Rebecca Evans MS, Member of the Senedd for Gower, has said she has been heartened by the generosity of local businesses and volunteers over the festive period.
 
The MS has been collecting items for Christmas hampers for older residents in the area which have been organised through the Lamplighter Community Café in Bishopston.
 
Rebecca Evans MS said: “I am so grateful to the volunteers who, inspired by the wonderful community response during the March lockdown, have continued to support our older residents. These festive hampers are a lovely and thoughtful touch!
 
“I am also indebted to the local businesses who have offered their support, even in such a difficult year. The treats so kindly donated by Olives and Oils in Mumbles, and Blakes Popcorn will definitely add a little something special this Christmas.”
 
Picture: Rebecca Evans MS collecting items for the hampers from Olives and Oils, Mumbles.

Rebecca Evans MS, Member of the Senedd for Gower, has welcomed the announcement that parents and carers on low incomes with children who are self-isolating will be eligible for a £500 support payment.
 
Rebecca Evans said: “I am pleased that the Welsh Government’s Self-Isolation Support Scheme, which provides financial support to people on low incomes or who are facing financial hardship when they are asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service, is now being extended to help parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children when they have to self-isolate because of a coronavirus outbreak in their school or childcare setting.”
 
The Self-Isolation Support Scheme will be extended to parents and carers on low incomes who meet the criteria for the main scheme. To qualify, they must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in year eight – or up to age 25 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs – and who has received a formal notification to self-isolate from Test Trace Protect or their education or childcare setting.
 
Rebecca Evans added: “For many families, taking time off work to care for their children who are in isolation leads to a loss of income. The Welsh Government’s £500 payment can make a real difference".

Swansea’s Senedd Members are welcoming the latest figures which show that thousands of businesses across Swansea have benefitted from Welsh Government financial support.


Rebecca Evans MS, Member of the Senedd for Gower, said: “The pandemic is both a health and economic crisis, and local businesses tell me what an incredibly difficult period this has been. More than 4,000 Swansea businesses operating from a business premises have received much-needed grants worth more than £50m.”


Mike Hedges MS, Member of the Senedd for Swansea East, said: “The Economic Resilience Fund has also been important in helping see businesses through the worst of the pandemic. So far, more than £27m has been awarded to 4,600 businesses in Swansea.”


On the 30 November the First Minister announced a £340m package of support directed primarily at the hospitality, tourism and related supply chain sectors. The purpose of the fund is to support businesses into the new year with cash flow support to help them survive the economic consequences of the restrictions put in place.


Julie James MS, Member of the Senedd for Swansea West, said: “Alongside the grants and rates support, the Welsh Government is providing loans to businesses through the Development Bank of Wales’ Covid-19 Wales Business Loan Scheme. More than £6m has been provided to 93 local businesses, and this has helped to safeguard 1,444 jobs here in Swansea.”

Rebecca Evans MS, Member of the Senedd for Gower, has welcomed the news that recycling across Wales has exceeded it’s 64% target.
 
Rebecca Evans MS said: “Recycling in Wales has reached a record high, and this is thanks to the commitment of people in Gower and across Wales who are making determined steps to ensure that we leave behind a sustainable and healthy environment for generations to come.”

The figures show 1.51 million tonnes of material was generated within Local Authorities in Wales in 2019-20, a decrease of almost 2.0 per cent on 2018-19. Nearly a million tonnes (984,935 tonnes) of this waste was recycled, re-used or composted.
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Since devolution the Welsh Government has invested £1 billion in household recycling.
Rebecca Evans said: “Wales is a world leader in household recycling, and these encouraging figures show Wales is set on track to meet the Welsh Government’s zero waste goal by 2050.”