Welsh Government news-in-brief

A round up of the latest news from the Welsh Government this week.

Major employer in Bridgend to create 49 new jobs with help from Welsh Government

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (Ortho) will receive up to £960,000 in business finance funding from the Welsh Government that will help create almost 50 new jobs, First Minister Carwyn Jones has announced.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “Wales’ dynamic life sciences sector continues to go from strength to strength – and I am delighted to announce this funding which will help create nearly 50 new jobs.”

Welsh students applying for university will benefit from most generous student support package in the UK

All eligible Welsh undergraduate students starting university this year will be able to apply for a new financial support package that will help address living costs.

Wales’s Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams said: “Money is clearly a very important factor when deciding when to go to university, and for those who are already studying, money is found to be a major cause for stress.

“With this in mind, we have designed a new package of support to alleviate these concerns that both parents and students share. This will allow students to focus on their studies without having to worry about how they are going to afford their day to day living costs.”

£100m plan to transform health and social services in Wales

Health and Social Services Secretary Vaughan Gething has outlined how a new £100m fund will transform the way health and social services are delivered in Wales.

The focus will be on using the funding for a small number of programmes that can have the greatest impact in developing and delivering new models of transformed services.

Health and Social Services Secretary Vaughan Gething said: “The Transformation Fund will be heavily targeted at driving forward those changes to health and social care services that the Parliamentary Review said were needed. The focus will be on using the funding for a small number of programmes that can have the greatest impact in developing and delivering new models of transformed services.

“It will be used to improve population health, drive forward integration of health and care services, focus on building primary care services, provide care closer to home, and provide some support to transforming hospital-based care.” 

£8.1m Active Travel funding awarded to local authorities

Transport Secretary, Ken Skates has announced over £8m Welsh Government funding to boost walking and cycling infrastructure, improve safety and support the economy.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport Ken Skates said: “Different areas of Wales present very different travel challenges and we know that opportunities for people to be able to travel on foot and by bicycle for everyday journeys vary greatly between rural and urban areas.

“The local schemes that we are funding with this £8.1m offer a simple way of building physical activity into everyday lives and driving associated health and well being improvements.”

£100m to deliver 21st Century Schools

£100m is to be invested over the next three years to accelerate the delivery of the flagship 21st Century Schools and Education programme, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams and Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning Eluned Morgan have said.

Kirsty Williams said: “Our national mission is to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence. Our 21st Century Schools and Education Programme plays a key part in this and is the largest investment in our schools and colleges since the 1960s.”

Eluned Morgan said: “Reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050 is a significant challenge and education is key to the success of this ambition. This means we need to invest in new Welsh medium schools and improve and increase the teaching of Welsh in English medium schools. Bringing forward this funding for immediate investment allows us to ensure there is no delay in the work to achieve this target.”

“Parents must act to keep children safe online” – Wales’ Minister for Children

Keeping children safe online is an issue all parents need to take seriously due to the increasing access young children have to the digital world, Minister for Children, Huw Irranca-Davies has said.

Minister for Children and Social Care, Huw Irranca-Davies said: “The Welsh Government is firmly committed to promoting the safe and positive use of technology to our children and young people. But we all need to ensure we play our part in making sure children are kept safe.”

Plans to mark the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage in Wales

Leader of the House, Julie James has announced a series of Welsh Government-backed events to mark the 100th anniversary of women being give the right to vote.

Leader of the House, Julie James said: “It is right to celebrate the progress we have made in the past hundred years.  It is also right to remember the struggle and sacrifice which has been the price of this progress. We need to maintain our momentum, to strengthen democracy further, increase the number of women in decision making roles, and continue to challenge inequality and unfair discrimination.”

Action to tackle homelessness

Rebecca Evans, Minister for Housing and Regeneration, has published two new policy documents which set out new approaches to tackling homelessness in a statement to the Assembly.

The Minister said: “The Welsh Government has a good track record of delivery on homelessness prevention and we will continue to provide the leadership to ensure we can end the need for people to sleep rough in Wales.”

For more Welsh Government news visit: http://gov.wales/newsroom/