08/12/2015 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story:

Your money and how it's spent next year.

Health is the big winner in the budget, so which of

Your council will see a reduction of 2% but it's the only major

department to see a reduction in a budget that feels a lot less austere

than previous settlements. The proposed ban

on e-cigarettes is watered down. A compromise when it comes

to vaping in public places. Walking to school

and why we should be doing more to In the route they have planned out I

am pretty sure there is a chemical factory down there and there are big

lorries and big trucks. It's going to be hard to walk down.

Could emissions from a proposed new waste processing plant linger

And Swansea City's chairman has dropped a strong hint that manager

Wherever you live, today was one of the most important for what

The budget statement is the carve up of the cake, deciding who gets what,

The big headline is that health wins an extra ?290 million.

The Welsh Government now spends nearly half its budget on health.

Your local council is staring down the barrel of a 2% cut.

Tonight, what all this means as we head towards an election

in May and what today's numbers mean for our everyday lives.

The minister responsible is here live to explain her decisions

in a moment, but first here's our political editor, Nick Servini.

It's the season of goodwill but who is getting the goodies in the fifth

and final budget of this Welsh Government before we go to the polls

in the spring? This lunchtime semi-members got together to

celebrate peace and harmony but there is precious little of that

train the main parties here. Five years ago councils were being

protected. This assembly term is ending with the main focus being

given to the NHS. That is an extra ?270 million for health. It means

that by next year funding for the NHS will have risen by 0.6% compared

to 2010 in real terms. The Welsh Government also points to latest

figures from the Treasury which puts spending per head on the NHS in

Wales 1% higher than in England. The Conservative claim is this, after

taking into account inflation funding of the NHS this year is

nearly ?6.3 billion that's 93 million less than 2010. Because of

the Welsh Government's decision not to protect health funding the tween

2011 and 2013. You know that over the term of this assembly you have

taken ?1 billion out of the NHS in Wales. Will you now not show some

remorse that those decisions that have led to such astronomical

waiting times in Wales? The figures I have quoted are his government's

figures from the Treasury. The reality is, the figures the Treasury

producer shall we spend more on health the head in Wales than in

England Des. The group that won't be getting a Christmas present in this

budget that councils. They are facing cuts of 2% although it should

be said they were gearing up for cuts of 4% which is what they've had

to go through this year. The big ticket items for local authorities,

schools and social care budgets, have been largely protected so as

we've seen in recent years the cuts are likely to fall in areas like

leisure centres and libraries. It's not as bad as everyone thought it

was going to be so councils who have been making plans for even bigger

cuts will be able to scale back and invest more than they thought they

would. But it's still very difficult. They have been cash

increases in neighbour -- every major department. Economic

development gets a boost of 6% and the communities department which

deals with things like social housing is up 10%. Plaid Cymru

claims the increase in health has come too late for the Welsh

Government to reading trust on the NHS. It seems like a desperate

attempt from the Labour government and the last throw of the dice

before the election, putting some money into health finally after

being pressured for quite some time by opposition parties and the public

to do that. Well not exactly a Christmas giveaway today is spending

plans will feel more generous than recent budgets and will certainly

feel more generous compared with some of the cuts are seen in public

services in England. So almost half of the

Welsh Government's budget is spent on health, that's now set to

increase from 46% to about 48%. But what will that mean

in practice and how does that affect Today's announcement would seem a

financial shot in the arm for health in Wales. The total health budget

now around ?7 billion. But once you take inflation into account, NHS

spending is still lower than it was in 2011. So while health bosses are

grateful for today's increase they will be poring over the detail in

the next few days to see how it all breaks down. I think it is our

responsibility to make sure the patience to see a difference with

that money. Much of it will go into just keeping pace with the inflation

and the pressures in the NHS but we need to make a difference. I would

hope we will see further investment in primary care, GPs and the teams

around them, in our community teams so we can help care for the blood of

hospital and reduce the need for people to come to hospital. There

will be many for two and a half thousand more apprenticeships and an

extra ?10 million will ensure that no Welsh student has to pay more for

their degree than if they had been students in 2010. The body which

funds universities sees its budget cut by around ?21 million. Further

education is protected from cats but coming after the squeeze of recent

years the sector is warning that the dream of Wales as a learning country

is long since gone. If we are only going to spend money on the problems

in health after the fact we will continue to spend more and more

money on the NHS and have less money to spend on creating the kind of

economy we want. The percentage spend on local government is down

around 2%, it's less than councils had feared. The body representing

them has said they welcome any settlement that's better than the 4%

cuts they faced in 2015, 2016. The government says it has invested in

the services that matter most people. To that end it has also

promised that universal benefits including free breakfasts, free

school milk, free swimming, free prescriptions and concessionary

fares are all safeguarded next year. Our Political Editor, Nick Servini,

is at the Senedd tonight. It was trailed in advance that extra

money would go to the NHS and that was certainly the case. Labour do

not want to leave themselves exposed as they head into the elections next

year and this was always going to be an intensely political budget

because it is the fifth and final budget carried out by this Welsh

Government before we go into those elections. I am joined by the

Finance Minister Jane Hutt. This is the sixth budget you have carried

out. Bearing in mind it was just a 0.3% real term reduction on the

previous year, was it the easiest one? It was a very important budget

to make sure that we got that invest within health but not just in the

health service. That ?300 million is going to make a huge difference. It

will give us more nurses, more GP services, more paramedics, more

diagnostic equipment. All of that is crucial for me as finance minister

but also in the social services and protecting local services. Sticking

with the NHS, it is now 48% of everything the Welsh Government

spends here. It is a black hole isn't it? Will you see the

improvement? I have already said how we will spend the money. What is

important is that it is linked to other services. It is linked to

social care. When you come out of hospital you might need a social

care package. We in Wales are taking responsibility for funding social

services, an extra 21 million going to local government. In England they

are saying council taxpayers should pay the council -- sat -- social

care. That is not the way we operate in Wales. We are investing in young

people and apprentices. We are spending more in Wales on health and

social care. Councils facing a 2% cut. You protected them in the early

years of this administration. Third year on the bones they are facing

cuts. What was wrong with that policy you pursued in the early

years that you are not doing now? Nothing was wrong with it. We were

coming out of the recession and we had jobs and growth budgets. We

decided we were going to invest in all of those important areas and

boost the economy and get people back into jobs. So now we are moving

forward in a positive way. Jane Hutt, thank you very much. Out of

the studio. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health

Board has confirmed it won't introduce controversial changes to

maternity services in North Wales. It had proposed to downgrade

the maternity unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan

temporarily to a midwife-led unit But this morning, its members agreed

to maintain the current service. We have created a different sort

of role and that has come together with added availability

of staff two thirds of the way So as we were thinking in May or

June about what to do next, we were The neo-natal intensive care unit

at Wales' largest hospital has stopped taking new admissions

because of an infection. The ward at the University Hospital

of Wales shut last week. Cardiff and Vale University Health

Board says all babies are safe, and those who needed treatment are

responding well. The unit closed in August due to

the same infection. The mother of

a seven-year-old boy who died after being hit by a car in Rhondda Cynon

Taff says he's saved up to eight Fraser Bates and his father, Stuart,

both died after the crash in A 22-year-old driver has been

arrested and released The Health Minister, Mark Drakeford,

has backed down on plans to ban the use e-cigarettes in all

enclosed public places in Wales. Instead, the Welsh Government will

bring forward changes to its Public Health Bill that would see

their use prohibited in specific public places such as schools,

restaurants and public transport. Our health correspondent,

Owain Clarke, is here. Before tonight the Health Minister

wanted to restrict the use of e-cigarettes in exactly the same way

as the ban on smoking tobacco so you would not be able to smoke anywhere

in doors but this afternoon he announced he was relaxing the

proposed laws which might mean if and when it is up and did you would

be able to smoke e-cigarettes in places where children were not

around. The concern of the Welsh Government has been all along is

that e-cigarettes might be making smoking look normal to children and

might act as a gateway into proper smoking but the critics say that is

not proven in any shape or form. So what transpired was a huge political

row and tonight's promotes. I recognise my responsibility as a

minister in the government without a majority to attempt to craft

agreement. As Mark Draper just bowed to public pressure? He said

personally he would be in favour of the original plan, the moderate

sense of ban, but perhaps he was scuppered and he was afraid this

political row might scupper his whole Public Health Wales Bill. But

let's be clear, since this plan was originally announced it has not only

divided opinion amongst politicians, it has divided opinion amongst the

public and amongst health bodies as well. Here is what the cancer

charity ten of us said tonight. There is a growing misconception

that e-cigarettes are just as harmful as cigarettes and that is

not the case. For many people they are a good way of quitting tobacco.

Whilst we welcome the fact the Minister has looked at modifying the

bill, there are still many questions it does raise. He has talked about

public transport and schools but in terms of places serving food what

does it mean for pubs for example? How will this climb-down if we can

call it that be interpreted? Some will say it is an embarrassing

climb-down, others say the Health Minister has at it responsibly and

has listened to people. I was talking to a Welsh Government

insider which suggested Mark Drakeford got what he wanted really

in that e-cigarettes won't be we used in places which Oldham were

around but some might question why wasn't that the original plan.

Much more to come before 7.00pm: Will a curious weather phenomenon in

this valley trap emissions from a proposed new Waste Processing Plant?

Swansea City's chairman drops a strong hint that manager

The journey to school needs to be better and safer for children.

A report published by the Children's Commissioner for Wales and

the cycling charity Sustrans Cymru says almost half of the children

who responded to their survey said they would like help to make

What better way to start the morning than with a walk to school in the

fresh air? A yearly pupil in Britain fairly mixed this journey every day

with their friends. It takes about 20 minutes but this time next year

she could be facing around an hour walk to the new school in Baglan. In

the route they have planned out I am pretty sure that is a chemical

factory and there are big lorries and trucks coming down on a daily

basis. It's going to be hard walking down. In the winter it's going to be

dark in the morning and dark in the evening. To find out more about the

route, Caitlin and her friends might have to take to get to the new

school I decided to walk it myself. It took around 45 minutes. The

majority of it is along busy roads. Cycle lanes are provided in parts.

There are also a few busy crossing points and some sheltered walkways.

If but other council says the route has been assessed as a safe walking

route in accordance with Welsh Government guidelines but it is

these kind of roots which under the spotlight in today's report. Barely

a thousand schoolchildren took part in this survey which highlighted

road traffic as the most common barrier to them walking or cycling

to school. Some of the other issues included not in the path or

psychopaths. For quality pavements or in some cases a complete lack of

them. More than three quarters of the children serve eight also said

they believed they should have a say in planning routes to schools.

Children cannot pick up their car keys and jump in a car. If they want

to travel independently they need to do that on their bikes or on foot.

We need to make sure it is safe for them to do so. It's believed that by

spending more time on designing safer school routes it will also

ensure health benefits. We want some funds allocated and spending now

will make a difference to our health further down the line. We can reduce

the number of children growing up with diabetes and obesity. The Welsh

Government says it is imposing 20 mph speed limits outside around 50

schools and its called on local authorities to consult with children

on these matters. It's hoped today's report is at least a step in the

right direction when it comes to improving school routes.

A national disability charity has warned it may have to close within

four months after losing its core funding from the Welsh Government.

Disability Wales says that from the first of April, it'll lose 68%

of its income after an application for its ?400,000 grant was refused.

The Welsh Government says it's working with

the charity to manage the change and secure a sustainable future.

Now to be faced with just four months to go until the end of the

financial year and to have lost two thirds of our funding is extremely

concerning obviously for the organisation, for all members and

for the work that we do campaigning for the rights and equality

Residents in a village near Caerphilly are concerned that

emissions from a proposed new Waste Processing Plant could remain

in the valley for days because of a rare weather phenomenon.

Villagers from Cwmfelinfach believe 'temperature inversion'

which sometimes leads to fog lingering in the valley could also

And it's this particular feature that's concerning these Cwmfelinfach

locals opposed to a planned new waste processing plant

The emissions from the factory itself in certain atmospheric

conditions will stay in the base of the valley so we want to stand up

and oppose this application. They're concerned about this -

'temperature inversion'. Where cold air is trapped

at the bottom of the valley by warm air above,

leading to clouds and fog remaining Locals are worried any emissions

from The plant would be built here

and would turn waste, which may The Newport company

behind the plant, Hazrem Environmental Limited, says any

emissions would be well within safe limits and that Caerphilly County

Borough Council has carefully But a planning document shows

the council hasn't felt it necessary to carry out an

Environmental Impact Assessment. Allan Sharp has been a pharmacist

in the valley for 30 years. He's concerned about the effects

the plant may have. My great fear is that having spent

the last 30 or 40 years at great expense to the council cleaning up

the valley air through the clean air act, we are now taking a backward

step and pumping it into the air and it has nowhere to go.

Caerphilly Council says residents' views and objections will be

considered here and the site would need a permit

Councillors will make a decision on the plant tomorrow.

Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has dropped

a strong hint that manager Garry Monk is on his way out of the club.

He was speaking after receiving an OBE at Windsor Castle.

Jenkins said something needs to change at the club.

Monk is under pressure after a run of just one win

A break from the Swansea City speculation. The club's chairman

refusing -- receiving his OBEs from the Duke of Cambridge. For services

to football in Wales. Huw Jenkins said that something needs to change

to get things back on a positive note as quickly as possible. He

added that if things are not dealt with in -- and addressed early

enough the Premier League is very and forgiving. The manner of the

loss to Leicester on Saturday seems to be of concern. Adding to the fact

it has been just one win in 11 league matches. Pressure is mounting

and change seems to be minute. This is the clearest indication yet that

the Swansea City board are ready to act. You wonder why in the light of

the performance on Saturday against Leicester City why they have not

acted already. It might be explained by the fact they are trying to find

somebody to take charge for the game against Manchester City on Saturday

ordered a beer that the have not decided whether Garry Monk should go

or whether they should say to him some of his backroom team have to

go. But clearly given Huw Jenkins' words today, change is imminent.

Garry Monk did take training as usual today preparing for the next

Premier League match in four days' time. But will he still be in charge

for that trip to Manchester City? It remains to be seen.

Wales' international football players, management and officials

boycotted last night's Wales Sport Awards just hours before it began.

It comes days after BBC Wales broadcast a story highlighting

a dispute between the Football Association of Wales

No one from the FAW was present to collect the Team of the Year

Sue's got tonight's forecast and there's more rain on the way.

Absolutely. After some heavy rain last night and blustery showers

today still on flood warning in place in the lower Dee Valley. Two

alerts nearby as well. Tomorrow might start try but there is further

rain on the way later. I pressure to the south-west is bringing more

settled conditions tonight. Clear for most with dry stellar -- spells

on a few isolated showers. Brisk winds but feeling colder than recent

nights. Tomorrow, a chilli and windy start with sunny spells and variable

cloud and the odd shower possible. South-westerly winds picking up with

the rain arriving from the Northwest again later. Highs of 10 Celsius in

Powys and 12 in Denbighshire. I pressure being edged out by this

cold front sweeping south eastwards across the UK late tomorrow into

Thursday so tomorrow night turning wet and windy. The band of more

persistent rain pushing in from the North West for the -- the cloud wind

and rain holding up temperatures tomorrow night. A wet start on

Thursday but winds easing. Improving as the cold front clears south

eastwards and a few lingering showers turning Dreier and brighter

but also chillier. That front might move southwards on Thursday but it

doesn't clear completely. It is a weather front pushing northwards on

Friday and possibly for the weekend. The forecast is a bit tricky. Friday

is looking cold and breezy, more likely to be tried in the north away

from that front but rain more likely to linger in the South on Friday.

Sunshine and showers on Friday and unsettled for the weekend.

Back to our top story tonight and the Welsh Government has

unveiled its budget statement for the coming year.

Let's talk to our Economics Correspondento Sarah Dickins.

How's this going to pan out on the ground?

When you look at the part of day-to-day government spending in

Wales there will be less of it and that I think strings the size of the

economy because there is less money being spent. That is going to have

an impact. If you look at it, there is going to be ?25 million less

being used by the economy department to try and help our economy and ?16

million less by Natural Resources Wales which is meant to be looking

after sustainability. That is less money in the day-to-day spending.

You need to put this in the wider context of our economy. We have the

lowest wages in the UK and we have the lowest increase in house prices.

So it is not exactly sharpen tools to make our economy seem stronger.

A last word with our Political Editor, Nick Servini.

Let's look ahead to May's Assembly Election.

This budget fires the starting pistol, doesn't it?

It does. It will form the backdrop of so many arguments as we head into

those elections. One of the last big set piece opportunities for Labour

in particular to try and lands the boil which has been these consistent

accusations from the opposition parties that it failed to protect

the NHS particularly in the early years of the administration. If you

look at what has happened to councils, a 2% cut, that won't feel

easy for council leaders. But nevertheless they were gearing up

for around double that. There has been a festive event going on here

tonight. I would not describe it as a Christmas giveaway but this has

been one of the easiest budgets the Welsh Government has had to deliver

in recent years. You can find more detail

and analysis from our correspondents on how the budget affects you,

your family and your community. Just go to our website

at bbc.co.uk/walesnews. I'll have an update for you here

at 8.00pm and again after the

BBC news at 10.00pm. From all of us on the programme,

good evening.