Author: Rhys Gregory

Some uncertainty remains with businesses who deal with the EU on the provision relating to data after the end of the transition period on 31st December. The UK government stance is that GDPR is and will remain engrained in UK law during the transition period and into 2021. The EU is conducting a data adequacy assessment of the UK and if the EU grants positive adequacy decisions by 1 January 2021, it would mean that personal data can flow freely as it does now, without any action by organisations. With only weeks to go, the EU has yet to decide…

Free oil spill kits will be provided to respond quickly to an accident along the Cardigan Bay coast. Over recent decades, there has been an increase in oil production, transportation and consumption. The environmental impacts of oil spills include Ecological alteration, Physical smothering of organisms, Chemical toxicity and Loss of habitats or shelter through clean-up processes. The Cardigan Bay Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG), which is administered by Ceredigion County Council, have announced a new project, which will provide free oil spill kits along the Cardigan Bay coast, from St Dogmaels to Tresaith, Aberporth to Llangrannog, New Quay to Aberystwyth,…

The planning application for the Museum of Military Medicine has been approved subject to conditions set by Cardiff Council. The new Museum in Cardiff Bay will bring to Wales the most comprehensive collection of archives and exhibitions documenting the legacy of British military medicine and aims to host the UK’s first 8k immersive interactive video space. Following the planning committee’s announcement, the team behind the Museum of Military Medicine has also reiterated its commitment to work with communities in Butetown and its surrounding areas to create a venue that will serve and benefit local residents and attract tourism from across…

HUNDREDS of young entrepreneurs across Wales have been given an opportunity to sell and promote their products via a virtual Christmas market. The Wales Student Market gives students and graduates from across all Further Education and Higher Education Institutions in Wales the opportunity to showcase their products and services while tapping into an existing market of staff and students. During the festive period, many education institutions usually organise Christmas markets where students can sell their products. As this isn’t possible this year due to the coronavirus restrictions, the Wales Student Market was developed to help give the businesses developed by…

The North and Mid Wales Growth Deals are due to reach major milestones over the next few days, which will mean every region of Wales will be covered by a growth deal. The final deal agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal is to be signed today (Thursday, 17 December) in a live streamed virtual event.  The Deal is backed by £120m each from the Welsh Government and UK Government. A few days later, on 22 December, progress on the Mid Wales Growth Deal  is expected to be announced involving representatives of Powys and Ceredigion county councils as well as…

Education Minister Kirsty Williams has this week (Wednesday, December 16) provided further details of how the system put in place to replace examinations for general qualifications in 2021 will work. In November, when confirming there would be no end of year exams for learners taking GCSEs, AS levels or A levels next year, the Minister said she would establish a Design and Delivery Advisory group that would support ‘wellbeing, fairness and progression’ for learners in 2021. The group, chaired by Geraint Rees and made up of head teachers and college leaders nominated by regional consortia, ColegauCymru and local authorities, has…

Residents across Swansea Bay are being urged not to go to festive parties or meet friends and family this Christmas season. With Christmas Day less than a fortnight away Covid-19 cases locally are at record levels and rising fast. Local councils and public health chiefs are seriously worried the virus will bring misery to many thousands of families this festive season if people do not act to cut their contact with others right now. Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: “We’re pleading with people to realise the pandemic isn’t over, that the risks are greater now than they have…

Newport City Council’s cabinet is seeking the public’s views on a plan to transform leisure facilities in the city centre. A proposed new leisure and well-being centre would include a pool, fitness studio and health and well-being areas as well as modern changing facilities and a café. It is planned to put the new state-of-the-art centre on a key brownfield site on the riverfront This would enable the vacated Newport Centre site to be used by Coleg Gwent for a £90m further education campus creating the Newport Knowledge Quarter and bringing hundreds of students and staff to the city centre…

A designated care home in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will be the first in Wales to receive the vaccine, with teams in additional Health Boards taking the vaccine to care homes later this week. The initial roll-out of the vaccine to care home staff, health and social care workers and those aged 80 and over began on Tuesday 8th across the UK, based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Wales and other UK administrations are guided by these recommendations. There had been concerns about maintaining the stability of the Pfizer / BioNtech vaccine outside…

Five men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the kidnap of a 20-year-old man from Cardiff. Three of the five men were arrested in Hemel Hempstead. Two other men, and a woman, were arrested in London. The victim, who has no serious injuries, has been safeguarded by police and enquiries are continuing. We are appealing for witnesses to any suspicious activity in the Clifton Street area of Roath and Odet Court in Pendwyallt Road, Whitchurch, during the evening of Friday, December 11. Detectives are working with colleagues from Hertfordshire Police, the Metropolitan Police Service and National Crime…