“One Wales”, the Welsh Assembly Government’s ambitious programme for Government, commits us to seeking the responsibility for legislating on the Welsh language. The Legislative Competence Order is the mechanism to transfer these powers.

The aim is to create a Welsh law (called a Measure) to “confirm official status” for both the Welsh and English languages, secure linguistic rights in the provision of services, and to establish a Language Commissioner”.

Only after gaining the right to legislate could the Welsh Assembly Government start to discuss details and begin drafting legislation to promote the language.  There would be many opportunities to discuss the details of how best to promote and facilitate the language, whilst ensuring that none of this subtracts from the rights of English speakers.

The LCO would also enable the National Assembly, through a subsequent Measure, to safeguard the rights of individuals to speak Welsh with each other – a freedom that is not currently protected in statute.

County Borough Councillor, Andrew Morgan, Cabinet Member for Highways & Customer Care said:

“As a clear consequence of the dire settlement from the Assembly, we are faced with the need to review our car parking charging arrangements across the County.

“Every Council across Wales is facing similar difficult decisions, squarely because of a poor local government funding settlement from the Assembly.

“While the disparity in charges across the County needs to be addressed, I have written to the Deputy First Minister in his role as Minister for Economic Development to seek a financial assistance package to support town centre car parking.

“Charging in car parks has remained the same since 2000 but tough decisions in relation to our car parking arrangement framework are now likely to be forced upon us as a reality of the low settlement.

“I will be seeking cross party support to lobby the Deputy First Minister to secure this additional funding.

“The low settlement means we cannot provide free parking in our town centre parking facility from the Council’s own budget and this is why the Assembly needs to consider funding such an initiative.”

His comment came after former councillor John Codd passed on to him a leaflet he had received at his home in Abercwmboi.

Aberdare-born Dr Davies said: “The leaflet offers a loan at a rate of the equivalent of 183.2 per cent a year, which is outrageous.

“The company is clearly trying to prey on people who cannot – or think they cannot – get a loan by other more reasonable means in these troubled times.

“They give an example of lending £300 to be repaid over 56 weeks, and the total repayment would be a staggering £504.

“The One Wales Government at the National Assembly, which is run by a coalition of Labour and my party, Plaid Cymru, has a policy of supporting credit unions and I am glad to say they now have all-Wales coverage.

“I would urge people to get in touch with their credit union, which offers low-interest loans to members, rather than pay exorbitant rates of interest on their loans.

Anyone wanting more information on credit unions can contact their freephone helpline on 0808 1454550.

Valleys based AM Leanne Wood said:

“My thoughts are with the workers who have lost their jobs; I sincerely hope that they can find alternative work soon. I am particularly concerned that we are seeing the loss of local offices. These distinct titles are well respected in the areas they serve and to lose a local office it will have a knock on effect on coverage.

Many people pop in to the office with stories for the paper won’t now be able to. This is little more than centralisation and a cost cutting exercise. There is a worry that losing an editor will be the start of a merger of distinct titles that serve their local community. I’m sure they’ll be cross party opposition to these moves. I hope we’ll be able to effectively campaign against these proposals.”

Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks added:

“We know that local papers are most trusted by the public and are widely read. A recent survey found that 64% of people in Wales use local newspapers as a source of knowledge about politics and current affairs in Wales. With the decline in ITV Wales political coverage it will mean that less and less people will get Welsh news. We now are staring at a Welsh information deficit about how decisions are made. With a referendum on the way how will people get the facts needed to make a sensible decision?”

Leanne Wood has tabled a cross party statement of opinion regarding the cuts and Chris Franks has written to the Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones about their concern.

A Public Inquiry will be held by the National Assembly’s Planning Inspectorate into a planning application for a series of wind turbines near Aberdare.

The application, submitted by Pennant Walters Ltd. is for the erection of nine wind turbines, an anemometer and associated infrastructure and buildings on land south of the A465 in Hirwaun at Hirwaun Common, Mynydd Cefn y Gyngon and Mynydd Bwllfa.

The turbines are 115 metres high and will generate up to 3MW each of renewable (wind generated) energy.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has objected to the proposed development on the grounds that it would have an unacceptably detrimental impact on the standards of amenity to occupiers of properties in the vicinity of the application site can reasonably expect to enjoy.

It also objected on the grounds of the adverse effect on the use and enjoyment of the Dare Valley Country Park. Pennant Walters has appealed against this decision

The Public Inquiry – which is scheduled to last for eight days – will begin at 10am on Tuesday 14th October 2008 in Hirwaun Village Hall.