Plaid Cymru has described the Labour Welsh government’s view of policing as "confused" and "lacking any clear thinking" after the relevant minister seemed unable to answer questions on the issue during questions in the Senedd.
Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies had asked the Minister what actions he would support in order to protect policing in Wales from UK government cuts, and why he believes the issue should remain in the hands of the Conservative Secretary of state in Westminster, rather that being under Welsh control.
Under questioning from Ms Davies, the Minister refused to back the devolution of policing to Wales.
Plaid Cymru AM, Jocelyn Davies, said:
"Both Police officers and the general public are very concerned about the impact that the UK government cuts will have on policing on the ground. Those concerns have been repeated by the minister himself who has been more than happy to criticise the way our police service is being run.
"In light of that I asked the Labour Minister whether he would support devolving policing to Wales, thereby taking it out of the hands of Theresa May and bringing it under the control of his government here in Wales. However the Minister, clearly unwilling to give a clear answer, gave a rather confused answer about budgets.
"It is high time that the Labour government here in Wales clarified its position on this matter as it appears they currently lack any clear thinking on the issue. Either they are content to leave policing to be torn to shreds in the hands of the Tories in Westminster or they should be prepared to stand up and take responsibility for it here.
"Plaid Cymru wants to see the powers and budget for policing devolved to Wales in order to ensure that Welsh communities get the service most suited to their needs."
Showing posts with label Jocelyn Davies AM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jocelyn Davies AM. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Saturday, 2 July 2011
LIGHTS ON? NOBODY HOME?
A Shelter Cymru survey states that 21% of respondents were spending less on heating, and 28% had cut back on food to meet rent or mortgage payments (The survey of 1,000 + Welsh adults Shelter Cymru was carried out by YouGov at the beginning of June). The charity said the core problem was a lack of affordable homes. Despite this nominal First Minister Carwyn Jones has blamed the rise in Welsh homelessness in the last year on UK government cuts. It's also worth noting that this Labour Government in Cardiff has actually set no target to build affordable homes, and appears to have abandoned the excellent work carried out by Jocelyn Davies AM (who was previously the Minster for Housing).
This period of phoney (if not inert) governance is actually sadly somewhat ironic, as during the last Welsh General election campaign, Labour made a great deal of it's promise to deliver for Wales. We are now about two months into a new Assembly term and so far there has been no progress, no wonder people are beginning to wonder what this government is actually doing? It's almost like Carwyn's Labour Government is literally trapped between not knowing what they want to do and not knowing how to do it. What a waste of time, space and effort? How long until we get a real government?
This period of phoney (if not inert) governance is actually sadly somewhat ironic, as during the last Welsh General election campaign, Labour made a great deal of it's promise to deliver for Wales. We are now about two months into a new Assembly term and so far there has been no progress, no wonder people are beginning to wonder what this government is actually doing? It's almost like Carwyn's Labour Government is literally trapped between not knowing what they want to do and not knowing how to do it. What a waste of time, space and effort? How long until we get a real government?
Thursday, 21 April 2011
MORE BRICKS AND MORTAR
Whilst out on the stump today in Newport West and Newport East (and Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr on Wednesday) there is plenty of evidence that the pledge made by the Plaid driven one Wales Government to construct 6,000 affordable homes has been well and truly achieved being driven through by Jocelyn Davies (AM), Plaid Minister for Housing. While obviously more needs to be done this has been a major step in the right direction, and a clear statement of intention and action to try to solve the problem of affordable housing which continues to affect every part of Wales.
Giving our housing stock a lower carbon footprint and lower energy costs is something that is particularly important, especially when it comes to developing affordable housing and refurbishing existing housing stock. The planning policy (which was brought in 2009) for Wales, with new building regulations lead the way towards zero-carbon buildings and should be touted as an example of getting it right.
Lets be realistic though, while reducing energy costs in particular, as zero-carbon housing will be cheaper and thus more affordable over its entire lifetime - is a good thing. In truth, it does not directly and immediately help the young people in our communities who can't get onto the Housing ladder, but the construction of 6,000 affordable homes in every part of Wales (including Monmouthshire) is a small but significant step in the right direction.
Good intentions may have undue consequences, after May 5th whatever hue of Government is on office in Cardiff, as we continue to either wobble our way further into or out of the recession what may happen is that the Government in Cardiff may come under sustained pressure from the building industry to relax the rules, water them down or delay implementing parts of them.
This certainly happened in 1997 when the New Labour Government almost entirely caved in to pressure from the Building industry, the problem of energy efficient homes or the lack of them in Wales is not something we can merely put off to help bail out a faltering building industry sector (which has made fat profits over the last decade) merely puts off the problems for another day.
Let's be brutally honest, short term thinking will not do and there is a real danger that there will be further pressure for short term budgetary savings made at a time when when government budgets are going to be cut, when there is less money to spare for incentives, grants and initiatives - this will come back to haunt us with a vengeance further down the line.
There is a real need for want of a better phrase joined up thinking, with the banks and the building societies needing to change their lending criteria for truly zero-carbon houses, as logically people paying less for their energy could be able to afford to pay more for their mortgages.
At the end of the day, this is a particularly good example of how the Plaid driven One Wales Government has thought differently and made a significant difference and is a positive step towards helping to solving the housing crisis as well as tackling one of the major issues facing the whole wide world. More of the same please! Think Different, Think Plaid, Vote plaid twice for a better Wales.
Giving our housing stock a lower carbon footprint and lower energy costs is something that is particularly important, especially when it comes to developing affordable housing and refurbishing existing housing stock. The planning policy (which was brought in 2009) for Wales, with new building regulations lead the way towards zero-carbon buildings and should be touted as an example of getting it right.
Lets be realistic though, while reducing energy costs in particular, as zero-carbon housing will be cheaper and thus more affordable over its entire lifetime - is a good thing. In truth, it does not directly and immediately help the young people in our communities who can't get onto the Housing ladder, but the construction of 6,000 affordable homes in every part of Wales (including Monmouthshire) is a small but significant step in the right direction.
Good intentions may have undue consequences, after May 5th whatever hue of Government is on office in Cardiff, as we continue to either wobble our way further into or out of the recession what may happen is that the Government in Cardiff may come under sustained pressure from the building industry to relax the rules, water them down or delay implementing parts of them.
This certainly happened in 1997 when the New Labour Government almost entirely caved in to pressure from the Building industry, the problem of energy efficient homes or the lack of them in Wales is not something we can merely put off to help bail out a faltering building industry sector (which has made fat profits over the last decade) merely puts off the problems for another day.
Let's be brutally honest, short term thinking will not do and there is a real danger that there will be further pressure for short term budgetary savings made at a time when when government budgets are going to be cut, when there is less money to spare for incentives, grants and initiatives - this will come back to haunt us with a vengeance further down the line.
There is a real need for want of a better phrase joined up thinking, with the banks and the building societies needing to change their lending criteria for truly zero-carbon houses, as logically people paying less for their energy could be able to afford to pay more for their mortgages.
At the end of the day, this is a particularly good example of how the Plaid driven One Wales Government has thought differently and made a significant difference and is a positive step towards helping to solving the housing crisis as well as tackling one of the major issues facing the whole wide world. More of the same please! Think Different, Think Plaid, Vote plaid twice for a better Wales.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
YES FOR WALES (IN NEWPORT)
Speakers on the night included two National Assembly Ministers Plaid Jocelyn Davies AM and Labour John Griffiths AM, Liberal Democrat peer Lord German, Conservative AM Nick Ramsey not to mention Paul Flynn MP for Newport West).
Simultaneous meetings were held in Aberdare, Bangor, and Wrexham, with Swansea launching next week. I think that the next 54 days are going to be interesting as well as exhausting.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
SOME GOOD NEWS
I welcome the good news that Plaid in Government has exceeded its target of delivering 6,500 new affordable homes during the term of this government, one year ahead of schedule. A total of 6,707 affordable homes have been delivered in Wales since Plaid went into Government in 2007. This means that the Welsh Assembly Government has already exceeded its target of delivering 6,500 new affordable homes during the term of this government, one year ahead of schedule, according to official statistics released today. Some 2,472 additional affordable homes were provided between April 2009 and March 2010, meaning that the total of 6,707 in the first three years of the term of this government, exceeds the target of 6,500 new homes by March 2011 set out in the One Wales document.
Plaid’s Housing Minister Jocelyn Davies AM said:
“I am delighted to announce that we have not only met, but exceeded our target of creating 6,500 additional affordable homes in this Assembly term. This is a particularly impressive achievement given the current economic conditions. However we know that demand for affordable housing continues to grow and we need to deliver even more homes in future. With tightening budgets, this will prove quite a challenge but we are developing new ways in which we can attract other investment and I look forward to working with local authorities, housing associations and others in the housing sector to keep up the good work we have carried out to date and deliver more homes to help families in Wales."
Plaid Cymru has long campaigned against the severe housing pressure faced by many Welsh communities where house prices far outstrip local wages. When they went into government they committed to tackling this problem and set the target of delivering 6,500 new affordable homes during the term of government. A total of 6,707 affordable homes have been delivered in Wales since Plaid went into Government in 2007.
Locally that means that in Monmouthshire, between 2007-10 244 affordable homes were built, with another 81 to be potentially affordable homes to be built between 2010-12. In Newport, that means that 583 affordable homes were built between 2007-10, with another 410 potential affordable homes to be built between 2010-12. In Torfaen, this means that 262 affordable homes were built between 2007-10 and another 182 potential affordable homes to be built between 201-12. This is good news, and it not just a One Wales promise fulfilled but one surpassed.
 |
| Plaid’s Housing Minister Jocelyn Davies AM |
“I am delighted to announce that we have not only met, but exceeded our target of creating 6,500 additional affordable homes in this Assembly term. This is a particularly impressive achievement given the current economic conditions. However we know that demand for affordable housing continues to grow and we need to deliver even more homes in future. With tightening budgets, this will prove quite a challenge but we are developing new ways in which we can attract other investment and I look forward to working with local authorities, housing associations and others in the housing sector to keep up the good work we have carried out to date and deliver more homes to help families in Wales."
Plaid Cymru has long campaigned against the severe housing pressure faced by many Welsh communities where house prices far outstrip local wages. When they went into government they committed to tackling this problem and set the target of delivering 6,500 new affordable homes during the term of government. A total of 6,707 affordable homes have been delivered in Wales since Plaid went into Government in 2007.
Locally that means that in Monmouthshire, between 2007-10 244 affordable homes were built, with another 81 to be potentially affordable homes to be built between 2010-12. In Newport, that means that 583 affordable homes were built between 2007-10, with another 410 potential affordable homes to be built between 2010-12. In Torfaen, this means that 262 affordable homes were built between 2007-10 and another 182 potential affordable homes to be built between 201-12. This is good news, and it not just a One Wales promise fulfilled but one surpassed.
 |
| Additional affordable housing provision in Wales, 2007-08 to 20011-12. (a) |
Monday, 26 April 2010
BRICKS AND MORTAR
Giving our housing stock a lower carbon footprint and lower energy costs is something that is particularly important, especially when it comes to developing affordable housing and refurbishing existing housing stock. The planning policy (which was brought in 2009) for Wales, with new building regulations lead the way towards zero-carbon buildings and should be touted as an example of getting it right.
Lets be realistic though, while reducing energy costs in particular, as zero-carbon housing will be cheaper and thus more affordable over its entire lifetime - is a good thing. In truth, it does not directly and immediately help the young people in our communities who can't get onto the Housing ladder, but the construction of 6,000 affordable homes in every part of Wales (including Monmouthshire) is a small but significant step in the right direction.
The pledge to construct 6,000 affordable homes is part of the One Wales Agreement being driven through by Jocelyn Davies (AM), Plaid Minister for Housing is on its way to being honoured, while more needs to be done this is a step in the right direction, a statement of intention and action to try to solve the problem of affordable housing which affects every part of Wales.
Good intentions may have undue consequences, as we wobble or way out of the recession what could also happen is that the Plaid driven one Wales Government may come under sustained pressure from the building industry to relax the rules, water them down or delay implementing parts of them.
This certainly happened in 1997 when the New Labour Government almost entirely caved in to pressure from the Building industry, the problem of energy efficient homes or the lack of them in Wales is not something we can merely put off to help bail out a faltering building industry sector (which has made fat profits over the last decade) merely puts off the problems for another day.
Short term thinking will not do and there is a real danger that there will be pressure for short term budgetary savings made at a time when when government budgets are going to be cut, when there is less money to spare for incentives, grants and initiatives - this will come back to haunt us with a vengeance further down the line.
There is a real need for want of a better phrase joined up thinking, with the banks and the building societies needing to change their lending criteria for truly zero-carbon houses, as logically people paying less for their energy could be able to afford to pay more for their mortgages.
At the end of the day, this is a particularly good example of how the Plaid driven One Wales Government has thought differently and made a significant difference and is a positive step towards helping to solving the housing crisis as well as tackling one of the major issues facing the whole wide world. More of the same please! Think Different, Think Plaid.
Lets be realistic though, while reducing energy costs in particular, as zero-carbon housing will be cheaper and thus more affordable over its entire lifetime - is a good thing. In truth, it does not directly and immediately help the young people in our communities who can't get onto the Housing ladder, but the construction of 6,000 affordable homes in every part of Wales (including Monmouthshire) is a small but significant step in the right direction.
The pledge to construct 6,000 affordable homes is part of the One Wales Agreement being driven through by Jocelyn Davies (AM), Plaid Minister for Housing is on its way to being honoured, while more needs to be done this is a step in the right direction, a statement of intention and action to try to solve the problem of affordable housing which affects every part of Wales.
Good intentions may have undue consequences, as we wobble or way out of the recession what could also happen is that the Plaid driven one Wales Government may come under sustained pressure from the building industry to relax the rules, water them down or delay implementing parts of them.
This certainly happened in 1997 when the New Labour Government almost entirely caved in to pressure from the Building industry, the problem of energy efficient homes or the lack of them in Wales is not something we can merely put off to help bail out a faltering building industry sector (which has made fat profits over the last decade) merely puts off the problems for another day.
Short term thinking will not do and there is a real danger that there will be pressure for short term budgetary savings made at a time when when government budgets are going to be cut, when there is less money to spare for incentives, grants and initiatives - this will come back to haunt us with a vengeance further down the line.
There is a real need for want of a better phrase joined up thinking, with the banks and the building societies needing to change their lending criteria for truly zero-carbon houses, as logically people paying less for their energy could be able to afford to pay more for their mortgages.
At the end of the day, this is a particularly good example of how the Plaid driven One Wales Government has thought differently and made a significant difference and is a positive step towards helping to solving the housing crisis as well as tackling one of the major issues facing the whole wide world. More of the same please! Think Different, Think Plaid.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
DELIVERING AFFORDABLE HOMES
The Welsh Economic Research Unit (WERU) has produced figures that show that 3,252 housing association homes have been delivered over the past two years. Plaid housing minister, Jocelyn Davies AM is on track to delivering her affordable housing targets - with the Plaid driven One Wales government reaching the halfway mark on its target of creating an additional 6,500 affordable homes.
This is actually an impressive achievement, especially if you consider the current economic climate and economic conditions. Plaid has been committed to meeting these targets and has helped to more financial support into housing. This achievement is all the more remarkable especially when you consider that Housing Associations have committed their own resources at a time when borrowing is far more expensive and quite difficult to obtain.
Back in December 2008, the Plaid driven One Wales Government announced an extra £42 million pounds worth of funding to be spent over three financial years to boost the creation of affordable housing in Wales. This will give vital stimulus to the construction industry and ensure that the ambitious target of 6,500 affordable homes is achieved within this Assembly term.
Just imagine what a Plaid Government could achieve if the National Assembly had powers similar to those of Scotland?
This is actually an impressive achievement, especially if you consider the current economic climate and economic conditions. Plaid has been committed to meeting these targets and has helped to more financial support into housing. This achievement is all the more remarkable especially when you consider that Housing Associations have committed their own resources at a time when borrowing is far more expensive and quite difficult to obtain.
Back in December 2008, the Plaid driven One Wales Government announced an extra £42 million pounds worth of funding to be spent over three financial years to boost the creation of affordable housing in Wales. This will give vital stimulus to the construction industry and ensure that the ambitious target of 6,500 affordable homes is achieved within this Assembly term.
Just imagine what a Plaid Government could achieve if the National Assembly had powers similar to those of Scotland?
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