:00:00. > :00:09.Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story: The GCSE row - the class of
:00:10. > :00:12.2014 learns there will be no re-mark of English exams which received poor
:00:13. > :00:16.grades. Tonight the credibility of the exam
:00:17. > :00:19.board the WJEC and the Welsh Government is being tested yet again
:00:20. > :00:23.- we'll be asking the Education Minister what's going on.
:00:24. > :00:26.I think a regrading exercise here would be a retreat, essentially,
:00:27. > :00:29.from the agenda around rigour we have promised to parents, to
:00:30. > :00:30.learners, to employers and to universities in terms of the worth
:00:31. > :00:53.of a Welsh GCSE. A mother and baby monitored by
:00:54. > :00:56.social services may have been dead for three weeks before their bodies
:00:57. > :01:00.were discovered, an inquest has heard.
:01:01. > :01:08.The ready meals company Creative Foods announce 150 jobs could go at
:01:09. > :01:11.their Flintshire base. And the new strategy's paying
:01:12. > :01:18.dividends - the record 20,000 girls who are playing football. I enjoyed
:01:19. > :01:26.it loads. It's really fun. It doesn't matter if you score a goal,
:01:27. > :01:30.it's all about the taking part. Good evening. You might be
:01:31. > :01:33.disappointed with your poor GCSE English exam results but there will
:01:34. > :01:36.be NO regrading. That's the blunt message from the Education Minister
:01:37. > :01:41.tonight. Some teachers had complained about unexpectedly low
:01:42. > :01:46.grades. But a review by the Welsh Government has said, "no one single
:01:47. > :01:49.factor" contributed to the results. In a moment we'll be hearing from
:01:50. > :01:55.the Education Minister Huw Lewis, first here's our correspondent Arwyn
:01:56. > :02:04.Jones. These year ten pupils input Talbot
:02:05. > :02:09.will set their GCSE exams next year so the outcome of today's report
:02:10. > :02:17.will affect them directly. Following the regrading fiasco in 2012, eight
:02:18. > :02:22.unique exam was offered only two pupils in Wales. This year was the
:02:23. > :02:27.first time they were able to sit there is exams. In March the results
:02:28. > :02:32.were released and teachers voiced concerns about unexpectedly low
:02:33. > :02:38.grades. The Welsh government launched a review. As the Welsh
:02:39. > :02:44.government releases more and more verifications unique to Wales, it is
:02:45. > :02:48.crucial they are respected across the UK and beyond so what went wrong
:02:49. > :02:54.with these results and making sure it doesn't happen again is seen as
:02:55. > :03:02.very important. Schools said the recreating? Grading of papers -- the
:03:03. > :03:07.grading of papers was unduly harsh. They added training was poor and
:03:08. > :03:11.unhelpful but no complaints were made at the time. The report found
:03:12. > :03:18.teachers had been too generous in predict the grades.
:03:19. > :03:21.I lead an experienced department for 15 years and we are good at judging
:03:22. > :03:28.our students and where we expect them to be. These results are in no
:03:29. > :03:33.way in keeping with what we would expect them to be and the papers
:03:34. > :03:37.don't add up. It doesn't make sense to me were the marks are being
:03:38. > :03:42.awarded. The report said the exam board should do more in future to
:03:43. > :03:44.provide online papers so that teachers know what is needed in
:03:45. > :03:49.exams. It said the deadline for deciding if
:03:50. > :03:59.he pulls want to resit in the summer should be extended to the end of
:04:00. > :04:03.April. It said it is fermenting changes but that is not much comfort
:04:04. > :04:05.for the teaching unions. There are a number of
:04:06. > :04:11.recommendations that should give us some cause for comfort for the
:04:12. > :04:16.future, we still have the immediate issue of hundreds of students
:04:17. > :04:20.throughout Wales who have grades that do not match their abilities.
:04:21. > :04:28.As the matter was debated in the chamber, opposition parties turned
:04:29. > :04:33.to the exam regulator. I was staggered when I read the
:04:34. > :04:40.comment about data vigilance by the WJ EEC and the Welsh government were
:04:41. > :04:44.not aware of what was going on and were not aware of the standards the
:04:45. > :04:49.students would be achieving. The Welsh government has made it
:04:50. > :04:53.clear it expects GCSE results to be similar to last year but also be
:04:54. > :04:55.more rigorous. Exams will be tougher in future so these pupils have to be
:04:56. > :04:59.prepared. Earlier Arwyn spoke to the Education
:05:00. > :05:02.Minister Huw Lewis. He started by asking how disappointed he was that
:05:03. > :05:10.schools ignored his advice and put additional pupils for the January
:05:11. > :05:16.GCSE exams. There is a disappointment for me within what
:05:17. > :05:20.has happened here and some sense of the world are meant. We have had a
:05:21. > :05:25.26% uplift in early entries in January and it has been identified
:05:26. > :05:29.as something that may have had an impact on the results we saw. Some
:05:30. > :05:37.of those young people were in the year ten, which means they had not
:05:38. > :05:44.been studying the subject for more than a few weeks. But you could have
:05:45. > :05:48.been regrading them. I have dismissed the idea of regrading and
:05:49. > :05:52.regardless of if we had found out a week earlier, I don't think that
:05:53. > :05:58.would change things. I think a regrading exercise would be a
:05:59. > :06:03.retreat from the agenda around rigour we have promised to parents,
:06:04. > :06:10.employers, students and universities in terms of the worth of a Welsh
:06:11. > :06:15.GCSE. Is it realistic for you to expect you can have more rigour in
:06:16. > :06:19.the exam and subject areas that you say you want without having fewer
:06:20. > :06:25.pupils getting the top grades and as a consequence of that, more pupils
:06:26. > :06:29.have to be disappointed. It doesn't necessarily follow. We know already
:06:30. > :06:34.from this set of January results that even with a tougher set of
:06:35. > :06:38.specifications, at least 30 of our schools have actually raised their
:06:39. > :06:46.results over and above the 2013 results. But 26% are down so you
:06:47. > :06:54.should be expecting to see fewer IBO is getting the top grades. But we
:06:55. > :07:01.are seeing it is possible. -- fewer students getting the top grades. The
:07:02. > :07:06.schools I am referring to, you couldn't point to them and say they
:07:07. > :07:09.are in more prosperous areas or they are historically high performing
:07:10. > :07:15.schools. That is not the case. There are schools of every type within the
:07:16. > :07:19.group that have either held their ground or even better, they have
:07:20. > :07:25.raised their game. The two things could and should go together. As for
:07:26. > :07:29.the rest of the day's news. A mother and her baby daughter who were found
:07:30. > :07:32.dead at their house could have been there for three weeks, an inquest
:07:33. > :07:35.has heard. Joanne Thomas was found in bed alongside four-month-old
:07:36. > :07:38.Harper at their home in Troedyrhiw, last July. The coroner recorded an
:07:39. > :07:41.open verdict, after hearing that, the cause of their deaths could not
:07:42. > :07:45.be found. Matthew Murray was in court.
:07:46. > :07:48.Joanne and Harper Thomas' family were looking for answers into this
:07:49. > :07:54.tragedy but they left the coroner's court today with many more
:07:55. > :08:03.questions. We still haven't got any closure and
:08:04. > :08:07.we don't know why they died. It is a tragedy, how my mother is going to
:08:08. > :08:12.get over this I just don't know. I don't know how any of us are going
:08:13. > :08:18.to get over it. It must leave so many more questions. More questions
:08:19. > :08:21.than answers, and fortunately. -- unfortunately. Joanne was found in
:08:22. > :08:24.her bed alongside four-month-old Harper at their terraced home in
:08:25. > :08:28.Troedyrhiw, near Merthyr Tydfil, last July. The bodies could have
:08:29. > :08:31.been there for up to three weeks and had to be formally identified via
:08:32. > :08:35.dental records and DNA testing. The inquest heard how Harper had been on
:08:36. > :08:39.the "at risk register" due to a relationship of Miss Thomas's but by
:08:40. > :08:42.the end of May she was removed from that list and placed on a lesser
:08:43. > :08:46.voluntary scheme. It was said the mother and daughter had moved to
:08:47. > :08:49.Troedyrhiw to start a fresh and had only been living there a few months.
:08:50. > :08:53.The inquest heard how concerns had been raised weeks before when Joanne
:08:54. > :08:56.fails to take the baby for injections. Social services had
:08:57. > :09:00.called at the property three times but there had been no answer. Today
:09:01. > :09:03.the family said social services should have done more but the
:09:04. > :09:06.coroner said they had acted accordingly. Today the inquest ruled
:09:07. > :09:09.out foul play as well as discounting the possibility of carbon monoxide
:09:10. > :09:12.poisoning. Joanne Thomas had a history of depression but the
:09:13. > :09:16.coroner also said there was no evidence to suggest she had taken
:09:17. > :09:20.her own life. At school Joanne achieved 12 straight As at GCSE and
:09:21. > :09:25.her family believed she was turning her life around before this tragedy.
:09:26. > :09:28.Police have arrested a man in connection with an assault following
:09:29. > :09:31.an incident outside a school in Cardigan. Officers launched an
:09:32. > :09:37.investigation after reports of a child screaming in the back of a car
:09:38. > :09:42.yesterday. The police have confirmed the investigation no longer involves
:09:43. > :09:45.a child. Former shadow Welsh secretary, Nigel
:09:46. > :09:48.Evans, has accused the prosecution in his trial for rape and sex
:09:49. > :09:53.offences of portraying him as a cross between Alan Clark, Oscar
:09:54. > :09:56.Wilde and Benny Hill. The Swansea born MP appeared in the witness box
:09:57. > :10:01.at Preston Crown Court for a third day, being cross-examined about nine
:10:02. > :10:09.allegations against seven men. Mr Evans denies all the charges against
:10:10. > :10:13.him. 149 staff at a factory in Flintshire
:10:14. > :10:17.which makes frozen ready meals could lose their jobs. A proposal has been
:10:18. > :10:20.put forward to close Creative Foods on the Aber Industrial Estate. The
:10:21. > :10:26.company says, the business may not be viable following an extensive
:10:27. > :10:32.review. Our reporter Roger Pinney is there. Roger, what more can you tell
:10:33. > :10:39.us? Jamie, this company's parent company
:10:40. > :10:43.blames the market, saying there is a long-term decline in the wholesale
:10:44. > :10:52.frozen ready meals business and as a result this plant may no longer be
:10:53. > :10:56.viable. The consultation ends in May but redundancy notices have been
:10:57. > :11:02.issued. This plant employs a number of agency staff and contract
:11:03. > :11:06.workers. I spoke to them earlier and they said they are planning to move
:11:07. > :11:11.to other parts of the UK to look for work but a lock of local workers
:11:12. > :11:15.will have transferred from another frozen foods plant which closed down
:11:16. > :11:23.locally a few years ago. This is what they had to say earlier.
:11:24. > :11:27.What can you do? We have been sold and that is it. That is their
:11:28. > :11:31.decision. It will be hard for a lot of people working here because there
:11:32. > :11:36.are husbands and wives. I have been on holiday and I just
:11:37. > :11:41.found out this morning. Not good. Second time this has happened to me
:11:42. > :11:46.in this town. How big a blow would the job losses
:11:47. > :11:52.be to the area? Naturally, it is a blow. They're in
:11:53. > :11:55.mind this area does have one of the lowest rates of unemployment in
:11:56. > :12:01.Wales and they have been very good here at absorbing job losses in
:12:02. > :12:06.recent years. Nonetheless, Alex Aldridge, the local county council,
:12:07. > :12:09.told me he is concerned that some of the workers may not have the
:12:10. > :12:15.necessary skills to transfer to other local businesses easily.
:12:16. > :12:21.It will be a huge blow. 150 jobs of the kind of race skills that are
:12:22. > :12:27.here are often not transferable. Fincher has got a very buoyant
:12:28. > :12:29.economy at the challenge would be relocating the individuals into
:12:30. > :12:36.areas where we can accommodate them so this is a significant blow to the
:12:37. > :12:39.local economy. Nobody from the company was
:12:40. > :12:42.available to be interviewed today but political pressure is beginning
:12:43. > :12:47.to build both at Westminster and in Cardiff Bay and there are calls for
:12:48. > :12:53.the company to think again. One option would be a kind of sell-off
:12:54. > :12:56.but I think that is a long shop. -- long shot.
:12:57. > :13:00.Much more to come before seven o'clock: They've closed 17 police
:13:01. > :13:03.stations - but now a change of heart - so why are they reopening some of
:13:04. > :13:05.them? And the record number of girls
:13:06. > :13:15.playing football. ?6.31 - that's the minimum wage and
:13:16. > :13:19.it's 15 years old today. But campaigners are trying to get
:13:20. > :13:24.employers to pay the LIVING Wage - which is ?7.65. Research by the
:13:25. > :13:29.Wales TUC shows that nearly one in four workers in Wales earns less
:13:30. > :13:31.than that. And as our economics correspondent Sarah Dickins
:13:32. > :13:44.explains, there are huge variations across both Wales and the UK.
:13:45. > :13:51.At 17, Charlotte is paid the minimum wage for her power. -- for her age.
:13:52. > :13:57.After paying rent, she has ?30 to live on.
:13:58. > :14:02.Because the standards are set for the minimum wage, people know where
:14:03. > :14:10.they stand. For workers over 21, the minimum
:14:11. > :14:16.wage rises to ?6 31 and hour but campaigners want employers to pay
:14:17. > :14:19.the living wage, ?7 65 an hour. 23% of workers in Wales are paid less
:14:20. > :14:26.than that. There are huge variations. In some areas 40% are
:14:27. > :14:32.paid less than that but in Cardiff North only 10% are paid less than
:14:33. > :14:36.that. The TUC says we would all benefit if we were all paid the
:14:37. > :14:41.living wage. It would mean that additional tax revenue coming in and
:14:42. > :14:48.there are fewer benefits being paid.
:14:49. > :14:52.There is evidence to suggest that minimum wage in terms of the
:14:53. > :14:56.proportion of BT and wage -- median wage has lead to slow employment
:14:57. > :15:01.growth. Here they are training people
:15:02. > :15:05.developing systems for others. Two workers are paid the minimum wage,
:15:06. > :15:11.format above that. The company wants to pay more. We don't have the money
:15:12. > :15:16.to deliver that now but we hope over the next couple of years, when
:15:17. > :15:19.things start to improve, we would be able to do that.
:15:20. > :15:22.We don't want anyone here earning less than they can live on
:15:23. > :15:26.sensibly. 15 years after it was made law,
:15:27. > :15:28.there are still 13,000 jobs in Wales that still don't attract the minimum
:15:29. > :15:31.wage. Two years ago, Gwent Police closed
:15:32. > :15:42.17 police stations to save money. But today, seven of them have
:15:43. > :15:45.re-opened. The area's Police and Crime Commissioner says it will be
:15:46. > :15:48.paid for by cutting overstaffed units and dipping into reserves.
:15:49. > :15:53.Paul Heaney reports. Tredegar police station in Gwent is
:15:54. > :15:58.closed to the public. It was one of 17 across the Quentin area that
:15:59. > :16:03.closed its front desk to save half ?1 million. Some of the stations
:16:04. > :16:12.that closed had fewer than ten people visit them each day, which
:16:13. > :16:16.led to the closure. You can see there were people working inside and
:16:17. > :16:20.police officer's cars were parked round the back, which left some
:16:21. > :16:28.people frustrated at not being able to speak to someone. Stephen wanted
:16:29. > :16:33.to report bins being stolen and set on fire last year. He drove six
:16:34. > :16:36.miles to speak to Gwent police in person, a journey which he says
:16:37. > :16:41.could put people off reporting crime.
:16:42. > :16:45.It is annoying and I think people will say it is in the trivial so I
:16:46. > :16:48.won't bother. When police say more people contact
:16:49. > :16:54.them online and on the phone but after feedback from the police and
:16:55. > :17:04.fight -- peace" Commissioner, some of those stations have reopened. How
:17:05. > :17:08.can the fourth afford it? -- the fourth afford it? We are taking
:17:09. > :17:14.something out of our reserves until we have done our evaluation.
:17:15. > :17:18.If it is ongoing and that is the community needs, we have to look at
:17:19. > :17:25.making savings elsewhere. We have got units within went police that
:17:26. > :17:29.are grossly overstaffed and the people are addressing that.
:17:30. > :17:34.We can afford it in that respect. We have to look at another control room
:17:35. > :17:40.and custody units so we are looking at getting staff out of these units.
:17:41. > :17:45.There will be a feeling of relief amongst the residents of Pontypool
:17:46. > :17:49.to feel that they can make contact with the police.
:17:50. > :17:54.Tredegar station and nine others remain closed for now but officers
:17:55. > :17:59.are being asked to open the door to the public if they are inside. The
:18:00. > :18:02.Commissioner says it is up to people to make use of the reopened stations
:18:03. > :18:05.if they are to stay open in future. The Conservative MP Guto Bebb has
:18:06. > :18:08.accused the shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith of a U-turn over a
:18:09. > :18:11.proposal which could give the Welsh Government more powers over income
:18:12. > :18:15.tax. Mr Bebb says the policy contradicts a number of comments
:18:16. > :18:21.made by Mr Smith in recent weeks in which he expressed concern about
:18:22. > :18:28.devolving income tax. Our Political Editor Nick Servini is at the Senedd
:18:29. > :18:32.for us tonight. This is a reaction to the Labour spring conference on
:18:33. > :18:36.the weekend and the most significant announcement yet from Labour in
:18:37. > :18:39.relation to devolution ahead of the general election. It would mean that
:18:40. > :18:44.Welsh government ministers could have control of three quarters of
:18:45. > :18:48.the basic rate of income tax. It is subject to a number of conditions,
:18:49. > :18:53.such as getting a better funding settlement from Westminster and a
:18:54. > :18:58.referendum but it was also gave ministers the ability to increase
:18:59. > :19:04.the top rate of income tax. Guto Bebb has accused Mr Smith as a
:19:05. > :19:08.change of heart, referring to an appearance in February in which he
:19:09. > :19:15.said Labour had never sought income tax powers and warned about the
:19:16. > :19:19.dangers of the union of introducing tax competition within the UK
:19:20. > :19:24.Borders. Owen Smith has said it is still not a priority for Labour to
:19:25. > :19:36.devolve income tax and says one of the reasons is to guard against a
:19:37. > :19:39.Tory tax cut for the rich. They look after flooding, pollution
:19:40. > :19:42.and some of our woodlands. But after its first year, which has included
:19:43. > :19:45.tackling larch disease and the winter floods, Natural Resources
:19:46. > :19:48.Wales is facing another battering - this time, criticism over its
:19:49. > :19:49.conservation work. Here's our environment correspondent, Iolo ap
:19:50. > :19:51.Dafydd. This winter saw some of the worst
:19:52. > :19:58.storms in a century. Tidal surges caused damage to the coastline
:19:59. > :20:02.across Wales. It gives Natural Resources Wales a huge challenge in
:20:03. > :20:06.its first year. Taking on the work of three bodies, it has a board
:20:07. > :20:10.range of responsibilities to maintain, enhance and use the
:20:11. > :20:18.natural resources in Wales. With an annual budget of ?180 million, some
:20:19. > :20:27.are questioning it dependence. We are at the adviser to government on
:20:28. > :20:34.the environment. We are working with the government on how we think
:20:35. > :20:40.Glasdir can improve. On promoting and advice on planning, we are
:20:41. > :20:46.totally independent. This naturalist says that it is too
:20:47. > :20:49.close to the government. It is not an independent body, looking at what
:20:50. > :20:54.has happened. It is not far enough away from the
:20:55. > :21:00.Welsh Assembly. It is under the wing of the Welsh Assembly.
:21:01. > :21:08., letting a disease in Larch trees was one of its first challenges. Its
:21:09. > :21:14.longer term conservation concern some charities. Wales is one of the
:21:15. > :21:21.only countries in the world that hasn't banned the hunting of white
:21:22. > :21:25.fronted Greenland geese. It's responsibilities mean that
:21:26. > :21:34.inevitably its focus will be drawn to the urgent. That is a concern.
:21:35. > :21:37.The concern is often a convex, long-term set of issues around
:21:38. > :21:40.conservation. The new organisation has had a
:21:41. > :21:46.challenging year. Some have been left with the depression that
:21:47. > :21:48.Natural Resources Wales has been given a lot of responsibilities and
:21:49. > :21:52.few resources. If your little girl goes to a Welsh
:21:53. > :21:55.primary school, she's more likely to play football than any other sport.
:21:56. > :21:58.The Football Association of Wales say their strategy, to get more
:21:59. > :22:01.girls involved is paying off. They're supporting clubs to set up
:22:02. > :22:04.their own community projects. Our sports reporter Ashleigh Crowter's
:22:05. > :22:09.been to Port Talbot see how the money's being spent there.
:22:10. > :22:13.It is something you would never have seen a generation ago. A pitch
:22:14. > :22:18.packed with girls from local primary schools playing football. Now it is
:22:19. > :22:24.happening all over the country. 175 girls took part in this tournament
:22:25. > :22:29.today, including two teams from one primary school.
:22:30. > :22:33.I enjoyed it loads. It is really fun and it doesn't matter if you score,
:22:34. > :22:38.it is about taking part. I like it when the team works together and
:22:39. > :22:45.when we figure out what to do and stuff. How have you played today?
:22:46. > :22:50.We have all worked hard. This is one of the curve that has received a
:22:51. > :22:53.grant to help develop football in local schools. Chris Coleman warfare
:22:54. > :22:58.today to see how the money is being spent, to get more girls playing
:22:59. > :23:04.more often. It was a commitment made after West Wales hosted the under 19
:23:05. > :23:10.is tournament. We want to see more people playing
:23:11. > :23:15.here coming to our games. We want to provide festivals like this for the
:23:16. > :23:19.pupils locally. The days when football was a
:23:20. > :23:24.minority pursuit for girls are long gone. It is providing a strong
:23:25. > :23:29.foundation for the growth of the senior game in Wales. More than
:23:30. > :23:34.20,000 girls now play regularly at school and it is having a knock-on
:23:35. > :23:42.effect on adult participation. The within our act up by 368 active
:23:43. > :23:48.female coaches and 14 qualified female referees. It is good news for
:23:49. > :23:51.the national side, with a couple of crucial qualifiers in the next
:23:52. > :23:58.week. One of their stars can see the benefits from all sides. She is a
:23:59. > :24:02.teacher. I think schools are important,
:24:03. > :24:06.primary schools up to high schools. That helps them with the club links
:24:07. > :24:11.and if they get positive experience within their lessons and school,
:24:12. > :24:15.they are more likely to participate outside of school. Organisers have
:24:16. > :24:19.invited the players to a football camp, in the hope they will keep on
:24:20. > :24:22.playing for many years to come. Fog then sunshine today - but it's
:24:23. > :24:24.all change tomorrow. Derek's got the forecast An umbrella
:24:25. > :24:31.will come in handy tomorrow! It turned out nice today. Morning
:24:32. > :24:39.mist and fog cleared leaving hazy sunshine. Tomorrow will be warm and
:24:40. > :24:42.breezy but re unsettled with some rain and thundery showers. Dry this
:24:43. > :24:45.evening but showers will drift up from the south after midnight. These
:24:46. > :24:52.may turn heavy and thundery. Some mist and hill fog and milder than
:24:53. > :24:57.last night. Here is the picture for 8am. Pembrokeshire may be dry at
:24:58. > :25:01.this stage. Elsewhere some places wet with rain and showers. Heavy
:25:02. > :25:05.downpours in places with a risk of thunder. And feeling mild. During
:25:06. > :25:09.the day further showers. Heavy and thundery in places. Some drier,
:25:10. > :25:14.brighter spells as well but not as nice as today. Top temperature
:25:15. > :25:25.around 16C with an east to southeasterly breeze. Some windward
:25:26. > :25:30.coasts noticeably cooler. Poor air quality expected tomorrow,
:25:31. > :25:34.especially in the south-east. On the north coast tomorrow. Very mixed.
:25:35. > :25:40.Some rain and heavy showers. Into Thursday, rain brought by a front.
:25:41. > :25:43.Some heavy rain spreading northeast followed by drier and brighter
:25:44. > :25:47.weather. The wind lighter and temperatures a little lower. Friday
:25:48. > :25:50.a better day. Much drier and brightening-up. And feeling fresher
:25:51. > :25:55.with a south-westerly breeze. The weekend changeable and breezy. Some
:25:56. > :26:02.rain and not as warm as last weekend but some dry weather.
:26:03. > :26:08.I will have an update for you here at eight o'clock and again after
:26:09. > :26:11.That's Wales Today. The BBC News at 10pm. Thank you for watching. From
:26:12. > :26:42.all of us on the programme, good evening.
:26:43. > :26:43.All across the country, millions of families are waking up to a Britain