Latest news with #WLGA
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh council leader 'concerned' about impact immigration plan could have on care
Welsh council leader 'concerned' about impact immigration plan could have on care Cllr Huw Thomas said the UK Government's plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers is "certainly a matter of concern" Cllr Huw Thomas said he is concerned about the UK Government's immigration plans (Image: Cardiff Council ) The Labour leader of Cardiff Council said he is concerned about UK Government immigration plans that could affect social care in the city. Cllr Huw Thomas spoke about plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers at a building topping out ceremony in Grangetown on Friday, June 6. The UK Government said its plan, which is part of the recently published immigration white paper, is aimed at stopping carers from oversees being subject to "shameful levels of abuse and exploitation". However, unions, care agencies and councils have come out in criticism of the move which they say will exacerbate the pressure the care sector is already under. Never miss a Cardiff story and sign up to our newsletter here. When asked how concerned he was about the plans, Cllr Thomas said: "I think it is certainly a matter of concern. "There are migrant workers in the care sector in Cardiff doing incredibly important work in very difficult circumstances. "We want to support them and as a council we are working with trade unions to support that work force. Article continues below "What that's meant over the last couple of years is that the marketplace for domiciliary care... is actually quite resilient in Cardiff. "I think if there would be changes... that are proposed to be introduced, that would weaken the resilience of the delivery of domiciliary care. The leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, was speaking at an event in Grangetown (Image: Ted Peskett ) "It is a concern. We are feeding that concern into Government for their consideration." A Cardiff Council official told councillors at a scrutiny committee meeting in February 2023 that the local authority was having issues with recruiting social care staff. An advert posted on the council's Facebook page in May 2025 said it currently has "vacancies in a number of care roles". In a statement published on May 11, the UK Government said some carers seeking work in the UK arrived to find themselves "saddled with debt", being treated unfairly and discovering the jobs they were promised didn't exist. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has also come out in criticism of the plans. WLGA spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, said: "Councils have long struggled to recruit social care workers, especially in rural and coastal areas. "The Welsh Government's Real Living Wage has helped, but international recruitment has been an important part of keeping services going. "These proposals risk shutting off a vital source of social care workers at the very moment local services are under extreme pressure. "Councils are working hard to support people to live with dignity and independence – but this depends on having a workforce in place. "Removing this option without a fully funded plan to grow the domestic workforce is a significant risk. "It will take time and investment to build a resilient, sustainable care workforce. "In the meantime, we fear the consequences will be felt by the people who rely most on support – older people, people with disabilities, and unpaid carers. Article continues below "Workforce planning must reflect the reality on the ground. "Local authorities are uniquely placed to understand the needs of their communities, and their insights must shape national decisions."
Zawya
08-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
World Liquid Gas Association Joins Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025, Driving Africa's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Market Growth
Michael Kelly, Chief Advocacy Officer, World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) will speak at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Forum in Paris next month. As a key leader in global energy advocacy, Kelly's participation will provide valuable insights into the growing role of liquid gas in the global energy transition, particularly within the African context. The WLGA is dedicated to promoting the use of liquid gas as a cleaner alternative to conventional fuels, advocating for policy reforms that support the global expansion of this energy source. In Africa, the association's efforts focus on helping governments and businesses explore liquid gas solutions as part of the broader energy mix, driving both energy access and economic development across the continent. In December 2024, the WLGA launched a new roadmap aimed at expanding access to clean cooking solutions across Africa, specifically through increased availability and uptake of LPG. This comprehensive roadmap not only emphasizes the establishment of a clear regulatory framework to scale the LPG market, but also calls for the implementation of consumer financing and payment plans to address economic barriers and highlights the need for investment in infrastructure and roads. IAE 2025 ( is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@ Africa's LPG sector is experiencing significant growth, with several large-scale projects focused on expanding production, storage and distribution capabilities. Last month, Nigeria commissioned its first modular LPG extraction plant and a 20 MW gas-to-power project, both of which are set to boost domestic gas utilization and enhance energy access. Sahara Group is developing a 12,000-ton LPG storage facility in Ivory Coast, which will increase the country's LPG storage capacity by 60% and significantly improve imports and distribution for neighboring countries in the region. The company is also in talks with Kenya to construct a 30,000-ton facility for handling and storing LPG. Meanwhile, Petredec and South Africa's state-owned Transnet announced a rail freight project in September 2024, featuring a dedicated train system and a modern LPG intermodal hub and storage facility. This hub will receive bulk LPG via rail, introducing the country's first scheduled LPG train system. Other high-profile projects include the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria, a $20 billion initiative designed to meet the country's fuel demands while reducing dependency on imports and introducing LPG into the Nigerian market. These projects reflect Africa's growing commitment to leveraging its natural gas resources to enhance energy infrastructure, drive economic development and improve access to cleaner, more affordable energy across the continent. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Little progress' improving Gypsy and Traveller sites
"Little to no progress" has been made improving Gypsy and Traveller sites in Wales in the past two-and-a-half years and urgent action is needed, a cross-party Senedd committee has concluded. Its 2022 report found failings including long waits for pitches, rat infestations and racism from Government and Housing Committee chair John Griffiths called for urgent action or the communities "will continue to be treated like second class citizens".The Welsh government said providing good quality sites was "central" to its Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. The WLGA, which represents councils, said it would work to help implement the report's recommendations. The May 2022 inquiry report found cases of where people have been waiting for more than 20 years for a pitch on a local authority were also often in "unsuitable locations", far from facilities and next to busy roads and industrial areas with poor air quality, in part because of local report also listed accounts of "issues with uneven plots, lack of footpaths, blocked drains, rat infestations and mouldy bathrooms".The committee's follow-up report, published on Thursday, calls for ministers to ensure all local authorities have a Gypsy and Traveller liaison officer, and to reinstate a Gypsy and Traveller Forum as quickly as possible to improve dialogue. 'Disinterested' Griffiths, Labour Newport East MS, said "We heard that the persistent neglect of Gypsy and Traveller sites by local authorities in Wales has led to significant physical and mental health issues among their residents, due to widespread disrepair and pollution.""It's clear that some local authorities are not doing the bare minimum to maintain sites, and seem disinterested in maintaining good relations with the Gypsy and Traveller community. This needs to change urgently."We're calling for the Welsh government to set out how it will deal with local authorities that continue to neglect their duties in providing adequate and safe sites for families, and urgently start work on their commitment to help those seeking to develop private sites." 'Practical and effective' The Welsh government said ensuring councils "provide good quality, well-maintained sites for Gypsy and Traveller communities" was "central to our Anti-racist Wales Action Plan".A spokesperson added: "This week, we have launched a public consultation to update guidance on Gypsy and Traveller sites, and to gather views on how sites are planned, built and managed across Wales. "This is an opportunity for site residents, local authorities and communities to help shape new guidance that's practical and effective."We will consider the committee's findings and recommendations before responding formally."A WLGA spokesperson welcomed "the committee's conclusions and recommendations on this important issue"."We look forward to working with the Welsh government to support the implementation of those recommendations that involve local councils in improving and providing sites for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities across Wales," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Company retraining Tata steelworkers shuts office
A company which provided retraining courses to dozens of steelworkers affected by Port Talbot redundancies has closed its office in the town. It comes ahead of cuts to some UK government support, with Welsh colleges and councils also calling for clarity on ministers' long-term funding plans. Tata Steel announced last year that it was cutting 2,800 jobs, mostly in Port Talbot. The UK government said it had extended a wider fund, and that steelworkers would be able to access upskilling support via a separate transition pot for those impacted at Tata. 'Port Talbot won't be the same - it breaks my heart' Workers leaving steel town as 2,000 job cuts loom Q&A: Tata Steel's decarbonisation plans Over the past two years Whitehead-Ross has provided courses to 1,200 adult learners across south Wales. The work has been funded by the UK government's Multiply programme via local authorities. However, Multiply - which is aimed at adults wanting to develop their numeracy skills - will end in March. As a result Whitehead-Ross said it had closed its Port Talbot office and was making 16 members of staff in Wales redundant. "It gets to the point how far can you cut?" the company's chief executive, Ian Ross, told the BBC's Politics Wales programme. "We know there's the need out there, and there's a need in Wales to get economically inactive individuals back to work. "But the support needs to be there and you can only tackle those challenges by investing in those services, not cutting them." Mr Ross said his company had helped reskill about 40 people in the past six months who were being made redundant at Tata. Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru's Senedd Member for South Wales West, said Whitehead-Ross's situation was "very concerning". "We know that this is something that works," she said. "We need a whole mix of ways to get people back into the workplace and to reskill and retrain them and this was one element of that." Colleges Wales, which represents Welsh further education institutions, also said there was concern within the sector over how organisations would be able to "support ongoing community aspirations and expectations" after the funding ends. Multiply is part of the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), set up to replace the money Wales and other parts of the UK used to receive from the European Union before Brexit. Whilst Multiply is being wound up, SPF as a whole has been extended for another year. A UK government spokesman said that while the "ringfenced" funding for the Multiply programme was ending, Welsh local authorities would "have the flexibility to spend their [Shared Prosperity Fund] allocation however they wish, including on adult numeracy programmes". That was welcomed by councils, with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) saying the Multiply funding had been "tightly restricted" to numeracy schemes. "We consistently pushed for more flexibility so funding could support other initiatives," a WLGA spokesman said. However, Colleges Wales and WLGA have called for clarity over how SPF will be replaced from 2026. Meanwhile, on a recent visit to Port Talbot, the Welsh secretary said there would still be significant funding available for local steelworkers to learn new skills. Jo Stevens was in the town to announce investment worth £8.2m in a new project that she said would create 100 jobs. The money is being made available from the UK government's £80m transition fund, set up to help the community respond to the job losses at Tata. Asked if UK ministers were giving with one hand but taking away with the other, Stevens said: "Not at all." "We're talking about hugely different amounts of money here specifically for people to retrain and if they want to do numeracy training they will be able to access that through the funds that we have." Stevens also said the UK government was "in discussions" with Welsh ministers about how SPF should be replaced. Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 10:00 GMT on Sunday 9 February and on iPlayer Tata job cuts 'devastating' for UK steel - union Steelworks is my hometown's North Star, says Sheen
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tata: Company retraining Port Talbot steelworkers shuts office
A company which provided retraining courses to dozens of steelworkers affected by Port Talbot redundancies has closed its office in the comes ahead of cuts to some UK government support, with Welsh colleges and councils also calling for clarity on ministers' long-term funding Steel announced last year that it was cutting 2,800 jobs, mostly in Port UK government said it had extended a wider fund, and that steelworkers would be able to access upskilling support via a separate transition pot for those impacted at Tata. Over the past two years Whitehead-Ross has provided courses to 1,200 adult learners across south work has been funded by the UK government's Multiply programme via local Multiply - which is aimed at adults wanting to develop their numeracy skills - will end in a result Whitehead-Ross said it had closed its Port Talbot office and was making 16 members of staff in Wales redundant."It gets to the point how far can you cut?" the company's chief executive, Ian Ross, told the BBC's Politics Wales programme."We know there's the need out there, and there's a need in Wales to get economically inactive individuals back to work."But the support needs to be there and you can only tackle those challenges by investing in those services, not cutting them."Mr Ross said his company had helped reskill about 40 people in the past six months who were being made redundant at Tata. Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru's Senedd Member for South Wales West, said Whitehead-Ross's situation was "very concerning"."We know that this is something that works," she said."We need a whole mix of ways to get people back into the workplace and to reskill and retrain them and this was one element of that."Colleges Wales, which represents Welsh further education institutions, also said there was concern within the sector over how organisations would be able to "support ongoing community aspirations and expectations" after the funding is part of the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), set up to replace the money Wales and other parts of the UK used to receive from the European Union before Multiply is being wound up, SPF as a whole has been extended for another year.A UK government spokesman said that while the "ringfenced" funding for the Multiply programme was ending, Welsh local authorities would "have the flexibility to spend their [Shared Prosperity Fund] allocation however they wish, including on adult numeracy programmes".That was welcomed by councils, with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) saying the Multiply funding had been "tightly restricted" to numeracy schemes."We consistently pushed for more flexibility so funding could support other initiatives," a WLGA spokesman Colleges Wales and WLGA have called for clarity over how SPF will be replaced from on a recent visit to Port Talbot, the Welsh secretary said there would still be significant funding available for local steelworkers to learn new Stevens was in the town to announce investment worth £8.2m in a new project that she said would create 100 money is being made available from the UK government's £80m transition fund, set up to help the community respond to the job losses at if UK ministers were giving with one hand but taking away with the other, Stevens said: "Not at all.""We're talking about hugely different amounts of money here specifically for people to retrain and if they want to do numeracy training they will be able to access that through the funds that we have."Stevens also said the UK government was "in discussions" with Welsh ministers about how SPF should be Wales is on BBC One Wales at 10:00 GMT on Sunday 9 February and on iPlayer
