Gower Assembly Member Rebecca Evans has today backed proposals in a new consultation to ban the third party sales of puppies and kittens.

According to estimates, between 40,000 and 80,000 puppies and kittens are sold via third parties in Great Britain each year.

There are concerns commercial these kind of sales lead to poorer welfare conditions for the animals, compared to when people buy direct from the breeder.  

Rebecca Evans AM said:

“Ensuring high standards of animal welfare should be important to all of us.
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“I would encourage everybody with an interest in animal welfare to have their say in this consultation.”

The consultation will last for three months and you can take part here: https://beta.gov.wales/third-party-sales-puppies-and-kittens

Rebecca Evans AM is encouraging learners, trainers and employers across Gower who have used technical, practical and vocational qualifications to achieve success, to submit their nominations for the upcoming and prestigious Vocational Qualification Awards 2019.
 
The VQ Awards celebrate and reward individuals and organisations for their hard work and commitment to vocational training in Wales.  Nominations close on the 8th of March, and more information can be found here: https://www.vqday.wales
 
Rebecca Evans AM said: “Vocational qualifications play a key role in ensuring that our workforce has the skills it needs. I would encourage anyone who has made a contribution in this important area to get involved.”

​Gower Assembly Member Rebecca Evans is urging residents to be aware of new rules for getting compensation if your train is late in Wales.
 
The changes that came into force at the end of January 2019 mean that people who are delayed by more than 15 minutes can claim money back.
 
Claims are based around the time you should have arrived at your final destination station as opposed to the delay time on a specific train.
 
All claims for compensation must be received within 28 days of completion of your journey.
 
You can make a claim by visiting https://tfwrail.wales/delay-repay-compensation
 
Make sure you have to hand:
 
•             The date of your journey
•             The time of the train that was delayed
•             The origin and destination of your journey
•             A scan or photo of the tickets purchased for your journey
 
Rebecca Evans AM said “I want residents to be aware of the changes being made by Transport for Wales. If we are going to restore faith in the system people need to know what to do if their train is delayed.” 

Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Gower, has joined the Welsh Water/Dŵr Cymru campaign to “Stop the Block” to raise awareness of the negative impact of flushing inappropriate items into sewer systems.
 
Mrs Evans said: “We should be very concerned about the many and varied everyday items that are needlessly and senselessly blocking our sewer systems and causing economic, environmental and financial harm.”
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Wet wipes, cotton buds and cooking fat are some of the most commonly reported items. 
 
Sewer blockages can lead to flooding, which can be costly and disruptive.
 
Rebecca Evans added: “It doesn’t take a lot to do the right thing. Together we can stop this now.”

Gower Assembly Member Rebecca Evans has urged local businesses to prepare themselves for Brexit and seek advice from Business Wales’s Brexit Portal.
 
Business Wales is a free service that provides impartial, independent support and advice to people starting, running and growing a business in Wales. With regional centres across the country, they offer a mixture of online and face-to-face support, as well as training workshops and individual advice.
 
It is now just a matter of weeks until the UK leaves the EU, but unfortunately the UK Government’s approach to Brexit means businesses in Wales are still left with many unanswered questions about what the future holds.
 
Businesses can assess their preparedness for a no deal Brexit with the Business Wales Toolkit https://businesswales.gov.wales/brexit/brexit-toolkit
 
Rebecca Evans AM said:  “A no deal Brexit would be bad for Wales and bad for businesses in Gower. Whilst I hope the UK Government will act to avoid that outcome, it is important local businesses prepare for all eventualities.
 
“The actions of the UK Government to run down the clock are making the prospect of leaving the EU without a deal more likely.
 
“I would urge businesses to visit the easy-to-use Business Wales portal and find out about the support that is available.”

Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Gower, has welcomed the announcement that Prior’s Meadow in Three Crosses will be amongst projects across Wales to benefit from more than £1million through the Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposals Tax Community Scheme (LDTCS).
 
The Welsh Government established the scheme to support local community and environmental projects in areas affected by disposals to landfill. It is funded by the new Welsh Landfill Disposals Tax (LDT) which replaced UK Landfill Tax in April 2018. 
 
Rebecca Evans AM said: “I am delighted that Prior’s Meadow will be in receipt of over £8,000, which will go towards saving one of Gower's last remaining historic hay meadows and restoring and enhancing the meadows and surrounding habitats and species.”
 
Priors Wood and Meadow consists of broadleaved wet woodland, meadow and a quarry. The woodland includes a mix of sweet chestnut, beech, ash, alder, birch, sessile oak, yew, elm and small-leaved lime. The meadow is great place to find wildflowers such as the purple pincushion-like flowers of Devil’s-bit Scabious and the pink star-shaped petals of Ragged-Robin. 

Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, has welcomed a new action plan aiming to tackle inequality and poverty among refugees and asylum seekers.
 
The ‘Nation of Sanctuary – Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan’ renews the Welsh Government’s commitment of working with partners - and people seeking sanctuary themselves - to achieve equality of opportunities, including access to resources and mainstream services. It also recognises the valuable skills and experiences which refugees and asylum seekers can bring with them to enhance Welsh communities.
 
Rebecca Evans AM said: “Swansea is a City of Sanctuary and has a long history of being a place of refuge and asylum for those in need.”
 
The plan highlights a range of targeted and culturally-appropriate support, recognising the importance of designing and delivering services tailored for what are often unique needs. These needs can include mental health services which address the difficult past experiences of those seeking sanctuary; interventions to mitigate the risk of refugees and asylum seekers becoming destitute; actions to prevent vulnerable individuals from being exploited; and safeguarding, particularly for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
 
Rebecca Evans said: “Many refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing trauma in their home countries. Wales has a proud history of welcoming refugees, and the new plan is about maintaining that welcome and supporting refugees and asylum seekers to be able to contribute fully to our community.”
 
The plan has been endorsed by the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN’s Refugee Agency dedicated to protecting the rights of people seeking sanctuary.

Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Gower, is once again joining in Safer Internet Day, which will take place on Tuesday 5th February 2019 with the theme 'Together for a better internet’.

Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology by children and young people.

Rebecca Evans AM has a long track record of campaigning on internet safety and has championed the issue in the Senedd.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “The Internet is a wonderful, valuable resource. It can be an enriching learning environment, helping develop knowledge, skills, ideas and global citizenship, as well as being a forum for socialising and entertainment. 

“But there is also a darker side and this why we need this day each year. It reminds us of the importance of speaking with children about internet use, and what they are accessing. Safer Internet Day assists in empowering children and their parents to know how to keep themselves safe online, increases awareness of when and where to report inappropriate content, and highlights where to go to for help.”  
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In the Senedd, Rebecca Evans has highlighted the challenges and dangers posed to children and young people online by cyberbullying, online grooming, easy access to explicit adult material which may be extreme or violent, and the pressures of modern trends such as sexting.