23/04/2014 BBC Wales Today

a woman has been arrested after three of her children are found dead

at their Welcome to Wales Today. Our top

story. The MP Ann Clwyd and her husband's hospital care before he

died. An investigation fails to uphold the majority of complaints

made. She says she'll be vindicated by a second inquiry.

The men unhappy at being paid less than their female colleagues win an

equal pay claim against the university they work for. We are

simple people. We did hope it would not come to a tribunal.

Paul Pugh from Ammanford is learning to walk and talk again after being

beaten up but violent crime is continuing to fall.

On the up. House sales in Wales increase by more than 20% in the

first three months of the year. All dressed up but nowhere to go.

Griff Rhys Jones withdraws as a candidate to be the next chancellor

of Cardiff University. Good evening. I will be vindicated,

the words of Labour MP Ann Clwyd after a report failed to uphold the

majority of complaints she made over the care her husband received in

hospital before he died. The Cynon Valley MP criticised the Health

Board, claiming Owen Roberts died like a battery hen at the University

Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. A second independent review is now

taking place. Here's our Welsh affairs editor, Vaughan Roderick.

Her tax and the state of the Welsh health service have been relentless.

It earned her a standing of vision at the Welsh Conservative

conference. Her initial complaints was backed by the circumstances of

her husband 18 months ago. Those complaints were investigated by the

Welsh health is service. The First Minister has challenged her to

rubbish the result. She has refused permission for the report to be made

public. I think it is important that for people to make a judgement that

the report is made public. That is a matter for others. A summary of the

investigation 's findings have been made public. Of the complaints

made, 17 were not upheld. These included the claims that her husband

had died like a battery hen and that he was crushed against the bars of

an energised bed and it had been an almost callous lack of care. Ten

complaints were held either in fall or in part. These include her claim

that her husband was very cold and Betty had only thin cotton blankets

on his bed. At the time of his death, a nurse came in with a

trolley shouting anyone for breakfast. She said this showed in

different and almost bordering on callousness. When I interviewed her

a few weeks ago she was determined to fight on. My husband waited 27

hours on a trolley. And at the complaints procedure, if you are not

satisfied with the initial response to your complaints, that is another

road you can go down and I am going down that road now. An independent

review is now underway. She says she is confident of being vindicated.

Why has this become public now? It has become public because of a

series of public requests under the Freedom of information at. She

opposed the release of the conclusions of this report and the

only -- it is only conclusions we have seen. The health service are

taking advice. That is why they have become public now. Part of the

process was concluded one year ago. This has been a hot political issue

both in Westminster and Cardiff Bay .Any reaction? The government is

staying out. Maybe they have had their fingers burnt in the past.

They say it is a matter between the MP and the health board. The fact

she is back in the headlines will pose problems for the government.

Let us remember, that this -- this is not a tennis match with a

winner. A number of serious complaints have been made and upheld

and the process is ongoing. Can there ever be any resolution to

this? I spoke to her today and she is not willing to be interviewed

publicly. She says she has confidence in the second stage of

the process. She will present evidence to a consultant. She does

not believe the first enquired it was independent. In situations like

this, nobody can ever be totally satisfied because the care was not

right in some cases. But there probably will be a public resolution

where both sides accept what went wrong, what went right and what

needs to be done. A group of 18 tradesmen have won their equal pay

claim against their employers after arguing female colleagues on the

same grade were paid more. This afternoon the University of

Wales, Trinity Saint David told an employment tribunal they would no

longer contest the claim. Months and years of frustration finally at an

end. These are three of the 18 tradesmen, plumbers, caretakers, who

were told today they had one their case against their employers. It is

a relief that it is over. We are ecstatic that they have conceded. It

has been recognised that we have been discriminated against. They

were originally employed by Swansea Metropolitan University which merged

with genetic Saint David in August last year. The claims focus on a

change in their contracts. They were on a 45 hour week which was changed

to a 37 hour week. It was said the additional eight hours would be paid

in over a table when it came to signing the context, they realised

they were an eight lower hourly rate than women on the same great. The

University say they had no involvement in the decisions made.

They say it was a complex case and are now disappointed the new

university has to deal with the consequences of this historical

decision. We did hope it would not come to a tribunal. I think we were

shocked it got this far. This has not been the most pleasant of

experiences. But the outcome has been wonderful. Roughly ?4000 is

being sought per worker for every year they have worked there and that

dates back for six years for some. The number of people injured in

violent crime across Wales and England has fallen by 12% according

to researchers at Cardiff University. The study showed there

were still more than 200,000 people needing treatment following violence

last year. Academics say one of the reasons is a change in drinking

habits. Now 34 years old, Paul Pugh has had to learn to walk, talk and

eat again. He was attacked during a night out in Ammanford. It left him

in a coma for nearly two months. They came behind me and hit me to

the ground was they punched me in the stomach.

Seven years later he's still unable to leave the house on his own and

undergoes weekly therapy. A study from Cardiff University has revealed

that violent crime like this has fallen by 12%. Professor Jonathan

Shepherd is the lead author of the study and a surgeon dealing with

facial injuries. He's seen horrific facial damage from drunken violent

crime, from broken jaws to being glassed in the face. Professor

Shepherd believes the decrease is down to people binge drinking less

because of cost. Changing habits has something to do with this. Alcohol

is less affordable since 2008. It has become less affordable for

people aged 18 to 30 because they have less disposable income than

they had before. 235,000 people were treated in the UK following a

violent attack in the UK last year. It was a drop of 12%. It is feared

that number could rise as the economic situation improves. Staff

at this bar in Cardiff say they've seen a change in people's drinking

habits. Now customers are spending more on quality of drinks rather

than the quantity. People want to go out once a week and have a proper

night out and have an experience they will remember and enjoy. They

are not getting drunk to the point they cannot remember what they did

last night. Paul and his mother, Nesta, welcome the news that violent

crime has fallen. If it means fewer people will have to go through what

Paul has and have to rebuild his life following a drunken attack.

Much more to come before seven o'clock. The stories behind those

names remembered in stone. A boost for the history hunters researching

Flintshire's fallen in the First World War.

Swansea's lost garden brought back to life with a little help from the

pioneering photographer who once lived here.

BBC Wales has learned that Griff Rhys Jones has withdrawn as a

candidate to become the next Chancellor of Cardiff University.

The comedian had been named by the university to replace the current

chancellor but his appointment was delayed at the very last minute. Our

reporter Kate Morgan is outside the university for us tonight. Kate,

it's all a bit embarrassing isn't it? Quite frankly Jamie, yes. Let's

me just remind you what's happened. The broadcaster and comedian Griff

Rhys Jones had been asked to be the next Chancellor of Cardiff

University and he had accepted. He'd posed for photos in his gown, and

held interviews ahead of the official announcement. Now that

appointment has to go before the university's council, where it

expected to be rubber stamped. During that meeting it's understood

it came to light the current Chancellor, Sir Martin Evans, should

have been asked if he wanted to stay in post, and what's more he would

have been keen to do so. It seems that left Cardiff University in a

quandry and with only an hour to go until the official announcement, it

was delayed. Now, this afternoon Griff Rhys Jones has withdrawn his

name. He no longer wants to be considered for the role. So what's

been said? Well, in a letter to the Vice Chancellor Professor Colin

Riordan he says: It may well be that the council wants to re-offer the

post to the incumbent Sir Martin Evans. He may decide to take it or

step aside, but his name in this makes it a much more complicated

process. He adds he was honoured to be chosen and hopes in future he can

continue to help Cardiff University. Cardiff University say it is very

sorry for creating the circumstances that have led to this. This is just

about internal rules and that their ongoing friendship with the

broadcaster was never in doubt. The council will meet to consider the

nomination of a future Chancellor next month and that Sir Martin Evans

has indicated his willingness to be nominated.

The Welsh Government is conducting a review of the St David Awards to

determine if they should continue in the future. The awards, which

recognise exceptional individuals in Wales, were held for the first time

last month at a cost to taxpayers of ?26,000. The Government says it

hasn't yet decided whether or not they should be held every year.

House sales increased by 21% in Wales at the start of this year

compared to the same period last year. That's slightly below the UK

average of 24%. It comes from figures released by HM Revenue and

Customs, which show more than 10,000 homes were sold here between January

and March. Here's our business correspondent, Brian Meechan.

The signs of a market bouncing back. People have more confidence to buy

and sell properties. At the economic crisis hit, buyers tried up and

house prices dropped. But unemployment has fallen faster than

expected and interest rates remain at an all-time low. This estate

agent has 21 offices across Wales. Things have been better for a number

of years. More jobs are being generated and people have a little

bit more spare money. It gives them confidence and Tracey house prices

projected to rise in the next few years and they have confidence to go

out and buy. The Welsh Government introduced helped by two boost the

market and increase house-building. Borrowers need a 5% deposit. They

get an interest-free loan from the Welsh Government up to 20% of the

property value. It can only be used on new builds. People are buying and

businesses are building. We would like to see smaller builders

building more of our houses. That is mainly through the planning system.

We would like to see land being released in smaller parts rather

than in big trenches. If by empowering the smaller builder we

believe we can eventually meet the demand for houses. Many will welcome

the emergence of the housing market from a desperate period. The

challenge is to continue seeing improvements without prices being

pushed up the armed sensible levels. The Director of Care at a children's

hospice in the Vale of Glamorgan has been cleared of professional

misconduct, over the way she dealt with a terminally ill teenage girl

and her family. There were four charges against Jayne Saunders,

relating to events at Ty Hafan Hospice in Sully in 2008. But a

panel at the Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing concluded that those

charges were not proven. Our reporter Nicola Smith was at the

hearing. What exactly was she accused of? This case is all about a

14-year-old girl who had a rare form of leukaemia for such a required a

lot of medical attention. The hearing heard she was a sensitive

girl who requested a lot of privacy in her room. That caused

difficulties between her parents and the staff who had a duty of care.

Following a series of conversations and meetings over a period of about

a month or so in 2008, the parents accused her of telling them they

were tough to leave unless they were there with the care team. The panel

found the family were never told they would be forced to leave if

they did not comply. It was also alleged that she failed to ensure

the teenager had given consent to examinations or that a qualified

nurse would give them. The panel said these were not proven. Has

there been any response to the panels' findings? Miss Saunders

broke down in tears at the findings was that she did not want to speak

on camera. Her barrister said she was relieved to have been cleared.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the hospice says she was a highly

valued member of the team and key to services there.

A couple who have created a website to tell the stories of the names on

Flintshire's First World War memorial have won a Heritage Lottery

grant. Eifion and Viv Williams from Sychdyn near Mold came up with the

idea after researching the lives of the men from their village who never

returned. 10,000 Flintshire men fought in the Great War. Towns and

villages lost many of them forever. The only thing to remember them by

is their names engraved into memorials like this. Viv and Eifion

Williams did some research into their own relatives listed on this

arch in Sychdyn and soon found themselves digging much deeper for

other people's stories. On this memorial we have the brothers who

died within a short time of each other. Their families have been able

to give as photographs and letters and cards that came from the

trenches. We have had people who came to our house with photographs

and letters and stories. They end up in tears and we can end up in tears

because they are all very sad stories. They have been regulars

here at the clincher reckoned office to help them flesh out the stories

of the names on the walls. They have turned history detectives to provide

a one stop shop for those looking to learn about Flintshire's fallen. The

Flintshire war memorial website has over a thousand images, each one a

window into a lost life. Now, with a ?10,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant

they can get extra help to fill in the blanks for many other families.

Shall we take a look at this page? Willie Hodgkinson's niece, Mary

Marrow, has traced her own family's war history and says it was

important to her to share the material she found with Viv and

Eifion Williams. He was killed by a smile in November 1917. My

grandmother wrote so many letters to find out exactly what had happened.

That is the problem. You have information about your family, what

do you do with it as the Mac they have an ideal setup because it is

for people for the future. This tree was grown in Mary Marrow's garden

from conkers gathered near her uncle's war grave. With the proper

care, it, like his memory, should live on for generations.

Football and more than 5,000 Swansea City supporters watched their team

train at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon. A chance to meet the

players, who said it was much better than their usual training session.

Everybody is enjoying themselves. It is something Swansea stands for. The

children are so excited. I would rather train like this every day, to

be honest. Glamorgan have salvaged a draw

against Gloucestershire thanks to a last-wicket stand by Michael Hogan

and Dean Cosker. On a rain-affected final day which delayed the start

and saw 60 overs lost, the Glamorgan duo lasted 8.1 overs to clinch the

result. It was designed in the 1830s, a

grand Victorian estate boasting more than 200 acres of landscaped woods

and gardens. In recent years, the grounds of the old Penllergare

mansion in Swansea had become neglected and vandalised. Now, the

country park is being restored and that includes the preservation of

one of Wales' most intriguing buildings. John Dillwyn Llewellyn

was a Victorian with a vision. A wealthy landowner, he used the

family fortune to completely redesign the sprawling grounds of

his Penllergare estate. He imported trees from Japan and North America

and even created his very own waterfall. That was back in the

1830's. By the 1990s, his picturesque park had been abused and

neglected. It was just over growing, getting wilder and wilder. It was

used by Joy riders. Cars were stolen in Swansea and dumped here. A group

of local volunteers decided enough was enough. They formed a

preservation trust, took over the lease to the estate and secured

almost ?3 million of funding to restore the estate. So the waterfall

is flowing again and the stone bridge has been rebuilt. Replicating

the past has proved earier than you'd think and that's because John

Dillwyn Llewellyn was a pioneering photographer. We have photographs of

the estate from the late 19th-century. That has made this

quite unique. We know what it was like way back, but I gather Gardens

which are lost in time. That passion for photography led John Dillwyn

Llewellyn to capture this image of the moon, one of the first ever

taken. To achieve it, he built his very own observatory on the estate.

Although it's a scheduled ancient monument, this building, like the

park itself, had fallen into ruin. But it's now been thrown a lifeline.

It was built in 1851. It is being restored inside and out and will

open its doors as a functioning Observatory later this year. The one

element of the Penllergare estate that couldn't be saved was the

family mansion. That was demolished in the 1960's. But the surrounding

woodland is flourishing. The trust has even installed a water turbine

to create electricity, providing the estate with all the energy it needs.

For generations, this huge woodland had lain dormant. It's now been

reawakened, a Victorian landscape brought back to life Better weather

heading our way tomorrow. Derek's got the forecast.

We've all had a drop of rain today. Some dry weather as well. Tomorrow

promises to be a better day. Some sunshine with a few morning mist and

fog patches. This evening rain in the far north and east will clear.

One or two showers in the south. Otherwise a dry night. Some clear

spells but with light winds mist and fog patches will form. A chilly

night. Temperatures in Powys falling as low as four Celsius. Colder in a

few spots with a ground frost. Here's the picture for eight in the

morning. Generally dry but some places grey and chilly. Parts of

Powys and the Marches will have low cloud, mist and fog. But it won't be

misty everywhere. Some places bright with sunshine in Pembrokeshire.

During the morning, any mist and fog will lift. It will brighten-up with

sunny spells. A few showers will break out during the afternoon but

hit and miss. A lot of places will stay dry. Top temperatures 12 and 15

Celsius. Feeling warm in the sunshine with light winds and sea

breezes. In Gwynedd tomorrow, most places dry. Some sunshine. I

wouldn't rule out a shower in the afternoon. The temperature in

Croesor rising to 13 Celsius. In Monmouthshire tomorrow, morning mist

and fog will lift. It should brighten-up with some sunshine. A

high of 14 Celsius in Abergavenny with hardly any wind. Tomorrow

evening any showers will die away to leave a dry night. Some low cloud,

mist and fog patches in Powys, the north and east with a low of five

Celsius. On Friday, more dry weather. Some sunshine but scattered

showers will break-out. These could turn heavy and thundery in places.

Looking ahead to the weekend, no chance of a heatwave! Low pressure

on our door step that means more unsettled and breezy conditions.

Showers or longer spells of rain. However, there should be some drier,

brighter spells as well. A little sunshine with average temperatures.

The main news again from the BBC. A report has failed to uphold the

majority of complaints made by Labour MP Ann Clwyd over the care

her husband received in hospital before he died. She says she will be

substantially vindicated by a second enquiry. 18 men have won their equal

pay claim against their employers. They argued female colleagues on the

same Craig were paid more. I'll have an update for you here at eight

o'clock and again after the BBC News at ten. That's Wales Today. Thank

you for watching. From all of us on the programme, good evening.