 Gower Assembly Member joins campaign to keep constituents safe. There were nearly 1,900 fires caused by electricity in Welsh homes over the last 5 years, Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, heard when she met with leading consumer safety charity, Electrical Safety First. Rebecca Evans AM said: “It’s been estimated that almost 30,000 Welsh homes are at potentially serious risk of fire due to old or damaged electrics. That’s why I wanted to hear from Electrical Safety First how I can help ensure that constituents stay safe.” The meeting took place during Electrical Safety Week Wales, during which the Charity highlighted how fires in older housing stock in Wales - a significant proportion of which was built before 1919 - is linked to deteriorating electrics. Home Safety Visits in Wales are conducted by the Fire and Rescue Services, and they are a vital trusted service which can pick up potential dangers with electrics in people’s homes across the country, especially vulnerable people who live in older housing. Top Tips for electrical safety across the winter time include: -
 Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, joined Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke’s charity SameYou for their launch in Wales. SameYou is calling for neurorehabilitation support to be at the forefront of the health agenda in Wales. It is focused on recovery and improved service provision for young adults surviving brain injury and stroke. Rebecca Evans AM said: “Each year in Wales, thousands of people sustain a brain injury, and SameYou wants to ensure that each person is enabled to make the best recovery possible for them. “Supporting survivors through increasing the availability of therapies and pushing for innovations in the pathway of care will be important as we move forward.” For more information, please see: www.sameyou.org  Gower AM, Rebecca Evans, visited Wales & West Utilities Llandarcy depot to hear about the company’s commitment to supporting those most in need while keeping the gas flowing so communities across Wales and south west England are safe and warm. Ms Evans met with Wales & West Utilities colleagues and was given a tour of the base, also learning about the work the company is doing to prepare for the future, meeting Net Zero and delivering affordable, reliable and green energy to its customers. Wales & West Utilities Llandarcy depot employs 115 people - all of whom work to look after the pipes that keep the gas flowing across the area, responding to gas emergencies, connecting new homes and businesses and upgrading the gas network so it’s fit to deliver green energy long into the future. Martyn Pallant, Wales & West Utilities Senior Technical Manager, said: “It was a pleasure showing Ms Evans round our base at Llandarcy and to have the opportunity to talk about how we support those most in need in our communities.” Wales & West Utilities colleagues also briefed Ms Evans on the important work that is taking place as the company works towards fully decarbonising heat by 2050. Martyn continued: “We're committed to making sure that the future energy system is reliable and green, whilst also keeping disruption to customers to a minimum and energy bills low. Our pledge to deliver a Net Zero ready gas network by 2035 will support decarbonisation of heat, power and transport.” Rebecca Evans AM said: “It is important that people know about the help and support that is available to them. Schemes such as the Priority Service Register offer assistance and support to households who may need extra help, and I would urge anyone who thinks this service may be of use to them to register for free. “I would also like to take this opportunity to say a big “thank you” to the Wales & West Utilities workers who are out even in the worst weather ensuring that we have the energy supplies that we need.” The Priority Service Register (PSR) helps us and other utilities to make sure we really look after those who need it most. You can join it if you live in a household that has:
Find out more and sign up to the PSR at https://wwutilities.co.uk/priorityservicesregister/  Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, has welcomed the news that the Welsh Labour Government is boosting funding for nurse and other health care training places for the sixth year running. The Welsh Labour Government has announced an extra £15 million for a 13% increase in education and training programmes for healthcare professionals in Wales in 2020-21. In total, £127.8 million will be invested in health professional education and training during 2020-21. Rebecca Evans AM said: “I am delighted that from April 2020, Wales will be training more nurses, midwives and other key healthcare professionals than ever before thanks to this sixth consecutive annual funding boost from the Welsh Labour Government. “A well trained NHS workforce is vital for the sustainable, high quality health care we want to see across Gower and the rest of Wales. “I am also pleased to see the continuing of the financial support which is available to trainee nurses in Wales. In Wales, unlike in England, we have maintained the NHS bursary for student nurses and allied health professionals. The Welsh Labour Government was absolutely right to keep paying the bursary in Wales and it demonstrates our commitment to the future of the nursing profession.”  Gower Welsh Labour Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM has welcomed new plans to give 16 and 17 year old residents of Gower a vote in future local council elections. The plans are part of a raft of proposals from the Welsh Labour Government aimed at invigorating local democracy in Wales. The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill, which is being published today, aims to widen the range of people who can vote and stand for office and make it easier for people to influence the work of those who represent them. Rebecca Evans AM said: “I welcome these proposals which will give young people a say in how their local services are run. “These proposals from the Welsh Labour Government mark another important step forward for our democracy in Wales, following legislation which has been introduced to give 16 and 17 year olds a vote in future elections to the Senedd, which is now in its final stage.”  Saturday December 7th is Small Business Saturday 2019. This is the 7th year of the initiative and Gower Assembly Member Rebecca Evans AM, who has long been a supporter of the campaign, is using this opportunity encouraging residents to ‘shop local.’ Small Business Saturday is a grassroots campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities. The day itself takes place on the first shopping Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses. Shopping local makes good economic sense. Research on spending shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business, 63p stayed in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business. The Welsh Labour Government supports small businesses through Small Business Rates Relief. As a result, around half pay nothing at all. Rebecca Evans AM said “Small Business Saturday is about celebrating the contribution that small businesses make in Gower. “Small businesses play an important role in our communities. They sustain our high streets are and are the backbone of our local economy, ensuring it is both sustainable and diverse.”  Gower Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans AM, has welcomed far reaching plans to ban the most commonly littered single use plastics in Wales. The Welsh Government is to consult on restricting the sale of a wide-range throw-away plastics, including straws, stirrers, cotton buds and cutlery. The ban could be in place as early as next year and see Wales once again leading the way on single use plastics. Wales has a proud record when it comes to recycling, the Welsh Government led the way in the UK on the single use plastic carrier bag charge and Wales is ranked third in the world for household recycling. Rebecca Evans AM said: “I am immensely proud that Welsh Labour has led the way on recycling and I am pleased that we are looking to continue to lead by banning single use plastics. “It is clear that we need to act now to address the issue of single use plastics, and the damage that they are doing to ecosystems globally.” |
