11/10/2016 BBC Wales Today

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Welcome to Wales Today - our top stories: Intended

to help our poorest families - Communities First,

the Welsh Government's flagship policy, is set to be closed down

of public money - our poorest communities

Sgt Louise Lucas "did not turn and look at what was coming"

before being hit by a bus on Swansea's Kingsway,

The EU needs to learn to communicate with the people receiving EU money -

Two brothers shot a drug-dealing taxman

in Rhondda Cynon Taff, a court has heard.

He sowed the seeds of Mrs Thatcher's downfall.

The story of the Welshman caught between two strong women.

It funds hundreds of projects in the most deprived areas of Wales

- from parent-and-baby groups to credit unions -

but tonight, the Welsh Government says it's scrapping

It's spent ?300 million on the flagship anti-poverty policy

There's been a mixed response,

with some saying it'll be a big loss,

while others claim it's failed to deliver.

Here's our political editor Nick Servini.

Across the generations across communities in Wales, economic

deprivation has blighted many. Communities First was one of the

first high profile attempts by the Welsh Government to deal with that

since the start of devolution, with more than ?300 million spent on a

range of community schemes over the past 15 years. It now looks set to

have run its course. There won't be any direct replacement. Instead the

Welsh Government thinks a range of policies like more free childcare

for working parents and more apprentices, no matter how old you

are, we'll do a better job.

The communities in children secretary, Carl Sargeant, told

members change won't be easy. A lot of this stuff is generational. We're

probably not seen the effects of our early intervention is growing for

ten years or so but we must start now and make that change and be

brave now because we don't then it is about a short-term political when

caught changing our communities for the better, for the future, and that

is what this new programme, I believe, will do.

I agree with the plans personally. I know a lot of good people that work

for Communities First but it is so much money and it is changing to be

so target orientated and the things it is targeted towards is a waste of

money and something council services can provide better.

Opposition parties have been critical of Communities First over

the years and today was no exception. The Conservatives said it

wasn't fit for purpose and Plaid Cymru said there should be renewed

purpose. Over a 100 million has been spent

since the 2011 audit office report said it wasn't working and wasn't

effective at tackling the main aim, which was economic deprivation in

those areas. That is borne out by the fact that communities are still

the most deprived that were previously identified as such.

It would appear that this is the first casualty of cuts.

Let's talk to our economics correspondent Sarah Dickins.

This policy was designed to eradicate poverty

when it was established fifteen years ago -

?300 million gone on since 1989 and we still have the same level of

poverty we had then. Broadly, one in four households are in poverty. For

communities that have had money from Communities First to build things

like hubs or toddlers groups, they have felt that money coming in, but

looking across Wales it has not had the game changing effect that they

hoped it would have. What next? What about those people

who were being served by this scheme?

You can imagine a lot of work has been done all this time. Figures are

showing every year what we're trying to do about poverty and many people

working in the area say it is not realistic to look at 50 geographical

areas. Communities First was based on literally areas on a map and what

many people who really have long experience working in the field,

people like Oxfam and other groups, they say that poverty does not work

like that. There are deprived communities with people who aren't

deprived and there are people really struggling alongside people who are

struggling less. They would say or bespoke approach looking at

individual needs is what makes a difference. I think it is

interesting that Carl Sargeant is saying that what he is going to do

now is put extra money into early years, trying to give children who

perhaps their parents don't spend as much time talking to them and

reading to them, trying to get them more money for apprenticeships and

developing schools. What he is seen is the worth poverty is not things

like a skatepark but making sure people can get jobs and as good jobs

as possible. A collision between a bus

and a 41-year-old woman on Swansea's Kingsway -

was unavoidable - Sergeant Louise Lucas died

after stepping into the path of a bus which

hit her from behind Since her death, Swansea Council has

taken steps to change the layout Sgt Louise Lucas's family left today

having heard evidence from a number of key witnesses, including the bus

driver involved in the collision. Sgt Louise Lucas was taken to

hospital, fatally injured, having lost a lot of blood. Today they

heard that she had sided to go shopping in the city centre. Get

parked at this car park and made their way on food to the shops.

Having crossed the furthest carriageway were both lanes travel

in the same direction, Sgt Louise Lucas and her friend were walking to

the next designated crossing point. Then Qwest was shown CCTV footage of

Sgt Louise Lucas stepping into the first line of the metro line which

at the time travelled in the opposite direction to the first

carriageway. Seconds later she was hit from behind by a bus. The

inquest was told Louise did not turn round to look at what was coming

towards her. They were told it happened very quickly. In the

moments leading up to the incident, the inquest was told by the driver

that the blonde female stepped out into the road and she did not look

back. He said how he braked and swerve to avoid her but was also

aware of a bus travelling towards him in the opposite lane. He

described the layout at the time as awkward. I knew when we system has

been introduced since the death. Christopher Street said that given

Mrs Lucas stepped out without looking then this accident was

unavoidable. The inquest is expected to last another three days.

The rape trial of the former Wales footballer Ched Evans

has been told that his alleged victim had no memory

of going home with another man on a different occasion.

Mr Evans is accused of raping the woman at a Denbighshire hotel

while she was too drunk to consent to sex.

The striker denies raping the 19-year-old.

A Welsh government-owned investment company has defended a decision

to compete for business as part of England's Northern powerhouse.

FW Capital, a subsidiary of Finance Wales, wants to manage

part of a 400 million pounds fund for firms

Plaid Cymru said it could boost Welsh companies' rivals.

But FW Capital said any profit it makes in England

would help cover Finance Wales's overheads back home.

Plans to develop a new facility in Cardiff to turn business

and industrial waste into energy have been announced.

Global engineering firm Lockheed Martin and UK-based energy

company CoGen Limited say they will join forces

The intention, they say, is to convert waste into up to 15MW

of energy, enough to power approximately 15000

After Brexit the EU must learn the lessons on how it tells people

about money being spent to help poorer areas like West Wales

and the Valleys - that's according to the EU

Corina Cretu been speaking to our business correspondent

The message very clear from her. She regrets but accepts the decision as

being made by the people of Wales. The whole issue of is in the news in

a daily basis in the UK but it is not being talked about in Brussels

quite so much. For them, they see Brexit as a distraction from other

issues. It is business as usual in Brussels.

This meeting brings people from across the region to look at how

cities can work together to become more prosperous. She says she

regrets that the majority of voters in Wales wanted to leave.

Many new activities have been opened but this speaks also about our

weaknesses for communicating what we are doing with the money. How the

European money is spent. ?4 billion has come from the

European Union to Wales and structural funds in the last 15

years. Three quarters of that went to the region known as West Wales

and the ballets, which recently qualified again for further funding

is one of the poorest parts of the EU. It is a must to grow the economy

and create jobs but critics say it was ineffective and used recycled UK

money. There is concern it may not be replaced after Brexit. Just as

the EU is moving on so will the UK. The Prime Minister will start formal

exit negotiations by March. They are keen to know which direction it will

be moving in. This company is expanding and moving to a new

facility. It was banking on exporting to the EU which is

currently 50% of its sales. Ideally we would like to maintain as

free trade as possible, so the status quo with Europe, if you like.

I realise that is going to be tricky to achieve but that is what we need

to maintain a competitive position. Here at this brewery in Montgomery

they also want to sell more abroad. The boss wanted to leave and says he

has already received orders from Europe due to the drop in the Valley

of the pound after the referendum. I want to trade with Europe. It is

relatively easy to do at the moment but you have the other side of

things with migration and what have you. I can understand why it is

taking time for the government to make these decisions because they

have got a fine balance. Businesses hate uncertainty but they

will be watching closely to see if either side gives away. The European

government says it will curb immigration and give UK businesses

maximum freedom to trade with the single market. But the EU insists

that European citizens can't move freely over borders then neither can

goods and services. The comments from the commission

have drawn a fairly angry response from one of the leading Brexit ears

in Wales -- one of the leading advocates of Brexit. He says the

problem is not about PR or communication but about the fact

that the EU and its involvement failed to show any leadership in its

investment. Much more to come before seven

o'clock: How should the most Visiting teachers from Denmark have

been asking our schools. And caught between two strong women

- the story of Mrs Thatcher's downfall and the part Geoffrey Howe

and his wife played in her demise. Two brothers have gone on trial

for shooting a Valleys drug dealer - at point blank range -

as he sat in his car. The prosecution says

Mark Jones, from Mountain Ash, was killed by another drug

dealer who owed him money. Edward and Stephen Bennett

both deny murder. From Cardiff Crown

Court, Nick Palit. It was in this lay-by near Abercynon

that 43-year-old Mark Jones was shot in the driver seat

of his white Audi. The court heard that

as well as working as an evaluation officer

for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, he was

also a drug dealer. Just after 7:30am on 26th July last

year, the prosecution say he was murdered by Edward Bennett

and his brother Stephen, who had been involved in the

drugs trade with him. Prosecution counsel Chris Clee

told the jury that Edward Bennett In the weeks leading up

to the murder, the court heard how he was desperately trying

to raise a large amount of cash, even applying for a ?60,000 mortgage

that was unsuccessful. Transcripts of internet

messages from Edward Bennett to his brother Stephen

were read to the jury, that says, "Have you

still got that thing? This, said Mr Clee,

was reference to a gun. The prosecution say the brothers had

arranged to meet Mark Jones They parked nearby

and made their way on foot through woodland

along the river bank. During the course of this trial,

the court will hear evidence from many people who witnessed

the shooting, including an AA patrolman who was parked

behind the Audi. Mark Jones died in hospital

two months after the shooting. He'd had 15 operations

to try and save his life but was suffering from sepsis

and a bleed on the brain. He had gunshot wounds to the belly

and left upper arm. The prosecution say

the defendant shot Mark Jones at point-blank range,

which ultimately led to his death. The day after the shooting,

Edward Bennett was arrested in Station Terrace

in Penrhiwceiber. Two days later, his brother Stephen

was also arrested at his home in Masefield

Way in Pontypridd. A gun cleaning kit

was found in his attic. On that was gun residue

which was at the same type The same residue was also

found on his shoes. Further examination revealed traces

of Mark Jones' blood Both Edward and Stephen Bennett

deny murder How should the most

gifted pupils be taught? That's the question a group

of teachers from Denmark They've been visiting Welsh

classrooms, finding out how our schools nurture

their most talented pupils. Our Education Correspondent

Colette Hume reports. Remember the ones that

we thought of before. It's an ordinary Tuesday afternoon

at Victoria Primary School in Penarth but the seven-year-old

pupils are anything but ordinary. From the moment they

arrive at the nursery, the teachers work hard

to spot the most able

and talented children. Teachers use a wide range

of assessment data. Data from internal and external

tests as well as asking parents their views as well,

in terms of questionnaires that are So when you've identified a talented

and able student, what happens next? Throughout the year there will be

bespoke workshops where talented children in particular areas can

work with like-minded children from other schools on

particular projects. We've used facilities in the local

comprehensive school. We've had a range of local bespoke

workshops from Mandarin, Chinese, Now teachers from Denmark

are here to learn from experiences of teachers

and pupils from Wales. They are here because Victoria

Primary School is one of 48 Welsh schools recognised

by the National Association for Able Children in Education

for their work with the most able. Its leaders say stretching

the brightest pupils If you're coping and dealing

with the more able pupils then the others

see what they are doing and many of them

want to do the same. It is improving what is

going on for every child. The 31 teachers will spend two

days looking at the work going on in primary and secondary

schools here in Wales before returning to Denmark

in using their experiences here in their own

classrooms. We see youngsters who are being

challenged and we see how the schools have managed

to put it into their strategy, talent strategy

we would call it, That is what we hope the Danish

teachers will take with them. Here at Victoria Primary School

and in classrooms across Wales, the work goes on, nurturing

a new generation They hadn't invented

cyber-bullying and online Childline has had to

change its approach That's according to the helpline's

founder, Dame Esther Rantzen, Rosie Stone house is a student at

Cardiff University. She first contacted ChildLine when she was 14

and says it helped her cope with things throughout her teenage years.

Initially it was just having somewhere that you could open up and

having someone to listen. I think that support was a massive thing for

me to be able to think that I could change my life around with support.

She talked about her experiences today. Dame Esther Rantzen, the

founder of the helpline, is touring to celebrate the anniversary of the

helpline. It has cancelled 4 million children. There were more than 7500

contacts from youngsters from Wales last year alone. Their concerns have

changed. We ask what is making our children

are unhappy and often they say to me is social media. These pressures are

coming into us from their phones and their tablets and I can only see two

families, be aware. Whilst the Internet can be a source

of concern, more children are using those gadgets to call for help.

Last year, 71% of the children who got in touch with ChildLine did so

via the Internet and this office deals solely with those online

contacts. Since the office opened the volunteers have conducted over

16,000 online counselling sessions. In the first year the figure was

around 1200 but by last year it had increased to around 4500.

I can see how it helps and I want to do something about it.

Rosey is no herself an online counsellor and hopes her own

experiences can help children who need someone to listen.

It is regarded by many as the speech that brought Margaret Thatcher's

Now, the late Sir Geoffrey Howe's speech in the House

of Commons in 1990 is the subject of of a new play

called "The Dead Sheep", which beings a run in

Our political reporter James Williams had a sneak preview.

His was a political career spanning over half a century. But Sir

Geoffrey Howe, the man from Port Talbot, is a man famous for one

thing, his speech in November 1990 that led to her own downfall.

It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to decrease only to

find the moment the first balls are appalled that their bats have been

broken before the game by the team captain.

It was a brutal rebuke from a man who was previously likened to being

savaged by a dead sheep. It is that court and that

resignation speech that form the basis of a new play visiting Cardiff

this week. It is a fantastic Everyman story about a guy who is

caught between two really strong woman. That is his wife and his

boss. It is about a fantastic conflict of loyalties and I thought

it was impressive the way he finally thought, I'm not going to go

quietly, I'm going to stand up in the House of Commons and destroy the

Prime Minister and possibly my party because it is the right thing to do.

Until his resignation, Geoffrey Howe served on Margaret Thatcher's

cabinet from the outset, as Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor.

We Tsui Hark potentially angry and spiteful. I did it on spitting image

for 16 years or so and the voice was much more caricatured but here it is

much more real. Geoffrey Howe was indispensable for

the Thatcher revolution, one which continues to divide opinion.

Many economists wrote in to the Times newspaper to see his budget

was wrong. It is a fantastic discussion point. Was he a source of

good or bad for this country? Discuss.

That is a debate should continue after the curtain falls.

Glamorgan Cricket Club would be well placed to host one of the eight,

city-based teams if plans for a new T20 competition are put

into place, according to chief executive Hugh Morris.

The three-week event could start in the 2018 season,

with all counties getting an extra one.

Mr Morris said the tournament is needed to improve

Sunshine for many today - what about the next couple of days?

lots of sunshine further south this afternoon. Most places are dry

tonight. Just one or two showers here and there. Not as cold as last

night. A big high pressure over Scandinavia tomorrow and that means

winds from the East for the UK. They will bring a few showers. Cloudy and

misty in parts of Paris. Otherwise dry -- in parts of Powys. Any mist

Wil left in the morning. One or two showers likely but otherwise dry

with the best of the sunshine in the West and south-west. There will be a

cool north-easterly breeze. Out of the wind and in the sunshine it will

feel pleasant. It will be breezy and cool on Thursday with one or two

showers. Sunniest in the West. Temperatures are little lower. Still

high pressure over Scandinavia on Thursday but low pressure over

France will start to influence our weather so it looks to be more

unsettled later in the week with some more showers but dry spells as

well. But we can't complain because it has been a dry month so far.

The programme that funds community schemes in Wales is set to be

scrapped with the government saying it is not the best way to tackle

poverty. Some say it is a big loss wealth others claim it has failed to

deliver. I'll have an update for you here

at eight o'clock and again That's Wales Today, thank

you for watching from all of us