Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal Democrats

Figures released today have shown cancer waiting times at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board are at their worst since 2010.

The Welsh Labour Government has a target for 95% of urgent patients to be seen by a specialist within 62 days, but statistics published this morning show that only 69.9% of the cases treated by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg started definitive treatment within this time period. Abertawe LHB has the worst cancer waiting times in the whole of Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has given a guarded welcome to proposals by five health boards in South Wales to reconfigure maternity, accident and emergency and in-patient children services into five hospitals including Morriston and Princess of Wales.

The proposals, which will go out to consultation tomorrow involve relocating consultant-led maternity and neonatal care, in-patient children's services and those accident and emergency referrals requiring consultant involvement to the Heath Hospital, Morriston Hospital, a new care centre in Gwent, Prince Charles Hospital and Princess of Wales Hospital. In addition, Morriston and UHW will work together to create a major trauma centre on two sites.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has urged communities in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend to apply for the new £6m First World War: then and now fund, which the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has launched.

HLF is making at least £1m available per year until 2019 to provide grants of between £3,000 and £10,000. The money will enable groups across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has given a guarded welcome to the setting up of a new watchdog organisation that is to monitor payday loan companies.

The Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which is a trade body for short-term lenders, has set up the Short-term Lending Compliance Board (SLCB), to make sure its members are operating fairly and borrowers are protected from bad practice.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has accused Centrica of making vague promises over their huge British Gas profits in the first months of this year.

Mr. Black was reacting to the news that Centrica has said that it will use the profits it has made from the 18% increase in gas usage as a consequence of this year's unrelenting cold weather to hold energy prices 'for as long as possible.'

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has welcomed the decision of the Health Minister to ensure that the drug Kalydeco is made available for the 13 sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis in Wales who will benefit from it.

Mr. Black had previously written to the Health Minister on behalf of a number of constituents to ask him to overrule the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group decision not to approve this drug in Wales. The Minister has now decided that a way must be found to provide Kalydeco within NHS Wales for those eligible patients with cystic fibrosis. He has therefore confirmed that Kalydeco will be available for these 13 individuals

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has welcomed measures in the Queen's Speech that will help 4,520 businesses in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend by cutting National Insurance Contributions, introduce a flat rate pension for all and take action to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Responding to the Welsh Government's announcement that it is to increase the supply of housing in Wales, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, commented:

"This is mostly a re-announcement of past initiatives. Of course it is welcome that the Welsh Labour Government is looking to address its historical failings to produce a sufficient amount of affordable homes, but we need new money, not shamelessly recycled announcements.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has written to the Health Minister to ask him to overrule his advisory committee and approve the use of Kalydeco for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers in Wales, after constituents came to him to say that they were told they cannot have access to the drug because of the cost of providing it.

The decision by Labour Councillors to charge £27 a year for the fortnightly kerbside collection of residents' garden waste is effectively a tax on gardening. The charge is £23 for pensioners. The question that the Council need to answer is why are they charging here when a similar service is free in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. Is this just another money-making idea for the Council.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has branded the Welsh Labour Government's failure to address ambulance response times an 'absolute disgrace', as figures show that in Bridgend only 45.5% of ambulances responded within the 8 minute target, the figure for Neath Port Talbot is 51 % of ambulances, whilst for Swansea it is 56.2%.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black is to raise with Ministers on Tuesday, his concerns about a private healthcare company that is targeting the Swansea and South West Wales area on its website so as to sell single measles vaccinations.

Mr. Black will use the business statement to ask the Welsh Government to investigate the activities of the Children's Immunisation Centre, which uses its website www.childrensimmunisation.com to promote the sale of a single measles and a single rubella vaccine.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has called on the big six energy companies to commit themselves to holding their present prices for next winter.

Mr. Black's intervention comes after recent revelations that the big six have more than doubled their retail profit margins in the last 18 months, and make an average of 24% profit on their generating activities.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has written to Neath Port Talbot Council to raise concerns about their proposed changes to home to school transport.

The Council intend to remove the escorts that accompany children on school buses and take away the right for pre-schoolers to buy a seat on the bus. They say that in order to remove the risk associated with unaccompanied 3 and 4 year olds they will stop them using the bus so that the Council no longer need to pay for an escort.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly for South Wales West, Peter Black has called for urgent action from the Welsh Government to tackle the burgeoning number of cancelled operations in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend as a result of the measles outbreak.

Mr. Black raised the issue with the Welsh Health Minister in the Assembly this afternoon, following reports that the number of patients hospitalised from measles has increased by 24% in the past week. He told the Minister that this had left little capacity in local hospitals with the result that many more operations are being cancelled for lack of a bed space.

Responding to the Housing Minister's announcement that the NewBuy housing mortgage scheme has collapsed, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, commented:

"This scheme was agreed as part of a budget deal with the Welsh Liberal Democrats and I believe it would have been reasonable for the Welsh Government to have delivered on their promise.

Responding to the Auditor General's annual report into Blaenau Gwent Council, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Local Government, commented:

"The Wales Audit Office report into Blaenau Gwent makes disappointing reading. This is a failing Labour Council that dishes out the highest Council Tax bills in the whole of Wales yet provides a poor set of services.

The new financial year is likely to bring a big boost for thousands of low-earning taxpayers in the Bridgend area.

This is because November's autumn statement delivered an increase in the personal tax allowance. This is the most effective means of cutting tax for the low-paid, as it affects everybody.

The engagement process entered into by the local health board on the future of key hospital services in South Wales, including Princess of Wales Hospital, ended on 19^th December but three months later we are still in the dark as to what is proposed for key services.

The pattern of service delivery outlined in the engagement document affects four areas, obstetrics, Accident and Emergency, neo-natal and in-patient paediatrics. At present all of these are provided at nine hospitals across South Wales, including Princess of Wales.