Latest news with #ElunedMorgan
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Over 50 million free school meals served across Wales
The milestone comes as part of the Universal Primary Free School Meals programme, which began in 2022 and now offers every child in every Welsh primary school a free meal each day. First minister Eluned Morgan said: "Serving up school dinners to all our primary pupils for free provides vital support. "A year on from introducing the scheme to everyone, Wales is still the only UK nation to provide a free healthy meal for every primary learner. "It makes sure that no child feels hungry during the school day. "It helps their concentration and wellbeing and enabling them to achieve their full potential." The Welsh Government says the programme helps reduce health inequalities, encourages healthy eating, and supports children's learning and behaviour. The initiative also aims to source food locally where possible. Cabinet secretary for education, Lynne Neagle, said: "More than 50 million meals have been served since the introduction of Universal Primary Free School Meals, it is a remarkable milestone. "It is also a significant step in supporting Welsh families and tackling child poverty across our communities." Work is underway to review school food regulations, with a public consultation open until the end of July.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Holyhead Port to reopen fully after Storm Darragh damage
One of UK's busiest ports will fully reopen on Friday, seven months after a berth was shut due to damage caused by a car ferry docking during a berths at Holyhead, the UK's second busiest passenger port, were damaged in two separate incidents hours before the height of a rare red weather wind warning that battered Wales in port was closed for five weeks, including at Christmas and new year, as engineers fixed one of the damaged berths before Holyhead partially reopened in January and services resumed to a revised other berth has taken seven months to repair and reopened on Friday with the economic impact of the closures an estimated £500m in lost trade. "It's the busiest time of year and is really important and timely," said Wales' First Minister Eluned comes as schoolchildren in Wales will finish their term within the next few days while most Republic of Ireland schools have already closed for the than 1.5m people pass through Holyhead every year making it the most popular sea route between the UK mainland and the Republic of Ireland. Why did Holyhead Port close? Holyhead's operators have said its closure was after successive ferries made "contact" with berthing terminals at the port just before the height of Storm Darragh in December incidents shut both of Holyhead's terminals because of the "interconnecting nature" of the support structures as the terminals run parallel to each blocked the busiest and shortest route between the UK mainland and Republic and Ireland over the busy Christmas and new year 40-day closure, before one berth reopened on 16 January, caused chaos for passengers and truck drivers using the four daily services of both Stena Line and Irish Ferries as people and freight had to find alternative routes over the Irish Sea. A boss of Stena Line, which runs the port, gave evidence to a Welsh Parliament committee and said berths were designed to "take contact but very slow-speed contact"."These contacts, maybe of a different magnitude, happen all the time," Stena's head of UK Ports Ian Davies told the Senedd's Economy and Trade port or ferry companies say they would not elaborate on how these specific contacts closed the port despite both the Welsh and UK governments asking."Those incidents are now subject to an insurance claim and I can give no further details without prejudicing that insurance claims at this time I'm afraid," Mr Davies told the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Committee earlier this chair Ruth Jones MP replied: "That is very frustrating for us but, obviously, we understand where you are coming from." When Mr Davies was before the Welsh Parliament's economy committee, he was asked by chair Andrew RT Davies was it "not necessarily the storm caused the damage, but the actual seamanship?"Mr Davies replied to the Senedd committee: "All we can say is there's an ongoing investigation into the actual cause, and part of that is a claim going on." Ferries that use Holyhead include the 50,000-tonnes Ulysses, which was the world's largest car ferry when it launched in terminal five reopened on 16 January and the port has been able to operate its normal daily number of sailings - eight arrivals and eight to accommodate that, both Irish Ferries and Stena Line had to adjust their timetables to synchronise arrivals and departures at the only operational told the Senedd the damage had happened to part of terminal three, which is "predominantly" used by Irish the port operators or the ferry companies would confirm who was taking action against whom. Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have both declined to berthing incidents happened during Storm Darragh - but before the red weather warning for wind kicked in at 03:00 GMT on 7 to Met Office data, three of the UK's five strongest gusts during Storm Darragh were in north included wind speeds of 79mph (127km/h) at Valley - about eight miles (13km) inland from Holyhead - which is the highest recorded gust on Anglesey for 27 years. The Health and Safety Executive did not investigate the incidents, while the Marine Accident Investigation Branch made some "preliminary enquiries" into the "maritime aspects" of the added in a statement: "The information gathered does not indicate any significant safety issues that would necessitate further investigation at this time."Mr Davies said there was a "onward-going investigation" about the incidents and the port and ferry operators would review what happened once Holyhead was fully reopened. Why has it taken so long to fully reopen Holyhead? Seven months may seem like a long time without half of its berthing capacity but port bosses explained replacing Holyhead's damaged infrastructure was complex."The berths are a series of very large steel pile structures... roughly 2m (6ft 7in) in diameter and 50m (164 ft 1in) in total length and driven into the seabed," Mr Davies of Stena explained in his Senedd evidence. He said the affected structure on terminal three "partially collapsed and had fallen at an angle" so engineers needed to charter specialist barges to get to the site and remove the fallen 120-tonne needed to design, order, check and fit their new pile and its associated mechanisms."It was hoped we could replace the pile in the same pile socket, like replacing a false tooth, but that was not possible," added Mr have had to drive the new pile into the sea bed and test before declaring the berth ready for passenger ferries."To be frank, seven months is a short amount of time," said maritime expert Dr Stavros Karamperidis. "The analogy is having a car accident, insurance companies investigate and might offer money, the other company might dispute that and it goes back and forth."I'm sure the authorities have all the information but you can't give that publicly," added Dr Karamperidis, head of Plymouth University's maritime transport research group. How important is Holyhead Port? At just over 100 miles (161km) between Holyhead and Dublin, the three-hour and 15 minute crossing from north Wales is the quickest route between the UK mainland and the Republic of more than 400,000 lorries and 400,000 cars a year using it every year, Holyhead is the second busiest passenger ferry port to is Wales' biggest international transport hub with almost double the amount of annual passengers of Wales' only major airport in Cardiff. "It is one of the large corridors that connects Wales and the UK to Ireland because of the shortness and frequency of the crossing," Mr Davies told Parliament."It adds a dynamic, especially to the just-in-time logistics industry, which perhaps other corridors do not have. I cannot overemphasise how important it is. It is critical."He added night ferries could create freight lorry convoys of up to three miles (5km) long, such is the strategic importance to both the UK and Republic of Ireland."Holyhead is a huge economic driver for us here in Ireland because so much of our exports by sea go through Holyhead into the UK," said Irish government Minister Sean Canney. He said more than a third of roll-on, roll-off traffic traffic to the Republic of Ireland came through Holyhead, emphasising the importance part of another country is to his nation."Both countries rely on Holyhead for stuff coming in and out between the UK and Ireland, it's a huge vein across the Irish Sea," added estimate the economic impact of Holyhead Port and its supply chain in north Wales is more than £100m a year with 1,000 jobs locally relying on it. Bangor University's senior economics lecturer Edward Jones also told Parliament an "additional 1,600 to 1,700 jobs at a national level is dependent" on Holyhead.A Senedd Committee heard in April the value of trade going through Holyhead during the complete closure was almost £500m less than the year the Welsh and Irish government also hoped everyone involved could "learn lessons" on how they react to incidents like this.
ITV News
15-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
First Minister accused of ‘not giving a hoot' about food security
The First Minister has been accused of 'not giving a hoot' about food security as the Welsh Government announces its new Sustainable Farming Scheme. Plans for the scheme, which is designed to replace the funding for Welsh farmers previously given by the European Union, first began after Brexit. Eluned Morgan was tackled about changes to the controversial scheme following 18 months of consultation with the farming sector. During First Minister's Questions in the Senedd, Opposition leader, Darren Millar, criticised what he said was a lack of an economic impact assessment. He asked Eluned Morgan: 'So can you tell us how many job losses this new scheme will cause? What will be the financial hit to the rural economy, and why are you waiting until September to publish a full economic impact assessment of the scheme?' The First Minister said, 'We have listened to the agricultural community, we recognise the valuable contribution they make to our nation, not just in terms of the economy, but in terms of those wider issues like the environment, like the contribution to our tourism economy. 'When it comes to the impact assessment, there will be a ready reckoner tool available so that prior to the Royal Welsh, people will be able to punch in their particular circumstances, and they will be able to assess how it affects them.' The Conservative leader said that, 'The problem is that in my constituency and the constituencies represented in this chamber don't want a ready reckoner. They want to know if their jobs are on the line and whether they have still got the opportunity to make a decent living.' He went on to criticise the Sustainable Farming Scheme for prioritising environmental measures over food security and added that, 'it doesn't even mention the term 'food security' throughout the whole document. It's not mentioned one single time, because you do not give a hoot about food security. First Minister. In contrast, the word 'environment' is mentioned almost 80 times. 'Can you tell us why is there no mention of the term food security in your new schemes document? Why are you still prepared to sacrifice an area of 17,000 acres, half the size of the Vale of Glamorgan' for planting trees?' In response, the First Minister said 'We know that farmers are very serious about the environment. We know that they are hyper-aware of the very dry patch that we've been through recently, and how that's affecting them, how they need to make these long term investments, and they know more than anyone the impact of climate change. 'We're asking them to help us to make a contribution to addressing the issue of climate change. And I think planting trees has an important contribution. Farmers will choose the right tree in the right place, and we'll be providing incentives for early planting, the budget and the advice and give guidance to farming with that. 'We're not going to apologise for the fact that we do want to see some tree planting, but it will be more flexible than what was initially suggested.'
Western Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Port Talbot moves towards arc furnace future with groundbreaking ceremony
Ministers will join Tata Steel chiefs at the South Wales steel plant for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the new electric arc furnace's construction. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Steel and the Tata Group, described the moment as an 'important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK'. He added: 'At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership.' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government was committed to a 'bright future for our steel industry' (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The Government has backed plans for the new £1.25 billion electric arc furnace at the Tata steelworks with a £500 million investment. The switch-on is due to take place in 2027 as part of the push towards greener production. Tata insists the move will cut Port Talbot's emissions by 90%, while ensuring the future of steel production in the town. The plant's last blast furnace was shut down in September 2024, with 2,500 workers to lose their jobs in the aftermath. The new electric arc furnace will be able to process scrap steel, but is not able to make virgin steel as a blast furnace can. Some MPs have said workers in South Wales have been let down in comparison with those retaining jobs in Scunthorpe, where ministers took control of the steelworks to prevent the closure of its blast furnaces. The Government has said the two steelworks were in different situations. Seeing spades in the ground today provides a tangible sign of Tata's intention to continue producing steel in the area, an industry which has provided quality jobs to local people for generations First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'This is our industrial strategy in action and is great news for Welsh steelmaking, backing this crucial Welsh industry, which will give certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come. 'This Government is committed to a bright future for our steel industry, which is why we provided £500 million of funding to make this project possible.' Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said the new furnace would help to realise 'the promise we made to the community, while the development of floating offshore wind, plans for a Celtic Freeport and millions more for local regeneration all mean that Port Talbot has a bright future'. First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan said: 'This is a momentous day for heavy industry in Wales, as the electric arc furnace has secured the long-term future of steel making at Port Talbot. 'Seeing spades in the ground today provides a tangible sign of Tata's intention to continue producing steel in the area, an industry which has provided quality jobs to local people for generations.' Steelworkers' union Community described the groundbreaking ceremony as 'bittersweet'. Community assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: 'This bittersweet day is a consequence of the devastating closure of the blast furnaces, but importantly a future for Port Talbot steelmaking is being secured. The workforce needs the electric arc furnace project to be both a success and a turning point, and we look forward to playing our part to get the new furnace up and running. 'Today should represent the first step towards rebuilding our steel industry and creating new high-quality jobs for our steel communities. Going forward we must see further investment to develop and grow the business, both here in Port Talbot and across all the crucial downstream sites. 'It was also good to see the Secretary of State in Port Talbot today, and we will continue to hold talks with Government on their plans to safeguard and co-invest in our steel industry. The UK needs a strong and resilient steel sector now more than ever, and steel should be the cornerstone of a national industrial strategy fit for the future.'
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Voters have clocked something about Farage - but Welsh Labour chief is 'worried'
Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan says Labour risks being taken for granted after being in power so long - but there's still something about Nigel Farage that voters don't like Reform UK pose a serious threat to Labour but voters are clocking Nigel Farage 's patronising view of Wales, the First Minister said. Eluned Morgan admitted she was 'seriously worried' by the surge in support for the right-wing party ahead of next year's crunch Senedd elections. She said Labour risks being taken for granted after being in power for so long but warned that things like free prescriptions, hospital car parking, and free bus travel for over 65s weren't guaranteed. She said: "There's lots of things like that that we have that people just assume are going to continue. "We're trying - in the light of the fact we have got elections next year - to remind people that these things could be lost. 'These are political choices." On Reform, she said: "I'm seriously worried about the threat that they pose and it's not just about their ability to run a country. "We've been here before in Wales, so Nigel Farage's party were elected to the Senedd before, they had seven members elected as Ukip. "By the end of the parliament, six of them had left the party to join three different parties. "We've seen them close up before, and it's not pretty. When the rubber hits the road, when it comes to Reform, it all falls apart." She said Reform's plans for Elon Musk-style efficiency savings in local councils would mean cutting public sector jobs. And she accused the party of wanting to introduce health insurance after Mr Farage repeatedly suggested he wanted to re-examine the NHS funding model. She said: "People need to understand what's at stake if they vote for Reform." Reform recently said it was committed to keeping the NHS free at the point of delivery and free prescriptions. Mr Farage doesn't know the first thing about Wales, she said, pointing to his recent call to reopen domestic coal mines. She said: "I would be very surprised if you could find anyone who worked in the coal mines in the past who wanted their grandchildren to go down the pits. "That is somebody who doesn't understand and who hasn't watched somebody struggling to breathe as a result of emphysema, who hasn't had to live next door to an open cast coal area where they are breathing in particles. "Then to suggest he's going to come in and reopen the blast furnace is absolutely illiterate in terms of understanding how the steel sector works - and that's starting to be clocked by people in Wales. "To come in and patronise us with this very old fashioned view of Wales is something that I hope people will start to realise is not appropriate for our country."
