Latest news with #JaneDodds
Pembrokeshire Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Extra funding to help plug National Insurance shortfall in Wales
Welsh Government steps in to protect vital services WELSH public services are set to receive additional funding to help meet rising employer National Insurance (NI) costs—after a shortfall in support from the UK Government left a significant funding gap. The increase in employer NI contributions has added an estimated £257 million in annual costs to the Welsh public sector. Of that, the UK Government has committed £185 million, leaving a £72 million deficit. To help cover this shortfall, the Welsh Government has announced it will allocate £36 million from its reserves. This brings the total support package to £220 million, which will cover approximately 85% of the increased costs. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: 'We're protecting our vital public services by using £36 million from our reserves to help address the National Insurance shortfall left by the UK Government. 'While the UK Government has provided some funding, it does not match the actual financial burden now facing Welsh services. This leaves a multi-million-pound gap year after year. 'We've stepped in to support our services as much as we can, but we cannot afford to plug the entire shortfall. The UK Government should treat public services equally across the UK and honour its commitment to fully fund these extra costs.' The Welsh Government warned that continued shortfalls could place pressure on frontline services if the funding gap is not fully addressed. The Welsh Lib Dems responded to what they say was Mark Drakeford's National Insurance Bombshell. Leader Jane Dodds MS said: 'The Welsh Lib Dems have opposed this disastrous jobs tax from day one. Not only is it hammering our small businesses with unemployment in Wales rising, but it is now clear it will leave Wales with a gaping hole in its public finances and our public services worse off. 'The fact that the First Minister cannot even convince the UK government that the increased cost to the public sector should be covered by the Treasury shows how little influence Welsh Labour have in London. 'The Liberal Democrats will continue to argue for a reversal of the national insurance hike and fair funding for Wales.'
Powys County Times
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Work is beginning on changes to 'notorious' Powys junction
Work is beginning on changes to a 'notorious' main road junction in Powys. A detailed study is nearing completion on a potential installation of a roundabout at the Pont y Bat junction on the A470 between Brecon and Builth Wells. Safety issues at the junction have been a growing concern for local communities and commuters. The Welsh Liberal Democrats welcomed progress on long-awaited safety improvements following negotiations to support the 2025 Senedd budget. As a result of the deal a package of low-cost, high-impact safety measures will be progressed in the 2025/26 financial year, including design work and the potential for early implementation. A period of post-implementation monitoring will then guide any further engineering interventions needed to improve road safety long-term. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: 'This is a real win for local residents and a clear example of how Liberal Democrat influence in the Senedd delivers results. 'For too long, communities along the A470 have raised valid concerns about safety—particularly at Pont y Bat—and it's right that their voices have finally been heard. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app 'Securing this funding as part of our budget negotiations was a key priority. "I'm delighted to see the Welsh Government now taking steps to implement quick, practical improvements that will make this stretch of road safer for everyone.'
Powys County Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Calls to tackle 'disastrous' Powys ambulance wait times
Calls have been made to tackle 'disastrous' ambulance wait times in Powys. A call for action has been made to tackle long ambulance waiting times in Powys following the publication of new statistics. New figures showed that in Powys, only 40 per cent of red calls, the most serious category of incidents, were answered within target times. This is compared to 50 per cent across Wales. Meanwhile, 61 per cent of amber calls, which include strokes and heart attacks, took over 60 minutes to respond to. Other data showed 608,000 people were still on an NHS waiting list across Wales, while more than 8,389 people were waiting over two years to start treatment. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that Labour's management of the NHS in Wales over the last 25 years has been a 'disaster' for the public and said their top priority in next year's Senedd elections would be to fix social care to relieve pressure on hospitals and the ambulance service. They said many hospitals in Wales and in Shropshire and Herefordshire are unable to discharge patients because social care packages aren't available, leading to bed blocking and ambulances queuing outside A&E units. 'Today's statistics are the latest in a long line that paint a really disastrous image of Labour's management of the NHS in Wales over the last 25 years,' said Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds. 'But behind every single one of these statistics are real people, real families being impacted by the inability to get the help they deserve when they need it. 'We must see real action to drive down waiting lists and relieve the pressure on our emergency departments and hospitals. That is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to make fixing social care our number one priority. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, added that he had 'countless' constituents bring the problem up with him. 'People should be able to have confidence that during their hour of need, the NHS will be there to protect them,' said Mr Chadwick. 'Sadly in Wales, that hasn't been the case for some time. 'I've had countless constituents contact me since being elected, outlining the trauma they have had whilst trying to get hold of an ambulance during an emergency. 'None of this is the fault of our heroic ambulance staff of NHS workers, but it is the symptom of a failing system. 'We need to reform social care and ensure patients can be discharged back into the community as quickly as possible.'
Powys County Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Opinion: Welsh tourism tax plan will make visitors cash cows
It's that time of year when our area gets a huge influx of tourists, drivers on our back roads who can't reverse, and people walking up Pen-y-Fan in flipflops, writes James Evans MS. Nevertheless, we all welcome tourists and the tourism spend to support our communities, our High Streets, our pubs and more. With one in seven jobs reliant on the sector, it's a vital employer. From family-run B&Bs to outdoor education centres and self-catering cottages, tourism keeps our rural economy alive. That's why I'm increasingly concerned that the Welsh Government's plans to introduce a tourism tax are a step closer to becoming reality. Under the current proposal, visitors could be charged at least £1.30 per person, per night to stay in accommodation (80p for hostels and campsites). That's before VAT. Councils would be free to raise that figure further. This is a new tax that could do real damage to Wales, and at a time when many accommodation providers are already under pressure from rising costs and policies like the 182-day occupancy rule for self-catering properties. Recently, the Senedd debated and approved the general principles of the Tourism Levy bill. Labour and Plaid Cymru voted in favour, and the sole Liberal Democrat, Jane Dodds MS, chose to abstain. Only Welsh Conservatives voted against. It's important to stress that councils can choose whether to introduce the levy. Pembrokeshire County Council has already said it won't do so until at least 2027. I've recently met with Councillor James Gibson-Watt to urge the Lib Dem/Labour-run Powys County Council to follow their lead. If they decide to implement it, they must be fully transparent about how the money will be spent. Without that clarity, there's a real risk it won't be reinvested into tourism at all. Let's not forget that 90% of visitors to Wales are from within the UK. Welsh families could be taxed just for holidaying in their own country. The Welsh Government should be supporting tourism in mid Wales, not turning it into a cash cow for council budgets.
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh Government's 'botched' bus promise will only help some teens
Welsh Government's 'botched' bus promise will only help some teens The pilot scheme announced as part of a deal with Lib Dem MS Jane Dodds will not currently apply to those aged 11 to 15 Ken Skates MS is Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales (Image: Welsh Government ) The Welsh Government's plans to offer all those under the age of 21 bus travel for £1 have not yet been fully agreed with bus operators, it has been revealed. It could leave children aged between 11 and 15 paying more for public transport compared to those aged between 16 and 21. The Welsh Government agreed its budget for the financial year 2025-26 in February, and due to the way the Senedd has been elected, Labour needed support from another Senedd member and Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds did a deal with Labour to ensure the budget would pass. The concessions she got from finance minister Mark Drakeford in return included a pledge for single bus fares priced at £1 for those under 21. When the Welsh Government announced the pledge, it said the £100m deal it struck with her included "£15m to fund a pilot scheme for young people aged 21 and under to pay only £1 for a single bus fare in Wales." You can read the story on that here. Little detail has been published about the scheme since the budget was announced, but it has now emerged the pilot is currently only agreed for 16 to 21 year olds, and will currently not apply to those aged 11 to 15. Wales' transport minister Ken Skates said negotiations are ongoing with bus operators and he hopes it will be resolved before the scheme is due to start in September. Article continues below Plaid Cymru's transport spokesman Peredur Owen Griffiths said that would mean younger teenagers will have to pay more to travel than their older peers for exactly the same journeys. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here For example, in Cardiff and Newport they would have to pay £1.70 and in Swansea between £1.10 and £2. Asked about the issue in questions in the Senedd today (April 30), Wales' transport minister Ken Skates said: "Negotiations are ongoing regarding young people aged between five and 15, negotiations with the industry itself." "In terms of the provision for those who are under 15 years old, we are still in negotiations with the industry to make sure that the young people who don't benefit from our £1 flat fare don't have to pay more. "It's absolutely vital that we introduce people at the earliest age to bus services, so that they develop that sort of behaviour that then drives a life of change in terms of modal shift," he said. Mr Skates continued: "Ideally, bus operators will at least contribute to reducing the cost of fares for under-16s, but this is yet to be confirmed and that's why the negotiations are ongoing but we intend to bring those negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible, and certainly in time for the scheme's introduction." The Welsh Government does not hold figures for how many young people aged between 11 and 15 use buses in Wales. In answer to a written question, asked by the Plaid MS, Mr Skates was asked on April 2: "What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact of the Welsh Government's £1 bus fare pilot for 16-21 have on bus users in the 11-15 age group?" To that he responded: "As part of the modelling work undertaken on the £1 bus fare pilot for 16-21 year olds, Transport for Wales also considered the impact on 5-15 year olds. They are currently negotiating the details of the scheme with bus operators, and the impact on 5-15 year olds is an important element of these discussions." Article continues below Mr Owen Griffiths said it was a "botched" policy. We have asked the Welsh Government to confirm if it ever intended for all those under 21 to be included, and when the modelling referenced by Mr Skates was carried out.
