Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 9 November 2022.

The Royal College of Nursing have voted to strike across six health boards in Labour-run Wales.

Nurses in all but one health board (Aneurin Bevan UHB covering Gwent) will go on strike on various days in the coming months.

Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust Headquarters, Velindre NHS Trust, Public Health Wales, NHS Shared Services Partnership, and Digital Health and Care Wales have also met the required threshold for strike action.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS said:

“It is highly regrettable that nurses have decided to go on strike, with all the implications for patients who depend on NHS services, but let there be no doubt that nursing pay and conditions are the responsibility of the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay.

“This will only compound the problems facing the UK’s worst-run NHS as, under Labour, Wales has the longest treatment waiting lists, A&E waiting times, and ambulance response times in the country.

“I would stress that we cannot make the NHS permanently dependent on agency nurses but, in Labour-run Wales, it is already the case, with nurse vacancies going up by a thousand in just the last year, with £134m spent on agency workers.

“I hope the Minister finally engages with the Royal College of Nursing to bring this dispute to an end as swiftly as possible – it is disgraceful that she has avoided doing this so far to the detriment of patients and staff across Wales.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 9 November 2022.

Commenting on the news that the defect which led to the closure of the Menai Bridge in October was first identified in the 1990s, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS said:

“This is an absolute disgrace. For over 20 years successive Labour Governments have failed to act in the knowledge that the Menai Bridge had this defect. Just yesterday, Labour’s Deputy Minister failed to turn up to a briefing with various Members of the Senedd and the Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn, Virginia Crosbie.

“Labour ministers must come forward at outline what they knew about the state of the bridge and when. Crucially, why wasn’t more regular work undertaken to prevent the bridge falling into this state?

“The people of Wales deserve answers as to why hard-working families and businesses are being made to pay for Labour’s ineptitude.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 9 November 2022.

A Gwynedd councillor has been threatened over her support for new relationship and sex education (RSE) teaching in Wales.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister, Sam Rowlands MS said:

“The abuse received by local elected representatives is abhorrent. I have raised this in the Senedd chamber and it is clear to me that there still is not enough being done to protect councillors’ safety.

“Welsh Conservatives stand wholeheartedly with parents and their right to choose what their own children are taught, with the option to opt-out of RSE lessons if they feel they are not age appropriate.

“Others will have differing views and have the right to air them without the fear of abuse or threats. The Labour Government, while respecting the legitimate concerns of parents, need to do far more to support councillors in their plight to stand up for and represent their local communities.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 9 November 2022.

Andrew RT Davies has said Labour have left the Welsh taxpayer ‘holding the bag’ on Cardiff Airport, as flight numbers from the airport drop.

His comments come as Labour’s Deputy Climate Change Minister refused to set a date for the resumption of the direct bus service between Cardiff Airport and Cardiff City Centre.

Third quarter figures for 2022 show that flights from the airport were down by 52% compared with the equivalent period in 2019.

Commenting, Andrew RT Davies said:

“When Labour ministers purchased Cardiff Airport in 2013, they were making an investment with the hard earned money of taxpayers in Wales.

“But since then, it’s been a turbulent time, with passenger numbers under pressure and a failure to give the airport a competitive edge.

“By failing to provide adequate transport links to Wales’ capital city, Labour are setting the airport up to fail, and taxpayers are the ones left holding the bag.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 8 November 2022.

Labour leader, Keir Starmer will not be attending the Qatar World Cup, stating that this was ‘the position of the party’. However, Labour’s most senior elected politician, First Minister Mark Drakeford will be attending.

Commenting on the exchange, Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies MS said:

“Labour’s inconsistency on this matter is clear for all to see. The Labour leader isn’t going to Qatar, but the First Minister is. The response from the Leader of the House, as to why Starmer is wrong and Drakeford is right, was that Starmer has the luxury of playing to the gallery. This is no way to conduct serious politics.

“What is right, is that the Welsh Government is represented in Qatar, fulfilling their role of promoting Wales abroad and in particular, to highlight employment rights abuses.

“I hope that the Deputy Sport Minister will reverse her decision to boycott the Wales-Iran game. We feel that sending a female Minister will send that vital message, that here in Wales, men and women are wholly equal.”

The press release issued by Welsh Conservatives on 8 November 2022.

Commenting on the news that the M4 through Newport has been closed 310 times so far this year as a result of crashes, breakdowns and debris, Welsh Conservatives Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS said:

“It is painfully clear that Labour ministers have no solutions when it comes to alleviating congestion on the M4.

“Three and a half years ago, the First Minister took the unilateral decision to waste £157 million and scrap the M4 relief road, choosing to provide no viable alternative to congestion in Wales. This decision firmly slammed the door on investment in Wales proving that, under Labour, Wales is closed for business.

“When will Labour ministers stop their needless war on motorists and invest in the infrastructure that Wales is crying out for?”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 8 November 2022.

According to a NAHT union survey of 670 schools, pressures on school budgets could mean significant staff cuts across Wales.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Minister, Laura Anne Jones MS said:

“Schools in Wales need proper support from the Labour Government, sorely lacking at present. School budgets are stretched enough from ever increasing demands on them from the Welsh Government, with no or little money to follow those directives.

“Wales has already seen a 10% fall in teacher numbers since 2011, which represents 4,000 fewer teachers despite there being 7,000 more students. Further staff cuts would add to the growing pressures faced by schools and would be a kick in the teeth to teachers, having worked hard and done so well during the Covid pandemic.

“Labour have critically underfunded education in Wales for too long. They hold the levers of power, with education devolved, they have no one to blame but themselves.”

The majority of schools in Wales report that they will have to make redundancies next year:

More than a third (38%) of schools say they will go into deficit this year, unless they make further cuts.

Just 5% of schools say they will be able to pay their costs next academic year (23-24) without going into deficit – meaning more than 9 in 10 schools won’t be able to balance their budgets without drastic action.

Around three quarters (73%) say they will have to make teaching assistants redundant or reduce their hours

More than half (61%) say they are looking at reducing the number of teachers or teaching hours

Close to half (48%) of schools said they would be forced to reduce non-educational support and services for children next year. This means cutting back on vital services such as counselling, therapy and mental health support.

Over half (56%) said they would have to reduce spending on additional targeted interventions for pupils requiring additional support. This means pupils needing extra help or those with ALN may not get the support they need.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 7 November 2022.

Commenting on research surrounding the implementation of 20mph zones in Wales, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS said:

“Introducing 20mph speed limits should be decided by local councils and for places such as outside of schools and playgrounds. The research is far from conclusive with studies having shown that 20mph limits could have a detrimental impact on issues such as public transport as the tight timetable that many busses run on could be affected.

“Labour have already admitted that this policy will come at an astonishing cost of £4.5bn to the Welsh economy, proving they are doing everything possible to stunt growth in Wales.

“Labour ministers need to stop imposing dogmatic and restrictive measures on road users in Wales and focus on making sure Wales has a public transport system fit for the 21st century.”