15/07/2014 BBC Wales Today

Stephen Crabb becomes the new Secretary of State for Wales

saying he'll work to ensure the country is at the forefront

thank you very much. I'm looking forward to getting on with the job

with the job right now.

Brought up by a single parent on this council estate, he's a keen

Tonight we'll be talking to him, finding out what he plans to do

A former youth worker jailed for child sex offences.

Pembrokeshire council is accused of not doing enough to stop him.

There were so many good, hard-working, professional people

I cannot understand why we weren't listened to.

Could space tourists soon be lifting off from Llanbedr?

These children are healthy but a report says too many pregnant

women are putting their babies lives at risk.

I did feel very guilty smoking whilst pregnant,

As big a major blow ahead of the Commonwealth Games for the Welsh

team. Helen Jenkins is forced to withdraw because of injury.

Stephen Crabb is the new Secretary of State for Wales.

Mr Crabb, who's the MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire,

takes over from David Jones, who was sacked in a wide-ranging reshuffle

We'll be speaking live to the new Welsh Secretary shortly.

But first our parliamentary correspondent David Cornock has been

following all the developments and joins us now from Westminster.

His job is to be the voice of Wales in the UK Government and the voice

of the UK Government in Wales. In a moment, he will tell me how he will

use that the voice but first, a look at what today's reshuffle means for

Wales. Stephen Crabb knew

his summons to Downing Street this He emerged half

an hour later to tell the waiting cameras he was delighted to be David

Cameron's new Welsh Secretary. He's 41,

married with a son and daughter. He was born in Inverness but he

and his two brothers were raised by their single mother in

a council house in Haverfordwest. He went to school there too

before Bristol University And he's quite the sportsman,

running the London Marathon three times and playing rugby

for the parliamentary team. He's also been co-steering across

the Pembroke should coast. His background is unusual for a

His background is unusual for a Conservative MP.

Some busineses in Pembrokeshire think that's a bonus.

I think it's important and it gives credibility because a key aspect of

his role is to improve relations for the Welsh Assembly government, to

ensure that they work together as effectively as possible to make sure

that more happens at the coal face, rather than gets lost in the

lost in the process.

Under his predecessor David Jones, there were tensions between

the coalition at Westminster and the Labour government in Cardiff.

But at question time in the senedd, the First Minister gave

the impression he could do business with the new Secretary of State.

We do very much welcome a new approach, a new attitude. I do have

two say that I know my colleagues have dealt with the new Secretary of

State in the past and found him to be pragmatic and reasonable.

Mr Crabb's old job as a junior Wales Office minister will be filled

by the Welsh-speaking Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns.

Promotion for him but it does mean the Wales Office no

longer has a North Wales MP in its ministerial team.

Your predecessor fell at the Welsh Labour government and Welsh

Conservatives, you have got some pretty big bridges to build, haven't

you? I am clear the job of secretary of state for Wales is to work

positively and constructively with government departments here in

London but also across the devolution divide in Cardiff and I

have been doing the junior Wales Office job, I've enjoyed

constructive racial ships with ministers in the Welsh government

and look forward to continuing that in this new role of Secretary of

State. After devolution, the Welsh Secretary's job is somewhat

meaningless. Those are your own words. You are dragging up an

article from years ago, seven years ago. Written at a time when Labour

governments had reduced the job of Secretary of State for Wales to less

than a part-time job. This government, David Cameron, has

reinvigorated the office and the Department of the Welsh office. He

is very clear the Wales Office should be playing in economic role,

helping to bring in new infrastructure into Wales, attract

new business investment into Wales and that's I hope to continue. At

that time, you argued for the Welsh job to be merged with Scottish and

Northern Irish counterparts. What was it about the Prime Minister's

generous offer which changed your mind? What the government has done

in the last four years is restore the status of the Wales Office and

the position of Secretary of State, so it can play constructive pivotal

role in the devolution settlement but also, working with government

departments here and across Cardiff with Welsh government, to see big

projects like the new nuclear power station in Anglesey, the new prison

in North Wales, tangible achievements which has been achieved

partly because of the existence and proactive approach of the Wales

Office. One point of trivia to finish on. You are the first

Conservative minister with a beard for more than 100 years. I didn't

know those facts from history for that one of my colleagues said today

he thought a Cabinet member in the 1980s came back from a summer

holidays with a beard but didn't last 24-hour was. You have your

place in the history books. If you're wondering about Cabinet

minister was in 1905, it was the fourth Earl of Onslow. You will

thank me when you win that pub quiz. We definitely will, David, thank you

very much indeed. The Children's Commissioner

for Wales has told the BBC that he is going to investigate the way in

which Pembrokeshire County Council dealt with allegations against

former council youth worker Mik Smith, who was recently jailed for

six years for child sex offences. BBC Wales's Week In Week Out

programme tonight investigates the way in which the council dealt

with complaints about Smith, and asks if more could have been

done to prevent his abuse. For years he held a position

of trust with children. Mick Smith, senior youth worker

in Pembrokeshire, A man who, when he was sent to

prison for abusing an eight-year-old boy, was described by the judge

as one who had been warned several The boy's mother, whose identity is

disguised for legal reasons, says the chief executive of Pembrokeshire

Council should resign because Smith As far as I can see, if people had

taken the time and the care to do their jobs properly, what we've been

through may have been avoided. In 2005, Smith was investigated

by the council and police, when seven of his colleagues said they

were concerned about his behaviour. Six out of 11 allegations

against him were upheld but Smith was allowed to stay

in his job with a verbal warning. One of Smith's colleagues turned

whistleblower over the affair, says There were so many good,

hard-working, professional people I cannot understand why

we weren't listened to. The Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire

County council is Bryn Parry Jones. He told us the 2005 enquiry found no

grounds for criminal charges, but he accepts there were failings and that

all the senior officials responsible Smith was only dismissed after

a report by the Social Services Inspectorate that called for his

case and 25 others to be reviewed. The Children's Commissioner

for Wales says he wants to examine I'll take a look at it because I

think what you're raising there are very serious allegations that

probably need If I take

the view that things happened to children in the past could help to

improve the lives of children today then I certainly have powers

of remit to take a look at it. Mick Smith has now begun

a six-year prison sentence. The council has written to 150

families to ask if they have concerns about how he might have

behaved with their children. One of the most prominent Welsh

poets has died. He won the Eisteddfod three times. He was known

for his hard-hitting political poems. He also chaired the Welsh

language poetry writing competition. Paying tribute, this

poet said the nation has lost a giant of literature.

An inquest into the death of a five-day-old baby at

Swansea's Singleton Hospital has been told strict hygiene rules were

Hope Erin Evans from Aberdare was one of two babies who died at the

The inquest heard Hope's mother complained after finding a discarded

Four of Wales' leading business organisations have written

an open letter to the Transport Minister calling for a quick

A consultation document was published last September.

The business bodies want Edwina Hart to push forward with

the ?1 billion project around Newport without delay.

Flying to space could become a reality soon as an airfield

in Wales is one of eight sites shortlisted as a base

Llanbedr Airport is the only site in Wales and is currently closed.

The announcement was made by the UK Government at the

Here's our business correspondent Brian Meechan.

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction but Llanbedr could

be on its way to being the Centre for European space travel by 2018.

Commercial space already become a reality with virgin offering its

first paying passenger space flights this year. But what do locals make

the plans? Absolutely fantastic, good for the economy. It's what has

been needed since the airfield closed some years ago. This former

worker at the airfield seller will be a boost to the jobs in the

community. We desperately need the work here. Kids leaving school,

nothing to go to, but work like that will be a great help to the area.

With a knock-on effect for local economy. I can't imagine, sort of,

you know, seeing people arriving for space shuttle landings any time soon

but will be great if something happens, definitely. Been able to

watch satellite launched will be fantastic. The airfield ticks a lot

of boxes which are required from the spaceport. Low population levels,

accessible by land and sea and causing little disruption to other

areas. It will bring a certain amount of wealth creation to the

local area and as things start to develop, we will look to move to a

full operational capability in two or three year's time and it will

bring a significant number of jobs and new developments on the

airfield. It's an industry of growing importance. With over ?11

billion to the UK economy every year. And it supports nearly 35,000

skilled and well paid jobs. We may be thinking of conventional aircraft

like these for our holiday flights and space travel might be out of the

price range of most of us, but it is the future. The question is whether

it's a future based at Llanbedr. I think a decision will be made on

this. We can offer everything required and obviously they do short

list, as part of a competition, but we have a good case to make as why

it should be Llanbedr. Wales has a thriving aerospace industry.

Llanbedr is up against six sites in Scotland and with an independent

referendum looming, that could lead Llanbedr's ambitions grounded.

A marine taking part in a special forces training exercise

died after falling more than 100 feet down a gorge in Snowdonia.

An inquest into the death of Ashley Hicks, from Solihull in the

West Midlands, heard from colleagues who described how he slipped

25-year-old Ashley Hicks was described

as an exceptionally capable and well motivated soldier who was

taking part in a selection exercise for the elite special forces.

In October 2012, he and five colleagues were part of

a unit dropped near Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd and told to evade a hunter

They chose a route which contained a steep 100 foot

deep gorge which wasn't identified on the basic maps they were given.

The team of six Marines, with Ashley Hicks in front, were

making their way in the dark around the edge of Trawsfynydd Lake.

They were heading to a rendezvous point further north.

When they reached a dry stone wall, Ashley Hicks climbed over it.

He told his colleagues, "It's steep here, watch your footing."

Three of Marine Hicks' former colleagues

who have since become members of the special forces gave evidence

Referred to only as Soldiers A, B and E, they described how he was

found at the bottom of the gorge with serious injuries.

He stopped breathing and Soldier A tried to resuscitate him,

but he failed to regain conciousness before an RAF rescue helicopter

The variety of remote and rugged terrain here makes Wales a popular

location for the armed forces to put recruits through their paces.

Three soldiers died on one of the hottest of days

of last summer whilst also taking part in special forces selection

Ashley Hicks' inquest in caernarfon will continue tomorrow.

And emotional evening for Christian Malcolm, who picked up his first

medal for Wales back in 1998. Now he is preparing to race for the last

time on home soil. People who smoke in cars with

children in them could face penalty points and a fine under plans for

a new law by the Welsh Government. It's hoped it will have

a huge impact in reducing harm But are we doing enough to reduce

other health risks in childhood? A report out today suggests children

in our most deprived communities are twice as likely to die

in any one year those born Our health correspondent

Owain Clarke has more. It's one of

the most important responsibilities of any government, how to make sure

the youngest in society get And how do you protect them

from risks when they are too young The Welsh government wanted

for a long time to reduce children's exposure to second-hand

smoke in cars. And it's had some success with

exposure rates halving from 18% But after a recent Westminster vote,

which gave the Welsh government extra powers, the health minister

confirmed plans to go further. There are still about a quarter

of the population who go on smoking We're going to move ahead in Wales

with a ban on smoking There are moves to introduce similar

bans elsewhere in the UK but in a new report, the Royal College

of paediatrics and child health says it is also concerned

about the risks of smoking on In 2010, a higher proportion

of pregnant women smoked in Wales And it's a particular problem

in less well-off communities. So why, then, when the dangers are

so well known, do some expectant I had other children and they are

quite stressful so I carried on smoking, but there was nothing

wrong with my children or anything. I've smoked

since a very young age and found it I did feel very guilty

smoking whilst pregnant. So

the Royal College wants to see new smoking reduction targets set for

every stage of pregnancy by 2015. It is also calling

for targeted support to reduce smoking in family homes which can

increase the risk of cot deaths. And for older children it's calling

for better care for asthma, epilepsy Smoking cessation

in England has had greater investment and I think the rates

of smoking cessation in England has fallen at a greater proportion to

Wales and is a reflection of the Overall, the report concludes

the NHS here can boast some of the best doctors, and medical equipment

anywhere and the Welsh government says it is committed to reducing

avoidable child death but this still, it seems, much more to do

to offer children, wherever they are born in Wales, the best

possible chance of a healthy life. In total, there are ten proposed

laws covering areas like public health, education and planning

systems. Wales has been making money at the Royal Mint for decades. And

now it's going to have its own means to raise money as well with the

Treasury, as the National Assembly gets tax varying and borrowing

powers for the first time. A new Treasury has been included in the

West government's law making plans for the next year. This is a

historic time for Wales, the first piece of tax legislation the

assembly has had to consider and it will pave the way for the

replacement of stamp duty land tax and landfill tax with new devolved

Welsh taxes from 2018. One of the questions is whether a new Treasury

at a place like this, the Welsh government offices in the centre of

Cardiff, will come to resemble a kind of powerful Treasury we see at

Westminster, which not only sets tax rates, but also tightly controls the

purse strings of all the other government departments like health

and education. The Economist here wrote a report recommending tax and

borrowing powers devolved and says they could be tensions between a new

Treasury and other government departments. The Welsh government

has a tradition of a lot of discretion for individual ministers

and I think many of them would be uneasy about having a stronger

Treasury looking at their investment decisions and subjecting them to

scrutiny and making them present more detailed business cases and

things like that, so I think there's probably a splitter there. The new

programme is not just about the Treasury. There are plans to ban

e-cigarettes in public places. Local government legislation is pave the

way for councils to merge voluntarily and the law to create a

new body to regulate exams. When this government's term comes to an

end, it would've been the first lawmaking powers. What it has done

with those powers is likely the former big part of how we judge it.

With just a over a week to go before the start of the Commonwealth Games

almost all of Wales' athletics team are competing tonight for the last

But for one of our best sprinters, tonight's meeting could be

Tomos Dafydd is at the Welsh Athletics International

Helen Jenkins has been forced to withdraw because of an injury. A big

blow for team Wales because she was one of the real medal hopes and

pulled out during an event at the weekend. A precaution, we were told

but tonight, the news of this horrific injury. She said tonight

she's obviously devastated and looking forward to racing a tough

honest triathlon course in Strathclyde and such is almost

certain she won't be racing again this season. That get the reaction

of team Wales captain Aled Sion Davies. A big blow for you? Yes, it

is sad. Injuries are an occupational hazard. Myself and the rest of the

team wish her all the best. We hope she has a speedy recovery. The third

high-profile athlete to withdraw. The medal target, should be revised?

Is it still achievable, 27 medals? I totally believe it is achievable. We

have a lot of up-and-coming stars in the team and there's a lot of

athletes going to Glasgow and this is their chance to shine. We will

talk again over the next fortnight and all the best. I said Elliott was

going to be an emotional night light for this man, Christian Malcolm,

racing for the last time on home soil. Tell us your position. Is this

retirement tonight? Not quite. It's definitely my last time running in

Wales sevens emotional for me. I just want to get on with it and get

it over and done with. You picked up your first Commonwealth medal for

Wales back in 1988. Assess for us the importance of the Commonwealth

Games to developing young athletes. It's massively important. It's a big

championships, not as big as the Olympic Games and not so many

companies, but it's a great stepping stone for youngsters to go in there

and really put themselves on a global stage and say they could be a

world-class athlete. So with a great event. All the best tonight. Thank

you very much indeed. Let me bring you up to date with some football

news because it's a big night for the second qualifying round of the

Champions League. T M S are up against slave and butter slaver and

at half-time, it is 0-0. The goalkeeper is busy -- Bratislava.

Cricket, and Glamorgan can take a big step towards qualifying for the

They are playing against Sussex at Hove.

Christian Malcolm's final race is at 8.00pm.

Sue Charles has the weather forecast for us.

The weather will turn more dramatic by the end of the week. Tomorrow,

warm but cloudier. Some rain in the forecast. Sunny spells, especially

further east, but overnight, more cloud making its way from the West.

Mr and fog patches. Coastal showers but for most of us, a dry and mild

night, 11-16. We start to see high pressure building from the south

tomorrow but this front of the north-west of Wales will pushing

through the day so tomorrow, dry sunny spells to start. And then

turning increasingly cloudy from the north-west with spots of drizzle,

light rain, but fairly patchy in nature and, despite the cloud,

warming up tomorrow. 18 Celsius in Pembrokeshire, 21 in Powys. Tomorrow

evening, declare Southeast would serve any rain easing off, drying up

overnight, but remaining cloudy with mist and fog patches developing.

Thursday is looking warmer, still. Early cloud clearing to leave a fine

and sunny day. An outside chance of an isolated shower, but with a light

wind, starting to feel quite hot, temperatures up to the mid 20s. 24 -

25 possible. Later in the week, humid air from Spain, hot sunny

spells, but it is unstable. A greater chance of a thundery

breakdown. The potential for some torrential downpours from death on

Friday and Saturday. Our warm end to the week. Temperatures in the

mid-20s, possibly the high 20s. The heat could trigger thundershowers

and looking less humid and fresher as we head into Sunday. Today's

picture is looking at the clouds gathering over Cardigan Bay. We can

see a few storm clouds gathering later this week. You can send your

photos by twitter or e-mail. Thank you very much indeed. It's been a

day of ministerial movement across the UK Government including Stephen

Crabb becoming the new Secretary of State for Wales. He takes over from

David Jones who was sacked last night. He told this programme is

looking forward to the challenge. I am clever job of Secretary of state

for Wales as to the positively and constructively with government

departments in London but also across the devolution divide with

the Welsh government in Cardiff and over the last two years, I have been

doing the junior job and enjoyed constructive relationships and I

look forward to continuing that in my new role as Secretary of State.

That is Wales today. An update for you at eight p.m.. More after the

News at ten. Thank you for your company. Have a good evening. Bye

bye.