09/06/2014 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:

But some have been accused by Powys Council of jeopardising

the well-being of the people they were employed to help.

We are in this position, you need the guarantee of the service. It

just doesn't feel it is there at the moment. The more annoying thing is,

no one seems to really care. The Gleision trial hears it's

probable there wasn't any water behind a coalface, the morning

before an inrush killed four men. 15 years of devolution,

all this week we'll be looking Tonight we're in Tredegar, the

birthplace of the NHS, in the first Becky James now aims

for Commonwealth Gold, she'll lead They look after some

of the most vulnerable people But care workers

in Powys have been accused by their own council of jeopardising

the well-being of their clients. In recent weeks,

home care services have been handed But the outgoing staff have been

blamed for removing care plans, changing key codes on homes to block

access and leaving lifting equipment They've told Wales Today

they've done nothing wrong. He doesn't consider him

self to be vulnerable, but 64 year old Tony Ferris from Welshpool,

is one of more than 1,000 people The former paratrooper lost both

his legs as a result of diabetes. He says the council's decision to

replace its existing carers with We are in this position, you need

the guarantee of the service. It just doesn't feel it is there at the

moment. The more annoying thing is, no one seems to really care.

But the council has accused a minority of outgoing carers of

We have had hoists and charged overnight. We have had a vital

paperwork not been transferred to our new providers.

Gladys Perks runs TLC in Llanidloes which until last month provided home

The agency missed out on a new contract from the council

but denies allegations that staff were deliberately jeopardising

When I was looking after them, they and my family. I want to treat them

as if they were my family. There is no way I would do anything to

jeopardise them. I don't think our relationship would either.

Mid Wales Home Care decided not to renew its council contract

so has been forced to close down its Welshpool office.

Staff say the decision to streamline the service could cause problems.

I don't think the tender processes necessarily the best way. They are

better off keeping reliable people and possibly negotiating lower rate

of 20 make it efficiency savings. Care workers can automatically

transfer from old to new employers with the same terms and conditions,

under a scheme known as TUPE. This has been successful

in some parts of Powys, but the council has struggled to

recruit staff elsewhere. We had continuity of 90% in terms of

carers from old providers to nuclear -- providers. I am not sure of the

statistics applied to this one. It is concerning. We are on top of it

and we are doing all we can to make sure the most vulnerable are cared

for. The council had contacted

Dyfed Powys Police about its allegations but the force

says it won't be taking any action. The outgoing firms have thanked

their former customers, and their staff

for their hard work and dedication. All this week we're looking

at the impact devolution has had And the results

of a poll commissioned by BBC Wales shows that less than half

of people in Wales realise the NHS Overall,

around a third of people feel that devolution has led to an improvement

in the way the country is governed. Our Political Editor Nick Servini

is at the Senedd for us tonight. 15 years since the start of

devolution and the polls we commissioned gives a fascinating

insight into the attitudes that many people have. While the Senedd here

has established itself as part of the landscape in Cardiff Bay, it is

fair to say what the politicians here can do and the areas they are

in control of has not established itself in the mindset of a large

section of the Welsh public. That is, or one of the conclusions, the

results in our survey. Earlier I have been out and about finding out

what people think. The shoppers are out in the middle of Bridgend and so

am I with my posters of the National Assembly and Westminster. My job is

to try to find out what people know about devolution in the constituency

of the First Minister, Carwyn Jones. Do you think the NHS is controlled

by the Assembly Westminster? The Assembly. What about you? Do you

know who was in control? No, I didn't. He let no idea. Westminster,

I expect. It should be us but it is not. It is, it has been for 15

years. We fear it is Westminster. It should be at the Assembly but we

feel it is Westminster. It is a beautiful summer 's day but that is

non-white clarity on this the shoppers I have been talking to.

That has been reflected in the findings of our poll. Of the

thousand people questioned, 40% of people thought correctly that the

NHS was controlled by the last government. 43% still felt our

hospitals were controlled by the UK Government in Westminster. There was

more knowledge and education. 61% of those questioned thought correctly,

schools were controlled at Cardiff Bay. 31% said incorrectly, the

education system is controlled from London. Who controls education in

Wales? The Assembly are trying but I think it is Westminster. It is

controlled by the Assembly for 15 years. But they are still pulling

the strings. It is the Assembly Westminster? The Assembly. That is

right. It takes time to become fully embedded in the minds of the public

stop the ebbs and flows of devolution have been going for some

time but it appears much of the public remain confused and

disengaged from the biggest changes have taken place.

The thoughts of people in Bridgend there and I'm joined by two guests

The assembly member Rhodri Glyn Thomas is

an Assembly commissioner and Dr Rebecca Rumbul

is manager of the Wales Governance Centre.

How concerned are you about the findings of our poll? The findings

and young pupil at young people are more encouraging in terms of their

understanding of devolution. As a commission, we have a responsibility

to make sure people understand how the Assembly works, the difference

between the Assembly and the Assembly Government. The Assembly

Government has the responsibility to explain the areas they are

responsible for. The media and the BBC as a main player has the

responsibility to inform the people of Wales how devolution works. It

doesn't appear it is working. It is still a very young institution, only

15 years old. We are doing a lot of work with our outreach programmes.

We are ensuring we are getting the message out that have to work at it.

We have to take collective responsibility that people 's

understanding is not at the level we wanted to be. To some extent, the

real problem here is the fact a lot of people get their news from

newspapers based in London but just don't cover this place. Absolutely.

Most of the newspaper people will read and London newspapers that have

no interest in devolution and don't pay any mind to it. But BBC, people

like yourselves, also have a part to play. An awful lot of the time the

news we talk about is Michael Gove the education secretary and it isn't

clear this is just an England thing, he is the English education

secretary rather than the one for the whole of the UK. It is

concerning at a time when devolution is high on the news agenda with

independence in Scotland. It is a young institution and the devolution

dispensation hasn't stayed the same since devolution. It is evolving.

Maybe people are struggling to keep up. I guess a concern would be how

do you hold the government to account if you don't really know

which government to hold accountable. Hopefully, politicians

in the Assembly know which government to hold to account. It is

important people in Wales understand what the zebra government is doing,

what it is achieving and what -- where it is failing. It is important

they understand that and unable to differentiate between those things.

We should have an informed discussion in Wales about

devolution. In Scotland they had this discussion before the

referendum in 1997. We didn't have that public discussion in Wales. We

are developing slowly after devolution. Many thanks to you both.

Well, all this week on the programme we're looking

at the impact devolution has had on many aspects of our lives

Tonight we begin with the NHS, something that's never far

So,how has the health service performed since being run in Wales?

Here's our Health Correspondent Owain Clarke's assessment

This place has a strong claim to be the birthplace of the NHS. It argued

to came to this spot to give some of his most famous speeches. His vision

came from the scheme in his hometown with groups of workers pulled their

money to buy medical care. Since then, like the valley below, the NHS

has changed dramatically. But is it still fit for purpose in the eyes of

those who live here now? I have been in a lot of hospitals and the

service I have had is first class. Physiotherapy treatment is a fairly

quick. I had to take my mother to A but there were so many other

instances that happened that particular evening, emergencies yes,

I get that, people are drinking problems, car crashes. Doctors can't

cope. That makes of use has been reflected. A survey claimed over 90%

of people are satisfied by GPs and hospitals. Let our poll suggests

less than a quarter of us believe the NHS has improved since

devolution. This house is also central to the story. He kept his

political teeth in the 1920s when this place was a council chamber.

But what would his assessment B of the Welsh Government health record?

In the first decade of devolution cash poured in, spending increased

at Westminster meant the Welsh Government could follow suit.

Spending per head on health in Wales doubled in just a decade. More

doctors and nurses were employed and salaries rose. The total number of

staff increased by a quarter. During the boom in 2005, to much fanfare,

the last government launched its first 10-year health strategy. It

was called designed for life. It delivered free prescriptions and an

older people 's Commissioner and there was also the smoking ban and

an enter competition returning the NHS to an model that would be

approved for. But target times for ambulances aren't being met. It

promised a centralised specialised treatment. Change has proved to be

slow. Doctor Brian Gibbons was the architect of the plan. Some of the

decisions was halted because the Assembly Government was in a

minority position and people, politically, made a decision to stop

certain changes moving forward. You are saying the numbers in the

Assembly works with you? Politics got in the way? That is my view.

That is still the case. There is political games being played with

the future of the quality of health care in Wales. That may be history

might not judge the people. Local concerns will always be raised in

the National Assembly where you have local representatives for each

constituency. Governments have to be brave enough to make the decisions

which are right for the people of Wales. One theory is all the money

allowed politicians to buy time, to avoid making some really tough

decisions stop no such luxury exists today for stop doing it to reassess

what to expect the NHS to deliver? If it won the NHS to go on,

responding to those things that happen to people over which they

have no control at all, people have to be willing to do more to avoid

those harms that we know we never have taken place. How would you

enforce its? You enforce the bargain by discussion and by persuasion. One

of the things that make me optimistic... Not by refusing

treatments? We don't do that. But with the runners be able to sign up

to that bargain? Given these pressures, if you live and healthily

may be the NHS shouldn't always be there for you? There should be

restrictions. I run because it is a healthy thing to do, I could be sat

at home eating pies and drinking and smoking. The key question in the end

is this, what difference has devolution made in reality to health

here in Wales? The recent study claims that health performance in

all four UK countries has remained broadly similar despite the huge

policy differences post-devolution. As the NHS just become too big and

difficult for any government to properly control? It is a question,

perhaps even he would have found difficult to answer.

Owain Clarke there reporting from Tredegar.

And on tomorrow night's programme we'll be asking what 15 years

of devolution has meant for our economy.

You can see more on the Measuring Devolution series online

She won silver in Dehli, rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones

is ready to compete at her last Commonwealth Games.

An expert witness has told a jury it's probable there wasn't

any water behind a coalface on the morning before an inrush killed

The evidence supports the mine manager's claim there was no water

Malcolm Fyfield and the mine operators deny manslaughter charges.

Throughout this trial, most of the attention has been on my -- Malcolm

Fyfield, the manager went for Colliers lost their lives. But the

mine operators and also facing manslaughter charges. The company is

accused of causing the death of four men. The company is represented in

court by its directors. They said a short distance from Mike -- Malcolm

Fyfield. The company 's barrister tried to pick holes in the Crown 's

case. The prosecution says the English happened after Malcolm

Fyfield broke into old workings releasing a body of water that had

gathered over many years. But Mr Fyfield said he inspected the

disused workings of three occasions including on the morning before the

English and there wasn't any significant water there. This

technical engineer called to give evidence by the company's defence

team, backed up Mr Fyfield's claims. He told the court it is probable

there wasn't any water behind the coffee is on the morning before the

disaster and that it had gathered over the following hours instead. He

later said the water could have come from the roof, from another part of

the colliery or from a second abandoned mine. All parties have now

completed their evidence and stop the mine operators and Malcolm

Fyfield denied the charges against them.

A hearing has been told that three soldiers died from overheating

during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons.

Craig Roberts, Edward Maher and James Dunsby died following

A decision on whether to prosecute two members of the armed forces

for manslaughter is expected to be made before the end of the month.

A couple killed in a car crash on Saturday have been named. They leave

behind a nine-week-old son. Both were passengers in a white BMW which

left the road. A 20-year-old man is in custody after being arrested on

suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A woman from Cardiff who was jailed for 12 years for killing her husband

is back home. She was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter earlier

this year. The family raised more than ?60,000 to get freed on bail

while her lawyers appeal her conviction. She was released last

week and flew home at the weekend. The Welsh Conservatives are calling

for an investigation after the environment minister wrote

to Natural Resources Wales about a ?280 million race track

planned for his constituency. Assembly member Antionette Sandbach

has written to the First Minister, saying she believes Alun Davies has

breached the ministerial code by intervening in the Circuit

of Wales project in Blaenau Gwent. The Welsh Government

declined to comment. Time now for the sport news. Let's

start with rugby. Wales is fielding its strongest ever

cycling team for next month's Games. Now I am really looking forward to

playing against them. The captain Wales for the first time as a

massive honour. The boys are looking forward to it.

Cardiff City have announced their chief executive Simon Lim,

seen here on the right of Vincent Tan, has stepped down

Executive chairman Mehmet Dalman will take over

Meanwhile as the Welsh netball team prepare for the Commonwealth

Games next month, it's emerged they've sacked their coach

Melissa Hyndman. They have appointed an interim coach

to lead the team into the games. Wales is fielding its strongest ever

cycling team for next month's Games. It's includes double World Champion

Becky James, and Olympic Gold medallist Geraint Thomas, who'll

compete in Glasgow just a few days With the details, here's our

sports reporter Ashleigh Crowter. They've won the biggest races at the

very highest level but the

chance to compete for Wales They've won the biggest races at the

very highest level but the

chance to compete for Wales but the

chance to compete for Wales Commonwealth at a Commonwealth Games

Just a few days before the men's road race,

Geraint Thomas will be hoping to help Team Sky to another victory

at the Tour De France but he'll go straight to Glasgow to bid for a

medal in the road race, backed up by another team Sky rider Luke Rowe.

In the velodrome double world champion sprinter Becky James

she collected her first senior medals in Delhi four years ago,

an experience she now credits with helping her to rise to the top

after she was pitted against a great world champion from Australia.

There's some real depth to the 17 strong squad too.

Team pursuit world champion Elinor Barker will be there plus

three world cup medalists, as well as a group of younger riders who've

been improving year on year as part of Wales' own track cycling team.

The excitement was tangible too on Saturday night as Wales' best

gymnasts attended a special dinner in the Vale of Glamorgan.

For the first time, Wales will field teams in all three disciplines,

men's and women's artistic, and also rhythmic gymnastics where Olympian,

Frankie Jones, will compete for the last time before retiring.

I was definitely thinking about it after the Olympics because I had a

big injury. I wasn't sure if I could manage to be at the level I wanted

to be after that. To be part of the team again, I couldn't resist. I

thought I would carry on for two more years.

It's a young team, some members are still at school,

but their selection is still the result of years of hard work.

The core group have trained together since they were five or six years

old and now fully deserve their reward.

A bit mixed but with high pressure on the way. Some dramatic weather

last Saturday with torrential rain and thunderstorms. Steve Jones took

this picture of fork lightning over the Bristol Channel near Porthcawl.

Today started wet with some heavy rain and showers moving northwards

and clearing. The sun came out and in Cardiff the temperature reached

22 Celsius. The changeable weather continues tomorrow with sunshine and

scattered showers. Some of the showers heavy and thundery. This

evening may start dry but showers will spread from the south later in

the evening and overnight. Heavy in places with a risk of thunder. A

mild, muggy night. Lowest temperatures 10 to 13 Celsius.

Here's the picture for eight in the morning. Mixed fortunes. A few

showers in the northwest otherwise most of the country dry. Some cloud

but some breaks in the cloud as well so bright in places and feeling mild

with a southerly breeze. During the day further showers are likely. If

you catch one it could be heavy with thunder but hit and miss with some

dry weather and sunshine as well. Breezier than today and feeling

fresher. Temperatures 15 to 20 Celsius with a south to

south-westerly breeze. In Caerphilly tomorrow, a mixture of sunshine and

heavy showers with a high of 17 in Risca. Similar in Gwynedd with a

risk of thunder. Tomorrow evening, scattered heavy showers will ease.

Still a few lighter showers overnight but most places becoming

dry. Wednesday more settled. The odd light shower otherwise most of the

country dry. On Thursday high pressure will cover southern Britain

settling the weather down. So Thursday and Friday dry with sunny

spells and warmer. Next weekend, one or two showers are possible on

Saturday but at the moment, the emphasis is on dry.

Powys councillors accused care workers from companies who have lost

their contracts of changing key codes on homes to block access, and

leaving lifting equipment and charged to disrupt the handover to

new companies. They deny the accusations and say changing

providers have left vulnerable people distressed.

And on tomorrow night's programme, the next in our series marking

I will be looking to the economy in the North East of England. I will be

asking what has 15 years of devolution meant for the Welsh

economy. For now from all of us on

the programme, have a good evening. THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat

of all the best bits of Radio 2.'