Friday, October 21, 2011
Rhetoric and reality
Labour in Wales are in the middle of a classic u-turn, again. Having lectured us constantly for the best part of 18 months about the need to invest in capital, to boost the construction industrym, they have apparently changed their mind.
This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the announcement yesterday by the Health Minister that new building projects in the NHS have been put on hold.
Lesley Griffiths made the announcement in yesterday's Health and Social Services Committee that all capital spending projects will be delayed until health boards submit their plans in the new year.
One member pointed out that this decision will impact on jobs, whilst
Kirsty Williams said that she was outraged to hear the Minister admit that projects announced just in time for a crucial election may now be cancelled. She said: "The Minister has since said that projects which have been ‘approved’ will continue, but they need to be clear on what this means. We don’t know if contracts which have not been formally signed will now be shelved.
“I have already tabled a formal question demanding the Minister to provide detail on which projects will now be shelved – I am calling on her to come clean today, so that people across Wales will know what the impact will be on their services.”
And this is the point. All of these projects were announced before the election to win votes. Now that Labour are back in government, it seems that they have become a lower priority.
This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the announcement yesterday by the Health Minister that new building projects in the NHS have been put on hold.
Lesley Griffiths made the announcement in yesterday's Health and Social Services Committee that all capital spending projects will be delayed until health boards submit their plans in the new year.
One member pointed out that this decision will impact on jobs, whilst
Kirsty Williams said that she was outraged to hear the Minister admit that projects announced just in time for a crucial election may now be cancelled. She said: "The Minister has since said that projects which have been ‘approved’ will continue, but they need to be clear on what this means. We don’t know if contracts which have not been formally signed will now be shelved.
“I have already tabled a formal question demanding the Minister to provide detail on which projects will now be shelved – I am calling on her to come clean today, so that people across Wales will know what the impact will be on their services.”
And this is the point. All of these projects were announced before the election to win votes. Now that Labour are back in government, it seems that they have become a lower priority.
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Oh yeah, and these are the people haranguing other parties about 'Broken promises'. Have a word with the newer Labour AM's they might not be aware of the facts (if they ever will).
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