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June 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to my June 2024 Newsletter
Whilst a General Election will take place on 4th July, My job and business at the Senedd continues as normal. I have had a very close working relationship with Craig Williams as our Member of parliament over the past 5 years, I shall be supporting Craig to be returned as our MP, and I hope we can continue our work together in delivering the best possible outcomes for our area.
Next month, I hope to bring forward more details about a potential legal challenge that as campaigners, we are seeking to bring forward regarding the closure of the Welshpool air Ambulance base.
Please contact me if you would prefer to receive my newsletter in Welsh.
As ever, if you want an update on something not mentioned in my newsletter, or I can help in another way, please email me at [email protected] or call my office at 01686 610887.
Urdd Eisteddfod
It was a pleasure to visit the Urdd Eisteddfod, the first time the Eisteddfod has visited the area since 1988. The Eisteddfod was held on the fields of Mathrafal Farm by Meifod. The Festival included various competitions. Tens of thousands of people attended, and the Eisteddfod was great for our local economy.
It was also a good time to meet with various organisations, as well as catching up with people from across Montgomeryshire.
Congratulations to all completed, and a huge thanks should go to all who were involved in local fundraising to support the Eisteddfod.
Changes to Senedd Elections
The The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, was agreed, following a vote in the Senedd in May. The plans to increase the number of Senedd Members, and change the way Members are elected, have now been confirmed. I was not in favour of this legislation, my full update sets out what will happen and why I voted against this legislation.
Lack of NHS Dentists Raised
Russell George MS challenges Eluned Morgan MS on the lack of NHS Dentists in Rural Wales.
There are not enough dentists in Welshpool to meet the demand, and in Newtown, the largest town in Montgomeryshire, the last full-time NHS dentist moved to England last week.
The position is pretty dire.
I told the Cabinet Secretary that we need to re-examine the NHS contract, because it’s clearly not working. If it was working, we wouldn’t be in the position that we’re in. We need a more attractive offer to stop dentists moving out of Wales. We also need an offer to attract experienced dentists to come and place themselves in Wales, particularly rural Wales.
My inbox is full of constituents asking how they can access a local NHS dentist, we seem to be in a worse state than we were 12 months ago.
I asked the Health secretary when she thought people living in towns like Newtown and Welshpool, will be able to access an NHS dentist in the town where they live?
Bute Energy
Last month, Craig Williams and I wrote to Oliver Millican, the Chairman of Bute Energy, requesting an urgent meeting with him.
This request comes in response to multiple recent incidents where officials from Bute Energy and GreenGEN Cymru illegally accessed land in Montgomeryshire without any consent or legal authorization. Additionally, numerous constituents have reported receiving threatening notices demanding access to their land and properties for survey purposes related to proposed pylon routes.
Currently, Bute Energy and GreenGEN Cymru lack an Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO) license, which would grant them statutory powers to access land.Their IDNO application is under consultation with Ofgem, and I know that these behavioral concerns will be raised directly with Ofgem.
These incidents are particularly disappointing because Craig and I recently met with Bute officials and expressed our strong disapproval of their tactics and aggressive use of Section 172 access notices. We were assured at the time that such incidents would not recur and that Bute was committed to improving its engagement with landowners. Clearly, this has not been the case, prompting our insistence on an urgent meeting with Bute’s Chairman to protect Montgomeryshire landowners from illegal land access.
We continue to collaborate closely with the Montgomeryshire Against Pylons (MAP) campaign group on this issue.
Support for our Farming Industry
I was pleased to visit the Montgomery YFC Rally last Saturday in Abermule. Montgomery Young Farmers Club is led by young people, for young people. Over 600 young people aged between 10 and 28 years are currently members. Montgomery YFC’s provide opportunities for members to develop new skills, receive valuable training.
More broadly, a new Farming and Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary was appointed in Huw Irranca Davies MS, in recent weeks I have questioned him on the Welsh Governments Bovine TB strategy, and also seeked clarification from him on potential changes to the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
Abysmal train services raised with the FM
Russell George MS raises Transport for Wales issues in mid Wales.
The promise of hourly train services between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury won’t start for another two years and will only operate in the summer.
A consultation released on Transport for Wales' website states that the planned hourly service will go ahead from May 2026, 14 years after they were first mooted.
I raised mid Wales transport issues with the First Minister Vaughan Gething MS in the Senedd recently. I highlighted to the First Minister that Transport for Wales informed me in 2021 that the hourly service would be operational in May 2024, but now it has been delayed by another two years to 2026.
I also highlighted poor service on the Cambrian, Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line, with trains not arriving on time, or not at all. I raised with the First Minister, the recent rail user survey that outlined that Transport for Wales has the worst customer satisfaction for any train operator in the UK.
Transport for Wales is wholly owned by the Welsh Government, and it was disappointing that The First Minister simply tried to deflect the blame and the responsibilities of his Government.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway
Did you know that the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has just secured a powerful diesel engine on loan from the Alishan Forest Railway of Taiwan?
The DL-34 Engine arrived in the UK last year after its 10,000km journey from Taiwan. Over the past 12 months the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway team have been working with specialist contractors to modify the locomotive’s brake system and couplings for use on the Welsh line, test the locomotive, and train drivers in its usage.
I was pleased to attend the official launch this weekend alongside Craig Williams MP to mark this occasion and had the opportunity to meet the Taiwan delegation.
Well done to the team at Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.
Please let me know if you would prefer to receive my newsletter in Welsh.
Promoted by Russell George MS, 13 Parkers Lane, Newtown, SY16 2LT
The costs of this publication have been met by the Senedd Commission from public funds.
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