15/11/2012 BBC Wales Today

Hello. Thursday's headlines: New figures show we're spending

less on the High Street. Now warnings our shopping centres face

tough times in the run-up to Christmas.

It's been really quiet. We're hoping it'll pick up the end of

November and into December. The Christmas lights have just been

turned on in Cardiff. I'll find out if what we spend gives retailers

Also tonight: What happens to soldiers after

they've left the frontline? A review's looking at whether we need

a permanent base helping veterans in Wales.

The growing number of blind people struggling with bills. A call for

more help for those living below the breadline.

And reassurance for Sam Warburton. Dropped for the Samoa game, but

he's still the first-choice captain. Good evening. The body representing

large retailers here is warning consumer confidence is at a six-

month low, and it's fearing the worst just weeks before Christmas.

People are facing a squeeze on their disposable income and new

figures suggest we're spending less on the High Street. Well, it's

late-night shopping tonight and our Business Correspondent Nick Servini

is in Cardiff for us. A drop in the amount of clothing

people have been buying has been behind one of the factors behind

the figures that have come out today. The retailers will be trying

to change things over the course of the next six weeks. It is a hugely

important time. For many retailers, they can make as many as half their

annual profits during the course of the Christmas period. If they have

a bad Christmas, it means that they have a bad year. It is a big night

in Cardiff. The Christmas lights have just come on. His is all to

get people in the Christmas mode and to spend more. So the timing of

the release of today's figures was significant because it is a

critical time for retailers as they gear up for the festive period.

This lady and owns a flat shop. She says she started Christmas early to

try to drum up trade. October was one of her was man's and sales were

down by at least a quarter. last we call two, people are

starting to look towards Christmas and starting to spend more. But

still, it is not enough. All the big stores offer so much more. And

at lower prices. The smaller retailer or does not get another

chance. From the town to the city centre, this store in Cardiff is

the largest outside of the south- east of England. So far up on the

year and in recent months, but they are not taking anything for granted.

We have got to be realistic. The economy is still fragile. We are

still trying to see growth. We have got be realistic in terms of their

approach. Christmas is going to be strong. It is a fact that we need

to stick to our who values. views of the current state of the

high street which give us a reader the Lynch snapshot of how many s

are feeling it financially. Sales of clothing and shoes was down 2.3%.

Compared with this time last year, the overall volume of sales was up

0.6%. Another standard figure today from the Office for National

Statistics was that the average weekly spend on the internet has

gone up by 11% on the year. That was reflected in the centre of

Carmarthen today. I think it is internet shopping. Piggott's take

advantage of cheaper prices. Find out where they are coming from. --

it is internet shopping. I have bought two books for half price.

Anything big, I would go one the internet. This lady and her son

living on Deeside. She is having to make tough choices when it comes to

spending this Christmas because a few months ago, she was made

redundant from her job in a solicitor's. Last year, she says

first Christmas budget was run to �150. This year, it will be half

that. When you going to the shops, you spend money on petrol and food

one you were right because you have to buy lunch. When you were at home,

it is a lot cheaper. A lot of the things are half the price on some

websites. The high street is clearly facing major challengers.

But it has bases for a number of years now and has proved more

resilient than many have given it credit for. Some differences on the

state of the high street. Huge crowds year out tonight as people

are building up for the Christmas season. It was interesting speaking

to retailers in Cardiff there was that plague warning from the Wash

Retail Consortium, contrasted with a number of retailers hope that

they have gone through a difficult period, they are resilient and

think things are looking reasonably up. Let's have a word with a few

gusts. -- gusts. By choosing we are at in terms of the high street?

high street is not good. There is a high rate of shop vacancies. People

are spending more online. Thames cent of retail sales are not online.

Today's figures are worrying for the retail sector in the UK. The

growth is not as much as people expected and this year's sales

figures have been practically the last -- the same as last year's. By

the people are holding back for a big spending spree at Christmas, I

do not know. Let's get another perspective. What your members

telling you about what they are expecting over Christmas? It is

very difficult. They are saying that retail sales at the top of a

tree of economic indicators and businesses, all contributing.

Essentially, it means what we have got in a pocket to spend at

Christmas. If the economy and the high street is not doing well, it

is not doing well elsewhere. They have been good signs. More people

in jobs. But inflation has gone up. Normally, though things do not go

hand in hand. We do not know exactly what is going on so it is

very hard to predict what this Christmas will bring. But we have

this trade-off between the shoppers and in terms of what is happening

in terms of the Consumers'? There is already at some pre- Christmas

discounting going on. I have noticed that as I have walked

through the city centre. Consumers are looking for a bargain. They are

looking for value-for-money. They need to make their money stretch as

far as they can. So anything that gives them a deal. Anything that

gives them a way of stretching their budget will be welcomed.

are here in Cardiff city centre, a huge amount of investment in terms

of the retail. But many of your members are in town centres, a high

streets up and down the country and things are very difficult birth.

They are very difficult, but the opportunities they have got a lot

of a good as well. They have something to offer that the big

retail brands cannot give. That is something a unique, special, local.

There will be selling on value, quality, service. Adding that

something extra over and above simply a cheaper priced item.

must talk about inflation. It is the lingering thing going on in the

economy at the moment. We're out of recession. Unemployment is coming

down. But disposable cash has come down. Wages are not keeping up.

That is why people are looking to insure. There are also going up,

their wages are not going up or are even coming down, and they have got

Christmas. And I think when people are feeling the heat of a recession,

something like Christmas that can be a big celebration, they do not

think they will go without this year, so will people stop spending?

They do nothing fog so. -- I do not think so. With the small shops on

the high street, these can often be a way you can buy goods and

presents for people that you want find in the town centres. You want

find this city centres. By the degree that we should support

smaller independent traders will have you can. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. The former Conservative Treasurer,

Lord McAlpine, says he doesn't want to meet the man who wrongly accused

him of abusing him, but he says Steve Meesham is a victim and he

has sympathy with him. In an interview with the BBC, Lord

McAlpine said the Newsnight programme should've called him to

ask about the allegations. course they should have called me.

And I would have told them exactly what they learnt later on. What was

that? That it was complete rubbish and that I had only ever been to

Wrexham once in my life. They could have saved themselves a lot of

agonising. And many, actually. If they had just made that telephone

calls. He if we return briefly back to Steve Meesham, he has made a

comment that he sincerely apologises and that he would like

to meet here. Pride you feel about that? I do not want to meet him. I

see what he feels like. I do not want to go there again. I want to

get this over. I want to get it cleared up. I just do not want to

do that. Lord McAlpine speaking to the BBC's

Becky Milligan. The issue of what happens to our

veterans after they return to civilian life is one we've featured

extensively on Wales Today this year. A report by Health

Inspectorate Wales, which took evidence from 250 people associated

with the armed forces, made a series of recommendations back in

May. Among them was the establishing of a permanent

residential centre for veterans in Wales. Professor Rosemary Kennedy

has today been tasked with leading a review into whether such a centre

is needed and she joins me now. What would a centre like this do

question a kid could fulfil a number of functions. On other

things we would need to do is to look at the responses that came

back to the health inspector it Wales. Because for some people,

what they need is just a signpost through hugely complicates it

things like pensions and grants or how to get themselves into a new

career and some career development opportunities. For others, it is

much more of a lasting half a support that they need. And

possibly residential accommodation for short periods for assessment of

for respite care. And support for their families. Because they

require it, as well. The row centres like this in Scotland, in

England. -- there are centres like this. By you surprise we have not

got one in Wales? The centres that have been established principle

League -- principally in England have certainly come to Wales. We

have a significant proportion of armed forces recruited in Wales for

will return here we have to look at how we can provide all the support

that they need. But Government has asked you to carry out this revered.

His bare and of political will to see this through? I'm sure this.

is there enough political will? have been looking at the terms

between the armed forces. We have got a spread of these around Wales.

I'm sure they're keen to ensure we provide the best support in

whatever way that is determined. How long will this review take?

have been given a quite a new tight timescale. The group have got until

May so we will be delivering to that time frame. Thank you very

much. Polls have been open all day in

elections to select police commissioners for Wales' four

forces. The commissioners will have the power to appoint chief

constables and set budgets, but they will not dictate day-to-day

operations. In Cardiff South and Penarth, there's also a

parliamentary by-election. And we'll bring you full coverage

of all the results in our Part of the M4 near Swansea was

closed for seven hours earlier after a lorry overturned, spilling

boxes of frozen ready-meals onto the road. The accident happened

near Penllergaer. There were long tailbacks. No-one was seriously

injured. A woman who was taken ill after her

car was deliberately set on fire outside her home in Wrexham has

died in hospital. Dorothy Dudley- Smith was 78. A man's been arrested

and released on bail. You're watching Wales Today. Still

ahead: "It was always in the plan". Rob Howley defends changing half

the team for the Samoa game. Allegations that children in

Ceredigion are being told off for speaking English in school and on

the yard have been removed from an anonymous website. The individuals

behind the site say they've been accused of making things up but

insist all they wanted to do was assess how much concern there is

amongst parents. Our reporter, Cemlyn Davies, is in our

Aberystwyth newsroom this evening. What more do we know about this

site? The website was set up in the middle of October and since then it

has published a number of allegations including claims some

schools are using a traffic light system to punish children were

caught speaking English. The report suggested some children are going

home afraid of speaking English for fear of being told off. These

allegations are completely anonymous. We have no idea who is

behind this website or how many people are involved. We have been

in contact with them but they would not give us their names or an

interview either. Tonight, the allegations have been removed from

the website and a new statement has been published by those involved

and that says the people have been accused of making things up and all

they wanted to do was assess how much concerned it is and draw

attention to the issue. They say tonight they have managed to do

that. The story has appeared in a number of national newspapers over

the last few days. It was in the Daily Mail today. What more has

been said about this website? number of people have taken to

social media sites. Some have contacted the BBC as well asking so

much -- asking why so much attention is being paid to this

anonymous campaign. In the meantime, the Cabinet member with

responsibility for education in Ceredigion has said he would be

happy this -- to discuss any concerns with the person or persons

behind the website. The council also says the council find it very

difficult to believe the accusations have any basis. The

Children's Commissioner has also been made aware of the issue and he

will be listening to interested parties in due course.

Police are investigating a ram-raid at a shop in Cardiff. Thousands of

pounds worth of cigarettes were stolen from a Co-op store in the

Danescourt area of the city in the early hours of this morning. Three

men are believed to have been involved.

A formal complaint has been filed against the accountancy firm Ernst

& Young in connection with the collapse of the Christmas hamper

company, Farepak, six years ago. It left thousands of people across

Wales out of pocket. The disciplinary body for auditors, the

Financial Reporting Council, alleges that the firm failed to

consider Farepak's ability to continue as a going concern. A

tribunal hearing will be held next year.

A supermarket chain has withdrawn its application to build a new

store in Llandeilo. Sainsbury's said continued delays and

uncertainty over approval for the store had made it impossible to

continue. Campaigners opposed to having a supermarket in the town

have welcomed the decision. A third of blind or partially

sighted people in Wales are living in poverty, according to the

charity RNIB Cymru. It says the figure is "shocking", and is

calling for more help for those living below the breadline. Carwyn

Jones reports. Danny Eggar lost his sight when he

was 16. He's now 24 and despite having qualifications and years of

voluntary work under his belt, he's found it difficult to get a job.

He's currently unemployed and says he's struggling to make ends meet.

Their iron people out there my age who have nothing wrong with them --

they are young people and they don't want to work. I want to work

but I have no choice. I have to pay my rent and gas and electric and

water. Danny is one of a hundred thousand people living in Wales who

are blind or partially sighted and one in three of those is living in

poverty. That's according to a report released today by two

charities - the Bevan Foundation and RNIB Cymru. The report says

it's much harder to get a job if you're blind or partially sighted

and you're more likely to experience discrimination by

employers. Visually impaired people face additional costs in their

daily lives, like specialist equipment and medical expenses. And

while most people with sight loss rely on welfare benefits, there's

confusion as to what those entitlements are and to how to

apply for them. It is very shocking in this day and age that we have so

many people living in poverty. The people I talked to don't have

enough money to heat their house and it is their basic right and

people should be able to have enough money to heat their homes

and be able to eat. The Welsh Government says it's committed to

tackling poverty in all its forms. That's an approach welcomed by

charities who work with visually impaired people in Wales. But they

say much more can be done to support people like Danny, who live

below the poverty line. Rugby and Wales' interim head coach,

Rob Howley, says Sam Warburton is still the squad captain, despite

his exclusion from tomorrow's starting line-up against Samoa.

Ospreys flanker Justin Tipuric takes his place, with Ryan Jones

skippering the side. But Howley says Warburton remains a special

player. More from Ashleigh Crowter. The finals training session of the

week is known as the captains run but which Captain? The Wales

management have played down the decision to leave Sam Warburton out

of the starting team. They say it was always in the plan to give

other players like Justin Tipuric a chance to prove their worth.

commonsense approach is needed. You can never pick the same 15. Over

the ten year of the coaching team, we have made changes -- changes for

this fixture. Sam Warburton has been a special player and is a

special player. Sam Warburton is still captain. With Sam Warburton

on the bench tomorrow, Ryan Jones will lead the national team for a

record-breaking 29th time. Pride does not do it justice. It means

the world to me and my family and friends. It will be a pretty

special day. The news for read Le Lac Alun Wyn Jones is less cheery.

Already ruled out of the autumn internationals, today he learned he

needed surgery on his shoulder and is set to miss the rest of his

reasons Heineken Cup campaign and possibly the start of the Six

Nations. His club partner a Ian Evans sat out training today as a

precaution after a back spasm but he is expected to be fit for

tomorrow. There will be new combinations of the pitch. Dan

Biggar and Mike Phillips at half- back and Ashley Beck will also play

his first international at the Millennium Stadium alongside Jamie

Roberts. He has been passing on his knowledge. He is one of the big

figures in the team and he learned a lot just standing by him and

listening to him. He is a big character and it will be great to

play alongside him. Samoa have beaten Wales at two World Cups and

have only lost by seven points when they met in the Zealand last year.

Both sides think they can win tomorrow.

There's been a further injury set- back for Wales goalkeeper Wayne

Hennessey. The Wolves keeper has had surgery on his injured knee and

won't now play until next season. Hennessey originally suffered a

cruciate ligament injury in April but then ruptured the same knee in

training on Monday. Let's get the weather now with Sue

in the centre of Cardiff, where they've been switching on the

The lights are looking festive. Some welcome brightness after a

grey day for most of us, but not everywhere. Snowdon and Pen y Fan

saw blue skies above the mist. It won't be as foggy tomorrow but it

starts cloudy with some mist patches. It's mainly cloudy this

evening with mist reforming. Not as foggy as last night though. Mostly

dry, although a few spots of drizzle are possible towards dawn

as cloud thickens. Cold enough in rural spots for a slight frost,

particularly through Powys. These are temperatures for towns and

cities, but it'll be colder in the countryside. So first thing

tomorrow, a slight frost inland. Some early brightness along the

North coast with patchy mist and fog but it'll turn cloudier with

outbreaks of rain and drizzle developing from the west. More

persistent by late afternoon. Freshening winds too with

temperatures suppressed by the cloud and rain. Just 7C in Wrexham

and Flintshire. Just about getting into double figures along the south

coast. So it's dull and it could turn wet through the evening if

you're heading to the rugby in Cardiff, Wales against Samoa, at

Cardiff, Wales against Samoa, at the Millennium Stadium.

It's Pudsey's big day tomorrow. Before Children In Need starts,

we're looking at some of the projects in Wales that benefit from

your donations. Louise Elliott has been to see one charity working

with young carers. I think all of us should agree that childhood

should be a special time. But I want to tell you about some

children who live in Wales who don't have what most of us would

call a normal childhood. This is Wrexham and the children here are

taking part in a group organised by Barnardo's and funded by Children

In Need. The children are all young carers and today, they are dressed

up as soon be Euros. That is just what they are. He rose caring for

others. It might involve caring for parents with a disability or

illness but some of these children care for parents who cannot have

after themselves through substance misuse of alcohol abuse. So this

group is fun but it is also doing a vital job in lots of other ways and

if things do get more difficult at home, they can receive the help

they and their families desperately need. Your donations really help

because they keep activities like the one in Wrexham going and the

children can forget about caring for two hours a week and hopefully

get back some of their childhood. Louise Elliott reporting there on

the work of Barnardos Flintshire Young Carers project. Children In

Need is tomorrow night on BBC One Wales, starting at 7:00pm. There's

a lot more information on the website, bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

The main news again from the BBC: The former Radio One DJ, Dave Lee

Travis, has been arrested at his home in Buckinghamshire on

suspicion of committing sexual offences. The 67-year-old is being

held by detectives from a Scotland Yard unit, set up in the wake of

the Jimmy Savile scandal. Lord McAlpine, the former

Conservative treasurer wrongly accused of child abuse, has told of

his shock and hurt over the false allegations which emerged following

a report on BBC's Newsnight programme. His lawyer says he

expects a compensation deal with the BBC to be reached.

Here in Wales, the body representing large retailers is

warning consumer confidence is at a six-month low and it's fearing the

worst just weeks before Christmas. A report says Wales should consider

establishing a permanent residential centre for military

veterans. The Health Inspectorate received 250 submissions from

members of the armed forces and believed the move could improve

care for veterans after they return to civilian life. Consumer

confidence is at an all-time low. People are facing a squeeze on

their disposable income. New figures suggest we are spending

less. If you have a story you think we should cover, get in touch. The