A view from Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home – you can find them all here. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌​‌‌‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌‌​​‍‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‌​​ ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌​‌‌‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌‌​​‍‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‌​​

In this month’s column Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd, Lesley Griffiths, writes:

More money for the NHS and council-run services, including schools and social care, are some of the key measures outlined in the Welsh Government’s Draft Budget for the upcoming financial year.

There will be an extra £450m for the NHS and the core local government settlement will increase by 3.1% on average.

Wrexham Council’s budget will rise by 3.2% when compared with last year. I am sure this increase, which is slightly above the national average, will be welcomed locally.

However, even with this additional funding, health boards and councils face a challenging year ahead.

I wish I could be more optimistic at the beginning of a New Year but we cannot escape the fact the 2024-25 Draft Budget presented the most stark and painful budget choices for Wales in the devolution era.

Stubbornly high inflation means Wales’ overall budget is worth £1.3 billion less in real terms than when it was set in 2021. The settlement, which largely comes from the UK Government in the form of a block grant, is, quite simply, inadequate.

Economic growth has stagnated under 13 years of UK Conservative governments.

A decade of austerity and a botched Brexit has left public services across the UK very fragile and unable to withstand further shocks.

Despite the incredibly tough financial situation, the Welsh Government has reshaped its spending plans to invest more in the NHS and protect the core frontline services provided by local authorities each and every day.

The NHS and frontline council services, including schools and social care, are at the heart of the Welsh Government’s 2024-25 draft Budget, which was published today.

More here https://t.co/5BOX831mxq

— Welsh Treasury (@WelshTreasury) December 19, 2023

Earlier this month we marked ‘Blue Monday’, which is often recognised to be the most difficult day of the year.

While the New Year can be a time for optimism and fresh opportunities, it can also be stressful and financially challenging.

It is vital people realise they are not alone.  The charity, Samaritans initiated the ‘Brew Monday’ campaign which aimed to turn the day into something more positive and encouraged people to get together over a cuppa.

The Welsh Labour Government offers a range of support mechanisms aimed at helping people through these tough times.

There is a dedicated page online outlining support that is available to help people with the cost-of-living crisis, such as utility bills support and council tax reduction.

The Welsh Government continues to fund free school meals and the School Essentials Grant can provide financial help of up to £200 for school uniform and equipment.

In addition, the NHS 111 ‘Press 2’ service offers urgent mental health support for people of all ages across Wales, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Further information can be found online but if you’re a constituent in Wrexham and there is something I could help you with, please contact me via email: [email protected] or call 01978 355743.

We know the cost of living continues to affect many people across Wales.

Advicelink Cymru is here to help – they can help you check and claim any extra support that’s available to you

https://t.co/ECTU4vaTq4
0808 250 5700 pic.twitter.com/22AA7M0bSh

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) January 17, 2024

Issues have persisted with rail services between Wrexham and Bidston for some time.

Last summer, a five-point plan was launched which aimed to improve performances along the Borderlands line and after raising constituents’ concerns with Transport for Wales, I recently received an update on its progress.

Thankfully, reliability appears to be improving.  An enhanced timetable was introduced in December, which has increased the number of services on the line in both directions every day, leading to greater resilience.

Before the timetable change, trains were on time approximately 40% of the time but that has now increased to nearer 80%, despite there being some disruption caused by winter storms. The appointment of a dedicated route officer is also proving its worth.

However, we are not out of the woods yet and an issue has recently been identified with some of the newer refurbished trains on the line, which is currently being addressed.

I am grateful for the largely positive update and for the ongoing commitment of Transport for Wales staff to improve the situation.

There is still work to be done and I will continue to monitor proceedings.

Good news from the Wrexham-Bidston rail line https://t.co/1A7h5amTmD

— Welsh Government Transport (@WGTransport) January 15, 2024

Finally, before Christmas I was involved in a campaign encouraging people in Wrexham to donate blood.

I was pleased to discover over 234 donations were made locally in December, potentially saving the lives of 702 people or 1,404 new-born babies in Wales.

Thank you to everyone who donated.  Clearly, blood donations are needed all year round and if you’re feeling inspired, bookings can be made at various locations across Wrexham throughout the year.

All the information can be found on the Welsh Blood Service website.

https://twitter.com/lesley4wrexham/status/1744382781004644454