Nia Griffith MP has criticised the refusal by Maria Miller, the UK disability minister, to take up the offer made by Welsh Government Minister Leighton Andrews AM to accept devolved responsibility for the Remploy factories in Wales, so his department can call in the necessary expertise over the next three years to improve their viability, and Nia has demanded a debate on strategies for making Remploy factories viable.
Commenting on the government’s planned closures, Nia Griffith said
“Just at a time when we need more manufacturing jobs, it is madness to close factories and leave the employees join the back of the ever lengthening queues of workers chasing a diminishing pool of jobs. The products are excellent – with more investment in marketing, there is the potential to develop Remploy factories into very successful businesses, and 
that is exactly the approach Leighton Andrews is proposing. When I visited the Fforestfach factory last year we saw a prototype fireplace that a big DIY chain is interested in, as well as office and hospital furniture. Within a few months of that visit, Geraint Davies, MP for Swansea West where the factory is situated helped fill the order books by promoting their products to the University, and the local Health Board. Just think what proper investment in marketing could do.”
Cllr Steve Lloyd-Janes, Keith Davies AM and Nia are trying to find a solution to the problems encountered by the residents of Talycoed, just opposite the motorway junction in Hendy.
In spite of lobbying, County Council officers have been reluctant in the past to consider the painting of a yellow keep clear box at the junction, because the Welsh Assembly’s Trunk Road Agency had judged the proposal as not ideal.
“We highlighted this problem to the agencies concerned some time ago and it is disappointing that the problem has still not been resolved. In my opinion, doing nothing is not an option as drivers coming out of Talycoed have to dart between traffic as it is drawing up to the traffic lights and filter into the motorway slip road. That’s why we have held another site meeting with the County Council, and have now asked for representatives of the Trunk Road Agency to meet us on site as soon as possible.“
Jane Hutt AM, (2nd left) Finance Minster in the Welsh Government , joined Nia to speak at an international women’s day event at the Morfa social club. Pictured here with Labour’s county council candidates for Glanymor Jo Yeo and Louvain Roberts and Mayor Linda Stedman
Nia with members of the Llanelli Credit Union and the Polish Welsh Mutual Association
Learning about saris
Opening Felinfoel Post Office with Nigel Parry and postmaster Sumanan Suntharamoorthy
Nia Griffith MP officially opened the new post office in Felinfoel on Friday. Commenting on the opening, she said
“I am absolutely delighted that as a result of our persistent lobbying to get Post Office bosses to replace the Felinfoel Post Office, Mr Sumanan Suntharamoorthy, a very experienced postmaster, has agreed to locate the post office in his shop Chalky’s, on Maes Golau, Felinfoel. There’s no doubt that people in Felinfoel want a post office – you will remember that after the previous postmistress retired, we collected a petition containing some 1254 signatures and we had a packed public meeting. Sumanan is well-respected in the community and having the post office in his shop means that there will be longer opening hours for post office services, and I am now going to approach the council about improving the parking facilities in front of his shop.”
Supporting Abigail’s charity event
Nia joined civic dignitaries in Dafen at a coffee morning to help raise money for the Royal British Legion and the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. The event was organised by Miss Abigail Davies, and is one of many events that she has organised for these and other similar charities, such as Help the Heroes.
Cllr Bill Thomas addressing the petitions’ committee
Nia, who chairs the Llanelli Flood Forum, met the Assembly petitions committee when they came to Burry Port to make further enquiries about the petition they have received about the cockle mortality in the Burry Inlet. Cllr Bill Thomas spoke up on behalf of the petitioners and gave the Assembly’s petitions committee the full facts and figures about the problems of sewage spills into the estuary, and reiterated the demand for a further independent inquiry.
Nia commented
“ You could see that they were genuinely concerned that the Assembly could find itself liable to pay hefty fines for breach of European directives, and they understood the demand for a further independent enquiry. I was also pleased to hear that members of this committee who are also on the Assembly’s environment committee will raise it as a possible topic for enquiry by that committee.”
Nia speaking to reporters
Cllr Mary Wenman, Cllr Jean Hire and Pirate Captain Daniel Evans
Nia was met by young pirates clashing swords when she arrived at the Pirates and Princesses Funday at Burry Port Memorial Hall on Sunday. Children and helpers were dressed as pirates or princesses at the event which included activities such as children’s games, raffles, lucky dip and face painting. The event is one of a series of events organised by the Burry Port Park Appeal Committee, who have been working for nearly two years now to raise funds to upgrade the equipment in Burry Port Park.
During the afternoon Cllr Mary Wenman, a founder member of the committee was able to announce that the work installing new play equipment will be starting later this Spring.
“We are delighted to say,“ she said “ that work will be beginning in April or in May at the latest on two play areas in the park – one for the tots and one for the teens.”
Nia Griffith MP then added, “I’d like to say a really big thank you to Mary and all the committee members for their hard work in finding funding for the new play areas in the park, and thank you all for coming out to the events like today’s because that has been vital in showing the funders that there is a real need for play facilities in Burry Port Park.
The manager of the local co-op, one of the sponsors of the pirate picnic boxes for the event, also dropped in to see how things were going.
Pupils and Staff from Trimsaran School at Parliament.
Pupils and teachers from Trimsaran School have recently enjoyed a tour around parliament, having a chance to go into both the House of Lords, where they saw where the Queen sits for the State Opening of Parliament, and the House of Commons, where they could actually stand in the very places where the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband, the leader of the Opposition stand when they are speaking.
To thank Nia for her time in showing them round, they gave her a picture of the Gwendraeth Valley that they had made themselves, and Nia responded by saying
“What a lovely surprise! I am absolutely thrilled with this picture. I will put it up on the wall in my office in Westminster to remind me of home.”
- Trimsaran School Pupils giving Nia a picture of the Gwendraeth Valley that they had made themselves.
Speaking up in the House of Commons during an urgent question session called by Labour to hold government ministers to account over their latest statement on solar feed-in tariffs, Nia asked the Energy Minister Greg Barker,
“Given the shattered consumer and business confidence following the fiasco before Christmas, has the Minister conducted any analysis of how many people will take up Feed-In Tariffs on a 13.6p return?”
She went on to question whether people would find it financially viable to install solar panels when the government reduces the feed-in tariff to just 13.6p from this summer – such a low rate of return would make solar panels unaffordable for many people.
Nia has just visited St Dunstan’s rehabilitation centre in Llandudno where she talked to veterans with visual impairments who are benefitting from the centre’s rehabilitation programmes. The visit is part of a Welsh Affairs Committee inquiry into the treatment of veterans in Wales, and was followed by a chance to hear from representatives of organisations working with veterans.
“There is a huge amount of public goodwill towards veterans out there supporting as many as a thousand charitable and benevolent organisations in the UK, and yet it is still possible for veterans in need to slip through the net. There is clearly a need for better co-ordination and streamlining of services to ensure veterans receive the help they need, and to ensure best value for money.”
Nia Griffith MP has criticised the refusal by Maria Miller, the UK disability minister, to take up the offer made by Welsh Government Minister Leighton Andrews AM to accept devolved responsibility for the Remploy factories in Wales, so his department can call in the necessary expertise over the next three years to improve their viability, and Nia has demanded a debate on strategies for making Remploy factories viable. 
that is exactly the approach Leighton Andrews is proposing. When I visited the Fforestfach factory last year we saw a prototype fireplace that a big DIY chain is interested in, as well as office and hospital furniture. Within a few months of that visit, Geraint Davies, MP for Swansea West where the factory is situated helped fill the order books by promoting their products to the University, and the local Health Board. Just think what proper investment in marketing could do.”
