18/09/2016 BBC Wales Today

There's more throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel,

Good evening.

The Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, says she plans

to double spending on a scheme, to help the poorest three-

and four-year-olds in Wales.

She unveiled the plans in her speech to the Liberal Democrat conference

in Brighton, from where our Parliamentary Correspondent,

David Cornock reports.

She may be the last Lib Dem left in the Assembly,

but as Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams is determined

to show her party can still be a force in government.

She told delegates here her priority in the job, helping three

and four-year-olds from poor backgrounds, crowns,

through a grant currently worth ?300 per child.

I'm announcing that it is my intention to double the early

years pupil premium.

Concentrating extra resources on our very youngest pupils,

because it is our mission that every child deserves a fair start in life.

She also ruled out the return of the grammar school,

another key difference between governments

in Wales and England.

But with only one AM and a single MP, the Lib Dems know that

political recovery in Wales is still some way off.

The man who replaced Kirsty Williams as the party's Welsh leader says

the answer lies in talking to other parties.

At this point in time, with boundary changes

which massively support and encourage the Conservative Party

electorate in the future, I think there is a case

for politicians to be talking what I would loosely describe

as progressive politicians to be talking about issues

of common interest.

Without closer co-operation between parties on the centre

and the left, he fears the Conservatives will be in power

at Westminster for a long time.

The Welsh Secretary, Alun Cairns, has told BBC Wales

that the Prime Minster will make the final decision on Brexit.

It follows recent comments from the First Minister,

Carwyn Jones, that all the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies should

agree any deal the UK Government comes to.

I'm not going to call for a veto.

What I have said is that I think it's right that all four

parliaments should ratify, agree, to any deal the UK

Government comes to.

It wouldn't be right for UK Government to negotiate in terms

of farming and fisheries when they have no role in farming

and fisheries in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Ultimately, it will be the Cabinet that will make a decision and

ultimately it's the Prime Minister.

So I'm a voice around the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister's tasked me to look after Wales's interests.

We will come to a view that serves the whole of the United Kingdom

and it's my job to make sure that Wales is absolutely at the centre

of those discussions.

On the second day of the biggest arts event ever held in Cardiff,

thousands of people have been enjoying a giant picnic in the park,

wearing their pyjamas.

It's all part of the centenary celebrations for Roald Dahl,

who was born in the capital 100 years ago.

Yesterday, there was some criticism about crowd control but organisers

say no-one was ever in danger.

There was about half an hour in the middle of the day

where we actually had to intervene to ensure public safety.

There was no threat but today's much easier to control.

It is very contained.

Today, we're in the park for a pyjama picnic and we'll see

some of the conclusions of the stories we were telling

yesterday, with the Fantastic Mr Fox and James And His Giant Peach,

which is currently over there somewhere.

As the Paralympic Games draw to a close, Welsh athletes have

contributed seven medals to Great Britain's record haul.

The latest came courtesy of Cardiff's Phil Pratt, who helped

the GB Men's Wheelchair Basketball team clinch bronze.

And a homecoming celebration for all the Welsh Olympians

and Paralympians has been announced, as Steffan Messenger reports.

'Great Britain secured themselves the bronze medal.'

After a tense match against Turkey, taken into overtime, it was a great

end to the games for Britain's wheelchair basketball players.

Amongst them, Cardiff's Phil Pratt, the first Welshman to make

the Paralympic team in over 20 years.

It was a sports day for young people, organised

by Disability Sport Wales, that first got him hooked.

Now he's a Paralympic bronze medicinemedallist.

Now he's a Paralympic bronze medallist.

For me, I want to motivate and inspire other people going up,

cos for me, there weren't any wheelchair basketball players

from Wales who had made it, so hopefully, I can be

the first one.

There will be other players breaking through and hopefully,

there will be more people in my shoes in years to come.

Welsh athletes have added seven medals to Britain's

tally in the Rio games - half the figure won at London 2012

but there were more goals and promising performances

from young competitors across a broader range of sports.

With the Olympics, too, it's been a golden few

months of sporting action.

Last night, crowds gathered in Flint to welcome their local hero home -

double Olympic tae kwon do champion Jay Jones overwhelmed

by the support.

There is sure to be plenty of cheering, too, at the official

homecoming celebration for Welsh Olympians

and Paralympians.

It's set outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Thursday

the 29th of September.

Football, and after a bad day yesterday for the Welsh sides,

that theme continued today, with Swansea losing 1-0

away to Southampton.

They haven't won in the Premier League since their opening day

victory over Burnley.

Quick look at the weather, and patchy rain will spread

in from the west tonight, but by morning that should clear,

leaving a largely fine, bright day, with sunny spells.

Highs of 18C.

We're back with another update at 10.20pm.

That's Wales Today.

Have a lovely evening.

Bye bye.

that, until later, to enjoy the rest of your evening. Goodbye.