Caerphilly’s Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert has criticised the Welsh Conservatives over their calls to scrap free prescriptions in Wales.
Speaking in the Senedd last week, Tory Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar called for the policy to be scrapped.
He asked Health Minister Lesley Griffiths: “Is it not the reality, Minister, that health boards across Wales are facing a cash crisis as a result of your record-breaking NHS cuts? Do you agree that one way to release some cash to improve rural health services would be to scrap your free-prescriptions-for-all policy?”
Speaking after the debate, Mr Cuthbert said: “I am puzzled as to why the Tories continually call for the scrapping of
free prescriptions, a popular Labour policy that benefits everyone in Wales.
“Time and again, the people of Wales tell us that they like this policy and that they want it to stay. When I campaigned for re-election last year, this policy proved popular on the doorstep and voters were fearful that any Welsh Government with Tories in it would bring about its end.
“This just goes to show that free prescriptions – and other popular universal benefits like free bus passes and free school breakfasts – are only safe with Welsh Labour.”
Free for all = less for those in need, why would anyone turn down a freebie? Of course people like something for nothing. Free breakfast saving you the expense and effort of feeding your kids, free prescriptions for everyone regardless of means. I'm sure such election bribes are safe with Labour, bread and jam for the masses is their speciality.
The perverse mind set which considers the assumption that those who can pay for prescription medicine should pay, twice, has no credit.
Helen seem to be a little paranoid and obsessed by the assumption that all recipients of any sort of social welfare benefit belong to the
` something for nothing` club, the fact is that we live in a society, thank god, which takes care of its more venerable citizens,whether she likes it or not, and long may that reign, her comments also fails to accept that there are children living in poverty in Wales, in households which find it very difficult to makes ends meet financially, and, most clear thinking people are grateful for the Welsh Assembly supporting the Breakfast clubs for children, where they have been set up, to get at least a meal or a snack before starting their day.
The problem we have at the moment is not what the Welsh Assembly are doing to counteract poverty but what the UK Tory Government is doing to divide society, bleed the `plebs` whilst giving tax breaks to the rich, denying disabled people the means to integrate in society and pay a contribution to it by working, by removing their DLA payments, which were introduced to assist disabled people to do just that, paying million of pounds in foreign aid to Countries who are richer than ours, whilst cutting the NHS budgets, cutting financial settlements to the Welsh Government,dismantling all that has been achieved over 50 years or so of social advancement and intergration in this country, and, turning a caring society on its head in order to re-establish an ancient Conservative agenda on the people. i.e. divide and rule, but, there again, I suppose Helen would laud and support the huge increase in need for free food banks in Wales? or perhaps she denies their need??
Helen would do well to consider what support her comments are attracting, or not, on these pages, where are all those supporters of such questionable attitudes in a modern caring society?.