Rob Speht Working hard for Landore Ward

Commenting on the launch of the Welsh government's White Paper on Local Democracy, the Welsh Liberal Democrats Shadow Minister for Local Government and Communities Peter Black AM said,

"This represents a complete failure of the Labour party to acknowledge the real problems that face local democracy in Wales. In the local elections a few weeks ago, we saw too many uncontested elections and turn out that was far too low, yet one of the proposals the government has put forward to change the name of the body that draws up election boundaries. This is not the radical thinking that Welsh communities need.

Official figures show that there are just under 22,000 private sector homes, which have lain empty for 12 months or longer around Wales.

Long term empty homes are a blight on local communities. They are unsightly, can attract anti-social elements and often cause problems for neighbouring properties due to disrepair and damp penetration. They are also a waste of an important resource.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Peter Black, has criticised Government housing targets published today as late and unambitious.

Mr. Black was reacting to a statement issued by the Minister for Housing Regeneration and Heritage today in which he announced that the Labour Government would seek to build an additional 7,500 new affordable homes during their five year term, and bring 5,000 empty properties back into use.

Welsh Labour Government funding cuts to bus companies across Wales could threaten bus services in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend and will force fares to increase.

The 20% cut to bus fuel subsidies were announced without sufficient notice for bus companies to prepare and without consulting two key, publicly-funded organisations, Public Transport Users' Committee (PTUC) for Wales, which is tasked with giving ministers advice about "strategic issues" relating to public transport, and Bus Users UK Cymru, whose role includes advising ministers on "strategic and technical developments" relating to buses.

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has called on the Welsh Labour Government to take immediate action to tackle huge NHS physiotherapy waiting lists.

Statistics released today reveal that the number of people waiting over 14 weeks for physiotherapy care increased to 2,755.

The maximum wait for access to specified diagnostic tests is 8 weeks and for specified services is 14 weeks. Today's statistics show that 8,420 patients have been waiting longer than 8 weeks for diagnostic services, while 3,516 patients have been waiting over 14 weeks for therapy services.

Brecon and Radnorshire Liberal Democrat MP, Roger Williams has welcomed the Queen's speech that was delivered today to both houses at the state opening of Parliament. The speech, which sets the programme for the Governments year ahead, had economic growth as its main priority. There was also a commitment to introduce a Grocery Code Adjudicator, reform of electricity markets and the water industry.

Eluned Parrott AM has questioned the Welsh Government's competency after it has been indicated that hundreds of jobs in Cardiff that had been touted as new are in fact mostly jobs that will be transferred from other parts of Cardiff.

Following his trade trip to India, the First Minister had spoken of hundreds of jobs coming to Cardiff thanks to investment by the Indian-owned call centre Firstsource. However, it has emerged that the majority of staff will actually transfer from another call centre operator in the city with the company stating that there has been a "misunderstanding" and the Welsh Government might have been a bit "over-enthusiastic".

Responding to the Health Minister's 'remarkable achievement' claim regarding the financial position of Welsh LHBs, Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrat said:

"I am absolutely flabbergasted that the Health Minister can call this a 'remarkable achievement'. What's remarkable is that the Health Minster thinks that this is an achievement.

In the Senedd this afternoon, Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, challenged the First Minister over his Government's record on stroke treatment in Wales.

The first recommendation of the Assembly's Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee's report, which was published over two years ago, was for the Welsh Government to develop a stroke strategy. Since then, the Welsh Labour Government has ignored these calls, refusing to make steps towards a comprehensive stroke strategy.