Details of forthcoming advice surgeries throughtout the constituency for 2008 are as follows.

SATURDAY March 8th - Melin Advice Centre, Briton Ferry Road, MELIN - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY April 12th - Neath Day Centre, Orchard Street, NEATH - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY May 10th - Tonna Community Centre, TONNA - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY June 14th - Rhos Community Centre, RHOS - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY July 12th - Ystalyfera Community Centre, YSTALYFERA - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY September 20th - Glynneath Town Hall, GLYNNEATH - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY October 11th - Neath Day Centre, Orchard Street, NEATH - 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY November 15th - Gwaun Cae Gurwen Community Centre, GWAUN CAE GURWEN- 10:30am-12pm

SATURDAY December 6th - Seven Sisters Community Centre, SEVEN SISTERS- 10:30am-12pm

Appointments to see me personally on Fridays can be made through my constituency office. Please contact my office on 01792 86993 to arrange an appointment.

I also intend to hold Street Surgeries around the constituency during the year. Further details of these will be issued in due course.Please also feel free to contact my office if you require any help or assistance where my staff will be more than pleased to assist you. Details are available on the "Get in touch" page above.

Last week, I attended a public meeting held at Cwmgwrach Rugby Club to discuss the closure of the village youth club – known locally as ‘The Cabin’.

I was very impressed that so many of the young people of Cwmgwrach attended the meeting, and took the opportunity to share their opinions and views with us. Several of them told the meeting how important the youth club was to them, not only for social reasons, but also for the sporting and other opportunities they had been given by the dedicated volunteers, Including Alf Siddley – a highly respected coach who has helped to run the Cabin for many years before its closure. His work with the young people of Cwmgwrach has led to many of them representing their county, and their country in various sports through the UK and in Europe. I’m very disappointed that this has now been forced to come to an end.

The people of Cwmgwrach have clearly demonstrated through the establishment of the ‘Friends of the Cabin’ group and by the number of people who attended the public meeting last week that community spirit and unity is well and truly alive in the Upper Neath Valley, and that they, as a community, are determined to change the situation they now find themselves in. The people who have established that group have done so for one reason only – to ensure the young people of Cwmgwrach have somewhere warm and secure to spend time in, and not in as is presently the case, the A465’s underpass. I am fully supportive of efforts by the people of Cwmgwrach, and by Neath Port Talbot Council to find a positive way forward so that the youth of Cwmgwrach are provided with the facilities they demand, and deserve.

If you wish to contact me for any help and assistance that you feel I can provide you as your local Assembly Member, please do not hesitate to contact my constituency office in Pontardawe on 01792 869993 or e-mail . You can also keep up-to-date with my activities as your AM by logging on to gwendathomas.com

Regional Funding Fair 6th March 2008, Nant-y-Ci County Showground, Carmarthen.

The first ever regional funding fair, a partnership between the counties of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire; is an opportunity for charities, community groups and organisations to access free information and advice from national and regional funders.

The fair will offer an estimated 2,000 visitors a unique opportunity to meet face to face with a wide cross section of funders and organisations that can support them with their activitiesThe event is free, and takes place:10am - 7pm, Thursday 6th March 2008 at Nant Y Ci County Show Ground, Carmarthen.

For further details, or to register your interest, please visit the dedicated website: www.regionalfundingfair.co.uk or call: 01269 590216.

Labour's efforts to increase family incomes in Neath have taken a step forward with the announcement of £3million of Assembly funding to extend local schemes aimed at improving the take-up of council tax benefit.

Labour AM Gwenda Thomas has welcomed the new funding, which the Labour-led Assembly Government will be making available to Welsh councils over the next three years.

The funding - £1 million a year - will help councils like Neath Port Talbot widen the Council Tax Benefit campaigns they run so that they encourage families with children, as well as pensioners, to take up the benefits they are entitled to.

GWENDA THOMAS AM said:

“Figures show that around one in three households in Wales are entitled to this benefit, yet up to £100 million is currently being left unclaimed. This money could be making a real difference to the income of families and pensioners across my constituency.”

“Increasing the take-up of benefits like Council Tax Benefit has an important role to play in Welsh Labour’s aim of eradicating child poverty by 2020, and in our continuing efforts to increase the income of pensioners.”

“The funding announced by the Labour-led Assembly Government means that, over the next three years, Neath Port Talbot Council will be better able to target the advice and support it offers on benefits.”

“I want to see everyone who is eligible receiving these benefits and I am pleased to see that the Labour-led Assembly Government is again leading the way in encouraging more people to take up their entitlements.”

“Local residents who think they might be eligible for Council Tax Benefit should contact Neath Port Talbot Council on 01639 763333.”

Neath's Labour AM Gwenda Thomas has today welcomed the launch of a new all-Wales confidential hotline to help victims of illegal loan sharks.

The new hotline - 0300 123 3311 - marks the latest step in the battle against loan sharks operating in Wales. It offers help, advice and support to loan shark victims and their families, and has been backed by the Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government.

Gwenda Thomas AM said:

“This hotline is an important step forward for the victims of loan sharks in areas like Neath.

“Loan Sharks prey on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities by ripping them off with extortionate rates of lending, often backed up by intimidation and threats of violence. They are a menace in our communities.

Gwenda added:

“I would advise anyone who needs help or advice to pick up the phone and make use of this confidential service on 0300 123 3311. The hotline is part of the All-Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit, which is helping to crack down on loan sharks across the country and I am delighted that the Labour-led Assembly Government is backing the scheme.

“Alongside this hotline, the Labour-led Assembly Government is also supporting our local credit unions, so that more people are given the chance to save and access affordable credit and budgeting advice.

“This combination of measures will help to make sure that the writing is on the wall for the Loan Sharks.”

Deputy Social Services Minister Gwenda Thomas meets some remarkable and determined youngsters

I MET a remarkable group of young people who came to see me at the Senedd building in Cardiff last week.

Hannah S, Craig, Grace, Hannah J and Beverly are all young carers, who take responsibility for someone who is ill, disabled, elderly, experiencing mental distress or affected by substance use, or substantial responsibility for caring for a brother or sister.

They had each been chosen by young carers in projects across Wales to represent them and to present the views of young carers to the Welsh Assembly Government.

There are particular reasons for listening to young carers. They may be the person providing all of the care in the family or may also be helping someone else to provide the care.

And caring is not just about the things you can see – it is also about how the young carer feels or thinks because of their role.

The young carers I met came well prepared and they immediately presented me with a practical challenge. They asked me to write down on a piece of paper what I had done that day. But there was a catch.

As soon as I started, I was asked, “Please, could you get me a glass of water”. Then, “Please, could you pick that up for me”, “Could you open the window for me please?” I didn’t get very far with my assignment.

Of course, what they were demonstrating was how they have to fit their schoolwork in with the constant demands of their caring responsibilities.

It is no wonder that they may find it difficult to realise their full potential, and I was disappointed when they told me how, with some notable exceptions, many schools are still unaware of these issues or even that they have young carers on their registers. I intend to discuss this with colleagues.

We went on to discuss their report that highlighted the needs of young carers in Wales.
They had been thinking about how the National Assembly’s new legislative powers – for example the Vulnerable Children Legislative Competence Order or the legislation on carers’ rights proposed under the One Wales agreement – could benefit young carers in Wales.

They developed a 10-point action list for the Assembly Government to consider, and we agreed that I give them an initial response in June, during Carers’ Week.

Their suggestions included:

• Legal requirement for each local authority to provide dedicated young carer services;
  Information packs for professionals, including an all-Wales information pack collated and produced by the Assembly Government with young carers’ input;
• Compulsory core training on young carers to be included in social work degrees, teacher training and in nursing and other medical training;
• Free bus passes for young carers;
• Support for young carers to be included in school contracts;
• Funding to support workers to deliver awareness-raising training in schools and colleges;
• A nationally-recognised carer ID scheme;
• Support for young carers to continue to 25;
• Flexible respite care to be accessible for young carers;
• Health workers need to recognise the role of young carers and, where appropriate, involve and inform the young carer in the treatment of family members;
• The Assembly Government and other agencies need to listen and respond to young carers.
  Young carers play a vital role in our community facing serious responsibilities.

In addition to the daily tasks they complete for their parents, they live with the added pressure of school and, often, a lack of understanding from their schoolmates.

It is imperative that we listen to their opinions and concerns. As such I will be considering, with colleagues, all the points raised when I met the young carers and I will publish my response during Carers’ Week, as they asked.

Neath Labour AM Gwenda Thomas has welcomed the UK Government’s new Planning Bill.

Commenting on the UK Planning Bill and its implications for Wales, Gwenda Thomas AM said:
“I welcome the publication of the UK Government’s Planning Bill, which will give the Welsh Assembly Government the ability to revise existing planning policies to better meet the future development needs of our local communities.

“I also welcome the other significant changes proposed to the planning system in this bill. The bill will close a loophole in the planning system which undermines the ability of a local authority, such as Neath Port Talbot Council to decline repeat planning applications in certain circumstances.

“The Planning Bill also sets out provisions for a new independent Infrastructure Planning Commission (the IPC), which would, from 2009, streamline the way in which consent is given to significant infrastructure projects, such as major electricity generating stations, gas pipelines, the underground storage of gas and overhead power lines. The consent regime for some of these projects is not currently devolved to us in Wales, and is currently given by a UK Government Minister.

“In my constituency in recent years, we have seen what was the Department of Trade and Industry approving the LNG pipeline with very little local consultation. The IPC will consult Welsh Ministers on future large scale projects such as the LNG pipeline, and there will be a provision for commissioners from Wales to be appointed to the IPC so that we have a voice on that commission.

“I entirely agree with Jane Davidson, the minister responsible for Planning issues in Wales that the Welsh Assembly Government should hold the decision making power over major electricity generating stations located in Wales, and I fully support her in her efforts to persuade the UK Government to devolve this power to us here in Wales.

A fortnight ago, the First Minister Rhodri Morgan and I announced the appointment of Ruth Marks as Wales’ first Commissioner for Older People.

Ruth will be a champion and a voice for older people, in the same way that the Children’s Commissioner has been for children and young people. As with the Children’s Commissioner, the Commissioner for Older People is independent from the Welsh Assembly Government, and her role will be to ensure that the interests of older people in Wales, who are aged 60 or more, are safeguarded, voiced and promoted.

In appointing the commissioner, we were able to bring together a panel of older people, nominated by members of the national partnership forum for older people in Wales and representing a variety of different ages and backgrounds. The formal selection panel, which I chaired, consisted of AM’s from the other political parties in the Assembly, together with two members of the older people’s panel. Both panels recommended the same candidate – Ruth Marks – for the post of Commissioner for Older People in Wales.

As the Deputy Minister with responsibility within the Assembly Government for older people, I’m extremely proud that Wales is once again leading the way and setting an example for others to follow. Wales was the first country in the UK to appoint a Children's Commissioner to give children and young people a stronger voice and now we are the first to have a Commissioner to champion the interests of older people. Wales is widely recognised as a world-leader in giving older people a greater say in developing the services that affect them. This unique Commissioner will further consolidate Wales' reputation for innovation and partnership working in older people’s policy.

In Neath Port Talbot, the Older People’s Council makes a significant and positive contribution in making sure that the views of older people are taken into consideration by the County Borough Council and others in developing policies that directly affect them.

If you wish to contact me, please contact my constituency office in Pontardawe on 01792 869993 or e-mail . You can also keep up-to-date with my activities as your AM by logging on to http://gwendathomas.com/