Bethan Jenkins AC/AM South Wales West

Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Child Poverty, Bethan Jenkins AM has today welcomed the commitment by a number of public organisations to tackle child poverty. At an event in Tonyrefail today eight groups including some public bodies, signed a joint agreement that sets out the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to reducing child poverty and outlines ways in which other organisations can make their own contributions.The agreement supports the proposed Children and Families Measure which was laid before the National Assembly on March 2nd. If passed, it will place a duty on specific Welsh public bodies to identify and take action to assist in the goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

The eight organisations that formally signed up to the agreement today are: One Voice Wales, Welsh Local Government Association, Wales Council for Voluntary Action, NHS Confederation, Save the Children, Sports Council for Wales, Greenhouse and Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The agreement will allow public agencies in Wales, who will not be affected by the legislation, to sign up to demonstrate that they too are prepared to work with the Assembly Government to tackle child poverty.

Speaking from the Senedd today Bethan Jenkins AM said:

“I am pleased that these eight organisations have signed the joint agreement and have committed themselves to put in place policies that will contribute towards the eradication of child poverty in Wales. Around 28 per cent of children live in poverty in Wales and it is crucial that organisations and groups support the Assembly Government’s proposed legislation to tackle the problem.

“I must reiterate however, that the Westminster Government has a window of opportunity to put us back on track in terms of meeting child poverty targets when they unveil the next Budget in a few weeks time. Yet another failure on their part to seize an opportunity and invest the necessary resources, could result in a lost opportunity that could deny another generation of children a start in life free from poverty.”

ENDS

Bethan Jenkins AM today publicly backed WWF’s Earth Hour initiative and urged constituents, local businesses and organisations to also sign-up to the big switch off later this month.On Saturday 28 March at 8.30pm individuals, businesses and public authorities in over 930 cities across 80 countries will turn off their lights for one hour in a graphic show of support for decisive action on climate change.

Across the world landmarks taking part include Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Nelson’s Column in London and Christ the Redeemer statute in Rio de Janeiro. Here in Wales, iconic landmarks already committed to switching off include the Millennium Stadium Caerphilly castle, Caernarfon castle, the Senedd building and St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay. Also nearly 70 per cent of all Welsh councils are onboard; these include Cardiff, Conway, Newport, Wrexham, Gwynedd, Caerphilly, Flintshire, Pembrokeshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, Powys, Monmouthshire, Anglesey and Carmarthenshire.

2009 is a crucial year for climate change with world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.

Speaking from the Senedd today Bethan Jenkins AM said:

“Climate change is a very real global threat and we must all do what we can to reduce our impact on the environment. This is a chance for local people and business to be part of a world-wide event on climate change by simply switching their lights off for one hour. By taking small individual steps like turning off lights and computers, together we can make a big collective difference for our planet and for future generations.”

Morgan Parry, Head of WWF Cymru said:

“WWF’s Earth Hour is a simple way for people to show their support for strong action on climate change. We very much welcome the support of AMs and the participation of the Welsh Assembly Government itself. It promises to be the biggest show of support ever, involving communities from around the world in a dramatic hour of action on climate change.”

ENDS

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Bethan Jenkins will this evening join protesters who oppose the name-change from Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen to Ysgol Gyfun Gartholwg. The South Wales West AM will be attending the event outside Rhondda Cynon Taf Council.Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has angered parents and pupils alike, who want the name to remain the same.

Speaking from the Senedd today, Bethan Jenkins AM a former pupil of the school said:
 
“It is unacceptable for the council to ignore the wishes of those people who the school truly belongs to: the pupils, parents and teachers.  Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen is a widely recognised name throughout Wales and has particular connotations for community spirit and educational excellence.  The school, which was the first Welsh-medium secondary school to be opened in south Wales, has a special place in the hearts of those in the community.”

Leanne Wood AM for South Wales Central, who presented evidence to the Assembly’s petitions committee on the issue last year, added:

“I reaffirm my support for the parents, teachers and pupils at the school who have fought a hard and determined campaign on this over many years.  It is unacceptable that a decision like this is not in the hands of the school itself but is a matter for the council to impose.  I’d like to congratulate the pupils and parents at the school who have led the campaign and vow to continue supporting them until plans for the name change are dropped.”

Diwedd / Ends

AM writes to UK Justice Minister

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins has today slammed UK Government proposals to monitor people’s activities on social networking sites and store sensitive information – such as contact details and information on friends – on a Westminster government database.

The proposals have already been branded as a ‘snoopers’ charter’ by civil liberty campaigners and Ms Jenkins is calling on politicians and the public to lobby the government to ditch the plans.

Speaking from the Senedd today, Ms Jenkins said:

“These proposals are yet another example of the government’s attempts to invade the privacy of law-abiding citizens. Put into the context of DNA databases, high numbers of CCTV cameras and long periods of detention without charge for suspects, these most recent proposals are further evidence of the government’s disregard for individual privacy and human rights.

“I urge members of the public and politicians of all parties, to lobby the UK government to ditch these proposals and also to go a step further and review the damaging policies adopted over the last decade or more that have chiselled away at the foundation stone of civil liberties.”

Ms Jenkins also revealed that she has written to Justice Secretary Jack Straw expressing her opposition to these proposals and also highlighted her deep concern on hearing that the proposed database could be maintained by a private company.

Ms Jenkins added:

“I am adamant that such a database should not be compiled in the first place, but I am even more alarmed at suggestions that if the government is successful in pushing these proposals through, it will farm out responsibility for the database’s maintenance to a private company. Yet again this is an example of New Labour’s obsession with introducing market forces into areas that are fundamentally matters for the state.”
ENDS

Bethan Jenkins: I restate my opposition to the introduction of top-up fees in Wales. I am deeply disappointed that the Government of Wales, under your watch, has turned its back on one of the most distinctive policies since its inception.

I welcome the partial debt write-off to a degree, but I wonder how effective it can be when we are intent on forcing students to incur more and more debt as a result of the abolishment of the current fee grant structure. Minister, can you assure the National Assembly that the Welsh Assembly Government is opposed to lifting the cap on fees and is vehemently opposed to the abolition of the cap on tuition fees, which was an idea floated recently by Universities UK? There is a danger that such moves in England will add pressure on institutions in Wales to follow suit on the agenda of the marketisation of higher education.

Could you enlighten us on the representations that the Assembly Government will make to the review being held by the Westminster Government on student finance and the financing of HE? Is it not the case that, if the UK Minister implements the recommendations of this review, whenever England increases fees, Wales will have to follow suit? You said earlier that this agenda was compatible with ‘One Wales’ priorities, but how does perpetuating the market in higher education reflect that?

I also want to express my discomfort at the way in which this consultation was carried out from its inception. Many students, including those outside the National Union of Students leadership, have had legitimate concerns about the decision to scrap the fee grant. The decisions were made before the consultation began, which is damaging for the development of democracy in Wales. I reiterate that most people in this room have had free education, and it is hypocritical to say that things should now be different.

Plaid Cymru Child Poverty spokesperson, Bethan Jenkins AM, has today called on the Assembly Government to convene a national child poverty summit as part of its plans to abolish child poverty in Wales by 2020.

Ms Jenkins’ call follows an announcement yesterday by Social Justice Minister Brian Gibbons who unveiled the Assembly Government’s proposed Measure where child poverty targets will be set in legislation for the first time.

Latest figures (from 2006/07) show that 29 per cent of children in Wales live in poverty – slightly below the UK figure of 30%. Ms Jenkins believes that holding a national child poverty summit where government, stakeholders, charities and others can come together, would benefit the process of consulting on current proposals and provide more joined-up thinking on the issue.

Speaking today, Ms Jenkins said:

“The Minister’s announcement yesterday was groundbreaking- enshrining child poverty targets in law is a monumental step forward in the fight against child poverty and is also a reflection of the One Wales Government’s commitment to abolishing child poverty by 2020.

“As part of this legislative process, I feel the convening of a national child poverty summit – with a similar format to recent economic summits – would be invaluable to the process, and keep the issue of child poverty at the heart of the social justice agenda of this government. It could be a forum for sharing ideas and making representations to the government directly.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Proposed Children and Families (Wales) Measure

The proposed Measure includes:

Enshrining children’s rights in law
A legal duty on ministers to devise an anti-poverty strategy and to review it every three years
Public bodies under Assembly Government control will have to take action to combat child poverty

Child Poverty Statistics Wales

Child poverty can be measured in a number of ways. These can include indicators based around income, such as estimates of the number of children living in low income households, or indicators based on other manifestations of poverty, such as child dental health.

The most widely used measure of child poverty is the proportion of children living in households with less than 60% average income. In 2006/07, 29% of children in Wales were in this group, compared to 30% of children across the UK.

In 2007, 17% of primary school pupils and 15% of secondary school pupils were entitled to free school meals. Local authorities with the highest proportions of free school meal entitlement tend to be located in the Valleys.

Between 2003 and 2007, the overall number of registered child care places in Wales increased.

Five year olds in Wales have, on average, 2.4 decayed, missing or filled teeth. Blaenau Gwent had the highest average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth.

Pupils’ attainment at Key Stages 2 and 3 has fallen slightly over recent years, but attainment at Key Stage 4 has improved.

The number of 16-18 year olds in education, employment or training has improved each year since 2003.

The proportion of working age adults with qualifications at NVQ levels 2, 3 or 4+ has increased each year since 2001.

Plaid Cymru Culture spokesperson, Bethan Jenkins AM, says Wales should emulate Scotland’s Homecoming year and invite ex-pats back to Wales for a year of celebration of all things Welsh.

In a question to Assembly Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones on he floor of the Senedd, Ms Jenkins asked the Minister to consider inviting the estimated 16 million people of Welsh origin around the world back to Wales for a year of cultural festivities.

Speaking today, Ms Jenkins said:

“Scotland’s Homecoming is an exciting initiative where people of Scottish ancestry are invited to Scotland to visit the country and attend a series of events being held throughout the year.

“A similar homecoming year for Wales could prove a boost to the Welsh economy and will raise the profile of Wales on the world stage. Not only would a ‘Homecoming Cymru’ year boost our tourism trade but could help other Welsh businesses build links with others around the globe.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Homecoming Scotland 2009

Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a series of events designed to attract people of Scottish ancestry to visit Scotland. The campaign, organised by EventScotland and VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, claims that “for every single Scot in their native land, there are thought to be at least five more overseas who can claim Scottish ancestry.”

2009 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the national poet. In addition to Burns-related events, the other key themes of the Homecoming will be Scotland’s contributions to the world, including golf, whisky, great minds and innovations (with focus on the Scottish Enlightenment) and the country’s culture, heritage and people.

The Welsh Diaspora

An analysis of the geography of people with surnames of Welsh origin estimated that there were around 16 million people in the English speaking world with surnames of Welsh origin.

The research document can be found here: http://new.wales.gov.uk/firstminister/research/economic/completed/placenames/analysisgeographywelshnames.pdf;jsessionid=dlk3JnsGLwpCHqjH7Wn4cRy9tFjrgvj7ZQvnms3nm7Tby10MM316!1614610361?lang=en