08/07/2014

Download Subtitles

Transcript

:00:00. > :00:18.for the patients of the future. That's all from us. Now on

:00:19. > :00:21.Alun Davies, the Welsh Government Environment Minister,

:00:22. > :00:24.who was sacked earlier today, has tonight apologised to his

:00:25. > :00:27.civil servants after asking them to give him

:00:28. > :00:32.private financial information about his political opponents.

:00:33. > :00:36.The First Minister said his behaviour was poorly judged,

:00:37. > :00:38.and there's been severe criticism from opposition parties.

:00:39. > :00:46.Here's our Political Editor Nick Servini.

:00:47. > :00:52.It has been called a smear campaign, an attempt by Alun Davies to find

:00:53. > :00:57.out how much money five opposition assembly members involved in farming

:00:58. > :01:04.received and subsidies. They were the Welsh Conservative leader Andrew

:01:05. > :01:10.Davies, his colleague, herbal Griffith and the leader of the Lib

:01:11. > :01:15.Dems and her colleague. Alun Davies had asked one of his senior civil

:01:16. > :01:17.servants for the information. That official had concerns and spelt out

:01:18. > :01:23.in an e-mail to a colleague. The e-mail says the information was not

:01:24. > :01:27.in the public domain yet, and there were concerns because the

:01:28. > :01:29.ministerial code said ministers must not use the Welsh Government's

:01:30. > :01:33.resources for party political purposes. Alun Davies had asked for

:01:34. > :01:39.this information early on Wednesday morning. The night before, he had

:01:40. > :01:42.just about kept his job after breaking the ministerial code for

:01:43. > :01:47.lobbying for a motor racing circuit in his constituency. He was forced

:01:48. > :01:56.to apologise. Tonight, in a statement, Alun Davies said: He was

:01:57. > :02:01.sorry for leaving government and repeating his civil servants in a

:02:02. > :02:07.difficult position. There was no support for him tonight. It was said

:02:08. > :02:11.the minister's behaviour was unacceptable and he was sacked. It

:02:12. > :02:18.led to a bad-tempered session of First Minister's question. Do you

:02:19. > :02:22.regret not sacking Alun Davies last week, and does that not speak

:02:23. > :02:28.volumes about the severe lapse in judgement of your party? Can the

:02:29. > :02:31.First Minister share with us his criteria for which breaches of the

:02:32. > :02:37.ministerial code are stackable offences and which are not? You are

:02:38. > :02:41.responsible for the actions of your Minister, you very often stand there

:02:42. > :02:44.and tell us this will stop could you extend an apology to the five

:02:45. > :02:50.members of this chamber whose information was sought by the

:02:51. > :02:58.minister when he was in government? It is wrong that ministers should

:02:59. > :03:03.ask for confidential information, for the others whose information

:03:04. > :03:10.were not in the public domain, it is not acceptable. Alun Davies has been

:03:11. > :03:13.controversial at times. Since being appointed as Minister for natural

:03:14. > :03:15.resources and food last year, he has repeated the stern message to

:03:16. > :03:23.farming businesses to be more efficient. During this year, he has

:03:24. > :03:25.clashed often with farmers. He is a robust character, very bright and

:03:26. > :03:31.sure of himself, and he did not mind getting into scrapes. He is a

:03:32. > :03:35.minister who knows his mind and gets his way, and that is a good thing

:03:36. > :03:39.generally in politics. He is not a creature of the civil service. The

:03:40. > :03:46.flip side is he sometimes flies too close to the sun. His Port Phillip

:03:47. > :03:52.-- portfolio will be split tween two existing members.

:03:53. > :03:55.A man has gone on trial at Newport Crown Court, charged with

:03:56. > :04:04.Michael Pearce denies killing Alfie Sullock, who died of head injuries

:04:05. > :04:19.Alfie Sullock, a healthy and happy baby loved by his mother. But in

:04:20. > :04:27.August of last year, the mother's new boyfriend was baby-sitting him.

:04:28. > :04:32.Just after an error after she left little Alfie in Piers's care, he

:04:33. > :04:39.suffered what proved to be fatal injuries. The prosecutor told

:04:40. > :04:43.Newport Crown Court's jury that the defendant had in all probability

:04:44. > :04:47.beaten him with a shoe and the bottom of a plastic bottle. There

:04:48. > :04:51.was a distinctive match pattern with the sole of the shoe and the

:04:52. > :04:56.bruising on the baby. These injuries were to end the baby's life. Alfie

:04:57. > :04:59.was taken to hospital here but transferred to the University

:05:00. > :05:04.Hospital in Cardiff where he died for Mac days later. Preliminary

:05:05. > :05:12.cause of death was blunt from a head injuries and brain damage. The court

:05:13. > :05:19.heard how Michael Pearce told the mother the baby was fine just before

:05:20. > :05:21.he phoned emergency services. Pearce attempted to give the baby

:05:22. > :05:26.mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage as he waited for the

:05:27. > :05:30.ambulance. In later police interviews he gave no explanation

:05:31. > :05:34.for the baby's injuries. He denies murder and an alternative charge of

:05:35. > :05:36.manslaughter, and the case continues.

:05:37. > :05:40.The jury in the case of a man, accused of shooting his wife

:05:41. > :05:42.in Newport, has been sent home for another night.

:05:43. > :05:45.Caroline Parry, was shot in the back near her home last August.

:05:46. > :05:49.Christopher Parry was found critically wounded nearby.

:05:50. > :05:53.He denies murder but has admitted manslaughter.

:05:54. > :05:56.The chair of Wales' largest health board has described

:05:57. > :06:03.a ?200,000 payoff to a former chief executive as ?value for money.?

:06:04. > :06:07.Dr Peter Higson, who chairs the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health

:06:08. > :06:11.Board in North Wales, told AMs that the departure of Mary Burrows could

:06:12. > :06:15.have become "more protracted" had a settlement not been reached.

:06:16. > :06:20.The payment was part of up to ?470,000 paid by the Health

:06:21. > :06:40.The family of a man who was murdered by Iraqi militants say apologies for

:06:41. > :06:42.his death mean nothing. He was kidnapped in 2007.

:06:43. > :06:45.Yesterday we reported how the leader of the Shia militia who killed him,

:06:46. > :06:47.and three other bodyguards said he was sorry,

:06:48. > :06:50.but blamed the deaths on the British government.

:06:51. > :06:59.I would want him to give us the information, or give the British

:07:00. > :07:05.government information to bring the perpetrators to justice. Because we

:07:06. > :07:11.have suffered. We have suffered for seven years. It has destroyed our

:07:12. > :07:13.family, to be honest. It is there with you all the time.

:07:14. > :07:15.Most schools in Newport, have decided to close

:07:16. > :07:17.when the NATO summit takes place in September.

:07:18. > :07:20.The Celtic Manor is hosting the event, which will bring together

:07:21. > :07:22.60 world leaders, at an estimated cost of ?50 million.

:07:23. > :07:31.but police say there are no plans to close the M4.

:07:32. > :07:34.BBC Wales understands Swansea City are negotiating with Italian side

:07:35. > :07:37.Napoli over their star striker Michu.

:07:38. > :07:39.Sources close to the player have confirmed

:07:40. > :07:42.talks between the clubs are taking place.

:07:43. > :07:45.The 28-year-old hasn't travelled with the Squad to America

:07:46. > :07:51.Before the club left for Chicago, Manager Garry Monk said he planned

:07:52. > :07:57.to hold talks with the player and wanted the striker to stay.

:07:58. > :08:00.Cricket, and Glamorgan face an uphill struggle to avoid defeat

:08:01. > :08:02.in the final day of their County Championship clash

:08:03. > :08:06.with Surrey, despite openers Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg

:08:07. > :08:11.Off-spinner Gareth Batty claimed two late wickets as Glamorgan finished

:08:12. > :08:19.on 182-2, still requiring 175 to avoid an innings defeat.

:08:20. > :08:29.Let?s see what the weather has in store. Here's Benaz.

:08:30. > :08:34.We can look forward to a fine day tomorrow. Plenty of dry weather to

:08:35. > :08:40.look for two, plenty of sunny spells as well. The weather is turning

:08:41. > :08:43.unsettled from Thursday onwards. Some clear skies, mainly dry,

:08:44. > :08:49.temperatures getting down to nine Celsius. Quite breezy and blustery

:08:50. > :08:54.along coastal areas. High pressure building tomorrow, but noticed these

:08:55. > :08:59.weather systems which are not too far away. They will bring rain on

:09:00. > :09:03.Thursday and Friday onwards. A cloudy start to the morning

:09:04. > :09:07.tomorrow, but it will brighten. Quite breezy as well. For the rest

:09:08. > :09:10.of the United Kingdom it is a fine day, a few showers across eastern

:09:11. > :09:15.counties, but it is dry and sunny for most of us with high

:09:16. > :09:21.temperatures of 22 Celsius. We can look forward to a dry afternoon here

:09:22. > :09:31.in Wales. He is the sunshine, high of 16, 21 some -- Celsius. It is

:09:32. > :09:39.dry, temperatures getting down to 10 Celsius at night. We will see

:09:40. > :09:47.showers coming into parts of Powys. Quite a breezy day, high

:09:48. > :09:50.temperatures of 17, 20 two Celsius. Feeling warm and humid on Friday

:09:51. > :09:51.with highs of 23 Celsius, remaining unsettled as we head into the

:09:52. > :09:54.weekend. That's Wales Today.

:09:55. > :09:56.Thank you for watching. From all of us on the programme,

:09:57. > :10:02.goodnight.