It has been an honour for me to represent the people of Montgomeryshire over the last five years and I very much hope to continue as Montgomeryshire’s AM following the Assembly election on May 5th.
Living and working in beautiful Mid Wales is a great privilege, it can also be a great challenge.
I feel that there are specific issues facing our rural communities which the next Welsh Government will have to tackle as a matter of urgency if rural communities are to survive and, more importantly, flourish.
In recent years, many of the problems facing rural Wales have reached new highs and I would like use my Politically Speaking column to set out the measures which Welsh Conservatives would take to tackle these specific challenges and secure a positive future for rural Mid Wales.
First, on day 1 of a Welsh Conservative Government, we would promote the Farming and Food portfolio to the senior cabinet position of Minister for Agriculture & Rural Affairs, not a junior or deputy position as is the case now.
We would also appoint a Minister for Mid & West Wales – a new position which would listen to the views of the region, giving rural communities a voice at the heart of the Welsh Government.
The Welsh Government would also be held to account by an independent panel, comprising of rural representatives from outside of Government – the very people who are far better placed to scrutinise the effects of policies on their local environments, ensuring that the needs and interests of rural people, communities and businesses are properly considered before policies are implemented.
These simple but effective measures will ensure that both our farming industry and our rural communities have an influential voice and will be at the forefront of the policy making process.
Over the past five years, in addition to my role as AM for Montgomeryshire, I have also endeavoured to stand up for Wales’ farming industry and scrutinise the Welsh Government in my capacity as Shadow Minister for Agriculture.
The farming industry is the backbone of rural Wales but regrettably, I don’t feel that the Welsh Government has provided our farming industry with the support it desperately needs. Not only have farmers had to contend with record breaking cuts to the agriculture budget but the decision to transfer EU funds away from direct payments to farmers has heaped pressure on the industry and put the Welsh agricultural supply chain at a competitive disadvantage at a time when the farming industry in Wales has been struggling.
To address this we would:
• provide clear, targeted assistance to farmers by reviewing the Rural Development Programme to make it more accessible to all farmers and small businesses.
• implement a ‘Red Meat’ Charter to guarantee a fair deal for farmers, processors and shoppers.
• introduce a comprehensive programme to eradicate bovine TB which has devastated rural communities.
• resolve unfair commercial practices and contractual issues in the dairy supply chain; and
• use a mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy to generate a fairer deal for farmers.
Finally, delivering public services can also be challenging in sparsely populated rural areas where public transport links are limited. When it comes to the provision of healthcare in rural areas, I believe in the common sense approach that NHS services should be delivered as close to home as possible to the patients, to give them confidence that the NHS is there for them in their time of need. I’m therefore delighted to see my Party commit to a £20 million Community Hospital Development Fund to encourage the innovative use of community hospitals across rural Wales.
In the education sector, some local authorities, including Powys, are currently considering closing schools serving rural areas, meaning that students may spend a good proportion of their educational day travelling to school rather than in the classroom. This has the potential to penalise those who live in more rural parts of Wales and I have called on local government leaders in Powys to recognise the fact that schools are often far more than merely places of education. They are often the cement that holds our rural communities together and I have urged Powys County Council do more than just consider the financial viability of a school when coming to difficult decisions.
The lack of local health services and the disappearance of rural schools is often coupled with the loss of other community institutions such the local post office, bank and pub. I would like to see this damaging trend reversed and I’ve long supported the principle of a Community Right to Bid which allows communities the opportunity to take over the running of community assets and amenities such as village halls, community centres, pubs and post offices, assisted by tailored business support.
Without these vital community assets, our tourism industries and small businesses which are so crucial to us in mid Wales will struggle to grow.
Coupled with innovative plans for a Community Right to Bid, we would also provide support which will lift the burden on small businesses in mid Wales including free parking, business rate relief and simplified planning: these are just some of the additional proposals which Welsh Conservatives would implement to support small businesses throughout our area.
With the right support, mid Wales could be an economic powerhouse. Through empowering local decision-making; supporting rural public services and amenities; universal access to high-speed broadband and mobile coverage and ensuring our farming industry is competitive, our rural communities will be revitalised. I am optimistic about rural Mid Wales’ prospects but we must do more to support our rural communities if they are to emerge from “survival mode” and flourish once again.