- Nia meets Police Federation members on the march
Nia Griffith MP today met officers from Dyfed Powys Police Force who joined some 35,000 police officers on a march through central London. Their purpose was to send a strong message to the Conservative-LibDem coalition government that 20% cuts to police budgets is criminal, and is a real risk to public safety. Nia later met the Chairman and Secretary of the Dyfed Powys Police Federation Phil Addicott and Paul Herdman, for more a detailed discussion about the implications of the cuts and concerns about the future of policing.
Nia said, “ The Government’s decision to cut 20% from police budgets goes too far and too fast, and means 16,000 officers across the country are going. Already since the election over 5,000 have gone from 999 response units, neighbourhood policing and traffic units. Contrary to the Prime Minister’s claim that the front line would be protected, we have already lost thousands of the very officers who respond most quickly to public cries for help.
Labour voted against the 20% cuts and we have continually campaigned for the government to change its plan. Of course the police do have to make their share of efficiencies. We have said for some time that we believe the police could sustain a cut of around 12% in their budget by the end of the Parliament and still maintain the number of police officers and the quality of service. That’s based on the independent analysis by the HMIC, the work Labour did before the election and the evidence since, and has been supported by many police officers and experts too. But instead of cutting 12%, the government is cutting 20% with the steepest cuts in the first two years – and that is why so many valued frontline police officers are being lost. This is criminal and it is certainly not what the public want.”
LLANELLI MP Nia Griffith has urged the Government to secure a better deal on energy prices for heavy industry to provide an incentive for companies like Tata Steel to invest in Wales. She made the demand as Tata announced it would invest £800million in Wales.
Speaking up from the opposition frontbench at Welsh Questions, Nia said: “I certainly welcome the announcement by the Labour Welsh Government that Tata Steel will invest £800 million in Wales, but as the Secretary of State will know Tata bosses have repeatedly said that the prices they have to pay for energy in the UK are simply not competitive when compared with what industry pays elsewhere. What discussions has she had with the Energy Secretary and energy companies to secure a better deal on energy prices for heavy industry to provide an incentive for companies such as Tata to invest in Wales?”
Nia, who is also secretary of the Parliamentary Steel Group, has previously slammed government plans for a steep Carbon Floor Price which she has dubbed a super tax on industry.“ This is a mad, bad Tory tax, unique to the UK, which will make us uncompetitive even compared to other European countries nevermind countries with very cheap labour costs, and the mitigation measures proposed by the government are too little too late. I want to see a proper industrial policy and better incentives for companies like TATA to invest in the UK.”
Keith Davies AM, Nia Griffith MP, Ray Jones, Jan Williams and Tegwen Devichand meet Health Minister Lesley Griffiths AM.
Nia Griffith MP and members of the Llanelli Constituency Labour Party recently met the Minister for Health, Lesley Griffiths AM to outline their concerns at proposed changes to the configuration of health services in Llanelli. They put their case forward on behalf of Llanelli residents in a meeting arranged by Llanelli AM Keith Davies.
Speaking about the meeting, Nia said
“We stressed to the Minister that services must be accessible and local, and that we want to keep the widest possible range of services at Prince Philip Hospital. We pointed out the difficulties for patients and their families of having to traipse all the way to Carmarthen for treatment, with the problems exacerbated by the lack of joined up public transport. I reiterated our concerns about retaining Accident and Emergency services at Prince Philip Hospital, and stressed the importance of better A&E facilities which could benefit many Llanelli residents and prevent them from making unnecessary journeys to Carmarthen for basic treatment.”
Nia has described the Government’s decision not to protect mesothelioma victims from having to pay their fees out of any compensation awarded as “absolutely shameful”.
Thousands of industrial workers, who came in to contact with asbestos, who have also contracted the disease later in life, have made claims against their former employers and many more are expected.
But under reforms to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders’ Bill, new claimants could have to pay their legal fees from their eventual award.
Government Ministers refused to bow to pressure from the Lords, who demanded an assurance that victims of mesothelioma will not have to pay their fees from any compensation awarded.
Condemning the Government’s decision, Nia said “It is absolutely shameful that the Government is effectively lumping in sufferers from the terrible industrial lung disease mesothelioma as part of a fraudulent and trivial compensation culture.It is a painful disease that can develop many years after exposure to asbestos, and, once diagnosed, sufferers have a life expectancy of only 9 to 12 months.They and their families need all the help and support that they can get, and, by throwing out the Lords’ amendment, the Government is leaving mesothelioma victims having to pay up to 25% of any compensation award they receive as fees to their lawyers. They deserve to keep every penny of that compensation.”
Mike Evans, Managing Director of EBS Automation, showing his company’s products to Business Minister Edwina Hart, Keith Davies AM and Nia Griffith MP
Nia Griffith MP has welcomed help from the Welsh Government to enable EBS Automation to expand. The Dafen company, that designs, manufactures and installs highly sophisticated bespoke automation and robotic systems for a range of industry sectors is trebling the size of its workforce in a major expansion project. The investment, which will see the workforce increase from 16 to 50 over the next five years, is being supported by £113,000 from the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund. It is investing £250,000 in its facilities in Parc Dafen to increase capacity to meet rapidly expanding order books containing projects worth around £3million.
Nia recently accompanied Business Minister Edwina Hart and Keith Davies AM on a visit to the firm. During the visit the Minister said: “It’s excellent news to hear of Welsh companies expanding, investing and creating jobs under challenging trading conditions, and I am pleased the Welsh Government is able to support these businesses realise their expansion plans.”
Nia Griffith MP added, “I would like to congratulate Managing Director Mike Evans and his workforce for the amazing innovative work that they are doing in designing and creating machines to do exactly what their clients require. They really are at the cutting edge of technology. I am delighted that the Welsh Government is able to help them expand, and create more high quality jobs in the area. It is a credit to the quality of their work that their expertise is in such demand.”
With Aaron from the Foyer and members of the Lost Community group at an evening when young people from Foyer showed a film they had made about the history of Llanelli
At the opening of Shopmobility in Llanelli
Speaking up in the budget debate, Nia Griffith accused the Government not just of robbing pensioners to pay for a tax cut for the rich but of having no growth strategy to offer hope to the unemployed. She also pointed out that the Government has carefully avoided saying that raising the personal allowance is costing a lot of money, much of which will benefit those higher up the pay scales, whereas tax credits, which they are cutting, target money much more effectively on lower-income households.
She then referred to excellent work done by volunteers seeking to restore the Railway Goods Shed in Llanelli and Cwrt Farm in Pembrey and went on to raise concerns about the imposition of VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings, saying “So much for this Government’s pretence at being the greenest Government yet. It would be much greener to encourage alterations to listed buildings, to make them practical to use in the 21st century.
Furthermore, far from stimulating the economy, the VAT increase is likely to discourage people from undertaking such work, so there’ll be less work for local builders, and we all know about the difficulties faced by the construction industry at the moment. That is why Labour is calling for a cut to 5% in VAT on all household repairs, precisely to stimulate the construction sector and provide more work for builders, plumbers, carpenters, electricians and so on. This Government needs to get its act together on bank lending, getting the economy going and providing jobs for our young unemployed.
Nia has demanded answers on the cash for access scandal. Speaking up in Parliament, she said that people had been very shocked to see the video footage of the Conservative Party treasurer Peter Cruddas, in which he says that for £250,000 he could get someone dinner with the Prime Minister David Cameron, and a chance to influence policy. She said that nothing short of a fully independent inquiry would even begin to repair the very serious damage done to the office of Prime Minister, with Cameron’s reputation now in tatters.
Nia is backing ‘The Big Switch’ campaign for consumers to get a cheaper deal on their energy bills.
The Big Switch, launched by consumer champion Which? and 38 Degrees, is a new way for people to buy their energy. This will be the first time in theUKthat a very large number of people will join together as a group to negotiate a deal with energy companies.
Nia is urging constituents to join the more than 200,000-strong group who have already signed up to The Big Switch, and to use their collective power to try to cut their energy bills and help shake up the market.
Which? has invited all energy companies to take part and will be negotiating with them to secure the cheapest deal. Energy companies will be asked to submit a market leading deal and take part in a reverse auction. If a deal is secured, Which? will contact everyone who signed up with a personalised savings estimate. Which? will handle the switching process, making it as quick and easy as possible.
Nia said:
“Soaring energy bills are contributing to the cost of living crisis afflicting millions of families. Labour believes that community action, including collective purchasing, is essential to reforming our energy market, and I am pleased to support the Big Switch campaign.”
Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint said:
” When people come together, they will have more power to negotiate cheaper energy bills with the big energy companies. Our energy market needs reform – and people power is the first step.”
