School attendance at record high

Education Minister Huw Lewis has welcomed new figures that show persistent school absence is at its lowest recorded level. The Welsh Government statistical release; “Absenteeism by pupil characteristics, 2015” reveals that just 1.4% of primary school pupils were recorded as persistent absentees in 2014-2015, down from 1.7% the previous year and down from 3.4% in 2008/09. Persistent secondary school absence has more than halved since 2008/09. The Minister said: “Persistent school absence is now at its lowest level since we started collecting the relevant figures. This is the result of the commitment and dedication of pupils, parents, teachers, local authorities and education consortia who all understand that if young people are going to fulfil their potential, regular school attendance is vital.”

Emergency departments’ busiest January on record

Welsh NHS Emergency departments recorded their busiest January since records began as the highest number of patients sought emergency help, new figures show. In a sign of just how busy this winter has been for the Welsh NHS, 2,595 people a day - an average 108 patients an hour - attended emergency departments across Wales in January. This is the highest average number of attendances for a January since records began in 2006. The figures show 80,438 people attended emergency departments up almost 10% on January 2015. Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething praised NHS Wales and social care staff for their work to manage the “huge demands” placed on services. But he acknowledged the number of patients waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments was disappointing. The Deputy Minister said: “On some days in January, the number of people attending emergency departments was up to 25% higher than the same time last year. Management information also shows that on some days, ambulance arrivals at Welsh hospitals were also up to 25% higher this January than the average last year. Despite this, our NHS staff continue to manage these surges in demand - although our hospitals are very busy and there are occasionally periods of pressure.”

£136m EU-backed fund to help businesses grow

A new £136m EU-backed fund to give businesses in Wales access to finance to help drive their productivity and the growth of the Welsh economy has been launched by First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones. Managed by Finance Wales, the Wales Business Fund will support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate their expansion plans by providing finance through loans and equity investments from £50,000 up to £2 million. The fund will also provide finance for business start-ups as well as risk capital for the creation and growth of companies undertaking research and innovation, including spin outs, in key growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences and health. The First Minister said: “As a pro-business Government, we are committed to supporting both start-up and existing businesses to grow and flourish and I am delighted that we are investing EU and Welsh Government funds to back this goal.”

Das ist Wales: Year of Adventure campaign launches in Germany

Visit Wales’ Year of Adventure campaign has been launched in Germany as the new Wales TV advert will be seen on cinema screens in Berlin and Munich. The advert aims to make Wales a leading global destination for adventure tourism in the German market as part of the Welsh Government’s Year of Adventure 2016. The strapline for the activity in Germany is ‘Das ist Wales/This is Wales, a proud statement of who we are and an invitation for the market to discover Wales afresh and to challenge what they thought they knew about Wales. Das ist Wales is also the title of the new German holiday planner which is tailored to the needs of the market. Deputy Minister for Culture Sport and Tourism Ken Skates said: “Germany is one of Wales’ three key overseas markets. In 2014, Wales attracted 92,000 visitors from Germany who spent £34 million in the Welsh economy. This new campaign gives a strong and confident invitation for people to learn more about Wales.”

£2m to support carers in Wales

A £2m funding package is being made available over the next two years to continue the support provided to carers in Wales, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford has announced. There are estimated to be more than 370,000 carers in Wales. 90,000 carers look after family and friends for at least 50 hours a week. Between 70% and 95% of the care provided to people in communities across Wales is given freely by family and friends. The £2m funding for 2016-17 and 2017- and builds on the progress already made to support carers. It will focus on partnership working across health, local authorities and the third sector and build capacity to take forward work to further enhance carers rights under the Social Services and Well being (Wales) Act. The Minister said: “I am pleased to confirm a package of £2m to provide transitional funding to protect and expand on the progress already achieved by health boards, NHS trusts and local authorities for carers.”

Campaign encourages victims of sexual abuse to get support

A new phase of the Welsh Government’s Live Fear Free campaign aims to encourage people who have suffered sexual abuse to seek the help they deserve. The campaign will focus on encouraging adults who were abused as children to call the Live Fear Free helpline. Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said: “According to NSPCC statistics, two thirds of adults who experienced abuse as children may have never told anyone about their abuse.” If you’ve been abused, you can call the Live Fear Free helpline anytime for advice and support – it’s free, confidential and available 24 hours a day. You can also visit the Live Fear Free website to find out more about the campaign, and what help is available: 0808 80 10 800, gov.wales/livefearfree

New powers to manage impact of HMOs

New legislation that will give planning authorities the opportunity to manage the impact of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in their local area have come into force (25 February). Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said the aim is to allow local planning authorities to require planning consent for new HMOs and to consider the effects such dwellings might have on local areas before deciding whether to approve planning permission or refuse it. The new legislation will introduce a new use class (C4) for HMOs occupied by not more than six residents. The Minister said: “HMOs make an important contribution to the private rented sector by catering for the housing needs of certain groups and provide accommodation for individuals who cannot afford to purchase properties or rent larger accommodation. This new legislation will allow planning authorities to take action to manage the number of HMOs in their local area.”

Energy Efficiency boost

A new Energy Efficiency strategy that will play a major role in driving economic growth, tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency has been launched by Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant.The new strategy sets out a clear direction for the next 10 years and outlines how we can support action across all sectors. The Minister said: “Energy efficiency offers a considerable opportunity to deliver green growth, through new jobs, skills and a flourishing supply chain. It is the most cost-effective means of meeting our commitments to reduce carbon emissions while lowering energy charges to businesses and for the public sector, and it directly addresses fuel poverty by reducing the cost of heating the homes of vulnerable people.”

£450,000 for projects to reduce motorcyclist casualties

Two projects which aim to improve road safety and reduce the number of motorcyclist casualties will share up to £450,000 of Welsh Government research funding to develop their products, the Economy and Transport Minister, Edwina Hart has announced. The successful projects are an advanced helmet liner from Armourgel Ltd aimed atf protecting motorcyclists from rotational acceleration brain injuries; and a junction alert system from Fusion Processing Ltd which will use a combination of radar and cameras to identify when a motorcyclist is approaching. The Minister said: ““These projects are looking at innovative ways to protect motorcyclists and reduce accidents. Both successful products returned encouraging results at feasibility stage and I am pleased we are able to support them to develop their products further.”

New campaign to reduce risk of developing dementia

New Welsh Government figures show 76% of people in Wales are worried about developing dementia later in life and more than half of people (60%) think if someone in their family has dementia they will develop it too. The findings of a survey about dementia were published as the Minister for Health and Social Services Mark Drakeford launched a new campaign designed to helped everyone in Wales take simple steps to reduce their risk of developing dementia. The campaign calls on us to ACT NOW:

Active (physically and socially)

Check your health regularly

Try new things

No to smoking

Occasional alcohol in moderation

Watch your weight

The Minister said: “You are never too young to take some simple steps to improve both your physical and mental health as you age and hopefully reduce your risk of dementia and other diseases.”