MPs strive to deny powers to Assembly

Your business page (Western Mail, January 17) gives prominence to our Secretary of State Alun Cairns promoting the Severn Growth programme.

He always includes the south west of England to promote the Welsh economy, likewise his partner in the Welsh Office, Guto Bebb, promotes Liverpool and north east England.

This is their aim: they include English areas to demean our Assembly’s growth. They are in the same mould as John Redwood, who always underfunded Wales, while these two MPs do their best to deny powers to Cardiff.

Why do we always have such people who end up in the Welsh Office?

DA Jones

Llandeilo

I did not make best use of my ‘treasures’

THE leader article (Top teachers are a national treasure, Western Mail, January 18) brings back many memories of happy days at Gwendraeth Valley Grammar School, Drefach, Llanelli – only regretting years later that I hadn’t worked hard enough, yearning to leave as soon as I was 15.

I remember an outstanding history teacher and physics teachers, as well as a hopeless French one, who apparently could speak German also. His classroom was loud chaos and I doubt if anyone ever passed their French O-level. And, of course, where was the head teacher, and what could he have done to sort matters out?

But who am I to condemn for, foolishly, I left school as early as I could, regretting it more and more as I grow older.

Orwig Powell

Llanelli

Mines water heating homes is fabulous

I read with great interest on WalesOnline about the flood water from the former Caerau Colliery in Caerau, being used to heat homes, a church and a school and possibly up to 1,000 homes.

I am concerned however that £6.5m of EU funding, has been allocated. It is money well spent. There is a training facility by us, for youngsters, which is EU funded. It seems like all the funding in Wales is EU funded. I wonder why Wales voted to leave the EU. I am in favour of a second referendum. What is going to happen to our funding to Wales. I wish the Welsh Assembly, and the Westminster Government, would give us assurances. In Wales, the farmers need assurances, we need people to pick the fruit, and nurses, and doctors.

I am delighted that Tower Colliery will possibly be a site to build houses on. Could this scheme be rolled out to Tower?

It must have been incredibly hot, underground, I would have thought it would be cold.

I asked why this system of laying pipes in the earth could not be used for us householders, but was told it would be too expensive to dig into our gardens, perhaps more savvy engineers can explain to us. I am fed up with sky high fuel prices, the results of a feasibility study are expected by the end of February, so it would seem it is too early to jump the gun as it were, but it is fabulous news, and there are many rivers and streams to harness for electricity. That are not intrusive to the environment, it is good to read something positive.

Richard Shurey

Tonypandy

Bemused at closure of driving test centre

In an article which left me increasingly bemused WalesOnline reported recently that Pontypridd Driving Test Centre is to close. Bemused because of the obvious contradictions in statements made by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in relation to this since the outset.

I have been involved in this since it was first mooted in late 2015 – the DVSA then spoke of relocating “in the new year” ie 2016. Obviously that timescale has slipped a bit. Numerous people including myself, driving instructors and their union representatives have tried to get more information from them and put forward arguments as to why it should not go ahead.

Their original response from the DVSA Head of Corporate Office Colin Maddock stated, “The building has structural issue of long standing that are evident and continuing despite underpinning work some years ago. The building is not yet presenting a risk to occupation but we are aware of the continuing need to keep this under review and cannot remain there in the long term.

“Our preferred option is to relocate the test centre to the goods vehicle testing station near Llantrisant. We are, however, willing to consider other locations in Pontypridd, providing they would be operationally suitable and cost neutral.”

I was surprised then to read in the recent article that the DVSA have now said it will close as “it is failing to meet the national requirements for the driving test”. They should make up their mind which it is.

In the meantime I will continue to meet with driving instructors and look at how we can put across the case against this move. As I said when it was first proposed if this goes ahead then it will be yet another facility gone from the town which has suffered enough already. Not only that but it will exacerbate the traffic situation in Miskin and Llantrisant which is already horrendous.

The DVSA say they have had to cancel tests at the start and finish of the day because of the traffic congestion in Pontypridd – have they actually seen the traffic in all directions through Talbot Green?

This decision – as so many others – is motivated by money not the needs of the people the service provides for.

Coun Mike Powell

Welsh Liberal Democrat, Trallwn

Follow Germany’s example on SMEs

Following the so-called “Act of Union” Wales was ruled, very oppressively, for centuries, as an English colony by, initially, the English Crown, and then by Westminster and the all-powerful, London-centric Establishment. Several aspects of this dominance still remain, including significant ownership of our land, even after 20 years of devolution (which I fully support), though this has been, and continues to be, a very tortuous process.

Regarding ownership of our businesses, well, we are, in effect, “owned by others” – eg most of our earnings end up in the pockets of non-Welsh firms – food, drinks, supermarkets, clothes, household goods, energy supplies, fuel, homes, mortgages, insurances, media, holidays etc.

Far too often our small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) sell out to “external predators” for short-term gains, instead of staying indigenous, growing and keeping the profit centres here to benefit our economy. Germany’s SMEs (the powerful Mittelstand) don’t sell out to foreign firms. With the support of their government, they have stayed indigenous, grown and become the backbone of the very successful German economy.

Why haven’t we done the same? Because of public apathy and a lack of determination and direction from our Assembly and Government. Being owned by others must result in a severe lack of pride and confidence. Without this, and the corresponding lack of respect from other nations, how on earth can we develop to become a strong, effective small nation?

As a civil engineer, builder and retired proprietor of a small SME, I was appalled to learn that our major civil engineering firm, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd (£150m annual turnover) has recently sold out to Tarmac. As such, the haemorrhage continues and as usual, there have been no adverse reactions from the public or from our Assembly and Government, just a tacit acceptance that we are owned by others. We deserve to be in this shameful situation, which contributes to Wales remaining, in many ways, the poorest “region” in the UK.

Gareth Davies

Pontardawe

Give this contract to local supplier

Why on earth would the government even consider giving a contact to supply armoured vehicles to a German firm rather than General Dynamics which has sites in Merthyr and Oakdale?

John Bevan

Cyncoed, Cardiff