08/03/2012 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. The top story tonight:

Remploy workers like Alex still fighting to save their jobs. The UK

government says it's open to ideas, but is it realistic to expect all

the 300 staff to find work with mainstream employers?

I would love to think he's going to be employed, I would love that. But

better still, I'd prefer him to Also tonight:

They've lost their herd to Bovine TB. The farming sisters accuse the

Environment Minister of cowardice. He should be watching this

happening. He should see the stressor he is putting the animals

and as under. Wales's poorest performing schools

are promised an extra �10,000 each to boost standards.

Getting patients back on their feet quicker after a hip replacement.

The surgeon and his engineer brother work in partnership.

And the cultural heart of Neath since Victorian times. Gwyn Hall

re-opens its doors after fire Good evening. The UK government has

said it's willing to listen to ideas on how to keep open seven

Welsh factories employing nearly 300 people with disabilities. The

Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, told Wales Today that she

would welcome proposals from the workers themselves or the Welsh

Government. She's now due to meet her Welsh counterpart next week.

More from Caroline Evans. They will not give up their job without a

fight. That was the clear message from workers at Remploy in Swansea.

I think we have been shafted, for want of a better word. They are

shutting the factories. I am disgusted. I am devastated. We all

laugh. -- we all are. I cannot say a lot in words. It has all been

said. The UK Government says the money it puts into factories like

this could be better spent helping disabled people into the mainstream

work place. But it will listen to ideas to save the factories. What

we want to do now as we move forward into the consultation

period is have conversations with anybody a whole has an idea which

has an idea behind it to be able to reduce the number of people who

might be subject to losing their jobs at the end of this process. Of

course, we want to speak to people who have got those ideas. We urge

anybody who wants to look at any of the factory is all part of the

factory operations to come forward and talk to us about their ideas.

One idea is to turn them into social enterprises like this. Here,

these men are part of a team offering Web-based services to

clients. I would take any job. I remember when I was looking for

work and I was frustrated and sitting at home, trying to find

work, I would literally just take anything. Everyone should be given

a choice in what they should do. If somebody is I cannot see a reason

why that person cannot do the job. The trust which runs the operation

says it is a more modern business model but it would not suit

everyone currently employed by company macro. If you are disabled,

you are nearly twice as just -- twice as likely to be unemployed.

That means that you are already at a disadvantage when it comes to the

labour market. In areas like this where the labour market is weak

where you have hundreds, if not more, of people looking for one job,

what this might impact on is that people are being added to the back

of a long queue. This man has worked for company macro for 15

years. I'm very sad. I love my job. I love my work. But I cannot see

him being employed in mainstream. I would love to think that he will be

employed, I would love that, but better still, I would prefer him to

remain at company macro. That is where he is suited.

This underwear for use in Taliban - - tanning salons is made by a

Remploy. The company has been fantastic helping to develop the

project. Would reply closing, we are going to have to find another

manufacturing facility. That will not necessarily be in Wales. We

have found Remploy to be really competitive. That is another good

reason why the stage year. Welsh Government says it needs more

details before it can step in to help the factories. A meeting is

being planned for the UK Government next week.

Two sisters who run a farm in west Wales have accused the Environment

Minister of cowardice for not announcing a decision on how to

control Bovine Tuberculosis. Helen and Angela Winsor have lost around

100 cows over the past two years, despite efforts to keep their

cattle free from TB. They blame the Welsh government for not taking

action. You may find some of the pictures in Iolo ap Dafydd's report

distressing. It is a day like no other for a

Helen Winsor and Angela Winsor. 24 of their cows have been slaughtered.

Some were shot on the farmyard. They have been tested for Bovine TB

and were classed as actress. The sisters are angry and upset. They

have lost 100 cows to Bovine TB in two years. I think you are a coward,

Minister. You should be on the yard, watching this happen. You should

see the stress you are putting the animals and ascender. But this is a

lifetime's work that has been destroyed. Put your finger out and

do something. The problem is not confined to this farm. On these 300

acres, they have tried to prevent Bovine TB from spreading by it

fencing cattle apart. Running an electric fence around outbuilding

needs and using the Bowater troughs. A few weeks on from a traumatic day,

the shirts have been disinfected, this yard has been claimed. But the

cows that have been lost will not be replaced. The question being

asked is, how can of farmers from cows commercially when Bovine TB,

they believe, carried by infected badgers, continually infects their

herd? Badgers are blamed for infecting cattle with TB. But a few

miles away, another farmer please vaccinating rather than killing

badgers is the short-term answer. There is no need to have to kill a

wild animal because it is a career of a disease when we come back so

later. The same applies to our cows. We can vaccinate them. There is a

vaccine out there for them. All we need now is for the Government to

be able to lift the ban on our export market, which would be put

in place if we did vaccinate our cars. Last year, the newly elected

Welsh Government instigated a scientific for the winter of Bovine

TB and whether culling badgers is the way to control the disease. The

findings of to to be published. longer this goes on, the more

credibility is given to the fact that this could be a political

cowardice. The Government need to make a strong decision. They need

to make what may not be an easy decision or even the most popular

decision, but it would be the right decision. Since last December,

farmers have been waiting for the Environment Minister to make a

statement. Today, he was opening a flood defence scheme. I will be

making a statement on Bovine TB this month. We have been doing

necessary work to work at our policy and I will make that clear

when I make that statement. Eradicating Bovine TB remains for

the -- one of the biggest and most important tasks for the Welsh

Government. The Government has also issued a statement saying it

recognises the devastating impact of Bovine TB on our farmers in

Wales. It is too late for these sisters as they have decided not to

keep cattle any more. I am joined by a Robert Parry Jones

from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Presumably, you

were against a can of badgers, but you must understand that the

decision needs to be done sooner rather than later. Our position has

been that we are a Wildlife Trust and we manage our major issues. We

need farmers. We sympathise with farmers and what they're going

through. We are as committed as them to eradicating Bovine TB in

Wales. What we would say is that looking at the Science of that the

whole issue, vaccination of badgers is the only long-term solution to

the problem. In the meantime, and we have seen a very devastating

impact on one particular farm, they are really desperate for a decision.

They say that they have gone out of business. It is hard. The Welsh

Government has taken its time to do this. But what they have done is

look at the Science. We hope that by doing that and by bringing in

all the issues, they can make the right decision for wildlife and

four Welsh farmers. Whatever decision the Welsh Government comes

to, it is going to be the wrong decision for one camp. We have sent

-- we have seen such strong and diverse decisions on this.

science shows that culling does not have a meaningful contribution to

eradicating Bovine TB. But vaccination does. What we would

want from the Welsh Government is to announce a vaccination programme.

Farmers, while life trusts and other groups can meet and find out

how we best implement the vaccination. Thank you very much..

One of the UK's biggest loan brokers, Cwmbran-based Yes Loans,

could be put out of business after a regulator found it used deceitful

practices. The Office of Fair Trading has stopped the company

selling loans after customers were charged fees when they handed over

their credit card details for identity checks.

An eco-centre in Powys says it will be cutting jobs following a review.

The Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth blames

the economic downturn, and said it was seeking voluntary redundancies.

It hasn't revealed how many of its 90 fulltime staff would be losing

their jobs. A University of Wales partner

college in London has gone into liquidation. Rayat London College

was one of several colleges featured in a BBC Wales

investigation last year which exposed a scam in which overseas

students were being offered help to cheat their way to University of

Wales degrees in order to qualify for UK graduate work visas. At the

time, Rayat London College denied any wrongdoing, said it had

suspended those of its staff allegedly involved and had referred

the matter to the police. The lowest-ranked secondary schools

in Wales have been promised more funding to improve standards. The

Welsh government has set aside �10,000 for every school in the

bottom two bands of a performance- grading system. Our Education

Correspondant, Nicola Smith, is in the newsroom. Nicky, why this extra

cash, and why now? There are five school bans in Wales. Band one is

the high us, and five is the lowest. There are 75 secondary schools one

in those bans four or five. They are there because of a school's

exam performance, attendance levels, the number of pupils eligible for

free school meals. The Education Minister has always defended the

system. He says it deadened by schools which need extra support.

But extra support needs extra cash. Local authorities are beginning to

group together in regional consortia to oversee the school

improvement and there has been Investment in that. But today,

Leighton Andrews said he has listened to the concerns of the

profession regarding the additional support that is needed to make this

system work. So, for the centre via secondary schools, each of them

will get an extra �10,000 as long as they provide an action plan on

how they will improve. One of the ways to improve performance is to

ensure there is particular support for particular teachers in

particular subject areas. Some of the subject areas that matter most

will be English or Welsh first language of mathematics of got --.

The schools could use that money to get support and of areas.

What has the reaction be? Teaching unions have broadly welcomed that.

They say every penny will help. Opposition parties say the

investment is inadequate, a drop in the ocean. Aside from the

announcement on my money, the Minister reiterated his warning to

local authorities that they needed to demonstrate they were delivering

on school improvement. He also announced what he called a

practitioner panel. Headteachers and teachers meeting every couple

of months with the Welsh Government to advise them on best practice and

Still to come on Wales Today. This was Neath's historic Gwyn Hall five

years ago, destroyed by fire during refurbishment work. Take a look

around as it prepares to re-open its doors to the public.

As thousands gear up for the Sports Relief Mile we visit a project in

Merthyr to see how your money makes a difference.

A surgeon at Wrexham Maelor Hospital and his engineer brother

have teamed up to come up with a unique way to improve hip

replacement operations. James Wootton is one of only a few

surgeons to use what's called the Direct Anterior Approach to hip

surgery. Although the technique gets patients back on their feet

more quickly it's more expensive and that's where his brother comes

in as Roger Pinney explains. Every step is painful for this man.

83 roads getting ready for the most common operation, and a replacement

for his arthritic hip. Thousands of new hips are fitted in Wales each

year and surgeons like James Wootton at Wrexham Maelor Hospital

at constantly innovating. He asked his brother to help and eight

result is a piece of equipment to help replacing hip replacements

from at the side. It is a whole packet. It is reducing post

operative requirement for physiotherapy. There is no home

adoptions, very little occupational health required. When managers and

surges see this they are more likely to adopt it. It is growing.

With other devise fitting a replacement from the funds would

mean more staff and time in the operating theatre. Overcoming those

problems as part of the design brief. Using this device and method

of surgery, my brother's lengths of stay is two days. That is a

potential saving of tens of thousands of bed days in hospital.

With more than 400 operations under his belt, interest in his results

and those potential savings is growing. Car new hot bonnet? This

man is eight weeks PO's operation. It is amazing. The early signs are

that this man will be following close behind.

It's been a landmark in the centre of Neath since Victorian times but

five years ago Gwyn Hall was almost destroyed by fire. Tonight it gets

its grand reopening and our reporter Jordan Davies is there.

We are in the last frantic bar and bistro where Forman did his best of

the invited guests are making their way into the auditorium. -- glass

fronted. We are here to mark this iconic building. A building that

has ravaged by fire, five years ago. Now it has had a �9 million

transformation. This was the moment a cornerstone of Neath's committee

history went up in flames. The morning after the 125 year-old Gwyn

Hall was a wreck of twisted metal and the roof had completely

collapsed. It was just weeks away from completing a brand new refit.

But now, back dream is a reality. All the groups that used this in

the past will be queuing up to use it again. That will be fantastic

and they can -- I can only apologise to those people who have

been waiting in the wings to get back on the boards and do their bit.

This new development boasts a 3 D digital cinema, a dance studio, a

bistro, and a theatre. Built in 1887 on land donated by local

businessman, a listed building was at the heart of the area. Then the

theatre was upstairs and now it is downstairs. There is based in the

roof for a professional dance floor and Neath's first cinema in 20

years. Steve Jones is a manager and his phone has been red hot with

bookings. We want to work with the community. It is a fantastic studio

space so we can have as many classes as we can hear. We have

signed up a ballet school from the Swansea area who will be providing

ballet classes every Friday evening. We want to use this space and enjoy

the space. The ambition for the Gwyn Hall goes beyond its walls. It

is hoped this iconic building will provide the centrepiece for the

regeneration of Neath town centre. This has been the cultural heart of

the area for 120 years. It is going to be a springboard for

regeneration in the area. I am joined by three guests who have

connections with the building.The compere tonight. You perform the as

a child. Yes I did. I remember being a little six-year-old on that

massive state and for years and years to come I was there from six

to 17 performing. It is where my love of performing started. What

are your first impressions of the building. It is the first time I

have been in it and it is amazing. I was worried that the character of

the old building would be lost but it has not. It looks amazing.

at the start trialist tonight. You will be performing a solo.S star

cellist. He is completely different to what it used to be. Hopefully it

will make a lot of difference. are going to be running this

building when it is up and running.The Cabinet member for

regeneration. What are the ambitions for the future of this

place? This is the end of the 60th Jenny to poison iconic building

back in the centre of Neath. -- six two-year journey. The main part of

this is we can provide a cultural event of our young assistants,

young dancers and to bring through music and dance for her children.

think it is going to be entertaining. The people of Neath

can look forward to many entertaining of evenings to come.

Football - Cardiff City failed to move back into the Championship's

top six after a 2-2 draw at Brighton. After a goalless first

half, striker Joe Mason gave the Bluebirds the lead. But that was

cancelled out as Brighton scored to put the match back on level terms.

More Cardiff pressure led to this fine goal from Peter Whittingham

which looked to have won the match for the visitors. But with one

minute of the 90 left, Wales international Sam Vokes equalised

for Brighton. The result means Cardiff stay in eightth place, one

point off the play-offs. I have to be delighted and the way

my team played. I felt they executed the game 0.2 80. They

played a good game against a tough team. I think we looked very

comfortable tonight. Time now for the full weather

The weather is settling down thanks to an eddy of high pressure. We

have got cloudy conditions but at least it will be mild. It is thick

enough for some light rain or drizzle as Bessie on the hills. For

It should be a frost-free night and day morning. The reason for that is

we have high pressure building up from the south unsettling things

down in time for the weekend. First thing tomorrow morning, it is a

cloudy start for many of us. Some light rain or drizzle on the hills

but most of us getting away with a dry day and there will be some

holes in the cloud. The best of the brightness in Pembrokeshire and the

South East. Highs of 13 degrees Celsius. It will be breezy

especially along the coast. The winds easing as we go into tomorrow

night. Tomorrow night, similar to tonight. Some cloud but the subtle

differences we have so mist and hill fog. Visibility poor.

Temperatures tomorrow night ranging between 8-9 degrees Celsius. If you

are going to the match on Saturday and the Millennium Stadium in

should be a dry day, rather cloudy with highs a 14 degrees Celsius.

You should be all right with just an extra layer. For the rest of the

country on Saturday, there is a risk of some rain for part of

flints share, Gwynedd and Cardigan Bay but the rest of the country

should be dry with highs of 13 degrees Celsius. The best day of

the weekend is likely to be on Sunday when we're going to see some

In just a few weeks time, thousands of us will be taking to the streets

to run the Sport Relief Mile raising money to change lives

around the world and closer to home. Someone who'll be doing his bit

this year is Welsh rugby international turned adventurer,

Richard Parks. Before setting off on his latest challenge, he paid a

visit to a young person's project in Merthyr Tydfil to see how your

money can make a difference. Richard Parks is no pushover. He's

faced some pretty tough competition on the pitch and even tougher

conditions during last year's record breaking challenge to

conquer the highest summits on every continent. But he may have

just met his match. Go easy on the!

Here in Merthyr, there's plenty of fresh faces ready to take him on.

Each week, around 70 young people come to this converted engine house

to play football. It's all about getting the community engaged in

sport and exercise. But it's also a way of getting these young people

off the streets and out of trouble. Money raised by Sport Relief covers

the running costs of the project, as well as paying for staff and

equipment. Sometimes young kids can get this

far and with their future. Process like this not only bring kids

together where they can engage with each other but to give them

something positive to channel their energies into. It's a landscape 16-

year-old Callum Williams knows only too well. Coming here isn't just

about playing football. I used to be on the streets creating mischief

scum I used to be in the parks drinking. I started coming year. I

got out of trouble with their police and I met nicer people.

think that his 6-14 M! Meanwhile back in goal, Richard

Parks is probably wishing he was back scaling the heights and

Everest and Kilimanjaro. Mind you, his days of adventure aren't

entirely over. He's about to embark on one more challenge for Sport

Relief. Is a 1,000 mile race around the UK.

It is the first time that sports people and celebrities have gone

head-to-head to find out which nation will be first home. I will

have a warm bed and somebody to talk to on this one.

Last Sport Relief, people of Wales raised and donated more than �1

million and since then nearly �2 million has been spent on projects

across Wales. And this year, it's hoped we'll raise even more money

to change even more lives. If you want to get involved in

Sport Relief, then go to sportrelief.com. Fundraising will

be held across the country, including the Sports Relief Mile on

the 23rd to 25th March. A reminder of tonight's top stories

from the BBC - The six soldiers killed in Afghanistan are named,

victims of the deadliest single attack on British troops since 2001.

Five of them were 21 or under. Their Sergeant was 33. They'd been

in Helmand for less than a month. The UK Government has said it's

willing to listen to ideas on how to keep open seven Welsh Remploy

factories. They employ nearly 300 people with disabilities. The

Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, says would welcome

proposals from the workers themselves or the Welsh Government.

That's Wales Today. Here's a reminder of our details on Twitter