RCT Council Cabinet have graciously decided to make car parks across RCT free – but just for a week. They say it is "part of a drive to promote and showcase local town centres." Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Powell says the move is nonsensical. "What is the point in making car parks free for one week?…

Older people are paying the price for six years of local authority budget cuts, with an increasing number having to fund their own care, health experts have warned. The report by the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust paints a bleak picture about the current state of Britain’s social care system, and it warns more people are…

The Local Government Ombudsman, Dr Jane Martin, has strongly criticised a city council for failing to comply with her recommendations in a planning case, and issued a reminder to local authorities that she has the same powers as the High Court to require evidence. The LGO’s comments came after an investigation into complaints from two…

The number of prescriptions issued by NHS Wales continues to soar as newly published Welsh Government statistics reveal a 10-year rise of 39%. In 2015/16, prescriptions issued by Welsh GPs cost £593,462,507 which paid for 79.2million prescriptions. The number of items prescribed per head has also risen by a third (33%), from 18.7 items per…

The Welsh Conservatives will hold an Assembly debate today, calling on the Welsh Government to address the staffing crisis affecting the Welsh NHS. The debate calls on the Cabinet Secretary for Health to bring forward a comprehensive strategy to tackle staff recruitment and retention issues, and urges the government to outline measures to tackle low…

Building on the work already undertaken at previous meetings, Cwm Taf University Health Board continues in its commitment to create opportunities that will update and encourage groups and individuals living in the area to express their views on current health care provision and/or future service planning.  You are therefore invited to attend one or all…

Responding to the publication of this morning’s Public Policy Institute Wales (PPIW) report – which proposes a condensed school week – Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Education and Children, Darren Millar AM, said: "There has been insufficient consultation with parents, pupils and teachers on these proposals and the Welsh Government should rule out introducing the changes it proposes….

A Welsh council has successfully defended a High Court challenge to its decision to establish five community libraries. The case was the second time that Vale of Glamorgan Council had faced legal proceedings over its proposed changes to library services. The first involved a proposed community library at Rhoose, which was also one of the…

BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR WALES 15.   Cynon Valley and Pontypridd (Cwm Cynon a Phontypridd) 15.1 It is proposed that a county constituency is created from: 1. the whole of the existing Cynon Valley CC and County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf electoral wards of Aberaman North (3,571), Aberaman South (3,261), Abercynon (4,288), Aberdare East (4,772),…