25/10/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story - selling her mother's house

to pay for care home fees. Tonight the hundreds of families who may be

paying out unnecessarily. It is not so much the money. It is

my mother's house and if it keeps her comfortable and that is what

pack -- has to happen then that is it. But it is the principle of it.

My father did not have a pension. They lived on what he brought home

every month. Our other headlines tonight. The

future of your television viewing. The BBC and S4C reaches an

agreement over how the channel will be run.

Millions of pounds in rent paid for Cardiff Bay offices and an offshore

tax haven. But who is the National Assembly's secret landlord?

It would have been easier and cheaper to build a bridge. Happy

birthday to Conwy's tunnel under the water.

He captained his country and the Lions. The first to win a hundred

caps for Wales. Gareth Thomas hangs up his boots.

Good evening. Hundreds of families across Wales are being forced sell

their homes to pay care home fees, according to a BBC Wales

investigation. But a leading health care lawyer says many of those fees

should have been paid by the NHS and it's now more difficult to

qualify for funding in Wales than England. Graham Thomas reports.

Gillian Webb, from Cardiff, is selling her parents' house to pay

for the care of her 91-year-old mother Anne who has Alzheimer's.

Dad worked jolly hard. He did not have a pension. They lived on what

he brought home every month. That's all they've got and it has gone.

The law states that if an elderly person's main requirement is to be

nursed because they're ill, the state should pick up the bill. But

solicitor Lisa Morgan, a specialist in care costs, believes in many

cases the law is not being followed. If your primary need is a health

need, you should be the responsibility of the NHS but it is

a common misconception if someone needs to going to win nursing home,

they have to pay the full cost of their care and that can include

selling the family home. The first consideration should be whether the

NHS should be paying for that individual's fees. Jane Chirko from

Newport sold her family home to pay care fees for her father, Harry

Denham, who suffered from Alzheimer's. But the charges had

been wrongly applied and after his death the family launched a legal

battle that eventually recouped �100,000. I look back on it and

think, how did I ever let that happen? Why didn't I say to someone,

that can't be right, we should be looking at it. I never did. I think

it's because my dad was in a nursing home, my mum had just

passed away, you do not think logically. BBC Wales has found that

almost a thousand families in Wales have sold their homes in order to

pay care fees, which commonly start at �2,000 per month. Figures

obtained also show a 7% reduction in those receiving NHS continuing

care funding in care homes since the assessment system was changed

12 months ago. Cardiff and Vale Health Board said in a statement

that it assessment process was in line with the Welsh government

guidance. Dame June Clark, a former president of the Royal College of

Nursing, says the system in Wales, what's known as the assessment tool,

is unfair and compares unfavourably with that used in England. Why is

the system so complicated? It is usually complicated. There are 11

remains to be assessed. And then they need to score that in terms of

levels. That is according to three dimensions of complexity, intensity

and unpredictability. And that is horrendously complicated for the

assessor added is even more complicated of course for the carer

and the elderly person themselves, who often does not understand the

detail and it is very subjective. If your family is in his

predicament, who should be family turn to for independent advice?

That seems to be the key, that you are getting the right advice from

the right people. I think it is an getting independent advice is very

difficult. You should be able to turn to your district nurse or your

GP if you wanna Tom or the hospital nurses if you are in hospital. --

if you're at home. You can go to organisations that have been saying

for some time that we need much more by way of independent advocacy

services to help old people but it is a difficult one because

It seems that you get a different deal if your family live in England.

When sea -- was the assessor has measured the various levels and

filled in all the boxes, the things that matters is the cut-off point

and it does seem to be that the cut-off point being used in Wales

is higher, more stringent, and the cut-off point that is being used in

England. This is such a sensitive time. The moment when your elderly

relative is going to care, you really are not the most vulnerable

time. Yes. Thank you very much. You can see more on that story in

tonight's Week In Week Out programme, Selling Up For Mum And

Dad on BBC1 Wales at 10:35pm. The BBC and S4C have finally struck

an agreement over how S4C will be run in future. Like all good soaps

the storyline's had its fair share of twists and turns. But as the

main protagonists finally get together, is it a happy ending? All

this follows the announcement about how much funding S4C will get from

the BBC to make programmes. Our Welsh Affairs Editor, Vaughan

Roderick, is with me now. Why has it been so difficult to get to this

point, to reach this agreement? Basically, the broadcasters have

been trying to square a circle. The BBC had been largely funding --

will be largely funding S4C in the future and they needed to make sure

that licence-fee payers money was being spent well. They needed to

make sure that they had not been shenanigans as there had been in

the past. S4C wanted to ensure they had continued editorial

independence. They have basically come up with that -- a system where

the S4C and authority will be appointed with input from the BBC

and the was government. Objectives will be set up but then it will be

up to S4C, to their management and authority, how they deliver on that.

That is a pretty good deal for them. In day -- every day terms, there

will not be any BBC suits in the building, if you like. We think

this is a very good agreement which respects the principles which are

important to both organisations, in particular for S4C the principle of

establishing that S4C retained its operational and editorial

independence, that has been safeguarded in the arrangements in

the agreement. And also for the BBC, there is the very important line of

accountability for the use of funds which come from the licence fee. I

think we have managed between us to square quite a difficult circle.

Wall of watch excites people in the television industry and politics --

all of which. The agreement says that managers should meet regularly

to discuss co-operating. I think that you may see a convergence of

online services in the Welsh language, for instance. And there

is a way for S4C to claw back a little bit of the huge cuts that

they are facing. There is an agreement that if any savings are

made, S4C keeps that money to invest in the programmes. In that

sense, it may mean the diminishing of original, as content on the

screen which was inevitable with the cuts as Fozzie was facing could

be a little bit less. -- S4C. nurse who allowed schoolboys to

drive the car she was given for work will be allowed to return to

nursing but will have a caution on her record for one year. Victoria

Horsley of Benllech on Anglesey was found guilty of misconduct by a

nursing panel. She had also been accused of having sex with a 15-

year-old boy, but that allegation was thrown out.

Who owns your house? Perhaps you, a mortgage company or a landlord?

When you ask that question in Cardiff Bay tonight, the answer is

a little more complex. The National Assembly spends millions of pounds

of taxpayers' money renting a red brick office block, but who is the

secret landlord? The rather muddied answer involves an off shore tax

haven. Our Political Correspondent, Tomos

Livingstone, can tell us more. I'm outside Ty Hywel, the building

where Assembly Members have had their offices since 1999. We've

been trying to find out who owns the building, and how much it costs

to rent. And the answer lies off the English coast, on an island

known for being a tax haven. The main public home of the National

Assembly. The Centre for democracy and devolution in Wales. But then

you have Ty Hywel, the red-brick building where Assembly Members

work and the First Minister has his office. We know who works in a

house like this but what we are not so clear about his who owns it. We

asked the Assembly commission, the body responsible for the day-to-day

running of the -- body. But it is a body based on Douglas on the Isle

of Man. The company's managing agents have not returned our calls.

I am very concerned about it. The National Assembly for Wales has

always claimed to be a beacon of transparency and debt -- yet this

is very muddy. The people of Wales deserve to know who Lord's this

building. We pay an awful lot of money in red. -- owns this building.

We need to know who we are paying back money to. In 1998, the

Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies, bought the land for the

Senedd building for just �1. When Ty Hywel went on the market, the

authorities balked at eight multi- million-pound price tag. It could

be a pension fund, it could be a property company, a family trust.

How much rent as the Assembly have to pay each year? -- Des. It has

been �1.7 million recently. It is roughly the market rate for a

Cardiff office. But from next year, it is going up for two -- to �2.3

million. The Assembly commission say the deal is going up because

the deal negotiated four years ago has come to an end.

We've had a statement tonight on the Assembly commission. They say

they are unable to comment on the ownership. Plenty of questions

tonight as to whether this is a good deal for the taxpayer and

whether it is in the spirit of the new politics that we were promised

at the time of evolution. -- Much more to come before 7 o'clock.

He's captained his country and the Lions. The first player to win a

hundred caps for Wales, Gareth Thomas retires.

Why hard pressed local councils cutting their costs might leave you

It'll be the first school of its kind in Wales teaching pupils from

the ages of three up to 19. Ceredigion Council wants Lampeter's

primary and secondary schools to merge to form one super school. The

two schools are already working together in a pilot scheme with a

final decision been taken in Is it a primary school? Is it a

comprehensive? No, it's a super school. For more than a year now,

pupils of Ffynnonbedr primary and Lampeter comprehensive schools have

been sharing the same campus, the same sports facilities and the same

headteacher. According to independent advisers the

arrangement is working well. They say the pilot scheme shows there

are benefits to pupils making the jump from primary to secondary

education. It also said Ffynnonbedr pupils had already benefited from

being able to use specialist facilities and equipment on the

secondary site. Other benefits included better management and

improved efficiency. To benefit pupils with sea is in the education

transition stage from primary to secondary. Hopefully, through this

new project, it will be smoother. This morning Ceredigion Council

Cabinet decided to press ahead with a proposal to make the arrangement

permanent and create Wales' first school for three to 19-year-olds.

There are similar plans for Llandysul but they are more

contentious and involve closing a number of rural primary schools.

could find that parents vote with their feet and we will see voids of

provision in the rural context. We have to keep education in the rural

area. Parents of children who attend both schools say they've

been impressed with what they've seen. It has been of great benefit

to my daughter. She has been in reading classes with the junior

school and she has enjoyed it. means they have more resources to

share and that can only be a good thing. The response to the

experiment here in Lampeter has been positive but if there is any

objection to the council's plans then the final decision will rest

with the Welsh Government. A new school with a new name of course

It was the most important feat of civil engineering in Wales. It took

five years to build and was one of the largest road building projects

ever seen in the UK. Conwy Tunnel was opened 20 years ago to ease

traffic congestion in the town. The unique tunnels sit beneath the

estuary and Matthew Richards is near the entrance tonight.

It would have been easier to build a bridge over the estuary rather

than a tunnel underneath it. But that was ruled out because it would

have spoiled the view of the 12th Century castle, a World Heritage

site, and Thomas Telford's bridge. So a massive feat of engineering

got underway to relieve the pressure on the narrow streets

This is Conwy BCT or before the Long jams and lengthy journeys made

life tough for local residents and businesses. There was an abattoir a

couple of miles away. We had to take a round trip. During August it

could be anything up to three hours. It was problematic for us when we

were busy back at the shop. But we had to get on with it. So there was

relief all round when construction began on the 1000 metre long

tunnels in 1986. Built in several sections over five years, it was

the biggest road contract in the UK at the time and the first here to

sink a tunnel like this beneath the water. Instead of digging a hole

through the bed of the river, you did a trench and sank the units

into the trench. He could -- the river bed was then placed on top.

The Queen officially opened the tunnel in 1991 amid huge

celebrations and her Royal convoy was the first of millions to drive

under the Conwy estuary. Three million tonnes of silt dug out from

the riverbed was used to create this RSPB nature reserve, turning

excavation into conservation. have put together some into bridge

-- interpretation to tell that story. It is important that we

remember that out of something that could have been environmentally

damaging comes something helpful. And those who remember congestion

in Conwy agree, traffic is lighter at this end of the tunnel. A

housing estate and the Marina were also built at the same time. A

system, an early warning system has been placed in the tunnel as well.

So much for spending a penny. Hard pressed local councils are trying

to claw back not just the pennies, but the pounds too. That means

they're looking to close some public toilets. The charity Age

Cymru says it is concerned they could disappear altogether and has

called for a law to force councils One song in Anglesey. This is the

place with the over fifties come together. The meat and talk about

the local talking points. They're not happy about plans to close

local toilets. It is our human rights to have these facilities.

the cities, it is not so bad because you have your large stores

and cafes. But in a rural area, you do need to provide that facility

for tourists and people of our age group and those who want to change

nappies. You must have facilities. Who should provide those

facilities? Historically, the local councils have done it but they do

not have to any more. This is an issue across the country. In Conwy,

T authority has drawn up a list of targets. Other authorities are

doing the same. They all say the need to cut costs. A council's say

some are in need of costly refurbishment. And they say it is a

matter of priorities. We are looking to spend money across a

range of things and public toilets fit into that list. They are a

lifeline. They give people confidence to go out and take part

in community life. We believe the but needs to stop somewhere and the

local authority should be under obligation under law to provide

public toilets. The council says they try to encourage local

businesses to step in. Here they talk about access to public toilet

being a right. He's captained his country and the

Lions and became the first to win a hundred caps for Wales. Now Gareth

Thomas says he's retiring. In an eventful career, he became the

first professional rugby player to reveal that he's gay.

2005 and Gareth Thomas skippers Wales to their first Grand Slam in

27 years. This is everything to the boys. We worked hard for this.

success followed in New Zealand, he took over the Lions captaincy and

he lifted the Heineken Cup with Toulose. He was the all round

player. As a captain, he kept that individual characteristic that only

he could have. He made us want to play for him as well. Gareth Thomas

is one of a handful of players to switch to rugby league, signing for

the Crusaders two years ago. He was expected to play the national side

this weekend and had been linked with a move to Wigan, so his

retirement has surprised some. probably sat down and thought about

what is in front of him. I think maybe he thought it was a little

bit too much for a man of his age. His rise through the ranks of Welsh

rugby wasn't without incident. Two years ago, he was in the spotlight

after revealing he was gay, the first professional rugby player to

come out in this way. He told at the time that it had been a painful

journey. I feel a huge relief and a massive acceptance. I hope the

world can be it better place for those of us who want to play sport.

At the height of Wales' success in 2006, he was accused of undermining

Wales coach Mike Ruddock and was involved in a heated debate on

television. It has nothing to do with the coaching. Shortly

afterwards, he was taken to hospital. He'd had a mini stroke.

Gareth Thomas' story has caught the eye of Hollywood and actor Mickey

Rourke came to Cardiff to see Thomas play. He is now working on a

film about his life. So an end to a remarkable career. Gareth Thomas

says he's now looking ahead to new challenges and a new chapter in his

Cardiff City play Burnley tonight for a place in the quarter finals

of the Carling Cup. They beat Leicester in the last round. All

three of Cardiff's games in the competition this season have gone

to extra time. Commentary of the match this

evening on BBC Radio Wales from 7.30pm.

Wales have slipped down two places in the world rankings despite

finishing fourth at the Rugby World Cup. Warren Gatland's side are now

ranked eighth in the world. World Champions New Zealand top the list.

Derek, flooding yesterday in Southwest Wales, but looking better

today? Much drier today, but in

Pembrokeshire almost half a month's worth of rain fell in just one day

yesterday. Part of Newgale was still under water this morning.

Keen weather watcher Roy Watkins told us that when he checked his

rain gauge he recorded the highest This morning, it was 58.9 mm. That

was over 24 hours. That is the heaviest rain I have recorded since

Roy's rainguage was overflowing yesterday but only a few showers in

Newgale today so thankfully water levels have dropped. Some sunshine

as well but a cluster of rain and heavy showers over the West Country

spread into South Wales late this afternoon with reports of thunder

in Caerleon and Cwmbran. This evening the rain and heavy showers

will spread north. Followed by drier, clearer weather with

scattered heavy showers in the south and west. A few mist and fog

patches forming and chilly. Temperatures inland falling as low

as 3 or 4 Celsius in Powys with a ground frost. Tomorrow's chart

shows low pressure to the west of Ireland. This low near Portugal may

bring us another dose of rain on Thursday. So tomorrow morning the

north coast and the northeast will start off dry. Parts of Powys,

Monmouthshire and the southeast dry as well with a few mist and fog

patches. However, further west showers are likely. Some of these

heavy with hail and thunder. During the day showers will become more

widespread. Heavy in places and prolonged in the northwest. Some

sunshine in between and if you're lucky you may stay dry. Top

temperatures 12 to 14 Celsius with a light to moderate south to south-

westerly breeze. In Merthyr Tydfil tomorrow, a mixture of cloud,

sunshine and showers. Temperatures in Dowlais rising to 12 Celsius. On

Thursday, cloudy with outbreaks of rain. Although it may dry-up in

parts of the north and west. Friday dry and brighter. Some sunshine too

once any mist and fog patches clear. The weekend cloudier. Mostly dry

but a little rain is likely. Most of it on Saturday night and it will

turn milder with southerly winds. The Prime Minister acknowledged