09/06/2016 BBC Wales Today

That's it from me.

Welcome to the programme.

Tonight's headlines: In his first major speech on the EU Referendum,

the First Minister says the choice is a more 'fundamental

moment' than the vote to create the Welsh Assembly.

Following a BBC Wales investigation, an inquiry into the running

of a private college in Cardiff finds a number of failings.

And the expectations of a nation may be on his shoulders.

But Gareth Bale insists Wales are not a one man team,

as the Euro 2016 opener gets ever closer.

Good evening.

The First Minister says the question of whether to remain in or leave

the EU is a bigger decision than the vote in 1997

to create the Welsh Assembly.

Carwyn Jones said the referendum, which will be held two weeks today,

is a "fundamental", "forever choice".

Speaking in Swansea tonight, he set out in detail,

why he thinks we should remain in the EU.

The focus was on jobs, with a warning that Brexit

could jeopardise the sale of Tata Steel here.

The Leave campaign has also been focussing on the economy,

saying life would be easier for small businesses outside the EU.

Here's our political reporter, Paul Martin.

It is on the horizon now.

Just two weeks to go and tonight the first big intervention

of the referendum campaign from the First Minister.

Speaking in Swansea Bay to an audience of Labour

politicians and activists, Carwyn Jones was preaching

to the converted tonight but he knows Labour voters are far

more divided on the EU than Welsh Labour politicians.

Not least because of concerns about immigration.

There was very little on that in tonight 's speech.

Instead, this is what Carwyn Jones wants to talk about to try to win

over his own voters.

Jobs, end of story.

As I said, I have spent a lot of my time talking

to businesses in Wales, I have spent a lot of time

talking to businesses who want to invest in Wales.

They come here because they get access to the European

market of 500 million.

The UK is too small a market for them.

Wales is too small a market for them.

If we cannot be part of that market, they are not going to come,

they are not going to stay.

And it was jobs on the mind of leave campaigners in Wales today.

They say small businesses have had to swim against the tide in the EU

and that they would find it easier to bid for public contracts

if they were freed from Brussels red tape.

Also today, a point of agreement between the two camps.

The magnitude of the vote.

This is the biggest decision of our lifetime.

It is far more important than any referendum we have had since 1975,

far more important than any general election or assembly election,

because this will determine whether or not Britain becomes

an independent country again or whether we become part

of what will be an increasingly powerful European EU which will be

on the way to becoming a superstate.

With the polls tide, no politician knows for sure

which way the wind is blowing.

We will find out in a fortnight.

And if you want to find out more about the EU Referendum

and the key issues, then there's everything you need

to know on the BBC website.

A former South Wales Police officer has been found guilty

of two counts of rape.

45-year-old Jeffrey Davies was a serving officer in the Rhondda

when he raped the women in 2002 and 2003.

He was dismissed from the force in 2013 after being convicted

of other sexual assaults.

He'll be sentenced at a later date.

A fresh row has broken out between Ukip's group

leader in the Assembly, Neil Hamilton, and the party's

leader in Wales, Nathan Gill.

It follows Mr Gill's attack on Mr Hamilton for offering support

to the Welsh Government's plans for an M4 relief road.

Mr Hamilton says Mr Gill, who is also a Member

of the European Parliament, should not "double job" if he cannot

fully commit to Cardiff Bay.

But Mr Gill has said he's fully involved in all

the jobs he's doing.

Calls to overturn a ban on speaking Welsh at Westminster debates have

been rejected by the Leader of the House of Commons.

Chris Grayling told MPs it would not be sensible to spend taxpayers'

money on translation.

The shadow Leader of the House, Chris Bryant, had called

for the language to be allowed during meetings of the

Welsh Grand Committee.

I understand that of course the language

of this house is English.

But Welsh is the mother tongue of many of my compatriots

and my constituents.

So is it not time we allowed Welsh in the Welsh grand committee?

An inquiry into the running of a private college in Cardiff has

found a number of failings, and called for improvements

in the way it's run.

It follows a BBC Wales Week In Week Out investigation last year,

which recorded a recruiting agent for the West London Vocational

Training College telling an undercover reporter

they could cheat in their coursework and lie about qualifications.

The programme broadcast in December showed a reporter posing

as a student being told they could fake certificates

to get on courses.

They could pay for someone else to do their assignment,

they were told, and could lie to get funding.

Can I make it?

Fake it?

Do it on the printers?

That led the body which is charged with maintaining standards

in higher education, the quality assurance agency,

to conduct an inquiry.

I think it is fair to say that the problems we have

uncovered are pretty serious.

As the report makes clear, we reviewed the providers

against something called the UK quality code for higher education,

which is a framework or a list of requirements that we would expect

any provider to adhere to and this particular college is falling short

in a number of those areas in the quality code,

so it is fairly serious stuff.

The report found that a significant number of students were not properly

qualified for their courses.

It found the procedures for the appointment of staff proved

unfit for the purpose.

Investigators did not find any specific evidence that students

were advised to fake qualifications or pay for a assignment

is beyond what was in the BBC programme but they say weaknesses

in the college's processes made it vulnerable to this

sort of misconduct.

The college is based in London but it opened a Cardiff campus over

three floors in this office block last summer.

When the allegations came to light, the Welsh Government stopped

payments for grants and loans but it had already paid over ?500,000

to the College and its students.

The government has welcomed today's report but it says while a police

investigation into alleged fraud is ongoing, it cannot

comment in detail.

Questions should now be asked about the oversight of private

colleges like this and attempts made to recover public money,

according to one Assembly Member.

I think we need to recoup every penny that has gone to this college

which should not have gone to the college.

At the moment, that is not being talked about.

There is no clear recommendation about that but frankly,

I don't think that taxpayers should have to stand the cost of the abuse

that has taken place.

The college has declined to comment.

It now has four weeks to produce an action plan for improvements.

People living in Gwynedd have voiced concerns

that the grass in some parks, cemeteries and open spaces

(INSERT VIDEO OOV) (OOV? has become overgrown.

Some people have taken to social media to share their views --

with some calling it "a disgrace".

Gwynedd council says budget cuts have meant less frequent

grass cutting.

Councillor Dilwyn Lloyd says no longer being able to afford

to cut the grass regularly, poses a risk to the public.

I have received several complaints regarding the long grass and I have

also received a complaint regarding broken glass amongst the grass,

which is a health and safety matter.

With just two days to go before they start their Euro 2016 campaign,

Gareth Bale has dismissed talk that Wales is a one-man team.

The side face Slovakia on Saturday, in what will be their first match

at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

Bale underlined the importance of the whole squad, urging them

to make the nation proud.

Iwan Griffiths reports from Wales' training base in Dinard,

in northern France.

Standing by with enthusiasm at a theatre full of journalists.

At last given an opportunity to interview the most expensive

player in the world.

But they had to wait.

The first few questions came from Dylan and Morgan

from Gareth Bale 's former school, Whitchurch high.

We are all really excited about the game on Saturday.

How much information are you getting on the feeling from back home?

Yes, obviously, we are all looking forward to it first and foremost

and the whole nation is looking forward to it and we hope

to do the nation proud.

He scored seven of Wales' 11 goals qualifying for Euro 2016 but insists

they are not a one-man team and appears calm when reminded

he has the expectations of a nation resting on his shoulders.

For me, I want to go out and play football, I want to enjoy myself

on the football pitch.

Like you do when you are a kid.

And the Welsh side here now, we all get on so well.

We are like brothers.

We are friends, we joke around, we play together.

Together, stronger.

It is therefore a reason.

We do not just say it for no reason.

With a Foreign Office warning for travelling fans to remain

vigilant in light of potential terrorist attacks, Gareth Bale

was asked about his concerns, specifically when it came

to safety of family members.

You obviously have things about your friends and family coming

over but it is one of those things.

You just have to kind of put the back of your mind.

You cannot let these things stop your life, I guess.

It is for us to try and continue as normal.

We want to concentrate on the football and hopefully

everything else around us gets sorted.

There is two days now before that opening game against Slovakia.

The main concern here is that Chris Coleman on Saturday can pick

from a fully fit Wales squad.

And although David Vaughan sat out of this session, it is believed

all is well on the injury front.

Joe Ledley, Joe Allen and Hal Robson-Kanu

again training today.

Good news, less than 48 hours before Wales embark on their historic

Euro 2016 campaign.

And Wales kick off their campaign in Bordeaux on Saturday,

where they face Slovakia and Tomos Dafydd is there.

So the waiting is nearly over and over the next few hours,

many thousands of Wales fans will arrive here to see that.

The fan zone is nearly finished and on Wales Today,

we will be looking ahead to that big game and reflecting

on the security measures for fans.

We will be talking to some former players who missed out on major

tournament football in the past.

And what about the opposition?

Slovakia, England and Russia lie in wait.

We will have our guide to the group.

Join us for Wales Today at 6:30pm.

Yes, plenty more from France tomorrow.

But time now for the weather forecast.

Here's Sue Charles with the details.

Good evening.

Another humid one today.

For most, it has been fine but we have had

some heavy showers too.

And tomorrow we start the see some changes.

Less warm and generally turning cloudier.

With more widespread showers.

Overnight, this cold front moves in from the Atlantic,

which will bring thicker cloud and some rain tomorrow.

So mist and fog developing, cloud thickening ahead of that

front with a few showers, light winds and very

muggy again overnight.

So tomorrow, a humid start with showers and then more

cloud than recent days.

Some drier, brighter spells and across the UK,

it is the south-east of England holding onto the brighter

weather the longest.

Clouding over from the north and West, with showers

moving eastwards.

The clouds are pressing the temperatures for most.

13 Celsius in north-east Scotland.

23 in the warmer air across the south-east of England.

Across Wales later, some dry spells, some showers, not quite as warm.

Temperatures back in the high teens everywhere.

And that weather front moves north-eastwards,

bringing heavy showers overnight Friday and into Saturday.

And then Saturday is a case of sunny spells with a few showers.

A south-westerly breeze still bringing in humid air,

so temperatures staying in the high teens and if you are heading

to France for Wales' first match in Euro 2016,

looking good by Saturday evening in Bordeaux.

Any showers should have cleared eastwards.

A warm and fine evening.

Back home in Wales, heavier showers are likely Sunday morning.

Brightening up through the afternoon, starting to feel fresher.

Things generally turning more unsettled.

Some rain tomorrow, sunshine and showers Saturday and Sunday

and then the changeable theme continues into next week.

We'll be back in Breakfast with updates from around

6:25 tomorrow morning.

That is Wales Today.

From all of us here, thanks for watching.

Good night.