24/07/2014 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story: ?30 million

of pay-offs - Welsh councils have spent nearly twice as much

on making staff redundant as they did last year. Also tonight:

a new controversy over the M4 relief road. Government

consultations won't be made public. He wanted to traffic cocaine

into North Wales. The drugs dealer on the run for

four years jailed.

Good Evening from Glasgow - no medals yet on day one for Wales

- but there's still time! Jazz Carlin goes in the pool -

she makes the final in her least favourite event -

and last night she carried the flag for Wales can Frankie Jones and her

team-mates get on the podium? a new controversy over

the M4 relief road. Government He wanted to traffic cocaine

into North Wales. The drugs dealer on the run for

four years Good Evening from Glasgow -

no medals yet on day one for Wales Jazz Carlin goes in the pool -

she makes the final in her least favourite event -

and last night she carried the flag for Wales. Can Frankie Jones and her

team-mates get on the podium? shedding thousands of staff. Now for

the first time, we know how that it is all costing in redundancy

payments. Figures obtained by BBC Wales showed the amount authorities

are spending has nearly doubled. Last year the bill was more than ?30

million. There are also big variations between councils.

This is the second smallest council in Wales, but the second biggest

payer when it comes to redundancy cheques. The council is reduced

staff here by more than many others, around 400, and it has cost more

than ?7 million over three years. Figures we have obtained show ?70

million was spent by councils across Wales two years ago. By last year

this had almost doubled to more than ?30 million. We estimate that in

that time the workforce has been cut by around 2500. The Welsh Local

Government Association say councils are the poor relations when it comes

to be redundancy payments, with others in the public sector getting

far higher packages, and it says the payments save money in the long run.

It is necessary because the budgets are being cut. Up to 2018, it is

about 900 million that will have been cut from local Government

budgets. One of the only ways that authorities can manage this is to

shed jobs. And there are huge differences depending where you are.

Over the past three years, carefully, next door, spent

?170,000. While Cardiff spent ?16 million. Powys spent ?5 million and

Wrexham ?800,000. During the time of plenty, the cost of redundancy is

less of an issue. But not when things are tight. This leisure

centre has been closed as part of a saving plan. The year before, the

very same amount, ?2.6 million, was used for what it calls exit

packages. Within that, ?1.6 million was used for just 25 people, and

half ?1 million was used for four senior managers. The council says it

has been forced to take these measures because of unprecedented

budget cuts. People will be concerned because the figure has

doubled over the last 12 months but what a lot of people get anxious

about is when they see people receiving a big golden handshake for

redundancies and then a few months later go back into the same local

authority or a neighbouring one and doing the same work. There are

legitimate questions how local authorities are spending taxpayers'

money to make people redundant. So was that view shared on the streets?

All they do is put taxes upon the rest of the people. It has all come

down two jobs are paid less than they used to be, so when it comes to

redundancy payment they are entitled to that money because that is what

they were employed as. It will become even more topical if local

Government reorganisation happens and many more senior managers are

given payoffs. How much they will get will come under intense

scrutiny. The Welsh Government has been

strongly criticised for its refusal to publish document outlining

conclusions of its consultation on the new M4 relief road. The paper

was approved by Cabinet last week, two days before the Transport

Minister announced her decision to give the new motorway to the South

of Newport the go-ahead. Our political report is here. Even more

controversy. Yes, this will be the Welsh Government's single weakest

capital spend since devolution, with a price tag at estimated at around

?1 million. When Edwina Hart gave it the go-ahead last week there was a

lot of opposition, on cost grounds, on the environmental impact, and

also on the way the decision was taken, announced in assembly the day

before the end of term and a week before the committee published a

report on this very topic. The Minister for her part was clear that

this was the right decision and she was taking it at this point because

she was getting on with governing. What has been said today? It is

about transparency. The paper was put forward clue summing up the

conclusions of the public consultation. Now an overview of

that meeting and documents like this are published on the Welsh

Government website but today we have learned that with this document it

will not be the case. The Government has decided it will be exempt from

disclosure so it will not go up on the website when it would have done.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats, for one, have reacted angrily. Here is

what they have to say. It is appalling that a consultation that

was held to allow the public to contribute to a public debate has

been covered up in this way. It ought to be, open and transparent

governance. The Government has not told us is

the fact reasoning for non-disclosure here. As for the

project, Edwina Hart said last week she expects legal challenge. I have

spoken to one environmental group currently consulting with lawyers on

this. They expect to make a decision on whether to take this first step

toward legal action at some point in the next few weeks.

Thank you. A woman who stabbed a businessman

in the neck in his car has been Swansea Crown Court heard that

Katie Jenkins killed Richard Craddock in Gowerton last

year, after he gave her a lift. She had been on trial

for his murder but later admitted 78 jobs are to cope with the closure

of Unipart Automotive in many parts of Wales. Nine stores will close,

though the come off and branch has been bought by another company.

The jury in the Alfie Sullock murder trial have been sent home for the

night and will resume their deliberations tomorrow. The

six-month-old baby died in Merthyr Tydfil last October. His mother's

boyfriend Michael Peers denies murder and an alternative charge of

manslaughter. A journalist from Marshgate he used

to work at the Sunday Mirror and the News Of The World has received a

suspended jail sentence after admitting phone hacking. -- from

Ruthin. A surgeon who failed to tackle

internal bleeding quickly enough in a patient who later died has been

placed under supervision for a year. The Henrik ship businessman Malcolm

Green suffered convocations after an operation for bowel cancer in

Haverfordwest. Hywel Dda health board have already admitted failings

in his care. 82-year-old Malcolm Green had been

in good health. Seen here receiving an MBE from the Queen in 2011. But

following year, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and to June 2012,

he went into hospital for a routine operation remove it. Early the next

morning, there were signs something was wrong. It was later discovered

he was bleeding internally, but a second operation to correct that did

not take place until 1pm in the afternoon. By then, it was too late.

Mr Green died three days later. The surgeon in charge of his care has

now been placed under supervision order on the General medical Council

-- while the General medical Council, or GMC, investigate his

case. We had understood that the GMC would be having a fitness to

practice tribunal and that would be the only action being taken place,

and I think it goes to show the catastrophic error made in June

2012. The doctor remains employed by Hywel Dda health board but the

conditions imposed by the GMC state that for the next year, he must be

supervised by unnamed consultant and his work reviewed at least once a

fortnight. Mr Green's family are correctly receiving damages against

Hywel Dda. 17 people died or drowned in

accident around the Welsh coast last year, while 65 lives were saved by

lifeboat crews and lifeguards, according to the RNLI. Earlier

today, swimmers were rescued after struggling against the tide.

Yesterday rescuers were called to 13 incidents on the North Wales coast.

Tonight, a warning to take care on the coast. The simple message is to

check tides, check the conditions, and stay within your capabilities,

whether you are surfing, swimming, walking the cliff path, going out to

causeways, just check tide and weather. A man who spent for years

on the run after being involved in a conspiracy to bring large amount of

cocaine into North Wales has been jailed.

Francis Cain from Liverpool was sentenced to nine years

for his role in the operation, which had been secretly filmed by police.

Ten fellow conspirators were jailed four years ago for a total

It was this police surveillance which helped identify the players in

a conspiracy to bring class-A drugs from Liverpool to North Wales.

At one time, cocaine with an estimated street value

of ?162,000 was recovered, along with large amounts of cash.

The notorious Denbighshire criminal John Gizzi was described as one

of the ringleaders and was jailed along with nine other men in 2010.

Posters showing their faces were put up around Denbighshire

by police to deter others from following in their footsteps.

As part of their surveillance operation, officers witnessed

John Gizzi receiving a plastic bag from 39-year-old Francis Cain

from Liverpool, who was identified as an organiser of the conspiracy.

But he fled custody in 2010 and was only recaptured earlier this year.

Mold Crown Court heard that he had previously been engaged

in serious criminal activity, had been jailed for nine years

in 2002 for conspiracy to rob, and was therefore on licence

Having evaded justice temporarily, he was jailed for nine years.

Much more to come before 7pm. Could this golf course host the sport's

most important tournament? And it has been another hot day here

at the Royal Welsh Show, but if you do not like the heat, there is a

change on the way. It has been a glorious week at the

Royal Welsh Show. Hundreds of farmers competed, many as a family

with their sons or daughters who will eventually take over the

business, but is there enough support for youngsters wanting a

future in agriculture if they have not been born into farming families?

We have been speaking to a teenager struggling to enter the industry.

Catch those two lambs and put them out. Sam Davies is 18 years old but

since a young age, he has dreamt of being a farmer. He has not grown up

in the industry, so to get experience he comes to this farm to

work as a volunteer. He does not get paid, because the business is fully

staffed with family members. I just want to get out there. I do not want

to be stuck in, doing something I'm not really enjoying in life. If I'm

outdoors, on a farm, that is perfect for me. I would love it. There are

so many sons and daughters with the experienced ready to go to work.

It's not impossible by any means. Sam has the ability to do it and

he's committed to that. He will find something, but where and which it

will be difficult to say. Sam lives in a former mining area with his

family who have no background in farming. He has been studying

agriculture at college and should now be working as a paid apprentice

on a farm, but he cannot get a placement. Unless you have got

family, then it is very very difficult to get into, and yes I

find it frustration. I want to support him as much as I can. There

was plenty of support for farmers at the Royal Welsh Show this week.

Hundreds came to showcase their animals. Many of the farmers who

come here to the Royal Welsh Show compete as a family. The livestock

owners train their sons and daughters to take over the business

in the future but many admit that without being born into the

industry, it is difficult to get a job as a farmer. You have got to own

a farm before starting because there is so much money involved. It is

unbelievable, the money for farm, over 1 million. The Welsh Government

says there is a scheme in place to help young farmers with five years

of experience, but they are working on their latest rural development

programme, which could include supporting people without

experience. Sam says he would welcome any help available but in

the meantime, you'll keep volunteering until he can get a

full-time job. Team Wales are still hopeful of a

medal on day one of the Commonwealth Games. Let's join Clare in Glasgow.

It may be approaching 7 o'clock in the evening, but there's no

winding down for Team Wales. Yes, medals could be won tonight.

Several of our swimmers are in action in the next few hours.

We'll be heading to the pool in just a moment.

And Wales are currently in the silver medal position

But there was disappointment for Wales in the velodrome today, as one

And as Ashleigh Crowter reports, our women's hockey team had one very

There is pressure on the first morning of any major event that when

the reigning monarch is in the crowd, the nerves jangle even more.

Her Majesty the Queen watched Team Wales hockey team to play a strong

side in their first qualifying match this morning, and they put one of

the tournament favourites under real pressure early on. COMMENTATOR:

Chance for Wales. But England scored a goal in each half to complete a

2-1 win. Team Wales had hoped their first medal might come in the

velodrome, where Team Wales was highly fancied. Henry, at the back,

switched sports after swimming in London 2012. But these new, all

Welsh pairing, is taking time to gel. Bedtime is not quick enough to

make the semifinal. -- their time. It has been a difficult few weeks

for the Welsh netball team. Their coach was controversially sacked six

weeks ago. Today they had the most difficult start, facing Australia,

world number one. It turned into a heavy defeat, 63-36. But at least

their toughest game is out of the way. Things were easier this morning

for Bridgend judo player did -- McDonald. His qualifying opponent

from Sierra Leone had failed to turn up. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old

was then knocked out in the quarterfinals. But this evening

there is real optimism that Wales could have at least one medal in the

bag. The rhythmic gymnastics team, led by Frankie Jones, British

champion at included, are currently lying in silver medal position in

the team final after the ball and coop competitions. And there could

be a medal at the Tollcross National swimming Centre, too. Jazz Carlin, a

double medallist in Delhi four years ago, qualified fourth fastest for

tonight's final in what she considers to be the weakest of the

three events. Rob Holderness will also go in the final of the 200

metres breaststroke. We are still hoping that medals

could be when tonight in the poor. Let's head down the river to the

swimming centre. Not her favourite event as we have been hearing, but

Jazz Carlin in with the real shot of the medal tonight?

Yes, not her favourite event but when it comes to Jazz Carlin and

swimming and Bathgate, expectations are high. -- swimming in Glasgow.

She set a personal best this morning. She is on form, but she

does treat this race as a warm up for further offence. Saying that,

she did win a silver medal in this 200 metres event in Delhi four years

ago. If she does not win a medal this evening, let's look forward to

the 800 metres freestyle race on Sunday. She is the current British

champion. In Tuesday's 400 metres she will also be amongst the

favourites. It has been a long wait for a Welsh women's gold-medal in

the swimming pool. Jazz Carlin could rewrite the history books.

Who else should we be looking out for in this important night?

The opening swimming event here, Rob Holderness in the 200 metres breast

run. He says he's confident but all eyes will on the Scottish pin-up

Michael Jamieson. He will be the favourite. Wales also have a team in

the women's relay. Plenty to look forward to here tonight.

We are keeping a close eye on that, and also on the hydrate, behind me,

which is where the final of the rhythmic gymnastics is taking place.

-- on the Hydro. Wales are currently still in seal the medal position. --

silver medal position. We'll be back in

our late bulletin tonight - fingers crossed we're bringing you news

of Wales' First Commonwealth medal. Rugby, and the Blues have confirmed

the signing of Wales qualified utility back Gareth Anscombe

from New Zealand's Waikato Chiefs. The back helped his former club win

the Super Rugby title last year. Anscombe was part of the New Zealand

under-20s side which won the jJnior World Championship three

years ago, but qualifies for Wales Football,

and Swansea City have completed the signing of Iceland international

Gylfi Sigurdsson from Tottenham - The Swans have also bought

Ecuadorian midfielder Jefferson Spanish midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo

will leave the Liberty Stadium - he's joined Rayo Vallecano

in a permanent deal. Ben Davis and Michael Vaughan signed

for Spurs last night. There has also been a departure at Cardiff City.

Fraizer Campbell has joined Crystal Palace. He scored nine goals as

Cardiff were relegated last season. He is the could rise to close to ?1

million. The veteran Welsh Golfer Ian Woosnam

says Porthcawl has given itself the best chance of hosting golf's

top tournament - the Open. The former world number one was

speaking at the Senior Open at the Team off in this competition for the

first time in Wales. Ryder Cup winning captain Montgomerie, eight

time major winner Tom Watson, just some of the famous faces at the 1st

senior Open Championship to be held here. One of the most popular

players anywhere in the world. Watson has already backed the Royal

Porthcawl club to host the open, golf's cup tournament in the future.

Now the Welsh golfing veteran agrees. The Ryder Cup was the start

of it and now we can go on. After January's storms, restoring this

coast to Championship standard has been no mean feat. It started at the

beginning of the year with the storms. Fish were washed up on to

the 3rd hole and there was a whole lot of rubbish from the sea brought

in. Huge credit to all the staff for minding a tremendous operation to

clean it all up and get it in tiptop condition. The crowds were not huge

on this, the first day, but they did come from me and far. Very

prestigious and the nice thing about it, we have a professional who we

are following who has just teed off. I would like to CD events

culminating in the Open at some point. -- to see the events. There

is a hope that this could act as a practice run for hosting the Open at

some time in the future. Those in the golfing world say that would

really put Wales on the map, not just the golf but for tourism, too.

A perfect day for golf or the Royal Welsh Show. Derek has been basking

in the sunshine. I certainly have and I'm not the

only one. Still a crowd here enjoying the evening sunshine and

the show as well. The grandstand is still quite full. The show is not

over yet. Still an hour or so to go before everyone heads back home. It

has been just as hot here today as it was yesterday, the temperature

soaring to only 26 Celsius in some areas.

Thankfully, there has been a refreshing breeze. The hotspot today

was hotter than the Algarve in Portugal. The wing will change

direction on Sunday but tomorrow is going to be a very warm day with

lots more sunshine. -- wing. The sky is mainly clear tonight. Haps the

odd mist patch forming in the valleys. A bit cooler in the

countryside where the temperature will fall as low as 13 Celsius.

Tomorrow's chart shows high pressure over Scandinavia but that will

gradually move away with a cold front heading towards us over the

weekend. Tomorrow promises to be another fine's summers day. Staying

dry. Temperatures a degree or so lower than today but still very

warm. It is the mid to high 20s Celsius with an East or

north-easterly breeze. Fine tomorrow evening, staying dry overnight. Some

high cloud spreading in from the West with temperatures by the end of

the night in the range 13 to 18 Celsius. Saturday some hazy sunshine

but turning cloudy through the day. It should stay dry but I would not

rule out the odd light shower later on. Temperatures not quite as high

but warm or very warm in the mid to late 20s Celsius with a light

breeze. Sunday, cooler and fresher. Some sunshine, one or two showers

but still a lot of dry weather. More dry weather next week but not as hot

as it has been this week. That is just about it from the Royal Welsh

Show. The weather has been fabulous for us this year. Let's hope it is

as good as this next year. The headlines: The UN Secretary

General says he is appalled by an Israeli attack on a UN shelter in

Gaza in which 15 people have been killed, including women, children

and UN staff. Over 200 people have been injured. The shelter was a UN

school being used by Gazans forced to leave their home due to fighting.

BBC Wales has discovered how much councils are spending on redundancy

payments. Figures show the amount has nearly doubled to ?30 million. I

will be back after the BBC News at 10pm. Good evening.