05/04/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top stories:

the First Minister meets the Prime Minister to find a future

for Port Talbot and the other Welsh steel plants.

Tonight, I'm at the Liberty Steel plant in Newport.

Could the entrepreneur who owns this place offer hope

Anglesey's new nuclear power station could be Wales' biggest

But the warning tonight that it has almost zero chance of being built.

Kirsty Williams is fighting for her political life.

Can she save the Liberal Democrats from being wiped out

And England's Joe Marler faces a World Rugby disciplinary hearing

for his comments to Wales' Samson Lee during

There are several options on the table

That was the message from the First Minister,

Carwyn Jones, following a meeting with the Prime Minister

It was described as "productive" by both governments and covered

issues such as energy costs and steel tariffs.

Meanwhile, Tata Steel has said it doesn't have a timescale

for selling its plants, but that discussions

Here's our business correspondent, Brian Meechan.

This morning's meeting was said to be constructive. It seems clear by

now that any deal to stave -- save International Olympic Committee's

Welsh Guards will involve both governments. But the heaviest

financial burden will have to be met by the UK. -- Welsh plants.

Ministers will not say how much they are prepared to put forward but

insists the options are open on pensions, energy costs and tariffs

on cheap steel imports. The Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, spoke to

frustrated steelworkers on a visit to Port Talbot last week after

criticism of his handling of the crisis. He is on his way to Mumbai

to meet with Tata bosses in the morning. What I want to achieve

mostly out of that is to have a final agreement on the sales

process, and it comes back to the role of the UK Government and I want

to make sure that when the documentation for that is issued, it

is clear that the UK Government understand the role of every

potential buyer and we are well coordinated with Tata. It is clear

that Tata has been focusing on other parts of its European business.

Diggers show that in February this year, Tata produced 598,000 tonnes

of steel at Port Talbot. That was a 37.9% drop on the previous year. At

the same time, the melly-mac increased production at its site in

the Netherlands to 602,000 tonnes of steel. That was up 9.4% on the

previous year. Speaking to the enterprise and Business Committee at

the SMB Mac, Tata says it is looking to find a buyer quickly. The

uncertainty that the process leads to amongst employees, customers,

suppliers etc, means we are very interested in completing the process

as quickly as we can. One potential buyer that has emerged is Newport's

Liberty Stadium. It has bought International Olympic Committee's

Scottish operations and took some part of another plant after when --

it went to administration. But the Welsh operations are on a much

bigger scale. One of the key aspects is the energy question. We need a

solution to that. If we melt steel, it has to be melted on legislative

energy. But what realistically can be done about that? Expert on

European rules that restrict what governments can do to help

businesses says subsidising energy costs would be difficult. The

Government could not subsidise those costs, that would be seen as

operating in an illegal way. Business rates is a difficult one.

Again, that would have to be agreed with the Commission. It is

potentially very small money. One specialist says the steel industry

needs continuous innovation to improve productivity. That should

lead to smaller plants that are cheaper to run, similar to Liberty

Steel's mini meal. What we could see happening now is a move to

specialist smaller plants. -- mini mill. It could be it into four,

five, six smaller That could sit alongside one

another, you get economies of scale around the skilled workforce but the

funds themselves are specialist producers. It would see Port Talbot

change from making skills -- steal from scratch to recycling it from

scratch. It is not clear whether any other buyers will come forward who

want to keep the plant as it is. Brian is at Liberty Steel

in Newport tonight. Brian, the owner of that plant

is the centre of attention, but tomorrow, the focus

is back on Tata in Mumbai? That is absolutely right. Sanjiv

Gupta, who owns the site, met with the UK Government today, said it was

very positive, he said the Welsh Government has been very engaged,

but it is now up to Tata to outline the sales process and also to invite

buyers to come in and put their opposition. Mr Gupta said he will

look at that when that next step happens but he has also said that

everyone is very motivated to find a solution, and we are seeing the UK

Government's Business Secretary going over to Mumbai to meet Tata,

to talk about the role of the UK Government in this sales process and

to find out how Tata wants to progress. That will perhaps be

satisfied, more satisfying to those people who are very critical of the

UK Government, many very critical of the Welsh Government for not being

more involved earlier, before the decision was taken to put it up for

sale. Brian, thank you. Plans for a new power plant

on Anglesey have a "slim to zero" That's according to an expert

on the world's nuclear industry, who argues that the difficulties

faced by the proposed Hinkley Point C reactors in Somerset

would affect Wylfa Newydd's ability Our environment correspondent,

Steffan Messenger, reports. If it gets off the ground,

Wylfa Newydd will become one of the biggest infrastructure projects

ever undertaken in Wales. A new ?10 billion nuclear

power plant, capable of delivering electricity

to around 14 million homes But to what extent does the future

transformation does this site, at Cemaes Bay in Anglesey,

depend on the fate of another, rival plant, some 200 miles

away in Somerset? Hinkley Point C is causing a huge

headache for its developer, EDF, with similar projects in

Finland and France behind schedule A final decision on whether to

commit to the English plants The Hinkley Point C project

is in great difficulty... The situation raises serious doubts

for the future of the other nuclear reactors

the UK has in the pipeline, according to this former

adviser for the French The Hinkley Point C project is

far ahead, and the uncertainties are even much larger

in the case of Wylfa. So, what are the chances,

would you say, But the company behind

Wylfa Newydd says On-site, building work

is already under way on new office space for

Horizon Nuclear Power. I think it is important

to note that while Hinkley appears to

be going through some difficulties at the moment, for us,

we have technology, the advanced boiling water reactor,

which is very different to the European

pressurised reactor that ours has been built before

four times, has been But there is a long way to go before

construction can start in earnest, from licensing the design

of the reactors, getting planning permission and most importantly,

attracting enough investment Key to that will be

hammering out with the UK Government how much money

the company are guaranteed to get Nuclear projects are very complex,

they are very costly, and nuclear power stations take

a long time to build. But I do believe that energy policy

in the UK favours nuclear. We are here as a

council to work with Horizon, to help them de-risk the project,

and we are also here to work with and influence

the Welsh Government so it is very important

that the project goes ahead. Horizon insists the difficulties

faced by its rival, EDF, will not cast a shadow over

Wylfa Newydd's prospects. But as the French firm

finalises its plans for Hinkley Point C, any repercussions

for the industry further afield One of the most high profile

Tories, Boris Johnson, says the Conservatives

are "on the rise" in Wales. The Mayor of London has spent

the day campaigning in Wales Ahead of the election, Plaid Cymru

has published its manifesto, containing what it calls a plan

for a new Wales. Plaid says its policies for public

services would redirect ?1 billion of the Welsh Government's

?15 billion budget. Here's our political correspondent,

Daniel Davies. Raise your sights,

show some vision - that's what Plaid Cymru say

they are doing. They say it's the most ambitious,

most exciting plan for government it's certainly one of the longest

manifestos we've seen! the party would recruit an extra

1000 doctors and 5000 nurses. Plaid says it would provide free

social care for the elderly. It is promising a national childcare

service, with free nursery places The manifesto pledges

to help students, by paying off up to ?18,000 of debt,

if they return to Wales to work. And it would invest

in public transport throughout Wales, but opposes

spending ?1 billion on Our vision for

building up this country. There is a lot in your manifesto

about building a nation. Is that a realistic prospect

in a five-year Assembly term? What we can do within

a five-year term is put But what you will see

in her manifesto is In the distance, you can just about

see the Assembly from here. Plaid hope they will be back

there after the election on May the 5th with enough seats

to form the next Welsh Government. To do that, they will have

to overtake the Conservatives and Labour, and they hope

voters will see something in this document

they have published today that will give them the support

that they need. Daniel Davies,

BBC Wales Today, Cardiff. And Daniel is here now to look in

more detail on one of those policies.

Jamie, let's take a look at that pledge to recruit

Plaid says it would need ten years,

500 of them would be in place by the year 2021,

The NHS is the big spending priority for the

current Welsh Government, and it would be for Plaid, who promise

to protect the health and social care budgets.

But to a large extent, the Welsh budget

So, protecting one department means reading another.

Academics who assess Plaid's plans on behalf of the party say other

spending would be severely restrained to meet these plans.

Plaid thinks there are opportunities to save money within

the health budget - ?300 million a year after five years.

If the recent history of the NHS is anything to go by,

Health boards have needed to be bailed out

Plaid is now proposing to ask NHS managers

Overall, the academics think Plaid's figures

Bear in mind, these are academics commissioned

Nevertheless, they point out that raising the kind of money

Plaid talks about from efficiency savings

Much more to come before seven o'clock.

England's Joe Marler has faced a World Rugby disciplinary hearing

for his comments to Wales' Samson Lee

And a change in the weather from tomorrow, turning cooler and more

unsettled during -- join me later for a full forecast.

The challenges of a major tidal energy project off the North Wales

coast have been discussed at an international conference.

The scheme, which would involve creating a walled lagoon

between Llandudno and Prestatyn, is currently being investigated.

Harnessing the power of the tide is not a new idea.

Plans for a ?1 billion lagoon in Swansea Bay are being considered,

although the UK Government is reviewing such schemes

to establish if they offer good value for money.

Its findings will be published later this year.

But it's the scientific side of tidal lagoons

that is being discussed at this conference,

This is a major infrastructure project, and it is a 200 year period

project, so we have to mature the science is world-class. One of the

key things is that we want to have this leading science, really

influencing how we will go forward. It is claimed the scheme would offer

flood protection to places along the coast and generate jobs,

as well as sustainable electricity. But the international scientists

here want to know how the sea bed will be affected

by offshore development. Offshore, where we are increasingly

building, building infrastructure because restrictions on energy,

tides, it is always using the sea bed, so we need to know what the

impact is on the sea bed in the long-term and in the short term. Not

just around the structure but in the forefront.

Around ?35 million of EU and private sector money is currently invested

in new tidal and wave energy projects in Wales.

The North Wales scheme could ultimately cost

billions of pounds and before it gets the go-ahead,

the benefits will need to be weighed against the price tag.

The Assembly election for Kirsty Williams will be

a far cry from the early years of her leadership of

the Welsh Liberal Democrats, when she talked about winning

31 seats and forming a government in Cardiff Bay.

The party now has five AMs and is facing its toughest test

since the start of devolution, after suffering major losses

Our political editor, Nick Servini, caught up with Kirsty Williams

at a hotel in Abergavenny in the latest of our interviews

Kirsty Williams, welcome. You and I did a similar interview around a

year ago, let's be honest, it has been a devastating year for the

Liberal Democrats, particularly after the General Election result. I

suppose the key question is, have you bottomed out yet in Wales? Well,

it is true, the General Election result was devastating for the

party. But since then, we are really seeing the party pick itself up,

dust itself down, a huge increase in members since the General Election

and similarly important electoral tests. For instance, we took a

council seat from Labour in a by-election in Wrexham, we took a

council seat from the Tories in Powys. A big difference between a

council by-election and something like the Cinema collection. I think

people will realise they need to listen to the Liberal Democrats

again and recognising hard-working campaigners in their communities.

And we will devastate we are a party that can deliver. Even with just

five members for the last five years, we have been able to change

the law to ensure we will have enough nurses on our hospital wards.

But we want to go further. Over the last five years, we have been able

to deliver additional money to our schools, targeted on her poorest

pupils, which the Government's to an inspector says is making a real

difference in closing the attainment gap between those poorer and richer

children. I have listened to a number of your speeches at

conferences, and you are very critical of the labour Government,

and yet, you prop them up time and time again. How do you square that?

If they are so bad, why do you keep supporting them? Well, as I said, we

live in a democracy. They have 30 seats, I do not like that, but that

is what the people of Wales have decided. Only 30? They do not have a

majority? And I do not have a majority either, and do -- I do not

have the votes to defeat the Government... But according to your

rhetoric, they are so bad, anyone who listens to your speeches come

and in your latest you basically accuse them of wrecking the

aspirations that people have. On any kind of logic, you would not touch

them with a barge pole! Let's be clear, after 17 years, if we are

truly honest about what devolution has achieved for people, if you

listen to people, they want the Welsh Government to work. They want

the National Assembly to work. But they need it to work better for

them. And I make no apology for getting up, week on week in that

chamber and holding First Minister to account in his failure, for

instance, to ensure that we have a Health Service that meets the needs

of people. What about after the election? Would you do a deal with

Labour again? Would you form a coalition, for example? I think what

people want to know is, what am I going to get from the Welsh Liberal

Democrat representative? And what they will get is an individual who

will, with whatever influence they have, whether that is in government,

but the government, will do certain things to build homes for people and

affordable homes... And a lot of people have come to the conclusion

that they will always prop up a Labour administration. We have not

propped up any Labour Laika you have done, for the past five years!

Budgets have got through because the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been

able to use their influence to make progress for the people of Wales.

You can stand on the sidelines, you can argue and shout and throw stones

at the window, like the official opposition has done, and it achieves

not a jot. But you have been there since 1999, how serious is the

situation for the Liberal Democrats? Presumably, this is the toughest

fight you have had. It is a very tough election for our party. And it

is very clear that if people want the Welsh Liberal Democrats to

continue to have that role in the National Assembly, we need to get

out -- they need to get out and vote for us. We are the only party that

is really listening to people, recognising that there is more to be

done... But is anyone listening to you? I believe so. People need to

know that they are putting together public services right in Wales,

making sure there is a GP for them, making sure there is a nurse on a

hospital ward. Kirsty Williams, thank you very much.

And tomorrow Nick will be speaking to the leader

We will be hearing plenty from politicians about what they say

they will deliver if they form the next Welsh Government.

Over the next few weeks, you've got the chance to

tell them, as part of our My Manifesto 2016 project.

Here is what people in Llanrwst and Conwy told us

they would do if they were in charge of Wales.

Put a lot more money into the National Health Service, that is the

main concern, that it is just going down. Cheaper childcare would be

really helpful for working families. I would like to see the old cottage

hospitals used. Reduce the salaries of us and the members by 20%. --

assembly members. To tell us what you would do

if you were First Minister, you can also get in touch

on e-mail - Facebook and Twitter -

you can find us at @BBCWalesToday and follow the hashtag

#MyManifesto2016. We will be passing on your

ideas to whoever is Rugby, and the England prop

Government from May the 6th. disciplinary hearing tonight

for comments he made to Wales' Samson Lee about

his traveller background during a game at

Twickenham last month. Tomos Dafydd has been

following the story. It has been going on for five hours,

it started at 2pm this afternoon and know I just yet. Joe Marler is

facing a three-man disciplinary panel. I am told an announcement is

expected within the next few hours, sometime this evening. Joe Marler

was Howard saying gypsy boy to Samson Lee. Samson Lee has been open

about his traveller heritage. Many are expecting a ban, instead Joe

Marler exit -- escaped punishment. This has left the Six Nations

disciplinary process under almost as much scrutiny as Joe Marler himself.

It has also raised questions over the way the sport deals with racist

remarks. Simeone unhappy with the way the complaint was handled, so

World Rugby stepped in and before today's hearing, Joe Marler

apologised and said he will not accept any punishment, but tonight,

almost a month after those commons, we are still no closer. -- said he

will accept. But I get the feeling Benaz

is about to say You're feeling is correct!

Temperatures today reached a high of 14 Celsius for most of us, but

turning unsettled tonight. Here is the satellite picture showing lovely

sunshine earlier today. But the cloud has been filling throughout

the afternoon. Just fair weather cloud, it has still been bright and

a lot of dry weather. Tonight, it is clear at first, but the cloud

thickens from the West. After midnight, we will see rain

approaching parts of Anglesey, Ceredigion and Gwyneth. Temperature

not dropping too much, six Celsius at its lowest. -- Ceredigion and win

it. Tomorrow, starting with some blustery showers, notice the squeeze

it has a bias. That rain clearing first thing, behind it some strong

winds coming from the West. Showers continuing to pack in. Could be

heavy at times and a mix of hail and thunder, but the wind will push them

on quickly and there is some sunshine in between. Top

temperatures from nine to 10 Celsius. Tomorrow night, more

showers to come. The potential for some snow on higher ground. Drier

interludes in between. Overnight, the temperatures getting down to

around three Celsius. Thursday, we have another front bringing more

rain. A much cooler fuel compared with today. First thing on Thursday,

a wet start, the rain pushing South and East words, turning showery in

the afternoon, still some brisk winds coming from a north-westerly

direction. Temperatures 9-10 cells. The unsettled theme will continue

into the weekend but the winds should ease little.

I'll have an update for you here at eight o'clock

That's Wales Today, thank you for watching.

From all of us on the programme, good evening.