:00:02. > :00:06.Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's top story:
:00:06. > :00:13.Seven of the nine Remploy factories here face closure. It's a bitter
:00:13. > :00:17.blow for the 300 disabled workers who face losing their jobs.
:00:17. > :00:21.It's not looking good, is it? We are all a bit shell-shocked at the
:00:21. > :00:31.moment. For almost 70 years they've been providing opportunities for
:00:31. > :00:42.
:00:42. > :00:45.disabled people. What future now Our other headlines tonight.
:00:45. > :00:49.Some volunteer hospital drivers say they can't afford to carry on. As
:00:49. > :00:52.fuel campaigners protest in London, the rises are affecting us all.
:00:52. > :00:55.5,000 people employed by Admiral here - the boss says the dip in
:00:55. > :00:59.profits is disappointing. Helping veterans like Paul Harding
:00:59. > :01:05.deal with post-traumatic stress. Why there is a call from the NHS
:01:05. > :01:08.for his treatment to be stopped. And guides for an historic medieval
:01:08. > :01:18.village are under threat. Campaigners fight to stop cuts at
:01:18. > :01:20.
:01:20. > :01:24.Good evening. It's been called barbaric and heartbreaking by some,
:01:24. > :01:27.others say it's time to change the way we support disabled people.
:01:27. > :01:32.Today nearly 300 workers at seven Welsh Remploy factories, most of
:01:32. > :01:36.them with disabilities, heard that they were likely to lose their jobs.
:01:36. > :01:38.Only two factories here survive. The announcement has already
:01:38. > :01:43.provoked a fierce political row between Westminster and the Welsh
:01:43. > :01:53.Government. Live now to Mathew Richards, whose at one of the
:01:53. > :01:56.
:01:56. > :01:59.factories expected to close. Thanks. The timing is crawl
:01:59. > :02:04.considering here at the Wrexham plant, a major announcement was due
:02:04. > :02:11.to be made on Monday by the council to say they were about to place a
:02:11. > :02:13.large order for kitchens. That is a sign of the faith they have in the
:02:13. > :02:19.workforce and the skills they have here and the relationship they have
:02:19. > :02:29.built up over the years with Remploy. It has been a busy plant
:02:29. > :02:32.here. Around 40 people work here, many with special educational needs.
:02:32. > :02:36.There are lots of communities around Wales that will be affected
:02:37. > :02:40.by this decision. Remploy has offered support to individuals,
:02:40. > :02:44.families and communities. The government says it is not trying to
:02:44. > :02:47.segregate the workforce but get people with disabilities back into
:02:47. > :02:54.the general workforce but there will be this limbo period where
:02:54. > :02:59.many people will be struggling to adapt and to find a normal job, if
:02:59. > :03:03.you like, amongst the average member of the workforce. There are
:03:03. > :03:06.lots of people here saying they will do their best to keep the
:03:06. > :03:14.factory open and to try and give some hope to the workers here but
:03:14. > :03:21.it does seem like the future is bleak at the moment. Here's
:03:22. > :03:28.Caroline Evans. Emotions here are raw.
:03:28. > :03:31.We are all a bit shell-shocked. Turn it off a minute.
:03:31. > :03:36.Many of the people here have given years of loyal service and they
:03:37. > :03:40.feel they will never compete in the mainstream jobs market.
:03:40. > :03:44.They say they will get these disabled people into work. In this
:03:44. > :03:49.current climate, I think that's impossible. Able-bodied people
:03:49. > :03:56.can't get jobs. It's a dire situation, to be honest.
:03:56. > :04:00.Remploy began in Wales. Bridgend was the first factory opened in
:04:00. > :04:03.1946 to provide work for injured miners and men coming back from the
:04:03. > :04:08.Second World War. At its peak, it employed more than 10,000 people
:04:08. > :04:18.across Britain. In recent years, it has faced a series of closures.
:04:18. > :04:18.
:04:18. > :04:22.Today, it employs 434 staff at its nine Welsh factories. Of those, 281
:04:22. > :04:32.are likely to lose their jobs with the closure of seven factories.
:04:32. > :04:34.
:04:34. > :04:39.The announcement came in a written statement and had Welsh MPs queuing
:04:39. > :04:42.up to criticise the minister, Maria Miller, for not delivering the news
:04:42. > :04:47.in person. The recent ministerial statement
:04:47. > :04:50.was called employment support. This has been sneaked out. It is unfair
:04:50. > :04:54.to disabled people in this country to treat them in this way.
:04:54. > :05:00.These are some of the most vulnerable workers in my
:05:00. > :05:03.constituency and they have been sacked by the minister today by a
:05:04. > :05:09.written statement that was sent to the library.
:05:09. > :05:12.In the summer, it workers here staged a protest after a report
:05:12. > :05:16.that sent the UK government should be investing in effective support
:05:16. > :05:21.for individuals rather than subsidising factory businesses.
:05:21. > :05:25.Today, they were told that they and the Neath factory are not on the
:05:25. > :05:30.list for closure. Very much feeling like a part of
:05:30. > :05:34.May, obviously and relieved that we are here longer in Porth but it's
:05:34. > :05:39.devastating news from the UK government that two-thirds of its
:05:39. > :05:44.UK companies are closing and devastated for our colleagues.
:05:44. > :05:47.It cost the government �25,000 each year to support each disabled
:05:47. > :05:54.employee. Supporting disabled people working in mainstream
:05:54. > :05:59.employment costs on average �2,900. The UK government says nearly all
:05:59. > :06:04.the factories make a loss and it wants to help Remploy workers find
:06:04. > :06:08.jobs with mainstream employers. Remploy is based on a traditional
:06:08. > :06:14.model of sheltered employment. We are living in an age of equality.
:06:14. > :06:18.We have human rights act and now we need to see more paid employment
:06:18. > :06:23.opportunities within mainstream employers for disabled people
:06:23. > :06:26.working alongside non-disabled people. However, what we do have
:06:26. > :06:31.concerns about is that those currently working at Remploy
:06:31. > :06:33.factories need to be folly is supported to enable them to find
:06:34. > :06:38.alternative employment opportunities.
:06:38. > :06:44.Here in Porth, as in Neath, they know they have got valuable time to
:06:44. > :06:48.prove they can be viable and make a profit. The Welsh government has
:06:48. > :06:52.already stated its priority will be to try and keep Remploy workers in
:06:53. > :07:00.their jobs. Fat may be the best hope for workers at the other sites
:07:00. > :07:03.in Wales. As you heard, the UK government
:07:03. > :07:06.says this factory and six others across Wales may not be
:07:06. > :07:09.economically viable but some politicians say they will fight
:07:09. > :07:13.until the end to save them. Leighton Andrews is the Minister
:07:13. > :07:18.for Education and Skills. What's your reaction the news of the
:07:18. > :07:23.potential closure of seven Remploy factories?
:07:23. > :07:27.We are deeply disappointed at this news. It's clearly devastating for
:07:27. > :07:32.the individuals, their families and communities where they live. Let's
:07:32. > :07:38.make no mistake about this, Wales has been disproportionately hit by
:07:39. > :07:42.the UK government and the closures today.
:07:42. > :07:52.Would these changes mean a more effective way of employing disabled
:07:52. > :07:54.
:07:54. > :07:58.people? I don't think so. These factories
:07:58. > :08:08.have a good record of bringing people into employment and
:08:08. > :08:11.
:08:11. > :08:15.providing skills training for others. We want to scrutinise what
:08:15. > :08:17.they are saying about the viability of these factors raised.
:08:17. > :08:22.A government-commissioned review suggested that tens of thousands
:08:22. > :08:28.more people, 35,000 people more could be helped into work for the
:08:28. > :08:33.same cost of supporting 2000 Remploy employees.
:08:33. > :08:36.The author of that actually said on BBC earlier today that the
:08:36. > :08:43.factories in Wales should be able to demonstrate whether or not they
:08:43. > :08:47.are viable. She said that on the BBC News channel. She understands
:08:47. > :08:53.we need to have the books opened by the UK government and we need to
:08:53. > :08:55.see what the situation really is. Realistically, what can you do? Is
:08:55. > :08:58.the Welsh government likely to step in here?
:08:58. > :09:05.The UK government has to take responsibility for the decision it
:09:06. > :09:09.has made. It has decided to reduce the grant. They have decided to
:09:09. > :09:16.reduce the grant from London and that is the recent the Remploy
:09:16. > :09:20.factories may have to pay close in Wales. As a world government, we
:09:20. > :09:23.want the UK government to open the books and we will work with unions,
:09:23. > :09:26.Remploy and the UK government to see if it's possible to keep the
:09:26. > :09:29.jobs in Wales. Welsh campaigners have joined a national protest in
:09:29. > :09:32.London calling for the UK Government to act over soaring
:09:33. > :09:36.petrol and diesel prices. People living in rural areas say they are
:09:36. > :09:45.particularly hit hard. Others whose livelihoods rely on their vehicles
:09:45. > :09:48.Today the pressure group FairFuelUK delivered a petition to Number 10
:09:48. > :09:58.and descended on Westminster as part of its campaign for a cut in
:09:58. > :10:02.
:10:02. > :10:07.fuel duty. Many travelled from Wales to lobby their MPs. Among
:10:07. > :10:10.them Wales Malcolm Yeo from Barry. I'm disabled and lots of disabled
:10:10. > :10:17.people are worse off than me because they can't afford fuel for
:10:17. > :10:20.their vehicles. Caroline Curtis-Moore lives in
:10:20. > :10:23.Dollgellau and as a rural motorist is particularly reliant on her car.
:10:23. > :10:26.A trip to the shops is an eight mile journey, regular hospital
:10:26. > :10:30.appointments mean a 100 mile round trip. With petrol prices at a
:10:30. > :10:36.record high, she wants the Government to act.
:10:36. > :10:41.I have to justify when they make a journey. We seem to have increase
:10:41. > :10:44.on increase and it never stops, whether the price is going up or
:10:44. > :10:47.there is extra duty inflating the cost of petrol.
:10:47. > :10:50.The Government has launched a rural rebate, 5p of per litre for people
:10:51. > :10:54.living in the most remote parts of Britain like the Scilly Isles for
:10:54. > :11:01.Scottish islands. So far is only a pilot scheme with nothing for Wales
:11:02. > :11:06.but it's made some environmental groups nervous about cutting duty.
:11:06. > :11:11.They have good reason for making sure their taxes and increasing
:11:12. > :11:15.level of taxes on fossil fuels is to make sure that there are good
:11:15. > :11:17.financial incentives for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and
:11:17. > :11:20.reducing our impact on the environment.
:11:20. > :11:23.For many whose livelihood depends on the car, the rising cost of
:11:23. > :11:26.petrol and diesel is crippling. Mark Williams, who drives a taxi in
:11:26. > :11:36.Cardiff, wants the fuel duty cut because it stands he's having to
:11:36. > :11:41.work longer and longer hours to make the same money.
:11:41. > :11:45.The profit goes back to my pocket, one simple answer. And maybe they
:11:45. > :11:48.can give me a little bit of time to spend at home, keeps the good lady
:11:48. > :11:52.happy. Rhys Trickett is a volunteer driver
:11:52. > :11:55.for the health service in Swansea. He picks up patience in his private
:11:55. > :12:01.car from all over south west Wales and takes them to a hospital
:12:01. > :12:05.appointments, regularly covering more than 100 miles a day.
:12:05. > :12:13.My mum was volunteering until recently but she has now found it's
:12:13. > :12:15.not feasible for her to continue. Drivers are at dropping by the day.
:12:16. > :12:18.It's two weeks before the Chancellor makes his budget
:12:19. > :12:20.statement but fuel campaigners are still hoping he'll cut duty, a move
:12:21. > :12:24.they claimed would help safeguard and create jobs.
:12:24. > :12:34.Let's get more on this story now and go live to a haulage firm near
:12:34. > :12:34.
:12:34. > :12:39.Llanelli and our reporter, Rhodri I'm here at a transport company in
:12:39. > :12:46.Llanelli. It's a major employer in the town and across South Wales. It
:12:46. > :12:51.has 480 people on its books, running 220 vehicles like this. It
:12:51. > :12:56.used 10.2 million litres of fuel last year. A substantial amount.
:12:56. > :13:00.Tell me, how big an issue is this for the business?
:13:00. > :13:04.To be honest, is probably the largest problem we have. What we
:13:04. > :13:09.endeavour to do is we feel that nobody is taking any notice of what
:13:09. > :13:14.we are saying so we have turned our attentions towards managing costs
:13:14. > :13:23.that are within our control. At the end of last year, we had to make a
:13:23. > :13:28.few job cuts around South Wales. We are very fortunate as a lot of our
:13:28. > :13:33.focus within the company is on the fuel surcharge mechanism which we
:13:33. > :13:38.process on a daily and weekly basis. Would a cut make a difference?
:13:38. > :13:42.Any help, obviously. It's not only within the haulage industry. As
:13:42. > :13:45.long as you are running a vehicle, it has an impact.
:13:45. > :13:49.The Chancellor doesn't seem convinced at the moment. What would
:13:49. > :13:54.you say to him this evening? It would be an interesting
:13:54. > :13:57.conversation. We realise even if it was a penny a litre cut, the impact
:13:57. > :14:00.that would have on our business would be fantastic.
:14:00. > :14:06.Where do you go from here if it goes up in August, as planned?
:14:06. > :14:10.If it goes up, the mechanisms we have got within of process that we
:14:10. > :14:14.are invoicing on a daily basis is very fortunate that we have
:14:14. > :14:21.structured it so that our customers pick the cost up and ultimately,
:14:21. > :14:25.the consumer in the shop pays it. Thank you. We will have to wait and
:14:25. > :14:27.see what George or Osborne does in a fortnight's time. The head of the
:14:27. > :14:30.car insurer Admiral says it's been a disappointing year as he
:14:30. > :14:32.announced profit figures that were lower than previous years. The
:14:32. > :14:36.company, which employs nearly 5,000 people across south Wales, was
:14:36. > :14:39.affected by a rising number of high value personal injury claims.
:14:39. > :14:47.Despite that, overall sales levels broke through the �2 billion mark
:14:47. > :14:51.for the first time. Here's our business correspondent.
:14:51. > :14:56.Admiral is the second-biggest car insurer in Britain and his premiums
:14:56. > :15:01.are on many of our bank balances. It has seen its spectacular growth
:15:01. > :15:07.so 2011 was the year at the car in Sierra hit a few speed bumps. Pre-
:15:07. > :15:12.tax profits stood at �299 million, a rise of 13% on the year. Sales
:15:12. > :15:17.broke through the �2 billion mark for the first time and staff will
:15:17. > :15:21.receive free shares worth �3,000 as part of its share ownership scheme.
:15:21. > :15:26.This is the 20th year of trading for Admiral and it has probably
:15:26. > :15:29.been one of its most difficult. Last year its share price fell by
:15:29. > :15:33.about a third after it issued a profits warning as it dealt with
:15:33. > :15:38.spiralling claims on Britain's roads.
:15:38. > :15:45.It has certainly been turbulent. If nothing else, we like a challenge
:15:45. > :15:50.at Admiral. As our Co has said, there is nobody who is complacent
:15:50. > :15:54.at this organisation. Premiums rose 15% last year,
:15:54. > :15:58.insurance blame the compensation culture for the rise. The UK
:15:58. > :16:04.government says referral fees on also part of the problem. This is
:16:04. > :16:07.where companies like Admiral sell details about claimants to lawyers.
:16:07. > :16:12.First lawyer and member of the Institute of Advanced motorists
:16:12. > :16:17.believe there should be changed. I feel sorry for the younger
:16:17. > :16:24.drivers, trying to get insurance so they can drive legally. My son is
:16:24. > :16:29.17 and passed his test and his advanced test. The cheapest quote
:16:29. > :16:33.is �3,300. Admiral says its growth should
:16:33. > :16:37.continue and expects staff numbers in Wales to pass 5,000 later in the
:16:37. > :16:39.year of. Still to come in the programme: How do you feel about
:16:39. > :16:49.being treated by your pharmacist for minor ailments? A new scheme
:16:49. > :16:50.
:16:50. > :16:52.On another deadly day for British forces in Afghanistan there's a
:16:52. > :16:57.warning that some charities offering mental health support to
:16:57. > :17:00.veterans be causing more harm than good. The principle clinician at
:17:00. > :17:03.the All Wales Veterans' Service, run by the NHS, says he would like
:17:03. > :17:07.to see a register of charities offering treatment and an end to
:17:07. > :17:14.those offering help which hasn't been sufficiently trialled. Jenny
:17:14. > :17:17.Rees as the second of our special reports. Life has changed for Paul
:17:17. > :17:21.Harding. Five months ago, he wouldn't have been able to share
:17:21. > :17:24.his story. He would have avoided all contact with anyone. Then he
:17:24. > :17:28.was told he had post traumatic stress disorder after living in for
:17:28. > :17:30.silence with the emotional scars of combat for 20 years. But since
:17:30. > :17:40.seeking help with Healing the Wounds, a veterans charity based
:17:40. > :17:41.
:17:41. > :17:46.near Bridgend, life has changed. Within the first session, I knew it
:17:46. > :17:50.was right. It was like a lightbulb moment. I can talk about it now and
:17:50. > :17:55.there are some bits I would get upset over but that's only natural.
:17:55. > :17:58.I can deal with it without diving behind the back of this bench for
:17:58. > :18:02.calling across the ground or running away. That is what I would
:18:02. > :18:08.have done before, if I'd tried to deal with it before, it got too
:18:08. > :18:13.much for me. It was so real that I could hear it guns being fired,
:18:13. > :18:15.people screaming. Healing the Wounds uses a programme
:18:15. > :18:18.called neural linguistic programming, or NLP, which works
:18:19. > :18:21.with the unconscious mind to address painful memories. But
:18:21. > :18:26.concerns have been raised that treatments like this have not been
:18:26. > :18:29.sufficiently trialled and should not be used. Neil Kitchener is
:18:29. > :18:36.principal clinician at the NHS All Wales Veterans Health and Well-
:18:36. > :18:43.being Service, based at the University Hospital in Cardiff.
:18:43. > :18:49.Some charities are offering veterans the miracle cure,
:18:49. > :18:52.politically -- particularly around post-traumatic stress disorder,
:18:52. > :18:57.with an proven therapies and to me, that's very worrying. There is a
:18:57. > :18:59.potential to do harm. The man behind the charity -- But
:19:00. > :19:05.the man behind Healing the Wounds feels passionately that their
:19:05. > :19:10.treatments do work. The results are fantastic. It isn't recognised on
:19:10. > :19:14.the NHS at the moment through the nice guidelines. It takes time to
:19:14. > :19:18.be recognised on that and we have found extreme barriers against us
:19:18. > :19:23.for support and help because we are not on the guidelines. Our
:19:23. > :19:26.treatment is safe. It's not going to affect the guy is dangerously.
:19:26. > :19:29.The current situation for veterans needing help would be a GP referral
:19:29. > :19:32.to the All Wales service. The MoD and Welsh government funded a two-
:19:32. > :19:42.year pilot in 2008 which has gradually been rolled out across
:19:42. > :19:42.
:19:42. > :19:50.Wales. 162 referrals were made to the
:19:50. > :19:53.service but the time taken to be seen depends on where you live. The
:19:53. > :19:56.final clinicians will be in post this month in Betsi Cadwaladr and
:19:56. > :19:58.Hywel Dda health boards and they each have more than a dozen
:19:58. > :20:02.patients waiting to be seen. After an initial assessment, veterans
:20:02. > :20:04.could be seen within three months in the Cwm Tawe and Aneurin Bevan
:20:04. > :20:07.areas. In Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cardiff and Vale NHS trusts,
:20:07. > :20:11.the referral rates are higher and the waiting time for treatment is
:20:11. > :20:14.eight to nine months. A review of the care the veterans like Paul get,
:20:14. > :20:16.both from the NHS and charities, is currently being finalised by the
:20:16. > :20:21.Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and it will report to ministers next
:20:21. > :20:23.month. A section of the A470 near
:20:23. > :20:27.Llandudno Junction has been officially named after the Royal
:20:27. > :20:31.Welsh Regiment. It's been given the name Royal Welsh Way following a
:20:31. > :20:35.campaign by local residents. It's hoped there'll be an official
:20:35. > :20:38.naming ceremony next month. Patients with minor problems like
:20:38. > :20:44.indigestion or hay fever can be treated by the pharmacist in future,
:20:44. > :20:49.rather than seeing a GP. The Welsh government says the scheme will
:20:49. > :20:52.help free up doctors and provide easy access to health care. The
:20:52. > :21:00.Conservatives have raised concerns over medication being wasted. Our
:21:00. > :21:03.health correspondent has been to see how it will work.
:21:03. > :21:06.This pharmacy is one of the few in Wales already offering
:21:06. > :21:11.consultations for patients with minor ailments, things like a sore
:21:11. > :21:15.throat or nasty cough. They can speak to the pharmacist in a
:21:15. > :21:18.private consultation room like that, away from the other customers,
:21:18. > :21:22.where the pharmacist can speak to them about their symptoms and give
:21:22. > :21:26.them medication. This is one of the pharmacists. You are already doing
:21:26. > :21:32.this in the area. What of the ailments you can help a with?
:21:32. > :21:38.A huge amount of ailments. Cold, hayfever, conjunctivitis, the
:21:38. > :21:42.Rickers. Minor ailments. Some doctors are concerned you are
:21:42. > :21:47.not able to examine the patients and you don't know that the cough
:21:47. > :21:51.isn't something more serious. Pharmacists are I it -- are trained
:21:51. > :21:55.to identify minor ailments. Anything we don't feel competent on
:21:55. > :21:59.we would refer. The local health boards also gave us a list of
:21:59. > :22:03.exclusion criteria so anything they felt should be seen Bay a GP, we
:22:03. > :22:10.would refer and often arrange an appointment.
:22:10. > :22:13.It means a patient would be able to pay for lozenges for a sore throat.
:22:13. > :22:17.They wouldn't need prescription either. How can you be sure that
:22:17. > :22:22.system won't be abuse? There are set drugs we can use for
:22:22. > :22:25.each condition. Every time a customer can ask for something on
:22:26. > :22:30.the scheme we would have a consultation with them in the rooms.
:22:30. > :22:34.It can take up to 15 minutes and only ones we are satisfied the
:22:35. > :22:38.patient is suffering with fat would we prescribe a treatment for them.
:22:38. > :22:42.You are sure this isn't a way of patients getting things for free?
:22:42. > :22:46.Absolutely not. They have to fulfil criteria before we would give them
:22:46. > :22:51.treatments. This scheme will be rolled out
:22:51. > :23:01.across Wales from the start of 2013 and ultimately, could see around
:23:01. > :23:03.
:23:03. > :23:06.700 pharmacies take part. It's a recreation of 14th century peasant
:23:06. > :23:08.life, when times were very tough, but now public sector cuts could
:23:08. > :23:11.see Cosmeston Medieval Village disappear once more. Campaigners
:23:11. > :23:13.tonight delivered a petition to Vale of Glamorgan councillors and
:23:13. > :23:15.experts say removing real life guides and animals from the site
:23:15. > :23:19.will jeopardise its future. The foundations of Cosmeston
:23:19. > :23:23.medieval village were discovered in 1978. Over the last few decades,
:23:23. > :23:27.the 600 year-old site has been rebuilt to portray life in the 14th
:23:27. > :23:32.century. Now, cuts by the Vale of Glamorgan council will mean the
:23:32. > :23:35.number of tour guides at the village will be reduced. The
:23:35. > :23:39.authorities say �50,000 will be saved each year and plan to make
:23:39. > :23:43.the site free. Carl Langford is a professional archaeologist but
:23:43. > :23:52.learned his trade in full medieval dress as a tour guide in the
:23:52. > :23:56.village. It's a fascinating archaeological
:23:56. > :24:00.resource. You can't bring it alive without people like me explaining
:24:00. > :24:04.what is going on here. You need to have that enthusiasm. That is what
:24:04. > :24:07.archaeology, history and living history is all about. Bringing the
:24:07. > :24:10.past a line In addition to other historical characters already cut,
:24:10. > :24:13.the site's rare breed animals have been removed, including boar, sheep
:24:13. > :24:18.and geese. Valerie Paul has been visiting the village for over 30
:24:18. > :24:21.years. It was one of her late husband's favourite spots. She's
:24:21. > :24:26.organised a petition against the cuts and in a month, gathered over
:24:26. > :24:30.1,500 signatures. It is such a unique tourist
:24:30. > :24:37.attraction and is right on our doorstep. It's not just a few
:24:37. > :24:39.houses but it's actually built on its original foundations.
:24:39. > :24:41.Archaeologists and local enthusiasts say reducing the number
:24:41. > :24:47.of guides at the site would jeopardise its special
:24:47. > :24:50.archaeological status. The councils say audio guides will be available.
:24:50. > :25:00.The village may already have a rich history but will it have a rich
:25:00. > :25:08.
:25:08. > :25:09.Rugby and Italy have replaced half their team for Saturday's Six
:25:09. > :25:12.their team for Saturday's Six Nations match against Wales. There
:25:12. > :25:14.are seven changes from their heavy defeat to Ireland. Australian-born
:25:14. > :25:17.fly-half Kris Burton replaces Tobias Botes. Also drafted in is
:25:17. > :25:20.scrum half Fabio Semenzato, Centre Gonzalo Canale and wing Mirco
:25:20. > :25:30.Bergamasco, who will take over the kicking duties. And there are also
:25:30. > :25:33.
:25:33. > :25:39.Let's get the weather now - Sue A mix of sunshine and showers today.
:25:39. > :25:44.The radar shows much of south and east Wales avoiding them. Those
:25:44. > :25:48.showers well he's everywhere tonight so slowly dying out to
:25:48. > :25:54.leave a dry night with largely career -- clear skies. This will
:25:54. > :26:02.allow some frost to form with some ice patches. Temperatures falling
:26:02. > :26:05.to three Celsius. Tomorrow, a chilly but fine start with sunny
:26:05. > :26:10.spells in the east becoming increasingly cloudy in the West
:26:10. > :26:16.through the day. A small risk of drizzle but otherwise try. Westerly
:26:16. > :26:21.winds wit with typical early March temperatures of up to 11 Celsius.
:26:21. > :26:25.Turning milder. The chart shows this area of high pressure edging
:26:25. > :26:33.closer to the UK, helping things settle down by the weekend. It
:26:33. > :26:37.stays settled but largely dry. Just the odd bit of rain on Friday.
:26:37. > :26:42.Temperatures beginning to creep up so that slight warming trend
:26:42. > :26:47.continues into the weekend. Temperatures in the low teens.
:26:47. > :26:52.Mostly dry and cloudy with not much rain either. Brighter on Sunday.
:26:52. > :26:58.Not bad for the Six Nations match on Saturday. Fairly mild with
:26:58. > :27:04.temperatures more suited to the Italians. Today's picture is of
:27:04. > :27:11.crocuses in Aberystwyth. It will feel spring-like over the weekend.
:27:11. > :27:20.Back now to our main story and the closure of seven Remploy factories
:27:20. > :27:22.in Wales. 300 workers, most of them with disabilities, heard that they
:27:22. > :27:25.may be losing their jobs. Our Political Correspondent Tomos
:27:25. > :27:31.Livingstone is at Westminster with news of some developments, Tomos
:27:31. > :27:34.what's the latest there? The Minister for Disabled People,
:27:34. > :27:38.Maria Miller, has been called into the Commons to explain what is
:27:38. > :27:44.going on. One reason is the scale of what is being proposed and the
:27:44. > :27:50.other the level of anger shown by MPs today. 300 jobs going in Wales,
:27:50. > :27:55.1,700 across the UK, many in areas with no other work available. Welsh
:27:55. > :27:59.MPs today used words like cruelty, betrayal and dirty tricks. The
:27:59. > :28:07.government is sticking to its guns, saying it shouldn't be up to the
:28:07. > :28:12.state to subsidise a segregation will system. They say this
:28:12. > :28:19.effectively started under the last Labour government in 2000 and date.
:28:19. > :28:22.We will keep you up-to-date on this story. -- into them -- in 2008. On
:28:22. > :28:25.tomorrow night's programme will be looking at the emotive issue of
:28:25. > :28:28.bovine TB. The Welsh Assembly Government is due to announce its
:28:28. > :28:34.decision soon on a proposed badger cull in West Wales but some farmers
:28:34. > :28:39.are in despair. This is a lifetime's work that has
:28:39. > :28:44.just been destroyed. Why would you kill a two week-old calf? She's a
:28:44. > :28:50.heifer and she should be having her own cards in three years' time.