Nick Bourne AM

A visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology just outside Machynlleth is always worth while and I always come away with some fresh information or some new insight.

 The people who founded the Centre a generation ago were, at the time, regarded as cranks or hippies at best, and at worst dangerous anarchists.  They were not. They were visionaries.

 Their thinking is now mainstream government policy around the world.

 They encourage the use of renewable energy.  They nurture and encourage the principles – reduce, reuse, recycle.  They provide a marvellous educational facility for schools and youngsters explaining the importance of home grown, fresh, local food and how to compost.  They explain to many people who visit the site how to use low carbon and carbon neutral materials in constructing houses. 

 I always come away inspired and renewed from such a visit. 

 I was astounded that BT, who have a phone box  site and which is part of an experiment using renewable energy via a solar panel is talking about closing the BT phone box at the Centre. If ever there were an insensitive and inappropriate move by a large organisation, this is surely it.  Here is the Centre for Alternative Technology seeking to demonstrate to people, and particularly to school children, the importance of renewable energy and of conserving our planet via an iconic emblem like a BT phone box, along comes BT and tries to close it. I have, needless to say, written to them objecting to this crass, insensitive move.

 In the meantime, the Centre for Alternative Technology goes on, attracting more visitors, spreading the message wider than before, and generally doing excellent work. It is something that we should all cherish and be proud of here in Britain and in Wales.

I go back a long way with Helen.  We both have campaign medals for serving on the National Assembly Advisory Group.  She is a congenial and pleasant colleague even if there is a deep political rift between us.
I have just had a meeting with Helen and Peter Black on the need for safety barriers along the walks by the river Tawe in Swansea.  The three of us are all agreed on the need for barriers and are working, along with our parties, to this end.  The meeting was prompted by the campaign of Malcolm and Charlotte Lucas following the tragic death of their son Craig. 

A very good day in the constituency.  First a visit to the Community Hospital at Machynlleth to talk about the Minor Injuries service there.  There has been concern that the Minor Injuries service is going to cease but I get reassurance from members of the Local Health Board and from staff at the hospital that discussions are going on with the Hywel Dda Trust and Bronglais to provide this service, and that if this fails it is likely that the local doctors practice will provide this service.  This is reassuring and it is also good to see the hospital vibrant and morale there very high. 
I then visit the Owain Glyndwr Parliament Building which should have much more of a historical, cultural and tourist focus than it does have. This is no fault of the people working there and when I speak to them they tell me that they are hoping to get a telephone soon.  I am staggered.  Has nothing changed here since 1461?   It does remind me of some of the museums that I saw soon after the Berlin Wall came down in the former Eastern block in terms of how the exhibitions are laid out.  Again, this is nothing to do with the dedication of the people there but this needs an injection of support from the Assembly Government and from Powys County Council so that we can really make this something that we can be proud of because of its historic significance.  Machynlleth was put forward quite seriously as a candidate for the seat of the Welsh Assembly because of its historic significance as the home of Owain Glyndwr, its Parliament and the fact that it was the ancient capital of Wales. Much more needs to be made of this.
I then visit the Tourist Information Centre in Machynlleth.  No signpost to this throughout the town which is pretty astonishing.  Once again the town is well served by the people working in the TIC just as it is by those working in the hospital and the Owain Glyndwr Centre. 
I leave both the Tourist Information Centre and the Parliament Building with the view of what Machynlleth could be as a tourist centre, particularly with its focus now on attracting people because of the eco dimension and the Alternative Technology Centre nearby.  This is an attractive town with a massive tourist potential.
From here to Tywyn to visit the hospital in Tywyn, which I do quite often, and am reassured that there are no pressing problems here.
After this back to Machynlleth to meet some constituents for lunch at the Wynnstay Hotel, and then on to Rhayader for a visit to the Royal British Legion home at Crosfield House which has been given a reprieve and has been the subject of much sustained and strong local campaigning.  I meet the Matron and we have a chat about the future and she is pretty upbeat about the whole thing, which is excellent.
After discussions with constituents at the home, I drive back down to Cardiff, arriving late evening. 
Having gone through the paperwork to do with visits and constituency queries during the course of the day, I switch on the television hoping to see some of today’s play in Wimbledon when a familiar face and an even more familiar voice hits me from the screen. It is Helen Mary Jones.  What on earth is she doing at Wimbledon.  I then realise that I am actually watching Newsnight and she is giving us all the benefit of her personal view on the issue of choice in the Welsh Health Service.  I linger long enough to hear her say that choice is not important in Wales because of the geography and deprivation.  I ponder if this is the same Helen Mary Jones who was keen to deny the people of North Wales a choice of having neuro surgery services in Liverpool which they wanted, a choice that was particularly important because of the geography of Wales as they didn’t want to have to travel to Swansea and Cardiff.
There is a gulf opening up between the Opposition and the Welsh Assembly Government, particularly on health.  The Welsh Assembly Government is deeply ideological and I don’t think this sits with the pragmatism of most people in their desire for first class services.  It strikes me that the parties in decline are always the parties that have a strong ideological perspective on the world.  It was like that in the 80s with the Labour Party,  and threatens to be so with the Conservative Party in the late 90s and early part of the 21^st Century.   Helen Mary Jones is brining it back into fashion!
I eventually find some play at Wimbledon and, with the aid of a beer from the fridge, endeavour to forget Helen Mary Jones’ view of choice in the Health Service so that it doesn’t mar what was, in every other way, a pretty perfect day.

The Ceredigion Coastal Path is now being officially opened.  I hope that this development in my home county is as successful for leisure and tourism as the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path has been for that area. 

 I know not everyone is in favour of this development but, properly executed, I think this could be a massive gain for Wales.  Also, as a keen walker, I will certainly be using the path and so should declare an interest!

Along with other Party Leaders, Ieuan Wyn Jones and Mike German, with Carwyn Jones representing Rhodri Morgan, I will be meeting the Israeli Ambassador.  I certainly do have concerns about the Palestine issue and about the attitude of Israel to the Gaza Strip, but it is my strong belief that these are matters that are best put in discussion rather than a boycott of a meeting with somebody who is their nation’s representative in the United Kingdom. 

 I have written to Oscar (Mohammad Asghar) to this effect and saying that my not attending his meeting, which I think is an excellent idea, is certainly not to be seen in any way as disapproval of the idea but merely that I will already have met him.  Oscar has arranged a meeting for the AMs with the Israeli Ambassador.  As a Moslem, Oscar may have expected (and received – I know not) widespread criticism for this act of political courage. 

 I disagree with Dafydd Elis-Thomas (who has opposed Oscar’s move) on this matter, as I have told Dafydd, and we disagreed quite agreeably on this issue at one of our regular meetings.

 Well done Oscar. 

I can scarcely believe it but Rhodri Morgan is admitting that money is going to be sent back to Brussels, Welsh money, because there is not sufficient match funding.  It seems about £40 million could well be lost to Wales. This has been articulated by the man who said that no project would ever fail for lack of match funding.  The Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, when he was in opposition, always used to make this a crusade along with the other opposition parties that European money must be used in its totality and effectively, and it was, of course, the issue that brought down Alun Michael as First Minister.

I have written to Ieuan Wyn Jones asking if he approves of the First Minister’s statement and that this is really government policy, and have asked for an urgent reply.  No urgent response has been received as yet!

 It is hard to take this government seriously.  They haven’t succeeded or tried hard to obtain money as a Barnett consequential on the Olympics, they haven’t obtained money from Westminster for the Foot & Mouth outbreak at Guildford, and now they are sending money back to Brussels!

Scarcely has the news on the future security of Tremont Road (Llandrindod Wells) and Pendre (Brecon) Post Offices sunk in when we are fighting for proper services for two other Post Offices – Berriew (Montgomeryshire) and Llanbister (Radnorshire).

The way that this consultation operates is totally unsatisfactory.  I am against any downgrading of what is an excellent service, but to find that when Post Offices are saved the Post Office Network looks elsewhere for another Post Office to pick on is, I think, horrific. It is a sort of combination of Russian Roulette, Blind Man’s Buff and Pass the Parcel (no pun intended).  Penparc (Ceredigion) was picked on in this way.  Government representatives wring their hands and express opposition but still there doesn’t seem to be any pressure being put on Westminster to save these Post Offices, and Labour MPs, with very few exceptions (Paul Flynn was one) voted against an amendment which would have saved these Post Offices. Meanwhile Labour and Plaid are sitting on their hands in terms of the Post Office Development Fund in Cardiff whilst Post Offices close up and down Wales.  It is not an impressive sight, and both the government at Westminster and the government in Cardiff do not come out of it untainted.
 

Earlier in the year I visited the Royal British Legion in London and received assurances from those that were dealing with the future of Crosfield that all looked well for the future of this home in Rhayader.  The Care Standards Act 2004 meant that a new build would be needed but it was hoped that this could be in Rhayader.  An issue remained about the revenue funding for the home because of the rurality of the home in Rhayader.  There are local authority residents, and quite a few of them, in the home so Powys County Council’s funding is of extreme importance.  It seems that funding from Powys County Council was ever more crucial for the future of the home and an agreement would have to be reached on a reasonable level of funding into the future, but all looked promising.

 
Later in the year the issue blew up again and no progress had been made.  Powys were blaming the Royal British Legion, the Royal British Legion were blaming Powys.  Meetings later, frantic phone calls and correspondence and the position looked pretty dire but I am pleased to say that this week a meeting was held in London between Powys County Council and the Legion, which looked much more promising.  Now things seem set fair again and I do hope that the future of the home is secure.

 
Not only is this the largest employer by some distance in Rhayader but there are many people living in the home who are extremely happy there, and would be distraught at a move, as would their friends and relatives. 

 
A positive week on this one.

An early morning meeting on Wednesday with our Welsh Conservative Council Group in Llandrindod Wells.  Since May we now have 9 Welsh Conservative Councillors in Powys.  It is making a difference in the way I operate in Powys now, mostly for the good I hope, in that I now have 9 Councillors to liaise with and discuss issues with.  Previously I didn’t have this luxury or benefit, in fact no Councillors at all!  They are a very, very good Group – Simon Baynes (Leader), Aled Davies, Russell George, Peter Harris, Mike Hodges, Peter Lewis, Sarah Millington, Gareth Ratcliffe and  Frank Torrens.

At this meeting we discussed various issues of concern that faced Powys at the moment – the Royal British Legion home in Rhayader, the closure of Post Offices and schools, the Severn Flood Management Plan which will certainly have implications for Montgomeryshire, and many other issues.
I raised the issue of the Severn Flood Management Plan in the Chamber later that day and asked the Leader of the House if we could have a debate on government time on this issue as it has implications for Wales and this could be debated so that hopefully a united view could be put forward in the consultation.  He promised to discuss the matter with the Minister, Jane Davidson and report back. 

I dash from the meeting with the Councillors to head back to Cardiff to try to get back in time for our press conference at 11.00 a.m.  This would not generally be a problem but as we approach the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 there is a 2-3 mile tailback.  We fear that there is a serious accident and are both relieved and amazed when we get close to find that they have closed a lane off to do grass cutting at such a busy time - madness.  In the event I get to Cardiff at 11.10 a.m. to be able to get to the press conference just as it is starting. 

Understandable angst and concern about the massive hikes in fuel prices shouldn’t obscure the need to continue to take green measures.

 
It is quite compatible to ensure that the tax on fuel is postponed for example, and some of the VAT is abated, whilst still concentrating on green efforts, for example, encourage homes to insulate and to adopt small scale devices like small turbines on houses or indeed solar panels (an area that has been much neglected in this country as compared to say Germany).  I think there is a great danger in people seeing there being one or other camp and I don’t think that is the case at all.  I think it is quite feasible, indeed desirable, to do something on the price of fuel but at the same time press ahead with a green agenda.

 
The Chancellor will have a £600m fuel windfall from extra VAT from domestic fuel alone, quite apart from the VAT windfall on petrol and diesel.

 
It is quite possible to abate some of this tax but at the same time to press ahead with green energy measures.  Indeed there are huge economic, social and environmental gains to be achieved by doing just this.  The government response of simply seeking to produce more North Sea oil is really a woefully inadequate response.