April 2008
Welsh Questions in Parliament is a unique opportunity for Welsh MPs to highlight developments in their constituencies. For the first time since I was elected in 2001 I was able to ask the very first question, to the Secretary of State for Wales, Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
I decided to link two very positive developments – job security and environmental improvement – relating to the locality. Firstly I drew attention to the £70 million new investment at the Port Talbot Corus steel plant. The £1.1 billion Tata acquisition of Jaguar/Land Rover is also important because the plant is very closely associated with this sector of the car industry.
Secondly I linked this local investment news with the recent launch of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's 'Clean Air Charter' because the new Corus investment will materially reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the reuse of gas generated in the BOS Plant.
I have had many discussions on the need for this Charter with the Council Leader Derek Vaughan and I am delighted this has now been launched at the very time that Corus has taken up the initiative itself. It is important for businesses, trade unions and community groups to commit themselves to local environmental improvement which will also help us to cope with climate change. I hope there will be a wide and vigorous public discussion on how we can all work together for this very worth while cause.
The local authority should also to be praised for its new local Carers Strategy. At the moment of writing this column I have now heard that the Government has provided all the funding to ensure that the 2011 Census will ask the question 'are you a carer?' This will provide vital local information on the extent and location of caring in all our wards. I was involved in leading the parliamentary campaign on this as Chair of the All Party Carers Group.
Our local authority is to be congratulated on these excellent initiatives and whilst I do not feel it appropriate to use this column to indicate my political preference I would urge all voters to vote!
Too often a few people complain about their local services – and remember our own Council is considered to be the best in Wales – and yet many such people end up not voting.
So my message to everyone on 1st May, don't complain, vote!
It will be too late on 2nd May.
