27/11/2015 BBC Wales Today

The Welsh Government suspends payments to a private college

after a BBC Wales investigation into allegations of fraud.

And maternity services across North Wales are at breaking point -

a doctor shortage is forcing units to close at short notice.

It's emerged tonight that the Welsh Government has suspended payments to

It follows a BBC Wales investigation into allegations of fraud -

at the campus of the West London Vocational Training College.

Week in Week Out has been investigating

alleged irregularities in the way students have been recruited

Earlier I spoke to the programme's presenter, Tim Rogers.

This is a newly opened, privately run college in Cardis, which has

quarters in Wembley in London. -- in Cardis. The Cardiff branch runs

various IT courses and business courses and is suitable to run

certain types of courses which attract tuition fees of ?6,000 or

students, which is funded by the Welsh government. The students on

this courses can apply for loans and grants. Our programme has been

investigating some of the offers made by the recruiter to students,

and and he has told them that they can use fake documents to get onto

the course and access those loans and grants, and they don't actually

have to attend to get the money. He also says if they do not go on to

earn over ?21,000, they will not have to repay the money. And of

course, that is true. What has been the response? The College denied any

knowledge of the scam, and says that all of its students are genuine. We

contacted the Welsh government with our concerns. We have been pressing

the minister Hugh Lewes to give us an interview, and he has refused.

This afternoon, a statement came from Welsh government, saying that

they had some concerns about the college, although I am not clear

that they understand the full evidence that we have available, and

he has asked the student finance Wales to suspend all payments to the

college and its students well further investigations continue. --

while further investigation. And investigation. there's more on

this story in Week In Week Out, next Tuesday at 10.35 here on BBC One

Wales. A 16-year-old has been sentenced to

three years in custody for manslaughter,

after killing a pensioner he thought Cardiff Crown Court heard the school

boy stabbed 67-year-old Michael No formal complaint had ever

been made about the pensioner. The judge described it

as a tragedy for the boy's family. A teacher has been struck off

for pretending to a be a 13-year-old girl

and making false sexual abuse claims 32-year-old Eleri Edwards contacted

the charity Childline and made ten allegations against her former boss,

Tudur Williams, after she was dismissed as a maths teacher at

Ysgol Ardudwy in Harlech in 2012. Maternity departments in north Wales

have had to close suddenly on 16 separate occasions

in just 12 months. BBC Wales understands that

a shortage of maternity doctors has meant all three units in

the region - at Bangor, Bodelwyddan and Wrexham - have been unable, on

occasions, to admit patients safely. Our Health Correspondent,

Owain Clarke, reports. Few things can be more important

than the moment a woman becomes Hannah Lloyd is waiting patiently at

Wrexham's maternity ward, because She has been

a frequent visitor here. It has been busy but the staff

have been absolutely fantastic. I can't praise the staff on the

assessment unit in Wrexham enough. But sometimes, the pressure on staff

can become so intense the entire If our unit is at capacity, or we've

had a major catastrophic event, we have to close, because we

cannot give the patients safe care. This is a problem that goes

far beyond this unit. Emergency closures

have also occurred. In the last 12 months,

we have had to close 16 times. This is a service currently being

run as it is in emergency mode. She blames a shortage of doctors,

and despite several recruitment drives, 14 out

of 30 middle grade maternity doctors It means

lots of temporary doctors have had to be brought in to fill the

gaps. A middle grade locum doctor who had

worked with us previously was booked to work a night shift in one of our

hospitals and failed to turn up. Previously, the health body said it

has a preferred solution in the short term, to move maternity

doctors from different teams. But then there would only be

a midwife unit High-risk mothers would

have to travel Campaigners have long argued that

those mothers could be put at risk. When pregnancy and labour go wrong,

it goes wrong pretty quickly, and sometimes, the need to do a

cesarean section can be immediate. If that happens, there will be anger

and disappointment, but bosses argue the risk

of doing nothing is much higher. The challenge for them is to

convince mothers of that. This woman's daughter was born

after an emergency operation. The reassurance that someone is

there at the end of the line to help, to talk, and they

are only ten minutes drive away, Few things can stir up more emotion

than decisions about the care Bosses will make

a recommendation early next week. A final decision will come

a week later. A Welsh teaching union has told

BBC Wales that many councils have warned schools to prepare for cuts

to their budget in the region The Welsh government says more

information will be available after UCAC claims potential cuts would

be devastating for schools. What we're hearing from local

authorities is that they're preparing their schools for cuts in

the region of 16% over If that's true, it would be really

devastating for schools and the standard of education they

can provide to children Rugby - and the Dragons have lost to

Edinburgh 32-13 at Murrayfield The Welsh side had four men sent to

the sin-bin during the game and conceded four tries

as the Scottish side secured Dragons did score a late try

through Nic Cudd - but the defeat The shortlist for Coach of the Year

at the 2015 Wales Sport Awards has Three sports are represented,

with Wales football manager Chris Coleman, Team GB rowing coach

Robin Williams, and Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland selected

for their achievements this year. The winner will be announced

at a ceremony in Cardiff It is not looking very promising for

the weekend, is it? There is a weather it be aware of warning for

the wind through Saturday and into Sunday. Dales or severe gales are

possible. -- gales or severe gales. The Rainman has cleared. A few

showers dotted around but it is feeling chilly behind the ring band.

Tomorrow, and it is a squeeze on the isobars, and more rain coming in. If

that was not enough, and other and behind it as well. Tomorrow morning,

some brightness and some showers dotted around. Strong to gale force

winds from the morning, well into the evening and into Sunday. For the

rest of the British Isles, the risk of a little bit of snow. The best of

the dry weather for South East England and the rain is making its

way eastward through the day. Strong winds across much of the British

Isles. In Wales tomorrow afternoon, the rain will clear, and then

showers piling in from the west tomorrow night out nearby street

conditions will continue into tomorrow night and early hours of

Sunday morning. It should not be as cold as tonight, temperatures about

5-10 Celsius. Tomorrow morning, the rain will clear from the North and

will brighten up, but we will hold onto gale force winds well into

Sunday evening. Monday, a warning for the rain. Potential for some

flooding at the beginning of next week. Unsettled at the beginning of

next week. Thank you very much. That is all from all of us here. A very

good