Tag: Welsh Conservatives

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 31 December 2022.

The changing of the year can often be seen as a time for new challenges with many of us adopting new year’s resolutions, often to lose weight, exercise more, take up a hobby or drink less. I’ll let you work out which ones are mine!

However, it is very clear that the Labour Government’s new year’s resolution will be the same as last year, and the year before – and I dare say the year before; to get to grips with our Welsh NHS.

Our NHS staff who are working incredibly hard, under increasingly difficult circumstances, do a terrific job given the situation they are in and deserve our respect.

But they have been let down by 25 years – yes, 25 years – of Labour running the NHS in Wales. Whilst the pandemic has had a major impact, Labour’s mismanagement has made the backlogs worse. Let’s not forget that it was the former Labour Health Minister who said it was “foolish” to plan for recovery after the pandemic.

In Scotland and England, they ignored his calls and now they’ve eliminated their 2 year waits for treatment. In Wales 57,000 people are wondering how much longer they need to wait having hit the two-year mark.

And in the wings waiting behind them are three quarters of a million people on an NHS waiting list, with 1-in-4 waiting over a year, while only 1-in-19 are in England, with the average wait 10 weeks shorter than in Wales.

Wales recently recorded the slowest ambulance wait times on record – with a 50/50 chance of getting an ambulance in time and we have the worst A&E waits in Britain.

The UK Government and Scotland have set up Covid inquiries to scrutinise the decisions they made. Bereaved families deserve answers and the Labour Government should not be allowed to dodge that kind of scrutiny for the decisions they took in Wales.

The only person that seems to want to block a Wales-specific Covid inquiry, is Mark Drakeford.

The most memorable moment in Welsh politics this year was probably when the First Minister lost his cool and blew his lid because I had the temerity to scrutinise his performance as it pertained to the health service.

He can flick the pages of his binder and scrunch his face up all he wants, but the Welsh Conservatives will continue to hold him to account into 2023.

The rising cost of living is a blight on Wales’ already undersized pay packets. So I will be fighting hard to hold the Labour Government to account and reminding them that they hold the levers to grow the Welsh economy.

I hope that with the Covid pandemic in the rear-view mirror, we can look to the future and prioritise delivery for the Welsh people. We want to see the green shoots of recovery, with growth in the economy, improvements in the health service and progress with educational attainment.

The Welsh Conservatives will continue our work as the main opposition party, to that end, because our role is to stand up and scrutinise where the other Cardiff Bay parties do not.

We have a great team of Senedd Members who champion all corners of Wales and I believe as leader of the Welsh Conservatives, that this has been a very positive year for our team in raising the issues that matter to our constituents and helping where we can.

We will be starting work in developing our offer to the electorate for the next Senedd election to offer that alternative that Wales desperately needs.

There is a uniquely positive part to play for my party, in that we champion high quality public service provision, while ensuring good value for the Welsh taxpayer. We need to let hard working people keep more of their own money where we can by delivering economic growth, showing how we can oppose tax rises and cut taxes where possible, while also making the sums add up.

So as we look to the new year, I hope we can reflect on what went well and what needs to be delivered for the benefit of the people of Wales. My new year’s resolution is to lead the charge to that end and fight harder than ever for the people’s priorities here in Wales. And I do sincerely hope the Welsh Government meets theirs and delivers a Welsh NHS for everyone.

I would like to extend my very best wishes to you all and wish you and your family a happy and prosperous new year.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 29 December 2022.

A Welsh Conservative investigation has revealed the scale of asbestos in public buildings in Wales.

According to freedom of information requests, 5,264 council, health board, and Welsh Government buildings have or are suspected to have asbestos, including 1,302 schools.

The highest number of buildings in this category among local authorities was in Swansea, with 1,170 buildings, representing 90% of its stock. Cardiff Council had the highest proportion at 92%.

Carmarthenshire had 182 school buildings with asbestos, the highest of all council areas, followed by Cardiff with 104.

Health boards in Wales had 636 buildings with asbestos, 197 of them in Cardiff & Vale, but Powys had the highest proportion with 94%. 35% of the Welsh Government’s administrative estate had asbestos.

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

“These buildings house council workers, NHS staff, patients, teachers, pupils, and more – they should be able to go to work, school, or hospital and feel safe there, especially from this substance with the potential to cause cancer.

“Whilst we know it’s unlikely that asbestos will be inhaled unless buildings are damaged, the scale of this issue suggests a public health risk that is just not being tackled.

“These buildings are in the hands of government – be it local or national – with enormous numbers of people coming through their doors every day, so Labour ministers really need to examine the possibility of ring-fencing funding to address these defects.

“Otherwise, the public servants who go there to educate our children and treat our parents will continue have to enter a building they know may be unsafe for them and others.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 24 December 2022.

I’ve always taken time around the Christmas period to reflect on the year we have had as a family, a community and as a country.

The word ‘historic’, some might say, has been overused in recent years – but the last year truly has been one of historic proportions.

Like many people, I am not old enough to remember the coronation of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her passing has undoubtedly caused incredible sadness, but in time we will think back on Her reign and Her remarkable life with fond memories.

Her enormous contribution to our country had not only a stabilising effect over decades of change, but also instilled a sense of duty and public service in all of us. Her legacy is the continuation of that selflessness in all of us.

We are faced with extraordinary domestic circumstances, influenced by international events including in Ukraine and the aftermath of the global pandemic.

The situation in Ukraine, while being felt here in our rising energy and supermarket prices, is still a devastating tragedy for the Ukrainian people.

We must not forget that since this barbaric escalation began in February, the people of Ukraine have been standing tall in opposing the unacceptable actions of Putin.

I am proud that as a country we are doing what we must to support President Zelensky and his people in defending their sovereign country and the many millions of displaced civilians who did not ask for this conflict.

There will undoubtedly be painful moments ahead, but by facing up to our challenges, we will overcome them, together.     

Our country and this continent have overcome periods of considerable adversity before and we will do so again.

It is appropriate, at this time of year in particular, to think of and embody the true spirit of Christmas by considering those less fortunate than ourselves and to spend some time with loved ones.

We must compensate for lost time by holding our loved ones extra close this Christmas. Particularly giving thought to those older friends and relatives who have been deprived of that crucial warmth of togetherness in recent festive periods gone by.

This Christmas I am thinking of those displaced Ukrainian citizens who won’t be able to sit around their family table.

I think of those people who have lost loved ones to the pandemic who have an empty seat at the table this year.

And I think of those who will be spending Christmas alone. Perhaps somebody experiencing that will live on your street, so knock the door, share a pot of tea, and take a little bit of time to make a big difference to someone’s Christmas.

And so my message for 2023 is one of hope and togetherness, because brighter days do lie ahead for this great country and its people. Merry Christmas.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 22 December 2022.

Ambulance response times are the slowest on record for the fourth month running as turmoil continues to overcome the Labour-run Welsh NHS, while those experiencing the longest treatment waits still numbers over 50,000 and Wales still has the worst A&E waits in Britain.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of the Welsh population are on a waiting list, with the number of people waiting over two years for treatment now at 54,491, despite such waits being virtually eliminated in England and Scotland.

The figures come the in the week nurses and ambulance workers have gone on strike, and on the day doctors surveyed by the BMA said they would consider striking. Midwives also voted to strike in Wales earlier this month.

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

“Is it at all surprising to see doctors consider striking alongside nurses, ambulance workers, and midwives in Labour-run Wales when we see numbers like this?

“This cost-of-pain crisis is a living nightmare for those forced to wait months, if not years for treatment, while patients are scared about whether they will get an ambulance or not, or whether they will be seen in A&E in a reasonable time.

“But it is clearly taking a toll on NHS staff too who feel like they are entering a warzone every day, but nothing ever changes – all because of a Labour Government that said it would be “foolish” to prepare the easing of Covid restrictions and the demand that would come after several lockdowns.

“Labour need to get a grip on the NHS and stop breaking all the wrong records.”

Also, in October 1-in-4 Welsh patients waited over a year for treatment, but only 1-in-19 do so in England. Meanwhile, the median waiting time for that same month in Wales was 21.6 weeks compared to 13.9 in England.

Additional figures showed nearly a third (32.7%) of patients had to wait over the four-hour target to be seen in A&E last month.

In England and Scotland, the equivalent figure in both was 31% and 32%, respectively. The Welsh target to get 95% admittances seen in four hours has never been met in its 13-year existence.

Statistics also revealed that:

• The Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board was the worst performing area in the nation against the four-hour A&E target, seeing only 61% in four hours;
• An astonishing 51% of patients had to wait over four hours at emergency departments in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, making it the worst performing site in Wales;
• Nearly 10,000 patients waited over 12 hours in Welsh hospitals; and
• Adults aged 85+ spent an average of six and half hours in emergency departments.

When it came to ambulance performance in November, only 48% of responses to immediately life-threatening calls arrived within eight minutes – the joint-worst rate on record (alongside last month). The target of 65% of red-calls reaching their patient within eight minutes has not been reached now for over two years.

Staggeringly, nearly two-thirds (64.7%) of amber call patients – which include strokes – took over an hour to reach, with only 19% arriving within 30 minutes.

The slowest ambulances were in the Powys health board area with only 39% arriving within the eight-minute target of a red-call. Only 30% came to the scene within an hour of an amber call in Cwm Taf Morgannwg.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 19 December 2022.

The Welsh Conservatives have accused the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay of being complacent about the housing crisis as the housebuilding numbers fall.

According to new statistics, 1,300 new dwellings were started during July to September 2022, 25% less than the same quarter of 2019, the last one unaffected by coronavirus restrictions.

1,339 new dwellings were completed this quarter (July to September 2022), 4% lower than the same quarter of 2019 and 16% lower than the previous quarter, during April to June 2022.

Commenting, the Welsh Conservative shadow ministers with responsibility for housing, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said:

“It is so frustrating to see these figures because it just goes to show that the Labour Government and their cooperation comrades in Plaid Cymru are not bothered about the housing crisis.

“Instead, we get scapegoating of second homeowners and demonisation of small tourism businesses – which include farmers who were told to diversify – who are whacked with punitive taxes and overbearing regulations to make up for Labour’s own failures after 23 years in office.

“I always find it bizarre during these debates on housing that Labour and Plaid always ask what we would do instead and are dumbfounded when we say supply should meet demand, so let us build more houses.

“As it stands, Labour and Plaid are only building half the homes Wales needs each year, giving so many of our younger generations no option but to leave their communities”.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 19 December 2022.

Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board described demand on its services over recent days as “unprecedented”, leading to the declaration of a critical incident and the postponement of all but the most urgent procedures.

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

 “As ever there is plenty of disappointment but no shock to hear that North Wales’ health board is once again in trouble and unable to cope – it is, sadly, a tale as old as time for staff and patients in the region who have been let down by the way the NHS has been run there by the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay.

 “We need to hear urgently from Labour’s Health Minister to know what the plan of action is, especially with more strikes from nurses and ambulance workers imminent – patients must have confidence that they can access the safe healthcare there taxes pay for.

 “When we see that the problem is insufficient beds, it stings all the more when we know Labour has cut a third of NHS beds in the devolution era and have waited so long to address bed-blocking where healthy people are stuck in hospital because they cannot be discharged somewhere safe.

 “I really do fear that 2022 may have been a terrible year for the Welsh NHS – with treatment waiting lists, A&E waits, and ambulance response times all hitting their worst rates on record over the last 12 months – but, under Labour, things can still get worse.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 18 December 2022.

Wales’ health minister has said she is “hopeful” ambulances would get to the most serious calls when paramedics plan to strike on Wednesday and the First Minister admitted that the Labour Government decided against a better pay offer for nurses to help protect NHS spending.

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

“It’s good that the First Minister has finally admitted that he and his Labour colleagues have made a political choice in not giving nurses a pay rise, but he still needs to find a solution to this strike so patients can get safe healthcare.

“However, nurses and ambulance workers in Scotland paused strike action when they sat down and received a different pay offer, so it is totally disingenuous for the First Minister to say there is nothing he can do and blame others for something that is entirely a devolved responsibility.

“I am also surprised that the Health Minister is so candid, only being hopeful that ambulances will actually reach the most serious situations. However, that seems to be the case even when there isn’t a strike on, with Wales recording its slowest response times on record in October.

“Labour need to get a grip on the NHS and stop breaking all the wrong records.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 14 December 2022.

The Welsh Conservatives have welcomed indications from the Welsh Government that a third bridge linking Anglesey to Great Britain is “very likely”.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS said:

“I fully support a third Menai bridge between Ynys Môn and North Wales, and look forward to this becoming a reality.

“We have seen from residents in Anglesey just how difficult it has been for them – whether they’re workers or business owners – with the one of the two current bridges being closed after years of neglect.

“Having three functioning bridges will be a huge boost to the economy and hugely complement a potential freeport and reopening of the Wylfa nuclear power plant.

“We now need Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay to also end their ban on roadbuilding, scrap plans for 20mph default speed limits across Wales, and the 50mph zones on major roads because we can’t accelerate economic growth if politicians are slowing us down.”

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 14 December 2022.

The Welsh Conservatives had long been calling for the enormous reserves held by many councils to be put to better use to ease the fiscal situation.

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

“I welcome the funding settlements for councils that bares a degree of reflection to the substantial usable reserves held by some councils.

“It is worth repeating these calls as the hundreds of millions of reserves could certainly be put to better use delivering frontline services to local people.

“We were also pleased to see that our calls for fair funding for rural communities being listened to, with North Wales councils finally finding themselves in the top half of the table.”

10 of the 22 Welsh councils had usable reserves of over £100 million. Rhondda Cynon Taf council had been sitting on £207 million, according to the Labour Government’s own figures.

The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 13 December 2022.

The Leader of the Opposition accused the Labour First Minister of Wales of making a political choice not to talk to the Royal College of Nursing and other unions to prevent strike action over the coming weeks.

Andrew RT Davies MS asked Mark Drakeford why no new offer was made to striking workers given the powers the Labour Government has over NHS pay and working conditions, as well as tax.

The exchange comes after news of a man who had broken his hip was taken to hospital strapped to a plank in the back of a van after his granddaughter was told no ambulances were available.

Commenting afterwards, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS said:

“Don’t let Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay pretend that this isn’t their own political choice.

“Nurses and ambulance workers in Scotland paused strike action when they sat down and received a different pay offer, so it is totally disingenuous for the First Minister to say there is nothing he can do and blame others for something that is entirely a devolved responsibility.

“If Mark Drakeford really wanted to improve the pay offer, he could use the tax levers he has at his fingertips. He could also discuss the working conditions of NHS staff.

“Let us not forget that Labour’s mismanagement of the NHS means NHS staff and patients have to deal with the longest treatment waiting lists, worst A&E waits, and slowest ambulance responses in Britain.”