customers to maintain and improve drains such as those we need so badly in Llanelli.
It looks very much as if we are being denied work to prevent floods based on a regulator that is judging a different kind of company.
Working with Helen Mary and the Plaid Parliamentary group I hope we can sort out this mess to prevent flooding here and across Wales”
Helen Mary said: “The first step has now been taken towards allowing Welsh Water to invest in Llanelli as was described to Myfanwy and myself before Christmas. I sat on the committee that established Welsh Water as a not-for-profit company and so I am delighted that we are finally making progress towards letting it invest properly in Wales and managing it according to what it is meant to do – which is to develop and maintain good services in the long-term”.
Elfyn Llwyd said: “Flooding is a major concern in Llanelli and I know that Myfanwy has been supporting local residents in dealing with issues such as insurance and flood protection and has also been involved in more long term local solutions. When Myfanwy contacted me to discuss what appear to be significantly reduced plans by Welsh Water to deal with storm water drainage, it was clear that we would need to act in Parliament to make sure that scheme and many like it across Wales are funded.
Given the seriousness of flooding in Llanelli and the obvious need to look at how Welsh Water is regulated, I am surprised that Llanelli’s MP did not raise this issue herself.”
At a meeting on the 17th of November, Helen Mary and Myfanwy met with Senior Operational Managers from Welsh Water and were told that at that time, the company had plans to invest up to £6 million pounds in building new storm water drains in Llanelli. The new plans would increase drainage during and after heavy rain. Later that month, on the 26th of November, Ofwat published price limits that would appear to have had some impact on these plans and on the 14th January, Dwr Cymru publicly released a figure of £2.7 million for investment in the storm water drainage programme in Llanelli.
Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company and as such all its profits are used to maintain infrastructure and prevent floods. While cost-savings can be made through efficiencies, there are serious concerns about the effect of the regulator’s decision on these crucial plans for Llanelli.
Myfanwy contacted Elfyn Llwyd MP, leader of the Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Group to ask him to raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain. Mr Llwyd asked the Secretary of State if he agreed that Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water should be allowed to invest in infrastructure such as the flood prevention work that had been planned for Llanelli but that appears to have been adversely effected by Ofwat’s decision on what represents value for money.
Llanelli’s Labour MP Nia Griffiths who was present at the time, did not make any comment on the discussion.
Myfanwy said: “I am very pleased that Mr. Llwyd was able to respond so quickly to our concerns. Flooding is a terrible event and is happening more and more often across Llanelli.
I fully welcome Welsh Water’s current plans for investment in Llanelli. Nearly £3 million of investment in our storm drains will make a difference and I hope that sum can be increased. There are concerns about the possible effect of Ofwat’s decision on the larger programme of investment that was previously described to Helen Mary and myself. We are very happy to discuss the exact figures with managers at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru who are surprisingly reticent about that discussion now. We are of course, sensitive to their need to avoid conflict with Ofwat.
Our aim here, is to make sure that Llanelli gets the investment it needs and it can’t be right that Welsh Water is being judged in the same way as a company run by shareholders because as a not-for-profit company, it has to use income from customers to maintain and improve drains such as those we need so badly in Llanelli.
It looks very much as if we are being denied work to prevent floods based on a regulator that is judging a different kind of company.
Working with Helen Mary and the Plaid Parliamentary group I hope we can sort out this mess to prevent flooding here and across Wales”
Helen Mary said: “The first step has now been taken towards allowing Welsh Water to invest in Llanelli as was described to Myfanwy and myself before Christmas. I sat on the committee that established Welsh Water as a not-for-profit company and so I am delighted that we are finally making progress towards letting it invest properly in Wales and managing it according to what it is meant to do – which is to develop and maintain good services in the long-term”.
Elfyn Llwyd said: “Flooding is a major concern in Llanelli and I know that Myfanwy has been supporting local residents in dealing with issues such as insurance and flood protection and has also been involved in more long term local solutions. When Myfanwy contacted me to discuss what appear to be significantly reduced plans by Welsh Water to deal with storm water drainage, it was clear that we would need to act in Parliament to make sure that scheme and many like it across Wales are funded.
Given the seriousness of flooding in Llanelli and the obvious need to look at how Welsh Water is regulated, I am surprised that Llanelli’s MP did not raise this issue herself.”
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