22/08/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today, tonight's headlines:

This gifts company employed a new young member

of staff through the Jobs Growth Wales scheme.

Now the Welsh Government is to cut the financial support it

By going through Jobs Growth Wales it gave me that extra bit of

confidence knowing that it was subsidised. That I would be able to

Ministers say such a large subsidy is no longer needed

because the economy's on the up, and unemployment is down.

Reports TATA Steel in Port Talbot

Could the improved balance-sheet help save the Steel Industry here?

Gerald got an early warning sign from a checkup like this one,

we'll hear how they've helped stop more of us dying from heart disease

No loading after 8:30, we'll be hearing from some

very unhappy businesses in Caernarfon's Town Centre.

How best to capitalise on the record medal haul in Rio?

While millions have been invested in our top athletes,

A sign of confidence in the economy, or cutting costs?

The Welsh Government is halving the amount it gives companies

for employing young people through its main job creation

scheme, because it says the unemployment rate here has

Their opponents say the move makes no sense, after a summer

of warnings about the economic effects of Brexit.

Our political editor Nick Servini reports.

It's been the most high-profile scheme in recent years set up by the

Welsh government to create jobs after the recession. It's been

probably the most successful job creation scheme anywhere in the UK.

Jobs Growth Wales gets young people back into work. We don't have it in

England. It's an area where we need to learn from the Welsh government.

It became a central economic development policy designed to cut

youth unemployment. With the overall jobless rate at its lowest in a

decade the subsidies being paid to firms to take on 16 to 24-year-olds

have been halved. These skills means that, Judi James, says it is time

for the private sector to take its share of the risk as recruitment has

improved. Beaming smiles from people who took

the risk helped by the Government. They've really benefited from the

enthusiasm and drive. So we are continuing it, just not at quite the

level. A job subsidy deal risks for the private enterprise, and we

expect them to meet as halfway on that.

So how do companies feel about meeting the Government halfway?

Angharad used the scheme in her gift shop in Kevin Arfon. She doesn't

share the minister's confidence in the strength of the local economy.

I don't know if that is entirely true. It may be true in downtown

Cardiff. In a rural area like this there is and many job opportunities.

As a rural business owner, definitely, having this kind of

scheme, you know, is important. We want them to stay here and work

here. If they all go down to Cardiff then they won't be here to work for

companies like mine. The decision is in effect a show of

confidence in the Welsh economy to create jobs. Interestingly, these

skills minister, Julie James, believes the jewellery is out on

whether Brexit will harm the economy. It is a noticeably softer

tone than some of the warnings we had from those campaigning to remain

in the referendum. So what kind of impact will it have?

Business groups broadly welcomed Jobs Growth Wales, but the data was

mixed. Between 2012 and 2015 the Welsh government said that 15,000

jobs were filled. An independent report last month said that in the

short-term and 85% of those who took part would have otherwise been out

of work. Over the longer term -- 35%. There were no stigma is a

complete differences between employment rates of those who took

part and those who didn't. -- significant differences. The

Government has been accused of sneaking the date out during summer

recess and sending a mixed message. One minute they are saying

post-Brexit will challenge the economy and then the next breath

they say the economy is doing well with jobs being created so we can

cut the training budget. We don't know whether this cat from 100% to

50% will keep that many within the overall training budget.

Will there be other opportunities? Recruitment of young people is not

such a problem now. We hope is that it remains that way as Jobs Growth

Wales is cut back. So how much of a risk is this for the Welsh

government? It's a very bullish decision in the light of the

uncertainties that are out there. Remember, this isn't any old job

scheme. This was the poster boy of postrecession getting people back

into work. It was a high-profile scheme which is why the opposition

parties say this is the news has emerged in the summer holidays.

The Welsh government aid is not cost related but a reflection of a

positive reality. -- the Welsh government say this is not cost

related. Speaking to the skills Minister today to thing struck out

to me. One is a sense from her that maybe things won't be as bad for the

Welsh economy as many had predicted. And also, a sense that the business

of government has to go on. Before the impatience of a UK

withdrawal are known, and of course, some of these decisions they may get

right, they may get wrong. This is the reality. This is the new

world that governments and all of us would be living with for the next

four years. The Tata Steel Plant

in Port Talbot has been threatened with closure for months,

but now, there are reports that Union leaders say it's proof

that the turnaround plan Tata announced its intention to sell

the plant earlier this year, but the sales process

is currently on hold. More than 700 jobs have already been

cut, but the remaining workers hope the improved balance sheet

is a significant step towards saving Earlier this year the Indian

industrial giant Tata Steel but British Steel interest up for sale

including the UK's largest steelworks in Port Talbot which

employs over 4000 people. Cheap Chinese steel and high energy costs

were among the reasons to worry Tata Steel was haemorrhaging money. Now

it seems the loss-making operation isn't losing so much anymore.

Unconfirmed reports say they make a profit of ?500 million in June.

In a statement Tata Steel said they don't disclose financial results

beyond normal public reporting. They said the management team and

employees were continuing to work hard to improve the underlying

performance of the UK business. However, sources close to this

business told me that this plant made a quarterly profit of ?12

million. We heard reports of ?5 million, ?12

million, are those the kind of figures you are hearing?

Those are the kind of figures that have been reported that the works. I

think the important thing is the fact we have seems to turn a corner.

We are making a profit. We are holding in the right

direction. The fact that we've got rid of 700 plus jobs, that is going

to kick in. We are still feeling the effects of that. It is a painful

time for people. We are taking on more responsibility and the

workforce are stepping up all the time.

That's one of the major reasons. Industry experts say these profits

are not enough to secure the long-term future of Port Talbot.

It's good news, but we still have challenging times ahead, I think.

The steel industry is extremely volatile and we still don't

understand the implications of Brexit. That has consequences for

the industry not just in the UK, but across Europe.

The sale of Tata Steel's Welsh operations is currently on hold.

They have entered negotiations with the German firm over a merger. The

local MP says the workforce have done everything asked of them.

There's been some real improvement in efficiency. Real improvements,

breaking all production records, and so every single steelworker in that

plan should be given themselves a part on the back today. They are

helping to turn the business around. Of course, there's still room for

improvement, of course, the 5 million a month, if that is the

correct figure, is not where you'd want to be in the long term.

Despite the move into profit there is still uncertainty for workers in

poor target. They are confident that their hard work is beginning to pay

A 23-year-old man has appeared in court charged

with the murder of his girlfriend in Cardiff last week.

Jordan Matthews was arrested after police were called

to the house he shared with Xi-Xi Bi on Ely Road in Llandaff

Ms Bi's family who live in China, have been told of her death.

Also in Cardiff, a 22-year-old woman has died after the BMW

she was driving crashed into a block of flats in the early

The passenger, a 21-year-old man, is in hospital with serious

injuries after the collision in the Adamsdown area of the city.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Coronary Heart Disease is Wales' single biggest killer.

Cardiovascular diseases, which also include stroke and heart failure,

account for one in four deaths in Wales, that's around

But according to an annual report by the Welsh Government,

the number of deaths from heart disease has fallen by a quarter

Just over 12,000 people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005.

By 2014, this had fallen to just over 8,800.

Keeping Apple with the beat at a leisure centre in Torfaen. More of

us are exercising, few are smoking or drinking heavily. But one in

three people in Wales still don't exercise for at least half an hour a

week. That's one way to improve your health, to take more exercise. But

for people who don't come to places like this very often the NHS has

started sending out letters inviting them to come for a checkup. The idea

is if we make small changes now we can avoid heart disease and related

problems in future. At the moment we are concentrating

on less affluent parts of Wales. This is the liberal with greater

numbers of people suffer from heart disease. Gerald got a letter because

he is aged between 40 and 75. He is a recently retired HGV driver from

the Rhondda. He realised he had developed very high blood pressure.

Before then he had always passed medical that work.

I felt really good. You shouldn't just take it for granted that you

are healthy. Outside you may look healthy, and inside your not.

It is seems like there's that the Welsh government say are helping to

reduce the number of people dying from heart problems. Gerald lost a

stone in weight moving his results into the green.

A lot of it is lifestyle, but not only that, the information you get

is about what you can access in your community. We look at other factors,

that could be useful for patients, finance.

Today's Welsh government report suggests 121,000 people living with

heart disease in Wales. That means 3.8% of the population here. That's

better than Scotland were over 4% suffer from the condition, but not

as good as England with the figure is 3.2%.

Coronary heart disease is Wales's single biggest killer. We need more

research into treatments translating into better services for people.

Staying active is still part of the main message, if serious heart

problems developed a wait for something like bypass surgery can

take longer in Wales than in England. Prevention, better than

There's still a lot more to come on the programme before 7pm.We'll be

hearing how a Welsh Charity is now protecting 2 million hectares

of the Amazon rainforest, that's roughly the size of Wales.

And they're hoping grace the Olympics stage one day.

Tonight, how best to capitalise on the successes in Rio,

and should more be spent on grassroots sport?

Now, changes to parking rules in Carnarfon's Castle Square,

which is known locally as the Maes, could threaten businesses there -

that's according to some of the town's traders.

Gwynedd Council wants to restrict deliveries to shops,

pubs and cafes to early mornings and the evenings.

But is the real problem the confusion, about what is

All of the fun of the fair on Caernarfon Maes today.

We have to presume these rights have permits to be there.

And in the centre of the square in delivery lorry, this

is just the sort of thing the council wants to stop.

Restricting deliveries to before 8:30am until after 7pm.

On one side of the Maes is pub landlord Hefin Roberts.

It's a no no because a lot of the businesses don't

It means that we are incurring more costs with the delivery firms having

That means there's a cost for us as well.

Gwynedd Council says it is simply trying to bring some clarity.

Three years ago the signs up making Maes weekly away.

No parking should be allowed, for deliveries or otherwise.

Drivers have been getting away with it, it seems.

I have to admit to being confused by traffic reductions

I know it's supposed to be no parking here, yet there are no road

Vehicles always seem to be parked up.

Taxi drivers who, along with blue badge holders,

can stop here save your constantly being asked about the dos

What tends to happen is you get one person parking here and somebody

But people don't look up and see the sign.

They just think it's a clear way beyond.

They should be some clear sign, no parking whatsoever.

The council is now consulting on its plan, it is an attempt

to bring greater flexibility, it says.

On the Maes today, few seem to agree with that.

After an extraordinary Olympics for Team GB,

attention is now turning towards the games' legacy,

and how the athletes and their medals can inspire

the next generation of sporting talent.

Welsh athletes won ten medals,a total celebrated by sports

Tomos Dafydd is at the Welsh Institute of Sport

Meet some of our potential medallist of the future, the aim here-

emulate the likes of Victoria Thornley,

this is the Wales gymnastic Commonwealth Games squad. Tonight

there are concerns surrounding grass roots sport. One Labour AM says that

scarce public resources should be spent on getting people more active

and are not invested in a few elite athletes.

They are the Welsh sporting stars who broke records in real. They won

ten medals for Team GB. More than ever before. Each and

every athlete who got those medals has worked extremely hard. Their

commitment is outstanding and their delivery when it really matters is a

testament to themselves as individuals.

Each of Britain's 67 medals cost the equivalent of ?4 million. But

tonight, claims that medal success masks the growing crisis in sports

at a grassroots level. While millions of pounds is spent on

athletes there is concern that cuts to council budgets have brought

local clubs to the brink. It is terrific that we are top of

the table, but we are also top of the league table for childhood

obesity in Europe. A quarter of all Welsh adults. Our whole approach is

to talk about who's brought. Sport is not going to reach people

who currently take no physical activity at all.

The Welsh Labour government cut the budget to local authorities by 2%,

this is a bit rich, isn't it? We are any period of austerity.

Funding from Westminster has been cut. The local councils have little

choice but to cuts where they can. There weren't any athlete in Team

GB's gold-medal winning hockey team. For these teenagers, Wales's and 16

and 18 side could change that by Tokyo 2020. Sport Wales says it

invests ?20 million a year in community sport, three times that

invested in elite sport. There is a very fine balance. You

have two invest in talented athletes. You have to give them the

support and funding in order for them to be successful. They will

then future generations because you won't necessarily get the uptake and

the interest, and the excitement if they can't see their heroes or doing

it successfully or doing it well. Claims are made about how Olympic

success can change people's lifestyles. The debate over how best

to spend money will only intensify as budgets are squeezed even

further. I'm joined now by Sara Powell were

from sports Wales. Has really got a point?

We invest 30 million per year, 24 million of that is in community

sport 6,000,002 elite sport. One of the big legacies we saw after 2012

and 2016 is an increase in participation in adults and your

people. Vitally important for us is the foundation of community sport.

We've seen an increase in sports like gymnastics, cycling and

swimming. That is a priority for us. If we are going to do that we need a

different approach in Wales. We need to look at it from education, School

sport experience needs to be one of the best young children get. We need

local authorities to provide the best facilities. We are going to

need to talk about prevention and education around how we take forward

physical activity. Let's talk about our medallists, ten

from Wales. How much credit do you take for their development?

How does it work during with? It is a team Wales approach. We work as an

institute with the likes of Natalie Powell and Helen Jenkins who do all

of their training here. We develop the cultures, Scott Simpson who

works with British athletics. We have the training in sailing will

stop in Wales we really played our part in that fantastic success we've

seen. And briefly, the Commonwealth Games

around the corner now. April after next.

How preparations going? Very well. Some of the vastly to be have seen

medal are getting ready for the Gold class. We are also bringing the next

generation through. Some new styles come through for the Commonwealth

Games. We can't put medals around them yet but we hope to see great

success for Wales. Thank you for your time.

Leon Britton will remain with Swansea City until the summer

of 2018 after agreeing a one-year extension to his contract.

The midfielder has played 514 games for the club since first joining

He hasn't ruled out reaching 600 games.

The British and Irish Lions are to name their head coach

for next summer's tour to New Zealand on September the 7th.

Wales coach Warren Gatland is expected to retain the position

he held for the series win over Australia in 2013.

That's it from me, Jen, I'll see you tomorrow.

Add them together and they measure 2 million hectares,

roughly the size of Wales, and they're located in Guyana

These vast areas of rainforest deep in the Amazon will be protected

for future generations thanks to fundraising by a Welsh charity.

Our Environment Correspondent, Steffan Messenger, has the story.

The Amazon rainforest, the largest and most biodiversity

area of tropical woodland in the world.

A stunning backdrop to this year's Olympic Games in Rio.

The plight of this threatened landscape was a key theme

There is still much to be done, but not just by Brazil.

To highlight the rainforest's role in tackling climate change Olympic

organisers pledged to plant a tree for every athletes taking part.

Meanwhile, in this tiny office in Cardiff, 8000 miles away,

the people of Wales are also playing a unique role

We wanted to have a national response to climate change, and,

actually, we were fed up of hearing people using the size of Wales

So we are announcing today new support for a project in Peru,

and renewing support for a project we have worked with in Guyana.

Actually, the two of those add up together to the size of Wales

This is an incredible achievement for our nation.

Wales is the first country in the world to protect an area

of rainforest the size of Wales, we are now doing that in South

We are so please be people of Wales got behind this unsupported.

We are so please be people of Wales have got behind this and supported

it. in Peru, and existing working Guyana

will involve tackling illegal logging while helping

indigenous groups such rights For a couple of years Wales

has been supporting us. And with Wales's support

we are unable to take all the external activities

happening on our land, put it on the map, and make sure

the people and the leaders That is what is the most

important thing. Informed decisions

happening presently. There is growing interest

across the world in the size of Wales scheme according

to its organisers. Set up six years ago with support

from the Prince of Wales, the Welsh government and others,

it has already raised over ?2 million for projects

in South America and Africa. The hope now is to protect an area

of rainforest the size of the nation At Capel Curig around 2

inches of rain has fallen Much less rainfall on the north

coast and in Flintshire. We had a real taste

of autumn over the weekend. Rough seas and large waves

on the south and west coast Sunshine and toasty

temperatures for most of Wales. Tonight rain and drizzle

will spread northwards again. By the end of the night much

of the country dry. Mist and fog patches

and a warm, muggy night. Tomorrow the wind will shift more

into the south or southeast pulling Low cloud, mist and fog patches

first thing will clear. The sunshine hazy at times

with some high cloud. 26 maybe 27 in Cardiff

and Monmouth. If you're heading to the coast

tomorrow don't forget the suncream. 24C in Prestatyn and Aberaeron

with a light breeze. The sea temperature

17 or 18 Celsius. Some sunshine in the South East

in the morning and brightening-up in the north and west where it

will feel fresher. Thursday's forecast a bit more

tricky with a risk of heavy showers Thundery rain and showers

possible on Thursday. Not sure about the bank

holiday weekend yet. Probably a dry and warm start but it

may not last. In the meantime, enjoy

the warmer weather tomorrow. We deserve it!

A reminder of our top story, the Welsh government is halving the

amount is gives companies to employ young people through its job

creation scheme because it says the unemployment rate has fallen so

sharply. Opponents say the move makes no sense after a summer of

warnings about the economic effect of Brexit.

And that's Wales Today, we'll be back at 8pm and then again