26/01/2016 BBC Wales Today

Taxpayers lose out on tens of millions

of pounds over the sale of publicly-owned land.

Tonight, an apology from the First Minister.

It is correct to say that the way this was managed fell well below the

standards expected and for that we are sorry.

Dylan Seabridge was eight when he died of scurvy.

Now, calls for an independent review into his death.

They're top of the class, but the gap between the best schools

and those that are struggling is still too wide.

Why Tata's jobs losses mean redundancies far

This firm lays off 40% of its engineers.

One flood warning in force and 24 flood alerts with more wet

The First Minister has apologised after a report found taxpayers lost

out on tens of millions of pounds when publicly-owned land was sold

A committee of AMs called the sale "cavalier and disturbing".

The offshore firm which bought 15 sites from the Welsh Government-run

Regeneration Investment Fund for Wales made ?19 million profit

by selling just some of them on again.

Here's our political editor, Nick Servini.

Another report and another accusation that valuable land

This report from the Assembly's Public

Accounts Committee will be the last into the ?21 million sale,

It is the first to claim explicitly that the

It prompted Carwyn Jones to make a rare

apology during First Minister's Questions.

The way that RIFW was managed fell well below the standards

It is true to say that the concept was good but the delivery was flawed

and, of course, as members deserve, the government will give a full

The sites were sold without an open tender by the Regeneration

Investment Fund For Wales, a body owned by the Welsh

government, to a company based in Guernsey called

South Wales Land Developmentsm owned by one of Wales' richest men,

The report says one of the sites in the Vale of Glamorgan was sold

on behalf of the taxpayer for less than ?3 million.

It has since been sold on for housing by South Wales Land

Another was bought for ?100,000 and then sold on for ?1.9 million.

And the so-called jewel in the Crown in Lisvane on the edge of Cardiff,

The report says it now has a potential open

market valuation of at least ?39 million, although around one third

will have to be repaid back to the public purse

in what is called a claw-back arrangement.

When you look at some of the onward sales of those pieces

of land, it is very difficult to defend the price

This has been a long-running saga that has

included an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office that

came to nothing, internal enquiries by the Welsh Government

and a substantial report from the public spending

And this latest enquiry by members of the Assembly's Public

Accounts Committee has been in the full glare of the public.

Throughout, civil servants admitted there were failures in the way

they monitored RIFW but they have always said the decision needed

At one stage the possibility of there having been

I remember discussions going on within

the Welsh Government about a fire sale of all of our assets.

That was seriously being considered at the time, putting the whole lot

up in one block and discussions about the fact we might lose half

of it being completely acceptable from a policy

perspective because there was such a need to get investment

Now, that is not what happened here, but that must have

The committee found that the RIFW board

was also given the wrong sale price and the wrong timeline needed

to complete the deal by its main property advisers.

One of those advisers, Lambeth Smith Hampton

There was an imperative to sell the assets in a timely manner.

We were not under any impression that this

was a fire sale, that we had to sell at any cost.

Our duty was to obtain value, and we believe we did that.

What is beyond dispute is that RIFW failed in its objective of funding

regeneration schemes in a speedy way in the financial crisis.

Its one lasting legacy is so far, this car

You've been following this story for a number of years.

It is a significant story. With all the enquiries we had, sure you have

had people saying lines of accountability could have been

improved, monitoring, but on the point of value for money for the

taxpayer, there has been an almost institutional deep-seated reluctance

to admit that that is what happened. Then we have a day like today. We

have the First Minister making an apology in the Senedd. I can't

recall the last time we had a apology like that. It comes off the

back of a report that laid out in black and white that significant

amount of money is being made on the back of this sale and most of that

is not from the taxpayer, and you throw it all together and it becomes

very difficult after today to stand up and credibly defend the deal.

People say you have to go back in the context of the time and the

decisions that were made, but at the time it never went out to open

tender and that is what they have always been up against. They have

never been able to categorically prove there wasn't a better deal out

there. We have stories like this at

Westminster, sometimes people resigned, sometimes they don't.

Certainly opposition parties will try to keep this going. There is a

possibility legal action from some of the parties that have been

involved. I have to say, there is no appetite for this to continue in

some kind of long-running court case from people that I have been

speaking to. There's been a call tonight

for an independent review into the death of an eight-year-old

boy from Pembrokeshire. Dylan Seabridge died

of scurvy in 2011. The call, from Conservative AM

Angela Burns, was made following a BBC Wales investigation

which revealed that concerns were raised about Dylan more

than a year before his death. Dylan Seabridge was invisible

to local councils, according to a draft serious case review

leaked to BBC Wales. The author of the report knew

so little about Dylan that it was impossible to draw

a picture of him, she said. The inquest into his death heard

that Dylan also didn't see a doctor or dentist from the age of 13 months

until he died of scurvy Dylan's parents don't believe

he died of scurvy or that he was Mr and Mrs Seabridge were charged

with neglect but those charges Now there are calls for a review

looking at the role of the education For four years, that little boy's

name and his situation has not been in the eye of those who can make

a difference, so I would urge the Minister to consider

whether or not we need to have an independent review

into this because it is more than just about

Pembrokeshire County Council. We really want to make

a difference and, as I say, I don't have absolute faith

that those who are going to be doing this review will be able to do it

to the best of their ability. After Dylan died, a serious case

review was commissioned by Pembrokeshire

Safeguarding Children Board. BBC Wales has seen

a draft from 2013. It says concerns had been raised

more than a year before Dylan died. That review has never been published

and four years since Dylan's death, nothing else has been

published either. However, the health minister has

said that since Dylan's death, improvements have been

made to safeguarding There have been a whole series

of independent voices who have been present there in Pembrokeshire

and who have reported on the progress that the local

authority has been able to make in the time since this

death took place. I am sorry that the member

doesn't have confidence It seems premature to reach that

conclusion before any one of us has had an opportunity read the report

that they will produce. Pembrokeshire Council says the delay

in publishing the child practice review into Dylan's death

is because of the criminal investigation, which was completed

with the inquest a year ago. They also say changes

to the structure of the safeguarding board and Welsh government guidance

have made it particularly complex. Stormy weather and winds of up to 80

miles per hour have caused power cuts for hundreds of

homes across Wales. A tree fell on power lines

in Tumble in Carmarthenshire, In Aberystwyth, high waves washed

shingle from the beach ashore, Motorists on Anglesey faced heavy

traffic as the adverse conditions caused disruption

on Britannia Bridge. A coffee shop window in Llandudno

smashed in high winds and strong waves damaged the sea

wall in Trearddur Bay. Some hospital wards

in North East Wales remain closed due to an outbreak of the winter

vomiting bug norovirus, but Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board

says the situation is improving. A ward at Chirk Hospital and four

wards at Wrexham Maelor Hospital are closed to admissions,

and three more are partially closed. Deeside Hospital has

now fully re-opened. There is still a big gap

between the quality of teaching and learning at Wales's best

and weakest schools - according to the schools

inspectorate. In its annual report Estyn says

the differences can't just be put down to whether an area

is relatively poor or relatively The Chief Inspector believes schools

here need to take a fresh Today's report highlights of issues

that says there is a gap with others not keeping up with increasing

expectations. The chief inspectors says there is a need for teachers to

be more imaginative in the classroom in order to raise standards. It is

to do with leadership. Those who are most effective are those with the

best leadership and they are able to tackle new initiatives and not in a

straightforward way but are able to turn those to their own agenda, if

you like. Despite calls for improvements in teaching and

learning, there are signs of progress with foundation skills. The

report says reading and writing skills in primary schools have

improved. But that in over a quarter of them improvement of near new

Morrissey skills are variable. -- numerous E. Over half of secondary

schools are doing better at maths. The report also found a number of

shortcomings in ICT skills. One of the many schools praised in the

report by the education watchdog is this one in Swansea. This group of

year eight pupils are spending time in the class learning about Roman

history. By learning on a variety of subjects, their aim is to complete a

variety of tasks. The more challenging the task, the more

points are up for grabs. It's more interesting, it's learning about

something you wouldn't learn about normally. It's more fun, because we

have all the different things separately. Its varying all the

lessons more. It is all part of the new curriculum to try to rage

standards at key Key stage three. It encourages people to be more

creative and take responsibility for their work. It is a system that has

been highly praised in Estyn's annual report. They plan their weak

themselves, they choose workshops, attend them and apply those skills

and knowledge and expertise to the problem that they have been set.

They are empowered in the learning process. As opposed to having a

teacher telling them what they are there to do and when they are to do

it. The Welsh government says it welcomes today's reports and the

Minister for education will consider it before making any comments.

All education policy, including tuition fees,

is devolved to the Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay.

And with just over three months until Wales goes to the polls

in the Assembly election, BBC Wales is looking at what makes

us different to the other nations in the UK.

It's part of a series called How Wales Works which you can follow

across BBC Wales TV and radio programmes and online

Can Indiana Jones come to the rescue of The National Museum of Wales?

Why you'll now have to pay a bit of your treasure

One flood warning in force, 17 flood alerts.

More wet and windy weather on the way.

The ripples from Tata Steel's thousand job losses

across the industry are begining to be felt, and those working

for the steel maker are learning which posts might go as a result

Other businesses supplying goods and services to Tata are now having

Here's our business correspondent, Brian Meechan.

750 workers are to lose their jobs at Port Talbot and elsewhere as Tata

Steel try to turn around losses at the site. Murray Evans is one of

those at risk for redundancy. He has worked here for the last 20 years,

he had hoped his teenage sun might follow him into the industry that

now he worries about how many of those jobs will be there in future.

There is uncertainty and concern. I'm concerned for myself and my

family. It also my work colleagues and their families. Obviously, it is

very worrying for the whole south Wales community. It is a domino

effect. It will rip right through the heart of the community.

Steelworks is the heartbeat and without that, it devastating. We are

already suffering high volumes of unemployment and there's a lot of

poverty in the area now. That domino effect is already being felt by

those companies supplying Tata. For every one job at the steelworks, it

is estimated that four others are supported by businesses like this

one. Over 90% of its work was with Tata so it is no surprise that this

company has been badly hit by the job losses at the plant. It has made

almost 20 of its 50 employees redundant as a result of Tata's

announcement last week. The impact of so many losses on the company is

huge. The problem is you expect so much of them when you are busy, to

reward them by having to lay them off when it is quiet is just not

fair. It is like saying goodbye to your friends, it's not right. It is

not an easy task. This business will now be looking for work elsewhere,

competing with other firms for what is available. For workers here there

is also concern about the future. If anything happens with Tata, it

directly affects us. I am coming to the end of my time here but it is a

shame to see some of the youngsters here, their future is very much in

doubt. Hopefully there will be any more, fingers crossed. Tata unions

are pressing the UK Government and the EU to take action against

Chinese steel to protect more workers. Nobody can be sure how much

time has been bought. A report by the crowd

funding website Kickstarter into the Pembrokeshire company

which failed to produce the Zano drone has found no

evidence of criminality. Torquing Group, based

in Pembroke Dock, has gone into liquidation and is currently

being investigated by Trading More than 12,000 people 12 money for

the project. The pocket sized drone

that never took off. When the project crashed

to earth last November, Online forums quickly rounded

on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding website that had helped raise more

than ?2 million from backers. The company have responded

by asking an investigative journalist to find out what went

wrong, and the conclusion is that this was a case of a foul up

rather than foul play. The report's US-based author,

Mark Harris, found the creators were way out of their depth

and didn't possess the technical or commercial competencies necessary

to deliver the Zano. That promotional video

which attracted so much excitement - at the time it was shot,

the drone wasn't capable They were pretending the drones you

saw there were doing something, whereas actually they were flying

around randomly. Perhaps they were just falling out of the sky and as

happened to be going to the right place. There is a lot you can do

without using computer imagery that can actually still be quite

misleading in the video. I think when you get a really big project

with a huge amount of money, they should go and visit them and say

right, how are you going to do it? And give them some support because I

don't think they actually had any manufacturing experience. And they

were in the deep end straightaway and they couldn't cope.

Kickstarter say they are always looking for ways to make the site

better, and while they haven't made any assurances that practices

will change, they did tell us that...

Some backers have been given a refund thanks to strong consumer

protection laws on credit cards in the UK, but others worldwide have

not been so lucky. Assembly Members have voted

against UK government proposals to restrict strike ballots

in the public sector. Labour, Plaid Cymru

and the Liberal Democrats opposed plans to introduce new thresholds

on when strikes can take place. But the vote to withhold

the Assembly's consent for the Trade Union Bill

is not legally binding. In Wales we have a good record of

resolving disputes. There was no junior doctors strike in Wales as

there was in England. Firefighters took industrial action in England on

pensions, and not here. In contrast, we believe this bill, the Trade

Union Bill, will lead to a confrontational relationship between

employers and the workforce. You can see props from one

of Hollywood's most film characters But for the first time since 2003

there'll be an entry charge for adults who go

to the new Treasures exhibition. The rest of the museum

will still be free. Our arts and media correspondent

Huw Thomas has been for a look . The sights and sounds

of Indiana Jones - the adventure archaeologist

who the National Museum in Cardiff hopes will draw a crowd

to this new exhibition. The leather jacket, hat and whip

worn by Harrison Ford in the famous films are accompanied by some

original treasures from Wales Treasures from Hollywood alongside

real life historical artefacts. But the exhibition itself is making

history by making adults pay Children can explore

the exhibition for free, but it'll cost ?7 each

for the adults who accompany them. The museum's boss says the show

wouldn't happen without being able It is a great way to introduce

people to the museum who may not We are charging because we wouldn't

be able to afford to bring material Now, people from Wales can see

things like the Indiana Jones hat and jacket, because they wouldn't

be here otherwise. The Welsh government has helped pay

for the renovation work that'll allow this space to be used

for big exhibitions. But it's also cutting the overall

funding the museum gets. From April, National Museum Wales's

budget will be cut by almost 5%. A result, the government said,

of a difficult financial climate. Touring the exhibition,

the deputy minister for culture backed the first entry charge

in 13 years. The principle behind the charging

is that those who can afford to make a contribution will be asked to do

so, so that people who couldn't otherwise afford to visit such

an exhibition are able to come The Treasures exhibition opens

today, and it could be the first of many, as the museum explores

new ways of getting visitors through the doors -

and increasing its income. Football and Wrexham's game

against Braintree tonight is on, after Cressing Road passed a pitch

inspection this morning. Wrexham have signed striker

Louis Briscoe until the end They've also brought

in the Scotland Under 19 striker Newport County can go 7 points clear

of the relegation zone in League 2, Wet and windy weather has been

causing some disruption. Dry in parts of the

north at the moment. But there is more wet and windy

on the way with a Met Office This picture taken by one

of our weather watchers on Anglesey. Strong to severe gale

force winds as well. The highest wind gust 83mph

near Capel Curig in Snowdonia, Two inches has fallen in Capel Curig

in the last 24 hours. At the moment, one flood warning

in force on the River Conwy Tonight, rain will spread

northwards again. Heavy rain, especially

on the hills and mountains. 9 to 12 Celsius, so a mild night

for the time of year. And a mild, windy start

tomorrow morning. Most of the rain in

south and mid Wales. The north and west, drier,

but windy especially on the coast. During the day it will be dry

and brighten up in places for a time, but further showers

or longer spells of rain Less windy in the afternoon

with temperatures dropping Tomorrow evening, rain

and showers will clear away. Overnight, dry, clear

and a much colder night. Temperatures inland

falling close to freezing Thursday will start

cold, dry, bright. Some sunshine for a while

and one or two showers. However, more rain will spread

from the west later Friday will turn milder

but wet and windy. The rain heaviest in

the north and west. Saturday will start wet

followed by brighter, And then on Sunday, turning milder

again with yet more wind and rain. So the weather chopping

and changing this week. Wet at times with a risk

of some flooding. The First Minister has apologised

after a report found taxpayers lost out on tens of millions of pounds

when publicly-owned land was sold A committee of AMs called the sale

by the Welsh Government-run Regeneration Investment Fund

for Wales "cavalier There's been a call

for an independent review into the death of an eight-year-old

boy from Pembrokeshire. Dylan Seabridge died

of scurvy in 2011. The call, from Conservative AM

Angela Burns, was made following a BBC Wales investigation

which revealed that concerns were raised about Dylan more

than a year before his death. I'll have an update for you here

at 8 o'clock and again after the BBC From all of us on the

programme, good evening.