Dai Havard

Labour Party | Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney

‘Havard in the House’ Article for Merthyr and Rhymney Express/s ‘Sustained Investment is the Best Investment’ 

As Parliament resumed, our Labour government announced major benefits for our communities. Setting aside the media hype about early elections, the minimum wage was increased along with the minimum leave entitlement. The increase in the minimum wage will benefit 50,000 people in Wales and the additional leave increase will benefit 300,000 people; some 20% of workers in Wales. The National Minimum Wage helpline 0845 6000 678 can help with issues about entitlement and enforcement of these increased working conditions. In addition to those changes the three year spending review set out increases in Child Tax Credit, benefiting 200,400 families in Wales and increases in Pensioner Credit. There are also changes to help the poorest families in receipt of child maintenance, helping them with housing benefit and council tax and other benefits. The National Assembly for Wales will get a further £2bn raising their grant to almost £16bn in 2010/11. An 81% increase in its budget since 2000/01. It is this sustained investment in our people and economy that we need from our Labour government. Improving our economic capacity and the health of our communities after the disastrous Tory years of damage remains our main task. That would have been substantially set back by the diversion of an un-necessary early general election. The increase in the money to the National Assembly has however been derided by the Nationalists on the grounds that it is less than the record increases in previous years. Let’s be clear about what it really means. Wales already receives a £1000 funding per head more than England but also benefits from a well managed UK economy and the work and investment from UK government departments. The question for those in Cardiff who might spitefully complain about a sustained increase is how well will you spend it in a sustained way?