17/02/2017 BBC Wales Today

The owners of this refinery want to invest ?100 million but it's stuck

Valero tells us of their frustration.

This is about making sure the fiture of the refinery is secure for jobs

Over 1000 people work at the plant here in Milford Haven.

So many families and jobs depends on it.

What can be done to keep it competitive in a global

Also tonight - We're back on the high street

as worried shop owners give us their verdict

There are concerns over which businesses will be

For example, what constitutes a high street when you

consider the rates will go up in April this year, time is very much

30-year-old Mark Hughes from Wrexham, who has

the mental age of seven, had his disability benefits withdrawn.

Now the Department for Work and Pensions apologises.

Barley the dog, our latest export to China, a trade mission hopes

to promote Welsh businesses, art and culture there.

Warren Gatland says he's watching the Six Nations

with interest as he decides who'll be part of the British

It's one of west Wales' biggest employers but tonight

the owners of a Pembrokeshire oil refinery have told this programme

that future investment is at risk unless plans for ?100 million

1200 people work at Valero but the company says

the Welsh Government needs to process applications efficiently

to stay competitive in the global energy market.

Teleri Glyn Jones is in Milford Haven tonight.

Lucy, more than 4,000 jobs are sustained by this waterway

behind me, that's in oil, renewable energy, fishing

and transportation and each one of those jobs supports seven more

Valero oil refinery behind me, dominates the skyline here,

it's the biggest employer in the area.

The American bosses want to invest a ?100 million in the site

behind me making it more efficient and securing jobs for the future.

But tonight they're frustrated, and warn that if there are delays

in the planning process that money could be at risk.

Milford Haven, the third biggest port in the UK and our largest

energy port from ferries to fishing, sailing boats to enormous tankers.

The STV supports thousands of jobs. It's used to be far more. At one

point there were five refineries in this area, now that is only one. The

last closing 20 14th took 400 jobs with it. According to the man in

charge of the sports, they are competing in a global market. That's

refinery plant has been sold to Pakistan, I think, wedded to be

exported and rebuilt to continue refining in another country. Key to

keeping that competitive edge is making easy for these international

companies to invest. It is still good saying to a board in San

Antonio, we can do this investment in Milford Haven or get the consent

in four years' time all we can do this consent in San Antonio and get

the consent in six months' time. The money will go in San Antonio. Unless

we are mindful of the competition we will lose some of these businesses.

Across the estuary the biggest employer in the area and the only

refinery left, Valero. In November they announced plans to invest ?100

million in the new combined heat and power generation unit. It is going

through the early stages of the planning system and they say it is

vital it is an process. The onus is on the Welsh Government

to make sure we reach our schedules. We are up against time and hopefully

all the different bodies involved will work with is to ensure we get

the spade in the ground when we wanted. What is at stake if it isn't

a swift process? It ties everything up. The costs

rise and we have to look at future investment. This is all cost driven.

It is about making sure the future of the refinery is secure for jobs

and the future. Ports are not devolved to Cardiff Bay but planning

and infrastructure are in the hands of the last government. Down the

road in Pembroke Dock, mainstay Marina built boats. This week, the

Cabinet Secretary announced the company had won the last government

's's contract to build two new fisheries boats. No planning

required there. But the minister told me it needs to be efficient. If

we brought forward the planning act in 2014, I am now implementing parts

of that but it is important that businesses feel it works for them.

Planning is for everybody, it is therefore the development and use of

our land. Shakespeare wrote a Milford Haven,

tell me of how Wales was made so happy? How we take advantage of such

legacy will save these waterways and our economy.

The bid is still in its early stages at the moment but there should be

a final decision by the end of this year.

Planners will be assessing the benefits of expansion and also

the environmental impact such a development could have

here, it's situated in Pembrokeshire's National Park.

What the company is saying tonight is that an investment of this size

would be a huge show of confidence in this site and secure its future

On Wednesday, we were in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan

talking to high street shop owners, worried about the increase

in their business rates, expected in April.

There was concern there's been little detail so far about a rate

relief scheme designed to help cut costs.

Well today the Welsh Government published more information

about the ?10 million it will provide in support.

So, we sent our political correspondent Arwyn Jones back

to Cowbridge to see what small businesses there make of it.

Business rates are a tax that owners of businesses like these on the high

street in Cowbridge pay on their properties such as a shock, cafe or

restaurant. My council tax they pay for services provided by the local

authority. Concerns have been raised that the increase in April could

make life difficult for retailers with some feeling they could go

under. Today, the Welsh Government set out details of its ?10 million

fund to help. My ambition has been to try and design a scheme that is

workable and deliverable, we are confident that even in the very few

weeks we have had to design it that'll be capable of being

delivered. We have been hearing concerns from business owners who

are trying to balance the books. She owns the pencil case shop in

Cowbridge and said the increase would make life difficult. As a

small business owners she qualifies for an extra ?500 to be knocked off

her bill in April meaning she won't be worse off this year. However, the

introduction of the increase is being phased in over three years so

next year she might have to pay more. A huge help. There was a

situation where everything I would be paying ?2000 from April onwards

which is a huge increase. 180% increase. I've now got to find

nearly ?1000 a year to pay the rates bill because in Wales I could use

that to invest in the business. Businesses like this with a rateable

value of between ?6,000 and ?12,000 will get ?500 off their bill. Those

up to ?50,000 will get a 15 in Japan production. If it is over ?50,000

you will get nothing. -- a ?1500 reduction.

My rates are going to be increasing by ?40,000 a year for the businesses

in Cowbridge. We will get an extra ?1500 reduction. 1500 is better than

nothing but it isn't going to make a massive amount of difference. Places

will article or because they have too. Some business owners are

questioned by others will see their rates fall but still gets help.

There are concerns about which businesses will be eligible for the

support. For example, what constitutes a high-street? The Welsh

Government has left that for the councils to decide. The

Conservatives say that could lead to some confusion. When you consider

the rates will go up in April of this year, time is of the essence.

The Welsh Government says it is confident there will be plenty of

time to get the scheme in place while it works on developing a new

permanent scheme to be introduced next year.

A 23-year-old barman from Cardiff has been found guilty

of murdering his girlfriend, who'd come to the UK

24-year-old Xixi Bi was attacked by Jordan Matthews

in what Cardiff Crown Court heard was a "vicious, sustained

She had a cardiac arrest and died in hospital

after being attacked at their flat in Llandaff last August.

Matthews is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.

A deputy head teacher has been banned from schools

for a minimum of ten years for having sex with teenage girls.

A disciplinary panel found 17 out of 20 allegations

of unacceptable professional misconduct proved against

Swansea Council has launched an inquiry into his dismissal

which included an ?8,000 pay-off and a positive reference.

The number of deliberately started grass fires in Wales increased

Welsh Government figures show just over 2,600 grass fires

were started on purpose in 2015-16, up from just

The report suggests good weather is likely to have been a factor.

Deliberately set grass fires is a significant problem

for all services involved for grass fires in South Wales.

However, we are working together to achieve an outcome of

educating communities, reducing this, putting engagement

events on so communities understand the impact it has

on attending agencies on communities and their families.

A man from Wrexham with the mental age of seven,

who was wtongly told by the Department for Work

and Pensions he would lose his disability benefits,

Mark Hughes also has mobility problems after contracting

He was denied the Personal Independence Payment,

after an assessment ruled he could care for himself.

Mark Hughes' family say he has mobility and balance problems,

He lives alone but has regular assistance and meals

He struggles with reading, writing and communication

But despite earning a disability allowance all his adult

life a recent assessment for the replacement

Personal Independence Payment rated him able to look

after all of his own needs and he was denied the benefit

which can range from ?22 to ?140 per week.

I've been looking here at Mark Hughes's assessment results.

If you're anything like me you might not have seen one

On every measurement of his daily activities he has been ranked

zero out of eight, which means he's not entitled to any

You have only got to be in his presence and you know he has

I think that whoever is doing the disability assessment

really needs to get their act together because Mark

needs this money for the rest of his life.

It is his only form of any kind of money to

Mark isn't alone, 140,000 people in Wales have been or will be

Disability Wales say they believe some genuine cases

People with, for example, learning difficulties, people with mental

health issues, conditions like autism or other impairments,

invisible impairments seem to not fare so well

As a result, they perhaps turned down for PIP.

After we filmed with Mark Hughes, the Department for Work and Pensions

told us he is entitled to Personal Independence Payments and it

It hasn't said how that error was made but says successful appeals

are often due to more evidence being presented.

The U-turn is good news for Mark but with only three

percent of PIP decisions successfully overturned others

Seeing through the smoke, ground-breaking thermal

imaging technology, developed in Flintshire,

will help firefighters save lives in the US and across Europe.

And Wales captain, Alun-Wyn Jones is tipped by former British

and Irish Lions players to captain the tour to New Zealand this summer.

It's one of the biggest economies in the world

and with Brexit on the horizon, many businesses here

are looking to China as they explore new markets.

A delegation is heading to Shanghai and Hong Kong tomorrow

to seek business links and promote Welsh art and culture.

One business has told us it could be worth millions of pounds.

A yellow labrador with a nose valuable all over the world.

His talents are about to be exported to Hong Kong.

He'll be working with border control looking for illicit meat.

The Flintshire firm that trained him on the face of it, may be

But they're about to head to China as part of a Welsh Government trade

We are offering them a package wher if they need dogs we can supply

If they need training for their handlers based on

our expertise, we are hoping we can promote that.

At this company in Merthyr it's all about precision engineering.

They believe their hoses, used in space,

can compete in the saturated Chinese market.

This is an extremely varied trade mission,

artists alongside hi-tech companies like this.

Welsh businesses want to take every opportunity they can

at selling their goods, particularly in a world

where traditional export markets, like Europe and America, may be

Amitec has sold this abroad for years but admit

they've forgotten how they won those contracts.

This mission is about new markets and old skills.

We want to grow our export business, but of our own

volition we will struggle to do that so with some assistance that we are

having from the mission from the Welsh Government,

it will give us a great opportunity to do that.

To find new markets we are not operating in and to reinvigorate

market we have been operating in for some time but we don't

Welsh exports to China have seen steady growth

with machinery and equipment driving recent rises.

From ?260 million in 2006 to nearly 370 million in 2015.

Although that's a dip from the more than ?400 million high in 2013.

And compares to ?5 billion worth of exports to the EU two years ago.

These bears from the Tiny Rebel brewery in Newport

And these cans are destined for abroad.

Bradley here feels China is a sleeping craft ale giant

and could be worth a million pounds worth of business a year.

China is a destination for high-quality British

Consumers want something a bit small and on the beer side,

People want something a bit more exciting.

The dragon, as potent a symbol in China as it is in Wales

And Collette, an illustrator, knows this.

She's about to take her work to a publisher on the mission.

Evidence of the variety of ambition Welsh firms

I will be trying to sell my book to them, try to get

Whether they will publish it in China.

I will also be gathering information for my next project

which will focus entirely on Chinese dragons.

And I will be speaking to a professor in Shanghai University who

specialises in Chinese mythology and Chinese dragons so I am really

As an accompaniement to the visit, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

and their Chinese principal guest conductor will also be on the trip.

The potential for Wales in China is huge

but making sure all our exporters hit

the right note there won't be without its challeneges.

Well one company from Flintshire is looking towards Europe to expand.

Ground-breaking thermal imaging technology has been developed

to help firefighters save lives in smoke-filled environments.

It's already being used in the United States

and is about to be launched on the continent.

Our business correspondent, Brian Meechan has been

American firefighters already use it to save lives.

Helped by technology used and developed in Flintshire.

This reconstruction shows a familiar scene as a firefighter enters

a smoke-filled room, his visibility severely restricted.

A small camera sends thermal images like this one

to a micro screen in the mask making it easier to spot people in trouble.

It can also be beamed to a computer screen for others

You can see that is a person there, there is a hot spot there.

Traditionally, hand-held equipment has been used which limit

movement and the cost means only one is used per crew.

The hands-free benefits of not having to hold the

traditional thermal imaging camera and the lower cost as well which

enables, potentially, more firefighters to have this technology

which should hopefully go on to help save lives.

The device was developed by Scott Safety, a leading

manufacturer of personal safety equipment.

The electronic software and the system for transferring the

image was designed by Flint-based, Taylor Dowding Innovation.

This innovation is part of a significant Welsh technology

sector that employs 39,000 people in over 3,100 companies.

And the network that links them together expects that to

continue to grow over the next three years.

if we look back over the years and said we would be walking round with

mobile phones and taking cameras that can access the Internet, where

technology is going and the great it is moving, some of the things that

currently are within our research departments can become quickly into

commercialisation. The thermal technology is playing

its part in a sector now worth over ?8 billion to the Welsh economy. It

is hoped more innovations like these will help more businesses to grow

and create well-paid jobs in future. Time for tonight's

sport now, Claire. The British and Irish Lions

tour to New Zealand may be a few months off

but Coach Warren Gatland says he's been closely watching

the Six Nations as he begins to assemble an idea

of which players he'll select. Playing for the Lions is considered

the pinnacle of any career and Gatland, who names his squad

in April, says competition One Welshman is already

being tipped as captain. He's already assembled his support

coaches, now Warren Gatland's mind is turning to which players will be

on the plane to New Zealand The opening two rounds

of the Six Nations has produced some fantastic rugby, the tournament

the perfect vehicle for individuals to prove themselves knowing

Gatland is watching. I've seen some good

performances at the moment. I haven't written down

a squad at this stage. If someone comes through out

of the blue I want to make sure I keep an open

mind and when we come together as a group of coaches, I want to collect

and finalise their thoughts as well. Still a heck of a lot to play

for in the remaining three games. Four years ago, Sam Warburton and

Alun-Wyn Jones lead the Lions to a Warburton missed the last Test

through injury and Alun-Wyn Jones The current Wales skipper

is being tipped by many The front runner has

to be Alun-Wyn Jones. He is respected in New Zealand,

you will have to anticipate he will be a Test starter

and he would certainly be Alun-Wyn Jones played

really well on Saturday. He may have his nose in front

slightly, he is an experienced I think Alun-Wyn Jones

is showing his characteristics I think he is probably

the favourite at this stage. But Wales legend Gareth Edwards

who played ten times for the Lions, including

for the 1971 team that last won a series in New Zealand,

believes Sam Warburton's relationship with Gatlin means

he is in pole position. I don't think the fact

that he is not captain at the moment with Wales will detract

at all from him being selected as a Because he has a track record,

he has shown he has been there, done it and from my

experience people like Willie John McBride in my day had benefited

greatly from being on other tours It may not just be the Lions

in New Zealand this summer, Wales's Test against Tonga could be

moved there following concerns over The game is likely to be

played in Auckland. 15 Welshmen, ten English,

nine Irish and threee Scots went Warren Gatland will name his squad

this time around on April 19. The Scarlets welcome

Zebre in the Pro12. The game is live on Scrum V Live

over on BBC Two Wales. Neil Warnock has given

the strongest indication yet he's keen to stay at Cardiff City

and mount a promotion Having steered Cardiff away

from the Championship relegation zone during his five months

in charge, Warnock says He has a meeting with chairman,

Mehmet Dalman, next week I am like an old man,

like a father really, aren't I? I am right proud of my kids

when I look round the dressing room. Because they do what I want them

to do and they know You are going to have

disappointments. That is the state of

the Championship and everything. The Bluebirds play Rotherham

tomorrow, the team Neil Warnock steered away from the relegation

zone last season. In League Two, bottom of the table

Newport County travel to Cambridge. And in the National League Wrexham

are home to Aldershot. Gareth Bale is set to make

his first appearance since November, after being passed

fit for Real Madrid's match at home The Wales forward has been

recovering from ankle surgery. It's a huge boost for Chris Coleman,

Wales' crucial World Cup qualifier against Republic of Ireland

in Dublin on March 24th. And finally, some news on Welsh

bobsleigh rider Mica Moore. The 24-year-old from Newport

is taking part in the bobsleigh Alongside her partner Mica McNeill,

the pair are in 11th position They'll race again

tomorrow afternoon. Well, dare I say, it's been almost

spring like today. Derek's here with

the weekend weather Spring is just around the corner. No

sign of snow. It'll be mild over the weekend. A little bit of rain and

drizzle with a reasonable amount of dry weather. If you places should

see the ascent. The sun came out in Barry today. A high of 11 Celsius.

Further north not so nice. This evening, a few more showers for part

of mid and north Wales. They will clearly and most places dry

overnight. One or two showers in the south, some mist and fog patches and

not a cold night. Here is the picture of eight o'clock on Saturday

morning. Much of the country dry at this stage, a little bit grey in

places with some low cloud, fog patches. Right in Powys towards

Wrexham. Breezy in the north-west and you will notice some rain

lurking over the Irish Sea. During the day a little drizzle will come

into north-west Wales. A mild afternoon again. Temperatures

10-12 C. Cooler in Snowdonia with the breeze stuck on Anglesey

tomorrow, a dry start returning damn, nine degrees the high in

Llangefni. Tomorrow evening, spots of drizzle will clear away,

overnight most places dry with said Ms local Clarke and fairly mild. On

Sunday, the odd lights out but otherwise a lot of dry weather. It

will be dull and done later in the afternoon. Some poor visibility to

end the day. On Monday, Tropicana maritime air -- tropical maritime

air. 15 Celsius is possible in places.

We'll be back with our next update after the BBC News at Ten.

From all of us on the programme, have a good evening.