AM Support For Campaign

AM SUPPORTS EVERYMAN MALE CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside, is spreading the word that this September men from all over the UK will be binning their razors in favour of a manlier look to take part in the third annual "TacheBack."
Mr Sargeant explains: "The Everyman Male Cancer Campaign is calling on men across the UK to get sponsored for growing a moustache in the month of September to help raise funds for, and awareness of, prostrate and testicular cancers."
Mr Sargeant has spoken out in the Assembly about the importance of raising awareness of male cancers.
Mr Sargeant said: "I am highlighting this campaign because men's awareness of male cancer is very low - men know more about breast cancer than male cancers.
"The statistics make frightening reading - Today one man in 20 is diagnosed with prostate cancer - almost 32,000 cases are diagnosed in the UK every year. Prostrate cancer kills one man an hour in the UK. It has now overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men. The majority of men with prostate cancer are aged over 60 years. Although this cancer can also occur in younger individuals, it is very rare under the age of 50.
"Testicular cancer is more common in men between 15 and 45 years of age. Testicular cancer is still quite rare, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. However, the incidence of testicular cancer is increasing dramatically - by almost fourfold in the last 50 years - and the reasons for this are not yet known. Thanks to advances in treatment, testicular cancer has an overall cure rate of 95%. The cure rate can be as high as 99% if caught at an early stage.
"Despite all this, surveys show that almost two thirds of men still don't know the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and over a third of men don't know the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer.
"Hopefully this light-hearted and fun Everyman TacheBack Challenge will get men talking to one another seriously about male cancers in order to break the wall of silence which seems to surround the issue.
"The campaign is calling on red-blooded 'retrosexual' men across the land to take up the challenge and emulate 'tached heroes such as Tom Selleck, David Seaman or Des Lynam! Supporters can get inspiration from the dedicated TacheBack website at www.tacheback.com. It includes ideas and tips on how to grow the perfect tache, along with downloadable fundraising tools and sponsorship forms."
Last year, TacheBack managed to raise £165,000, bringing the total raised by people neglecting their razor for the charity to £465,000 since 2003. The hairy challenge will end on September 27th.

Information on School Uniform Scheme

BACK TO SCHOOL IN STYLE WITH LABOUR

PARENTS in Alyn and Deeside received a helpful hand from Welsh Labour today to get the kids ready to go back to school.
Local AM Carl Sargeant welcomed Labour Education Minister Jane Hutt’s announcement of a massive £770,000 school uniform grant. The money will help low income families buy the uniforms their children need for the start of a new school term.
Mr Sargeant said: ‘’Welsh Labour’s school uniform scheme has been running for two years and has helped hundreds of families in Alyn and Deeside to send the kids back to school without getting hit in the pocket.
‘’Families on low incomes can get a uniform grant of £97.50 for children starting secondary school for the first time, and for children aged 11 at special needs schools.
‘’This is great support for families who find it hard to meet the costs of starting a new school term. I am delighted Welsh Labour is continuing the grant and I would like all parents who think they may be eligible to find out if they can save some money this summer.
‘’Contact Flintshire education authority on 01352 752121 to find out if you are eligible for a grant.’’
Labour Education Minister JANE HUTT said:
‘’Welsh Labour’s uniform grant scheme is going from strength to strength and is really helping families who can really benefit from the grants. And almost all families who would be eligible are making sure they take up Labour’s uniform grant.
“This year’s £770,000 boost is higher than last year’s and shows Labour commitment to hard working families in Alyn and Deeside.”

Support For Trading Standards Campaign

"BEWARE THE SUMMER DOORKNOCKERS," SAYS CARL SARGEANT AM


Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside, is throwing his support behind the Federation of Master Builders' "Beware the Summer Doorknockers" awareness campaign, which is being launched in conjunction with Trading Standards.

Mr Sargeant explains: "Every year in Britain, mostly over the summer months, thousands of householders are fleeced by rogue door-to-door home maintenance traders masquerading as professionals, selling anything from roofing repairs to gardening services.

"These rogue traders turn up at homes completely out of the blue, and frighten their potential targets by suggesting they have loose tiles, problems with pointing or that their driveway is in need of repair. These characters will lie and cheat in order to extort money, and often leave the property in a worse state than when they arrived. Figures supplied by Trading Standards show that last year alone rogue traders ripped off over £1.36 billion from unsuspecting home owners across Britain.

"If a stranger calls at your door saying they have noticed that you need work done on your property, do not engage them in conversation. Tell them that you do not buy services or goods at the door and that you would want to have several quotes from other builders and discuss the matter with a relative or friend. A good tradesperson will have a queue of customers waiting for them to start work on their homes - so they would never have the time to go cold-calling."

AM Slams Decision

CARL SARGEANT AM'S ANGER OVER HIGH COURT VERDICT

Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside, has written to both First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Prime Minister Gordon Brown to express his deep disappointment at the High Court decision to uphold the NICE guidance to only provide funding for people in the later stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Mr Sargeant said: "I have written to both leaders stating that this is devastating news for Alzheimer's patients and their families. NICE's recommendations will rob families of precious time in the early stages of dementia and deprive people of comfort and dignity in the final stages of their lives. I also raised my concern in the letters about the effect that this decision will have on the quality of life for carers. As far as I am aware, this decision has been made for financial, not clinical reasons. Although the drugs would not help every patient, they would certainly help some.

"I am appalled by the decision, and look forward to the First Minister's and Prime Minister's response. I have also asked for proposals for improving treatment for people with dementia, and details of how the government is going to respond to the urgent need to fund further research in order to find better treatments. I look forward to the replies."

Welsh Employment At Record Levels

"WELSH EMPLOYMENT AT RECORD LEVEL," SAYS CARL SARGEANT AM


Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside is welcoming the news that total employment in Wales has reached a record level - according to the latest quarterly Labour Force Survey published by the Office of National Statistics.
In the three months from April to June, total employment in Wales reached 1,360,000 - up 32,000 compared with the same period the previous year and up 13, 000 over the previous quarter. The year-on-year comparison represents a 2.4 per cent increase in numbers employed in Wales compared with a 0.5 per cent increase for the United Kingdom as a whole.
This means the employment rate among people of working age in Wales stood at 72.3 per cent, up 0.8 percentage points on the previous year, compared to a drop of 0.1% for the UK as a whole.
Mr Sargeant said: "These excellent figures are not just a fortunate blip - they underline a long term trend of increasing employment in Wales. Over the last decade, the increase in numbers of people employed here in Wales has been greater than across the UK as a whole, and since the creation of the Assembly Government employment has grown by 147,000.
"We are also seeing the level of inactivity amongst working age people decreasing. We have certainly proved that the economy is in safe hands with Labour here in Wales. Not only do we understand the importance of a strong and robust economy, but we also know it is important to make work pay. That is why across the UK we have introduced the minimum wage and a whole range of measures to ensure that the workplace is fairer and safer."

Information on Theory Tests

• CARL SARGEANT AM WELCOMES TOUGHER TESTS FOR ROAD SAFETY
  


• Carl Sargeant, Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside is welcoming the news that learner drivers and motorcyclists will face more theory test questions from early September when the pass marks are driven up to improve road safety. Mr Sargeant said: “The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) says that the increase in the number of multiple choice questions in the tests will help broaden candidates' knowledge and lead to higher standards, which has to be a good thing.“Increasing the number of questions will mean that the test ensures a more comprehensive coverage of the syllabus – and will hopefully encourage candidates to prepare more thoroughly, as they would for any other important exam.“I will always welcome any measure to improve safety on our roads. A more robust theory test should ensure that candidates are more confident and knowledgeable as they take to the roads as newly qualified drivers.”At the moment both car and motorcycle bike tests involve 35 questions and candidates must get 30 correct. But from 3 September the number of questions will rise to 50 with a pass score of 43. The time allowed for the multiple choice part of the theory tests will increase to 57 minutes and fees will also increase. Further details about the changes to the theory test will also be available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest

Support For Campaign

CARL SARGEANT AM SUPPORTS EYECARE CAMPAIGN

Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside is throwing his support behind a new awareness-raising campaign from the sight charity Eyecare Trust, which is warning parents to protect their children's eyes from the summer sun or risk permanent damage by the UV rays.Mr Sargeant said: “The campaign is highlighting the little known fact that our eyes are ten times more sensitive to UV light than our skin; and children's eyes can be as much as 70 per cent more susceptible to eye damage than adults as their pupils are bigger and lenses are clearer.“According to the World Health Organisation, an astonishing 80 per cent of a lifetime's UV is absorbed into the eye before the age of eighteen, due to more sensitivity and factors such as playing outdoors. The Eyecare Trust says that cumulative exposure to UV is a major cause of macular degeneration and cataracts, which could affect the next generation when they are older if their eyes are not protected early on.“The message to parents is simple - protect it now or lose it later. UV damage to the eyes is cumulative and totally irreversible. If we don't take steps to protect our children's eyes, repeated exposure can and will result in them suffering sight threatening conditions in later life. Ideally all children - and adults - should wear good quality sunglasses and a peaked hat when spending any time outdoors. It's especially important for parents to safeguard their children's eyes when they are playing on the beach or by water where there is a lot of reflected light."

AM Congratulates Local School

AM CONGRATULATES DEE ROAD INFANT SCHOOL ON A GOOD INSPECTION REPORT

Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn and Deeside is congratulating Dee Road Infant School on a good inspection report. Mr Sargeant said: “I have been pleased to read Dee Road Infant School’s inspection report which states Dee Road Infants’ is a school with many good features and which achieves its aim of creating a caring environment. “This good report is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of both the staff and pupils of Dee Road Infants School, along with the parents and governors. I am delighted by what I have read in the report. Congratulations are most definitely in order.”