20/09/2016 BBC Wales Today

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me,

The Welsh Government promises what it will do for all of us over

the next five years - but can it deliver?

More childcare, more apprentices, and keep more of your money

But what will the Welsh Government cut to pay for all of this?

Three fires at three recycling sites - all owned by the same company.

This fire's been burning since the early hours of yesterday,

and now the firm has pulled plans for another recycling site nearby.

Chris Hallet from Cardiff attacked on holiday in Vietnam.

Now the massive bill to fly him home.

And watch this binman throw one of these two bins in

Why waste the money? Asking the taxpayer to pay freeze burns, why do

that? It does not make sense. -- for these wheelie bins.

More free childcare, more apprenticeships,

more money for schools, and keep more of your money

They're among the Welsh Government's pledges for what it'll do for us

over the next five years, but can it really afford it?

The First Minister says the plans will make a tangible difference

The opposition says they're lacklustre and lacking in detail.

In a moment, the judgment of the people of Port Talbot.

First, our Political Editor, Nick Servini, with the lowdown on

From the cradle to the grave, that is the purpose of this national

Insurance bill. From cradle to the grave was a familiar mantra from

governments of old. Help people live healthier lives, make the most of

opportunities and give support when they need it. That was echoed by

Carwyn Jones today in some of his claims about the programme for

government. Is it realistic over the next five years? One thing we know

is that it will affect people at different stages in their lives. For

families there will be 30 hours of free childcare week available for

parents of three and four-year-olds. For those seeking a first job, a

minimum of 100,000 apprenticeships have been pledged, but these will

also be available at all ages. There will be a new find that the Welsh

government says would provide access to new and innovative treatment. And

the value of assets elderly people can keep on entering residential

care will more than double, to ?50,000. This programme for

government gives us what we need to tackle the major challenges that lie

ahead, and to make a tangible difference to people's lives that

they want to see. It enables us to approach the next five years with

confidence, energy and clarity. We have set the ambition and we have

set out what we will do to achieve it. And denial, we will get on and

deliver. The main opposition Plaid Cymru has been involved in setting

some priorities with a deal with Labour. But there was still

criticism. We were led to believe you were unveiling a five-year plan

to take Wales forward today, and as such I had hoped to learn in greater

detail how exactly your government will do just that. However, as was

the case with your previous programmes for government, we are

offered an exhaustive list of objectives and priorities but very

little by way of detail as to how you will achieve them. Also on the

list the M4 relief road at Newport, although the controversial decision

on the exact route will be made after a public enquiry. Also is the

Metro bus and rail project for South East Wales. But the Conservatives

and Ukip balls latched onto what they felt was a lack of detail in

the programme. It is disheartening to see that they have come up with a

document that runs to 15 pages, which includes the front cover. 15

pages for five years worth of government. I am sorry to say that

he is still miserable about Brexit, because he's still talking about

every analysis, and says we should be prepared for a shrinking economy.

Nothing could be further from the truth. All the economic figures

which have been released since the summer show the economy expanding.

In the background to all of this is Brexit. Ministers say it has created

a degree of financial uncertainty that means big cuts will have to be

made in other programmes in order to fund some of the more expensive

items, like the childcare provision. We will not know exactly which until

the budget is published in a few weeks. Warm words are well and good

but one thing that has not changed over the years is that governments

of all descriptions are not judged on the plans, but whether they are

delivered. Wane so the politicians have had their say on what the Welsh

government plans to do for us over the next five

years, but Carwyn Jones says the ideas came

from listening to the public. Our Political Correspondent,

Daniel Davies, has been to Port Talbot to find out,

is this what people at the election Labour said it

wanted to help people a long life's journey, I promise that whenever you

got to one of the big milestone is the Welsh government would be there

to make things easier. So, we took our own journey, and where better to

go down here in Port Talbot, given that Labour says its programme is

the result of a conversation with the public. What sort of things do

you want to see the Welsh government doing? The NHS, obviously, schools.

But it's the lack of money from Westminster that is really playing

on these councils, they have not got the money these days, they are

cutting back everywhere. The roads are filthy, they have not what

people to clear them. What about the cost of care for the elderly? Put

them in cottage hospitals, care for them, yes, and then you would have

more beds. Today was Carwyn Jones's chance to explain how he would turn

this, Labour's manifesto, into reality. But he has two problems.

First, he does not have a majority of seats so he has to deal with his

opponents. And secondly, if the demand for public services grows, so

does the pressure on his budget. One of the most expensive policies is

the promise of more free childcare. 30 hours a week to help working

parents like Damon Darlington. My girlfriend wants to do more work but

she cannot get the resources or help with the kids, so it would be a

fantastic idea. Any faith in the politicians to deliver? I hope so,

but we have not had any hope in the past with them. Wade think tank has

said more childcare might not help mothers back into work or alleviate

poverty, and ministers have not yet said what they will cut to pay for

it. But cuts will be needed to fund things like apprenticeships for

people of all ages. Charlotte is training to be a carpenter at

college. But it was not easy for her to get a place as an apprentice. I

tried last year, but no one was taking me on because I was a girl. I

thought that was really wrong and everything, but I start with a

building company tomorrow. About apprenticeships, people like me

would not get the chance to do it. After 17 years in office, do not

expect a radical change in direction from Labour. Instead, it says it

wants to keep Wales's momentum going. Opponents say it is all a bit

pedestrian. Let's talk to our Political

Editor, Nick Servini. Some expensive pledges here -

where exactly is the Welsh Government going to find

the cash to fund them? Well, the smart money is on cutting

what is called anti-poverty schemes, but we will have to wait a few weeks

before we know exactly what it is. In a way, today was easy day for the

government. Today is the kind of day they set out what they tried to

achieve and what they want to do. The difficult they will be next

month when they have got to set out what they have to drop in order to

achieve their aims and this programme for government, and behind

the scenes we are told because of the uncertainty towards Brexit there

will not be salami slicing of different budgets, entire programmes

will be have to cut because of it. A big day here today. The assembly

elections seem a heck of a long time ago, but this is a direct

consequence of that, and what is in this programme for government is

largely what was then Labour's manifesto. Some on the opposition

side said the small size of the document, 15 pages long, and the

lack of detail was hugely disappointing. The government

insists it is deliverable, and practical. And when all is said and

done we will judge this government by all sorts of measures, but this

will be one of those right at the front of the queue. Thank you.

Fire-fighters have been tackling a blaze of around 6,000 tonnes

of woodchip at a recycling plant near Bridgend.

It's the third fire at a site owned by South Wales Wood

The company says in light of the suspicious circumstances

around the fire, it is withdrawing an application for another

Our reporter Kate Scott-Williams is at the plant in Coity for us.

Well, Jamie, as you can see the smoke is still billowing

The smell of the fumes is still choking. Fire officers have been

tackling the days all day. They say the cask has been difficult. As for

what happens at the recycling plant, any kind of wood gets recycled into

woodchipping is. They then get used across industries like the

construction industry, or as biomass fuel, but it is not the first time a

fire like this has happened. It is absolutely ridiculous.

The smoke was blowing from the north last night and for many nearby it

meant staying indoors, trying to escape

It is really choking, Lakeland plastic is burning. Awful.

Absolutely awful. We have had to close all the windows for a start.

My husband got out a farm, but that did not make much difference, it

just blowing at around. It was seeping through everything. -- my

husband got a fan out. It was coming under the door.

The water carriers have been ferrying water back and forth

the site from local hydrants, they hold around 9,000 litres each,

but it has proved a tough job for the teams on site.

It is a well-developed fire, and it is deep-seated to using heavy

machinery to pull out the woodchip from the fire and damping down to

make it safe. There is a lot of heat coming from the fire, and the smoke

coming from it. It is arduous working conditions for the crew but

we are swapping them every few hours.

At the end of last year, a similar fire at the wood recycling

centre at Alexandra Docks in Newport burnt over the whole month,

and in March it was the Old Llynfi Power station in Maesteg

that was affected when 2,000 tonnes of woodchip caught alight.

Firefighters have been working around the clock to try to get the

blaze under control. But it may be a few days yet before the fire is

completely out. With fires previously a the to other sites,

local residents are increasingly concerned about plans for yet

another plant a few miles away. Those plans have been put on hold

this afternoon with news from South Wales Wood Recycling Ltd

that in light of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire

they've decided to withdraw their planning application

for the safety of their employees. Local councillor Jeff Tildesley,

who had chaired meetings with hundreds of concerned local

residents recently, says any further developments of such sites will come

up against opposition. These people are wanting a 365 days

a year operation. Heavy goods bringing things and taking items

away at night. And the woodchip goes on in the daytime. Local residents

are concerned on three grounds. Firstly, health grounds. Secondly,

noise, and thirdly, traffic. So the end of one application,

but the company has said it hopes the community will work with it

to help deliver renewable Welsh power to benefit

local areas and business. Back in Coity, it may be

some time before we know The Fire Service say the priority

is obviously getting Only then can the fire investigation

team come in to try and establish A spokesperson for South Wales

Recycling Ltd says it works closely with Natural Resources Wales,

the Fire Service and other agencies to ensure existing

and new developments are managed Plans for a specialist vascular unit

at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire have been approved

by health chiefs. The decision comes after some

clinicians warned it could put But Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board

says the unit will be used for the most complex surgery,

and the majority of its vascular services will still be carried out

at other hospitals The New Ukip leader Diane James

will meet the party's assembly members to try to end

the in-fighting that has divided Ukip Wales leader Nathan Gill now

sits as an independent AM, while rival Neil Hamilton leads

Ukip's assembly group. The condition of the buses operated

by a Wrexham coach company was so poor that a wheel flew off

one, whilst it was carrying schoolchildren, a public

inquiry has heard. The directors of GHA Coaches,

which went into administration in July, have been told they may be

disqualified from holding It was one of three bus

firms to cease trading The Welsh Government has announced

plans to improve support The number of buses serving

the Tanat Valley in Powys has The local firm which provides

the timetable is serving many passengers who simply couldn't

do without it. If I didn't have this service I

would have to rely on other people taking me, and I think the service

is really wonderful. They were going to cut the bus, but so many people

complain that they kept it running. But numerous cutbacks to subsidies

and increases in outgoings have made Local buses are used by far more of

the travelling public than the railways are, for instance. So let

us start putting more and more of the budget into helping the local

bus services. One firm has admitted neglecting

safety to stay in business. At an inquiry in Welshpool today

the traffic commissioner for Wales told the directors of Wrexham-based

GHA coaches that someone could have been killed when a wheel came

off a school bus full It had been 14 weeks since there had

been any maintenance on the vehicle. When asked if finances came before

safety, one director GHA Coaches went into administration

with the loss of 300 jobs in July. A month earlier, Silcox Coaches

in Pembrokeshire closed, and a month later Ceredigion's

Lewis Coaches collapsed. The limited amount of welcome

support we get from the Welsh government, each year there is no

continuity of knowing what is going to come the following year, and that

is important for investment, investment in new vehicles and on

staff, and important for knowing what services you can provide. With

the best operators who have survived saying they are feeling the squeeze,

a 5-point plan has been announced which it said should make ten

sustainable bus services across Wales.

The plan is to appoint regional co-ordinators

to shower good practice, to liaise with operators

and councils to identify vulnerable routes and draw up contingency plans

Meanwhile the directors of GHA Coaches now face

losing their operator s licence after leaving

Watch the binman chuck one of these two bins in the back of bin lorry.

And we had a warm, hot spell last week but this week feels more

like autumn, with some wet and windy weather on the way.

A man from Cardiff is in a serious condition in hospital in Vietnam

Chris Hallett was on holiday earlier this month when he was

discovered with a fractured scull and his wallet missing.

But because he didn't have health insurance,

his mother is now desperately trying to raise tens of thousands of pounds

33-year-old Chris Hallett was on holiday with his friend when he was

found on the pavement next to a cashpoint to weeks ago. He had a

fractured scull, both his cheek bones were broken and his wallet was

missing. They had to take him to a hospital an hour and a half away.

Following surgery for a bleed on the brain, he is now in intensive care.

His mother is at work at a hospital in Cardiff. She is desperate to see

him but has been advised not to travel to Vietnam. On Friday he

opened his eyes, he said his name, Chris, but hasn't spoken since. But

he can move his hands, which is really good. There is a Chinese

couple going to visit him that he had a meal with, they have contacted

us on Facebook to tell us how he's doing. He did not have travel

insurance. No, he didn't. Leg what is your situation financially? Very

heart. -- hard. Would not how much to get him home, they said hundreds

of thousands in a coma, now he is out of the coma we do not know. How

do you hope to raise those funds? We have got a page online and the

hospital has been helping us to raise funds. We don't know if he

will be left with brain damage anything at the moment. We not know.

A police investigation is underway to establish what happened to Chris.

But so far no witnesses have come forward. In the meantime his family

just want him back, in Wales. People in Torfaen have criticised

the council's policy of destroying household waste wheelie bins,

if they believe residents A man from Abersychan

claims his wheelie bin was destroyed by mistake,

as do other residents in the area. Torfaen council says additional bins

are removed and recycled. Look what happens to the bin

on the far right, circled. The rubbish goes in,

then the bin goes in after it. This was recorded by

Russell Burgess, who believes The second was in fact his

neighbour's, which he says I was livid. I was more annoyed as

to why would anyone do that, why throw it in the back of the wagon,

there was nothing wrong with that? There was no justification for doing

that. What a waste of money. Russell claims he was forced

to show the waste of money. He says they refused to believe

their employees were involved. Torfaen says it's looking

into the incident. But this may not be the strangest

thing about this saga. Other residents claim their bins

have also been mistakenly removed, but haven't been able

to film or prove it - so have had to pay

?20 for a new one. Torfaen Council says in the five

months to August, residents had to pay for nearly

200 replacement bins. Clearly bins can go missing

for a number of reasons. White crush it, why waste the money?

Why ask the taxpayers to pay for these bins? That does not make

sense. There's no suggestion this employee

did anything unlawful, and this may But residents are wondering

whether this may, in part, go some way to explaining other bin

disappearances in the area. The Anglesey-based artist

Wilf Roberts, famous for his paintings of the island,

has died at the age of 75, after being treated

for a brain tumour. After teaching art in London,

he returned to North Wales in the 1970s, working in local

government, before retiring in 1996 His work is displayed

across Wales and worldwide. The weather forecast next,

and what a difference Last week, temperatures

were up in the 20s. 28 Celsius in Porthmadog last

Wednesday, but it's back Some blue sky and sunshine

in Llanwrtyd today. And dry in Llanrwst

with gaps in the cloud. Staying dry with breaks

in the cloud, and where the sky remains clear it may turn a bit

misty and chilly Temperatures dropping as low

as 6 or 7. Tomorrow's chart shows a cold front

approaching the west of Ireland At 8am, though, much

of the country is dry. Misty in places first thing,

but that will lift. Bright in parts of mid and north

Wales with light winds. A few showers expected in

the afternoon, but not everywhere. Temperatures a shade

higher than today. 16 to 20 Celsius, with a south

to southwest breeze. In Pembrokeshire tomorrow,

mostly cloudy and dry. In Flintshire tomorrow,

a lot of cloud with sunny intervals. Maybe a shower in the afternoon,

otherwise dry. Tomorrow evening, dry

for a while but some showery rain On Thursday, it's the autumn

equinox, when the sun crosses the equator and day and night

are almost equal. On Thursday, showers

in the morning will clear. The rest of the day

is then quite nice. Sunny spells and feeling pleasant

with a light to moderate breeze. On Friday the odd shower

in places, otherwise dry. And that heralds a change

for the weekend. Low pressure over the Atlantic

will turn things That means a spell of heavy rain

and stronger winds over the weekend, although south-east Wales may stay

dry until Saturday night. The Welsh government has set out

plans for a major expansion of free childcare, moored apprentices and a

fund for more treatment in the NHS over the next five years. The First

Minister says the programme for government will make a tangible

difference to people's lights. Opposition parties criticise what

they claimed was a lack of detail in the documents.

I'll have an update for you here at 8pm,