YOUR AM WRITES: Lindsay Whittle, AM for South Wales East (From South Wales Argus)

YOUR AM WRITES: Lindsay Whittle, AM for South Wales East

3:03pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in News

Lindsay Whittle

Rail Link to Newport.

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies sparked controversy earlier this month when he suggested that a rail link to Newport was not in the best interests of the Valleys. Well, I totally disagree with him.

My view is that there is no reason why there should not be links from Ebbw Vale – to both Cardiff and Newport. It is important that people in the Valleys have the widest opportunity for jobs and the means to travel to where there is employment.

Obviously as the capital and the biggest city, Cardiff has the most job opportunities but that doesn’t mean Newport should be sidelined. A rail link to Newport has been talked about for a long time – it’s time that it was delivered.

Newport city centre has had some encouraging news recently with footfall figures rising and let’s hope that continues.

Prescoed prisoners.

I was shocked to read that a call centre in Cardiff was employing inmates from Prescoed open prison on £3 a day followed by the Minimum Wage after the first 40 days.

My view is the solar panel company Becoming Green should be employing jobless people on a proper wage not using prisoners as cheap labour.

I’m all for the re-habilitation of offenders but not at the expense of those desperate for a job who’ve not committed crimes.

If this firm has social responsibility then it should be taking on prisoners after they leave Prescoed. That would have a far greater impact on their lives.

Fred Evans.

What a brilliant achievement it was by welterweight boxer Fred Evans to win a silver medal at the London Olympics.

Fred, who trains in Newport, was the first Welsh boxer since Ralph Evans, who picked up a bronze at the infamous Munich Olympics of 1972, to win a medal. He has done us proud.

James Prosser.

Plaid Coed Eva councillor Fiona Cross took a table at the annual fun day at the White Hut, the community association based in Coed Eva and Hollybush.

Fiona, who also organised the event, raised funds for a memorial bench to commemorate Private James Prosser, the 24- year-old local lad who was killed in action in Afghanistan during 2009.

Fiona and her son Dylan raised £170, of which £100 was donated by Mel’s Handy Men. The bench will be placed at Cwmbran Boating Lake.