25/11/2011 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines: Labour and the Lib Dems

strike a deal over the budget. we can look forward to securing the

Also - remembering the name you should died at Gleision.

Julie Morgan - wife of the former First Minister Rhodri Morgan - says

she may have been a victim of phone hacking. I was shocked and upset.

Then I felt angry. In tonight's sport - Wales beat

England at the Rugby 7's. And it's set to be a 300th club appearance

for Stephen Jones - it's a welsh derby tonight as the Scarlets

welcome the Dragons. And rare in this number - 100,000

starlings making Wales their home Good evening. After months

wrangling, and behind the scenes talks, a budget deal's been struck

in Cardiff Bay. The Welsh Government and the Liberal

Democrats have agreed how to spend �14.5 billion. First Minister

Carwyn Jones said it would help the economy and create jobs. But the

other opposition parties say the Lib Dems have sold out.

They have been meeting behind- closed-doors trying to a good be on

how to Vic-Wells budget will be spent. Without a clear majority in

the assembly Labour needed the support of at least one of

opposition parties to get its spending plans approved. After

negotiations with plied Cumbrae and the Liberal Democrat it was

announced that they had made agreement with the Lib Dems. This

was done after a lot of detailed negotiation. This will secured a

financial basis for Wales. What have the agreed? The Lib Dems

wanted more cash for the poorest Seoul is an extra �20 million for

children to achieve their potential. Also �40 million was announced over

two used to protect the economy. The Chancellor will give details in

next week's spending statements and both parties will agree how to

spend it. It would have been unthinkable

given these very difficult times to leave this country without a budget.

According to some the Lib Dems have sold their support cheaply.

shows the her doing something, but the Labour government has been

condemning the Liberals roundly. The orbits needed a partner.

Today's deal means there is a clear idea how the money will be divided

next year. The deal has to be stamped in an assembly fought in

less than a fortnight. Let us speak to hour correspondent

at the Assembly. How much other surprise was the announcement

today? The timing was a surprise. People thought it might go right

down to the wire. What is perhaps not a surprise that the deal is

with the Liberal Democrat. I am told the price that plied country

was asking was too expensive. It is also good for the Lib Dems in that

being seen to do a deal with Labour here detoxify rises to an extent

their view of left-wing voters were unhappy with the Coalition between

the Lib Dems and the Conservatives in Westminster. This is very

significant for the stability of Carmen Jones's government? Wales to

the Budget. Government needed a Budget. �20 million, which the Lib

Dems have extracted, what does that mean? It is not that much money.

But when you apply it to actual schools on the ground the sounds

they will be receiving in some cases are tens of thousands of

pounds extra, up to �100,000 in some areas, so it is not

insignificant for schools and is not insignificant for the political

fortunes of the Liberal Democrat. Another baby is suspected to have

been infected with ecoli at Swansea's Singleton hospital. The

latest case involves a baby who is carrying the bacteria - without any

signs of infection. An independent review has been announced into the

deaths of two premature babies at the hospital. The maternity unit is

currently only open to full-term babies following the deaths.

And there is a helpline set up for women who are due to give birth at

Singleton Hospital and may have worries. The number is 07747 615

627. Around 300 people have attended a

memorial in the Swansea Valley for the four miners who died at the

Gleision colliery in September. The service, at St Peters Church in

Pontardawe, also remembered five year old Harry Patterson who died

in a car accident outside his home near the mine in the same week.

Kate Morgan reports. They came to remember their loved

ones. In memory of Charles. We like this candle in memory of Gary.

tragedies struck this community within one week. These men were

killed when a mine flooded at Gleision colliery two months ago.

The first minister met with families at the service and spoke

of what he felt. To date all of wheels remembers with you. God

bless you. Two days earlier and near the main a five-year-old boy

was killed in an accident. Today his school friends paid their own

This afternoon five families from the community came together over at

their loss. 300 people in the area joined them to offer support.

Everybody knows somebody who was involved. There was a sense of loss

that somehow it these people have been lost. There for the express

compassion and care. The service to the has been very well attended. I

think we can all share in the sentiment. We are hoping that the

valley can now move on. Hopefully the families realised be are still

there for them in the future. was a tragedy. I cannot begin to

imagine what the family's went through and hard going through. It

is affecting so many people in different ways. It is been two

months since grief struck at the heart of this community, but today

tribute was paid. The wife of the former First

Minister Rhodri Morgan says she may have been a victim of phone hacking.

Julie Morgan, the Labour AM for Cardiff North, says she's been in

contact with police over calls made to her phone in 2005 and 2006. She

said the calls had come from News International, the owners of the

News of the World. The company says it's co-operating with police.

first couple of Welsh politics. In 2005 Julie Morgan was in Parliament

and her husband was first minister. But were people listening in to her

phone messages? She has been told she is a potential victim of phone

hacking - something that came as a shock. I was very shocked. I was

upset. I felt angry. I am only finding out five years later when

it is difficult to see back and see what was happening. Since 2005 it

has come to light that journalist of the News of the world were

listening to messages. An inquiry is up and running. According to one

former newspaper editor that if there is doing enormous damage to

the industry. The image of journalists will have taken a knock

this week. There is no doubt about that. People will remember things

like this. It will cause damage. It will make it harder for journalists

to to their work. On Monday the inquiry will hear from Charlotte

Church. She says that it has had a brutal impact on her family's life.

The inquiry is wide-ranging and will take time to go to a

conclusion. The hacking scandal has touched a great many people.

A serial rapist and paedophile who tried to evade justice by going on

the run has been jailed for 18 years at Cardiff Crown Court. 43

year old Edwin Smith from Bargoed, near Caerphilly, carried out sex

attacks on girls and women between 1985 and 2006.

Tolls on both of the Severn Bridges are to rise again from the

beginning of next year. Crossing into Wales by car will now cost �6.

That's 30 pence more than the current charge. The price for small

goods vehicles and small buses has also gone up - by 60 pence, while

heavy goods vehicles and buses will pay �18.10. That's an increase of

90 pence. It is considered of the most

picturesque parts of the country, but new figures show that workers

in parts of Gwynedd are amongst the lowest paid in the UK. Median

earnings in the Dwyfor Meironydd are almost �10,000 a years less

than in the most affluent area of Cardiff. Here's Roger Pinney. Do

open for business but not bristling with trade. If you worked here you

are probably in tourism or retailing or farming. There is not

much else. The tourist trade is incredibly seasonal. I spoke to one

businessman here he told me that 75 % of his annual take comes in just

six weeks. Around the town is events of that. Shops closed for

the winter season. When they are close they are not employing anyone.

No wonder pay here tends to be lower than anywhere else in the UK.

Even those shots which were open struggle at this time of year.

have to try and make as much as you can in the summer. You are relying

on decent weather. According to the latest figures average pay for this

latest figures average pay for this But businesses here you keep going.

This woman is a hairdresser. For while she moved away from the town,

but came back and found a full-time job. Many of her contemporaries

have not. It is difficult. I am lucky because they went to college

and trained. I was lucky to get the job at the end of it. It is

difficult. I moved to the wholesale trade. I have also got a shop and a

chip shop. This man is a businessman and local councillor.

The problem he says his lack of opportunity. Since we lost the air

base, the nuclear power station, we lost jobs that were a bit more

specialised. Those people moved away. If you once he went to a

specialist job in engineering or something like that you have to

move away from the area. It is all about geography and is

difficult to see how the kind of skilled jobs that pay well can ever

Still to come in the programme - Escaping harsh conditions. A

hundred thousand starlings come to Companies involved in forestry are

warning of job losses in the industry if plans to merge bodies

which look after the environment go ahead. Proposals to combine the

Countryside Council, the Forestry Commission and Environment Agency

in Wales could be approved next week. More from our environment

correspondent, Iolo ap Dafydd. From forests to flood protection,

caring for our environment is in the hands of three public bodies.

The Countryside Council for wears advises the Welsh Government on

land management and wildlife. The Environment Agency is responsible

for the quality of air and water as well as flooding. Protecting trees

is done by the Forestry Commission. After nine months' work a business

plan supporting merging the three into a single environment body is

now ready for the Welsh Government to consider. We understand the

strong record of commercial forestry in Wales very much helped

by the Forestry Commission. The business case will consider and

evaluate whether anything would be lost or not through the creation of

a single environment body. 10,000 people are directly employed in

forestry in Wales, worth over �840 million annually to the economy.

Half of the commission's income comes from selling what. If the

merger goes ahead, the manager here says it could supply -- affect

their supply. If our supply of raw material is not assured and we

don't have the support of the Forestry Commission to ensure our

raw material chain is maintained, we would not be in a position to

invest in new technology and new jobs at the site. These contract is

in mid Wales are members of the industry association which has been

canvassing the government not to include the Forestry Commission in

its merger plans. There are two parallel courses. You have got

their natural environment framework which is about the legislative and

policy side of things and then you have the proposal of a new body. At

the moment, as things stand, the legislation will not happen until

2015 wears the merger will happen in 2013. We are putting the cart

the height -- before the horse. environment body will affect most

people in Wales if it gets the go- ahead. There are still some awkward

questions for the Welsh Government to consider. How can the same

organisation in future assume and advising and a regulating role on

the environment? B gas fired power station near Pembroke Dock is a

case in point. They can decide Council advised that Welsh

Government it could be violating European law. The Environment

Agency gave the plans a permit to operate. In future, the same body

could be asking the questions and giving the answers. Claire is here

now with the day's sport. Good evening. Let's start with rugby. It

is a Welsh derby tonight in the Pro12 as the Scarlets welcome the

Dragons. Stephen Jones will captain the home side marking his 300th

appearance for the club. After being dropped from the Wales squad

he has opted to play for the Scarlets rather than the Barbarians

tomorrow. The Dragons are looking to move out

of the bottom two in the Pro12 table. Let's go live to Parc y

Scarlets now. Scrum V's Ross Harries is there for us. Both sides

are missing key personnel and Nigel Davies admitting that the vultures

have been circling for some of his players, the likes of George North

and Rhys Priestland. The Scarlets have become victims of

their own success. They have spent a lot of money and investing in

youth and developing players from within the region. Many were picked

and shone at the World Cup. That means some richer foreign clubs

have come looking around. Nigel Davies had the foresight to sign

some of them up for a long term contracts. I am joined by Kingsley

Jones and Robert Jones. It is a catch 22 for the coaches. You

invest in the coach it -- been the young players and the rich clubs

come sniffing around. Welsh rugby is buoyant at the moment. The

players make those mistakes, they learn from them and they're top of

their game at 23. That emphasises how important academies are, to

make sure you have the next group coming up behind. He would like to

see some loyalty from the players. If it is a matter of �15,000 more,

you hope they will stay with you. The some of the French clubs can

give double the salary. Wales are playing Australia next weekend but

many players are missing. At the dinner that the results in Europe,

the Welsh clubs have done fantastically well. Very

disappointing for the coaches. Nigel Davies has mentioned that

today. It is an opportunity for youngsters to show what they are

capable of. We have a crop of young players coming through. There are

more coming through again. How hopefully the Scarlets can perform.

An opportunity for some of them to stake a claim tonight. Scrum V live

is at 7:00pm on BBC Two Wales. Last night the Cardiff Blues

notched up their biggest win for two-and-half years as they thrashed

their Italian opponent, Aironi, 38- 0. The Blues's bonus point takes

them to third in the Pro12 table. Gavin Henson says he hopes to play

for the club in a fortnight. Out in Australia at the IRB Rugby

World Sevens, Wales are through to the quarter-finals after beating

England this morning. They ran in three tries to win 21-7, the result

seeing them top of Pool D. They also beat Scotland and Tonga. They

will play Fiji in the quarter- finals tomorrow morning.

Football - Swansea City welcome Aston Villa to the Liberty Stadium

on Sunday. Cardiff City are in action tomorrow against Nottingham

Forest and midfielder Peter Whittingham will once again be a

marked man after an exceptional For the past few weeks it has been

a case of getting the ball to Peter Whittingham and watching him fire

it into the net. His long-range shooting is one of the reasons why

Cardiff have climbed to third in the championship. For once this

week, Peter Whittingham got -- was part of the match when he did not

score. He was helping to coach a team from which it high school who

were taking part in the npower Football League Girls Cup. Peter

Whittingham is back to the championship tomorrow. I am happy

with how things are going. We are picking up some good winds and

unbeaten in quite a few games which is good for the confidence. Swansea

City have another home match on Sunday against Aston Volette, the

sort of game they need to win to ensure their top-flight survival. -

- Aston Villa. They could have got something out of the game against

Manchester United but Brendan Rodgers feels he needs to add to

his board in January. I wanted to assess it through to

January. The players have arrived - - have just arrived in this

position. It gives us the opportunity to stay in the league

and they feel we need between four and six players to ensure we keep

the strength in depth. In the Blue Square best Premier, Wrexham are

still the team to beat. The takeover by the supporters' Trust

has still not been ratified. The Conference leaders are away to

Braintree tomorrow. Newport County's battle is that the other

end of the table. They're in the relegation zone but hope for three

points against -- Luton tomorrow. From Bluebirds to starlings, and

lots of them. It is estimated that one hundred thousand starlings have

descended on wetlands in Llanelli. They are roosting in the reed beds

in the Millennium Wetlands and are providing quite a sight for anyone

in the area as Carwyn Jones has 's they arrive at sunset in small

numbers at first and then gradually merging into a bigger flock. The

skyline is a swirling cloud of black. Around one and 1,000

starlings have Jews and -- chosen to roost here. It is a spectacular

sight. They can turn very quickly. You don't bump into the person next

year. You keep close but to change when they change. It is fascinating.

This vast flock is a mixture of native starlings on those who have

flown from Russia and northern Europe. The birds first arrived

about a month ago just a few hundred at first and then thousands,

then tens of thousands. They had been starlings here before but

never in this number. We think it is because the way the reed beds

are cut. It is good shelter for them, they like to roost in numbers.

It looks like they are coming here because we can support a vast

number of starlings. It's thought the starlings will remain here for

the winter and then in spring they will fly after sunnier climes to

mate. It looked a beautiful evening in

Llanelli. What a sight. What is it This time last year, it was much

colder with snow. It is not going to be this -- that cold. It is

going to be mild in comparison but strong winds and gales and the

forecast. The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning. The

strongest wind expected in the north over the weekend. This

evening will be dry but overnight clouding over. If you spot of light

rain with the wind easing as well for a time. The lowest temperature

around three degrees Celsius in Knighton. Tomorrow a's charter

shows low pressure in the Atlantic. Tomorrow, a few bright or sunny

intervals but generally cloudy with spot of light rain and drizzle at

times. That will be mainly on the high ground. Mostly dry with

temperatures higher than today, 13 degrees Celsius but feeling chilly

out in the wind. The south-westerly wind fresh to strong. Gales in the

north. They could be wind gusts of 70 mph. It would be wise to stay

off the Mounties if you are walking. Tomorrow night, some drizzle and

rain after midnight. Very windy with strong to a goal force winds.

On Sunday, good news, the weather will cheer up. It will become dry

and much brighter with some sunshine. The wind easing and

feeling cooler. A couple of events for you. The Hay-on-Wye winter food

fair is taking place tomorrow. There is a Christmas Craft Fair in

Next week will start dry for the winter fare in Builth Wales. There

is a hint of colder weather in December but no sign yet of another

A reminder of the top stories. Heathrow tells passengers to expect

delays of up to 12 hours on the day of the public sector strike next

week. The airport asks planes to arrive half-empty as it was

passengers of the danger of gridlock.

Labour and Liberal Democrats have agreed a deal over the Welsh budget

worth �14.5 billion. The Conservatives are Plaid Cymru say

the Lib Dems have sold out but the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said

it would help the economy. It is an agreement to secure a budget for

the people of Wales, it was done after a lot of detailed negotiation

and what is important now we can look forward to securing the