Published 9 March Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Russia-Ukraine war The Welsh Conservatives have called for the UK government to go "further and faster" to help Ukrainian refugees. Senedd Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said he was "not proud" of the scenes of people fleeing the war struggling to get to the UK in Calais. He said he wants to pressure Westminster colleagues to act. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Wednesday, promised the numbers coming in will "rise to in the region of the hundreds of thousands". One man from the Vale of Glamorgan, who said he was waiting in a hotel in Germany for a visa for his father and grandfather, said the system was "shocking" and disorganised. Steve Lucas, from Magor, Monmouthshire, who is in Poland trying to secure a visa for his Ukrainian wife Anastasia, said the whole system had made him "ashamed to … [Read more...] about Ukrainian refugees: Welsh Tories say UK response not good enough
Welsh government
Powys: Last-minute plan to save three schools facing closure
Published 3 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A councillor is making a late bid to save three Powys primary schools set for closure. Cradoc, Llanfihangel Rhydithon and Llanbedr Church in Wales schools are each facing the axe. Now Iain McIntosh is to put a motion forward to reverse the plan. As part of his proposal he will ask that no primary school in the county able to deliver the new curriculum is closed during the next five-year council term. Mr McIntosh has been seeking clarity over whether small schools can deliver the curriculum since Powys education department advised it would be difficult for them as they did not have many staff. Powys council's former education portfolio holder, Phyl Davies, echoed this view to him in March. Llanbedr: Powys primary school to shut despite objections Powys parents pledge legal action to stop school closure … [Read more...] about Powys: Last-minute plan to save three schools facing closure
Heroin in Wales: Caring for dad ‘led to habit’
By Gemma Ryall Published 9 September 2017 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing As new figures show a rise in the number of opiate-related deaths in Wales, one man reveals the horror of becoming a heroin addict, and how he managed to turn his life around. Caring for a father who was doubly incontinent was too much for Gareth Joseph - he says it was the catalyst that pushed him into becoming a heroin addict. At the time he was about 30 and had only ever used drugs recreationally. But when his mother - usually his father's main carer - had to go to hospital, her son had to step in to help. "I found that very, very difficult - the changing of adult nappies and catheter bags and feeding him," he said. "And within my repertoire of behaviours was drug taking and using opiates and heroin to help me enjoy myself - but I started using it then to cope and that was the big tipping … [Read more...] about Heroin in Wales: Caring for dad ‘led to habit’
Fatal heroin overdoses to rise again, charity warns
Published 3 January 2017 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Fatal heroin overdoses will rise in 2017 because of the strength of the drug and the number of users unknown to the services, a charity has warned. Drugaid Cymru said all agencies involved have to "get to grips" with the problem. It follows latest figures showing a 50% rise in all drug-related deaths in 2015 after five years of falls . The Welsh Government said its priority was to see a fall again and would consider options to tackle the issue. Ifor Glyn, regional director of Drugaid Cymru, which covers mid and south Wales, also said it had to be a priority. "It's a massive issue for us as a provider and the Welsh Government," he said. "Deaths are likely to go up as there is a lot more heroin around, the purity of heroin has been stronger and there's a lot more people who are not known to the services. … [Read more...] about Fatal heroin overdoses to rise again, charity warns
Drugs ‘fix rooms’ backers study options for Wales
By David Dulin Published 6 August 2017 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Campaigners who want "fix rooms" for heroin users in Wales to inject safely under supervision, have scoured the world to learn how they could be run. Similar schemes already operate in 10 other countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. Various organisations, along with North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones, say it would save lives. There were 271 drug-related deaths in 2016 , up 30 on the previous 12 months. The figures also represent the second successive annual rise in deaths following five years of falls . Glasgow is set to open the UK's first drugs consumption room but the UK government has ruled out the idea in England despite 3,450 fatalities. The Welsh Government said the issue was "not straightforward". What are … [Read more...] about Drugs ‘fix rooms’ backers study options for Wales
Tackling prescription drug dependency ‘needs more priority’
Published 21 March 2019 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing More priority should be given to dealing with prescription drug dependency in Wales, AMs have said. The report was in response to a 200-name petition started by Stevie Lewis from Monmouth - who went through "a long and crippling withdrawal" after 11 years of antidepressant dependency. AMs said ministers had no strategy to deal with the problem, despite a growing recognition of it. The Welsh Government said tackling this type of drug dependence was a priority. Ms Lewis told the petitions committee she was prescribed a Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant for intermittent insomnia and premenstrual tension. In 2002, she realised she was "physically dependent on the drug" and tried for years to come off it, only to experience increasingly severe withdrawal symptoms. "In 2009 I … [Read more...] about Tackling prescription drug dependency ‘needs more priority’
Music teaching: Instruments plan for all pupils in Wales
Published 3 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing All children in Wales will have free access to a musical instrument from September as part of the Welsh government's new music education plan. Funding for music teaching will triple from £1.5m to £4.5m per annum, for the next three years. Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the new National Music Service would ensure music was accessible to all children in Wales. Primary school pupils will also get half a term's tuition by a musician. The Welsh government has said children from low-income families and those with additional learning needs will be given priority. "Learning an instrument was a formative part of my upbringing and a lack of money should not be a barrier to any young person who wants to learn to play music," said First Minister Mark Drakeford. BBC teach: Free Primary School Music Resources … [Read more...] about Music teaching: Instruments plan for all pupils in Wales