13/01/2017 BBC Wales Today

Questions tonight over why the Severn crossings tolls aren't

being scrapped altogether - as it's confirmed they'll

I have some people arguing that there should be no tolls at all. And

some people say we should maintain the tolls to prevent congestion.

Imagine opening your front door and seeing this -

the homes and businesses flooded as a water pipe bursts in Powys.

Firing up for jobs on Swansea's tidal lagoon -

calls to make sure Wales has the skilled workforce ready -

if the ?1 billion project goes ahead.

The Children's Commissioner says new guidance doesn't protect

The National Eisteddfod where Hedd Wyn won the chair.

But the poet was killed weeks before in the First World War.

100 years on, how he'll be honoured once again.

Can he drag Swansea City out of relegation?

Paul Clement takes charge of his first Premier League

There are renewed calls to scrap the

Severn Bridge tolls tonight as the UK Government

unveiled their plans to half the charges.

Most drivers will pay ?3 once the bridges go back to public

ownership next year - at the moment, it costs ?6.70

The Welsh Secretary says they're not scrapping the tolls

because they still need to pay off the remaining debt, maintain

the road surface and introduce a numberplate recognition system -

which Alun Cairns says will ease congestion.

Here's our political reporter, Bethan Lewis.

For decades, motorists have had to think hard about the cost of

travelling between South Wales and the south-west of England. For those

who use the Severn Bridge, today's announcement will significantly

reduce the burden of the tolls. At the moment, the bridges are run by a

private company. When the cost of building the bridges is covered,

they will be transferred to the UK Government. That is likely to happen

before early next year. At the moment, car drivers pay ?6 70. The

charge for people with fans and small buses is ?13.40. The plan is

for the toll to drop to ?3 for these types of vehicles. Eventually, that

could be ?1.50 each way. The charge for lorries and coaches will half.

But the Welsh Government wants them scrapped. Although welcome news for

businesses, people would like to see the tolls go altogether. It would be

good to see a further cut in the tolls. If you take it down to the

low level, the administrative burden is so great, why don't you just take

them away completely? There is a good case for taking them away

completely. Launching the plan, the Welsh Secretary says there are still

bills to play. Some people say there should be no tolls at all despite

the debt. And some people say we should maintain and order to

maintain congestion. I think we have struck the right balance. Reduced

the tolls, repay the debt, and establish a sum of money that will

allow for innovation but also maintain the bridge in good

condition. The UK Government anticipates that reducing the tolls

will reduce traffic flow by 17%. Changing the way we pay could help

reduce logjams. Considering changing the system so you do not have to

stop to pay. A number plate recognition system would allow

people to pay in advance, or shortly after the journey. That could be

expensive or affect the level of tolls. In the shadow of the second

Severn Crossing, this recruitment consultant would welcome the judges.

It would be great for people looking for work. With South Wales and the

West, it would give them freedom not to worry about the travel costs.

Many people from over there probably only come this site. It will be

great for us, a boost for our economy for once. It is a good

thing. If it was nothing, it would encourage more business into South

Wales. It is a start. Half the price is better than no reduction at all.

The bridges are due to be switched to public ownership as early as next

year. The aim is to introduce the new lover tells as soon as possible,

in 2018. Homes and businesses have been

flooded following a burst water pipeline at Llanrhaedr

ym Mochnant in Powys. The pipe, carrying water

from Lake Vyrnwy to Cheshire and Merseyside is thought to have

failed sending water These pictures filmed by

local people show the extent of the flooding with torrents

of water rushing down streets in the centre of the village,

spilling into gardens Mid and West Wales Fire says a large

number of buildings have been affected and it has several

crews at the scene. Powys Council has been delivering

sandbags to protect homes while attempts are made

to stem the flow. The pipeline is owned

by United Utilities and supplies 240km of pipe carries up

to 200 million litres of water a day Residents are offering help to those

affected by providing alternative accommodation or equipment to

assist with the clean up. A defendant who cut his

own throat in the dock at Haverfordwest Magistrates has

been back in court this morning. Paramedics were called

there on Wednesday to treat 33-year-old Lukasz Pawlowski

from Pembroke Dock, who was being sentenced

for a sexual assault. Today, he was charged

with possessing a blade and has been remanded in custody,

to appear at Swansea There were further problems

on Arriva Trains Wales' services at Cardiff Central this morning,

with Valley Services The operator says the issues,

which led to delays of up to an hour, were due

to a points failure at the new platform eight,

which was officially opened Three men have been arrested on

suspicion of murder after a man was found in a pavement later died.

218-year-old men and a 17-year-old are in custody. -- to --

218-year-old men. -- 18-year-old men.

Does Wales have the right workforce to really make the most

An independent review has given the ?1.3 billion

project the thumbs up, and it's waiting for

But tonight, there are calls for the UK and Welsh governments

to work together with industry, to make sure the right

Our economic correspondent Sarah Dickins has more.

Welsh industry is already preparing to bid on the Swansea tidal lagoon.

If it gets in the UK Government approval.

Here, they are making massive steel structures, and hope to

make steel components around the lagoon turbines.

It's not a final hurdle, but it's getting close.

Getting close to the end of the race to get the project running.

Something we'd dearly love to be involved with.

Is the type of work that is suited to our type of

But if we're really at the beginning of a new industrial

area, do we have enough of the right skills to make the most of it?

Tidal lagoon power has promised that half

the money it spends will be in Wales, with Welsh businesses

But there are other big project also on the horizon.

M4, rail electrification, Hinckley, and the Metro.

It's thought the lagoon in Swansea could

The company behind it also wants to build

The company behind it also wants to build lagoons in Cardiff, Newport

There are a number of excellent, world-class

There are a number of excellent, world-class opportunities around

That will forge the Welsh economy ahead quickly.

What we need to make sure is make sure that the Welsh and UK

governments work together with industry, education to forward plan

And make sure these skills are in place.

Engineers of the future. At this college, they are training students

from 16. Engineering was seen as a shrinking injury, perhaps, but not

now. There are more students pushing forward in engineering because there

are more jobs globally. Manufacturing is on the rise.

Studying here for one year, now, the student wants to get an

apprenticeship. It is important to make it bigger, enlarging the

industry. As a college, we are looking at the same issue as small

to medium enterprise in companies. We are keen to meet the short-term

gap in the market place. Even if the lagoon gets final approval, it will

be more than one year before building work resumes. The plan is

to enhance skills in time. The Children's Commissioner

for Wales says new guidance on home education does not protect

the rights of children. Dr Holland is now renewing calls

for a compulsory register of children who are educated at home

and says that the reluctance But these children

don't attend school - Today, they're learning together

in this community centre. Nearly 1700 children

in Wales are home educated. The local authority doesn't need

to be told they're not in school - unless the child is

taken out of school. New guidance from the Welsh

Government doesn't change that, Last year, BBC Wales

investigated the case of Dylan Seabridge who was home

educated in Pembrokeshire. He wasn't seen by any outside agency

from the age of 13 months. At the time, Children's Commissioner

Dr Sally Holland called for a law to ensure there was a register

of children educated at home. I've given clear evidence to the

Government, both in my response to the draft of this 18 months ago, and

in my annual rapport this year, that non-statutory guidance is not good

enough for children in Wales. They all have a clear right to education,

to have their voice heard about at education. This non-statutory

guidance doesn't take us any further along this road. It is said that the

new guidance falls short of protecting children.

The new guidance has an emphasis on local authorities supporting

and maintaining positive relationships with home educators

Eddie is on the autistic spectrum, and his father felt school

I would like to work with the local authority. If they get its right, it

would be a very positive experience. At the same time, I can't actually

see any benefit of having home visits. People who aren't familiar

with home education checking up on him.

The new rules aren't statutory - families don't have to follow them,

but despite that, many think it's a step too far.

I think the welfare of children should be looked after by society

and by social services. There are plenty of things out there that can

be utilised to save children put at risk. It has nothing to do with

education. The Welsh Government says

it's listened carefully to safeguarding concerns

and is still considering the potential for including

legislation - and that's something that families like Eddie's will be

keeping a close eye on. The poet Hedd Wyn was killed in the

First World War. 100 years on, a new chair for Hedd Wyn. Frost, a warning

of lies, and a change on the way. I'll have the weekend forecast.

The man who founded the science discovery centre Techniquest has

died at the age of 84 following a short illness.

Professor John Beetlestone set-up the innovative centre more

than 30 years ago to try and instill a love a science

Since then, more than five million youngsters have tried the hands-on

exhibits in Cardiff and Wrexham, as Nick Palit reports.

Making science fun, and inspiring the next generation

to love and embrace the scientific world - that's what

It was the brainchild of this Cardiff University Professor,

From its humble beginnings in a former gas showroom in 1985,

a decade later it had a purpose-built home in Cardiff Bay.

We are trying to lure the parents seem to enjoy science as we

presented here. Together. The exhibits are engaging, they draw you

in. They beguile you. Everyone likes to be beguiled and join in. And say,

I was pleased with that, I was able to do that.

Techniquest expanded, with another centre

Recently, it's encountered funding problems -

its core Government grant will disappear by 2021.

But the Chief Executive says John Beetlestone's pioneering work

in helping youngsters embrace the so-called stem subjects

of science, technology, engineering and maths will continue.

He was the visionary behind it, it is his legacy that means we have a

fantastic charity year, embedding stem across generations. We will try

to make sure that Wales is establishing a scientifically

literate society going forward. More than 5 million people have had the

experience here. The founder wanted to infuse youngsters. Those who went

on to pursue a career in science and engineering will be his living

legacy. Lord Snowdon - Princess

Margaret's former husband - A filmmaker and photographer,

he was also Constable of Caernarfon Castle

and organised the investiture of He was married to Princess Margaret

for 16 years before they Swansea City's new head coach

Paul Clement takes charge of the side for his first

Premier League match tomorrow. And it's a tough start -

Arsenal the visitors In the Championship,

it's a derby for Cardiff City Manager Neil Warnock says he'll meet

owner Vincent Tan face-to-face to spend money on a

promotion challenge next season. He set out his vision, explained the

changes he wants to make, and is trying to build confidence among the

Swansea squad. He says preparation couldn't have gone better, Paul

Clement. First home game against Arsenal is a very special moment for

me. I have been raised with the players this week. They have taken

on board the things I have asked. We have worked in the gym and the video

room in order to get a positive result on Saturday. Longevity

doesn't come better than our same finger. -- Wenger. When you are

fighting not to go down, it is an opportunity for him. It is

difficult, but he wants to be in the Premier League and when you do get

an opportunity at his age, you don't turn it down. It is Liverpool await

next, and fans will be hoping the players get fired up and, keen to

impress their new boss, results will come. Cardiff are away to Bristol

City. Following trouble in a toga, police have said they were cracked

down on fans intent on causing trouble in the midst a kick-off.

Neil Warnock is hoping that when he gets to meet Vincent Tan, the owner,

he will get financial backing. It is nice to meet the main man and tell

him what your plans are. I am very enthusiastic about the club. It is

made-to-measure for me. I hope we can have a really good conversation

about the future, really. I think the club has an opportunity to be

positive about what could possibly happen next year. In League 2,

Newport County and hoping to end a run of eight defeats. They are at

home to Colchester United. Wrexham are also at home.

Rugby, and the Dragons are aiming for a bonus point win at home

to Russian side Enisei tonight, to keep alive their hopes

of a quarterfinal place in the European Challenge Cup.

Elsewhere, Liam Williams has been named at fullback for the Scarlets

in the Champions Cup against the Saracens side

Nicky Robinson will make his first start for the Blues

The Ospreys - top of their pool - face Lyon.

Boxer Lee Selby, who's fought just twice

since winning the IBF featherweight title in May 2015,

says long periods away from the ring doesn't affect his performance.

Selby - who's from Barry - travels to America tomorrow ahead

of his title defence against Jonathan Barros in Las Vegas

He says he has no regrets about his preparation.

For some fighters it can affect them. They box, they celebrate, they

drink, they eat bad food, but I am back in the gym working to improve

myself. The inactivity shouldn't affect me.

The horse racing world has been paying tribute

to the Jockey Brian Fletcher, who's died at the age of 69.

He won the Grand National three times, twice on Red Rum.

Although he was born in Durham, he retired to Llanybydder

in Carmathenshire, where he became a sheep farmer.

Peter Scudamore said he was an unsung hero.

The death of the poet Hedd Wyn in 1917 remains a symbol for Welsh

sacrifice during the First World War.

Now, students in the Flanders region of Belgium where he was killed have

been commissioned to design a modern Eisteddfod-style chair

Hedd Wyn died at Passchendaele weeks before it was revealed he'd won

the prestigious chair prize for poetry at the 1917

It doesn't look like much, but this simple stone

marks the place where the Birkenhead

It may seem odd now, but in 1917, there would have been nothing

strange about holding the National Eisteddfod

It had been on Merseyside before, and this has long been described

as the unofficial capital of North Wales.

Remarkably, a century on, these moving pictures

Three years into the First World War, the Prime Minister,

David Lloyd George, was due to speak there.

But the festival is remembered for the death

Ellis Humphrey Evans, Hedd Wyn, was already a poet of some renown.

His death at Passchendaele, just weeks before the Eisteddfod,

where it was announced that he had won the chair, seemed to make him

a symbol for so many other young Welsh men.

This new chair designed by students in Mechelen near Antwerp is now

A gift from people in Flanders, where he died.

The fact that the black chair which he won in 1917 was sculpted

by a Flemish furniture maker, sculptor, was of course

highly symbolic of the man who was a refugee.

Of course, that was a very strong symbolism.

So we go to, at the centenary, this is a perfect moment to more

or less repeat the story and bring another chair to be called the Hedd

Back on Merseyside in Birkenhead's Park,

the Memorial Stone says, in Welsh, simply that the Bards

And with one omission, it really says all that needs to be said?

But there is a big omission, and to the big omission

is that there is no mention of Hedd Wyn.

This man helps run the Merseyside Welsh Historical Society.

In September, the new chair from Flanders will be presented

at a special festival to be held here.

Hedd Wyn of course took part in the war, which was held,

which took place in Europe, and they have given

Hedd Wyn a tremendous, as we all know, great boost.

And they remind us all the time of his existence and his

And so we're glad that we're able to together on this occasion.

In Flanders, Hedd Wyn is honoured as much as he is in Wales.

The Welsh Memorial Park to all those who served in the First World War

And the Government of Flanders has asked for a second chair to be made

A relationship forged in war, a century ago, now renewed in peace.

How's the weather looking for the weekend?

There is a change on the way. There's cold over the weekend. My

other for Sunday. Before then, heavy showers and snow in places. A

warning of ice. Cold and windy today, strong to gale-force winds up

with rough seas on the coast. Further south, waking up to a light

covering of snow. Tonight, further showers to come. Heavy in places,

bringing a mix of hailstones, sleet and snow. Some places won't get any.

Clear weather as well, temperatures close to freezing or below. Frost

and IT patches. A Met Office yellow warning in force, be aware. -- icy

patches. Pavements could turn slippery. Watch out for those

tomorrow morning. Some places will be dry, but not everywhere. As you

can see showers dotted around. Not as windy as today, but still breezy

and feeling cold. A mixture of sunny intervals and showers tomorrow.

Heavy showers in places, but they will turn more to rain through the

afternoon, with the snow level rising kinds, if you are lucky, you

will stay dry. Temperature a little higher, for all eight Celsius. In

the Vale of Glamorgan, one or two showers. Dry weather, a little

sunshine. Heavy showers in some places. Cold, but less windy. Snow

showers, feeling more like minus ten in the wind. Tomorrow evening, the

showers with ease. Dry for a while. Rain will spread south-eastwards

later in the night, there's cold with temperatures above freezing. On

Sunday, we see a change. Milder air over the Atlantic heads our way.

That air will bring plenty of cloud with it. Patchy rain and drizzle as

well. Mist and hill fog. As we look forward to next week, a little bit

of rain on Monday. Then, becoming try and becoming colder again from

mid week onwards. Hopefully, some sunshine and hard frost. In the

meantime, wintry showers tonight, frost and snow in places. And a

warning of ice. By the way, I must tell you, a new series of Weather

Man Walking starts tonight. To importance walks. -- to make

important walks. Please watch if you can at 7:30pm this evening. There

are renewed calls to scrap the Severn Bridge toll. Most drier will

pay ?3 once the bridges go back to public ownership. The Welsh

Secretary says they are not scrapping the tolls because of the

maintenance costs and debt remaining. And a major clean-up

operation taking place after a burst water pipe length cost flooding.

Around 50 properties are affected. The pipe, carrying water to Cheshire

and Merseyside, is thought to have failed, sending water through the

centre of this village. We will have a quick update at HPM, and more

after the 10pm news. Thank you for now.