:00:00. > :00:12.bishops find themselves between a rock and the hard place on this.
:00:13. > :00:18.There were hopes it would bring up to 6,000 jobs.
:00:19. > :00:22.But tonight a big question mark over the future of the Circuit of Wales.
:00:23. > :00:24.We'll be assessing what hope remains for the plans.
:00:25. > :00:29.the man looking to buy Tata's steel business here admits
:00:30. > :00:34.there's still a lot of work to be done
:00:35. > :00:41.An apology to same sex couples for prejudice
:00:42. > :00:43.from the Archbishop of Wales - as for now -
:00:44. > :00:51.Plaid Cymru's leader tells us - they'd reinvest NHS savings
:00:52. > :00:59.into front line services - if they win power in May's election.
:01:00. > :01:03.We're meeting the Lewis family as part of My Manifesto 2016 -
:01:04. > :01:08.who tell us they waited 20 hours for a special ambulance for Mared.
:01:09. > :01:13.That single ambulance has got to cover from Truro up to Gloucester
:01:14. > :01:21.from Swindon, all the way over to Aberystwyth.
:01:22. > :01:29.It's a project which has promised thousands of jobs
:01:30. > :01:33.But tonight, there are big question marks over the future of the Circuit
:01:34. > :01:37.It follows a decision by the Welsh Government
:01:38. > :01:40.that they cannot underwrite investment worth more
:01:41. > :01:44.than 350 million pounds by the Insurance firm Aviva.
:01:45. > :01:48.Independent advice has questioned the viability of the project,
:01:49. > :01:50.and what's described as an unacceptable
:01:51. > :01:56.With the latest - here's Iwan Griffiths.
:01:57. > :02:03.It was seen as an ambitious project with the potential to change the
:02:04. > :02:09.whole of the heads of the valleys area. The aim was to bring thousands
:02:10. > :02:17.of customers to Ebbw Vale drawn to South Wales to enjoy events like the
:02:18. > :02:21.Moto GP. 6000 jobs were promised. The people behind the project have
:02:22. > :02:29.always insisted that the money is there. You have got 300 million
:02:30. > :02:37.pledged? We have it pledged but we have two get it. Some of it includes
:02:38. > :02:41.money from the Welsh government. The sticking point is the Welsh
:02:42. > :02:47.government providing a guaranteed to the privately funded project.
:02:48. > :02:57.Assurance firm Aviva had been expected to back the project,
:02:58. > :03:00.financial advice has been taken but Edwina Hart reluctantly came to the
:03:01. > :03:05.conclusion not to proceed with the guarantee. You have to look at the
:03:06. > :03:09.risks we are being asked to entertain. At one time, when we
:03:10. > :03:16.started to talk about the project, we knew there would be private
:03:17. > :03:24.sector investment. It went from 35mm to 350 million as a guarantee. 100%
:03:25. > :03:29.guarantee. We have spoken about a lesser guarantee, 80% but Aviva who
:03:30. > :03:34.are the other partners weren't even prepared to guarantee 20%. The town
:03:35. > :03:42.has had many millions spent we it after the steelworks closed in 2002.
:03:43. > :03:46.Unemployment has remained high, the circuit of Wales project was seen as
:03:47. > :03:53.a way of bringing jobs and further investment to the area. Tonight, the
:03:54. > :03:57.vision of seeing these scenes in south Wales will depend on finding a
:03:58. > :03:59.private sector backer who is willing to take more of a risk.
:04:00. > :04:04.Our political correspondent Daniel Davies is here.
:04:05. > :04:11.We've just had a statement from the heads of the valleys development
:04:12. > :04:16.company who are behind the scheme. They say that they respect and
:04:17. > :04:21.understand Edwina Hart's decision. It was their preference that the
:04:22. > :04:25.government would provide 100% guarantee for this project. They
:04:26. > :04:30.have been talking for six months but it has not worked. They say they
:04:31. > :04:34.will continue negotiations with the Welsh government, local councils and
:04:35. > :04:40.private investors like Aviva to find a way forward that everyone is happy
:04:41. > :04:44.with. They are at least hopeful that the project isn't dead in the water
:04:45. > :04:56.and we'll keep working at it. In a sense, they have two. The government
:04:57. > :05:06.has already spent ?9 million in one way or another backing this race
:05:07. > :05:10.track. What reaction has there been? A lot of political anger. Not
:05:11. > :05:16.surprisingly. Today was the first day that the assembly was broken up
:05:17. > :05:21.officially for the election. The Tories are angry because there is no
:05:22. > :05:25.chance for the Minister to be grilled about this decision. Plaid
:05:26. > :05:30.Cymru as saying this is more bad news for the economy in the
:05:31. > :05:44.aftermath of coming to terms with the decision after the steel --
:05:45. > :05:52.Tartar steel. To close the steelworks at Port Talbot.
:05:53. > :06:05.Liberty steel says it has had positive talks about plans to take
:06:06. > :06:11.over Tata's operations. The steel industry, including Liberty, has
:06:12. > :06:16.been calling for the UK Government to take action to reduce energy
:06:17. > :06:20.costs for years. It has been a frustration that ministers haven't
:06:21. > :06:24.been able to go further. The question is whether this current
:06:25. > :06:28.crisis means that the UK Government has been pulled far closer to where
:06:29. > :06:35.the steel industry where it wants to be, reducing costs. Liberty wants to
:06:36. > :06:43.develop an energy park here, including a biomass facility and
:06:44. > :06:48.tidal lagoons. Making energy cheaper for is the key to reducing costs for
:06:49. > :06:53.the steel industry. These technologies will transform the way
:06:54. > :06:58.energy is made globally. They should be given every attention. Even more
:06:59. > :07:03.so that we want to propose to turn the UK steel industry into a
:07:04. > :07:06.recycling industry requiring a lot of energy. Even more reason why we
:07:07. > :07:13.need long-term sustainable solutions like this. There are sticking point
:07:14. > :07:24.to any deal. Not least, pension liabilities. The company scheme
:07:25. > :07:27.covers 135 found in the UK. It has a deficit of almost ?500 million.
:07:28. > :07:32.Although it is falling at the moment, it could increase to
:07:33. > :07:36.billions in future. It has been identified as a clear issue.
:07:37. > :07:41.Everybody is aware that it has to be addressed so I believe there will be
:07:42. > :07:49.resolution. European state aid rules may stop the UK Government helping
:07:50. > :07:52.directly. One solution is the government buying the sites from
:07:53. > :08:08.Tata and immediately selling them back. As was done in Scotland.
:08:09. > :08:16.Sanjiv Gupta says it is early days. He is not ruling out continuing to
:08:17. > :08:20.make steel from scratch at Port Talbot while introducing recycling.
:08:21. > :08:26.To build an arc furnace would take at least two years. The process
:08:27. > :08:33.would probably be that we go to one blast and see how we are operating
:08:34. > :08:38.and compared the economics. If it can't make heavy steel production
:08:39. > :08:44.work at Port Talbot, Liberty is still interested in other
:08:45. > :08:51.steelworks. Sajid Javid have -- has been meeting Tata bosses in Mumbai.
:08:52. > :08:55.A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving
:08:56. > :08:58.after a father and son died last December.
:08:59. > :09:00.Stuart Bates and his seven-year-old son Fraser
:09:01. > :09:02.were killed as they crossed this carriageway near Talbot Green
:09:03. > :09:05.22-year-old Joshua Staples from Tonyrefail has
:09:06. > :09:08.A new law has come into force which makes it
:09:09. > :09:15.From today all dogs over eight weeks old will need to be micro-chipped,
:09:16. > :09:18.with their owners' details registered on an approved database.
:09:19. > :09:25.The RSPCA hopes it will promote responsible dog ownership.
:09:26. > :09:28.Welsh Anglican Bishops have ruled out an attempt to change the law
:09:29. > :09:30.to allow same-sex couples to marry in church.
:09:31. > :09:33.The Archbishop of Wales has said there's concern the issue
:09:34. > :09:39.Welsh Bishops have though unreservedly apologised to gay
:09:40. > :09:41.and lesbian church goers for the way they've been treated.
:09:42. > :09:49.It's an issue on which church and state are out of step.
:09:50. > :09:51.Same-sex marriage divides Christians and the
:09:52. > :09:58.Today's governing body was meeting in Llandudno and an informal poll
:09:59. > :10:06.A small majority supported change but
:10:07. > :10:11.A bill to allow same-sex marriage in church would fail.
:10:12. > :10:13.It was a risk that the Church would be
:10:14. > :10:18.There is no point in doing something for it to fail,
:10:19. > :10:27.you need a body of people behind you and we need
:10:28. > :10:29.them to do it happily and graciously.
:10:30. > :10:30.And joyously, rather than half-heartedly.
:10:31. > :10:33.What the bishops have given is an unreserved
:10:34. > :10:36.apology to gay and lesbian Christians for the way they've been
:10:37. > :10:41.There are prayers for clergy to say with same-sex
:10:42. > :10:44.couples following a civil ceremony but not a full church blessing, a
:10:45. > :10:50.step dismissed as too small by some and too far by others.
:10:51. > :10:52.I think it has affected the first breach
:10:53. > :11:02.Quite sensibly, from their point of view, in that
:11:03. > :11:05.they can say they have not changed anything but, in fact,
:11:06. > :11:08.from my point of view, they have changed
:11:09. > :11:11.something, they have said implicitly that same-sex marriage is something
:11:12. > :11:13.which can be celebrated, albeit privately.
:11:14. > :11:20.Do you have same-sex couples coming to you saying,
:11:21. > :11:22.please, I wish I could be married in church?
:11:23. > :11:26.Yes, I do and that is very frustrating because we build up a
:11:27. > :11:29.relationship with the people in our congregations and the wider
:11:30. > :11:33.community and it would be lovely to be able to offer a bit more than
:11:34. > :11:37.what we've got at the moment for those couples.
:11:38. > :11:39.Welsh Anglican bishops find themselves between a
:11:40. > :11:51.They know that as it stands they simply can't deliver change, even if
:11:52. > :11:58.they wanted to. They also know it is an issue that won't go away. There
:11:59. > :12:04.is a wider context, relations with the traditionally more conservative
:12:05. > :12:05.Anglican churches around the world, there is absolute resistance to
:12:06. > :12:08.change. There's a question mark tonight over
:12:09. > :12:13.the future of a project to build a race track in Ebbw Vale,
:12:14. > :12:16.which promised thousand of jobs. And coming up
:12:17. > :12:18.I'll have a full weather forecast. Just when you thought spring
:12:19. > :12:21.had arrived it feels more like The leader of Plaid Cymru Leanne
:12:22. > :12:35.Wood says she'd be prepared to accept efficiency savings
:12:36. > :12:38.of ten per cent in the NHS She says the money
:12:39. > :12:43.would be redirected into Plaid, who are the third largest
:12:44. > :12:47.party at the assembly, are looking to make gains
:12:48. > :12:49.after a number of disappointing In the latest of our interviews
:12:50. > :12:53.with the party leaders, our political editor
:12:54. > :12:54.Nick Servini caught up Of all the party leaders I'm
:12:55. > :13:06.interviewing this week, you're the only one who's just
:13:07. > :13:07.released their manifesto. The reason I ask is because
:13:08. > :13:17.what is striking is there are some pretty aggressive savings
:13:18. > :13:20.in the public sector, the cost of It's a document I'm very proud
:13:21. > :13:24.of because it's more That means that Plaid Cymru
:13:25. > :13:32.is serious about offering ourselves as an alternative
:13:33. > :13:35.government to the existing Labour One example is, in the
:13:36. > :13:42.event of a Plaid Cymru government in Cardiff,
:13:43. > :13:45.a business expert would be called in and within 100 days,
:13:46. > :13:49.come together with a series of proposals for
:13:50. > :13:52.?200 million worth of savings. You would commit to
:13:53. > :13:55.introducing half of those. I can't accept that
:13:56. > :14:03.the way that government is run at the moment is being run
:14:04. > :14:11.at its most efficient. Too many managers in the health
:14:12. > :14:13.service, the way surgical lists are
:14:14. > :14:15.organised, for example. If you look at the operation
:14:16. > :14:20.like a business and what you would find is any new company
:14:21. > :14:23.taking over with a new management, they would immediately
:14:24. > :14:26.identify new practices, new ways of operating to make
:14:27. > :14:28.the operation more This doesn't sound
:14:29. > :14:33.like the Leanne Wood... We are not saying we would
:14:34. > :14:39.fully implement all the recommendations that those
:14:40. > :14:41.business leaders would identify. Political decisions
:14:42. > :14:48.would take place and we would ensure within that that
:14:49. > :14:50.when savings are made that they weren't going to impact
:14:51. > :14:53.on the people who are worst off in our society but
:14:54. > :14:56.they will tighten up the operation, they will make efficiency savings
:14:57. > :14:58.and things more lean. What we want to do
:14:59. > :15:07.is create jobs and make sure that we safeguard jobs
:15:08. > :15:18.that are already in Wales. It doesn't sound like it when
:15:19. > :15:21.there are hundreds of millions Look, those policies
:15:22. > :15:24.are going to cost. They are not going to
:15:25. > :15:26.apologise for that. Are you arguing that what we have
:15:27. > :15:28.at the moment is working so well that we
:15:29. > :15:31.don't need to change anything? If you look at the NHS,
:15:32. > :15:34.look at ?300 million identification of saving by the end
:15:35. > :15:37.of the next assembly term, about 4%. There are already 3%
:15:38. > :15:42.efficiency savings Look, one of the things we want
:15:43. > :15:55.to do, one of our key policies is bringing together the health
:15:56. > :15:57.and social care functions. If we do that, we can avoid people
:15:58. > :15:59.staying in There's 3% now, there
:16:00. > :16:04.is 4% identified in the manifesto, so does that mean
:16:05. > :16:07.it's 7% for the NHS? We will see what these
:16:08. > :16:12.business leaders say when they identify it
:16:13. > :16:15.and we will take decisions What we've said,
:16:16. > :16:23.there are savings in the NHS that aren't identified so it
:16:24. > :16:26.will be ploughed back into the NHS. So don't portray this
:16:27. > :16:29.as a cut to the NHS, I want to establish,
:16:30. > :16:35.last question on this, is it 7% efficiency saving or a 4%
:16:36. > :16:42.efficiency saving? Nick, I want to save as much
:16:43. > :16:45.on inefficiencies as we If business people in that
:16:46. > :16:48.commission identify 10% efficiencies to plough back
:16:49. > :16:52.into front line services for staff, But let's see what they come up
:16:53. > :17:02.with first, shall we? We had an interview just a year ago
:17:03. > :17:05.ahead of the general election and then you were saying
:17:06. > :17:08.you were all guns blazing. Not only for the general
:17:09. > :17:10.election but for the I think there's always been
:17:11. > :17:13.an understanding that the assembly election is
:17:14. > :17:15.the big one for Plaid Cymru. Presumably, we judge you on this
:17:16. > :17:17.performance, this result? Nick, I've been all guns blazing
:17:18. > :17:20.since I was elected leader I've gone around the country
:17:21. > :17:25.doing public meeting after public meeting,
:17:26. > :17:26.touring marketplaces... As I said, 700,000 people have
:17:27. > :17:31.been spoken to in the production of our
:17:32. > :17:42.manifesto, so we've production of our manifesto,
:17:43. > :17:47.so we've engaged the biggest engagement exercise that we've ever
:17:48. > :17:49.known as a party. But there's been no increase
:17:50. > :17:52.in people voting for you, Net weight for the election
:17:53. > :17:55.result, shall we? Not a single person has
:17:56. > :17:59.cast their vote yet. We've got four weeks
:18:00. > :18:01.to go of the campaign. We've had 17 years of
:18:02. > :18:02.the Labour government and
:18:03. > :18:04.all outcomes in terms of health, education,
:18:05. > :18:05.and the economy are poor
:18:06. > :18:07.to say the least. We need a new government
:18:08. > :18:09.now and Plaid Cymru is the
:18:10. > :18:11.change Wales need is. Leanne Wood, thank you very much
:18:12. > :18:12.indeed. Leanne Wood there talking
:18:13. > :18:15.to Nick Servini - you can watch that interview again on our website
:18:16. > :18:18.- with a few added extras. Tomorrow night, we'll be hearing
:18:19. > :18:20.from Labour's leader Concerns have been raised
:18:21. > :18:23.about the special transport service, which takes seriously ill children
:18:24. > :18:25.from one hospital to another. Darren Lewis from Pontypridd
:18:26. > :18:28.says his four-year-old daughter has had to wait up to 20
:18:29. > :18:30.hours to be picked up, since special ambulances were moved
:18:31. > :18:32.from their Cardiff base He told me his story as part
:18:33. > :18:39.of My Manifesto 2016 - our project to find out
:18:40. > :18:42.what you want from the government after next month's
:18:43. > :18:43.Assembly Election. On the streets of Pontypridd last
:18:44. > :18:53.week Darren Lewis told us this. If I was First Minister,
:18:54. > :18:55.I would ensure that all My daughter is disabled,
:18:56. > :19:01.she's got a syndrome, Since her birth we've
:19:02. > :19:08.become full-time carers. Sometimes, when she has seizures,
:19:09. > :19:10.she needs to be transferred from one
:19:11. > :19:13.hospital to another. Those ambulances used to
:19:14. > :19:19.come from Cardiff Now they come from
:19:20. > :19:26.a private provider in Bristol. Darren says, in his experience,
:19:27. > :19:29.it's meant waiting up to 20 hours That ambulance has got to cover
:19:30. > :19:33.from Swindon all the way over They've got a three hour
:19:34. > :19:41.target and a four-hour The part of the Welsh NHS
:19:42. > :19:46.which commissions the service says it is a collaboration
:19:47. > :19:47.between hospitals in They wouldn't comment on individual
:19:48. > :19:51.cases but pointed out it provides two ambulances staffed 24 hours
:19:52. > :19:57.a day for South and mid Wales. We would like her to have the same
:19:58. > :19:59.opportunities as everybody else But also as carers we need support
:20:00. > :20:04.and I'd like to see the First Minister put in place support
:20:05. > :20:08.for carers, as well as the people She is full of laughter
:20:09. > :20:15.and giggles all the time but, sometimes, we haven't been out
:20:16. > :20:22.as a couple for four years. It would be nice to do
:20:23. > :20:25.things that a normal couple would do,
:20:26. > :20:29.normal families would do. Darren says his experience
:20:30. > :20:32.is something he wants more politicians to pay attention
:20:33. > :20:35.to in the lead up to the election. No one chooses to find
:20:36. > :20:38.themselves in a carer's role, In future, when she becomes
:20:39. > :20:45.an adult, how difficult is it going to be to access
:20:46. > :20:47.the services that come There were concerns about making
:20:48. > :21:03.changes to this service last year? There was. People who work within
:21:04. > :21:07.the Welsh Ambulance Service told BBC Wales that they were concerned that
:21:08. > :21:10.changing this service and ambulances coming from Bristol instead of
:21:11. > :21:16.Cardiff, before the changes were made last year. We went to the board
:21:17. > :21:20.within the Welsh NHS that commissioned these services and put
:21:21. > :21:25.concerns to them but they said it would result in a more robust
:21:26. > :21:29.service for patients. Then we went to the community health councils who
:21:30. > :21:33.speak up for patients on matters like this and they said that they
:21:34. > :21:36.hadn't been consulted before the change were made which was
:21:37. > :21:40.surprising. They said they would track the performance of this new
:21:41. > :21:45.system. Ambulances coming from Bristol rather than Cardiff. They've
:21:46. > :21:49.not had that information through from the service yet so, in essence,
:21:50. > :21:55.we don't know whether it is better or worse than the system it
:21:56. > :21:58.replaced. One bad experience we had there but nothing conclusive to tell
:21:59. > :22:01.is whether it is better or worse than the system it replaced.
:22:02. > :22:06.Well - if YOU want to be part of My Manifesto 2016 -
:22:07. > :22:22.tell us what you'd do if you were First Minister.
:22:23. > :22:25.We'll be passing on YOUR ideas to whoever's in charge of the Welsh
:22:26. > :22:30.Newport Gwent Dragons Chief Executive Stuart Davies
:22:31. > :22:33.says the announcement of sale plans is "the start of the process"
:22:34. > :22:44.The region is seeking new investment to take over
:22:45. > :22:46.shares currently held 50-50 by the WRU and Newport Rugby Club.
:22:47. > :22:49.They don't have any parties lined up, but Davies has described it
:22:50. > :22:56.Four grey seals have been returned to the wild after
:22:57. > :22:59.being nursed back to health at the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay.
:23:00. > :23:02.The two males and two females were recovered from the North Wales
:23:03. > :23:06.coast over the past five months with various health problems.
:23:07. > :23:08.Although some were reluctant to leave dry land at
:23:09. > :23:21.Maybe it was a bit chilly for a dip. How is the forecast looking? Chilly.
:23:22. > :23:33.Tonight will continue windy with further showers.
:23:34. > :23:50.Temperatures staying above freezing with gale force
:23:51. > :23:55.Here's the picture for 8.00 in the morning.
:23:56. > :23:59.Strong to gale force winds in the northwest.
:24:00. > :24:02.Snow on some hills and mountains. Southern counties a bit better.
:24:03. > :24:04.Drier and brighter at least for a while.
:24:05. > :24:06.During the morning the rain will spread south.
:24:07. > :24:12.Still a few showers in the afternoon but some drier, brighter
:24:13. > :24:15.Top temperatures only 8 to 11 Celsius.
:24:16. > :24:17.Feeling chilly in the wind which will slowly ease
:24:18. > :24:27.Drier in the afternoon and feeling cold and breezy.
:24:28. > :24:30.some rain and showers mainly in the morning.
:24:31. > :24:37.Tomorrow night still a few showers but generally drier.
:24:38. > :24:39.And a chilly night with temperatures
:24:40. > :24:46.The chart for Friday shows a small ridge of high pressure over the UK
:24:47. > :24:51.but this frontal system over Ireland is heading our way.
:24:52. > :24:55.Some sunshine and light winds but it won't last.
:24:56. > :24:57.Rain will spread from the west during the afternoon and evening.
:24:58. > :25:03.There are big question marks over the future of the
:25:04. > :25:06.Circuit of Wales race-track planned for Ebbw Vale.
:25:07. > :25:11.It follows a decision by the Welsh Government
:25:12. > :25:13.that they cannot underwrite investment by the insurance firm
:25:14. > :25:16.Aviva worth more than 350 million pounds.
:25:17. > :25:19.We'll have a quick update at eight, more after the BBC News at Ten,
:25:20. > :25:23.but that is Wales Today, from all of us on the programme,