16/03/2016 BBC Wales Today

Here, on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

Welcome news for businesses and commuters - the Chancellor

announces tolls on the Severn crossings will be halved from 2018.

And a law which includes a ban on e-cigarettes in some public

places fails at the last minute - after a row between Plaid and

The Chancellor has announced a series of measures in his budget

Tolls on the Severn Crossings will be halved from 2018,

and he talked about plans to make north Wales better able to do

business with the so-called 'Northern Powerhouse' in England.

With all the details, here's our Business Correspondent,

Around 80,000 vehicles crossed the Severn bridges every day. The tools

have been described by critics as a tax on entering Wales, one of the

poorest parts of the new UK. It currently costs ?6 64 cars, ?13 24

vans and ?19 84 lorries and buses. I have listened to the cases made by

Welsh Conservative colleagues and I can announce from 2018 we are going

to have the price of the calls on the Severn crossings. The tolls have

been a frustration for businesses for years but today's announcement

was welcomed. It is more than we hoped for. Still a bit of a room

left for reduction because the Welsh affairs select committee after

hearing the evidence suggested it should be reduced to around ?1 50

which would cover maintenance and the operation. The Chancellor also

said he would negotiate a city deal for the Swansea Bay region, a ?500

million plan to insure the area is at the centre of the next generation

of technology. It is already operating at the cutting edge. This

company is one of Wales's biggest successes making semiconductors

exported around the world. If you have a mobile phone the chances are

it has almost certainly got a product from here that it. The

Chancellor's support for the Swansea Bay city deal with its emphasis on

technology is very welcome. When you look at innovation, innovation is

one of the most innovative industries has been semiconductors.

It is great the government had chancellors recognise this. Helping

boost investment was also part of the Chancellor's plan for Port

Talbot. The area will see tax breaks to support its new enterprise zone

which aims to create more jobs. Plans to ensure North Wales could

benefit from doing business with the broader powerhouse in England. My

question is where does North Wales see it fits? In Cardiff Bay talk

about links to London saw Ed North Wales should be talking about links

to Liverpool and Manchester? They are potentially closer. Sugary

drinks manufacturers took a hit with a new sugar A. It'll raise money

across the UK to help tackle childhood obesity and some of that

will come to Wales but it is up to ministers to work out how that will

be spent. It'll be interesting to see the reaction of people on

whether they will pay that money or avoid the dregs. Raising the prices

perhaps worst tried and that they put some people off. This was a

budget for business with a series of measures aimed at boosting the Welsh

accord they had also set the tone for the election campaign.

The Health Minister, Mark Drakeford, says five years' worth of work has

been wasted, after a public health bill, which includes a ban

on e-cigarettes in some public places, failed at the last minute,

because of a row between Plaid Cymru and Labour.

Plaid accused Labour of being arrogant, and needing to be

More from our political editor, Nick Servini.

It's such the mace was ceremoniously removed from the chamber tonight

marking the official into business of the fourth assembly. Before that

the final vote was expected to vote on the law concerning East

cigarettes in public places. Labour doesn't have an overall majority but

was expected to receive support from sub Plaid members, until this. I was

grateful to the Berber rug colleagues when he helped us get the

bill through, just a few months ago. I thought at the time they were a

rather cheap date. You may regret that it a few weeks. As it turns

out, the one had to wait a few weeks, just a few hours. Plaid

insisted all its members with broader support and as a result the

Belfield. Certain things were said today that made people feel they

weren't being taken seriously at the way of working had been respected.

And that Labour in government for being arrogant and perhaps needed a

lesson of how they should be working with parties. Welsh government

ministers were not commenting on cabin but every statement, the

health minister said there would be widespread anger at the opposition

parties. This has been an extraordinary end to the assembly.

The final vote on the final piece of legislation which has been dominated

by months of the role of the state and personal liberty liberty and

public health. It has all failed because what politician stood up and

accused another being a cheap date. Unemployment in Wales has fallen

again, meaning the gap between Wales The rate now stands at 5.2%,

compared to 5.1% across the UK. The number unemployed

here between November and January was 79,000 - that's 13,000 fewer

than the same time last year. Equipment has started to arrive

at a collapsed power plant in Oxfordshire, to help recover

three missing workers, 34-year-old Christopher Huxtable,

from Bonymaen, was part of the team preparing one of the buildings

at Didcot Power Station for demolition, when it

collapsed last month. His family has been

critical of the operation. The Chief Executive of the only

Health Board in Wales that's in special measures has said

the structure of the NHS in Wales Gary Doherty was appointed

the Chief Executive of North Wales' Betsi Cadwaladr University

Health Board last month - after moving from an NHS

trust in Blackpool. There's less fragmentation here,

what you've got our GPs, hospital doctors, community nurses,

other staff, all in the same organisation, back in England,

those people would often be Rugby, and Joe Marler won't face

sanction for his "gypsy boy" comment towards Wales' Samson Lee,

and is now free to play in England's Grand Slam

game this weekend. Earlier, Warren Gatland apologised

for any offence he'd caused He says his intention was to take

focus away from his player, and that he doesn't condone racism

of any kind. Time for the weather

forecast now with Derek. It turned out lovely today with

plenty of sunshine across Wales and more dry weather to come over the

next few days with high-pressure remaining in charge. Tonight,

generally dry with some cloud moved again, maybe bringing the odd spot

of Bristol. Clear and parts of the South and West and colder than last

night with the temperature in the few sports law that for a frost. A

chilly start tomorrow morning with high-pressure remaining in charge,

keeping the weather fronts at bay. Tomorrow morning, some cloud around

with the spot of drizzle in the north but no more, dry for many of

us and sunshade in the South and West. Across the rest of the UK,

most places find tomorrow with sunny spells, some exceptions, low cloud

and fog and drizzle in the far north and east. That will move southwards.

Quite cold under the cloud, only eight Celsius in Newcastle. Warmer

than the sunshade but with the chilly breeze in the far south.

We'll is tomorrow afternoon is working fine and largely Sunni with

lots of blue sky, maybe a few clouds at the north-east. The temperature

reaching eight Celsius. Pleasant in the sunshine with a moderate breeze.

Tomorrow night, dry with the sky clear so that means widespread frost

that the few fog patches forming. Friday a dry day with frost then fog

patches lifting, sunshade for most of the country but it may turn

cloudy and the highest temperatures once again in the West, 11 Celsius.

Looking to the weekend, high-pressure remains in charge but

her big cloudy and stayed mostly Diane settled, more dry weather to

come next week. Enjoy the sunshade if you can.

The Wales Report is up next, with more details about the impact

I'm 52 years old... HE CLEARS THROAT

..and I want... HE MAKES CLICKING NOISES, GRUNTS

The fact that... HE MAKES HIGH-PITCHED GROAN

..it's harder for me to find a job...means I want it even more.