0:00:01 > 0:00:01So
0:00:01 > 0:00:01So that's
0:00:01 > 0:00:01So that's Newsnight
0:00:01 > 0:00:01So that's Newsnight with
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Wales Today. Our headlines tonight:
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Businesses here tell us what they make of the budget.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14There's an extra ?200 million for Wales.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17And the abandoned slate quarries in Snowdonia being turned
0:00:17 > 0:00:20into a pump storage power station.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Good evening.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39In his first budget, the Chancellor said investing
0:00:39 > 0:00:42in training and big projects will improve living standards
0:00:42 > 0:00:46but he's been criticised for not backing specific projects for Wales,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49like a city deal for Swansea Bay.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52But Philip Hammond has given the Welsh Government an extra
0:00:52 > 0:00:55?200 million to spend over the next four years.
0:00:55 > 0:01:01Here's our economics correspondent Sarah Dickins.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04In Resolven, the products they design and make enable other
0:01:04 > 0:01:07companies to become more efficient, more productive.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10This is what the Chancellor is wanting of the UK economy,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12to be leaner, perform better.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16The only sustainable way to raise living standards is to improve our
0:01:16 > 0:01:18productivity growth.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Simply put, higher productivity means higher pay.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Investment in training and investment in infrastructure
0:01:25 > 0:01:28will start to close this gap.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32The latest official figures show that in the UK the amount we produce
0:01:32 > 0:01:36each hour is 30% less than workers in the States.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And 35% less than workers in Germany.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43So productivity in the UK is underperforming.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46That might be because we're not a skilled or our machinery is less
0:01:46 > 0:01:50efficient, but the bad news for Wales is that when we go
0:01:50 > 0:01:54to work, we produce even less than other parts of the UK.
0:01:54 > 0:01:5729% lower than the UK average.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Businesses in the Swansea Bay area had hoped that the Chancellor
0:02:00 > 0:02:03would give the go-ahead for a city deal for the region,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05promising greater investment.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07That didn't happen today.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10We were very disappointed that after hopes were raised last week
0:02:10 > 0:02:14in relation to the Swansea Bay city region deal, there wasn't a single
0:02:14 > 0:02:17announcement in the budget today about moving that project forward.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20That's a project that could be transformational for the economy
0:02:20 > 0:02:21of the west of Wales.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24While we wait to see if that does get the thumbs up,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26how does Wales catch up?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28This is a company that always has to be ahead
0:02:28 > 0:02:31of the game to win business.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33It's done that by continually improving the way it does things
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and growing its people skills.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39In an attempt to increase productivity across the UK,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42the Chancellor is investing in skills training and particularly
0:02:42 > 0:02:44in new vocational exams.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45That's for England.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It's too early to know if the Welsh Government will follow.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Anything that's happening and developing on the training front
0:02:52 > 0:02:55has to be commended and encouraged.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00We're still catching up in the UK from a legacy of perhaps even
0:03:00 > 0:03:03decades of lack of investment in developing people to come
0:03:03 > 0:03:05into engineering and manufacturing.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08There's no doubt the wheel has turned with that.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11These engineers are employees and therefore there is no change
0:03:11 > 0:03:15today in what they will pay in National Insurance and income tax
0:03:15 > 0:03:19but for nearly 200,000 people in Wales who are self-employed,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23they'll see what they pay in National Insurance rise by 1%
0:03:23 > 0:03:25in the pound from April next year.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28In effect, a tax increase.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Young, low income self-employed people, which there are a lot of,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35because it's the only way they can get work, by being self-employed.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Window cleaners, people who clean your drives, you know,
0:03:39 > 0:03:45there's lots of small self-employed people only earning just
0:03:45 > 0:03:47above the minimum wage.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The previous Chancellor launched the Northern Powerhouse
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and Philip Hammond gave the go-ahead to a Midlands Engine strategy.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Although there was no announcement for a city deal for Swansea today,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00the UK Government says it is committed to signing it
0:04:00 > 0:04:02as soon as possible.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04That could help to close the gap between Wales
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and the rest of the UK.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10As predicted, the Chancellor announced a ?2 billion investment
0:04:10 > 0:04:14for social care in England to help deal with the pressure
0:04:14 > 0:04:15of an ageing population.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The Welsh Government will get funding as a result but it can spend
0:04:19 > 0:04:21that money on what it likes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24After calls for it to fund social care here too,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28the Finance Secretary wouldn't commit, but told us it's something
0:04:28 > 0:04:30the Cabinet will consider.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Pressures on social care are real and we have tried to recognise them
0:04:34 > 0:04:37already but we as a Cabinet will look at all the different
0:04:37 > 0:04:41priorities that we have in Wales, in education, health,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44local government, and then we will try and use the modest
0:04:44 > 0:04:48amount of money we've had today to the best effect to meet
0:04:48 > 0:04:49the needs of Wales.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Barclays has confirmed it's closing its mortgage centre
0:04:53 > 0:04:56in Cardiff next year with the loss of 180 jobs.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59144 of the posts are being moved to Liverpool and Leeds.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Staff at the centre have been given the option of redundancy
0:05:03 > 0:05:05or applying for relocation.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The move is part of a major restructuring
0:05:07 > 0:05:10at the bank to cut costs.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Major decisions are being taken in Wales that are not
0:05:13 > 0:05:16reflective of its diversity, according to the Equality
0:05:16 > 0:05:17and Human Rights Commission.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It found disabled people made up only 3.7% of public
0:05:21 > 0:05:24appointments last year, and only 6% of chief
0:05:24 > 0:05:29executives in the top 100 businesses are women.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Hundreds of women from Wales joined a protest in London against changes
0:05:33 > 0:05:36to the state pension scheme, which raises the retirement
0:05:36 > 0:05:38age for them to 65.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41The Department for Work and Pensions says the decision
0:05:41 > 0:05:46achieves a long-overdue move towards gender equality.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50The first pump storage power station to be built in the UK for more
0:05:50 > 0:05:53than 30 years is to be constructed in former slate quarries
0:05:53 > 0:05:56at Glyn Rhonwy near Llanberis.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00The developers say it will help the UK meet carbon reduction targets
0:06:00 > 0:06:02but there is some local opposition.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Roger Pinney reports.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Above Llanberis, the Glyn Rhonwy quarry system, abandoned for years
0:06:09 > 0:06:12but now set to come to life again.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Two quarries will be turned into reservoirs which will each hold
0:06:15 > 0:06:18a million cubic metres of water.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20They will be linked by a tunnel.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Pump storage power stations work by using cheap electricity
0:06:23 > 0:06:27when demand is low, at night for example, to pump water
0:06:27 > 0:06:29from the bottom to the top.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33It's then held there until demand rises, the price goes up,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36they released the water, generating electricity,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39which is then sold to the Grid at a profit.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41The technology isn't new to Wales.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Across the valley the much bigger Dinorwig Power Station has been
0:06:45 > 0:06:48generating power this way since 1984.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Pump storage systems balance supply.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54They can give the Grid a quick boost when it needs it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56This scheme has its critics.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Opponents took concerns chemical pollutions from the old quarries
0:07:00 > 0:07:05would reach nearby Llyn Padarn to Natural Resource Wales.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09We just hope by bringing what we have to their attention
0:07:09 > 0:07:14that they will be extra careful with the environment and that NRW
0:07:14 > 0:07:17will take a very close look on what they are up to.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22It's estimated the new power station will cost around ?160 million.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Work on it is expected to start next year.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Rugby, and the Wales coach says it's a chance to redeem themselves.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Rob Howley is sticking with the same side that lost to Scotland
0:07:33 > 0:07:35for Friday's Six Nations game against Ireland.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Howley has resisted calls to bring in fresh faces
0:07:38 > 0:07:40after only one win in three.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Ireland are also unchanged.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Unlike Wales, they can win the title.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51We've got, I suppose, the opportunity to go out at home
0:07:51 > 0:07:55in front of our home supporters and deliver a performance which,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59first and foremost, the players are proud of and, equally as
0:07:59 > 0:08:02important, for the supporters to support that.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06It's going to be a huge game on Friday night.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Let's see what the weather has in store.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Behnaz has tonight's forecast.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13We had a bit of a north-south split today.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15North Wales enjoying the best of the sunshine.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Tomorrow most of us should see some sunshine
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and it is a largely dry story as well.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Tonight, a little bit of patchy rain.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23That will clear.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Overnight it's dry with variable amounts of cloud
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and also some clear skies.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Overnight lows getting down to six Celsius.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It should be a frost free night for most of us.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Tomorrow we have a weather front in the south, also high pressure
0:08:35 > 0:08:37building from the south.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40A lot of dry weather to look forward to but rain will reach us
0:08:40 > 0:08:43as we head into Thursday night.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46First thing tomorrow morning, a little bit of cloud.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Some brightness as the day goes on.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52A breezy start but the wind will ease as we head into the afternoon.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55For the rest of the British Isles, we have this weather front bringing
0:08:55 > 0:08:59rain to the south-west, a few showers for Scotland,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02in between a lot of dry and bright weather to look forward to.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Temperatures ranging between nine and 15 Celsius.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09In Wales tomorrow afternoon, a lot of dry weather
0:09:09 > 0:09:12but we will start to see the cloud increasing from the south and west.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Temperatures getting up to 14 Celsius and much lighter winds
0:09:15 > 0:09:17before the end of the day.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Tomorrow night, a cloudy night to come.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23We will see some patchy rain making its way in from the west.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26But another frost free night with temperatures getting
0:09:26 > 0:09:28down to five Celsius.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Some mist and fog reforming.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34On Friday, patchy rain, a little bit of dry weather in between.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Temperatures getting up to 12 Celsius.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The weekend is looking pretty unsettled.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Saturday will start off on a wet note, becoming drier
0:09:43 > 0:09:45for a time, some sunshine.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Temperatures getting up to 13 Celsius.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Sunday we have some heavy showers to deal with.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53That's Wales Today.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Thank you for watching.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57From all of us on the programme, goodnight.