Tuesday, 29 April 2008

Apr 29 2008 Western Mail

Assembly must act to banish plastic bags

SIR – The fact that the Welsh Assembly Government has heard damning evidence concerning the effects of plastic carrier bags within the environment is encouraging (Western Mail, April 25).

It is now a possibility that our representatives at the Senedd will ask for law-making powers to ban or charge for plastic bags.

So far, voluntary movements across Wales have been leading the cause by campaigning to banish the plastic bag in their communities.

These localities have been bold; demonstrating true community spirit on an important global initiative which is very important to them and the environment.

Sustainable Wales is helping Bridgend to become the first “plastic bag free” county in Wales and is working with voluntary groups, local traders and the public in the borough to achieve this aim.

However, it is only through swift, government action that we can realistically save the lives of thousands of marine animals which die from ingesting plastic every year, regulate use of precious resources and contribute to reducing climate change.

The plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to fully degrade, whether hanging from trees, littering our beaches or polluting our seas – let us ensure we do not take just as long to act!

Joe Newbury
Sustainable Wales, John Street, Porthcawl

Look who’s watching

SIR – The security implications of the Metrix military training academy coming to St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan have not been admitted by its supporters.

Since personnel and the academy buildings would be potential targets for terrorist attack, high levels of surveillance and security are to be anticipated.

It is, however, a surprise that anti-Metrix campaigners are already being given this treatment.

At the anti-Metrix demonstration in Cardiff on Saturday, the Met’s special surveillance unit from London was openly photographing participants.

People travelling to Llantwit Major for leafleting in the town (announced on the website) were met off the train by half-a- dozen police officers.

A person posting leaflets around the doors in St Athan was followed around by a uniformed policeman.

Phone tapping appears included, judging by a police car waiting in a car park after people arranged by phone to meet there.

As Blair’s support for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan made England a target for terrorist attacks, so did new laws and police surveillance become necessary. Let’s recognise that the Metrix academy would take Wales further into the US military axis and bring military-style surveillance to the Vale of Glamorgan.

Max Wallis
Westbourne Road, Penarth

Permanent solution

SIR – The appeal of Adam Swellings against his conviction and sentence for the murder of Gary Newlove has angered not only the Newlove family but many other people, particularly as at the time of the offence Swellings had just been released from custody for beating up someone else.

Steve Wright has appealed against his conviction for murdering five Ipswich women. Why not?

In our jails there are 35 prisoners who will never be released and a good few more who should never be released but probably will be and far too prematurely at that.

Recently, a police report criticised judges for imposing short sentences for firearms offences.

Even these short sentences are not all served to their entire length.

As one police officer put it: “A five-year sentence means two Christmases inside.”

A recent newspaper article carried the headline: “Prison for gangster who shot student doorman in argument at concert”.

The culprit, who had a record, had just been thrown out of a concert in Birmingham, leaving his gun in the process.

He had immediately obtained another, returned to the concert and, taking deliberate aim, shot a doorman three times.

The culprit had been a member of the Johnson crew.

In 2003 this gang’s war with the Burger Bar crew had resulted in the deaths of two innocent girls. Clearly nothing had been learnt.

The primary purpose of the law is to protect the community by providing justice.

Dare I suggest that if life sentences do not mean life and long sentences mean short sentences, murderers should be removed for good.

Such a law could be called the Removal In Perpetuity Act – RIP for short.

The money saved on prison expenses could be spent on worthier causes. There might be other benefits.

Cells could be named after criminals who would have inhabited them if they had not gone into RIP.

So an armed robber serving 10 years in the Swellings cell, the Bellfield cubicle or the Steve Wright room would get the message.

“Go straight or else...”

MARGARET BROWN
St Davids, Pembrokeshire

Weighty issue

SIR – My God! What is becoming of Wales?

I’m visiting you again and this year I plan to walk along the new coast path around Anglesey.

So I send for the official route guide and can’t believe it when it arrives. It weighs a pound-and-a- half.

To take this with me on my walks, I will need a wheelbarrow!

It weighs twice as much as it should because it is in Welsh as well as English.

Why? You can all read English.

The road signs, we all end up lost!

What if Scotland had everything in Gaelic and Scots as well as English? Or England had everything in Anglo- Saxon?

It’s time you moved forward.In Bavaria, they have virtually stamped out the primitive Swabian dialect of my homeland and everybody is happy.

BASTIAN VON HELMHOLTZ
Park Bryn Derwen, Llanharan

Rhondda roots

SIR – Regarding the recently published letter from GD Evans querying my connections with Tylorstown ward, I reply that I’m a Stanleytown boy born and bred.

My parents lived in the Rhondda all their lives and we as a family have a long and continuing history with the Tylorstown ward, which I’m proud to represent.

I do not feel that I should point out my whole life history, but I will say that I attended school in the Rhondda Fach area.

I played rugby for the area at school and over a 40-year period with Tylorstown RFC, where currently I’m the commercial manager.

I’m a life-long member of Tylorstown Workingman’s Club and regularly attend services at Holy Trinity Church.

So to those who do query my commitment to the Tylorstown ward, I can only say that I’m proud to represent, in my eyes, the best community in Wales, as it’s where I was born, lived and grew up.

MARK ADAMS
Tylorstown Ward

Desperate move

SIR – At a time when its availability is almost limitless and in the almost complete absence of any reminder of the potential danger of consuming alcohol, which is a depressant drug of addition, it ill becomes the church to advance this trend in its attempt to attract more members and, with due respect to the Vicar of Pennal, I sincerely hope that the licensing justices concerned will not grant the parish the licence it seeks.

The church, surely, has more to offer than a superficial, drug-related socialisation, and we should guard against lowering our standards in our desperation.

KEVIN W THOMAS
Stryd Marged, Rhydaman

Defeating debt

SIR – One of the biggest problems that many families face today is the problem of debt.

It has been said that the number of houses being repossessed this year will be up by a third.

Mortgage rates have increased drastically this year.

So the pressure on family finances has increased drastically.

Over the last few years a wonderful charity has grown from one branch to more than 70 branches.

The aim of the charity, Christians Against Poverty, is to simply help people to get out of debt through good debt counselling and financial education.

Last year more than 4,000 families were brought out of debt by the charity.

All debt advice given by us is free.

The difference between us and other debt agencies is that we teach people how to budget and handle money, because unless you change the way you do things you will be back in debt six months after you have cleared the initial debt.

The charity has now started a free debt advice line on 01274 760 780.

I’m sure many people in Wales, who are in debt, would like to know this telephone number.

If you want to know more about Christians Against Poverty look at our website www.capuk.org

DAVID BALL
Carlton Terrace, Swansea