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The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 18 November 2022.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect families, schools across Wales are playing a vital role in supporting their local communities.

A Community Focused School is one, which builds a strong partnership with families, responds to the needs of their community and collaborates effectively with other services to ensure all children thrive.

In March this year, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles announced almost £25m investment in delivering Community Focused Schools, to fund practical ways of improving school facilities in order to enable greater community use. This includes providing equipment storage for community groups running extra-curricular activities and improving external lighting in sports areas. This funding will be allocated to local authorities across Wales on a formula basis based on pupil and school numbers.

One school already helping their local community is Blaenymaes Primary School in Swansea. The school established a parent council in order to gain a parent perspective of their needs in terms of partnership working and parent support.

The school also continued building links with the housing association POBL which led to family engagement activities with community groups, such as Room to Grow and Swansea Community Farm.

Room to Grow aims to upskill families in growing their own produce at home to support the increasing cost of feeding a family. Pupils at Blaenymaes and their families take part in sessions in the school grounds. These sessions included building planters and providing the material to grow produce at home.

“Come cook with me” sessions run in school by Helen Spencer, Family Inclusion Officer, offer families the opportunity to learn how to cook tasty and healthy recipes on a budget. All recipes and ingredients are provided to families so that they can replicate them at home. In addition, the group were provided with cooking equipment that they may not have at home such as digital scales and measuring spoons.

Emma Amirat, Acting Deputy Head at Blaenymaes Primary School, said:

Through engagement with our Parent Council, it was clear that parents enjoyed the support given to help them with their child’s learning, however, they also had challenges that worried them outside of the school day. We made the decision that in order to enhance our capacity to support families holistically, we needed to further develop links with community groups.

This approach has meant we can invite groups, such as Room to Grow and Swansea Community Farm, into our school to offer families purposeful opportunities.

Listening to our Parent Council is a key driver in what we offer families. We are developing plans to offer solutions to uniform costs, fuel poverty and providing family swap shops.

Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said:

Community Focused Schools connect families, schools, and communities together. This helps provide a joined-up approach to learning, while ensuring that there are no financial or social barriers to a child’s education.

As a government we are clear that tackling the impact of poverty on attainment is at the heart of our national mission for education.  I have seen first-hand the fantastic initiatives schools up and down the country are doing to help both the school community and local area. Our new Community Focused Schools guidance sets out advice and information to help schools turn their vision into a reality.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 17 November 2022.

Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Finance Minister, has said today’s Autumn Statement will mean people are paying more for less.

The Chancellor’s statement confirmed tax rises for people across the United Kingdom along with deep spending cuts in future spending review periods.

Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility have indicated the biggest fall in disposable income since records began, with household incomes not expected to get back to pre-pandemic levels until 2028.

Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance and Local Government, said:

We should be under no illusions; this statement confirms we are in a deep recession. Real incomes are set to fall by 7% over the next 2 years, while inflation is at its highest rate in 41 years.

Today’s Autumn Statement is an invoice for the UK government’s failure to manage the economy over the last 12 years.

It provides pain today and pain tomorrow, with higher taxes and energy costs now and spending cuts to come. Ultimately, it leaves people paying more for less.

Throughout this process I have made clear to the Chancellor that Wales cannot afford deep and damaging austerity. I am relieved that the Chancellor has at least partially responded to my calls for more funding for public services in the here and now.

However, let me be clear that today’s statement doesn’t even come close to providing the funding needed to protect public service budgets against the immense challenges caused by record inflation.

We will be carefully analysing the detail of today’s announcements ahead of our December budget.

The statement made by Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, on 17 November 2022.

The 38^th meeting of the British-Irish Council on 10/11 November was hosted by the UK Government in Blackpool. I attended the meeting virtually.

The Summit programme was opened by the Prime Minister, who attended events on Thursday 10^th November. The Summit Plenary session on Friday 11^th November was Chaired by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations.

Other attendees included Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, the First Minister of Scotland the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the Chief Minister of Jersey Kristina Moore, the Chief Minister of Guernsey Deputy Peter Ferbrache, the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man Alfred Cannan MHK, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP.

The theme of this Summit was Sustainable Growth and Regeneration. The Council focussed on efforts underway across BIC Member Administrations to stimulate and support sustainable economic growth, the development of more inclusive communities, and to address pressures on housing in particular. The Council also noted the recent Ministerial meeting of the BIC Social Inclusion work sector, which took place in Cardiff.

In addition, the Council discussed the latest political developments including: the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the impact of the rising cost of living, shared climate and decarbonisation objectives, and ongoing relations with the EU. The Council received an update on Northern Ireland and looked forward to the restoration of the devolved institutions. The Council also noted that 2023 would mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and underlined the importance of supporting the effective

functioning of all of the agreement’s institutions, including the British-Irish Council.

In contributing to this discussion, I highlighted a number of areas that need to remain as high priorities for the BIC:

• working alongside communities to achieve sustainable growth, investing in infrastructure, people and places, to create the conditions in which businesses will invest;
• the role of direct Government investment in growth strategies, in areas such as climate change, research and innovation, and supporting nascent industries;
• the cost of living crisis and the need for significant further action to support vulnerable households struggling with rising costs, with a focus on practical solutions;
• the energy crisis and the need to focus on renewable energy, for the benefit of energy security, the climate crisis and to make household energy affordable;
• the concerning impacts of Brexit including on research, trade and Welsh ports, and the need for stability and improvements in the trading and the wider relationship between the UK and the EU.

A joint Communiqué was issued after the meeting, which is available at:

https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/bic/summits

The next Council Summit will be hosted by the Government of Jersey.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 17 November 2022.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

Our NHS continues to face unprecedented demand and is seeing thousands of people every day. In hospitals alone, more than 361,000 consultations were carried out in September. Over 99,000 patient pathways were closed in September, back to pre-pandemic levels and 6% more than August, and an all-time record 13,856 people were seen and told they don’t have cancer.

Progress continues to be made on the longest waits. The number of patient pathways waiting more than two years for treatment has fallen for the sixth month in a row and is down by 19 per cent since the peak in March. Waits over 36 weeks also went down in September, by 3% compared to August.

Primary care, ambulance and emergency department staff remain under intense pressure. As an example, October saw the highest number and proportion of ‘red’/ immediately life threatening calls on record. A further indication of the complexity of patient need is the number of patients admitted to the same or a different hospital following attendance at a major emergency department, which was 27.1% higher than September 2022.

Whilst we acknowledge ambulance performance is not where we expect it to be, we are driving improvements, including extending same-day emergency care services to open seven-days a week,  managing calls better to reduce hospital admissions and recruiting more staff. Without all this the pressure on the system would be even greater.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 17 November 2022.

From today, motorists exceeding the 50mph speed limits between junctions 24 to 28 on the M4 could be fined, the Welsh Government has warned.

This is the final stage of a phased approach that the Welsh Government has taken to improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads across Wales, as well as reduce congestion and improve safety along this section of the M4.

Since the Welsh Government took the decision to introduce environmental speed limits to improve air quality levels at five different locations across Wales, the first of its kind in the UK, there has been a successful lowering of nitrogen dioxide levels in these areas.

Enforcement in four of the five areas began in October last year and today marks the completion of this rollout with M4 junction 24 to 28 going live.

Air pollution is considered to be one of the largest environmental health risks of our generation, according to the World Health Organisation. Driving at 50 will not only help us all protect our families from serious illnesses like heart disease, lung cancer and asthma, but it also helps manage congestion, improve journey times and reduce accidents.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, who has responsibility for Transport said:

We’ve made significant progress in bringing emissions levels down in recent years, but we now have to go further and faster.

We know that slower speed limits are not a popular choice, but we need to do things differently and be bold if we are to stand a chance of tackling climate change.

It’s clear that the speed restrictions we’ve introduced on our most polluted roads are working – the results speak for themselves – but compliance with these limits is essential if we are to achieve the reductions we need to make in the shortest possible time.

We need to act now to make Wales a safe place to live with clean air for everyone.

Superintendent, Michael Richards of Gwent Police said:

The environmental 50mph speed limits are playing an important part in tackling pollution on some of Wales’ most polluted roads, helping Wales and its communities build a cleaner, safer and healthier future.

All four Welsh Forces are supporting the enforcement of these speed limits.

Teresa Ciano, Partnership Manager at Go Safe added:

‘GoSafe fully supports the environmental 50mph speed limits. In addition to reducing NO2 levels and building cleaner environments for our communities, these zones will help to reduce collisions and make Welsh roads safer for everyone.

GoSafe will continue to support these environmental 50mph speed limits, through both education and enforcement, as we all work together towards cleaner and safer communities.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 16 November 2022.

Speaking ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement tomorrow, Wales’ Finance Minister has said the Chancellor must turn away from another round of damaging austerity.

Rebecca Evans said that instead of delivering deep spending cuts, the Chancellor must invest in growth, and must support people through the cost-of-living crisis.

She said:

The Autumn Statement is being delivered amid huge financial challenges for people, businesses, public services, and our economy.

People are struggling to pay their bills as the cost-of-living crisis bites. 41-year high inflation and record energy prices are shrinking public sector budgets, just as demand for services is soaring. The economy is faltering and we are facing the longest recession since the Great Depression.

The UK government has the financial fire power to meet these challenges – and it must do so tomorrow. This is the time to invest in people and public services.

The Chancellor must use his tax levers more fairly. By increasing the windfall tax and removing exemptions from capital gains tax, he can ensure that the burden falls on those with the broadest shoulders.

By turning away from austerity, the UK government could protect public services, honour its commitment to increase benefits in line with inflation, and boost infrastructure investment to stimulate and grow our economy.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 16 November 2022.

The Welsh Government has this evening announced that £180,000 will be made available to support the development of Welsh Language film and provide financial support to develop talent and ideas.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden and Plaid Cymru Designated Member Cefin Campbell have revealed the funding will be delivered through Ffilm Cymru and further details which will be announced shortly.

The commitment is part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

The Deputy Minister, said:

I’m delighted to make this announcement ahead of the 40^th anniversary celebration this evening at the Senedd.  One of our biggest assets in sharing all that is amazing and unique about Wales – is our wonderful, home-grown, institution S4C.

Just eleven months ago, we announced our Memorandum of Understanding between Welsh Government’s Creative Wales and S4C.

It is a fantastic example of our increased partnership working in Wales, to deliver our ambitions to grow the creative sector, and to support the creative industries in Wales. This funding is further contribution towards those ambitions.

Broadcasters are vital contributors to the growth of our creative industries and the Welsh economy, sustaining the development of content in Wales by our independent production companies is a key priority for us as a Government.

In working with S4C and Ffilm Cymru, we are striving for economic growth, diverse talent development, growing the profile and portrayal of Wales and, of course, promotion of the Welsh language.

Designated Member, Cefin Campbell said:

S4C is integral to Wales and our language. The wealth of content produced by S4C is a crucial part of the media in Wales, ensuring that quality, world-class content encompassing drama, sport, films and children’s content is provided to people of all ages, across Wales and beyond.

Through the Co-operation Agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government we are committed to work together to strengthen our language, ensuring that it is an everyday reality for us all, in our homes, on television and online. The new fund we are announcing today will play an important part in achieving this ambition, offering support to Welsh language film and provide financial support to the industry to develop talent and ideas.

Siân Doyle, S4C’s Chief Executive said:

We’ve a strong storytelling tradition in Wales. The recent success of S4C commissioned drama such as Yr Amgueddfa, Dal y Mellt and Y Golau in Wales and internationally, has shown there is a real appetite for original Welsh content and entertainment.

S4C’s aim is to build on this and bring home-grown Welsh stories, that resonate with our audiences in Wales, and beyond, to the big screen. I’m delighted this partnership with Creative Wales and the support of the Co-operation Agreement with Ffilm Cymru and the National Film and Television School coupled with S4C’s investment will enable the development of new ideas and nurture a new generation of storytellers. This will ensure that S4C’s stated ambition of one Welsh language feature film a year can be realised.

As we mark S4C’s 40th birthday, we are not only giving the Welsh language a new platform but enabling the next generation of content creators to work in Welsh. I’m looking forward to announcing further details of the project very soon.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 16 November 2022.

Climate Change Minister Julie James has today (Wednesday, November 16) confirmed the cap for social rents for the next financial year along with a package of support for tenants.

The Minister outlined a series of commitments she had secured with social landlords including that there will be ‘no evictions due to financial hardship for the term of the rent settlement in 2023-24’ where tenants engage with their landlords.

The Minister also explained the decision making behind setting the social rent cap at 6.5%.

I have been clear that no social tenant will experience any change in their rent until April 2023 but I do need to set rents for the next financial year now to give the sector time to plan.

From April 2023, the maximum limit which social rents can charge will be 6.5% – an increase well below the rate of inflation. This is the maximum any landlord can charge across all of their properties.

No landlord is required to charge the maximum and I know all landlords will carefully consider affordability and set rents as appropriate across their housing stock.

Within the overall settlement landlords may freeze, lower or raise individual rents based on a number of local factors of which affordability is a key consideration. The rate is a maximum not a requirement or a target.

We know that any increase in social rent may impact those social tenants who pay all or part of their own rent. These tenants, in particular, need to be protected from being placed into financial hardship through trying to cover the costs of keeping a roof over their heads.

Our agreement with our social landlords will help do that – protecting and enhancing the provision of good quality housing and vital tenant support services.

Finally, our agreement with social landlords builds on existing engagement with tenants in rent-setting decisions, including explaining how income from rent is invested and spent.

Working in partnership with tenants, Welsh Government, funders and other partners will develop a consistent approach to assessing affordability across the social housing sector in Wales.

I would like to thank all the organisations which provided evidence to my officials, to help us reach this agreement.

In Wales, approximately three-quarters of social tenants have all or part of their rents covered by benefits. Therefore, for many tenants any increase in rent will be covered by benefits paid by the UK Government.

A joint campaign, encouraging tenants to talk to their landlord if they are experiencing financial difficulties and access support available, will be launched across Wales next year.