Call for vigilance and action on Welsh e-waste

Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths, has called for extra vigilance from the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that waste electrical and electronic equipment does not end up in developing countries where their safe disposal cannot be guaranteed and where there is increasing evidence that human health is being placed at risk.

The AM made her remarks in the National Assembly for Wales, during a Question to the Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson.

Ms. Griffiths was expressing her concerns that electronic waste intended for recycling, is in some instances being exported illegally from our shores to countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, India and China. The equipment is being described as second-hand goods but is in actual fact being exported for recycling, turning parts of those countries into toxic e-waste dumping grounds for our disused equipment.

In her Question in the Senedd, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

Wrexham AM seeks support for changes to statutory redundancy pay

Wrexham’s Labour AM, Lesley Griffiths, is seeking the support of her Assembly colleagues in a campaign to secure an increase in Statutory Redundancy Pay for workers who lose their jobs as a result of the global economic downturn.

The Assembly Member is backing the broad campaign of Welsh trade unions and MPs who are concerned that Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP) has declined consistently in real terms since the current calculation mechanism was introduced in 1965.

Due to real term increases in wage levels, the current value of SRP is just 56% of the UK’s average weekly wage.

The Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle is currently attempting to secure legislative change in the House of Commons via his Private Members Bill, which calls for the calculation mechanism to be reviewed.

Now, Lesley Griffiths has Tabled a Statement of Opinion in the National Assembly for Wales calling on her AM colleagues to back the campaign and support Welsh workers.

Wrexham AM challenges Welsh councils to “step up to plate” on reserves

A Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly, has challenged Welsh councils to “step up to the plate” and use part of their reserves to help the Welsh economy and save Welsh jobs, during the current economic downturn.

Wrexham AM, Lesley Griffiths, made her remarks following new reports that estimates Welsh local authorities are holding an estimated total of £625 million in reserves.

Welsh business leaders now say they want the money – a large part of which has already been allocated to fund certain projects – to be brought forward, to help companies across the country get through the global economic downturn.

Lesley Griffiths AM agrees with that view and has asked the Wales Audit Office to conduct an inquiry into the level of reserves held by Wales’ 22 local councils.

Welsh First Minister commends banks to join EU credit scheme

The Welsh Assembly Government is backing an AM’s call that UK banks should sign up to a European-wide scheme, that would help small and medium sized companies in Wales raise credit during the economic downturn.

Welsh First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, was replying to a Question from Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths in the National Assembly for Wales.

The AM raised the issue of a European Investment Bank (EIB) scheme that is designed to deliver credit support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the European Union.

The scheme worth €30 billion will be available over the next three years.

The money has been made available to banks in order to make credit more readily available for SMEs across Europe – including companies here in Wales.

In her question to the First Minister, Lesley Griffiths AM, said:

“We are all aware of how banks are not servicing our small and medium-sized enterprises with the credit that they so desperately need. The European Investment Bank has increased its support for SMEs in Europe by making €30 billion available over the next three years, enabling banks to make credit more rapidly available to them.

Banks urged to join Euro credit scheme to boost Welsh business and save Welsh jobs

Wrexham’s Labour Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths, is urging UK banks to help Welsh businesses, by signing up to a European-wide scheme designed to help companies raise credit during the economic downturn.

The AM was commenting following an announcement by the European Investment Bank (EIB) that it is to increase its support for small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) in the European Union, by making up to €30 billion available over the next three years. The money has been made available to banks to make credit more readily available and quickly for SMEs across Europe – including companies in Wales.

It is widely regarded that SMEs are becoming the hardest hit sector in the current global economic downturn, with jobs being put in jeopardy due to the lack of credit available from banks.

Wales and Scotland urged to “Go for it!” as Euro 2016 deadline nears

A Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly is making a last minute call on the Football Association of Wales and the Scottish Football Association, to “go for it” and apply to co-host the Euro 2016 football championships.

Lesley Griffiths, the AM for Wrexham, made her comments ahead of the 9th March deadline, by which time UEFA member associations which are interested in submitting a bid to host the prestigious competition in the summer of 2016 must signal their intention to do so.

The three phase bidding process to host Euro 2016, was given the “green light” by UEFA’s Executive Committee at its meeting in Nyon, Switzerland last December.

The current and “initial phase” of the bid process closes on Monday, 9th March. By this date, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and the Scottish Football Association (SFA) must have signalled their intention that they wish to bid to co-host the 24-team championship finals in 2016.

Welsh Labour pledges massive effort to conquer recession

Welsh Labour pledged a huge “backs to the wall” effort to combat the recession affecting all of Europe’s economies.

“In today’s interdependent world, you need to pool all of Wales’ governmental strength with all the UK’s governmental strength with a pan-European effort to shorten the recession,” said First Minister Rhodri Morgan, Labour Leader in Wales and Paul Murphy Secretary of State in kicking off a two-day tour of Euro-funded projects across South and West Wales at the Riverfront Centre in Newport.

Labour Euro-candidates’ team of Derek Vaughan, Lisa Stevens, Rachel Maycock and Leighton Veale said:

“It is crucial at this difficult time to fight for Welsh jobs and Welsh businesses at all levels, in Wales, in Westminster and in Brussels.”

Welsh Labour backs plastic bag action

Welsh Labour AMs have welcomed the decision announced today by Environment Minister Jane Davidson to introduce legislation to put an end to the use of free one-trip plastic bags in Wales.

Ms Davidson gave the green light for Government officials to undertake work for possible regulation under the provisions of the Climate Change Act.

Currently it is estimated that 490 million plastic bags are used in Wales each year.

Labour Assembly Members Lesley Griffiths and Lorraine Barrett, who both sit on the Assembly’s Sustainability Committee, welcomed the decision.

Lorraine Barrett AM said: “Free one-trip plastic bags can be a real threat to our wildlife.

“This legislation will honour our manifesto commitments to create a more sustainable Wales and will contribute to our Tidy Towns environmental campaign.”

Invest unspent €1 Billion in broadband for rural Wales says Wrexham AM

Wrexham’s Labour AM, Lesley Griffiths, has called on the Welsh Assembly Government to make representations to the UK Government, to back moves to re-direct some of a €1 billion (euros) ‘windfall’ of unspent EU agriculture money, into delivering broadband internet for rural Wales.

The Assembly Member, was commenting after the recent announcement that the European Union was seeking to re-allocate €5 billion worth of agri-money, into other areas of rural investment.

It is planned that €1 billion of this unspent money, should go towards improving broadband internet connections for rural areas of Europe, in a bid to improve competitiveness, growth and employment.

Welsh Labour Statement on the Welsh Language LCO

Alun Davies AM, Welsh Labour’s Heritage spokesperson said: “I warmly welcome the publication of the draft Welsh Language LCO.

“This LCO is not the legislation, but rather about the power to legislate. It follows Welsh Labour’s clear manifesto commitment to ensure that the National Assembly has the powers that it needs to ensure equality between the English and Welsh languages, and to promote the use of Welsh.

“I hope that we will have a good and thorough debate on this request for legislative competence and then I look forward to the Welsh Assembly Government legislating following extensive consultation.

“Welsh Labour has a strong and enduring commitment to the future of the language. Our ambition is to create a truly bilingual country where both our national languages are treated with respect and dignity.