Latest news with #Senedd
South Wales Argus
12 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen council leader hasn't ruled out a tourism tax
The Senedd has passed legislation that will allow each local authority in Wales to introduce a tourist tax if it wishes in the form of an additional charge per person per night booking overnight accommodation from campsites to luxury hotels. Newport City Council has already ruled out the charge while Monmouthshire County Council's Labour leadership has said it has no plans to do so during the existing council term. But Torfaen Borough Council leader Anthony Hunt would only say his council would follow the process, set out in the legislation approved by the Senedd in July, which requires a consultation before a charge is introduced. If every council in Wales agreed to introduce the charge it's estimated it could raise as much as £33m a year to invest in services and infrastructure to support tourism. Independent councillor Nick Horler, who represents Blaenavon which is a World Heritage site recognised by United Nations cultural body UNESCO, asked Cllr Hunt if Torfaen would be introducing the tourist tax. Cllr Horler said: 'While the earliest it could potentially start is in April 2027 it would be good to understand Torfaen council's position.' Cllr Hunt replied: 'Torfaen council will follow the process set out by the Welsh Government when the bill received royal assent. The first stage of that is to run a consultation process to get the views of the sector in Torfaen.' The tax, officially known as a visitor levy, will introduce a £1.30 per visitor per night charge on overnight stays with the rate for hostels and campsites set at 75 pence per visitor, per night. There would be an exception for under 18s staying at hostels and campsites only.
South Wales Argus
15 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Natasha Asghar on state of health care across Wales
It is clear successive Labour Governments have failed to address the challenges within our health service over the years. If anything, things continue to go from bad to worse under Labour's watch. NHS treatment lists remain shamefully high with just shy of 780,000 patient pathways open – that's the equivalent of nearly one-in-four people. The Welsh Government should hang its head in shame over that statistic. The latest figures show two year waits for treatment are on the up in Wales again to 9,600 whereas across the border in England it's just 171. Just 50 per cent of red calls - the most serious - received an emergency/ambulance response within the eight-minute target time, down on the previous month. We are still nowhere near hitting the target of 95 per cent of patients waiting less than four hours in Welsh A&E departments. That's the grim picture nationally, and locally, I am afraid it is not much better. In my region, we have more than 141,000 patient pathways within the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board with 14,716 patients waiting over a year for a first appointment. A staggering 24,666 patients have been waiting longer than a year for treatment in April 2025 – that's nearly one in five patients waiting longer than a year. Not only that, 374 patients were waiting more than two years for treatment in April 2025. The Grange Hospital has 57.5 per cent of patients waiting less than four hours in its emergency department, the fourth worst in Wales. Shockingly, 1,115 patients were waiting more than 12 hours at The Grange in May this year – which works out to be 15 per cent of total patients seen at the department. These aren't just statistics. These are my constituents languishing in pain on a waiting list for treatment. And this is utterly unacceptable. Recently the Welsh Conservatives brought forward a debate urging the Welsh Government to declare a health emergency so all efforts can be directed to driving waiting lessons down. Shockingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Labour politicians in the Senedd and their Plaid Cymru pals blocked the move. As ever, if there is anything I can do to help going forward, please do not hesitate to get in touch by calling 01633 215138 or email Natasha Asghar is Senedd member for South Wales East.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Calls for ban on police pointing tasers at children
Rhian Croke, of the Children's Legal Centre Wales, said mounting evidence shows systemic discrimination – with black, disabled and poorer children more likely to be the target. Dr Croke expressed concerns about the UK government potentially authorising the use, including on children, of Taser 10 – a new 'more powerful' model – in the weeks ahead. She warned of increased risks of physical harm and psychological trauma, with children describing tasers as frightening, painful and traumatising – even when not discharged. Nearly a quarter of recorded taser use on children in Wales and England involved black boys aged between 11 and 17, according to a briefing for Senedd members. Children with mental health conditions or additional learning needs and those from poorer backgrounds were also found to be disproportionately affected. Dr Croke said: 'The decision to authorise Taser 10 will impact children in Wales. 'Wales can and must do better. Despite policing not being devolved, Wales is a children's rights, trauma-informed, and anti-racist nation.' Urging the Welsh Government to lead calls for a pause on Taser 10, Dr Croke called for a wider ban on taser use against children or at least a strong legal presumption against. Police in Wales and England deployed tasers on children 2,900 times last year, including five instances against children under 11, with 66 discharges – all on those aged 11 to 17. South Wales Police pulled tasers on children the most (56 times) followed by Gwent (35, including two discharges), North Wales (12, one discharge) and Dyfed Powys (nine). In the briefing, jointly prepared with Louise King from the Children's Rights Alliance England, Dr Croke warned tasers also pose a major risk to children's physical health. The researchers wrote: 'Unlike earlier models, Taser 10 barbs must embed in the skin. Children's thinner skin and reduced body wall-to-organ distance significantly heighten the risk of deep tissue or organ injury."
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Calls for ban on police pointing tasers at children
Rhian Croke, of the Children's Legal Centre Wales, said mounting evidence shows systemic discrimination – with black, disabled and poorer children more likely to be the target. Dr Croke expressed concerns about the UK government potentially authorising the use, including on children, of Taser 10 – a new 'more powerful' model – in the weeks ahead. She warned of increased risks of physical harm and psychological trauma, with children describing tasers as frightening, painful and traumatising – even when not discharged. Nearly a quarter of recorded taser use on children in Wales and England involved black boys aged between 11 and 17, according to a briefing for Senedd members. Children with mental health conditions or additional learning needs and those from poorer backgrounds were also found to be disproportionately affected. Dr Croke said: 'The decision to authorise Taser 10 will impact children in Wales. 'Wales can and must do better. Despite policing not being devolved, Wales is a children's rights, trauma-informed, and anti-racist nation.' Urging the Welsh Government to lead calls for a pause on Taser 10, Dr Croke called for a wider ban on taser use against children or at least a strong legal presumption against. Police in Wales and England deployed tasers on children 2,900 times last year, including five instances against children under 11, with 66 discharges – all on those aged 11 to 17. South Wales Police pulled tasers on children the most (56 times) followed by Gwent (35, including two discharges), North Wales (12, one discharge) and Dyfed Powys (nine). In the briefing, jointly prepared with Louise King from the Children's Rights Alliance England, Dr Croke warned tasers also pose a major risk to children's physical health. The researchers wrote: 'Unlike earlier models, Taser 10 barbs must embed in the skin. Children's thinner skin and reduced body wall-to-organ distance significantly heighten the risk of deep tissue or organ injury."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Family's 'nightmare' after Brit, 25, plunges to his death from Malta balcony
Kieran Hughes, 25, was on a trip with friends when he fell from a balcony at the 10 storey Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian's, Malta - and suffered multiple blunt force injuries A 25-year-old British man died after suffering multiple blunt force injuries when he plunged from a hotel balcony in Malta, an inquest has heard. Kieran Hughes, a software engineer from Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd, Wales, was on a trip with friends when he fell from a height at the 10 storey Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian's, on the east coast of the Mediterranean island, at roughly 4am on July 11. First responders raced to the building in Malta's Triq Spinola area but the 25-year-old was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. In a heartbreaking statement, Hughes' devastated father described him as "a special son and twin brother," adding the family were "living in a nightmare" since the tragedy. Opening the inquest, assistant coroner for North West Wales Sarah Riley said the case was likely "to be an unnatural death," the cause of which being "multiple blunt force injuries due to a fall from height," according to Maltese authorities. She added that the circumstances surrounding the incident had yet to be established in Malta and adjourned the inquest pending further inquiries. The Foreign Office previously said it was in touch with local authorities regarding Hughes' death, with police inquiries thought to be ongoing. Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said the young man's death was "heartbreaking news," adding: "My heart goes out to the young man's family at this extremely difficult time." Senedd member Sian Gwenllian said: "The pain his family must be experiencing is unimaginable. My thoughts, and those of the people of Gwynedd, are with the family in their grief." Mr Hughes was employed as a software engineer at the M-Sparc Science Park in Anglesey and studied engineering at Bangor University. His family said they wanted to remember his as being "happy, loving and full of life". Welsh MP Sian Gwenllian, who represents Arfon, said at the time of Hughes' death: "News of the death of a 25-year-old from Gwynedd in Malta is truly devastating. The pain his family must be experiencing is unimaginable. My thoughts, and those of the people of Gwynedd, are with them in their grief."
