This week sees the publication of the report by Mary Portas on how to breathe life back into Britain’s declining town centres. There have been many reports before on the subject but to little avail. The problems that we see in Llanelli town centre are by no means unique – even before 2008 financial crisis, the impact of out-of-town shopping and internet shopping were taking their toll across Britain. But over the last two years, with the Chancellor’s disastrous policies leading to stagnation and almost zero growth, consumer confidence has fallen dramatically and one in seven high street shops has closed.
I recently took the opportunity to go into the shop next door to Boots in the town centre where I had discussion with Andrew Shufflebotham, the town centre manager and saw the display of the various schemes in progress to help put the heart back into Llanelli.
Increasing footfall in the town centre is absolutely key – it’s a chicken and egg situation: we need to get enough people coming into the town to attract shops in and we need a sufficient range of shops to attract people in.
The refurbished Llanelly House, the new cinema complex and joint working with Trinity St David’s University who will run courses in the Furnace Arts Centre will all help bring more people into the town centre.
In addition work with soon begin on a facelift for shops in Vaughan St and Stepney St with new canopies to make the shop fronts more visible and plans for more seating in front of Boots.
Now we need some action from the Portas report and a proper growth strategy from the Chancellor.
Posted: 14th December 2011
Nia Griffith MP has lent her support to the campaign to prevent deaths from epilepsy. There are 3 seizure-related deaths a day in the UK and most of these are sudden and unexpected (SUDEP). Over 50 people in Wales die each year from epilepsy.Exactly what causes Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy is unknown. Epilepsy Bereaved is a national charity dedicated to the prevention of SUDEP and other epilepsy related deaths and supports people bereaved by epilepsy.
MP Nia Griffith attended a meeting in parliament organised by Epilepsy Bereaved earlier this year and spoke up recently in a debate on epilepsy.
Nia said; “Although we have made huge progress in the field of epilepsy care, research into the condition is still very much underfunded; there is a need to make research into epilepsy deaths an urgent priority, so that we can gain some of the knowledge that could prevent some of the future deaths from epilepsy.
I know families in my constituency, who have lost a loved one to epilepsy and I am well aware of how devastating this can be to the family and the community. I will do all I can to help raise the profile of epilepsy related deaths in parliament. Epilepsy Bereaved is asking for MPs to sign up to a national statement on SUDEP and I will certainly be putting my name to that. More must be done to prevent those deaths which could potentially be avoided”.
Llanelli residents Peter and Eva Kelly lost their 36 year old son Sam who died from epilepsy in November 2010. The family were devastated when Sam died and have called for greater understanding about the risks associated with epilepsy.
“ Sam grew up with the love, support from his younger brother and sister. There is no doubt that having them helped enormously in the development of Sammy becoming a well balanced and wonderful human being, accepted and respected by so many, not just within our family, but in school and our wider circle of friends.
He learned to live with the occasional seizure and totally accepted his various disabilities. He gained a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and had a go at many other sports-activities. He also passed the European licence in computing, had his own facebook page, which we have kept open in his memory. He loved travelling and got himself a part-time job at his local Morrisons as a sales-assistant.
Our son in law Matthew and his father work with the company Burts Chips and they have dedicated their new, Aberdeen Angus crisps to raising awareness of SUDEP in support of Epilepsy Bereaved. It’s a fantastic way to help the charity in memory of our Sammy”.
Epilepsy Bereaved communications manager Fiona McDonald is based in Llanelli. She said “The outlook for most people with epilepsy is very good. Evidence suggests that with a clear understanding of epilepsy and good management of seizures, the risk of SUDEP can be minimized. We are very grateful to Nia for her support in helping us to raise awareness and prevent these unnecessary deaths from epilepsy”.
If you are concerned about SUDEP or have been bereaved by epilepsy please contact Epilepsy Bereaved by phone on 01554778450, by email via fiona@eb-team.org.uk or through their website www.sudep.org
Posted: 6th December 2011
Supporting World Aids Day, Nia Griffith MP said
“Many people in Llanelli care a great deal about tackling HIV and AIDS, and regularly contact me about it. I am proud of Labour’s leadership whilst in government to tackle this global scourge, and I urge Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State to do all he can to ensure the Tory-led Coalition Government continues our work.
“With 34 million people still living with HIV worldwide, action now is vital if we are to make a real difference. I am particularly worried that the Global Fund has been forced by limited donations, to freeze its spending until 2014, particularly as this represents around half of the world’s spending on HIV AIDS as well as three-quarters of the efforts to combat malaria and over 80% of the response to TB.
The international community should come together to get the Global Fund process moving again. No one country can hope to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS alone but UK leadership is now more important than ever.”
Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary said:
“Despite the progress we have seen, around the world millions of people are living with HIV and almost two million people are still dying from AIDS-related illnesses every year. I am very concerned by the recent news that the lack of support for the Global Fund means it has had to freeze its spending until 2014.
We urgently need international leadership to champion this cause and ensure that the price of the global financial crisis is not abandoning those suffering from HIV or AIDS.
Posted: 6th December 2011
James Griffiths, one of my distinguished predecessors as MP for Llanelli, became the first-ever Secretary of State for Wales when the Welsh Office he had long campaigned for was set up in 1964.
However, in the final months of the Attlee Labour Government after the Second World War, he served as Colonial Secretary.
This was a time of great change in the world. As late as 1958 Cardiff hosted the Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games. James Griffiths met many of the leaders of the countries that would soon be independent, people like Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Neyrere.
Llanelli has a history of internationalism. We all know of the fight against Nazism in the last war, but many from Llanelli also served in the International Brigades defending Spanish democracy during 1936 to 1938. Last week I was pleased to back Sian James MP for Swansea East in welcoming a memorial to be unveiled in Swansea on 14 December honouring those from the area who served in Spain and recognising the Swansea seafarers led by Potato Jones who broke the Franco blockade. We should not forget all those who helped establish refugee homes across Britain, including in Brechfa, Carmarthenshire, to look after Basque children who fled the bombing of their towns and villages, including Guernica.
Today, we read about the “Arab Spring” as the drive for democratic change seems to be taking hold in the Middle East. We follow the events in Tahir Square in Egypt with interest and concern.
It is the UK Government that is responsible for our foreign policy. As your MP in Westminster I try to reflect your concerns in this as in other areas of politics.
Posted: 6th December 2011
Nia Griffith MP and Llanelli Town Mayor Linda Stedman joined in the fun at the Queen of Hearts Vintage tea party held at the Stradey Park Hotel to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. The theme was the tea party in Alice in Wonderland with stall holders creating a magnificent Winter Wonderland atmosphere.
Speaking at the event Nia Griffith MP thanked organisers Claire Rumble and Jayne Lewis and all who had contributed to the success of the afternoon, and said
“ We are all very proud that Llanelli has been selected by the British Heart Foundation as a special heart town. It is a tribute to the tremendous warm-hearted generosity of local people. I have been very privileged to hear from the experts what remarkable scientific progress there has been since the British Heart Foundation was set up, but the mending hearts project is amazing - scientists are working to unlock the secret of how zebra fish hearts mend themselves in the hope that they will be able to mend many human hearts. “
The next major event with be the British Heart Foundation Ball on 11th February. Details from Jayne Lewis on lewisja@bhf.org.uk
You can see the zebrafish on https://hopetank.bhf.org.uk/flash.html
Posted: 30th November 2011
Nia Griffith MP and Keith Davies AM joined members of Llanelli Women’s Aid in the St Elli Centre to promote the white ribbon campaign which seeks to engage men in stamping out violence against women. They talked to passers-by and drew the raffle.
Nia Griffith MP explained
“ Domestic violence and sexual assault are about exercising power and control. Perpetrators come from all walks of life – all social, economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The white ribbon campaign raises awareness of what is still a very widespread problem, and asks men to challenge all forms of violence against women. Although we have come a long way in recognising the problem from 30 years ago when we had to struggle to get women’s refuges established, domestic violence remains a huge problem affecting one in four women, and resulting in the deaths of two women a week, and we must do all we can to combat violence against women “.
Posted: 29th November 2011
Nia Griffith MP and Keith Davies AM with Boots’ staff looking at plans for the doctors’ surgery
Nia Griffith MP has welcomed plans for the relocation of a doctor’s surgery to the town centre Boots store. At a recent visit to the store, the MP saw plans for converting the Stepney St side of the ground floor into a state of the art two doctor surgery which will accommodate Dr Devichand who will move across from his current premises in Andrew St.
Commenting on the plans Nia Griffith MP said
“This fits in with Labour’s commitment to make doctors’ surgeries more accessible to people. The Labour Welsh Government is pushing forward with plans to extend evening and Saturday opening. The Boots store here is committed to staying open until the end of surgery so that patients will be able to collect their prescriptions immediately.
The plans look very appealing, with the surgery on the ground floor, right at the front of the store. This will be convenient for patients who will be able to combine a visit to the doctor’s with an opportunity to pop to the shops, and it will increase footfall in the town centre which should help local traders. The more we can bring in people to the town centre, whether they are coming in for courses at the Ffwrnes arts hub, going to the cinema or collecting a prescription from the surgery, the better the outlook for local shops.”
Posted: 28th November 2011
Highlighting Labour’s plan to boost the economy, Nia Griffith MP explained
“The Labour Government in Wales is showing there is a better way with the Jobs Growth Fund which will provide 4,000 jobs per year for young people. The Welsh Government is also investing in infrastructure projects like schools, roads and broadband and boosting business through the recent announcement of £55m in grants and loans to help small and medium-sized firms.
Now I am calling on the UK Chancellor to boost the economy, by adopting Labour’s plan for temporary VAT cuts, more investment in infrastructure projects and waiving national insurance payments for firms taking on new employees. Instead the Chancellor seems determined to undermine investor confidence in manufacturing by changing the goalposts for investors in solar power and imposing a supertax on energy –intensive industries like steel. At the same time he is sucking money out of the Welsh economy and squeezing household budgets through increased VAT, cuts in winter fuel allowance, real term cuts in pensions and benefits. All this means that people have less money to spend in local shops. He needs to act quickly to prevent real hardship and to stop this becoming the worst double-dip recession ever.”
Posted: 28th November 2011
Many of you will be familiar Reinhold Niebuhr’s ‘serenity’ prayer which asks for wisdom to tell the difference between those things that we can change, and those things which we cannot – so while the solutions to the global financial crisis may seem elusive, our government here in the UK can choose to implement policies which encourage investment in the manufacturing sector and stimulate growth.
Investors need certainty and consistency of policy. That is why it is utter madness for the government to rush in 50% cuts to the Solar Panel Feed-in Tariff subsidy, with just six weeks’ notice, which means that any panels that are not installed and up and running by 12th December will only get half the current rate of subsidy, making a mockery of the consultation which closes on 23rd Dec. Everyone accepts that the subsidies would decrease gradually but changes were not expected before April 2012.
Solar Panel factories and installers across Wales, like Filsol in Ponthenri, who have taken on new staff as a result of sales projections based on the original scheme, are now finding their markets collapsing. To make matters worse, firms are already having difficulty obtaining the necessary parts to complete existing jobs, because no manufacturer wants to be left with unsalable stock. Big projects to install solar panels on thousands of housing association homes in Wales are now at risk, threatening jobs and apprenticeships. It is a kick in the teeth for all those families who want to do the right thing by investing in solar.
We need a U-turn before it’s too late, which is why I am seeking an emergency meeting for solar industry representatives with the Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan.
Posted: 28th November 2011
KS2 Junior winner Rhiannon Sarah Taylor Searle
Christmas card competition judges had a hard time this week selecting the winning entries for the MP’s Christmas card competition from over 450 entries submitted by local primary schools. Pupils had been asked to produce a design suitable for a Christmas Card on the theme of Christmas dinner, and the judges were local artist Joan Jones, Rebecca Lewis of the Lighthouse Café Burry Port and film studies graduate Madelaine Phillips.
After some considerable deliberation, they finally came to their conclusion, selecting as winner of the infants’ category 4 -year-old Keira Miller of Dafen Primary School for her very bold picture of a turkey and, as winner of the junior category 11-year-old Rhiannon Taylor-Searle of Ysgol Y Castell for her very original interpretation of the theme – a donkey helping itself to the carrot that a snowman was sporting for a nose.
KS1 Infant winner Keira Miller
As well as seeing their designs used for the MP’s Christmas Card, the winners will be presented with a framed version of their drawings and they also win £100 for their schools.
The runners up, whose pictures will feature in miniature on the back of the cards were Hannah Demeo and Jack Stone of Ysgol Babanod Llangennech, Nathan Fisher of Ysgol Maes y Morfa, Rhys Williams Ysgol y Felin, Chris Chang Ysgol Y Castell, Catrin Pryor Burry Port Junior Community School, Sasha Lewis Pentip V.A. School and Christian Watts Heol Goffa School.
There will be a display of the winning pictures plus all the pictures that the judges placed in the very highly commended, highly commended, commended or merit categories in the shop called Handbags & Gladrags which is situated between Taffy’s and The Celtic, opposite the carpet shop, on one of the ways from the St Elli Centre into Llanelli Market from 1st until 15th December. All pictures will be returned to the schools after 15th December
Posted: 21st November 2011
