Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal Democrats

Commenting on the launch of the Welsh government's White Paper on Local Democracy, the Welsh Liberal Democrats Shadow Minister for Local Government and Communities Peter Black AM said,

"This represents a complete failure of the Labour party to acknowledge the real problems that face local democracy in Wales. In the local elections a few weeks ago, we saw too many uncontested elections and turn out that was far too low, yet one of the proposals the government has put forward to change the name of the body that draws up election boundaries. This is not the radical thinking that Welsh communities need.

Official figures show that there are just under 22,000 private sector homes, which have lain empty for 12 months or longer around Wales.

Long term empty homes are a blight on local communities. They are unsightly, can attract anti-social elements and often cause problems for neighbouring properties due to disrepair and damp penetration. They are also a waste of an important resource.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Peter Black, has criticised Government housing targets published today as late and unambitious.

Mr. Black was reacting to a statement issued by the Minister for Housing Regeneration and Heritage today in which he announced that the Labour Government would seek to build an additional 7,500 new affordable homes during their five year term, and bring 5,000 empty properties back into use.

Welsh Labour Government funding cuts to bus companies across Wales could threaten bus services in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend and will force fares to increase.

The 20% cut to bus fuel subsidies were announced without sufficient notice for bus companies to prepare and without consulting two key, publicly-funded organisations, Public Transport Users' Committee (PTUC) for Wales, which is tasked with giving ministers advice about "strategic issues" relating to public transport, and Bus Users UK Cymru, whose role includes advising ministers on "strategic and technical developments" relating to buses.

Park Homes are the forgotten part of the housing sector. Home owners have little protection from those who run and own their site, and there are well-documented instances of abuse.

In particular, the provision that a site owner can block a sale is regularly abused for personal profit by some; gas, electricity and water bills are passed on to owners to pay without them having the right to check that they are not being ripped off; the quality of site management is variable; and the licence that is required to own and manage a site is hardly worth the paper it is written on.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has hit out at Welsh Labour Government funding cuts to bus companies across Wales, which he believes could threaten bus services in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend and will force fares to increase.

The 20% cut to bus fuel subsidies were announced without sufficient notice for bus companies to prepare and without consulting two key, publicly-funded organisations, Public Transport Users' Committee (PTUC) for Wales, which is tasked with giving ministers advice about "strategic issues" relating to public transport, and Bus Users UK Cymru, whose role includes advising ministers on "strategic and technical developments" relating to buses.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats Finance and Social Justice Spokesperson, Peter Black has reiterated his opposition to the introduction of regional pay in advance of a debate in the Welsh Assembly tomorrow.

Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats group in the Assembly, Mr. Black said that they believe that the introduction of regional pay would be disastrous for Welsh workers and the Welsh economy.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West Peter Black has welcomed a new initiative that sees Swansea's LASA Credit Union and HMP Swansea get together to offer prisoners credit union accounts. Mr Black was instrumental in setting the scheme up by negotiating with the Ministry of Justice in London to keep the project on schedule.

As part of the Budget, the Chancellor has announced that from next year, the Income Tax threshold will be raised further, ensuring that no one pays any income tax on the first £9,200 they earn.

In Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Bridgend that means 7,990 local people will be lifted out of paying Income Tax all together and a further 191,300 will receive a £220 tax cut. This is on top of tax cuts of £200 last year and a further £130 next month.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has expressed his concern after the Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science Minister told the Welsh Assembly today, that she has not yet received a business plan for Swansea University's second science campus.

Edwina Hart told Assembly Members that the University has plans for a £350m development in two stages on the Fabian Way site, starting in summer 2012 with a completion date of 2015. As part of the funding for this project the University is seeking a £15m grant from the Welsh Government and £15m of European grant funding. However, with the clock ticking, the Minister is still to receive a business plan that will enable her to release this money.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has welcomed the decision by Environment Minister. John Griffiths to abandon the previous Government's cull of badgers in north Pembrokeshire and parts of Ceredigion and pursue a vaccination programme instead.

"This decision is very much in line with the available scientific evidence, including the peer-reviewed paper prepared by the Independent Science Group (ISG) on the results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial that was released in July 2010," said Mr. Black.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are using their debate in the Assembly this week to call on the Welsh Government to learn from previous mistakes regarding their allocation of EU funding in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Bridgend

Latest official figures from the EU show that West Wales and the Valleys, the region where the three councils are located, have become relatively poorer despite receiving billions in EU funding.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales, Peter Black has visited the Remploy factory in Swansea and addressed workers so as to express his support for their fight to keep it open.

Mr. Black arranged the visit after the UK Government announced plans to close seven of the nine Remploy factories in Wales just over a week ago. He was also the joint author of a motion passed unanimously by Swansea Council last night pledging their support for the factory and agreeing to lobby for its retention.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales, Peter Black has welcomed figures which show that nearly 30,000 homes in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend have received free loft or cavity wall insulation since 2008.

Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) energy companies are obliged to help households in Wales reduce their use of electricity and gas to lower their carbon emissions.

Park Homes are the forgotten part of the housing sector. Home owners have little protection from those who run and own their site, and there are well-documented instances of abuse.

In particular, the provision that a site owner can block a sale is regularly abused for personal profit by some; gas, electricity and water bills are passed on to owners to pay without them having the right to check that they are not being ripped off; the quality of site management is variable; and the licence that is required to own and manage a site is hardly worth the paper it is written on. Local Councils do not have the resources or the will to enforce licence conditions and the penalties for breaching it are laughable.

Forty one percent of households in Wales are in fuel poverty, which is the highest in the UK. One of the main reasons has been the price hikes that the energy giants have imposed on us all over the last two years.

Recently, most of the big six energy companies have cut the price of one fuel only. For instance, British Gas has only cut electricity prices, EDF and SWALEC have only cut gas prices. British Gas has twice as many gas-buying customers as electricity customers. EDF and SWALEC have many more customers who buy electricity than gas. That does not appear to be a coincidence.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has condemned the proposed closure of Remploy factories in Swansea and Bridgend as ill-advised and inappropriate.

Mr. Black has met with campaigners against closures recently and is working closely with them to fight cuts to the subsidy that has led to this closure announcement.

Welsh Liberal Democrats at the Spring Conference 2012 in Cardiff have voted overwhelmingly in support of a motion calling for more freedom for Local Authorities.

Welsh Liberal Democrats have long believed that public services are better delivered when they are managed by the appropriate level of government. In contrast to the Labour-led Welsh administration Liberal Democrats think that when it comes to local services, Local Authorities should have greater control. Councils should be able to protect local interests and services without unnecessary restrictions and interference from the Welsh Government.

South Wales West Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black has given his support to Age Cymru's 'Rule Out Abuse' campaign, which calls on the Welsh Government to introduce new legislation to strengthen support and protection for victims of elder abuse.

An estimated 39,000 older people in Wales suffer abuse in their own homes with that abuse taking many forms including physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.