:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:
:00:00. > :00:11.But some have been accused by Powys Council of jeopardising
:00:12. > :00:18.the well-being of the people they were employed to help.
:00:19. > :00:25.We are in this position, you need the guarantee of the service. It
:00:26. > :00:28.just doesn't feel it is there at the moment. The more annoying thing is,
:00:29. > :00:32.no one seems to really care. The Gleision trial hears it's
:00:33. > :00:36.probable there wasn't any water behind a coalface, the morning
:00:37. > :00:40.before an inrush killed four men. 15 years of devolution,
:00:41. > :00:42.all this week we'll be looking Tonight we're in Tredegar, the
:00:43. > :00:48.birthplace of the NHS, in the first Becky James now aims
:00:49. > :00:59.for Commonwealth Gold, she'll lead They look after some
:01:00. > :01:22.of the most vulnerable people But care workers
:01:23. > :01:26.in Powys have been accused by their own council of jeopardising
:01:27. > :01:30.the well-being of their clients. In recent weeks,
:01:31. > :01:33.home care services have been handed But the outgoing staff have been
:01:34. > :01:38.blamed for removing care plans, changing key codes on homes to block
:01:39. > :01:42.access and leaving lifting equipment They've told Wales Today
:01:43. > :01:47.they've done nothing wrong. He doesn't consider him
:01:48. > :01:54.self to be vulnerable, but 64 year old Tony Ferris from Welshpool,
:01:55. > :01:57.is one of more than 1,000 people The former paratrooper lost both
:01:58. > :02:04.his legs as a result of diabetes. He says the council's decision to
:02:05. > :02:19.replace its existing carers with We are in this position, you need
:02:20. > :02:24.the guarantee of the service. It just doesn't feel it is there at the
:02:25. > :02:29.moment. The more annoying thing is, no one seems to really care.
:02:30. > :02:32.But the council has accused a minority of outgoing carers of
:02:33. > :02:43.We have had hoists and charged overnight. We have had a vital
:02:44. > :02:45.paperwork not been transferred to our new providers.
:02:46. > :02:49.Gladys Perks runs TLC in Llanidloes which until last month provided home
:02:50. > :02:53.The agency missed out on a new contract from the council
:02:54. > :02:56.but denies allegations that staff were deliberately jeopardising
:02:57. > :03:10.When I was looking after them, they and my family. I want to treat them
:03:11. > :03:15.as if they were my family. There is no way I would do anything to
:03:16. > :03:18.jeopardise them. I don't think our relationship would either.
:03:19. > :03:21.Mid Wales Home Care decided not to renew its council contract
:03:22. > :03:24.so has been forced to close down its Welshpool office.
:03:25. > :03:28.Staff say the decision to streamline the service could cause problems.
:03:29. > :03:36.I don't think the tender processes necessarily the best way. They are
:03:37. > :03:37.better off keeping reliable people and possibly negotiating lower rate
:03:38. > :03:41.of 20 make it efficiency savings. Care workers can automatically
:03:42. > :03:44.transfer from old to new employers with the same terms and conditions,
:03:45. > :03:48.under a scheme known as TUPE. This has been successful
:03:49. > :03:50.in some parts of Powys, but the council has struggled to
:03:51. > :04:01.recruit staff elsewhere. We had continuity of 90% in terms of
:04:02. > :04:06.carers from old providers to nuclear -- providers. I am not sure of the
:04:07. > :04:12.statistics applied to this one. It is concerning. We are on top of it
:04:13. > :04:14.and we are doing all we can to make sure the most vulnerable are cared
:04:15. > :04:23.for. The council had contacted
:04:24. > :04:26.Dyfed Powys Police about its allegations but the force
:04:27. > :04:30.says it won't be taking any action. The outgoing firms have thanked
:04:31. > :04:32.their former customers, and their staff
:04:33. > :04:34.for their hard work and dedication. All this week we're looking
:04:35. > :04:38.at the impact devolution has had And the results
:04:39. > :04:46.of a poll commissioned by BBC Wales shows that less than half
:04:47. > :04:52.of people in Wales realise the NHS Overall,
:04:53. > :04:57.around a third of people feel that devolution has led to an improvement
:04:58. > :05:00.in the way the country is governed. Our Political Editor Nick Servini
:05:01. > :05:15.is at the Senedd for us tonight. 15 years since the start of
:05:16. > :05:18.devolution and the polls we commissioned gives a fascinating
:05:19. > :05:25.insight into the attitudes that many people have. While the Senedd here
:05:26. > :05:28.has established itself as part of the landscape in Cardiff Bay, it is
:05:29. > :05:33.fair to say what the politicians here can do and the areas they are
:05:34. > :05:41.in control of has not established itself in the mindset of a large
:05:42. > :05:46.section of the Welsh public. That is, or one of the conclusions, the
:05:47. > :05:53.results in our survey. Earlier I have been out and about finding out
:05:54. > :05:58.what people think. The shoppers are out in the middle of Bridgend and so
:05:59. > :06:02.am I with my posters of the National Assembly and Westminster. My job is
:06:03. > :06:07.to try to find out what people know about devolution in the constituency
:06:08. > :06:12.of the First Minister, Carwyn Jones. Do you think the NHS is controlled
:06:13. > :06:18.by the Assembly Westminster? The Assembly. What about you? Do you
:06:19. > :06:27.know who was in control? No, I didn't. He let no idea. Westminster,
:06:28. > :06:35.I expect. It should be us but it is not. It is, it has been for 15
:06:36. > :06:40.years. We fear it is Westminster. It should be at the Assembly but we
:06:41. > :06:43.feel it is Westminster. It is a beautiful summer 's day but that is
:06:44. > :06:48.non-white clarity on this the shoppers I have been talking to.
:06:49. > :06:51.That has been reflected in the findings of our poll. Of the
:06:52. > :06:57.thousand people questioned, 40% of people thought correctly that the
:06:58. > :07:03.NHS was controlled by the last government. 43% still felt our
:07:04. > :07:09.hospitals were controlled by the UK Government in Westminster. There was
:07:10. > :07:12.more knowledge and education. 61% of those questioned thought correctly,
:07:13. > :07:20.schools were controlled at Cardiff Bay. 31% said incorrectly, the
:07:21. > :07:25.education system is controlled from London. Who controls education in
:07:26. > :07:28.Wales? The Assembly are trying but I think it is Westminster. It is
:07:29. > :07:33.controlled by the Assembly for 15 years. But they are still pulling
:07:34. > :07:41.the strings. It is the Assembly Westminster? The Assembly. That is
:07:42. > :07:45.right. It takes time to become fully embedded in the minds of the public
:07:46. > :07:50.stop the ebbs and flows of devolution have been going for some
:07:51. > :07:52.time but it appears much of the public remain confused and
:07:53. > :07:58.disengaged from the biggest changes have taken place.
:07:59. > :08:02.The thoughts of people in Bridgend there and I'm joined by two guests
:08:03. > :08:07.The assembly member Rhodri Glyn Thomas is
:08:08. > :08:09.an Assembly commissioner and Dr Rebecca Rumbul
:08:10. > :08:12.is manager of the Wales Governance Centre.
:08:13. > :08:21.How concerned are you about the findings of our poll? The findings
:08:22. > :08:27.and young pupil at young people are more encouraging in terms of their
:08:28. > :08:31.understanding of devolution. As a commission, we have a responsibility
:08:32. > :08:35.to make sure people understand how the Assembly works, the difference
:08:36. > :08:38.between the Assembly and the Assembly Government. The Assembly
:08:39. > :08:42.Government has the responsibility to explain the areas they are
:08:43. > :08:45.responsible for. The media and the BBC as a main player has the
:08:46. > :08:52.responsibility to inform the people of Wales how devolution works. It
:08:53. > :08:57.doesn't appear it is working. It is still a very young institution, only
:08:58. > :09:02.15 years old. We are doing a lot of work with our outreach programmes.
:09:03. > :09:07.We are ensuring we are getting the message out that have to work at it.
:09:08. > :09:09.We have to take collective responsibility that people 's
:09:10. > :09:19.understanding is not at the level we wanted to be. To some extent, the
:09:20. > :09:23.real problem here is the fact a lot of people get their news from
:09:24. > :09:30.newspapers based in London but just don't cover this place. Absolutely.
:09:31. > :09:33.Most of the newspaper people will read and London newspapers that have
:09:34. > :09:39.no interest in devolution and don't pay any mind to it. But BBC, people
:09:40. > :09:45.like yourselves, also have a part to play. An awful lot of the time the
:09:46. > :09:50.news we talk about is Michael Gove the education secretary and it isn't
:09:51. > :09:54.clear this is just an England thing, he is the English education
:09:55. > :09:59.secretary rather than the one for the whole of the UK. It is
:10:00. > :10:09.concerning at a time when devolution is high on the news agenda with
:10:10. > :10:12.independence in Scotland. It is a young institution and the devolution
:10:13. > :10:18.dispensation hasn't stayed the same since devolution. It is evolving.
:10:19. > :10:25.Maybe people are struggling to keep up. I guess a concern would be how
:10:26. > :10:28.do you hold the government to account if you don't really know
:10:29. > :10:35.which government to hold accountable. Hopefully, politicians
:10:36. > :10:40.in the Assembly know which government to hold to account. It is
:10:41. > :10:43.important people in Wales understand what the zebra government is doing,
:10:44. > :10:49.what it is achieving and what -- where it is failing. It is important
:10:50. > :10:55.they understand that and unable to differentiate between those things.
:10:56. > :11:00.We should have an informed discussion in Wales about
:11:01. > :11:04.devolution. In Scotland they had this discussion before the
:11:05. > :11:08.referendum in 1997. We didn't have that public discussion in Wales. We
:11:09. > :11:13.are developing slowly after devolution. Many thanks to you both.
:11:14. > :11:18.Well, all this week on the programme we're looking
:11:19. > :11:21.at the impact devolution has had on many aspects of our lives
:11:22. > :11:26.Tonight we begin with the NHS, something that's never far
:11:27. > :11:33.So,how has the health service performed since being run in Wales?
:11:34. > :11:34.Here's our Health Correspondent Owain Clarke's assessment
:11:35. > :11:51.This place has a strong claim to be the birthplace of the NHS. It argued
:11:52. > :11:55.to came to this spot to give some of his most famous speeches. His vision
:11:56. > :11:59.came from the scheme in his hometown with groups of workers pulled their
:12:00. > :12:05.money to buy medical care. Since then, like the valley below, the NHS
:12:06. > :12:10.has changed dramatically. But is it still fit for purpose in the eyes of
:12:11. > :12:17.those who live here now? I have been in a lot of hospitals and the
:12:18. > :12:23.service I have had is first class. Physiotherapy treatment is a fairly
:12:24. > :12:26.quick. I had to take my mother to A but there were so many other
:12:27. > :12:33.instances that happened that particular evening, emergencies yes,
:12:34. > :12:37.I get that, people are drinking problems, car crashes. Doctors can't
:12:38. > :12:45.cope. That makes of use has been reflected. A survey claimed over 90%
:12:46. > :12:51.of people are satisfied by GPs and hospitals. Let our poll suggests
:12:52. > :12:58.less than a quarter of us believe the NHS has improved since
:12:59. > :13:02.devolution. This house is also central to the story. He kept his
:13:03. > :13:06.political teeth in the 1920s when this place was a council chamber.
:13:07. > :13:12.But what would his assessment B of the Welsh Government health record?
:13:13. > :13:17.In the first decade of devolution cash poured in, spending increased
:13:18. > :13:22.at Westminster meant the Welsh Government could follow suit.
:13:23. > :13:29.Spending per head on health in Wales doubled in just a decade. More
:13:30. > :13:34.doctors and nurses were employed and salaries rose. The total number of
:13:35. > :13:41.staff increased by a quarter. During the boom in 2005, to much fanfare,
:13:42. > :13:47.the last government launched its first 10-year health strategy. It
:13:48. > :13:51.was called designed for life. It delivered free prescriptions and an
:13:52. > :13:55.older people 's Commissioner and there was also the smoking ban and
:13:56. > :14:05.an enter competition returning the NHS to an model that would be
:14:06. > :14:11.approved for. But target times for ambulances aren't being met. It
:14:12. > :14:23.promised a centralised specialised treatment. Change has proved to be
:14:24. > :14:26.slow. Doctor Brian Gibbons was the architect of the plan. Some of the
:14:27. > :14:33.decisions was halted because the Assembly Government was in a
:14:34. > :14:38.minority position and people, politically, made a decision to stop
:14:39. > :14:42.certain changes moving forward. You are saying the numbers in the
:14:43. > :14:49.Assembly works with you? Politics got in the way? That is my view.
:14:50. > :14:52.That is still the case. There is political games being played with
:14:53. > :15:02.the future of the quality of health care in Wales. That may be history
:15:03. > :15:06.might not judge the people. Local concerns will always be raised in
:15:07. > :15:09.the National Assembly where you have local representatives for each
:15:10. > :15:12.constituency. Governments have to be brave enough to make the decisions
:15:13. > :15:18.which are right for the people of Wales. One theory is all the money
:15:19. > :15:22.allowed politicians to buy time, to avoid making some really tough
:15:23. > :15:28.decisions stop no such luxury exists today for stop doing it to reassess
:15:29. > :15:33.what to expect the NHS to deliver? If it won the NHS to go on,
:15:34. > :15:37.responding to those things that happen to people over which they
:15:38. > :15:44.have no control at all, people have to be willing to do more to avoid
:15:45. > :15:50.those harms that we know we never have taken place. How would you
:15:51. > :15:53.enforce its? You enforce the bargain by discussion and by persuasion. One
:15:54. > :16:00.of the things that make me optimistic... Not by refusing
:16:01. > :16:04.treatments? We don't do that. But with the runners be able to sign up
:16:05. > :16:09.to that bargain? Given these pressures, if you live and healthily
:16:10. > :16:14.may be the NHS shouldn't always be there for you? There should be
:16:15. > :16:19.restrictions. I run because it is a healthy thing to do, I could be sat
:16:20. > :16:24.at home eating pies and drinking and smoking. The key question in the end
:16:25. > :16:31.is this, what difference has devolution made in reality to health
:16:32. > :16:34.here in Wales? The recent study claims that health performance in
:16:35. > :16:40.all four UK countries has remained broadly similar despite the huge
:16:41. > :16:47.policy differences post-devolution. As the NHS just become too big and
:16:48. > :16:51.difficult for any government to properly control? It is a question,
:16:52. > :16:54.perhaps even he would have found difficult to answer.
:16:55. > :16:57.Owain Clarke there reporting from Tredegar.
:16:58. > :17:00.And on tomorrow night's programme we'll be asking what 15 years
:17:01. > :17:02.of devolution has meant for our economy.
:17:03. > :17:05.You can see more on the Measuring Devolution series online
:17:06. > :17:14.She won silver in Dehli, rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones
:17:15. > :17:25.is ready to compete at her last Commonwealth Games.
:17:26. > :17:28.An expert witness has told a jury it's probable there wasn't
:17:29. > :17:31.any water behind a coalface on the morning before an inrush killed
:17:32. > :17:37.The evidence supports the mine manager's claim there was no water
:17:38. > :17:42.Malcolm Fyfield and the mine operators deny manslaughter charges.
:17:43. > :17:55.Throughout this trial, most of the attention has been on my -- Malcolm
:17:56. > :18:00.Fyfield, the manager went for Colliers lost their lives. But the
:18:01. > :18:05.mine operators and also facing manslaughter charges. The company is
:18:06. > :18:20.accused of causing the death of four men. The company is represented in
:18:21. > :18:25.court by its directors. They said a short distance from Mike -- Malcolm
:18:26. > :18:30.Fyfield. The company 's barrister tried to pick holes in the Crown 's
:18:31. > :18:35.case. The prosecution says the English happened after Malcolm
:18:36. > :18:40.Fyfield broke into old workings releasing a body of water that had
:18:41. > :18:43.gathered over many years. But Mr Fyfield said he inspected the
:18:44. > :18:47.disused workings of three occasions including on the morning before the
:18:48. > :18:53.English and there wasn't any significant water there. This
:18:54. > :18:57.technical engineer called to give evidence by the company's defence
:18:58. > :19:02.team, backed up Mr Fyfield's claims. He told the court it is probable
:19:03. > :19:06.there wasn't any water behind the coffee is on the morning before the
:19:07. > :19:10.disaster and that it had gathered over the following hours instead. He
:19:11. > :19:14.later said the water could have come from the roof, from another part of
:19:15. > :19:20.the colliery or from a second abandoned mine. All parties have now
:19:21. > :19:22.completed their evidence and stop the mine operators and Malcolm
:19:23. > :19:26.Fyfield denied the charges against them.
:19:27. > :19:28.A hearing has been told that three soldiers died from overheating
:19:29. > :19:31.during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons.
:19:32. > :19:33.Craig Roberts, Edward Maher and James Dunsby died following
:19:34. > :19:39.A decision on whether to prosecute two members of the armed forces
:19:40. > :19:46.for manslaughter is expected to be made before the end of the month.
:19:47. > :19:55.A couple killed in a car crash on Saturday have been named. They leave
:19:56. > :19:59.behind a nine-week-old son. Both were passengers in a white BMW which
:20:00. > :20:04.left the road. A 20-year-old man is in custody after being arrested on
:20:05. > :20:09.suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
:20:10. > :20:14.A woman from Cardiff who was jailed for 12 years for killing her husband
:20:15. > :20:18.is back home. She was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter earlier
:20:19. > :20:22.this year. The family raised more than ?60,000 to get freed on bail
:20:23. > :20:23.while her lawyers appeal her conviction. She was released last
:20:24. > :20:28.week and flew home at the weekend. The Welsh Conservatives are calling
:20:29. > :20:30.for an investigation after the environment minister wrote
:20:31. > :20:33.to Natural Resources Wales about a ?280 million race track
:20:34. > :20:35.planned for his constituency. Assembly member Antionette Sandbach
:20:36. > :20:38.has written to the First Minister, saying she believes Alun Davies has
:20:39. > :20:41.breached the ministerial code by intervening in the Circuit
:20:42. > :20:44.of Wales project in Blaenau Gwent. The Welsh Government
:20:45. > :20:54.declined to comment. Time now for the sport news. Let's
:20:55. > :20:59.start with rugby. Wales is fielding its strongest ever
:21:00. > :21:26.cycling team for next month's Games. Now I am really looking forward to
:21:27. > :21:29.playing against them. The captain Wales for the first time as a
:21:30. > :21:32.massive honour. The boys are looking forward to it.
:21:33. > :21:34.Cardiff City have announced their chief executive Simon Lim,
:21:35. > :21:37.seen here on the right of Vincent Tan, has stepped down
:21:38. > :21:42.Executive chairman Mehmet Dalman will take over
:21:43. > :21:49.Meanwhile as the Welsh netball team prepare for the Commonwealth
:21:50. > :21:51.Games next month, it's emerged they've sacked their coach
:21:52. > :21:59.Melissa Hyndman. They have appointed an interim coach
:22:00. > :22:06.to lead the team into the games. Wales is fielding its strongest ever
:22:07. > :22:09.cycling team for next month's Games. It's includes double World Champion
:22:10. > :22:12.Becky James, and Olympic Gold medallist Geraint Thomas, who'll
:22:13. > :22:18.compete in Glasgow just a few days With the details, here's our
:22:19. > :22:22.sports reporter Ashleigh Crowter. They've won the biggest races at the
:22:23. > :22:25.very highest level but the
:22:26. > :22:27.chance to compete for Wales They've won the biggest races at the
:22:28. > :22:30.very highest level but the
:22:31. > :22:33.chance to compete for Wales but the
:22:34. > :22:39.chance to compete for Wales Commonwealth at a Commonwealth Games
:22:40. > :22:46.Just a few days before the men's road race,
:22:47. > :22:49.Geraint Thomas will be hoping to help Team Sky to another victory
:22:50. > :22:53.at the Tour De France but he'll go straight to Glasgow to bid for a
:22:54. > :23:01.medal in the road race, backed up by another team Sky rider Luke Rowe.
:23:02. > :23:03.In the velodrome double world champion sprinter Becky James
:23:04. > :23:07.she collected her first senior medals in Delhi four years ago,
:23:08. > :23:11.an experience she now credits with helping her to rise to the top
:23:12. > :23:14.after she was pitted against a great world champion from Australia.
:23:15. > :23:17.There's some real depth to the 17 strong squad too.
:23:18. > :23:22.Team pursuit world champion Elinor Barker will be there plus
:23:23. > :23:26.three world cup medalists, as well as a group of younger riders who've
:23:27. > :23:32.been improving year on year as part of Wales' own track cycling team.
:23:33. > :23:35.The excitement was tangible too on Saturday night as Wales' best
:23:36. > :23:38.gymnasts attended a special dinner in the Vale of Glamorgan.
:23:39. > :23:41.For the first time, Wales will field teams in all three disciplines,
:23:42. > :23:45.men's and women's artistic, and also rhythmic gymnastics where Olympian,
:23:46. > :23:54.Frankie Jones, will compete for the last time before retiring.
:23:55. > :24:00.I was definitely thinking about it after the Olympics because I had a
:24:01. > :24:04.big injury. I wasn't sure if I could manage to be at the level I wanted
:24:05. > :24:10.to be after that. To be part of the team again, I couldn't resist. I
:24:11. > :24:12.thought I would carry on for two more years.
:24:13. > :24:15.It's a young team, some members are still at school,
:24:16. > :24:18.but their selection is still the result of years of hard work.
:24:19. > :24:21.The core group have trained together since they were five or six years
:24:22. > :24:27.old and now fully deserve their reward.
:24:28. > :24:34.A bit mixed but with high pressure on the way. Some dramatic weather
:24:35. > :24:41.last Saturday with torrential rain and thunderstorms. Steve Jones took
:24:42. > :24:47.this picture of fork lightning over the Bristol Channel near Porthcawl.
:24:48. > :24:59.Today started wet with some heavy rain and showers moving northwards
:25:00. > :25:04.and clearing. The sun came out and in Cardiff the temperature reached
:25:05. > :25:10.22 Celsius. The changeable weather continues tomorrow with sunshine and
:25:11. > :25:13.scattered showers. Some of the showers heavy and thundery. This
:25:14. > :25:17.evening may start dry but showers will spread from the south later in
:25:18. > :25:21.the evening and overnight. Heavy in places with a risk of thunder. A
:25:22. > :25:26.mild, muggy night. Lowest temperatures 10 to 13 Celsius.
:25:27. > :25:30.Here's the picture for eight in the morning. Mixed fortunes. A few
:25:31. > :25:35.showers in the northwest otherwise most of the country dry. Some cloud
:25:36. > :25:40.but some breaks in the cloud as well so bright in places and feeling mild
:25:41. > :25:45.with a southerly breeze. During the day further showers are likely. If
:25:46. > :25:50.you catch one it could be heavy with thunder but hit and miss with some
:25:51. > :25:53.dry weather and sunshine as well. Breezier than today and feeling
:25:54. > :25:58.fresher. Temperatures 15 to 20 Celsius with a south to
:25:59. > :26:02.south-westerly breeze. In Caerphilly tomorrow, a mixture of sunshine and
:26:03. > :26:07.heavy showers with a high of 17 in Risca. Similar in Gwynedd with a
:26:08. > :26:12.risk of thunder. Tomorrow evening, scattered heavy showers will ease.
:26:13. > :26:16.Still a few lighter showers overnight but most places becoming
:26:17. > :26:22.dry. Wednesday more settled. The odd light shower otherwise most of the
:26:23. > :26:27.country dry. On Thursday high pressure will cover southern Britain
:26:28. > :26:32.settling the weather down. So Thursday and Friday dry with sunny
:26:33. > :26:35.spells and warmer. Next weekend, one or two showers are possible on
:26:36. > :26:52.Saturday but at the moment, the emphasis is on dry.
:26:53. > :26:57.Powys councillors accused care workers from companies who have lost
:26:58. > :27:01.their contracts of changing key codes on homes to block access, and
:27:02. > :27:06.leaving lifting equipment and charged to disrupt the handover to
:27:07. > :27:08.new companies. They deny the accusations and say changing
:27:09. > :27:14.providers have left vulnerable people distressed.
:27:15. > :27:17.And on tomorrow night's programme, the next in our series marking
:27:18. > :27:29.I will be looking to the economy in the North East of England. I will be
:27:30. > :27:30.asking what has 15 years of devolution meant for the Welsh
:27:31. > :27:33.economy. For now from all of us on
:27:34. > :27:53.the programme, have a good evening. THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat
:27:54. > :28:02.of all the best bits of Radio 2.'