February floods: urging the UK Government to provide relief funding to support our communities
While seeing the devastation Storm Dennis has caused in communities in Deri, New Tredegar and across Merthyr Tydfil and the Upper Rhymney Valley has been heartbreaking, it is truly humbling to see how local residents have supported each other, and to see the dedication of our local authorities and emergency services in helping those who have been affected.
Despite years of austerity cuts, our local authorities have been at the forefront of delivering support, with the Welsh Government also setting up a £10 million emergency relief fund, which anyone who has been affected can apply for here: obv.sr/wgdaf
However, the UK Government has yet to offer any additional funding to support our local communities, and after pressing the prime minister on the issue during a session of Prime Minister’s Questions, I secured a promise that the necessary funding would now be provided.
The cost of the floods will be felt for years to come, with repair costs in Wales running to hundreds of millions, and I will continue to work closely with Dawn Bowden AM and our local authorities to make the case for the funding our communities need to recover.
Welsh Government investment in Rhymney company great news for local economy
Dawn Bowden and I were delighted to hear the news earlier this month that a £650,000 investment by the Welsh Government in Rhymney-based company Williams Medical Supplies will create over 90 new jobs for local people in the Upper Rhymney Valley.
This is a very welcome investment in our area, and really shows the confidence that the Welsh Government has in the Upper Rhymney Valley and the communities here, following the investment in Rhymney by Sharp Clinical last year.
Campaign to improve local Post Office provision continues
This month I had a positive meeting with Dawn Bowden AM, Cllr Eluned Stenner, the New Tredegar Residents Association and representatives of the Post Office as part of the campaign to improve the provision of post offices in our area.
It was good to hear that outreach provision of services at the White Rose Centre is now being extended to two days a week – Wednesday as well as Friday – while discussions to reopen the Post Office in New Tredegar with a new postmaster are ongoing. Dawn and I will work closely with the local councils in the weeks and months ahead.