Tuesday at the Assembly

Again, another busy day. As I said in my previous blog, I met with the National Grid today alongside Dr Dai Lloyd and Nerys Evans AM. David Mercer spoke about the development, and gave the company line with regards the benefits of the pipeline, as you would expect of course. I understand that it is important for us to meet with National Grid to discuss the issues highlighted by our constituents, but it isn't very surprising that they chose to meet with us now given that we have been quite vocal of late in the Assembly with regards this issue. Nevertheless, the gas has already entered the pipes at Cilfrew and Milford Haven, and has heightened dismay amongst residents who allege that they were not informed of this action. I have no reason not to believe them.

I have attended many a meeting with regards this matter, and will continue to have reservations about the development, despite National Grid's attempts to convince me otherwise.

There was a Sustrans event today at the Senedd following this to raise awareness of their campaign to gain lottery funds for the people's £50 million Lottery Giveaway. Connect2 will revitalise walking and cycling in 79 communities across the UK by creating new routes for the journeys we all make every day. Crossings and bridges will be created over busy roads, railway lines and rivers, linking into new networks of local paths to get us to where we want to go. Sustrans Wales were today urging AM's to raise awareness of the scheme, and to vote for the Welsh developments.

In the afternoon I raised a supplementary question on delayed transfers of care to the First Minister, and then in the evening I attended a public meeting regarding the proposed extension of the open cast development in Margam. As you may know, Plaid has a policy of introducing a 500 meter buffer zone around such developments, and I believe this is an area that we need to do much more work on as a party. I have requested a meeting with Friends of the Earth in Wales, who I know have campaigned against open cast developments in the past- the recent one being in Ffos y Fran in Merthyr and I hope to discuss this with the Environment Minister, Jane Davidson.