Hoover closure would be 'Devastating blow for workers and Valleys economy' Plaid Cymru AM

Plaid — 2008-11-19T13:50:15+01:00

PLAID CYMRU AM Leanne Wood has issued a statement after 337 manufacturing jobs could be lost at the Hoover Factory in Merthyr Tydfil. ... full story

Lanky leeks: EU vegetable ban scrapped

Plaid — 2008-11-17T12:58:09+01:00

Plaid MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a decision by EU governments to scrap the ban on many fruit and vegetables of the wrong shape. This means that shops will no longer face the threat of legal action for selling lanky leeks, curvy cucumbers or wonky carrots. ... full story

On Your Side this Winter: Plaid launch Fuel Poverty Campaign

Plaid — 2008-11-17T18:42:06+01:00

Plaid Cymru today launched their campaign - Warming Wales: On Your Side this Winter. It is being led by the Westminster Group, as fuel poverty has increased dramatically in Wales as a direct result of UK Government policy. Parliamentary leader, Elfyn Llwyd MP, urged Gordon Brown to take immediate action on this issue so that Welsh households will be able to adequately heat their homes this Winter. Many are currently struggling to make ends meet, and face the tough decision of either paying for heating or feeding their families this winter. ... full story

Local newspaper cuts: Plaid concern

Plaid — 2008-11-14T15:11:16+01:00

Plaid Cymru Assembly Members Leanne Wood and Chris Franks have hit out at job cuts and the closure of local offices by Trinity Mirror. ... full story

Funding to combat people trafficking cut - MEP condemns decision

Plaid — 2008-11-14T13:15:03+01:00

Plaid MEP Jill Evans has criticised a decision by the Home Office to dramatically cut the funding available to combat people trafficking. The cut in funding from £4m to £1.7m will mean that the UK's only specialist police team set up for this purpose is being disbanded. ... full story

Plaid welcome Post Office Card Account U-Turn

Plaid — 2008-11-13T10:45:56+01:00

Speaking about the announcement made today that the Post Office will retain the Post Office Card Account (POCA), Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Postal Affairs, Hywel Williams MP, expressed his delight that the UK Government has finally seen sense on this issue. He criticized Gordon Brown for dithering over this decision, which shouldn't even have been under consideration in the first place, thus wasting time and public money on what has turned out to be a futile and abandoned process. Mr Williams' comments were also supported by his colleague in the Welsh Assembly, Chris Franks AM, who himself had been campaigning on this issue and even led a debate on the very issue in the Senedd yesterday. Mr Williams said: "The Government have dithered over this decision for months, during a time of great uncertainty for Post Offices in Wales. They left sub-postmasters with no sense of hope for the future, which is why many of them agreed to retire early as part of the post office closure programme. Those deicisions should now be reviewed. Hundreds of post offices were closed in Wales and those decisions should urgently be re-looked at". "There has been huge public opposition to the scaling and closing down of Post offices in Wales, as I saw during the six meetings I held within my own constituency on this very matter. Rather than dithering and undermining Post Offices, the UK Government should be thinking of ways to bring more business to them so as to secure their future". "This plan shouldn't even have been on the table in the first place. I hugely regret the waste of public money by Gordon Brown on this futile and abandoned process. We should be protecting the services provided within our communities, rather than attacking them. Its amazing to me that Labour aren't doing more to help these businesses, and are instead draining the life out of them. Whilst today's announcement was good news, it still doesn't do enough to protect our Post Offices for the future. I will be continuing to campaign to ensure their survival." Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks added: "I welcome this U-turn by the London Government. The loss of the Post Office Card Account would have resulted in Post Office closures on a massive scale. This would have affected the elderly and those in deprived industrial areas like the Rhondda and the Cynon Valley. Plaid is working with community groups to support local post offices. In my debate in the Senedd yesterday I called on the London Government to support post offices - I am glad they have seen sense in the arguments put forward by Plaid Cymru. It goes to show how out of touch Gordon Brown's Government is that they were forced into this announcement. The Plaid driven One Wales Government is restarting the Post Office Development Fund. The next step to boost the post office network is to develop a full range of over-the-counter banking services at Post Offices geared to people who would otherwise be excluded from financial services, effectively creating a 'people's bank'." ... full story

Plaid AM calls for action to help rural communities

Plaid — 2008-11-12T05:32:31+01:00

Plaid AM Nerys Evans has called on the UK government to help meet the needs of rural communities in Wales during this difficult economic period. She made her plea in the Senedd today (11.11.08) following a statement by Plaid Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, who outlined her intentions to address the concerns and issues affecting our isolated rural communities. . ... full story

Plaid: standing up for community post offices

Plaid — 2008-11-11T13:31:02+01:00

Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks will be standing up for community post offices by calling for the Post Office Card Account to remain with the Post Office Limited after 2010. ... full story

Plaid Sports Minister Wishes Wales Well

Plaid — 2008-11-08T08:01:20+01:00

Plaid Sports Minister Alun Ffred Jones has wished Wales the best of luck in their match against South Africa this weekend, which marks the start of the Autumn Internationals. ... full story

Plaid leader remembers sacrifice of many

Plaid — 2008-11-07T16:33:33+01:00

Plaid Cymru leader and Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones has said that Remembrance Sunday is an important opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives in conflict and their families. ... full story

Plaid welcomes historic Obama victory

Plaid — 2008-11-05T11:19:12+01:00

Plaid Cymru Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones AM has sent the congratulations of his party to Barack Obama follow his historic presidential election victory in the USA. Wales' Deputy First Minister said that there is now a great expectation that the new President will fulfil the plans that he has laid out before his people. ... full story

Plaid AMs support shop workers

Plaid — 2008-11-04T16:31:37+01:00

Plaid Assembly Members Chris Franks and Leanne Wood visited a Cardiff shop today during 'Respect for Shop Workers Week'. ... full story

Plaid welcomes Coleg Ffederal board

Plaid — 2008-11-03T17:35:37+01:00

Plaid Cymru Education spokesperson Janet Ryder has welcomed the One Wales Government's announcement of the member of the Planning Board for the Welsh Language Federal College. Ms Ryder said that the board will comprise of members from a wide range of backgrounds and will represent a complete cross-section of opinions. ... full story

Animal testing - MEP wants law changed

Plaid — 2008-10-29T13:56:54+01:00

Plaid MEP Jill Evans believes a twenty year old European law on animal testing is in urgent need of updating because it allows too many animals to suffer unnecessarily. The MEP says many experiments are being duplicated, leading to animal suffering that could be avoided. The MEP wants the European Commission to establish a Europe-wide database, accessible to researchers, to help reduce the number of animals suffering in experiments. ... full story

EU proposals 'good for Welsh students and universities'

Plaid — 2008-10-27T09:21:20+01:00

Plans to extend the European Union's Erasmus student exchange programme have been described as good news for Welsh students and universities by Plaid MEP Jill Evans. ... full story