Commenting on the release of new statistics that show that only 58.5% of emergency ambulance calls were responded to within the eight minute target, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister Peter Black said:

“It is disappointing to see yet another fall in performance on the part of the ambulance trust. Patients are continuing to be let down by the failure to respond to emergency calls within the target times and lives are being put at risk.

Commenting on the news that the troubled North-South Air link has suffered a further set back after no operators made suitable bids for the latest tender, Welsh Lib Dem Shadow Transport Minister, Jenny Randerson AM said:

“It is astounding that even at the shockingly high level of public subsidy, Ieuan Wyn Jones is offering operators, not one has come forward with a suitable bid.

The Green Jobs Strategy - ‘Capturing the Potential’- was launched in2009 after much dithering, with no baseline figures against which to measure progress and no set of indicators of how to measure growth and development. In addition, the Deputy First Minister’s recent change indirection for Wales’ economic development makes light the importance of creating a green, sustainable economy.

One of the four main priorities for the Liberal Democrats these coming months will be to build a fair and sustainable economy that creates jobs.

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

“The Green Jobs Strategy is just a box ticking exercise for theLabour-Plaid government.

The statistic show that in January this year 5.2% of those who attendeda Major A&E Department waited more than eight hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged, and that 16.8% had to wait more than four hours. Government targets state that 95% of patients should be seen within four hours and 99% within eight hours. No Health Board in Wales met either of these targets.

Home Office statistics show that from March 2005 to March 2009, the strength of police officers in North Wales has dropped by 5% (81officers) and the predicted cut of 20% in the Home Office grant to police authorities could see further reductions in the number ofofficers on the streets.

This month, the Liberal Democrats announced their General Election plans to put 3,000 more police out on the beat to cut crime which would mean an extra 32 police officers on the beat in North Wales.

The statistics, revealed by the Minister for Health in a written question by Peter Black AM, show that 45.7% of hospital admissions in 2008/09 were from someone who had been admitted to hospital with an alcohol related diagnosis within the previous twelve months. Alcohol is estimated to cost the Welsh NHS between £70 million and £85 million each year and is responsible for an estimated 15% of hospital admissions.

The Welsh Boiler Scrappage scheme is too little, spread too thinly, and would be better targeted to help those living in fuel poverty, according to Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Sustainability, Mike German AM.

The Welsh Assembly Government has allocated £2.5million for the Wales boiler scrappage scheme which will be launched on April 1^{st and is expected to benefit up to 5,000 Welsh households. The scheme will be non-means tested, available to those over 60 with £500 to replace an inefficient (G rated) boiler.}

The Welsh Liberal Democrats will use their opposition debate today to highlight the limited provision of specialist treatment for sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Wales.

Almost a third of people exposed to a stressful event or situation will go on to develop PTSD. In the Welsh Lib Dem Autumn Conference, the party voted unanimously in favour of calling for an urgent review into PTSD services in Wales.

374 MPs past and present have been asked to pay back a total of £1.12 million after the completion of the appeals process.

Sir Thomas Legg investigated the expenses of current and former MPs from 2004 onwards.

Mark Williams was not required to pay anything back as part of Sir Thomas’s Review.

Mr Williams accused the Conservatives of helping their party’s wealthy donors at the expense of ordinary working people.

The Conservatives have said that they would increase the inheritance tax allowance to £1 million per person. Because the threshold would be transferable this would mean that a married couple would pay no inheritance tax on anything up to £2 million.

Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, has metwith representatives from the Royal British Legion in Parliament to makea formal pledge to do her bit to support the British Armed Forces.

The move comes as Bob Ainsworth, Secretary of State for Defence, warnedtoday that Operation Moshtarak, being launched in Afghanistan is likelyto lead to a rise in the number of British casualties.

The Royal British Legion is calling on candidates from all parties tosupport the Armed Forces family in the general election and haveproduced a manifesto recommending various changes in government policy.

The Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme is a good practice forum inwhich employers can work with Stonewall, and each other, to promote lesbian, gay and bisexual equality in the workplace.

Although the private and public sector UK membership of the programme hasgrown from 100 to 500 in four years, only two out of 22 local authorities –Cardiff and Flintshire - have signed up to the programme.

Rodney Berman, Welsh Lib Dem leader of Cardiff Council said:

“As a party committed to fairness and equality, I am delighted that Welsh Lib Dems support this call for more local authorities in Wales to promote ahealthy working environment for lesbian, gay and bisexual employers.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats will this weekend be reaffirming their commitment to building a fairer Wales by setting in stone their four main priorities for the General Election and the people of Wales.

Our four key pledges to deliver a fair Wales that will underpin the manifesto are:

* Fair Taxes for all * A Fair Start for Children * A Fair, Sustainable Economy * Fair, Clean and Local Politics

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said:

“The people of Wales have a choice between three very different visions of the future. The Liberal Democrat vision is of a Fairer Wales within a Fairer Britain.

Welsh Liberal Democrats will this afternoon stage a vote in the Assembly, calling on proper recognition of the role of Further and Higher Education in Wales.

The Labour-Plaid Government’s recent budget has caused anger in the sector, and led to dire warnings about cuts to jobs and courses.

“The latest Labour-Plaid budget saw 5% cuts across Welsh Universities and further squeezes on colleges and sixth forms. This is in addition to the frankly awful gap between education funding compared to England.