Heledd Fychan Canol De Cymru - South Wales Central

This week marks four years since devastating flooding hit communities across South Wales Central during Storm Dennis. Reflecting on the past four years, Heledd Fychan, Member of the Senedd for South Wales Central, reflected on the work completed since then, but also the fear that many still feel every time it rains heavily, and the rivers rise. She also called on the Welsh Government to prioritise action in those areas that remain at risk, which includes an on-going risk to life if the same level of flooding were to happen again.

This article was published in Nation.Cymru

Our national collections are at risk, and our cultural, arts and heritage sectors are in crisis.

For years, consecutive Welsh Government commissioned reports have confirmed the warnings coming from our national cultural and heritage institutions and organisations that they are underfunded, both in terms of capital and revenue funding. And for years, consecutive Labour ministers and deputy ministers have failed to heed those warnings.

Amgueddfa Cymru, the National Library of Wales, Arts Council Wales and the Welsh Books Council are facing a 10.5% reduction in their revenue budgets, whilst Cadw and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales are facing a 22% cut.

In terms of the Welsh Government’s overall budget, the savings are minimal yet the impact will be devastating.

In December, Jane Richardson – the Chief Executive of Amgueddfa Cymru – whilst giving evidence to the Senedd’s Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee could not have stated more clearly the current risk to the collections: “When we are expecting a storm or heavy rain, we have to put staff on standby, literally, so they can come into the building in the middle of the night to take paintings off the walls”.

Here is a summary of my work in the Senedd and across the region over the last week:

Here's a summary of my week in the Senedd and across the region this week.

Yesterday, the Welsh Labour Government rejected Plaid Cymru's proposal to introduce statutory Welsh language standards on the banking sector.

Following the news that the UK Government has rejected calls for the Six Nations to have to be offered to free-to-air broadcasters, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for Sport, Heledd Fychan MS, yesterday raised an urgent question in the Senedd on the matter.

Only one of the Labour Welsh Government’s fourteen recommendations to tackle the Cost of Living crisis have been delivered, research from Plaid Cymru has revealed.

In August of last year, the Welsh Government formed a group of 18 experts to advise the Government on the impact the Cost of Living crisis is having on the people of Wales, and to identify actions that should be taken to mitigate the effect. 

The cost-of-living crisis is far from over with thousands of people in South Wales Central struggling to cover their essential household costs.