:00:19. > :00:27.cattle mart. Wales gears up for a day of public
:00:27. > :00:30.sector strikes tomorrow. 1,000 schools will be affected.
:00:30. > :00:33.Modern warfare on the frontline - we'll meet the men who control the
:00:33. > :00:36.unmanned spy planes saving lives in Afghanistan.
:00:36. > :00:46.And Neath are in Norway preparing for their biggest game in their
:00:46. > :00:47.
:00:47. > :00:50.Radical new measures to improve standards in schools will come into
:00:50. > :00:53.force within months. The Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, says
:00:53. > :01:00.two major reforms will be rolled out nationwide from September as
:01:00. > :01:07.schools continue to "underperform". Pupils will sit a national reading
:01:07. > :01:09.test every year from age six to fourteen. And a new grading system
:01:09. > :01:13.will be introduced, with schools being placed in different "bands"
:01:13. > :01:23.based on their performance. Our education correspondent, Ciaran
:01:23. > :01:24.
:01:24. > :01:31.Jenkins, reports. Would you like to start reading to
:01:31. > :01:36.me? From September, six-year-old will sit new national reading tests.
:01:36. > :01:43.It is part of the Welsh government's plan to drive up
:01:43. > :01:50.standards in our schools. Returning to testing is a bold move. Our it -
:01:51. > :01:54.- our teachers ready for what is to come? I do welcome having something
:01:54. > :01:57.but we are finishing in a three weeks for a long summer break. I
:01:57. > :02:03.think they need to get their act together and get something out as
:02:03. > :02:08.quickly as possible. Every pupil aged six to 14 will take the new
:02:08. > :02:14.assessment each year, and a similar test formats will follow in 2012.
:02:14. > :02:18.We asked your parents in Carmarthen what they thought. It has become a
:02:18. > :02:23.competition between the children. It is not about the enjoyment from
:02:23. > :02:28.what they are learning. They can't read it. The teacher still read
:02:28. > :02:34.books to them up. Fair enough in a secondary school, or maybe even
:02:34. > :02:39.nine or 10, but a star so early is asking a bit much. Reading test is
:02:39. > :02:43.just one of 20 areas for immediate action set up by the Education
:02:43. > :02:51.Minister in February. Today, an update on the process -- progress
:02:51. > :02:56.has been made in far-reaching reform. Perhaps the most
:02:56. > :03:01.controversial measure, a new system which, from the autumn, will give
:03:01. > :03:07.every single school A grade. League tables were removed in Wales 10
:03:07. > :03:10.years ago so is this naming and shaming underperforming schools?
:03:10. > :03:14.Local authorities will have to identify the range of support they
:03:14. > :03:17.will need to give to schools in whatever band they find themselves.
:03:17. > :03:21.It is clear that we have got to do more to improve the school
:03:21. > :03:26.standards. We have got world-class best practice in Wales but we are
:03:26. > :03:30.not spreading that practice around sufficient schools in our country.
:03:30. > :03:34.It could potentially be a form of league table dressed up in another
:03:34. > :03:42.term. We are totally against that. We don't think it is the right way
:03:42. > :03:47.forward. We do not want schools being pitted against each other.
:03:47. > :03:51.Schools are bracing themselves for these radical changes. National
:03:51. > :03:54.tests and a school grading are very much on the way.
:03:54. > :03:57.Around 1,500 people have turned out in Welshpool for what's been
:03:58. > :04:01.described as an unprecedented meeting of Powys County Council.
:04:01. > :04:06.The council meeting was switched to the town's livestock market to
:04:06. > :04:08.discuss windfarm developments. We're live in the small village of
:04:08. > :04:10.Meifod in rural Montgomeryshire where many people have opposed the
:04:10. > :04:20.planned developments. Our environment correspondent, Iolo Ap
:04:20. > :04:22.
:04:22. > :04:27.Dafydd, is there. Good evening. Meifod is a focal
:04:27. > :04:32.point for a lot of people who oppose windfarms and new power
:04:32. > :04:35.lines. Earlier today, in Welshpool, it was a big day for Powys Council
:04:35. > :04:44.and an important one for the growing protest movement in Mid
:04:44. > :04:46.Wales. There was an important debate and
:04:46. > :04:50.vote on the wind energy in Wales. They came in their hundreds to make
:04:50. > :04:55.their feelings clear to their councillors as they arrived for
:04:55. > :05:01.Powys County Council's first full meeting outside its headquarters.
:05:01. > :05:04.But demonstrated -- demonstrators gathered to watch one
:05:04. > :05:10.representative after another say they wanted an immediate review of
:05:10. > :05:16.the policy. In the end, the vote was a formality. It is a clear
:05:16. > :05:25.majority mandate. I am really relieved that we have got this, Tan
:05:25. > :05:29.8, but it is even more important that it goes to the UK government.
:05:29. > :05:34.What was said today in the vote was a watershed moment for Powys.
:05:34. > :05:41.Hopefully, it will be sold to the public and what we have done can be
:05:41. > :05:44.taken to the next step. David Jones was the man who proposed the motion.
:05:45. > :05:51.I was hoping it would give councillors an opportunity to show
:05:51. > :05:54.where they stood, but I am really pleased that we have unanimously
:05:54. > :06:00.asked the Assembly Government to review Tan 8, and if they will do
:06:00. > :06:05.that, so will be Westminster government. Barely half an hour
:06:05. > :06:15.away, things are different in this village. These hills are home to
:06:15. > :06:23.
:06:23. > :06:29.the first Tan 8 windfarms completed two years ago. This farmer says he
:06:29. > :06:33.had little option but to diverse a time -- diversify to stay in the
:06:33. > :06:37.area. The family farm was not big enough to sustain this all on the
:06:37. > :06:41.farm and we needed to look at alternatives. We were very lucky at
:06:41. > :06:46.the time because the wind industry in Wales has given us that
:06:46. > :06:51.opportunity. There has been little local opposition because much of
:06:51. > :06:58.the money his schemes generate goes straight into the community below.
:06:58. > :07:03.You can see some new dug-outs, the post. Sports clubs, individuals
:07:03. > :07:11.looking to retrain have all received Wyn windfalls are --
:07:11. > :07:16.windfalls. We could not do it financially. Not without it.
:07:16. > :07:24.the battle against windfarms goes on a. These campaigners have their
:07:24. > :07:29.sights set on Cardiff Bay and Westminster up.
:07:29. > :07:32.Here in Meifod, the protesters have been here for quite a while and
:07:32. > :07:36.they have focused on the wind energy policy of the Welsh
:07:36. > :07:43.government, the Tan 8 policy, and that is why it has been a
:07:43. > :07:47.consistent battle-cry by people here to try and look at that policy
:07:47. > :07:55.again and amend it. That is why that, for the people in a Meifod
:07:55. > :08:01.and other parts of want, Sher, it has become such a battle cry. --
:08:01. > :08:04.Montgomeryshire. Last month, around 1,500 demonstrators came to Cardiff
:08:04. > :08:10.to demand a review of the policy. They want less encouragement for
:08:10. > :08:14.wind farms in seven specific areas of Wales. This policy is called Tan
:08:15. > :08:21.8. Many Mid-Wales are concerned about more being built in the
:08:21. > :08:24.county. For several years, this woman has opposed the Tan 8 policy.
:08:24. > :08:34.I underestimated the interest that would be shown by a windfarms
:08:34. > :08:34.
:08:34. > :08:41.developers. The policy was talked about 10 years ago and launched in
:08:41. > :08:46.2005. The Assembly Government has unveiled seven zones where wind
:08:46. > :08:52.farms will be built in the future. We are changing the Planning
:08:52. > :08:55.guidance to make it clear where windfarms are appropriate. He is
:08:55. > :08:59.now First Minister in control of smaller energy projects. Decisions
:08:59. > :09:03.on larger developments are made in Westminster. It has refused to hand
:09:03. > :09:08.over power to the Welsh government. Carwyn Jones has said they should
:09:08. > :09:14.be an upper limit of windfarms being built but he has not amended
:09:14. > :09:18.his Tan 8 policy. Tan 8 has been used as a stick to beat us but we
:09:18. > :09:22.don't know if Tan 8 will be used as the basis to make the planning
:09:22. > :09:26.decision. It may well be the English Planning guidance. It is an
:09:26. > :09:31.English Commission that will be determining the advice. Tan 8
:09:31. > :09:36.designate seven areas for windfarms development. One in North Wales, a
:09:36. > :09:40.3 in Mid Wales, another in West Wales, and two in the heads of the
:09:40. > :09:46.valleys. Now the wind industry as well as Powys Council are pushing
:09:46. > :09:51.for a full review of Wales's direction on wind energy. Does it
:09:51. > :09:56.get our vote? Know. Do we think it is likely to work without a
:09:57. > :09:59.comprehensive review? Know. There is a lack of infrastructure. The
:09:59. > :10:02.highway network is vitally important and people are concerned
:10:02. > :10:06.about how you're going to get them on to the sites. The other thing is,
:10:06. > :10:10.how do you get the electricity of the site? You are going to need
:10:10. > :10:14.overhead cables, a massive infrastructure as far as cabling is
:10:14. > :10:19.concerned, far exceeding what people originally believed what was
:10:19. > :10:24.in Tan 8. The catalyst igniting local anger is his hundreds of new
:10:24. > :10:28.windfarms are built, it will lead to the National Grid expanding its
:10:28. > :10:32.infrastructure into Mid-Wales. Many in Powys remain unconvinced about
:10:32. > :10:39.Carwyn Jones argument that it will be the UK government that will
:10:39. > :10:42.impose windfarms rather than the Tan 8 policy.
:10:42. > :10:49.Let's talk to Jonathan Wilkinson who is a farmer who lives just
:10:49. > :10:53.outside here but also an opponent of wind farms. First of all, Powys
:10:53. > :11:01.Council can actually decide on nine of the current windfarms in its
:11:01. > :11:06.planning. In its own authority, they can refuse these. I believe
:11:06. > :11:12.they can. The smaller developments are just a part of the picture.
:11:12. > :11:16.There are many larger windfarms applications which will not be in a
:11:16. > :11:20.Powys County Council's hands. It will not be for them to decide what
:11:20. > :11:24.happens. One got the sense today that county councillors were saying,
:11:24. > :11:29.it is nothing to do with us, we want the Welsh government to look
:11:29. > :11:35.at Tan 8, but it could still do a lot by refusing the wind farms and
:11:35. > :11:40.the applications which are on their desk in a planning offices. Yes, I
:11:40. > :11:46.think Powys County Council have shown a commitment to do this. It
:11:46. > :11:49.is a much bigger picture. What happened today was extremely
:11:49. > :11:55.symbolic and sent a clear message to the lodge Assembly Government
:11:55. > :11:58.that Powys, Montgomeryshire, Shropshire are completely not in
:11:58. > :12:04.favour of this did element and the whole thing needs to be looked at
:12:04. > :12:08.again. The question you will get is, if not wind energy in future when
:12:08. > :12:14.we close our coal-fired power station, where will the energy come
:12:14. > :12:18.from? Because we all use electricity. The extensive
:12:18. > :12:22.windfarms development would need extensive backing. It is not an
:12:22. > :12:25.argument to say we do away with conventional back up. We agree that
:12:25. > :12:30.renewable energy is certainly needed. There are many other
:12:30. > :12:35.renewable forms. Community-based renewable energy to take the
:12:35. > :12:40.communities along with them. These certainly are not. Thank you very
:12:40. > :12:44.much. The last government has responded and said anything under
:12:44. > :12:48.50 megawatt is under the control of the local authority and it is not
:12:48. > :12:54.need the authority of the Welsh government to decide on those
:12:54. > :12:59.windfarms applications. Nine in Powys, 62 decided outside powers in
:12:59. > :13:02.Westminster. -- 6 to be decided. David Cameron has attacked the
:13:02. > :13:05.Welsh Government's record on the NHS. Speaking during his weekly
:13:05. > :13:10.Prime Minister's Questions, he said under Labour more people are
:13:10. > :13:18.waiting longer in Wales. I hope it is in order to talk about
:13:18. > :13:22.Labour's record in Wales because that is the, what we are seeing, if
:13:22. > :13:26.anybody wants to know what would happen to the NHS under Labour,
:13:26. > :13:30.they can look at Wales where they are slashing the NHS budget and
:13:30. > :13:33.they are seeing more people waiting for longer. That is what happens
:13:33. > :13:36.when you get a Labour Party running the NHS.
:13:36. > :13:39.The Welsh Government has hit back tonight, claiming the Prime
:13:39. > :13:42.Minister is wrong. In a statement, they say, with the exception of
:13:42. > :13:46.orthopaedics, waiting lists here have been on target for every month
:13:46. > :13:49.since October 2009. Two friends of the 16-year-old boy
:13:49. > :13:53.accused of murdering the teenager Rebecca Aylward have been giving
:13:53. > :13:57.evidence at his trial. 15-year-old Rebecca was found dead in woods in
:13:57. > :14:00.Aberkenfig, near Bridgend, in October last year. The pair told
:14:00. > :14:04.the court the defendant, who can't be named for legal reasons, was
:14:04. > :14:07.responsible for the killing. But the defence claimed it was
:14:07. > :14:10.orchestrated and carried out by them.
:14:10. > :14:14.The three chairmen of the regional boards set-up to tackle TB in
:14:14. > :14:18.cattle have resigned. They say they've been by-passed and badly
:14:18. > :14:28.misled by the Welsh Government. It comes after the Environment
:14:28. > :14:30.
:14:30. > :14:34.Minister decided to put the planned Around 20,000 civil servants are
:14:34. > :14:41.expected to go on strike around Wales tomorrow. The latest figures
:14:41. > :14:45.show at least 800 schools could be hit and other public buildings. Our
:14:45. > :14:51.business correspondent his out the DVLA in Swansea. What can we
:14:51. > :15:01.expect? That us start with the civil service side. I am outside
:15:01. > :15:03.
:15:03. > :15:13.the DVLA. Around 5,000 people work here. Around 3,500 are members of
:15:13. > :15:15.
:15:15. > :15:20.the same union which would be striking tomorrow. The PCS Union
:15:20. > :15:26.also has members among coastguards, Jobcentres and even the National
:15:26. > :15:30.Museum. Places like that will also be affected. This action is all
:15:30. > :15:37.about proposals to change pensions. A notoriously complex subject when
:15:37. > :15:41.it comes to industrial negotiations. The PCS union estimates that around
:15:41. > :15:50.20,000 civil servants will take industrial action tomorrow. Among
:15:50. > :15:56.the proposals they are fighting is that the UK government wants to
:15:56. > :16:02.increase contributions to their pensions by 2%. From Twenty20, the
:16:02. > :16:05.pensioned retirement age were raised to 66 from 60. Despite these
:16:05. > :16:10.walkouts, the impact on the general public and the way they go about
:16:10. > :16:20.their daily business tomorrow will be fairly limited. The biggest
:16:20. > :16:23.
:16:23. > :16:28.impact will be the strike by Across Wales, around half hour
:16:28. > :16:33.schools will be affected in one way or another. Some like this one will
:16:33. > :16:38.be closed completely to pupils. In other schools, they're asking some
:16:38. > :16:48.children in some classes to stay away. A couple of teaching unions,
:16:48. > :16:51.
:16:51. > :16:56.the NUT and the ATL are taking part in the strike. Other teaching
:16:57. > :16:59.unions will not be involved. The UK's Education Secretary has warned
:16:59. > :17:05.the strikes may damage the reputation of the teaching
:17:06. > :17:10.profession. The strikes will cause headaches for many working parents
:17:10. > :17:17.what to make alternative arrangements. If in doubt, contact
:17:17. > :17:22.your school or your local authority. We will have a reaction to those
:17:22. > :17:28.strikes in tomorrow's programme. We will also assess the impact it has
:17:29. > :17:32.had on schools and public services. Still to come: the ice in the sky.
:17:32. > :17:42.We will be talking to Welsh soldiers using spy planes to help
:17:42. > :17:48.save lives in Afghanistan. S4C has had a turbulent year. That
:17:49. > :17:52.is according to the new chairman. The annual report shows few were
:17:52. > :17:58.people watched S4C during peak hours last year. S4C says it is
:17:58. > :18:02.confident of meeting the challenges ahead.
:18:02. > :18:08.There has been plenty of drama on S4C over the past year. Almost as
:18:08. > :18:13.much going on behind the scenes to. The chief executive lost her job
:18:13. > :18:18.last summer. The director of programmes at chairman also left.
:18:18. > :18:25.In October, the UK component and asked the funding would be kept and
:18:25. > :18:32.it would be financed by the BBC from 2013. Today's report also
:18:32. > :18:37.shows audiences falling. For a channel trying to win back the West
:18:37. > :18:42.with less money, it is the perfect storm. At the same time, we're able
:18:42. > :18:47.to demonstrate that has been an increase in the breached figure for
:18:47. > :18:53.the year. The number of people tuning in at some point during each
:18:53. > :19:02.week has increased by something like 12%. The new chairman said for
:19:02. > :19:12.legal reasons he could not comment whether the former Chase -- chief
:19:12. > :19:14.
:19:14. > :19:21.executive had been paid off. accounts are full and complete in
:19:21. > :19:25.respect of all relevant details. Friday, S4C is expected to announce
:19:25. > :19:34.changes to its Schedule. The channel says it is confident it can
:19:34. > :19:41.meet the challenges ahead. Cars to Japan. Tidemark Deeside plant will
:19:41. > :19:46.start exporting engines to the homeland. European cars are in
:19:46. > :19:51.fashion in Japan. The UK government wants more young people to take a
:19:51. > :19:59.hands-on approach to manufacturing. These teachers and careers advisers
:19:59. > :20:03.were taking a tour around Toyota today. This is a great year there
:20:03. > :20:08.were people can develop skills which are practical and there is a
:20:08. > :20:13.range of choices. We try to make sure we inform people in each
:20:13. > :20:17.locality about what is available. Visitors today have been learning
:20:17. > :20:23.that the automotive industry is a rich and rewarding place to work.
:20:23. > :20:33.It can be volatile. The factory here as it will cope with the
:20:33. > :20:35.
:20:35. > :20:45.devastation of the Japanese earthquake and salami. We just
:20:45. > :20:48.
:20:48. > :20:52.started exporting the Avensis model back to Japan. It is a real
:20:52. > :20:56.endorsement of the quality of the product. That is encouraging to
:20:56. > :21:03.these students who would like to work in the industry. I like taking
:21:03. > :21:08.things apart and putting them back together. We've tried with clocks
:21:08. > :21:12.and phones. My parents were engineers in different areas. It
:21:12. > :21:17.runs in the family. manufacturing sector in Wales has
:21:17. > :21:23.its ups and downs. Long-term success depends on the tools being
:21:23. > :21:29.handed down. They had become an essential part
:21:29. > :21:32.of modern warfare. Unmanned spy planes flew at -- being flown by
:21:32. > :21:36.remote control are a vital resource for troops on the ground. The
:21:36. > :21:42.Territorial Army soldiers have been operating them in Afghanistan. They
:21:42. > :21:50.say they have helped save countless lives. A US spy plane takes to
:21:50. > :21:54.disguise. This vehicle -- these vehicles are commonly deployed over
:21:54. > :22:00.airspace. British forces have been using the Desert Hawk, a remote
:22:00. > :22:06.control plane relaying information to troops on the ground before they
:22:06. > :22:11.advance on an unknown territory. These soldiers from Newport have
:22:11. > :22:15.been using this aerial technology in Helmand Province. They are
:22:15. > :22:20.convinced it has saved lives. of the troops on the ground did not
:22:20. > :22:28.like going out on the ground unless they had a fee in the air. This
:22:28. > :22:31.will activity on certain roads, we thought it was a dodgy area and we
:22:31. > :22:39.could advise them not to take that route. It could potentially save
:22:39. > :22:43.lives. The Desert Hawk is just one metres long and weighs about the
:22:43. > :22:53.same as three bags of sugar. It is guided from the ground by a laptop
:22:53. > :22:55.
:22:55. > :23:03.computer. It is an early warning system for advancing troops.
:23:03. > :23:12.discovered there was Taliban. We stopped our guys going in to where
:23:12. > :23:16.they had planted a bomb. These soldiers are acutely aware of how
:23:16. > :23:22.important it is to provide ground troops with accurate reconnaissance
:23:22. > :23:27.from the air. They argue more lives would have been lost without the
:23:27. > :23:31.intelligence gathered from the sky. Neath football fans are getting
:23:31. > :23:35.ready for the biggest game in the club's history. They will be in a
:23:35. > :23:44.European action for the first time in their Europa League qualifying
:23:44. > :23:49.round. They will be facing Aalesund. The famous ground which is hoped to
:23:49. > :23:55.the football ground which is now on the European stage. They gained
:23:55. > :24:05.entry into Europe after doing so well last season. The Norwegian
:24:05. > :24:06.
:24:06. > :24:11.opponents play and I artificial pitch. If we apply ourselves and
:24:11. > :24:18.get a bit of luck, who knows. They seem to play a lot of counter-
:24:18. > :24:24.attacking strategy. We will be aware of that. We have utilised all
:24:24. > :24:30.the French it packs to get as much information as possible. Neath are
:24:30. > :24:34.a young team. Experience for them comes from Lee Trundle. He says it
:24:34. > :24:39.is an opportunity he is relishing. When I first came, I said this is
:24:39. > :24:43.what they wanted to do. I wanted to get in Neath into Europe. All the
:24:43. > :24:51.boys are excited and looking forward to the game. You have to
:24:51. > :24:55.enjoy times like this. For some of the lads who have not sampled first,
:24:55. > :24:59.it to be a great occasion. President of the club is Neath MP
:24:59. > :25:04.Peter Hain. He will be busy in Westminster tomorrow but the Eagles
:25:04. > :25:08.will not be far from his mind. will be following the game closely.
:25:08. > :25:15.Never underestimate Neath. We may be playing in Europe for the first
:25:15. > :25:20.time, if I were the Norwegians, I would be very worried indeed.
:25:20. > :25:24.all eyes on Neath. The aim is to make sure the tie is still in the
:25:24. > :25:29.balance when they play at home a week tomorrow. It should be a
:25:29. > :25:39.cracking match. Cricket. Glamorgan start their final chukka gyp match
:25:39. > :25:44.
:25:44. > :25:48.against Derbyshire with a lead of Football. Swansea City's Angel
:25:48. > :25:52.Rangel has agreed to stay with the Premier League club. He rejected
:25:52. > :25:56.interest from Fulham and Blackpool and decided to commit to the
:25:56. > :26:06.Liberty Stadium. He has signed a new three-year deal. The Sun has
:26:06. > :26:12.
:26:12. > :26:20.Cumulus clouds have brought showers to parts of North and South Wales.
:26:20. > :26:26.You can see those brewing up on the satellite pictures. Most of the
:26:26. > :26:32.country will be dry tonight. A few patches of cloud and a cool, fresh
:26:32. > :26:37.night. Temperatures up to 11 Celsius. Parts of rural and mid-
:26:37. > :26:41.Wales will see six Celsius by the end of the night. High pressure to
:26:41. > :26:46.the south-west tomorrow and it will move closer towards us of the next
:26:46. > :26:51.few days. A dry start for most of the country tomorrow. Not
:26:51. > :26:57.everywhere, more cloud is likely in the north. A couple of showers
:26:57. > :27:03.around Anglesey. Temperatures in Aberystwyth starting at around ten
:27:03. > :27:11.Celsius. As we go through the day, more showers will break out. It
:27:11. > :27:19.will be a hit and miss affair. Top temperatures tomorrow between 15
:27:19. > :27:29.and 19 Celsius. In West Wales tomorrow, I would not rule out a
:27:29. > :27:40.
:27:40. > :27:45.The outlook is fairly promising for Friday and the weekend. Variable
:27:45. > :27:55.cloud and sunny spells. I would not rule out the odd light shower.
:27:55. > :27:57.
:27:57. > :28:02.Pleasantly warm with light winds It is almost 7pm. The criminal-
:28:02. > :28:06.justice system for Wales and England is in disarray tonight
:28:06. > :28:12.after at a judge's ruling on bail. It means the maximum time police
:28:12. > :28:17.have be for the can charge a suspect is 96 hours. The Education
:28:17. > :28:23.Minister has confirmed a radical new measures to improve school
:28:23. > :28:29.standards to come into force within months. Pupils will have to sit a