01/04/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to the programme. Tonight's headlines.

Steelworkers in Port Talbot confront the UK Business Secretary over

what action will be taken to try and save their jobs.

And 250,000 people here will get a pay rise with a new living wage,

but what will be the impact on small businesses?

Good evening.

The UK Government's Business Secretary says there'll be no

closures of Welsh steelworks over the next few weeks.

Sajid Javid was on his first visit to the Port Talbot site

after Tata Steel announced it wants to sell its UK plants,

putting 6,000 jobs here at risk.

Have we got an industry?

The industry is absolutely vital.

Face-to-face at last.

Nearly three days after the bombshell announcement that

Tata's Welsh plants are for sale, Sajid Javid met the workers directly

affected.

The concern was there for all to see.

The Business Secretary had earlier met senior managers and union

leaders to find out more about the sale and to try

to give reassurance.

Secretary of State, as you know, this is the biggest steel plant

in Britain facing its biggest ever crisis, why has it taken you so long

to come here?

I was here last month and I am really pleased to be back again.

Since the announcement - the crisis has hit this industry?

Although the announcement has only come in the last couple of days,

we have been working with Tata for a number of weeks on this issue,

their concerns about Port Talbot, a lot of that would be commercially

sensitive.

It is up to Tata to announce the news that we can manage it

in a way that we have the best possible chance to secure

the long-term future of Port Talbot.

That is something everyone agrees on.

On the timing, how long have we got to find a buyer before Tata starts

closing steel plants in Wales?

I believe that Tata is a responsible company, they have shown that

elsewhere within their group where they have had situations

in the past where they have wanted to move out and wanted to bring

in new potential investors, and there is no reason to believe

they will act any differently.

Weeks or months?

The actual timing, given the size of the plant, the importance of it,

I don't think anyone would say it's a matter of a few weeks.

The important thing is that you have a responsible seller,

you have the UK Government working very closely with the Welsh

Government and willing to work with any potential new buyer

to make sure we can secure the long-term future.

And so at a time when the UK Government has come under intense

pressure for its handling of the crisis in the steel industry,

Sajid Javid came here to the lion's den to try to send out the message

that the UK Government is determined to keep steel-making here in Port

Talbot.

Any reassurance?

The reassurance is that this country, from my understanding,

what he said to me, we need a steel industry in this country.

So by saying that to me, he is not going to

throw us to the door.

What did you take from it?

It depends how much we trust them now really.

Do we really trust them?

That has come out in the open a bit more.

Few new details emerged from the talks but they were broadly

welcomed by union leaders.

What is the UK Government going to put on the table

if there is a buyer?

The detail of that was not discussed.

I was just happy to look the man in the eye and him say,

"We are committed to making sure there is a UK steel

"industry going forward."

To hear those words after the last couple of weeks is important.

Do you believe him?

I believe everybody.

I give everybody a chance.

The hard work now begins of trying to find a buyer of steel

plants in an industry that is currently

haemorrhaging money.

A project that helps prevent young people running away from home has

been praised by the Children's Commissioner for Wales.

Sally Holland says police forces and councils in other areas

could learn from the Gwent Missing Children project,

to try to prevent another major sexual abuse scandal,

after an independent report praised its work.

Police in Caerphilly are investigating reports

of historical sex offences and concealment of a birth.

Officers have been searching a house at Pen-Y-Bryn near Gelligaer.

A local man is assisting Gwent Police force with its inquiries.

A family who turned their B in Llandyrnog in Denbighshire

into a cannabis factory have been ordered to pay back

more than ?55,000.

Chemistry teacher Susan McKay, her husband Owen, and their son

were given suspended jail terms.

It's estimated up to 250,000 people here in Wales could benefit

from a new national living wage of ?7.20 an hour.

But there have been mixed reviews to the changes so far,

as Abigail Neal reports.

By the seaside in Saundersfoot.

One in three Pembrokeshire workers are on a low wage.

So how welcome is this news of a pay rise?

Meet Mandy, she owns a hair salon, and will now pay two of her staff

a higher salary - ?7.20 an hour rather than ?6.70.

I will have to increase the prices, which I don't like doing

because I like to offer affordable service here.

By putting the prices up as well, it doesn't benefit the business,

it just means I pay more tax.

How are you going to spend the extra money?

One of those to gain is Mandy's sister.

Nikki's earnings will go up by ?12 pounds a week,

but she's worried that gain will just be cancelled out.

Obviously, there's a limit to what I'm able to earn as well

before it's taken off, not just myself, but other people.

Wages made up from benefits, for example.

They will lose the money from the benefits, that they would

gain in wages.

Then there's Harley.

Just turned 19, she's on ?5.30 an hour, and won't benefit

because she's too young.

I think it should be extended because, like I said,

people my age could be living on their own.

They could benefit from that extra.

Across retail, caring and catering, low pay covers many sectors,

and the think tank Resolution Foundation estimates around 250,000

people across Wales will be affected by this change.

Although this is being called the national living wage,

opinions do vary about what the cost of living actually is.

The Living Wage Foundation says it should be higher than that.

It should be more like ?8.25 an hour.

And they are calling on employers to pay more than just

the bare legal minimum.

Some already do.

Burns in Kidwelly sells pet food and runs a farm shop.

The starting salary here is ?8.25 an hour for everyone.

My late father-in-law was basically a farmer, he said money

is made to go around.

If people don't have money to spend the economy can't thrive.

It's a complicated picture.

Higher wages sound good, but they don't always mean

everyone is a winner.

Sport, and Boxing is as safe as it can be, according

to Welshman Lee Selby.

He was speaking as Nick Blackwell remains in an induced coma

after a fight last week.

Selby is preparing to defend his world title next week.

Boxing safety is as high as it can be,

especially with the British Boxing Board of Control.

I think they do one of the best jobs in world boxing.

I don't think nothing should be changed.

Rugby, and in the Pro 12tonight, the Dragons faced the Ospreys

at Rodney Parade.

Despite two tries from Hallam Amos, the Ospreys kept their hopes

of a top six finish alive.

Sam Underhill with their fourth try, securing them a bonus point victory.

Final score 20-26.

A look at the weather now with Sue Charles.

There will be some rain at first tomorrow in the north and west

and often overcast, but that rain starts to move back northwards

to leave a drier afternoon with sunny spells.

A brighter end to the day across Wales and feeling milder.

Southerly winds easing but introducing warmer air.

10 Celsius in Gwyneddd.

-13 in Monmouthsire.

We keep that warmer southerly airflow overnight but with low

pressure surrounding the UK, showers are never too far away.

So we could see a few showers spilling northwards Saturday night

into Sunday morning.

Again, another mild night for early April.

Then on Sunday, still some sunny spells, but probably a cloudier day

for most and a chance of a few scattered showers.

Quite windy.

But still those warmer southerly winds.

Highs of 11 to 14 Celsius so a lot of dry weather this weekend.

Some sunshine but a few showers as well.

And after a colder than average March, warmer weather at least

for the start of April.

We'll be back with our next update tomorrow evening.

But that's Wales Today.

From all of us on the programme, good night.