August 23rd 2010

Worries over Council's Handling of Caldicot Castle

Newport East Assembly Member John Griffiths is concerned that Caldicot Castle is in danger of not fulfilling its full potential due to long running difficulties with its catering services

John said:

"Caldicot Castle has long been a major asset and attraction for the area. An important part of this attraction is its catering services, from teas and coffees to medieval banquets. Unfortunately recent years have seen a series of problems, with one catering firm ceasing trading and a Monmouthshire County Council commissioned report into the awarding of that contract kept secret.

It is high time these issues were fully and openly explained to the public and arrangements put in place to ensure adequate and stable catering services into the future. Caldicot Castle is very much valued by local people and they rightly expect Monmouthshire County Council to maximise its benefit to the local economy and quality of life"

August 19th 2010

AM Congratulates A-Level Students

Local AM John Griffiths congratulated pupils across Gwent today who received their A-Level exam results today.

The Newport East Assembly Member said:

"Congratulations to all the students getting results today, and for working so hard for their achievements. I know many will be celebrating their great results and will have a wonderful day. Those who did not do as well as they hoped can still be proud of what they have achieved, and consider the many options they have for the next steps they will take, whether looking for work or further learning opportunities."

August 18th 2010

City Council Failing to Promote Troops Tax Cut

Newport East Assembly Member John Griffiths is concerned that members of the armed forces with homes in Newport are missing out on an Assembly Government scheme offering Council Tax rebates of up to 50% to serving personnel whose main residence is elsewhere.

Mr Griffiths said:

"Figures show not one member of the armed forces with a home in Newport has benefited from this discount since it was introduced in April. At a time when our troops are serving in very dangerous and difficult circumstances in Afghanistan the public rightly expects they are properly supported and rewarded.

The lack of people taking up this reduction calls into question whether Newport City Council are doing enough to promote awareness of the scheme and how to apply. For example, there seems to be no detail about this rebate for our troops on the main Council Tax pages on their website, even on the page that says 'Reductions'. This is not good enough.

We must do all we can to make sure local service personnel receive all the support we can give them in recognition of their service. A fresh look at how applications can be encouraged should now take place."

The Welsh Assembly Government decided to make it compulsory for Councils to offer the 50% discount in 2009, after campaigners pointed out that many Local Authorities in Wales were failing to offer the discount to troops, which used to be optional for each Council. The discount is available on second homes owned by service personnel who live in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence.

August 17th 2010

Newport East AM's Transporter Bridge Call

Newport East AM John Griffiths is calling for the city's Transporter Bridge to receive UNESCO World Heritage status listing.

He said:

"Our much loved 'Trannie' is a huge part of local heritage but also of world importance. That international significance should be recognised as other sites in Wales have been - the nearby Big Pit at Blaenavon, for example. UNESCO listing would provide well deserved enhanced status and open up new avenues of funding to help ensure we keep the bridge working into the future.

I have written to Assembly Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones and the UK Dept for Culture, Media and Sport for their support. It would be a matter of the UK Government requesting this listing for our wonderful Transporter Bridge - so important to local people. I very much hope they will now do all they can to bring this about"

The iconic Transporter Bridge reopened at the end of July after a major refurbishment project, with £800,000 of the £1.2 million funding coming from the Welsh Assembly Government.

August 16th 2010

Government Cuts to Road Safety Budget Will Risk Lives

Gwent Assembly Member John Griffiths has hit out at UK government plans to cut funding for road safety by 40%, saying that this risked increasing the number of deaths and serious accidents on the roads. The Newport East AM has said that he fully backs the comments made by Gwent Police Chief Constable Mick Gianassi, who warned against the cuts earlier in the week.

Mr Griffiths said:

"The fact is that speed kills. Cutting the road safety budget by 40% is a dangerous idea - it's not cutting waste, it's risking lives"

Mr Griffiths spoke out after comments from the Gwent Chief Constable warning that if the number of speed cameras was cut, the death toll could rise.

"Speed Cameras are one part of the solution. Better road design, good overall policing, and greater driver awareness all help cut accidents on the roads too. But cameras can help tackle speeding, and the figures suggest that they work. A study in 2005 on the effect of speed cameras showed a 74.5% drop in deaths and serious injuries in Gwent since they were introduced. And the South Wales Argus reported this week on Welsh Assembly figures which show a drop in deaths and serious injuries of 79% in Monmouthshire and 63% in Newport since the 1990s.

Here in Gwent we've had many fewer deaths and injuries on our roads since cameras were introduced. This is something we should be supporting, not cutting."

The cuts announced by the Department for Transport, and their pledge not to fund any new cameras, could lead to many existing speed cameras becoming obsolete over the next few years.

Speed cameras in Wales get central money through Go Safe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, whose money comes from the Welsh Assembly. Go Safe's budget of £6.7 million for 2010/2011 is not expected to be cut this financial year, but the effect of spending cuts in Westminster mean that the Assembly's budget is likely to be slashed from 2011 onward.

August 10th 2010

AM's Gwent Theatre Response from Minister

Newport East AM John Griffiths believes Gwent Theatre should have a strong future given their record in delivering high quality productions for young people.

Mr Griffiths said:

"Having written expressing my concerns, I have received a response from the Welsh Assembly Culture Minister, Alun Ffred Jones making clear future funding is a matter for the Arts Council of Wales but acknowledging the role of Gwent Theatre in putting on plays for our school children.

He also states the Arts Council are currently consulting on 'Changing Lives, a strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts' and that developing better ways to encourage high quality arts activities for young people will be a major new priority.

Given the impressive track record of Gwent Theatre with their youth theatre and related activities they should be an important part of this strategy. But they now need to know what their future funding will be to enable them to retain staff and plan ahead with security. I very much hope the Arts Council will commit to such funding in the very near future"

August 2nd 2010

AM Backs Call for End to 'Legal Loan Sharks'

Lenders who charge eye-watering levels of interest are the target of a new campaign by Union Leaders and politicians to get a cap on rates charged by doorstep lenders and other loan firms who offer "pay day" loans at a massive cost.

The internet based campaign 'End Legal Loan Sharking' is running a petition that calls for a cap on interest rates to protect consumers. It has been revealed some lenders are charging interest rates of up to 2500-3000% on certain online pay day loans.

John Griffiths, Assembly Member for Newport East, is backing the campaign:

"Super-high interest rates penalise people heavily for emergency borrowing, and may leave people in serious debt. I believe we need caps on consumer credit and to keep investing in affordable and socially responsible alternatives, like a Post Office bank or expanding our Credit Unions. In Newport East, my constituents can go to Newport Credit Union or Gateway Credit Union and these are great ways to save and borrow responsibly and safely.

If any of my constituents have serious debt problems now and need help, they can contact my constituency office on 01633 222302 I will be happy to let them know about all the support available to residents in Wales."

The campaign against 'legal loan sharking' has an online petition for members of the public who want to back the campaign at http://www.endlegalloansharks.org.uk/.

July 30th 2010

Joy as Transporter Bridge Reopens

Newport East Assembly Member John Griffiths was one of a number of local politicians, celebrities and members of the public who went out to join the celebrations at the official re-opening of Newport's famous Transporter Bridge on Friday. The Bridge has just undergone a £1.2 million restoration project, £800,000 of which came from the Welsh Assembly.

Some 300 people turned up for the ceremony which featured Alex Warren and Teresa Wainwright playing Newport (Ymerodraeth State Of Mind), their spoof of Jay-Z's New York State of Mind. There were also performances from Newport Male Voice Choir and Côr Casnewydd, the Newport community children's choir.

Mr Griffiths said:

"It was a great ceremony today. Many people were discussing their memories of the Bridge. I can well remember, as a primary school pupil in Pill, crossing the Usk on the 'Trannie' for school games at Coronation Park. We would try and stay standing on one leg when the gondola bumped at the other side!

"It's fantastic to see the Bridge up and running again. The challenge now is to keep it operating. I'm very keen to ensure the world heritage importance of the Bridge is recognised and new avenues for funding, maintenance and repair can be found."

Members of Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge group will be opening a visitor centre offering tours and souvenirs of the bridge, one of only eight transporter bridges in the world.

July 27th 2010

Job Boost for Lone Parents

Unemployed lone parents in Newport will have access to new employment and training opportunities, thanks to funding of £450,000 from the Welsh Assembly and Europe for a project which covers Cardiff and Newport.

The lone parents charity Gingerbread has been awarded the money through the Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) project. The ILM project is set to create about 2,000 new jobs for unemployed people across East and North Wales over the next two years, using funding from the Assembly and Europe.

The £450,000 award for Gingerbread will allow nearly 100 lone parents to take both a pre-employment training programme and get four months' paid work experience in retail and administration.

Newport East Assembly Member John Griffiths welcomed the funding:

"The Welsh Assembly Government puts funds into projects like this to directly help people gain the skills, confidence and experience needed to get jobs. I'm very pleased this project will cover Newport, as it's vital we help in every way we can during this difficult economic climate."

The programme will support long-term unemployed lone parents and aims to develop confidence, self-esteem and employability skills. All those who take part will gain a qualification and over half will go into newly-created sustainable jobs at the end of the programme.

July 27th 2010

Former Alphasteel Plant Restarts Production in Newport

The news that steel production has restarted at the former Alphasteel plant has been welcomed by local Assembly Member John Griffiths. Mir Steel UK, as the company is now known, began partial production this week employing 80 staff with hopes that this will rise to 140. The hot strip mill at the plant has capacity for a million tonnes a year.

Mr Griffiths, Newport East AM said:

"I'm pleased that the old Alphasteel factory is beginning steel production again, as it means some of our steelworkers are back in their jobs. The closure of Alphasteel was very difficult for all the workers and their families, but I hope that the new company will be able to fulfil it's plans in Newport."

The old owners of Alphasteel went into administration in December 2007, with hundreds of workers being sent home as the factory shut.

July 23rd 2010

Dismay as ail Electrification Faces the Scrap

Newport East AM John Griffiths added his voice to those angry at the suggestion from UK Transport Secretary Phil Hammond that the electricification of the Swansea-London railway would be cancelled.

The project would reduce travel times through South Wales, and make the trains quieter, cleaner and cheaper.

Mr Griffiths dismay at the decision was shared with other South Wales politicians and businesses. He said:

"The news that this government might cancel the electrification scheme is a major let down for people in South Wales. This is the kind of investment that benefits passengers, businesses and the taxpayer - scrapping it now would be a very short-sighted cut. This will damage the South Wales economy and the government must reconsider."

July 15th 2010

£144.8m For School Buildings in Wales

A third major funding package of £144.8million in new capital projects for schools across Wales has been announced yesterday by Education Minister Leighton Andrews.

This adds to the £289.6million programme of investment that has already been announced by the Welsh Assembly Government over the last 18 months, taking the school capital investment programme up to £702.8million in total across all authorities in Wales.

Recent school developments in Newport and Monmouthshire have seen schools built in Rogiet and Bettws, with building at the new Hartridge starting this summer. Newport City Council received an extra £15 million in capital funding from the Welsh Assembly, to keep the school building programme on track.

The £144.8 million capital investment will seek to develop flagship projects for the new 21st Century Schools Programme with innovation in areas such as sustainability, design and investment in ICT.  The Newport and Monmouthshire local authority areas are set to benefit from part money that will go to Torfaen, after £14 million of ICT projects were approved in principle.

Newport East AM John Griffiths said:

"The Welsh Assembly is continuing to make sensible investments in our future, boosting our construction industry and providing our children with the schools they deserve."

Leighton Andrews had earlier stated:

 

"Today's announcement of £144.8million capital investment in schools demonstrates clearly our ongoing commitment here in Wales to improving and enhancing school buildings. Projects supported in this wave will transition progressively into the 21^st Century Schools programme."