Carl Sargeant

AM Welcomes New Highways Guidelines

2009-11-22T01:32:00.000-08:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes New Guidelines for Setting Speed Limits and Calls for the Council to Improve Road Safety without delay
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced new highways guidelines that will enable local councils to set appropriate speed limits on danger roads.
This guidance encourages Local Authorities to review their speed limits on urban and rural roads particularly through residential communities. Particular emphasis is placed upon increasing the use of 20mph limits across Wales particularly by Schools.Alyn & Deeside Assembly Member Carl Sargeant has campaigned for Flintshire Council to make urgent safety improvements to the A5104 in Treuddyn and Chester Road Penyfford and made numerous calls for Flintshire Council to improve road safety outside Schools throughout Alyn & Deeside.The County Council’s consistent response has been that they were awaiting the new guidelines before any action could be taken.Carl Sargeant AM said; “ I welcome the new guidelines aimed at reducing the speed of traffic in our communities and I am now urging Flintshire Council to ensure that urgent safety measures are introduced on dangerous roads without delay, there can be no more excuses from Flintshire Council, they have the ability to introduce safer speed limits in the County and I hope that the will soon implement them.”.
The guidelines are to be used for setting all local speed limits on single and dual carriageway roads in both urban and rural areas. It brings together the main features of other published guidance on speed limit related issues including speed related road traffic regulation and signing, street lighting, speed limits in rural communities, and 20mph speed limits and zones.

Funding Boost For Helpline

2009-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES FUNDING BOOST FOR CAB HELPLINE
Carl Sargeant has welcomed the announcement that the Labour-led Assembly Government has announced £747,000 of funding to allow Citizens Advice Cymru to establish a single number advice line to help people during the current economic downturn.
Carl Sargeant Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside said;
“In difficult times I know only too well that the Citizens Advice Service provides a valuable service to my constituents in Alyn & Deeside and this funding announcement will strengthen the existing services, a single helpline is positive news for people who wish to contact the CAB for help and assistance.”
A single bilingual advice line will strengthen the advice network as it faces unprecedented pressure from people adjusting to changes in circumstances during the recession. Overall advice enquiries to the Citizens Advice Bureaux in Wales in 2008-2009 rose to almost 300,000, an annual increase of 11%.

Tougher Sentences

2009-11-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

CARL SARGEANT AM Welcomes Tougher Knife crime Sentences and Calls for Tough Custodial Sentences for Carrying a Knife in Public.

The 15-year minimum prison sentence for knife murders has been reviewed following the Ben Kinsella case, the justice ¬secretary, Jack Straw has announced.
Carl Sargeant Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has welcomed the announcement that the minimum prison sentence for anyone using a knife to kill is to rise from 15 years to 25; the decision follows a campaign by the relatives of knife crime victims, including the parents of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella, who called for stronger penalties for knife crime.Ben Kinsella's parents highlighted the disparity between sentencing for murders involving guns and knives after his killers' Old Bailey trial in June. Ben was stabbed 11 times as he fled a fight in Islington, north London, in June last year.Carl Sargeant AM said“I welcome this decision by the Justice Secretary. Knife crime is a threat to our society that should warrant tougher sentencing by the Courts, I would also call for the introduction of tough custodial sentences to stop people actually carrying a knife onto our streets. There should be no reason for anyone to carry a knife on their person when in public.”

Support for Shopworkers

2009-11-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

Carl Sargeant AM put himself in the shoes of shopworkers trying to decide whether a young person is old enough to buy alcohol.
The event in the Welsh Assembly was part of retail union Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear campaign. This year the campaign is focussing on the difficult decisions shopworkers face on a daily basis when trying to decide whether someone looks old enough to buy alcohol or other age-restricted goods.
Carl Sargeant AM said:
“This exercise made me realise just how hard it is to tell the age of a young person. Shopworkers have to make that on-the-spot judgement all the time. Refusing to serve someone who is underage is often a flashpoint for abuse, both physical and verbal, but even asking for ID is often enough to make many people kick-off at the shopworker.
“On the other hand, if the shopworker serves someone who is underage, they are liable to an £80 fixed penalty notice, with repeated breaches incurring a court appearance or a fine of up to £1,000.
“Shopworkers aren’t paid huge amounts and they are in a difficult position of having to guess who to challenge. I hope that shoppers in will be patient with shopworkers and produce ID if asked.
“I am also asking the Government to look at whether the balance is right on this issue. I believe that there is too much responsibility on the shopworker and not enough on the person who is attempting to buy underage. I want there to be a high profile campaign making it clear to youngsters that it is illegal for them to attempt to purchase alcohol underage. I also want to see local retailers display that information prominently in their stores”
John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary, added:
“We are delighted that Carl Sargeant AM is supporting our campaign on behalf of shopworkers in Alyn & Deeside
“We want to raise awareness of this issue amongst young people at schools and colleges, so that they know to carry proof of age when buying restricted goods.
“We want employers to understand the pressures that their staff face and to support them with simple reporting systems, prompt response when a threatened worker calls for help and banning persistent offenders from stores.
“In addition, Usdaw is campaigning with the Government. We are asking them to introduce a single, national proof of age card, to make it easier for workers to check the person’s age when needed.
“And we want to see a change in the law to make it an offence for an under age person to attempt to buy any age-restricted product or for an adult to proxy purchase any age-restricted product. This would make things simpler and fairer, allowing the authorities to take action against purchasers as well as sellers.”

Help For Welsh Businesses

2009-11-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes Relief For Welsh Businesses
Carl Sargeant AM has welcomed the announcement that businesses will receive further relief from rates next year.
The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government has announced it will be lowering the level at which business rates bills are calculated.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses, around 64,000 businesses in Wales will see a real-terms reduction in their business rates bill.
Carl Sargeant said: “Once again Welsh Labour is offering practical solutions to helping businesses in Alyn & Deeside through this economic downturn.
“More than 45,000 businesses in Wales are already benefiting from the Assembly Government's small business rates relief scheme, and around 20,000 receive other types of relief.
"Businesses in Flintshire can also be granted discretionary hardship relief if the local authority believes it is in the local interest."

AM Highlights Youth Services

2009-11-03T04:07:00.000-08:00

CARL SARGEANT AM HIGHLIGHTS ‘TXT FLINTSHIRE’ AS PART OF YOUTH WALES WEEK.
Flintshire Children and Young Peoples partnership will text young people, parents and professionals as to what services are available in Flintshire. After signing up for the free service users will receive information via Text on events and issues that may interest then in Flintshire.Carl Sargeant AM said: Most young people have mobile phones and this is another way Youth Services can share what work is going on in Flintshire to interested parties.The service is managed by Flintshire Children & Young People’s Partnership. The Partnership is made up of different services who work with children and young people in Flintshire, who ultimately try and make things better and improve services for children, young people and their families. For more information, look at www.youngflintshire.co.uk
TXT Flintshire - All you need to knowWhat is TXT Flintshire?TXT Flintshire is a new service for young people, parents and professionals in Flintshire. Through the service, the Children and Young People’s Partnership will be able to send you information about what’s going on in Flintshire. TXT Flintshire has been developed as a result of what children and young people in Flintshire have told us.What kind of messages will I receive if I sign up?Young Person (12+)As a young person, you will be able to sign up to get information on topics of your choice. We will also be sending you any important messages about events and other things that may be important for you to know about in Flintshire.
As a Parent we will be sending you information on the topics you sign up for , but also events and other useful information based on the age of your eldest child.
As a Professional we will send you information on the topics you have signed up for and also training courses and events that may help you in your work.
How will I know when I have got a message?The messages you receive from this service will come from ‘txtflints’.
Can I get messages in Welsh?Yes! If you sign up to receive messages in Welsh, we will send them to you in Welsh.
Why do you need my information and what will you do with it?We need your information so we can make sure that we are sending you the right information. We may hear of something that is going on in the place you live, or is only open to people who are the same age as you. Can I text back to TXT Flintshire?I’m afraid not at the moment. We may change this in the future though. If you would like to contact us with a question or query, you can call the Children & Young People’s Partnership on 01352 704147 or email us through the YoungFlintshire Website. If you need information on a certain topic that is not TXT Flintshire, you can call the Youth Info Shop on 01352 717818, where trained information workers can help you. How much will it cost me?It won’t cost you anything. It won’t even cost you a stamp to send us your registration form back in.How can I sign up?You can sign up by filling in one of the registration forms. You can pick up the forms from local schools, libraries and lots of other places. You can also call 01352 704147 and we can send one out to you. All you need to do is fill it in, make sure it is stuck together, and put it in the post box. You won’t even need to put a stamp on it.Forms can also be downloaded from www.youngflintshire.co.uk . Once you have printed off your form, you can either sticky tape it together or put it in an envelope and write the address on it. Again, you won’t need a stamp – its all free.Who is the service managed by?The service is managed by Flintshire Children & Young People’s Partnership. The Partnership is made up of different services who work with children and young people in Flintshire, who ultimately try and make things better and improve services for children, young people and their families. For more information, look at www.youngflintshire.co.ukHow can I stop getting messages?If you would like to stop receiving messages at any point, call 01352 704147 and we will take you off the list.What happens if I change my number?It would be great, that if you do change your number, you can let us know. You can do this by calling 01352 704147.Every now and again, we will be checking to see if all of our messages are getting through. If we find that your inbox isn’t taking our messages, we will do our best to contact you to check that your number is still the same. If we can’t get hold of you though, we will have no choice but to delete your details.Data ProtectionAny personal data supplied by you will be held stored, used and/or processed as and when necessary by Flintshire County Council for the purposes of carrying out our public and statutory functions and in accordance with the Data Protection Act and its principles. Disclosure or sharing of information with external organisations will only take place if we are allowed to or required to by law.If you require any further information or help, please contact (no stamp required): TXT Flintshire Freepost NWW7807A Children & Young People’s Partnership Phase 3 County Hall MoldCH7 6NDTel: 01352 704147 / 702634Email: emma_jones@flintshire.gov.uk debbie.roberts@flintshire.gov.uk

AM Welcomes Announcement

2009-11-03T04:04:00.001-08:00

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES NEW OPERATING THEATRES FOR NORTH WALES.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside welcomes the recent announcement by Welsh Assembly Government of £5.44 million pounds for three new operating theatres in North Wales.The money will help to provide two Laparoscopic Theatres and a Urology Day Care Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.The extra theatre space will increase capacity on the Ysbyty Glan Clwyd site by 20 per cent allowing more operations to be performed and helping to substantially reduce the amount of time patients are waiting for surgery.At the moment, all the theatres at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd are used to their full capacity.Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside, said:Investment in the front line services will help create the National Health Service people expect. These new operating theatres will enable consultants to use the most up-to-date equipment and techniques in medicine. The Government spokesperson, said:“It is essential we have the necessary resources in place to ensure patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.“By the end of the year, no patient in Wales will wait more than 26 weeks from their primary care referral to the start of their treatment. These extra theatres at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd will play a major part in ensuring that this target is maintained in north Wales."

All Smiles

2009-10-26T04:22:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES DESIGNED TO SMILE PROGRAMME.
‘Designed to Smile’ to be extended across Wales
Alyn & Deeside Assembly Member Carl Sargeant welcomed the Welsh Assembly announced that the ‘Designed to Smile’ - the Oral Health Improvement Programme aimed at young children in Wales - is to be extended across Wales, following two successful pilot schemes in North and South Wales.
This announcement will see funding for the scheme double to £3.1 million for 2009/10 rising to over £3.8 million from 2010/11 and the rolling out of the scheme beyond the existing pilot areas to targeted Communities First schools in the rest of Wales. The additional funding will also allow the scheme to be extended within the pilot areas from three to five-year-olds to include six and seven year old and a nursery-based programme for the youngest children under the age of three.
Carl Sargeant AM said “Capturing good dental health at an early age is a priority for us and this programme will deliver a fantastic smile for our children for the future.”
Under the scheme, delivered by the Community Dental Service, dental health support workers deliver a supervised tooth-brushing programme in schools and provide toothbrushes and toothpaste to school children along with oral health advice. Part of this service is delivered via mobile dental health units that provide specialist preventive care and treatment to schools.

Are You Ready

2009-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM GIVES HELP ADVICE ON THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside has issued a reminder that help is at hand during the Digital Switchover programme that effects us all.
Most of us have heard about the digital switchover that’s happening in Wales right now. It started in the Swansea area on 12th August and it’s working its way around the country, finishing in the Cardiff and Newport area on 31st March 2010.
This area is mainly served by the Moel y Parc transmitter which begins to switch on 4th November and completes on the 3rd December. But how many of you know that there’s a special service called the Help Scheme which is available to some people to help them with the switch to digital TV?
The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC, under an agreement with the UK Government, to offer practical help at switchover to older and disabled people who may face barriers in switching to digital TV.
The Help Scheme can convert one television per household. One of their engineers will call and sort out all the cabling and connections. They supply the equipment and install a new aerial if your existing one isn’t up to the job. There’s even a free-phone number to contact for up to a year afterwards for advice and support.
You are eligible if you:
are aged 75 or over before the end of April 2010; have lived in a care home for 6 months or more; receive or could receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or mobility supplement; are registered blind or partially sighted.
The Help Scheme asks eligible people to contribute £40 towards the service. However, if as well as being eligible you receive one of the following:
pension credit income support employment support allowance income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, then the help is free. The Help Scheme writes directly to everyone who’s eligible. Letters have already been sent out in this area. When you get your letter fill in the application form and return it to the Help Scheme. If you haven’t received one and think you should or you know someone who’s eligible, call the Help Scheme on 0800 408 7654 or visit the website: www.helpscheme.co.uk.

AM Supports Projects

2009-10-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM BACKS ‘INVEST-TO-SAVE’ PROJECTS IN NORTH WALES
Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside, has given his support to the Welsh Assembly Government’s latest plans to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public services in Wales.
The announcement of ‘Invest-to-Save’ funded projects builds on and enhances the Making the Connections Improvement Fund. Funding is available on an investments basis and is allocated to public service bodies that can secure improvements in efficiency.
Amongst the first projects to be approved In North Wales are a single state-of-the-art CCTV control room and an integrated electronic NHS web-based expenses system.
The Alyn & Deeside AM said: “By bringing together existing CCTV control rooms into a single room, there will be significant efficiency savings from economies of scale - projections begin at £450,000 annually. More than this though, the effectiveness of the surveillance will also be improved, as the transition is a great opportunity to improve upon the current service. Also, by replacing the paper-based system in the NHS, the North Wales Business Support Partnership can help release savings of £98,000 a year. I am confident that both of these projects will show that improvements in efficiency can be made that also have a positive outcome on public service delivery.”

AM ' S Concerns

2009-10-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM RAISES CONCERNS THAT ‘FLINTSHIRE COUNCIL IS FAILING HOMELESS PEOPLE’

Flintshire County Council is taking too long to provide help and assistance to homeless people and the Council’s performance has worsened over the past year, Labour AM, Carl Sargeant has warned.
According to the latest Local Authority Performance Data, Flintshire Council takes on average 228 days to discharge its duty to a person declared as homeless in the past financial year. The average figure across Wales was 130 days.
Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside said: “I find it particularly alarming that Flintshire council’s performance has deteriorated so badly. During 2007-8 it took 121 days to provide service to homeless people? Why has it increased so much during the past financial year?
“Homeless people are a particularly vulnerable group in society so this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. These figures are completely unacceptable; Flintshire Council is failing homeless people.”

Disappointed At Council's Indecision

2009-10-06T04:27:00.001-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM DISAPPOINTED AT COUNCIL’S INDECISION ON SUNBEDS
Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside, has today expressed his disappointment with Flintshire County Council at the time it has taken for them to reach a decision on whether or not to ban the use of sunbeds in leisure centres.
Currently, there are five council-run sunbeds remaining in three leisure centres in Flintshire, including one in Deeside Leisure Centre in Mr Sargeant’s constituency. 21 of the 22 local authorities in Wales have already decided on the issue; however, the British Medical Association (BMA) has accused the last remaining council, Flintshire, of ‘dragging its feet’ and this criticism has today been echoed by the AM.
He said: “I am disappointed that it has taken this long for the Council to reach a decision on the use of sunbeds. The advice of the BMA is that they greatly increase the risk of cancer as well as skin and eye problems. As such, it seems clear to almost everyone that they should not be available in our local leisure centres. The only possible reason for a delayed decision is that the Council has been prioritising profit ahead of public health and this is something that I am not comfortable with.”

Praise For Learning Aid

2009-09-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes Free maps for 11Year olds
Carl Sargeant AM has welcomed news that the Ordinance Survey is repeating its scheme to provide every 11 year old with a free OS Explorer map.The scheme enables every Year 7 pupil through their school to access their very own maps and also the pupil’s School teacher will receive copies of Maps to aid teaching.In 2008 a total of 35,844 maps were issued to pupils across 332 schools in Wales, raising awareness of local geography and aspects of citizenship.All Schools in Wales with year 7 pupils are eligible to join the scheme.Carl Sargeant Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside said,“ I am pleased to support the free maps for 11yr olds scheme, I’m certain that local school’s and pupils will find the maps to be a good learning aid.”

Calls For Traffic Solution

2009-09-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM calls for a Deeside Bypass
Carl Sargeant Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has been conducting a resident survey into traffic congestion issues in the Deeside area. The survey is ongoing and to date the overwhelming results of the residents survey is that 81% of Deeside residents are calling for the traffic nightmare in Shotton to be resolved.
Carl Sargeant is calling upon Flintshire County Council to bring forward immediate plans for a Deeside bypass to end the traffic nightmare in Shotton. Possible solutions could include a coastal bypass from Garden City to Connah's Quay.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside, speaking today said;
“It can take over half an hour to travel along the main road from Queensferry to Connah’s Quay via Shotton, the congestion is almost constant and whilst this causes misery for local businesses, commuters and residents alike, it is proving to be the biggest traffic concern in the area and Flintshire County Council have a duty to bring forward plans to resolve the situation, it is time for the Council to act.”

Notice Of Public Meeting In Mancot

2009-09-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM Calls Public Meeting to protect Green Space
Alyn & Deeside Assembly Member, Carl Sargeant has called a public meeting in Mancot to fight against County Council plans to build houses on an important green space.
Flintshire County Council is currently undertaking a consultation on plans within the Council’s Unitary Development Plan to allocate land for housing in between Park Avenue and Ash Lane Mancot.
Carl Sargeant has objected to the Council on the grounds that the land is currently an important green space in what is other wise a built up area of Deeside.
The public meeting is to take place at 6PM on Thursday 24th of September in Mancot Village Hall.
Carl Sargeant is urging all concerned local residents to attend the meeting where helpful advice can be shared on how to oppose the housing plans.
Carl Sargeant AM said:“Many Mancot residents have approached me with real concerns about the detrimental effect these proposals will have on the infrastructure of the village the proposals are quite ridiculous and I urge Flintshire County Council to reject this plan.”
Mancot County Councillors Glenys and Alan Diskin will also be in attendance to advise residents.

2009-09-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES NEWS OF RECORD NUMBER OF FREE BUS PASSES
A RECORD number of concessionary bus passes have been snapped up by pensioners and disabled people during the past financial year in Wales and Alyn & Deeside, according to new data.
Figures released by the Assembly Labour Group showed 612,559 passes were issued across Wales during 2008–09 compared to 245,000 in 2001-02.
Labour AM, Carl Sargeant, who represents Alyn & Deeside, welcomed the news and challenged the Tories to back the scheme.
He said: “These latest figures show thousands of people are now enjoying free bus travel across Wales. This policy has transformed the way pensioners travel and has given a substantial boost to public transport in Wales. We are proud in Labour to be the party that implemented this scheme in Wales and we will continue to support it. “
Earlier this year, Welsh Tory Transport spokesman David Melding said he would like to see the scheme restricted to off peak times only.
He said: “The danger of the current policy is that it is eating up far too much of the transport budget and not allowing us to develop other public transport networks."
Carl Sargeant AM said: “Different Conservative politicians are saying different things on this policy. It seems that Mr Melding’s views are pretty clear cut and he is determined to take away full concessionary passes from pensioners who benefit from them."

AM Welcomes Smartcard

2009-09-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes new smartcard to transform public transport use in Alyn & Deeside
A new smartcard for concessionary bus pass holders has been rolled-out across Wales and is the first step in transforming the way people use pubic transport.
Welcoming the successful roll-out of 650,000 smart bus passes Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside said the technology will eventually be used for travel on all forms of public transport.
He said the new technology would reduce costs, improve efficiency and provide the basis for an all-Wales public transport card.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said,
“I’m delighted that this new system will now be in place for all users of the free bus pass in Alyn & Deeside and can be used throughout Wales, this demonstrates the Labour led Assembly’s ongoing commitment to free bus travel.”

2009-09-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes news that Welsh exports increase bucks UK trend
The latest figures released by HM Customs & Excise, show that Wales is outperforming the rest of the UK with an increase in the value of exports compared with the previous 12 months.
The latest Regional Trade Estimates show that Welsh exports for the four quarters up to June 2009 increased by 8.4 per cent on the previous four quarters - the biggest increase of all the devolved countries and English regions.Carl Sargeant Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside said,“ At a time of economic uncertainty this is very welcome news, particularly as many local businesses within my constituency rely on export markets. Through my work in the Welsh Assembly I will continue to campaign for more measures to support our local industry ”.Whilst the total value of UK exports for the 12 months to June was down by 0.4 per cent on the previous year, the value of exports from Wales rose by £799 million.

Support For Nhs Workers

2009-09-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes Agreement signed toprotect NHS workers
The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government has signed an agreement with the police which allows them to work more closely with the NHS in Wales in the investigation of allegations of violence towards NHS staff. This Memorandum of Understanding follows the signing of an agreement with the Crown Prosecution Service in March 2007, to ensure the effective prosecution of the perpetrators of violent attacks. The aim of the Memorandum is to promote the prosecution of violent offenders, which will help act as a deterrent to others. It includes:• New protocols on the investigation of incidents. • The referral of cases to the police. • Evidence gathering and the provision of statements. • Post incident reviews. • Support for victims when their case has progressed to court. Also, as a result of the forthcoming re-organisation of the NHS in Wales, the new Health Organisations will each be required to provide a greater focus on protecting staff and taking measures to ensure violence against NHS staff is prevented where possible.Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside, said;“Many of my constituents work within the NHS and provide an excellent service, but unfortunately they are subjected to acts of mindless aggression and in some cases violence, I will continue to support any measures aimed at protecting our valued NHS staff.”Latest figures show that there were 7,343 incidents of violence and aggression in the NHS in Wales in 2007/08.

Investing In The Future

2009-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

£2.2m Eco-Friendly Learning Centre Opened at Deeside College
An innovative new learning centre based at the Connah’s Quay Campus of Deeside College is to be officially opened on 18th September 2009 by Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside.
The brand new centre, which has been funded through a £1.7m Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) grant and a £0.5m contribution from Deeside College, will be available for use by 14-19 year old students from High Schools in Flintshire and students from the college. The centre will provide the focus for the innovative curriculum developments and learning programmes co-ordinated by Flintshire County Council on behalf of the Flintshire 14 – 19 Learning Pathways.
The main aim of the centre is to promote extended learning opportunities to all students in schools and colleges across Flintshire. It will support the work that all educational settings in Flintshire are doing to ensure that 14 – 19 year olds have access to a wider variety of learning opportunities, which will aid their personal development and employability, in order to open up career options they may not have previously considered. Flintshire schools and colleges are working in partnership to offer new courses to students at the Learning Core Centre, including Digital Photography, Spanish, Business Administration, Principal Learning in Engineering and the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification.
The Flintshire Learning Core Centre will also promote shared training and professional development between schools and colleges, focussing on further improving the teaching and learning provision for 14 – 19 year olds across Flintshire. This will further enhance the collaboration which has been developed between Secondary Schools in Flintshire, private training providers and Deeside College. It is also anticipated that the centre will provide students with access to the shared Flintshire E-Learning Zone and other e-learning opportunities that could lead to interactive ways of delivering learning core subjects including Entrepreneurship and Basic Skills.
In line with Deeside College’s Environmental Policy, which is the only college in Wales to have achieved the highest possible Level 5 Green Dragon accreditation, the centre has been built with sustainable issues in mind. The building boasts a rainwater harvesting system and natural light has been maximised wherever possible.
Deeside College’s Principal and Chief Executive David Jones, said: “This is a unique project for Wales and highlights the collaboration between Flintshire County Council, local high schools, colleges and other training providers. It also demonstrates the partnership’s innovative approach to learning.”
Director of Lifelong Learning at Flintshire County Council, Ian Budd, said: “This is an exciting milestone in improving the facilities for young people’s learning in Flintshire. It is right that we celebrate the partnership working between all bodies involved in education in Flintshire.”

Praise For Staff

2009-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

CARL SARGEANT AM VISITS STAFF AT DEESIDE AMBULANCE STATION
Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside, has today visited staff at Deeside Ambulance Station to discuss operations and to see how staff deal with incidents 24-7.
In May this year, Health Minister Edwina Hart announced that there had been a steady increase in the response rate of ambulance services across Wales and called the continuous improvement encouraging.
Following conversations with Ian Lang, Operations Manager for North East Wales Ambulance Services (photographed), Carl Sargeant AM praised the staff for their good work and commitment to improving service delivery in Wales.
He said: “The meeting today has strengthened my resolve that our ambulance staff do a great job in what are clearly very challenging circumstances. It is important that we listen to staff and work together so that we can build upon the very positive results that were announced in May. I note the pressures that staff are under and I am very keen to see that they feel safe in their job, attacks on emergency service personnel are on the increase and we must do everything we can to help them do their job”

Next Advice Surgey

2009-09-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Surgery Dates Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant will be available on Friday 3rd September 2009 at 3.00 o'clock in Buckley Town Council Offices

Support For literacy Day

2009-09-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

We need to do more to support Literacy Says Carl Sargeant AM
This coming Tuesday will mark International Literacy Day. On September 8, the nation and the world will celebrate International Literacy Day, a declaration first proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1965. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Despite many and varied efforts, literacy remains an elusive target: some 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills which means that one in five adults is still not literate; 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. International Literacy Day will put the spotlight on the empowering role of literacy and its importance for participation, citizenship and social development. Literacy and Empowerment is the theme for the 2009-2010 biennium of the United Nations Literacy Decade. Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said “We must not underestimate the power of the ability to speak, read and write effectively. Some people find it difficult to access support for such things that most people take for granted. Across the world over 75 million children are out of school. We can all do a little to support the learning process.”

Congraulations To Local Students

2009-08-21T04:03:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM congratulates A-level Achievements
Carl Sergeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has congratulated all A – level students in Alyn & Deeside for what has been a record breaking year for A- level results.
Carl Sargeant AM said;“My congratulations go to all A-level students and teachers for producing another record breaking year for A-level results in the local area. We have many exceptional students within our local Schools and I wish them every success for the future. “

2009-08-21T03:59:00.000-07:00

Carl Sargeant AM welcomes Steel Industry Investment

An announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government has ensured that the welsh steel industry will be given a boost by a £7m initiative designed to promote the development of technology and provide high-level skills training in the region. The Steel Training Research and Innovation Partnership (STRIP) project has been formed by the Welsh Assembly Government to support universities and colleges in delivering advanced engineering projects that will benefit the steel industry and its supply chain, by assisting to develop new products and providing local based high level skills amongst steel industry employees.The scheme will consist of University involvement with Glyndwr University in Wrexham collaborating with Corus at Shotton and other local Steel industry suppliers, such as BASF a Deeside based steel and aluminium coatings firm.In welcoming the announcement, Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside, said;“This funding boost is a vote of confidence for the steel industry workforce in Deeside and will enable the Shotton plant to develop the new products and workers skills that are needed to ensure the future of the Corus plant at Shotton. I am delighted by the closer working links that will be harnessed between Corus at Shotton and Glyndwr University in Wrexham; this can only be positive news for the future.” Glyndwr University, Wrexham alongside Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea Universities, will focus on the next generation of functional steel materials by promoting collaboration between graduates and industry to address specific company needs. So far, 22 companies have committed to working with the Welsh Universities on the STRIP initiative. In the next six years, it is estimated that up to 50 Welsh companies will have participated in the scheme.