Budget problems

Irrespective of the level of government many actions and policies are delivered from the perspective of common sense rather than blatant party loyalty. This is particularly true for local government but crunch time comes when budget votes are in the offing. The One Wales Government in Cardiff will find a degree of comfort that the SNP will find elusive in Edinburgh. The budget talks with Labour and the Liberal Democrats have broken down and trouble is brewing. Labour was never going to make it easy but they do have point when asking for more apprenticships and training. The Liberal Democrat demand for a 2p cut in Income Tax was never feasible and is just another example of populist politics without any great thought of the consequence. Its more important for them to be popular rather than responsible.

This brings me to Ceredigion County Council. The majority of the rainbow coalition is only two and all will have to be present and in agreement for the budget to be passed. It will be a tense time. Mark Williams MP came up with quite a good quote when the Liberal Democrats were discussing the Plaid Cymru/Liberal Democrat rainbow coalition "Rainbows only last as long as the sun shines", it is a quote that might come back to haunt him if Liberal Democrat councillors in Ceredigion fail to tow the rainbow line.

Cambrian Line passengers favour regular London train service – Plaid Cymru.

73 per cent of passengers on the Cambrian Line Railway favour the introduction of a regular train service from Aberystwyth to London, according to data collected by Plaid Cymru.

Arriva Trains Wales is currently holding a public consultation on plans to introduce a direct train service between Aberystwyth and London Marylebone. However, Plaid Cymru’s figures also show that 64 per cent of passengers weren’t aware that a consultation was being held.

Additionally, 55 per cent of passengers believed that there was a need for a regular train service between Aberystwyth and Cardiff.

Plaid Cymru’s Penri James organised the short indicative survey of Cambrian Line train passengers which was held on Tuesday, 20 January 2009. Penri James was assisted by Plaid Cymru councillors Mark Strong (Aberystwyth Town Council) and Rob Phillips (Lampeter Town Council).

A total of 33 respondents were surveyed on the 11:30 train between Aberystwyth to Machynlleth, and on the return journey 12:49.

Commenting on the survey’s results, Plaid Cymru’s Penri James said:

“The results of this survey show that there is considerable demand for a regular train link between Aberystwyth and London. However, I’m disappointed that there doesn’t seem to be much awareness of the current consultation being held by Arriva Trains Wales on this plan.

“I will now be bringing this matter to Arriva’s attention in my response to its consultation as well as highlighting some of the other statistics collected during the survey on other aspects of the service on the Cambrian Line”.

Respondents were also invited to express their views on the cost of travelling on the train, with 61 per cent of the opinion that it was too expensive.

Plaid Cymru’s Lampeter Town Councillor, Rob Phillips, added:

“I’m concerned that many passengers complained that ticket prices were too expensive. In order to successfully encourage people to take the train, it must be seen as a financially-viable alternative to the car.

“Given that ticket prices were subject to above-inflation increases this year, I hope that Arriva will invest this increase in income in further improvements to the service”.

While 88 per cent of passengers supported the introduction of a more frequent rail service on the Cambrian Line, 75 per cent also thought that the present service was good or very good.

Mark Strong, Plaid Cymru’s Aberystwyth Town Councillor, further commented:

“It seems that the recent timetable improvements introduced by Arriva have resulted in an improvement to the current service levels on the Cambrian Line. However, there remains a demand for a more frequent service.

“Once the current engineering work to improve passing loops on the line is complete, I hope that Arriva will be in a position to look at increasing the number of services between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury”.

Cadw urged to use local craftsmen on Strata Florida investment.

Plaid Cymru's Penri James has urged Cadw to ensure that it uses local craftsmen to improve physical and intellectual access to Strata Florida.

The Assembly Government announced earlier this month that Strata Florida was one of a number of Welsh heritage sites which will share an investment of £2 million from the Strategic Capital Investment Fund for a Welsh Cultural Heritage Initiative.

Commenting on the investment at Strata Florida, which will be led by Cadw, Penri James said:

"This is a very welcome investment and will ensure that important heritage sites in Wales such as Strata Florida remain accessible for years to come.

However, I very much hope that Cadw will ensure that it employs the services of local craftsmen to carry out the improvements to facilities at Strata Florida. This important heritage site is located in a deprived area and it's essential that local businesses are able to benefit from this investment, especially given the current economic situation."

Ymgynghoriad Swyddfa Dreth

Isod mae detholiad o ddogfen Asesiad Effaith HMRC sy’n trafod cau Swyddfa Treth Aberystwyth. Rwyf wedi rhoi’r datganiadau perthnasol mewn print trwm.

4.5. External Engagement On 13 June 2008 Workforce Change wrote to 11 local authorities and two town councils in Wales about the proposals for the cluster and individual locations. A six week period for responses was provided. Comments were sought on subjects including local/regional economic factors, regeneration plans, wider employer activity and plans for new or improved transport links. Ten responses were received from Torfaen County Borough Council, Pontypool Community Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council, Rhyl Town Council, Denbighshire County Council, Aberystwyth Town Council, Brecon Town Council, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Pembrokeshire County Council. Responses received included comments on the impact of the proposed closures on the local economy in particular the impact of losing jobs. All concerns raised have been taken into account in making our recommendations to Ministers.

Ni dderbyniwyd ymateb gan Gyngor Sir Ceredigion. Ar ôl i mi wneud rhai ymholiadau fe wadodd Cyngor Sir Ceredigion gael y fath ymgynghoriad. Os na wnaed cais o’r fath yna roedd y broses ymgynghori gan HMRC yn wallus ac o ganlyniad yn agored i Adolygiad Barnwrol. Os gwnaed cais gan HMRC yna i ble gafodd ei anfon? Os anfonwyd ef i’r lle anghywir yna mae’r broses ymgynghori eto’n wallus. Beth bynnag fo’r gwir, ni all y broses fod wedi ei chwblhau yn gywir. Gan fod Ceredigion yn ymwybodol o’r sefyllfa fel y dengys y datganiad hwn i'r wasg yna rwy’n bryderus eu bod yn edrych i’r cyfeiriad arall.

What is an ashtray?

This is one question thrown at me this week by my 12 year old son. Since we don't smoke there have never been ashtray's in the house, there wouldn't have been any at his school, there aren't any at public buildings he visits, there aren't any references in books he reads and rarely in films he watches. It probably is a question that I should have expected, but having the question asked about an object often taken for granted as being part of the furniture shows how far society has gone in removing the smoking habit from everyday life. Carry on I say.

Tax Office closure (2)

I remain uneasy about the consultation process regarding the Tax Office in Aberystwyth and have been in contact with Bronwen Morgan, Chief Executive of Ceredigion County Council. She is adamant that the Council did not receive a request for consultation and cannot get a reply from HMRC whether they did so or not. I find it unbelivable that the HMRC is not responding to a sensible request from Ceredigion Council.

However, it remains the case that the County Council and the responsible Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member was aware that the HMRC was thinking of closing the Aberystwyth Office. Nothing proactive was done to engage with HMRC, and even if he wasn't formally requested to respond, he should have been doing so anyway. His unnecessary personal attack on Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn in the Cambrian News last week was inappropriate. Another example of Liberal Democrats being reactive rather than proactive.

Tax Office consultation

Below is an extract from the HMRC Impact Assessment document on the closure of the Aberystwyth Tax Office. I have highlighted the relevant statements

4.5. External Engagement On 13 June 2008 Workforce Change wrote to 11 local authorities and two town councils in Wales about the proposals for the cluster and individual locations. A six week period for responses was provided. Comments were sought on subjects including local/regional economic factors, regeneration plans, wider employer activity and plans for new or improved transport links. Ten responses were received from Torfaen County Borough Council, Pontypool Community Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council, Rhyl Town Council, Denbighshire County Council, Aberystwyth Town Council, Brecon Town Council, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Pembrokeshire County Council. Responses received included comments on the impact of the proposed closures on the local economy in particular the impact of losing jobs. All concerns raised have been taken into account in making our recommendations to Ministers.

No response was received from Ceredigion County Council. After I made some enquiries Ceredigion County Council deny ever having received such a consultation. If no such request was made then the consultation process by HMRC is faulty and open to Judicial Review. If a request was made by HMRC then where was it sent? If it was sent to the wrong place then the consultation process is again faulty. Whatever the truth, the process cannot have been done properly.

Since Ceredigion was aware of the situation as this press release testifies, then I am concerned that they were looking the other way?

Mater o deyrngarwch

Diddorol oedd darllen y blog yma gan Vaughan Roderick ar deyrngarwch at bleidiau gwleidyddol a sgil effaith newid plaid. Nid wyf am un funud yn dadlau a'r dadansoddiad mae emosiwn sy'n bennaf gyfrifol am yr adwaith at un sy'n newid plaid (mae llyfr Drew Weston 'The Political Brain' yn dda ar hyn) ond nid wyf yn credu ei fod yn fater "parhaus" i drwch aelodaeth plaid wleidyddol. Wrth reswm mae gan pob plaid ei 'Taliban' na fydd byth yn hapus gyda unigolion sy'n estron i'w dehongliad, cul gan amlaf, o bolisi a rheolau'r blaid perthnasol; byddai disgwyl felly iddynt fod yn anhapus hyd diwedd eu hoes ag unigolion sy'n newid plaid. Nid felly gyda'r mwyafrif gan bod amser, ac yn aml cymeriad yr unigolyn dan sylw, yn meirioli'r ymateb cyntaf.

Ni chwrddais erioed a Ron Davies a phrin wyf yn adnabod Alun Davies ond rwy'n gyfarwydd iawn ag Elystan. Dyma ddyn sy'n llawn hygrededd, sy'n arddel ei Gymreictod a'i genedlaetholdeb ag yn parchu'r unigolyn a'i gymuned. Does dim rheswm pam ddylai unrhyw un fod yn gas yn 'barhaol' tuag ato. Y tystiolaeth sydd gen i yw'r gwrthwyneb - edmygedd at eu allu a'r hyn mae'n ei wneud, a'r prif reswm am hyn yw ei gymeriad. Tybiaf bod maddeuant am yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn y gorffennol yn llwyr ddibynol ar gymeriad hynaws. Gwers i bawb.