Today, I asked Carwyn Jones during Business questions for the Government in Wales to make urgent representations to the Westminster Government following the Work and Pensions committee report that stated that the interim targets for child poverty may not be met, especially so if the Government at Westminster fails to put forward new policy initiatives. I called for this action precisely because I believe that London's failure to act is affecting the progress here in Wales, and our capability to reach the target on a Wales level. Darling pandering to the business classes and back-tracking on a levy for non-domiciles is case in point.
Experts in the field constantly claim that more action is needed from Labour in London to reach the targets, yet this is not reflected in practise. I also asked for a debate in Government time regarding child poverty as I believe that we cannot sit on this issue any longer.
The newly formed children and young people committee chaired by Helen Mary Jones will later this week launch a new investigation into child poverty in Wales in relation to the actions of the Minster, Dr Brian Gibbons AM, and this is to be commended, yet I am cynical of success here in Wales without a robust lead from Westminster. We are yet to find out any clear details about the new section in the DWP devoted to child poverty initiatives, and the affect of Ed Balls's plans for child poverty. I certainly don't want to reach 2020 with targets well and truly missed.
I have also today contributed to the debate on the consultation on the coal M tan- which specifically concentrates on the initiation of a new 500 meter buffer zone, and the implementation of Health Impact Assessments on areas affected by open cast mining. These were both Plaid Cymru Manifesto commitments, and commitments which we are working positively to deliver here in Wales. From listening to some Labour colleagues in the Chamber today, Plaid's involvement has obviously riled them, but I sincerely believe that these ideas will move forward the debate on open cast mining. There has to be clear guidelines in place for 500 meter buffer zones, and I would argue that exceptions to this buffer zone should be outlined clearly, and be few and far between. I also would like to stress that there should be a presumption against extensions as many developers see this as a potential to continue open cast mining in a given area.
This is of course a sensitive issue for many areas, namely Ffos y Fran in Merthyr, and that is one reason why Leanne Wood AM and myself emphasised that there should be a case for retrospective buffer zones and Health Impact Assessments. It will be for the Minister to decide as to whether this is possible or not. I look forward to placing a comprehensive case forward for the consultation process, and hope that the final document will be robust and clear, so that communities can be protected from open cast mining in the future.
1 comment:
Well done somebody has to wake up to this problem, I applied for Child tax credits because being disabled we only have small amount of money, it has taken nine months to get it. we actually lived on £25 a week for nine months because the Tax office in Preston does not have enough people doing the job, see todays daily mirror 800,000 unopened tax credits assessments it's a disgrace
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