" Groundwork to receive £3.2m from Assembly Government

A leading environmental regeneration charity which operates in deprived parts of Wales will receive £3.2m funding from the Welsh Assembly Government over the next three years Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Regeneration Leighton Andrews announced today.

It operates across Wales, working with partners to improve the quality of the local environment and the lives of local people. Projects include major regeneration strategies, environmental education, cycle routes and recycling schemes.

The Deputy Minister for Regeneration has agreed a new three year funding package worth £3,228,040 from 2009-12 to enable Groundwork in Wales to continue to develop a range of programmes and projects which will contribute to a number of ‘One Wales’ commitments. In particular some of Groundwork’s focus will be on responding to the challenges of child poverty in Wales, reducing economic inactivity and tackling climate change through a multi sector approach.  The Welsh Assembly Government provides the core funding for Groundwork Wales and the Groundwork Trusts.

There are currently four Groundwork Trusts operating in seven local authority areas:

·      Bridgend

·      Neath Port Talbot

·      Caerphilly

·      Merthyr

·      Rhondda Cynon Taf

·      Wrexham

·      Flintshire

The Trusts cover 73 per cent of electoral wards defined as areas of deprivation and 58 per cent of Communities First areas in Wales.  During 2007/2008 Groundwork in Wales supported over 850 projects, planted more than 24,000 trees, improved over 1,500,000 sq m of land, worked with over 350 schools and more than 250 businesses and provided over 2,500 weeks’ worth of training.

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Royal seal of approval for plans to improve school transport

Two sets of plans by the Welsh Labour-led Assembly Government to support children and young people and improve school transport have both been given the royal seal of approval today.

The Welsh Assembly Government today received the green light to introduce new legislation in relation to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all children and young people in Wales. Royal Approval for the Vulnerable Children’s Legislative Competence Order (LCO) means the Welsh Assembly Government can now bring forward Assembly Measures covering children and young people.  Measures introduced could potentially cover placing a duty on local authorities to provide free childcare places, placing a child poverty duty on public agencies, and strengthening regulatory enforcements in children’s settings.

Tackling poverty and social exclusion amongst children and young people is central to Welsh Labour’s vision for improving the quality of life, promoting social inclusion and delivering equality of opportunity for every community in Wales.

Since devolution relative poverty rates for children in Wales has improved, down from 35 per cent in 1999/2000 to 29 per cent in 2006/07. However, progress has slowed recently at both UK and Wales levels.

Meanwhile, plans to expand and improve transport arrangements for pupils and students across Wales, including an all-Wales behaviour code, also received Royal Approval today.

The Learner Travel Measure will expand access to free school transport for primary school children, improve safety, provide clarity over the provision of free school transport in Wales and place a duty on local authorities to promote access to Welsh Medium Education.

For the first time all primary school pupils will be eligible for free travel - if they live two miles or further from the nearest suitable school.

The current distance threshold for secondary school pupils, to receive free transport, remains as three or more miles

The Measure was passed by the Assembly at the end of September and yesterday’s decision means that it now becomes law.

Provisions in the Measure are to be implemented in a series of phases with priority will be given to putting in place Regulations to change school session times and to improve the provision on information to learners together with operational guidance to local authorities.  This will be in place in time for the start of the 2009 Academic year.  The travel behaviour code will be published in time for January 2010 winter term.

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Assembly Government welcomes “Welsh tick box” proposal for 2011 Census

The Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government has welcomed proposals for the 2011 Census which would allow people to express their Welsh identity for the first time.

The 2011 Census White Paper, published today, sets out the UK Statistics Authority’s proposals for the 2011 Census in England and Wales. The White Paper has also been laid before the National Assembly for Wales.

The White Paper proposes that all Welsh householders will receive a bilingual copy of the census. They will also be able to make their census return online, through a secure internet connection, for the first time."

The sensus has been happening every ten years and it helps identify lots of information about the population and its life styles. Info about the 2011 planning of the sensus can be found here