June
Glyn Davies
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07/06/06 TORY AM BACKS RURAL SCHOOLS PETITION Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has today welcomed countryside organisations to the National Assembly for Wales where he is hosting an event to highlight the plight of small rural schools in Wales. Attending the presentation will be The Association of Communities in Wales with Small Schools - comprising The Small Schools Fund, National Federation of Women's Institutes, Merched Y Wawr, Young Farmers Clubs, Farmers Union of Wales and Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales. Glyn Davies is opening the event and welcoming everybody at noon today. Speaking at the presentation in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay Glyn Davies, who is also Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee, will say: "I am pleased to welcome representatives of the Welsh countryside to the seat of Welsh Government today so that our small rural schools have a platform from which they can appeal to the Government for their survival. Small rural schools provide the heart from which the life blood of our rural communities flow as well as providing a first class education and preparation for life - and they should be retained whenever possible. Small rural schools are under threat as they have never been before as Councils across Wales condemn them as old being old fashioned and suitable for the scrapheap of history. I join with other countryside organisations for a new vision of rural education in which small rural schools take a central role and are back in fashion again.
07/06/06 WELSH AM CHALLENGES CPA SEMINAR TO PROMOTE CIVIL PARLIAMENTARY BEHAVIOUR Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales, and Wales' representative at last weeks Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands spoke in a debate on how Standing Orders can be used to promote civility in debating chambers - arguing for self regulation by parliamentarians rather than regulation by standing order. The 18th Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar was based on 12 plenary sessions over 5 days and Glyn Davies spoke in all 12 debates. In other Commonwealth countries, notably Canada and Australia, there has been great concern about the effect that uncivil debate has had on the level of respect in which the Parliament is held. In his speech to the Conference Glyn Davies said: "Over recent years there has been a great reduction in the respect in which the public hold politicians. In my view this loss of respect is a natural response to uncivil behaviour by parliamentarians in the debating chambers. If parliamentarians show no respect for each other it can be no surprise that the public loses respect for their parliamentarians in general. However standing orders can only ever be part of the answer to uncivil behaviour. The only effective control mechanism is self regulation by parliamentarians themselves. It is entirely possible to launch a fierce criticism of an opponent's argument without being uncivil. It is possible to express strong opinion without being impolite. Public interest in politics is falling in many countries across the world, as television tends to focus on the most uncivil behaviour - in effect rewarding such behaviour with beneficial public exposure. Parliamentarians who respect democracy must begin by respecting their political opponents."
07/06/06 WALES REPRESENTATIVE CHALLENGES CPA CONFERENCE TO ACCEPT FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA - IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales, and Wales' representative at last weeks Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands spoke in a debate about the relationship between parliamentarians and the media. The 18th Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar was based on 12 plenary sessions over 5 days and Glyn Davies spoke in all 12 debates. Several participants were concerned about the unfairness of the media. During his speech to the Conference Glyn Davies said: "A free press is fundamental to democracy - and the press must be free to be 'unfair' if it so decides. It is just not possible to demand 'fairness' without also accepting that some degree of censorship will creep in. I accept that it can be sensible to inform the media of factual inaccuracy - but it is unacceptably censorious to complain. I have often disagreed with media interpretation of what I may have said or done - but I can never recall complaining about it. It is but a small step from complaining about the media to demanding censorship of the media. Too often complaining about the press is the manifestation of personal insecurity or of excessive desire to manipulate and control others in an unhealthy way. Healthy democracy depends on a robust and free press and we should fight to defend it."
13/06/06 TORY AM BACKS CALLS FOR MORE FUNDING FOR WALES AMBULANCE SERVICE Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales is backing the growing demands for greater funding for the Welsh Ambulance Service. He was commenting after meeting the Acting Chair of the Welsh Ambulance Service at Welshpool this week at the launch of a third Air Ambulance to cover Mid Wales. Conservative Health Spokesman, Jonathan Morgan, claimed this week that the assembly Government very often fails to put the necessary resources behinds its promises on Ambulance performance. Supporting Jonathan Morgan's comments Glyn Davies said: "I am always reluctant to simply demand that the Government spends more public money to solve every problem - but the Welsh Ambulance Service is an exception. There is a record of underfunding which goes back decades. The matter was highlighted yet again recently when Roger Thane stepped down from his position as Chair of the Ambulance Trust, citing the need for more resources as crucial to making the service fit for purpose. There is no point in the Health Minister setting targets which cannot be met within existing resources. There is great need for the Ambulance Service to become more focused around paramedics but this cannot happen in the state of crisis that currently prevails. The Assembly Government must increase the Ambulance Service budget. The public's commitment to an effective Ambulance Service can be seen in the amazing scale of voluntary contributions which fund the air ambulance service in Wales at present. This sort of commitment needs to be replicated by the Assembly Government"
15/06/06 LABOUR AM'S SIGN THATCHER MEMOIRS TO RAISE MONEY FOR LESOTHO Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has donated a copy of Margaret Thatcher's memoirs to raise money for a fund to buy cows to promote the economy of Lesotho. The only condition stipulated by Glyn Davies was that the 'tribal' Labour AM's Carl Sargeant and Huw Lewis should sign their names to the great lady's book - which they did. The book entitled, The Downing Street Years, will go on sale at an Auction next Tuesday (20th June) in the Oriel of the New Assembly building which commences at 12.30. Commenting after his capture of the two Labour AM's signatures Glyn Davies said: "I am extremely grateful to Carl Sergeant and Huw Lewis the National Assembly's most committed anti Tories for so willingly signing their names to the wonderful memoirs of one of Britain's greatest ever Prime Ministers, the great Margaret Thatcher. I do not know whether these two 'tribal' socialists shut their eyes or held the noses when they actually signed the copy of her great work, The Downing Street Years. I am sure that Carl did not mean it when he wrote alongside his name the words 'A classic little book of horrors - I hope it raises some cash' and I am equally sure that Huw Lewis was joking when he wrote of the book that it was 'unputdownable' and should instead be hurled out of the nearest window. A typically thatcherite philosophy decrees that the poorest peoples of the world should be enabled and encouraged to prosper through trade and self help. She would approve of her words being used, so many years after she wrote them, to raise money to buy cows for Lesotho."
15/06/06 STEPHEN DORRELL TO VISIT WELSHPOOL Montgomeryshire Conservatives will welcome former Cabinet Minister Stephen Dorrell to Welshpool on Friday evening. Mr Dorrell will be guest speaker at the annual Presidents Dinner at the Royal Oak Hotel. Nearly 100 tickets have already been sold. Commenting on Stephen Dorrell's visit Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales said: "Stephen Dorrell has been a leading 'thinker' within the Conservative Party for three decades. I have always admired his inclusive 'one nation' approach to politics and I am pleased that David Cameron, our inspirational new Leader, has turned to Stephen to take a 'root and branch' review of our policies on public services. Stephen Dorrell is no stranger to Mid Wales having had a family business in the area for many years. He also helped me personally during previous election campaigns. I am looking forward to meeting him again and I am not at all surprised that so many people have bought tickets to listen to Stephen Dorrell outline his thoughts on British politics. Stephen Dorrell would have been an outstanding leader of the Conservative Party and I do not believe that he would ever have allowed us to lose touch with the voters in the 1990's as we did. Stephen is back in the forefront of Conservative policy thinking and we may well see him taking a leading role in a future Cameron led Government."
16/06/06 GLYN DAVIES WELCOMES EXTENSION TO SUPERMARKET INVESTIGATION BT COMPETITION COMMISSION Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has welcomed an announcement from the Competition Commission that its investigation into the supply of groceries in the UK by supermarkets is to include the behaviour of major retailers towards suppliers. Since the Office of Fair Trading first referred the power of supermarkets to the Competition Commission for review, several voices concerned with the farming industry have been calling for the effect on suppliers to be included. The Competition Commission in a statement this week has agreed to these requests. Commenting on the announcement, Glyn Davies, who is a partner in a farming business and also Chair of the Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee, said: "The major supermarkets have become extremely powerful players in the UK groceries marketplace and they must be prevented from using this dominance unreasonably and unfairly. It is right that supermarkets should be investigated by the Competition Commission and that the treatment of suppliers to the retail giants should be a part of the investigation. Until this week indications were that the only concern of the Competition Commission would revolve around the issue of monopoly supply in local markets - including the buying up of development sites in order to freeze out competition. Media reports of comments by the Head of the Competition Commission, John Fingleton, claiming that his only concern is the effect on consumers reinforced this expectation that fairness to suppliers would be ignored. There is already a Code of Conduct in place but we need to know whether it is robust enough. Supermarkets are the farming industry's biggest customer but it is crucial that the relationship is one of partnership and not one of unfair domination by one side."
16/06/06 GLYN DAVIES WELCOMES APPROVAL OF NEW BOWEL CANCER DRUG IN WALES Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has welcomed the decision by Brian Gibbons, Minister for Health and Social Services to ratify advice from the All Wales Medicine Strategy Group that Cetuximab (Erbitux) should be used to treat advanced stages of Bowel Cancer. The strategy Group recommendations were made in March and ratified by Dr Gibbons this week. Cetuximab is not ratified for use in England or Scotland by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Commenting on the decision Glyn Davies, who is himself a recovered Bowel Cancer patient, said: "I am pleased that Brian Gibbons has allowed Cetuximab (Erbitux) to be prescribed for patients suffering from advanced stages of bowel cancer in Wales - bringing us into line with other European countries. This drug is an effective treatment for advanced stages of bowel cancer where chemotherapy is no longer of use. Almost 2,000 people in Wales are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, many at an advanced stage already, and almost 1,000 sufferers die in Wales every year - this decision will save many lives. I live near the England/Wales border and I accept that there will be major concern over the border that Erbitux will not also be available in England. I hope that by next year bowel cancer sufferers in England will have the same access to this life saving drug as we now have in Wales. The decision to make Erbitux available, alongside similar decisions in respect of Herceptin and other drugs will inevitably bring great financial pressure on the NHS - because these new treatments are extremely expensive and the Assembly Government are not supporting these new drug decisions with more finance. I personally believe that access to these new treatments must take high priority on the NHS budget - which forces me to accept that unwelcome decisions may have to be taken elsewhere in the NHS. Deciding on NHS priorities has become a huge challenge for the Health Minister and is equally challenging for any responsible opposition."
19/06/06 TORY AM TELLS FUW THAT THE PLANNING SYSTEM IS CAUSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN RURAL WALES Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales was guest speaker at the recent AGM of Carmarthenshire FUW held at Nantgaredig. In a wide raging speech which included reference to the deteriorating relationship between the Union and Carwyn Jones, the Assembly Government Minister responsible for agriculture, Glyn Davies condemned the backward looking inflexibility of the planning system. Throughout his 30 years in public life, (which included a 7 year period as Chair of a Local Planning Authority, Glyn Davies has blamed the over complex and inflexible planning system for damaging community stability in rural Wales and for undermining the Welsh language. Commenting after the AGM Glyn Davies, who is also Chair of the Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee, said: "FUW members are frustrated about the cruel and brainlessly bureaucratic way in which the planning system prevents young people from building houses in the countryside near to where they work or where they are part of the local community. The planning system seems designed to undermine the stability of our rural communities rather than support them - and frustrate our wish for a truly bilingual Wales. At present, out urban areas are being spoiled by the pressure to build on every available green space - while thousands of perfectly sensible building sites are ruled out by bureaucrats with an 'A+' in planning law and an 'F' in common sense because they are outside an existing town or village. The Minister is beginning to look at Government and forestry land that might be suitable for housing - but he is moving at the pace of a geriatric snail with arthritis. There is a desperate shortage of supply of sites where young people can build new homes, an increasing pollution problem where human beings are being forced to live in each others pockets and a total failure of the planning system to meet the challenges arising from how human beings in the Wales live in the 21st Century."
19/06/06 TORY AM NOT SURPRISED BY DETERIORATING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FARM UNION AND COUNTRYSIDE MINISTER Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has told the AGM of Carmarthenshire FUW that he is not at all surprised by the angry exchange of words between the Union and Carwyn Jones, Minister for Environment, Planning and the Countryside. Over recent weeks Carwyn Jones has been making increasingly dismissive comments about the farmers of Wales and at the Union's AGM at Aberystwyth earlier this month, President Gareth Vaughan used his speech to criticise the Minister. Commenting during his speech to the AGM at Nantgaredig Glyn Davies, who is also Chair of the Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee, said: "Over recent weeks I have been increasingly disappointed by the disparaging remarks that Carwyn Jones has been making about farmers in the Chamber of the National Assembly. Like the FUW I have found Carwyn Jones easier to work with than his predecessors but recently he seems to have been playing to the anti farmer prejudice that has always run through the soul of the Labour Party. I fully accept that any Minister with responsibility for the countryside will not be able to agree everything that farmers ask for - and a Conservative would be no different in this respect. But there is absolutely no excuse for some of the appalling rhetoric used by the Minister. I have been deeply disappointed by the Minister's contemptuous tone when speaking in recent debates about Bovine Tb and upland support schemes. The FUW has been extremely patient with the Minister as he has seemed to be positioning himself in the 'Succeed Rhodri Morgan' race - but it was only a matter of time before the unions leadership responded to being used as pawns in this particular game. Both the Union and individual farmers have been let down and disappointed and the Minister should apologise to them - and put a stop to his anti farming nonsense"
19/06/06 TORY AM NOT CONTENT WITH DRAFT ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND COUNTRYSIDE BUDGET PRIORITY PAPER Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales expressed his concern following the debate at the last Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee about two major items in the Draft Budget. Firstly, it was difficult to make any assessment of the position concerning the controversial Tir Mynydd (upland farming support scheme) budget because it was not separately identified under the Tir Cymru budget line (total support schemes incl. agri-environment schemes). And secondly, over 5 million pounds were earmarked for 'evaluation funding' without any information about what this money is likely to be spent on. Commenting on the Minister's draft budget Glyn Davies, who is also Chair of the Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee, said: "It is extremely difficult for members to identify budget priorities when the Minister plans are presented in so vague a form. It was impossible to judge the priorities for financial support to farming businesses when the Minister proposes an overall £2 million increase in the total Tir Cymru budget to £54 million at the same time as he proposes a cut of £12 million from Tir Mynydd, one of the main spending lines within it. Not unreasonably, Committee members can see no reason whatsoever for cutting the Tir Mynydd budget. It is also vague in the extreme that the Minister proposes to set aside a sum of over £10 million over the next two years for spending on 'evaluation funding' without any indication about what it is to be spent on. If Assembly Committees are to have any meaningful contribution to make in the Assembly's budget setting process there needs to be more information put before the Committee about the Minister's plans. Something of a funding fog has descended on the Environment, Planning and Countryside budget."
19/06/06 GLYN DAVIES BACKS STEPHEN DORRELL ON CONSERVATIVE 'CHANGE AGENDA' AND PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITMENT AT WELSHPOOL MEETING Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales spoke in support of former Conservative Health Minister, Stephen Dorrell at a Conservative Party meeting at the Royal Oak Welshpool over the weekend. Stephen Dorrell has recently returned to front line politics as head of David Cameron's policy commission on public services. His speech to Montgomeryshire Conservatives focussed on the need for the Conservative Party to reach out to new groups of voters and the need to reassure voters that the Conservative Party has a commitment to good public services. Speaking in support of Stephen Dorrell, Glyn Davies said: "I am a long time supporter of Stephen Dorrell's approach to politics and I am really pleased that David Cameron has asked him to completely review Conservative policy on health, housing and education. I expect Stephen to play a major role in the resurgence of the Conservative Party. Over the last few years, Montgomeryshire has produced a series of politicians who have become active in Welsh politics - and every one of us is committed to the 'one nation' philosophy of Dorrell and Disraeli where quality public services and care of the most vulnerable underpin our policies. Today is an exciting time to be a Conservative. Our new leader, David Cameron has put the environment and good public services at the centre of the Conservative agenda - and he has connected with young people in a way that we have not been able to do for decades. He is also ensuring that women are going to play a much bigger role in our party in the future. I am very comfortable in today's changed Conservative Party and I am grateful to Stephen Dorrell for helping us project our message to new Conservative voters in my home county of Montgomeryshire."
20/06/06 Glyn Davies AM learns about living with lung disease Mid and West Wales AM, Glyn Davies, took the opportunity to meet with members of the British Lung Foundation Wales's Breathe Easy support network at the National Assembly and learn about the difficulties people who live with lung disease face on a daily basis. The 'Meet the Patients' reception at the National Assembly marks the Breathe Easy Week 'Lungs are for Life' campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of good lung health for everyone, whilst highlighting that lung disease affects people of all ages. Lung disease affects one in five of the population of Wales - from tiny babies to older adults. Just under half of children aged under five and more than a quarter of all people in Wales visit their GP due to respiratory disease every year[1]. Mr Davies said: "I have really enjoyed meeting and talking to the British Lung Foundation supporters, it has given me a real insight into what it is like to live with a chronic lung disease and the difficulties that people can face. Lung disease can be extremely debilitating and leave people fighting for breath doing day-to-day things such as getting dressed or preparing a meal."
20/06/06 GLYN DAVIES BACKS POLICE CHIEFS FULL BLOODED ATTACK ON THE HOME OFFICE Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has backed a speech by Terry Grange, Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police in which he accused the Home Office of surrendering power over policy to the tabloid media about the right of parents to know where paedophiles are living. Mr Grange, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers spokesman on child protection, said that the Home Office is acceding to the tabloids requests and that it is wrong to do so. Education Secretary Alan Johnson has been forced to defend the Home Office. Commenting on the Chief Constables remarks Glyn Davies said: "It is clear that the relationship between the UK Government and the Police has completely broken down. I have never heard such a withering attack on the Home Office by a leading Chief Constable - Terry Grange being the Spokesman for Chief Constables across the UK on child protection as well as being highly regarded in the Dyfed-Powys Force area in Wales. Tony Blair's Government has always been driven by the mornings headlines - but as Labour faces the prospect of defeat, the Government has completely handed over the reins of power to the tabloids. For those living in the Dyfed-Powys area it is deeply worrying to see our Chief Constable so concerned that he has to launch such a stinging attack on the Home Office. It is incredible to hear Terry Grange say that the Government of the UK 'has accepted the principle that they are prepared to be blackmailed'. And it is equally incredible that he should say that 'most of my colleagues find it impossible to do their job'. What is obvious is that the Labour Ministers find it impossible to do their job because they have given the reins of power to newspaper headline writers."
20/06/06 GLYN DAVIES BACKS CALL FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN WALES Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales is supporting today's call by Laura Jones, Conservative Spokesperson on Sport in the National Assembly on the Assembly Government to take the lead in lobbying for the Commonwealth Games to be staged in Wales. In the past the Assembly Sports Minister has dismissed the idea of Wales staging the Games even if the First Minister has supported the idea in the past. Commenting on today's Conservative proposal Glyn Davies, who competed as an athlete in national competition as a young man, said: "Wales has a worldwide reputation for mounting top sporting competition and a bid to stage the Commonwealth Games in 2018 would build on what has already been achieved. We must have the same confident vision for our nation that won the Olympic Games for London in 2012 and delivered the magnificent Millennium Stadium and test match status for our Capital City. We will not be producing another Colin Jackson unless we believe in ourselves enough to even bid for events such as the Commonwealth Games. I attended the Empire Games (the predecessor of the Commonwealth Games) when it was last held in Cardiff and I still remember the thrill of watching the drama and pomp that excited the whole nation. In today's devolved Wales, the impact of such a magnificent event in our country would be all the greater. I also believe that a well constructed bid would enhance Wales' reputation across the Commonwealth, which is probably the worlds greatest resource in the promotion of parliamentary democracy."
21/06/06 GLYN DAVIES PROPOSES SYSTEM FOR VOLUNTARY HYPOTHECATED CLIMATE CHANGE TAX PAYMENTS FOR WALES In a speech in the National Assembly today Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales will say: "Last month I represented the National Assembly at a Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar in the West Indies, where the impact of climate change is an issue of increasing concern. In particular the increased incidence and ferocity of hurricanes. The question in my mind was the contribution that my journey to the West Indies had made to climate change and the damage to our climate that my journey had caused. Over the last year I have travelled to Budapest, to Edinburgh, to Northern Ireland, to Brussels and to Dublin twice on official National Assembly business. Other AM's are making similar journeys (and this does not take any account of our private holiday arrangements). Another UK representative at the West Indies Seminar was Michael Howard, fellow Welshman and former Leader of the Conservative Party. Similar concerns about the impact our journeys have on climate change were on Michael Howard's mind as well, - so much so, that this week he adopted a personal policy, which I intend to adopt myself and hope that other AM's might copy. I will find out the Carbon Cost of my journey to the West Indies (probably 2 tonnes of CO2) and pay a sum of money to climatecare.org, sufficient to plant enough trees (probably 5 or 6) to compensate for the damage I caused to the climate by my journey. It will probably be about £30. This, in effect, is a voluntary hypothecated tax on air travel - and I would not want it to be anything but voluntary. However, I would like to see the carbon cost of every journey made by Assembly Members (and officials) calculated and the information made available to them before they travel, so that they can compensate for the damage their journey causes to the environment, if they decide that they want to. While the voluntary principle must remain, I would like to see Manifesto commitments to introduce legislation, ensuring that the Carbon cost of every flight made from Wales - for both business and private use - be made available to the person making the journey so that they can make climate compensation payments if they want to ."
23/06/06 GLYN DAVIES DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF A 'SKELETON' AMBULANCE COVER IN MID WALES THIS WEEKEND Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has talked about his deep concern following reports about 'skeleton' ambulance cover in Mid Wales this weekend. He has been told that there will be just 3 ambulances to cover an area stretching from Aberystwyth to Welshpool. He is also concerned that morale in the Wales Ambulance Service is so low that employees are telephoning the media to report deficiencies in the service. Glyn Davies has been concerned about the inadequacy of the Ambulance Service in Mid Wales for many years. Last summer he spent a day in Staffordshire with Roger Thayne, the recently resigned Interim Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust who was the then head of Staffordshire, the most successful Ambulance Trust in Britain. He was pleased when Mr Thane and his deputy, Dr Anton Van Dellen moved to Wales earlier this year. It came as a great disappointment when Mr Thane resigned last month, after only three months in post because he was 'ashamed' to lead an ambulance service that put at risk 500 lives every year and needed £35 million of investment to put right. Speaking on National Radio this morning Glyn Davies said: "The Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust resigned because he was 'ashamed' to be head of a service that is putting 500 lives at risk every year and it seems to me that having only three ambulances available to cover the whole of Mid Wales from Aberystwyth to Welshpool over the coming weekend is an example of what Mr Roger Thayne was so ashamed of. It is clearly not a good idea to have an accident or fall into need for an ambulance in Mid Wales this weekend because you may have a long wait. However, I see no point in blaming this 'skeleton' ambulance cover on Dr Anton Van Dellen, who is now running the service on an interim basis. It may well be that he is under such pressure from the Health Minister and so short of money that he cannot provide the level of service we all want to see - or restructure the service into one suitable for today. Roger Thayne told us that the Wales Ambulance Service needs £35 million to make it fit for purpose - and that in his opinion there has been mismanagement of the Service over the last 6 years. When I hear Rhodri Morgan and his Health Minister boasting about their policy of scrapping prescription charges in Wales, I see a Government putting lives at risk 500 lives every year through starving the Ambulance Service of cash which they are using to pump into an election bribe to win votes for Labour."
23/06/06 TORY AM DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED BY PRESIDING OFFICER'S U-TURN ON GOVERNMENT OF WALES BILL Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has expressed his deep disappointment with the decision of the National Assembly's Presiding Officer, Lord Elis Thomas to accept that the Labour Government's wholly contemptible proposal to ban candidates who are placed on parties regional lists for the next Assembly Elections from standing in constituencies as well should be allowed to pass into law. At present the Governments gerrymandering proposal has been thrown out of the Government of Wales Bill by the House of Lords. Peter Hain, the Secretary of State, to his eternal shame has insisted that the House of Commons will put the offensive clause back in - and now Lord Elis Thomas is saying he is going to vote for it because it threatens to delay passage of the Government of Wales Bill. Commenting on the Presiding Officers comments made on National TV last night, Glyn Davies, who has been personally affected by the proposal, said: "Let there be no mistaking what Labour is doing here. It is trying to force through a wholly contemptible proposal, which is not accepted in any other democracy in the world, which Labour itself has dismissed in Scotland, which is condemned by the Electoral Commission, which has been kicked out by the House of Lords, because it is no more than a simple grubby device for furthering the electoral interests of the Labour Party. The proposal is an utter disgrace which will pollute the political legacies of Rhodri Morgan and Peter Hain for ever - and rightly so. Labour should be deeply ashamed of itself and I am desperately disappointed that our Presiding Officer has said that he is changing his position and now intends to vote for it. I understand that Lord Elis Thomas is very keen to get the Government of Wales Bill on the statute book quickly - but this is political blackmail and partisan skulduggery and the price is too high. This is going too far in sacrificing principle for pragmatism. Lord Elis Thomas will be a very influential voice in this debate and it is deeply disappointing to me to realise that it rather looks as if we may see politics without principle prevailing - and see the bad guys win because the good guys walk away from the fight."
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