AM's Local Visit

CARL SARGEANT AM CELEBRATES THE LAUNCH OF A LOCAL ART 2010 CALENDER
Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has visited the Deeside Citizen’s Advice Bureau and the Community Café, both based at Cable Street in Connah's Quay.
The Alyn & Deeside Welsh Assembly Member heard from staff at the Citizen ‘s Advice Bureau about the work that is undertaken to ensure that local people can access helpful legal and financial advice.
Carl Sargeant also visited the Community Café and commended local volunteers who have produced a 2010 calendar made up entirely of paintings drawn by a local art group.
The calendar has been produced from work by the Friends of Flintshire Citizens Advice Bureau Art Class, who are all local residents, and is being sold in aid of the Connah’s Quay Community Café’s activities.
Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn & Deeside said,
“ The Friends of Flintshire CAB work with the local community in providing an open door café and informal education activities, this is a valuable local facility and I was delighted to be able meet with local volunteers and celebrate the launch of their 2010 Calender.”

News on Unemployment Figures

CARL SARGEANT AM IS ENCOURAGED BY FALL IN OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES
Official statistics published released this week have shown a drop in claimant count unemployment in Wales for the second month running.Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has said that these latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics show encouraging signs of improvement in the labour market in Wales, with employment up by 6,000 over the previous quarter. Unemployment is down 8,000 over the last quarter.The figures also show a fall, for the second consecutive month, in the claimant count in Wales, with a drop of 1,300. Again this is encouraging news, Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside said,“Whilst the drop in unemployment figures is encouraging, I will continue to fight for further employment locally. The Labour-led Assembly Government has said that it is determined to continue to do all within its power to lead Wales towards recovery and fight for working people across Wales.

Congratulations To Local School

CARL SARGEANT AM CONGRATULATES THE CROFT NURSERY SCHOOL FOLLOWING A POSITIVE INSPECTION

Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has congratulated the Head teacher and Governors at The Croft Nursery School, based at Larch Avenue, Aston, following a very positive Estyn Inspection report.

The Estyn inspection report recognised that within the School ‘There is a strong community spirit’, that ‘All children are well motivated to succeed’ and that pupils make good progress in key skills.

Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said after receiving the inspection report.

“Good quality early years education is vitally important for a child’s development and I am very pleased that the Inspector has recognised the value of the work being undertaken by teachers at The Croft Nursery School. The Head teacher, Governors and Parents should be very proud to have received a very positive inspection report.”

AM Congratulates Local School

CARL SARGEANT AM CONGRATULATES LLANFYNYDD SCHOOL ON INSPECTION SUCESS
Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has congratulated the Head teacher and Governors at Llanfynydd C P School following a successful Estyn Inspection report.
Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said
“I am delighted the inspection team has recognised that Llanfynydd C P School is a successful School that serves the local community well. The Head teacher, Governors and Parents should all be very proud to have received a very positive inspection report.”

AM Welcomes Funding Review

CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES WELSH EDUCATION FUNDING REVIEW
Carl Sargeant, Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn & Deeside has welcomed a major independent review of how education funding in Wales is allocated to schools, colleges and universities .The First Minister for Wales Caerwyn Jones AM following his election ,made a commitment to refocus educational investment. The Education Minister has pledged to make this commitment a priority and the review will take this important agenda forward.The review will be conducted in two stages by external consultants with experience and expertise in this field to ensure complete objectivity and impartiality. Scheduled to begin in February, the first stage is an internal exercise looking at the costs of administering education in Wales using information collected by the Welsh Assembly Government. Recommendations for making savings and opportunities to move resources to front line services will be made by the end of March. A wider review of administering education across Wales will then follow.
Following the announcement of the education funding review,Carl Sargeant AM for Alyn & Deeside said,“The Welsh Assembly provides education funding to County Council’s and other bodies and therefore it is important that we can be assured that that funding is reaching the classroom, in Flintshire, parents and pupils will be eager to learn the results of this important review.”

Don't Miss Out

CARL SARGEANT AM URGES PARENTS
NOT TO MISS OUT ON CHILD TRUST FUND CYMRU PREMIUM,

Alyn & Deeside Welsh Assembly Member, Carl Sargeant is today reminding eligible children and their parents to return their Child Trust Fund Cymru claim forms by the 31st January to ensure they receive the money they are entitled to.
All children born between 1 September 2002 and 31 August 2004, who already have a Child Trust Fund account and live in Wales, are eligible to a £50 premium. Children from low income families will be eligible for £100.
Child Trust Fund accounts enable families to start saving for their children’s future by providing £250 at birth and again at age seven, with additional payments for children from low income households. The Child Trust Fund Cymru, is a key Labour led Welsh Assembly initiative to help address the consequences of child poverty in Wales, encourage saving, and improve financial literacy, and is in addition to the UK payment.
Alyn & Deeside AM Carl Sargeant said,
“The Child Trust Fund initiative is an excellent opportunity for parents to begin to save for their children’s future and I would urge all parents of eligible children not to miss out on the opportunity to claim the additional £50 top up available from the Welsh Assembly Government.”
Application forms for the Child Trust Fund Cymru have been distributed via local education authorities and should be returned to the Welsh Assembly Government by the 31st January 2010 to ensure payment this financial year. Parents of children who are home schooled or attend independent schools should contact the Welsh Assembly Government. More information is available from www.wales.gov.uk/childtrustfundcymru or 0800 496 0590.

AM Welcomes Improvements To Scheme

Carl Sargeant AM Welcomes Improvements to Welsh blue badge scheme
Alyn & Deeside Welsh Assembly Member, Carl Sargeant has today welcomed the Labour led Welsh Assembly Government’s plans to improve the blue badge scheme for disabled parking.
Plans include extending eligibility to children under three years old with certain medical conditions, people with temporary conditions and to new groups of disabled people.
Carl Sargeant AM said
“The blue badge scheme currently assists those people who are registered blind or severely disabled people and enables them to park close to the facilities and services they need, this has been a successful scheme for nearly forty years and I now welcome the decision by the Welsh Assembly Government to extend the scheme and improve the scheme, I am certain that many people in Alyn & Deeside will benefit from the changes.”
The whole programme would take up to 5 years to deliver although there are opportunities to prioritise some areas for early implementation. For example, priority will be given to extending the scheme to parents or guardians of children under the age of 3 with specific medical conditions.