07/04/2014 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today our top story: 600 jobs go in Newport.

There's anger at this bakery. Why couldn't they find new customers

after losing M's business? Absolutely gutted, that is all I can

say. Do soldiers wait longer for treatment in Wales than elsewhere in

the UK? The war of words intensifies.

Why we need this lot, particularly the girls, to take up engineering to

drive our economy. Your house may be getting a water meter installed, if

it hasn't already got one. In tonight's sport: the fans' faces

say it all. With only five games left, is Cardiff City's time in the

Premier League almost up? Good evening. Workers and unions

have reacted angrily to the news that 640 jobs are to go after a

bakery in Newport announced it's to close. Local politicians have

described the move by Avana as utterly devastating and an act of

ingratitude. The company said in February jobs were under threat,

after it lost a major Marks and Spencer contract. Jordan Davies

reports. Andrew has been working at the Avana

bakery in Newport for 22 years. Today he was told it is going to

close. What do you think you will do now? I will be 60 this year. Always

going to employ me? That is the thing. I view full you won't find

work? Yes. I live at in the valleys and there is nothing up there. It is

a kick in the teeth really. As workers left today, they said they

were angry but not surprised. Two months ago the bakery said many of

the jobs here were under threat. They had lost a multi-million pound

Marks Spencer K contract that accounted for 80% of its work. The

bakery 's owners began a period of consultation with staff and looked

for new customers. Now, as that period comes to an end, they have

announced the site is to shut. But union officials say they understand

the bakery is still in talks with a potential big customer. The company

is still talking to a big customer. We are hopeful that they will do

business with Avana but at this moment in time, the thing is

forthcoming and the company has made the decision to make the

announcement. I phoned the parent company today to see if they would

put anyone up for interview. They said no one would be available to

speak that sent a statement saying they fully explored all the options

available but have not been able to find a way to keep the site viable.

Avana has been making cakes for decades. Today's news was described

in the local MP is an act of ingratitude following years of fine

service. Avana have not been able to replace the massive M contract it

relied on for years. The company that owns this bakery now says it

will try and minimise the amount of compulsory redundancies before this

site closes for good this summer. Do soldiers wait longer for treatment

in Wales than elsewhere in the UK? The Welsh Government has questioned

the accuracy of the record of a meeting, in which the most senior

doctor in the armed forces raised concerns about NHS waiting times for

injured soldiers in Wales. The Ministry of Defence says the minutes

were agreed by everyone and all it wants to do is ensure consistent

treatment for soldiers across the UK. Here's our Political Editor Nick

Servini. Soldiers returning from Afghanistan

marched through the streets of Haverfordwest. Many of course come

back injured and it is their treatment in the Welsh NHS which is

at the centre of a high-profile political battle. At its heart is

what was or was not said at a routine meeting of the UK and Welsh

Government officials on care for Armed Forces personnel. A partial

account of the meeting has been released. In it, the Armed Forces

most senior medical officer says there were personnel facing longer

waiting times in Wales than elsewhere. He also noted the example

of patients being treated quicker thanks to referrals across borders.

The Welsh Government claims the minutes released are not accurate

and it is all part of a Conservative lead political campaign to discredit

Labour 's handling of the NHS. What happened is there was a meeting in

London. Minutes were then leaked to the press by the Ministry of defence

is a way of getting back at us. We find that is professional and

unacceptable and it means that they are trying to politicise something

on a story that was the never there. One Labour MP agrees. What is

interesting is that no minister has got their fingerprints on this. It

is sources close to a senior military official, there is nobody

willing to stand up and say, I think this is what is happening. I think

this is a ministry of dirty tricks. The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond

says he will support the Surgeon General if he has concerns about

waiting times in Wales. The Conservatives say action needs to be

taken. It is not good enough for my constituents, it is certainly not

good enough for the Army, but over and above all, it undermines the

military. They have the right to deserve prompt and efficient

treatment, amongst the best in the world. That is sadly not happening

in Wales. It is a scandal. The state of the NHS is always an emotive

subject. The treatment of soldiers makes it even more so. Nick Servini

joins us now. So, Nick, is the Welsh Government right to say it's

politically motivated and there's no foundation to these claims?

It is certainly true to say that it is being used by their political

opponents. I guess the question is, pardon the pun, whether the Welsh

Government is giving them the ammunition. I think the Welsh

Government to have a point when they say there are no concrete examples

of Welsh soldiers who have been injured in service overseas waiting

for treatment. And they also have a point when they say this is just one

extract of what was presumably a long and detailed meeting. But at

the same time, the Ministry of Defence officials say the minute was

agreed by everyone there and they also make the point that the UK

Government was responding to a Freedom of information request.

There does appear to be a bit of a pattern. I am sure that many people

will be aware that we are talking about disputes in terms of health

but also in terms of transport, all sorts of projects, and there seems

to be a reluctance or an inability to resolve many issues to be hanged

the scenes. -- behind the scenes. The widow of a man, who died in the

Hillsborough disaster, has told an inquest jury how he dreamt of being

the best daddy ever. 25-year-old Steven Brown, from Holt, near

Wrexham, died when his wife was six months pregnant with their daughter.

Sarah Brown, on the left, told the hearing in Warrington of the void he

had left in their lives. A council officer has told a court

he wanted the Gleision mine, where four men died in September 2011,

closed down. Alan Rees who works at Neath Port Talbot Council says he

reported concerns twice in 2009 and March 2011 and enforcement action

was considered. Manager Malcolm Fyfield denies manslaughter through

gross negligence, while the mine's operators deny corporate

manslaughter. The First Minister has visited Murco

Oil refinery in Milford Haven to discuss options for keeping hundreds

of jobs at the site. The oil refinery faces closure with the

threat of up to 400 job losses after talks broke down with a potential

buyer. The owners, Murphy Oil, entered into consultation with staff

last week after a private equity firm pulled out of a possible

buyout. Work has begun in St Asaph to build

temporary flood barriers that can be put in place quickly when there is a

risk of flooding. One person died and 400 homes were evacuated, when

the River Elwy burst its banks there two years ago.

Our economy could suffer unless we produce more engineers. The Royal

Academy of Engineers says, we need at least an extra 2,500 more

graduates for so-called STEM subjects every year. Today, an event

has been held in Newport to try and encourage children to take up

subjects like science and maths. Here's our education Correspondent,

Arwyn Jones. Blink and you will miss it. These

drag racing cars have been designed and built by primary school children

across South Wales. Secondary schools have had challenges set to

them by local businesses. A have all had to use STEM subjects to solve

problems. They say the education of today is the economy of tomorrow.

Judging by today's competitors, the STEM subjects in Wales are in pretty

safe hands. At the challenges to turn the enthusiasm of an NZ like

this into bums on seats. There is a big shortage of girls studying these

courses. Some schools find it easier than

others. To -- I have a bit of an idea about what is behind it.

I just love hands-on projects. I think that is what engineering is

all about. People might say, I will try medicine, law, but it will not

say they will try this because it is male dominated. She knows what it is

like to break into a profession. Last year Jessica Jones became the

first woman to win the UK engineer of the year competition. She could

have gone down a very different path.

When I was 15, I saw the careers adviser and said I wanted to be a

software engineer and they told me to go and be a journalist. I think

it was just that they did not have that knowledge of what engineering

was like and they did not think I would not want to be in dirty

overalls. We need better careers advice. We need more of these

youngsters to get into STEM subjects.

Many of our engineers are retiring. Coupled with an increase in demand,

we need more graduates every year. It could be very serious. We are in

this global market now for skills. And with increasing global

manufacturing supply chains. It is a very real threat to the UK economy.

Our universities are stepping up to the mark. At Swansea, the new campus

is focused largely on engineering. He saw that the demand was there.

Demand for engineers held up through the recession. We would expect to

see a huge increase in demand. There is massive opportunities for young

people now. We clearly need to ensure a healthy supply of

engineering graduates and if we can get that right, it really could help

our economy to take off. Much more to come before 7pm.

A hammering, is that the e-mail in the Coffin for Cardiff City? The

manager says they need a miracle now -- the mailing the Coffin.

And the Welsh film director who wowed audiences around the world

with his movie The Raid returns with the sequel.

Your home could get a water meter, if you haven't already got one,

under Welsh Government plans. On average we use 50% more water per

person than we did 25 years ago and as the population grows, supplies

are under increasing pressure. Amid concerns about climate change, the

Government says, it's important to manage our water for the future.

Cemlyn Davies reports. It is one thing we seem to have

plenty of in this country. But the Welsh Government Cesar water must be

carefully managed so our long-term domestic needs can be met. And that

is why the natural resources Minister has launched a consultation

on how best to manage Wales is water. Alun Davies unveiled the

plans at a school in Llanelli. It already has its own sustainable

water management scheme to reduce the risk of flooding. We have all

seen the impact of flooding and high rainfall over the last few weeks and

months. We know this will happen more in the future than it has

happened in the past. That means we need to be smarter in the way we

manage water. This is the governments vision, the

playground at this school has been transformed to accommodate a

specially designed drainage system which gathers and absorbs water,

preventing it from simply running off the schoolyard and the sewer

network. We have an underground reservoir in

the car parked and various other small reservoirs that are holding

water. So far, we have managed to reduce the amount of water to 5000

cubic metres already from 10,000. At the heart of the government 's water

strategy is a proposal to have a meter in every home.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water says it has some 800,000 unmetered customers.

Like all houses built in the last 14 years, this couple 's home does have

a water meter. I think you are a bit more conscious about using water.

You do not leave the tap running, you switch it off. And in terms of

your bills, do you find you are spending less? I think so, yes.

The committee says it was ensure those on lowering cows would not

face higher bills as it tries to encourage us not to waste our most

valuable resource -- lower incomes. The judge has begun summing up in

the trial of the former shadow Welsh Secretary Nigel Evans. Earlier the

jury heard the Swansea born MPs defence team deliver its closing

argument. Mr Evans denies nine charges including rape and sexual

assault. Matthew Richards is at Preston law courts. What were the

jury told today? Nigel Evans 's defence barrister

started off the day by saying he felt there were inconsistencies in

some of the testimonies from the alleged it -- victims. There are

seven men and most of them knew Nigel Evans. The allegation stretch

over a period of ten years. Regarding the rape allegation, the

defence said the man picking that allegation had consensual relations

with Nigel Evans and had regretted it afterwards. He also said he had

changed his story between talking to the police and giving evidence in

court. He said as far as the other indecent assaults were concerned,

these men were not victims of crime, they were victims of

overfamiliarity. The judge started his summing up and he will continue

the bulk of that tomorrow. It's one of the world's biggest

economies, but Wales is behind other parts of the UK in trading with

Brazil. The Brazilian ambassador was visiting Cardiff to encourage

companies here to do business with his country, which is hosting the

World Cup this summer. Here's our business correspondent, Brian

Meechan. A population of over 200 million and

a growing economy, Brazil is an increasingly important player on the

world stage. There was more than ?500 million British trade over the

recent three-month period but only 18 million of that came from Wales.

It is a market that companies are trying to break into. This company

Manufacturer 's products including wallets that keep medicines call.

They have two evaluate the product, it has to fit into a specific class

of medical products, which range between up to four years for

registration, but luckily we fit into the lower category.

It has only taken about eight months. Exporting to Brazil can be

challenging, according to this business, which sells beer across

the world. But it is worth pursuing. The economy has been growing

significantly over the last 15 years and what that has created is a

very... Emerging and aspirational middle-class who are increasingly

looking for premium imported brands. The Brazilian ambassador

came to the Cardiff business club to talk about the opportunities

available. Some firms mentioned language and time zones as

difficulties with entering the market. The ambassador told us that

the doors are open for business. Energy consumption is growing

significantly. Education requirements are very big. Health,

there is a big health programme in Brazil. An enormous opportunity for

those to invest. And other sectors that can be very attractive as well.

Brazil is synonymous with football and December it hosts the World Cup.

A further chance for businesses to make inroads into the market.

Increasing exports to emerging economies like Brazil could

potentially have a major impact on Wales, more jobs and prospective

being up for grabs. Sport in a minute first let me tell

you about tomorrow's programme. Offa's Dyke stretches from Chepstow

to Prestatyn - the one time boundary between Wales and the Saxon kingdom

of Mercia. But now there's evidence it may be 200 years older than

previously thought and may not have been built by King Offa at all. More

tomorrow at 6:30pm. Back to tonight and Claire with the

sport. Good evening. Cardiff City's manager and captain

admit they now need a miracle to avoid relegation from the Premier

League. Have a look at how things stand. The 3-0 defeat to Crystal

Palace leaves them in deep trouble - six points from safety.

Swansea City are still not out of danger. Their 1-0 defeat to Hull

leaves them only six points clear of the drop. And worth noting Cardiff

will go bottom tonight, if Sunderland get any points at

Tottenham. There are five games left.

I'm now joined by our football correspondent, Rob Phillips. Let's

start with Cardiff. They are talking about miracles. You watched them

Saturday. Is it all over? You would have to say not just the

result but the actual performance on Saturday was so bad that a miracle

is probably definitely what they need. I do not think a manager has

ever spoken a truer word. 15 points to be played for but they will not

give up but at the end, I was running out of words to describe

just how bad it was. Crystal Palace looked just more organised. Cardiff

looked almost shambolic. When the second goal went in, the writing was

on the wall and maybe that was the mailing the Coffin. We can have a

look at the running. Five games left. They could go to an tonight

without playing. Yes, just when you think things cannot go any worse.

Southampton away on Saturday is really difficult.

They have Stoke city and Chelsea at home. Maybe Cardiff can take it to

the last game, Chelsea may be going for the Premier league title? I

think the key will be the away games against Newcastle and Sunderland.

But it really looks eight ask beyond then given what they showed on

Saturday. Let's have a look at Swansea City as well. Many people

thought that they would be definitely safe by now but the

pressure is definitely on. They could have done without the defeat

on the weekend but I still think that 33 points may even now be

enough to keep them up. I think one more win will definitely do it. You

have to say that Swansea have a very small goal difference which is much

better than any of those around them. The single figure goal

difference is almost worth another point to them. I think Swansea

City, it may be a squeak, but I think they will be fine. I expect

them to pick up more than enough points in the remaining games. Let's

have a look at their remaining fixtures. It is a big win on Sunday.

Chelsea. That is a worrying one. But

Newcastle away, they are in freefall at the moment. Aston Villa and

Southampton at home. You would expect Swansea to pick up something

in at least one of those games. I do not see it going to the last game

for Swansea City. But then again, there have been so many twists and

turns this season. We have run out of time but there is printable

football tonight. Yes, on Radio Wales. -- plenty more

foot all tonight. Just three months before the

Commonwealth Games, triathlete Helen Jenkins has made an impressive

return to top-flight racing. The former World Champion from Bridgend

finished third at the World Series event in Auckland. It was her first

major race since the London Olympics, where she was struggling

with an injury that went undiagnosed for a year.

I am so happy. I have been picking up the training gradually and I have

had such a great team around me. To be honest, I did not expect to get

on the podium but I am so happy to be here.

Nice to see her. Cricket and less than 13 overs were possible in

Glamorgan 's match against Surrey. They still managed to take a couple

of wickets. He's the Welsh film director making

waves in the world of action films. Gareth Evans from Hirwaun is about

to release a sequel to his critical and commercial success The Raid.

Filmed in Indonesia, the high speed stunts and inventive action helped

that film find an audience across the world. Sachin Krishnan reports.

My name is Gareth Evans and they make Indonesian people beat each

other up for a living. There is more to Gareth Evans than just that. The

director from Wales has been described as the best action

director currently working. The Raid II is the sequel to the film that

made his name. Despite many other offers, he said he was not tempted

to put the film on the back burner. I wanted to make this more than

anything else. It would have to be something ridiculously special

foreword to give up this one. Once we knew we could make this one, it

was the meeting I wanted to do. After struggling to make an impact

in the UK, his film-making career took off after a move to Indonesia,

where he has now settled with a family.

It is where my career took off. If I'm able to pop into different

countries and make films back and forth, I will be a happy man. The

Raid was a critical and commercial hit across the world. The

anticipation for this newest instalment was evident adding a

bratpack screenings in London. -- at a number of packed screenings. It is

such a different style, it stands out.

It is so different. The action itself is unique. It has these

little quirks to it. Despite the claim, it is still to

home that Gareth Evans often turns for advice. His love of film was

fostered watching films with his father.

Yes, he is very happy. Both my parents are very proud of me. Like

its predecessor, The Raid II will not be for everyone but it is

another example of a unique film making talent continuing to make his

mark. The perennial favourite, the

weather, starring Derek next tonight. What have you got for us?

Good news. I think we've seen the worst of the rain for a while. The

next few days are looking much drier. Some sunshine. Not that warm,

though with a cool breeze and a few chilly nights. The radar shows

today's rain moving north and east across the country. Some heavy rain

too clearing later in the afternoon. So brighter this evening but with

scattered heavy showers. Most places dry after midnight. Breezy,

especially on the coast and a colder night than recently. Temperatures in

Mid Wales dropping as low as three Celsius. Tomorrow's chart shows high

pressure over the Bay of Biscay. These fronts over the Atlantic will

bring rain to western Scotland late in the day. So here's the picture

for eight in the morning. Much better than today. Most of the

country dry with just the odd light shower. Breezy and feeling fresh,

especially on the coast. A brisk wind on Anglesey and the Lleyn

Peninsula. So better weather tomorrow with pressure rising. You

may catch a shower otherwise dry with broken cloud and sunny spells.

Temperatures nothing special. Ten to 12 Celsius and breezy but out of the

wind and in the sunshine it will feel pleasant. In Rhondda Cynon Taf,

dry tomorrow with a mixture of clouds and sunshine. A cool breeze

with a high of nine Celsius in Ferndale. In Denbighshire. Nicer

than today. Drier with sunny spells. Breezy on the coast and hills. A

fresh ten Celsius in Ruthin. Tomorrow evening dry. Staying dry

overnight. The wind easing with some low cloud forming. On Wednesday more

cloud than sunshine but mostly dry. Just one or two showers breaking

out. The wind lighter so feeling a bit milder. More dry weather on

Thursday as well but a weak front may bring a few spots of light rain,

mainly to the north. Friday dry. At the moment, most of Saturday should

be dry as well thanks to high pressure. So more dry than wet over

the next few days. Our picture tonight is from Richard

Walliker. Sunshine in Gwaenysgor near Rhyl. Thanks, Richard. Enjoy

the dry weather tomorrow. The headlines again from BBC:

journalist and presenter Peaches Geldof has died at the age of 25.

Kent police are treating her death is unexplained and sudden. The

athlete Oscar Pistorius has apologised to the family of his

girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, for killing her. Giving evidence for the

first time at his murder trial in South Africa, he broke down, saying,

he couldn't imagine the pain he had caused her family. He denies murder

and says he mistook her for an intruder.

I'll have an update for you at 8pm and again after the BBC News at Ten.

That's Wales Today. Thank you for watching. From all of us on the

programme, good evening.