Tag: Welsh Government

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

Seven Welsh businesses with expertise ranging from engineering and patient care to grassroots sport are heading to the USA this week as part of a Welsh Government-led trade mission.

The delegation is heading to North Carolina and South Carolina, where they will meet with businesses and potential new customers and partners. It is part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to supporting Welsh businesses to grow in Wales and sell to the world, as part of its Export Action Plan.

This is the first time that a Welsh Government-led delegation will have visited the Carolinas which have a combined population of 15 million.

The USA is Wales’ top export market for goods, accounting for 15.7% (£2.9bn) of total goods exports. Over the past year, the value of Welsh goods exports to the USA increased by 69.6% (£1.2 billion). The South is a rapidly growing region in the USA with diverse economic opportunities. Due to the strength in industries, cost competitiveness of doing business, and a pro-business environment, the region offers an entry point for Welsh businesses interested in exporting to the USA.

The mission is part of a series of activities being delivered by the Welsh Government in the run up to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, in which Wales’ first match is against the USA.

To maximise this opportunity, the delegation of businesses is being supported by the Welsh Government Office in Atlanta, Georgia alongside local partners.

The delegation will include the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Trust which will be looking to meet partners in coaching education for their online learning packages. They will jointly host a breakfast briefing with the Welsh Government featuring a virtual address by Wales Manager Rob Page. Business events to connect with local networks will take place in Greenville, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said:

The USA is an important market for Wales and I’m pleased the Welsh Government can support this delegation of Welsh business talent on our first ever trade visit to the Carolinas.

This is an excellent opportunity for our businesses to explore the market and build connections with international partners. As part of this, I am keen that we capitalise on opportunities in the run up to the FIFA World Cup, which has the potential to raise the profile of Wales in key markets, like the USA.

The mission, which is part of a wider trade mission programme delivered by the Welsh Government shows our determination to back Welsh business to grow in Wales, and to sell to the world. It underpins our clear ambition to grow Welsh export as we deliver on our Export Action Plan.

Head of Business Development at FAW, Nick Davidson said:

The FAW are delighted to be part of the Welsh Government USA Trade Mission to North Carolina and South Carolina. Putting Wales on the world stage during a World Cup year is a shared objective and a great opportunity for business and sport to create powerful partnerships.

We have a world-class coaching reputation and have developed a world-class coach education system starting with the Introduction to Football Coaching Certificate through to UEFA Pro Licence. Our global alumni include Mikel Arteta, Yaya Touré, Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill and we’re hoping this mission allows us to grow grassroots football (soccer) across the world.

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

Personal Learning Accounts (PLA) support individuals on lower-incomes and those whose jobs are at risk, to learn new skills, achieve new qualifications and help to rewrite their careers.

£1m will be used to train people in areas including cyber, programming, data analysis, network and cloud infrastructure, database management, and digital analysis skills.

£2m will be invested to support individuals to either upskill or re-skill in net zero skills, which will help develop a highly skilled workforce to support Wales achieve a  transition to net zero. The sectors supported will be construction, energy, engineering and manufacturing.

To date over £51m has been invested and almost 30,000 adults in Wales have benefited since Personal Learning Accounts launched in 2019, with over 16,000 individuals enrolling within the last academic year alone.

The free and flexible courses are available across Wales through 13 Welsh colleges and deliver vocational training in sectors where there is a skills shortage to ensure the future needs of the economy are met.

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

We are delighted to make this announcement during Adult Learners’ Week Personal Learning Accounts provide excellent opportunities for people to re-train to find the right career for them.  Digital training and net zero skills are areas we know that employers are increasingly looking for as a skills base, while also being aligned with our commitments to be a greener, stronger, fairer Wales.

The PLA programme has had an excellent response since its launch, and I would encourage individuals wanting to develop their careers to find out more.

Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething, said:

It’s fantastic to see that so many people across Wales are taking advantage of the courses available through Personal Learning Accounts.

The cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on household disposable income, so it’s imperative that we continue to fund and tailor vocational training to individuals who are looking for a brighter future. Personal Learning Account courses not only help to upskill individuals, but they are essential in filling vital talent gaps within our economy.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 13 October 2022.

More than 15,600 Welsh farms will receive a share of over £161m when Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2022 advance payments are made tomorrow (Friday 14 October), Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced.

This means 97% of claimants will receive a BPS advance payment worth 70% of their estimated claim value.

This is the second year Rural Payments Wales (RPW) is making automatic BPS advance payments in October.

Before 2021, BPS payments commenced from 1 December annually.

Regulation changes made by the Minister following the end of the EU Exit Implementation Period simplified the requirements for BPS. This sees BPS advance payments made prior to December to eligible claimants. Reasons why a BPS advance payment may not be made include ongoing land dispute, breaches identified at inspection or outstanding probate matters.

Full and remaining balance BPS 2022 payments will be made from 15 December 2022, subject to full validation of the BPS claim.

It is expected all but the most complex BPS claims will be fully validated, and payments made before the end of the payment window on 30 June 2023.

Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths said:

Following the simplification of BPS requirements, advance payments have been made prior to December which provides financial certainty to farm business during this extremely challenging time.

In addition, here in Wales we have maintained the BPS budget at £238m, the same level as last year.

Full and remaining balance BPS 2021 payments will be made from 15 December and my officials will again this year be working hard to make these payments to as many farmers as possible early in the payment window.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 11 October 2022.

A 16-year-old girl from Barry has become First Minister of Wales for the day as girls across the world take over to mark the UN’s International Day of the Girl.

Jaime has stepped into First Minister Mark Drakeford’s shoes to celebrate the power of girls and to call for action to tear down the barriers they continue to face in today’s world.

In countries around the world, girls are taking over key roles in media, business and Government today to demand equal power, freedom and representation for girls and young women.

A level student Jaime has been working with youth group in the Vale of Glamorgan to run a project, Her Voice Wales, which empowers young people to become champions of equality in their community. The group are tackling street safety and catcalling and campaigning to provide young people with more safe spaces.

As well as meeting ministers and lawmakers, during her day as First Minister, Jaime will open the Welsh Government’s weekly press conference and participate in a meeting about hate crime alongside Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt.

Jaime will also watch First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd before taking part in an event to celebrate Wales’ participation in the World Cup, ahead of the tournament next month.

Jaime said:

I can’t wait to be First Minister for International Day of the Girl! I look forward to taking part in the Girl’s Takeover to show the importance of seeing girls in powerful leadership roles, which I think is so important if we are going to achieve true gender equality.

Mark Drakeford said:

I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from First Minister Jaime as she steps into my shoes for the day.

Women and girls have the power to change the world but, all too often, they are not given the opportunity to do so.

While I’m proud more than half of the roles in my Cabinet are filled by women, this isn’t a picture which is replicated across Wales, so we have much more work to do.

I hope girls across Wales see what Jaime does today and are inspired to become our leaders of the future.

Rose Caldwell, Chief Executive of Plan International UK, says:

It is truly inspiring to see Jaime take over the role of First Minister for Wales today, on the tenth anniversary of International Day of the Girl, and exciting to see such a strong signal from the First Minister of his commitment to equal power and gender equality.

Girls tell us they want a seat at the table, and to participate in political conversations in a meaningful way. But all too often they are undervalued, undermined, and underestimated. It’s high time that changed.

Alongside Jaime, we call on leaders of all types to consider what they can do to recognise and value the power of girls’ voices – a crucial step if we are to achieve gender equality in Wales and beyond.

The Welsh Government has committed to being a Feminist Government and, as part of this effort, has started to introduce Gender Budgeting. Gender Budgeting is an analysis of how Welsh Government policies and budgets impact different genders and identifies how Government spending effects gender equality with the intention of making better funding decisions.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 10 October 2022.

The Counsel General, Mick Antoniw, said the proposals are designed to remove barriers to voting.

It comes as a consultation opens on new legislation to modernise electoral administration and wider electoral reform.

Currently people must register in order to vote, but under the new proposals anyone who is eligible would be added to the electoral register automatically by their local authority. This will make voting simpler, especially for young people and for those who have moved to Wales from another country.

The Welsh Government is proposing to work with a number of local authorities to run a series of pilots focusing on how best to collect data and use existing data to support automatic registration, and will be inviting local authorities to take part in pilot projects.

Views are also being sought on how best to improve student and young people’s registration rates, who have a proportionately lower rate of registration and participation.

Other areas being considered are the accessibility of information on parties and candidates, the equipment available to help disabled people vote, and the digitization of elections in Wales.

Mick Antoniw, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, said:

This is another step in improving the accessibility of Welsh elections. We want it to be as easy as possible to vote, with people able to play their full part in our democracy. We also want to create political structures that are more representative of the people they serve.

I’m proud to say that since we assumed responsibility for local and Senedd elections in 2017 we have lowered the voting age to 16 and enfranchised qualifying foreign nationals. As part of building a 21st century electoral system, the time is now right to accelerate our ambitious long-term vision for electoral reform in anticipation of the next major devolved and local elections in 2026 and 2027.

We have outlined a wide range of proposals about the best way forward, and encourage people from every part of society to have their say and help us deliver our vision.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 10 October 2022.

The Welsh Government will invest £11 million over the next three years in Arfor 2, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething and Designated Member Cefin Campbell have announced today.

• New Arfor 2 programme designed to strengthen the economic resilience of Welsh language strongholds.
• £11 million to be made available for communities in four counties with the highest levels of Welsh speakers.
• Funding will support a number of strategic interventions, including a focus on opportunities for young people and families, to enable them to stay in or return to their home communities.
• Programme will play a key role in the Welsh Government’s Welsh language strategy (Cymraeg 2050), which aims to ensure there are 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Arfor 2 is a new programme to be delivered by local authority partners which will help strengthen the economic resilience of Welsh language strongholds.

As part of the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru and building on the experience and evaluation of the earlier Arfor programme launched in 2019, the Welsh Government funding will be available to the four local authorities of Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The main objective of Arfor 2 is to support the communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language to flourish through economic interventions which will also contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis.

It will also help:

• to create opportunities for young people and families (under 35 years old) to stay in or return to their indigenous communities, supporting them to succeed locally by engaging in enterprise or developing a career
• to create enterprising communities within Welsh-speaking areas, by supporting commercial and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth by taking advantage of the identity and unique qualities of their areas
• to maximise the benefit of activity through collaboration, to ensure that good practice and lessons learnt are shared and that there is on-going monitoring to ensure continuous improvement
• strengthen the identity of communities with a high density of Welsh speakers, by supporting the use and visibility of the Welsh language, encouraging a sense of place and local loyalty

Today’s announcement outlines that agreement has been reached with partners in the local authorities on a programme of activity that will help support our Welsh speaking communities, work will now continue on the detail of the proposed interventions.

The Arfor 2 programme will also look to promote the learning and sharing of good practice and broaden our understanding of the links between economy and language and identify those interventions which can make a difference.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

I am pleased that through collaborative working with local authorities and with Plaid Cymru, we have reached agreement on a strategic programme of interventions for Arfor 2 which has potential to make a significant difference in our Welsh speaking heartlands taking forward our ambitions of spreading economic prosperity.  By working with our local authority partners, we want to support communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language to flourish through economic interventions and contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis.

Designated Member, Cefin Campbell, said:

By working together we are building on the successes of the Arfor pilot which aims to support and grow the local economy and the Welsh language together. The investment of £11m in this scheme is a direct boost to the economies of the west that will further promote entrepreneurship, business growth and help protect the Welsh language. We want to make sure communities in these areas can thrive and people are able to stay in their local communities for work or to grow a business.

The Economy Minister and Designated Member announced the new funding package for Arfor 2 during a visit to Canolfan S4C Yr Egin in Carmarthen and met with local entrepreneurs.

One of the aims of establishing Yr Egin was to act as a catalyst for promoting and strengthening the Welsh language and economy in Carmarthenshire. Since opening, Yr Egin has become a busy community of creativity where there is focus on sharing, collaboration and business development.

The Minister and Designated Member also had a taste of Carmarthenshire honey by Mel Gwenyn Gruffydd, a Carmarthenshire based business which benefited from the first phase of Arfor. Gruffydd, Co-founder of Gwenyn Gruffydd Ltd, said:

Having had support through the Arfor Scheme has meant that a small honey business like ours has been given a chance to flourish in a rural Welsh speaking community. It has allowed me and my wife to be full time in the business and enabled us to create a further Welsh speaking job within the business too. It has meant that we have been able to stay in rural West Wales, build a business, create jobs and promote the use of the Welsh language through our work.  Being part of Arfor has enabled us as a business to contribute to the Welsh language by giving talks and presentations to local groups and community too.

Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Darren Price, said:

We are pleased that Carmarthenshire based businesses and communities will be able to access support from the Arfor programme which will provide both economic opportunities across the county as well as support the development and sustainability of the Welsh language.

We look forward to hearing from local organisations and businesses on their exciting concepts to nurture and sustain the ethos of the new Arfor programme.

By working together with Arfor partners across the West, we have an opportunity to deliver a programme of innovative interventions that will encapsulate the relationship between the Welsh language and the economy.

The Leader of Anglesey County Council, Councillor Llinos Medi, said:

Our businesses and communities face a number of difficulties at the moment and it’s great to be able to announce such a significant scheme and financial package.

Arfor has already show its worth during the first stage of the programme. On Anglesey, 55 local businesses were assisted through an investment of around £400,000. This money either safeguarded or created 80 jobs and promoted the use of the Welsh language in 48 businesses.

Cllr Medi added:

I welcome this announcement and look forward to seeing our local economy continuing to benefit from implementing this important programme.

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Gwynedd Council Leader, said:

I welcome today’s announcement and very much look forward to strengthening the links we have forged through the Arfor project. Our communities may seem vulnerable in some ways, but simultaneously they are vibrant and exciting places with much to offer. I am confident that this investment will help increase opportunity and so encourage our young people to stay and build their lives here, further safeguarding our language, culture and way of life.

Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, said:

We welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment to once again invest in the Arfor Scheme, to continue the work of supporting economic growth, and to support the Welsh language in Welsh heartlands.

The young people and economy of Ceredigion have already benefited from support under the original Arfor scheme, and this further investment will boost our efforts to realise economic growth and opportunities for young people to take advantage of the opportunities that exist to build a successful career here in Ceredigion.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 8 October 2022.

Lamb from Wales will be shipped to the USA for the first time in more than 25 years today.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 7 October 2022.

The Minister provided a number of key updates which included progress on the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact – a pledge designed for companies to confirm their intention to address fire safety issues in buildings of 11 metres and over in height that they have developed over the last 30 years.

The Minister confirmed major developers have signed up to the pact and, in some cases, remediation work has started.
Developers who have signed the pact are Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson and Barratt.

The Minister said:

I have always made it clear that I do not expect leaseholders to bear the cost of repairing fire safety issues that are not of their making and that I expect developers to step up to their responsibilities.

I am very pleased that following our roundtable meeting in July a number of major developers have acknowledged their responsibility by signing up to the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact.

I met with these developers yesterday to confirm next steps, and their plans and timescales for remediation.

I wish to commend them for their engagement to date and look forward to a productive relationship in the future.

In some cases, developers have started their remediation works, and are making the repairs necessary and I look forward to this work continuing at pace.

The Minister also provided key updates on vital survey work carried out through the Welsh Building Safety Fund, reforming the current legislative system, the Leaseholder Support Scheme and on reimbursing those who have already paid for survey work.

The Minister added:

I have been made aware that in a number of cases, survey work was undertaken prior to the launch of the Welsh Building Safety Fund, funded by residents, building owners or managing agents.

Where this has happened, and subject to certain eligibility criteria being met, I can confirm that surveys costs will be reimbursed by Welsh Government.

While it is right that developers take responsibility for defects that they are accountable, building owners and Managing Agents also have accountabilities when it comes to ensuring the safety of buildings and it is important that effective maintenance programmes are in place.

I would encourage all residents to assure themselves that maintenance on their buildings is being carried out in accordance with their lease agreements.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 7 October 2022.

The Leader Dialogue sessions are facilitated and hosted by The Politics Project, a not-for-profit, non-partisan, democratic education organisation and funded by Welsh Government. These sessions give opportunities for schools to support learners in realising one of the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, becoming “ethical informed citizens of Wales and the World.”

The four Senedd party leaders are all taking part in these Leader Dialogue sessions with 14-18 year olds from nine schools across Wales.

The sessions are part of Digital Dialogue: Wales, a wider programme of workshops and online events that have been taken place since the spring using digital platforms. Over 40 primary schools, secondary schools, and sixth form colleges took part, which saw politicians from all major parties across Wales speak to children and young people, giving them the opportunity to ask the questions that matter to them. Questions ranged from finding out about the politician’s journey into politics, how Wales can best tackle climate change and whether Wales can win the World Cup.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said:

It has been a pleasure to take part in this programme and to engage with our learners from across Wales. Engaging our young people in politics and helping them to understand their part in Wales and the world is so important. I was impressed by their thoughtful questions and who knows, maybe there is a future First Minister amongst them.

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

I’m delighted that we are offering these insightful sessions with party leaders to our pupils, giving them the opportunity to ask their burning questions to those at the heart of politics in Wales.

Our curriculum is designed so that each pupil benefits from a broad and balanced education, and one of its four purposes is for schools to support their pupils to become ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world.  These sessions are a fantastic way to engage pupils and give them the appetite to want to find out more.

Director of The Politics Project, Hattie Andrews said:

It is such an honour to facilitate these vital conversations between all the leaders of the Senedd parties and young learners across Wales. We are grateful to all the politicians, teachers, and learners who have put so much time and energy into making the very most of this opportunity. It is so important to support young people to learn about the role of the Senedd and their Senedd members and have the space to discuss the key issues in Wales. It has been fantastic to see politicians and young people learning from each other through discussion and debate about the issues that are important to Welsh learners.

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 4 October 2022.

The expansion will mean 172,000 more people in Wales will start to receive easy to use kits that test for the early stages of bowel cancer. The move is part of a phased approach to lowering the screening age to 50 by October 2024.

People aged 55, 56 and 57 will start to be invited for screening from Wednesday 5th October and will receive their home testing kits in the post. The programme will be rolled out to the newly eligible age group gradually over the next 12 months.

Part of a £16 million investment package by the Welsh Government, the funding has supported the introduction the new, easier to use, FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) at home testing kit. The new home testing kits have helped improve screening uptake to 65% and have improved sensitivity to better detect those at risk of bowel cancer.

More than 2,500 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019. Screening plays an important role in detecting cancer earlier and helps to improve cancer outcomes in Wales.

The lowering of the screening age is based on the recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee.

Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said:

It is great to see the next phase of our plan to widen access to bowel cancer screening come into effect.

We have previously introduced the more user-friendly test and started inviting those aged 58-59. This next phase of the programme widens access to those aged 55-57.

This move will help us to identity more bowel cancer cases early and support improvement in survival rates.

I’m also pleased to see that more people are taking part in the programme and that the uptake rate now meets the expected standard.
In future, we plan to continue to optimise the programme by lowering the age range to 50 and increasing the sensitivity of the test until we come into line with UK recommendations.

Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK says:

This is a step in the right direction towards screening from 50 in Wales, which we’ve long campaigned for. Screening is one of the best ways to diagnose bowel cancer early, or in some cases prevent it from developing in the first place, and so inviting more people to take part is welcomed.

Offering the home test to more people is just one of the ways to improve bowel screening, however, the biggest barrier to improving early diagnosis, and offering a world-class screening programme, is the long-standing workforce shortage in endoscopy and pathology services. We now urgently need to address this through a comprehensive workforce plan that can support the bowel cancer screening programme in Wales to achieve its full potential.

Dr Sharon Hillier, Director of the Screening Division at Public Health Wales, said:

I’m delighted that we are expanding the bowel cancer screening programme to include those aged 55, 56 and 57 in Wales.

Bowel screening aims to find cancer at an early stage when treatment is likely to be more effective. Early detection is so important as at least 9 out of 10 people will survive bowel cancer if it’s found and treated early.

Bowel screening also detects and removes pre-cancerous polyps that if left in the bowel could develop into cancer.

The invitation and test kit will be arriving via post to those who are eligible over the next 12 months. The test kit is easy to complete and to send to our laboratory for analysis.

I would urge everyone who receives an invitation to take up their offer as it could save their life.