Bethan Jenkins AC/AM South Wales West

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has today (13/5/08) asked the Counsel General, Carwyn Jones to consider tabling a debate at the National Assembly for Wales during Government time on the need to devolve planning for applications above 50 mega watts to the National Assembly for Wales. This has been called for as a matter of urgency in relation to the imminent development of the prenergy Biomass Power Station in Port Talbot.

Plaid AM Ms Jenkins said at the National Assembly today:

“It is important that we take in to consideration that, in parallel to the pending court case on the Port Talbot power station, the National Assembly for Wales has the power over the implementation of developments above 50MW in Wales – this would obviously include developments such as the power station in Port Talbot. This is to ensure that the people of Wales can input in to any future decisions, and are fully consulted on a Wales level with regards to any new planning application.

“We should not rely on the Labour Government at Westminster to steam roller through decisions of this kind, while ignoring the views of those who will have to live and work near such developments. The people of Port Talbot deserve better, and I hope that I can work with the residents of the area in supporting their campaign.”

Ms Jenkins added:

“Ministers within the One Wales Government have previously indicated that they support the call for applications above 50MW be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales, and I will raise this issue again with the Environment and Sustainability Minister, Jane Davidson.”

ENDS

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 07961 732 405

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has today (13/05/08) congratulated the work of Swansea Youth Offending team during the question session to the First Minister Rhodri Morgan at the National Assembly for Wales.

Plaid AM Ms Jenkins said at the National Assembly today:

“I’m sure, First Minister, you would like to join me in congratulating the Youth Offending Team in Swansea in their remarkable success in reducing the levels of youth crime in the city. According to figures released last week, youth offending in Swansea has more than halved since 2001, and the Youth Offending Team It was set up with the aim of preventing young people turning to crime or falling into repeat offending, and works with young offenders handed supervision and surveillance orders as an alternative to custody. Would the First Minister agree with me that the successes in Swansea should be replicated across the country and will he facilitate the sharing of best practice?”

Plaid AM Bethan Jenkins AM added:

“I am pleased that the First Minister agreed that other Youth Offending teams should follow Swansea’s lead on this issue. We must look at alternative methods to addressing youth offending in Wales.”

ENDS

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 07961 732 405

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has today backed calls made by debt charity Credit Action for credit companies to respect advertising regulations when placing adverts on social networking websites such as Facebook.

According to the charity, credit companies are using the Facebook social networking site to target young people. Credit Action says adverts promising cheap loans for people with poor credit ratings are appearing on the site and many break advertising regulations.

Neath-based Ms Jenkins said:

“It appears that credit companies are promoting new products such as payday loans secured against a salary and logbook loans secured against a car. In doing so many companies are breaking advertising regulations by not detailing the specifics of such loans, such as the amount of interest payable.”

The charity has made a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading. It is now advising Facebook users to warn the website about adverts which break the rules.

Ms Jenkins added:

“Specific targeting of young people is a very worrying development, especially at a time when the current credit-crunch is taking its toll. It is estimated that Facebook has 50 million users worldwide – it is vital that all adverts relating to loans are clear and comply with regulations.”

ENDS

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 07961 732 405.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has today condemned news from British Gas owner Centrica of potential further bill hikes for customers after revealing that continued high wholesale gas prices would hit results this year. In January Centrica announced an increase in gas and electricity charges of 15 per cent.

Neath-based Ms Jenkins said:

“The prospect of further price hikes is a hammer blow for hard pressed residential and business customers, who are already reeling.

“This increase is especially hard to swallow given Centrica’s brazen admission that their object is to protect profits in its retail business.

“Centrica announced a 15 per cent increase in bills in January, and four months later they are still more concerned about corporate results than hard pressed customers.

“In previous rounds of price increases the energy companies have all followed suit at a respectable distance. It looks like consumers are to face yet more misery on top of rocketing food, mortgage and transport fuel costs.”

Ms Jenkins added:

“In his budget speech Alistair Darling trumpeted an agreement that energy companies would invest more in helping fuel poor customers, yet in the weekend press it was reported that they were even trying to divert some of this money to the Home Heat Helpline.”

ENDS

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 07961 732 405

Plaid Cymru’s Bethan Jenkins AM has today announced that she will oppose plans to award Assembly members an above inflation pay rise.

An independent panel has recommended the pay rise saying that AMs now have a higher workload because of their extra legislative powers. But following a series of low pay increases for public sector workers, Plaid AMs have argued against such a large increase for themselves.

Speaking today, Ms Jenkins said:

“At a time when public sector workers have to accept below inflation pay rises, I find it inappropriate for us to be awarded such a pay rise.

“I, along with my colleagues in Plaid, find the current recommended pay rise unjustifiable.”

Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Child Poverty, Bethan Jenkins AM, has called for a concerted effort to tackle child poverty in Rural Wales.

In a question to the Assembly’s Minister for Social Justice, Brian Gibbons, Ms Jenkins asked if specific efforts were being made on the issue following evidence provided by the organisation Children in Wales to the Rural Affair Committee. The organisation claims that due to child poverty strategies being targeted specifically in urban areas, children in poverty in Rural Wales need more concerted support.

Speaking from the Senedd, Ms Jenkins said:

“Though there is a recognition of rural poverty within the Child Poverty Strategy, there is a need for its exlicit inclusion in the action plan. The Community First and Flying Start programmes are area-based programmes introduced to tackle poverty in concentrated areas of deprivation and disadvantage. Given that much of rural deprivation is highly dispersed, many children, young people and families do not qualify for such support or additional services.”

Ms Jenkins added:

“I support the calls of Children in Wales for all Welsh Assembly Government policy documents to be ‘rural poverty proofed’. Currently, such documents are ‘child poverty proofed’ to ensure that child poverty issues are mainstreamed across all Government portfolios – extending this to include rural poverty will put the issue at the heart of government.”

ENDS

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 029 20 898 713

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member, Bethan Jenkins, who chairs the Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Eating Disorders, has welcomed news that the Big Lottery Fund is set to provide £800,000 to support sufferers of eating disorders in Wales . The bid was won by the charity b-eat, and it will be monitored and administered by the All Wales Eating Disorder Special Interest group.

It is among 19 projects across Wales to receive funding worth £14m from the lottery’s Mental Health Matters scheme.

Ms Jenkins said:

“I am delighted by the news , and believe the money allocated to supporting sufferers of eating disorders will go a long way in providing the resources needed to deal with such a task.

“The Cross Party Group on Eating Disorders at the National Assembly has focused on the support capacity of groups in Wales, and I’m sure members of the group will be very pleased by this news. It is important that those suffering from eating disorders, and their families, have access to support groups in their own communities, and I am confident that this funding will assist in making this a reality in Wales.”

ENDS

The next meeting of the Cross Party group on Eating Disorders will take place on the 1st of July, Conference room 24 at 5.30pm ( National Assembly for Wales.)

For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 029 20 898 713

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has welcomed the significant increase in support for Plaid Cymru during the 2008 council elections in Neath Port Talbot.

Plaid made a net gain of one in Neath Port Talbot and has now more councillors than ever before across Wales.

Neath-based Ms Jenkins said:

“These results show that Plaid is making excellent progress in the valleys. The Labour party ran a very negative campaign, while we offered positive change. We now have an even stronger group of councillors on Neath Port Talbot council. Plaid has gained councillors all over Wales; in the Valleys it is becoming ever clearer that Plaid are the only party able to challenge Labour.”

Bethan Jenkins added :

“It is clear from the results in Neath that Plaid are gaining support in the area. We are confident that we can build on our success for the next Westminster and Assembly elections.”