"Wales Office thinks Cardiff is the centre of the Universe" fumes AM.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jun 2008

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has reacted with anger to the fact that the latest Wales Office Annual Report has actively snubbed Swansea.

Mr. Black said:

"Although I accept that this document is not a tourist publication and is intended to reflect the work of Ministers in the last year there is no getting away from the fact that each of the chapter headings has a nice tourist picture to go with it. Of the seven pictures, four are of Cardiff, with pictures of the National Library, Caernarfon Castle, and the Severn Bridge to make up the numbers.

"There are no pictures of Swansea. This simply confirms that the Wales Office thinks Cardiff is the centre of the Universe.

"For their information, Swansea is Wales' second city, and contains the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the National Maritime Museum, the finest leisure centre in the UK, and much more besides. There is also a vibrant cultural, intellectual, and leisure scene. Perhaps they should visit Swansea - if they can find it."

"To add insult to injury, the section on what's happened in Wales this year quite rightly mentions Cardiff City's epic journey to the FA Cup final, but deliberately makes no mention of the Swans who actually won something. Didn't the Wales Office notice?

"If the Wales Office knows so little of what is happening in the rest of Wales that they have had to fill up their Annual Report with pictures of Cardiff and reports praising Cardiff's sporting achievements alone, then it really is about time they bowed out and gave us a Welsh Senedd with the same powers as the Scottish Parliament."