Points to Ponder

[SteveH]

Group that wants to abolish MPs wins government cash
Even Extinction Rebellion believes the Sortition Foundation?s ideas are too radical

The taxpayer has been funding a group that campaigns for the end of parliamentary democracy and which even Extinction Rebellion considers to be too radical.

The Sortition Foundation has provided recruitment services for parliament and other governmental bodies, helping them to organise ?citizens? assemblies? that are used to inform decision makers on issues such as climate change.

Participants are paid to take part and chosen through a process of ?stratified random selection? so that assemblies, made up of between 20 to 200 people, are representative of communities in the UK and can be used to guide government policy.

The not-for-profit company was awarded ?26,000 by the Department for Environment, was among the beneficiaries of a ?120,000 contract from the House of Commons and received ?10,000

cont https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/group-that-wants-to-abolish-mps-wins-government-cash-525btrj7k

[SteveH]

As I understand it, the underfunded NHS is going to pay the student costs?

Apprentice-doctor roles may be rolled out as part of the government's plan to fill NHS staffing gaps in England.

NHS trusts will be given funding to run the five-year apprenticeship roles under the proposals.

At the end of the programme, the apprentices will become junior doctors, providing an alternative to the traditional medical-degree route.

It is part of a package of measures that could be introduced under the NHS workforce plan.

The plan is expected to be published in the coming weeks - and if the apprenticeship proposal gets the green light, they could be launched as early as September.

The plan is also likely to lead to the expansion of the nurse apprenticeship scheme that already exists.

It means school leavers will be able to enrol to become doctors without having to pay to go to university - it is not uncommon for medical students to graduate with debts above ?80,000, according to the British Medical Association.

Sources said it was among the options being considered to help tackle staff shortages and broaden access to NHS jobs.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65548705

[SteveH]

More people from EU are leaving UK than arriving

Migration added 1.2 million people to the UK?s population in 2022 ? that?s about 118,000 more than were added in 2021 and nearly double the pre-pandemic levels.

But it has levelled off in recent quarters - there hasn?t been much of an increase in the second half of the year.

Overall, more people from the European Union are leaving than are arriving - EU migration took 51,000 people out of the UK population last year.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-65669832

[SteveH]

Wales 'missing out on fortune' over water powers - expert

Full control over water policy still has not been transferred to the Welsh government, six years after it was due to have been completed.

One expert said Wales could be missing out on a fortune.

The cabinet minister who steered the bill through Parliament which transferred the powers said he was "aghast" it has not happened yet.

The Welsh and UK governments said there are currently no plans for them to be handed over in the foreseeable future.

The politics of water is an emotionally charged issue in Wales.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65727191

[Hugo]

Let's hope that history is not repeated, remember Tryweryn

[Hugo]

Abersoch beach hut set to smash all records with six figure price tag
It is double fronted with extra space inside - but still costs a good bit more than the average house in Gwynedd
I bet that it won't be bought by a local person


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/abersoch-beach-hut-set-smash-26981057

[SteveH]

The Met Police's plan to stop attending emergency mental health incidents is "potentially alarming", a former head of the police inspectorate has said.

From September, officers will only attend mental health 999 calls where there is an "immediate threat to life".

Zoe Billingham, who was previously Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue, said the proposals could create a "vacuum".

Mental health charity Mind has also expressed concerns over the plan.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley wrote to health and social care services in Greater London to inform them of the plan last week, the Guardian reported.

The Met argues the move will free up officer resources after a significant rise in the number of mental health incidents being dealt with by its officers in the past five years.

Some police chiefs believe this is down to the service increasingly being seen as the first resort for people in a crisis, as well as a lack of capacity in the NHS and social services to deal with growing mental health demands.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65741824

[SteveH]

Illegal migrants plan could cost ?6bn over two years, say government projections

The cost of detaining and deporting people arriving in the UK in small boats under planned new legislation could hit ?6bn over the next two years, internal government projections say.

The Illegal Migration Bill is currently going through Parliament.

The BBC understands the Home Office estimates it will have to spend between ?3bn and ?6bn on detention facilities, and ongoing accommodation and removals.

It gives ministers the power to remove anyone arriving in the UK illegally.

These migrants would be barred from claiming asylum here.

The government insists it needs to act as record numbers of people are arriving in small boats and the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels is running at almost ?7m a day.
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65789136

Another article quotes Robert Jenrick..........
Not 'unreasonable' for asylum seekers to share rooms
Video content

He was commenting on a story of a group of migrants who apparently refused to use a Pimlico hotel where the Home Office had asked them to sleep "four people per room".

Jenrick says: "As I understand what happened here was that these migrants, who had themselves said that they were destitute, they had nowhere to stay, we had offered them a safe bed with board and lodgings in a good-quality hotel in central London... These are single adult males, I don't think that's unreasonable.

"We've got to look after the taxpayer here."             

[Hugo]

While all this hot air is going on in Parliament,  I wonder what repercussions Italy had after deporting 15,000 illegal Albanian  male migrants in 1991
15,000 illegal migrants landed in 5 ships at the Italian port of Bari in 1991 and were immediately rounded up and put in an arena.     Within days the Italian authorities rounded them up again and put them all back on the ships and sent them back to Albania
Was Italy fined for doing so?           


https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/albanian-refugees-italy-1991/

[SteveH]

Doctor warns bubonic plague could once again become risk to public
Russia, China and the US have all reported outbreaks in recent years

"We do see that the borders of plague hotspots have been changing with global warming and climate change, and other anthropogenic effects on the environment. We are aware that cases of plague in the world have been growing.

"This is one of the risks on today's agenda." Russia, China and the US have all reported outbreaks in recent years.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/doctor-warns-bubonic-plague-could-27063109?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Welsh Government says a migration system that rewards people for working in Wales should be considered by UK Government. The Government also says asylum seekers should be allowed to work if their application has taken more than six months to process.

These suggestions are part of their response to the Migration Advisory Committee?s Call for Evidence in relation to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) - which eases UK immigration rules for sectors struggling to find enough workers. The Government in Wales highlighted a number of key sectors where staff were urgently needed but businesses were struggling to recruit.

This includes the tourism and hospitality sectors which have been badly impacted by the pandemic and Brexit - leaving many operators finding it difficult to recruit. Welsh Government also wants childcare and healthcare added to the list as well as the veterinary sector.

They asked UK Government that if they be incorporated in a Wales only SOL if they are not included the UK wide SOL.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welsh-government-reward-migrants-who-27074020?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A residents? association is campaigning for Conwy to encourage developers to build new homes for local people on brownfield sites.

The Old Colwyn Residents? Association believes too many expensive homes are being built beyond the affordability of locals and says developers need to be encouraged to stop using greenfield locations

The association claims many of these brownfield sites ? often wasteland ? are being left undeveloped for years due to a planning loophole.

The term ?brownfield? refers to land which has already been developed or occupied by a permanent structure.

Now the residents? association wants the council to keep a register of all the brownfield sites available for development, rather than continue to build on greenfield sites, which are often agricultural land.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23573637.conwy-campaign-save-greenfield-sites-build-homes-locals/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Wales' glass refund plan proceeding without Westminster agreement

The Welsh government intends to press on with plans for a refundable bottles and cans fee after the UK government blocked similar ones in Scotland.

The scheme is set to start in Wales in two years, but Scotland's scheme was delayed this week after Westminster said glass could not be included.

The UK government said its decision would affect Wales' plans too.

Climate Change minister Julie James said she would take the UK government "to task".

The UK government has decided not to include glass bottles in its own deposit return scheme, and told the Scottish government it wanted glass excluded so a consistent UK-wide approach was taken.

Westminster used post-Brexit legislation called the Internal Markets Bill to stop Scotland's plans.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65872759

[SteveH]

I hope they do something to help able bodied people also.....

DWP reveals plan to get 25,000 PIP, ESA and Universal Credit claimants back to work
The scheme will be rolled out gradually across all parts of the UK

Thousands of people claiming health and disability benefits will be offered help to find a job under a new DWP scheme. Government funding of ?58million is being used for the initiative, which will encourage more people on such benefits as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit's LCWRA element (limited capability for work and work-related activity) to move into employment.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dwp-reveals-plan-25000-pip-27108420

[Hugo]

That's a very good point Steve and the county's greatest asset is its workforce.

I can't get my head around the situation when I hear the news that there are a million  or so job vacancies in the UK and yet there are about the same number of people who are physically and mentally capable of working.    What is stopping the Government from using this resource?