Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Parliamentary candidates Q&A

1. What are the biggest issues facing Pembrokeshire at the moment?

2. What can be done to boost the economy and jobs locally?

3. Despite being a devolved issue what can you do to improve health provision in Pembrokeshire?

4. What can be done to improve the prospects for young people in the area?

5. What are your key objectives if elected?

Simon Hart, Conservative

1.Two things come up all the time. The NHS and the economy. I think Pembrokeshire residents recognise that the economy is on the mend at last and that we can't have a great NHS without a sound economy. Falling unemployment (down 30% in our area) low interest rates, zero inflation and new businesses starting up are given as reasons to be optimistic about the future.

But that doesn’t mean I am complacent – I think the biggest issue facing Pembrokeshire is the erosion of our health service. Labour in Cardiff Bay refuses to ringfence the money they get from Westminster to spend on the NHS. That means they can spend it on other things – such as buying Cardiff Airport for £50 million. Unbelievable if you are worried about the future of Withybush.

Creating jobs is the other big issue in our county - our economy is getting stronger and my promise is to continue making sure that local jobs are secure, that small business can flourish and that our key industries - tourism, manufacturing, energy and agriculture are sustainable.

2. As your MP you’ve told me over the last 5 years that having a secure economy is a key priority. That means jobs, apprenticeships, a fairer benefits system and to keep more of your hard earned money.

Raising the income tax threshold and taking all those on minimum wage out of paying tax altogether will make a huge difference and leave Pembrokeshire families with more money in our pockets to spend.

Improving Broadband speeds and mobile phone coverage will help to stimulate business, especially small family businesses and rural start ups. Reducing employer’s National Insurance contributions and Corporation Tax leaves companies with more money to invest on securing jobs in the County.

Continuing to improve transport infrastructure to west Wales – for example the electrification of the mainline to Swansea – and the fuel duty freeze of the last four years has done a massive amount to keep costs down and create jobs.

3. Almost everyone I have spoken to during six weeks of campaigning understands that the future of Withybush lies in the hands of the Labour Goverment in Cardiff and that their £800 million of NHS cuts put our families at risk.

40% of my casework in the past five years has involved the NHS – from ambulance response times and waiting lists to mental health services and access to GPs. I will continue to hold the Welsh Assembly Government to account and pressurise Health Minister Mark Drakeford to provide a better deal for Pembrokeshire.

I have held a specialist NHS surgery to enable residents to raise their problems face-to-face with Hywel Dda Health Board and these will continue. The case of Kelly Thomas from St Florence who I helped get a referral to England for treatment after 17 months trapped in the Welsh NHS shows that I can make a difference.

4. Nothing will improve young people’s prospects more than having a strong economy. If we have that then we have flourishing businesses and the creation of more long-term secure jobs.

Pembrokeshire relies on small businesses and so improved rural communications is vital. By next spring 96% of households will have access to superfast broadband - and BT don’t get paid on the project until that figure is reached.

In Government the Conservatives have created two million apprenticeships and made the UK the fastest growing economy in the World. Our plan is to raise the tax threshold still further, reduce regulation and costs for small businesses so that our county is a great place to start a new business and create life-long jobs which will help keep young families in the area. Making Wales competitive in the world also helps make us a great place to invest in a new venture, with all the benefits that brings to our community.

5. If I am re-elected then I will continue to put our area first in every decision – even if I get grief in Westminster for doing so!

I’ll continue to use common sense and even vote against my Government when they get things wrong – like trying to impose 20 % VAT on caravan sales.

I’ll continue to force health bosses to provide prompt services and efficient hospitals – Hywel Dda must be answerable to its patients.

I’ll carry on helping make sure that local jobs are secure, that small business can flourish and that our key industries can flourish.

And I’ll always provide our community with a voice and with a bit of extra support.

Delyth Evans, Labour

1. The biggest issues facing Pembrokeshire are the health service and the local economy. The NHS is under pressure right across the UK, and the shortage of doctors and nurses, the mounting costs of treatment and the demands of an ageing population require changes to the way we deliver care as well as higher levels of funding in the future. The priority for the Health Board is to recruit extra doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals to fill vacancies and to ease the pressure on over-worked staff at Withybush, in GP surgeries and in the community. The Labour Party's pledge to train an extra 1,000 doctors, nurses and other health professionals with new funding from a mansion tax and a tax on tobacco companies is a necessary first step in tackling the problem. Staff at Withybush are doing a fantastic job and they must get the support they need to maintain the excellent quality of care they provide.

2. Labour's pledge to raise the minimum wage will put a bit more money in people's pockets which they will spend in the local economy, benefitting local business. Labour will support small and medium sized enterprises by setting up a British Investment Bank to provide access to capital to enable SMEs to invest and grow their businesses. Labour will also support key industrial sectors, including renewable energy which has the potential to grow strongly in Pembrokeshire due to the existing energy industry presence and the natural resources surrounding us. We will also invest in better skills training and apprenticeships. Finally Labour is committed to our future in Europe which is extremely important for business and the regional economy.

3. I see the role of the MP as being to represent the views and needs of my constituents and to make sure they are heard at the highest level, both within the Hywel Dda Health Board and within the Welsh Government. It is vital that Ministers and Health Board executives understand the impact of service changes on the people who rely on the NHS, and how things like transport and rurality must be considered when planning future provision. I also see the role as holding Ministers and the Health Board to account for promises they have made and ensuring these promises are delivered on.

4. There are no easy answers to improving job prospects for young people locally, but first and foremost we need a government that is committed to supporting the regional economy, not one that stands back and does nothing. As outlined above, Labour will support key industrial sectors such as green energy, and work with business to provide better training for young people through apprenticeships as well as the successful Jobs Growth Wales programme. Job prospects start in school and we must make sure all young people leave school or college with a solid education and a set of skills they can offer an employer.

5. My key objectives are to be a hard-working accessible MP who will stand up for the needs of my constituents, represent them effectively at Westminster and do all I can to support local businesses and make sure Pembrokeshire gets the investment it needs, both in public services and in the local economy. European funding is a key part of this and I will vote for a strong future for Wales in Europe.

Elwyn Williams, Plaid Cymru

1. Cuts to the NHS, Social Care and other council services due to the Tory UK Government austerity measures, meekly passed on by the weak Labour government in Cardiff. This is compounded by a lack of confidence in council leadership following the recent scandals in County Hall. Fears about the downgrading of Withybush hospital and GP cover in places like Tenby. Farmers also face a constant struggle against market forces and bureaucracy to survive. Being at the western edge of the new Swansea Bay City-Region will also make it very challenging for Pembrokeshire to get a fair share of the investment cake.

2. Firstly, it’s essential to note that Wales is being short-changed by the UK government to the tune of £1.2 billion. We need this money to invest in the economy and service. We must also ensure that a fair share of the huge EU grants coming to Wales later this year will be invested wisely in infrastructure and sustainable projects that create lasting jobs in west Wales. Recent improvements to the A477 are welcome, but there’s much more to do. The railway from Carmarthen to Pembroke Dock is an important artery and it’s totally unacceptable that the planned electrification will end at Swansea.

3. As a result of austerity, Withybush is understaffed. Together with recent department closures I’m very concerned that Pembrokeshire’s general hospital is being run down. Patients are suffering and hard-working medical staff are under great strain. Plaid has a detailed strategy to recruit and train the staff we need to take the strain off GPs surgeries, the ambulance service and hospitals like Withybush. This includes training and employing a 1,000 extra doctors over the next ten years.

4. Jobs and housing are the key requirements for young people. Tourism is obviously an important employer. Plaid wants the UK government to cut tourism VAT to 5%, as 24 other EU countries have done. That would be a £7.5m boost to the tourist industry in our area and create over 200 new jobs. Affordable housing is also crucial. Plaid wants to give local councils more power to take over long-term empty properties to be renovated as homes and make it easier to turn redundant farm buildings into houses.

5. Fight austerity! The message in the streets and on the doorstep in Pembrokeshire is clear: people have lost confidence in the large London-based parties and are fed up with austerity. Over the past seven years we’ve suffered cuts in services due to Westminster’s austerity measures. It angers me to see our communities suffering all this pain for no gain. Both the Tories and Labour say they intend making further cuts that will have a devastating effect on the NHS, education and housing. Plaid says that austerity is a failed economic experiment and that sensible investment is needed to grow our economy. Pembrokeshire needs and deserves a strong voice, not shackled by the London-based parties who treat MPs as lobby cannon-fodder.

Selwyn Runnet, Liberal Democrat

1. The biggest issue in this Election is the Economy, both locally and across the whole UK. We need a stronger economy because this is the only way to provide higher living standards and to pay for the public services that we all want to see. Other key issues is the fight to make sure that the Labour-run Welsh Government provide decent local health services - this includes making sure that there is no downgrading to the services at Withybush Hospital. We need to see improvements to local infrastructure, support for our farmers and food producers and also for our tourism industry. I am also fighting to make sure that the Labour-run Welsh Government does not downgrade our National Park, which would be disastrous. We also need to see better local government and an end to the bad news stories coming from County Hall - the latest being 'Porschegate'.

2. We need to abolish the tolls on the Cleddau Bridge and I am pleased that Welsh Liberal Democrats are now committed to doing this as soon as possible. It makes no sense to set up an Enterprise Zone and then charge tolls to get from one part of the County to other. We also need much better support from both the County Council and the Welsh Government to help local small businesses as well as out tourism sector. I also want to see superfast broadband available to everyone int he County. However, overall, we need sensible and stable government in London that will sort out the deficit, ensuring this is done fairly, whilst keeping the economic recovery on course. We mustn't go backwards to where we were in 2010.

3. The Welsh NHS is the responsibility of the Labour-run Welsh Government and we can all see the problems across the whole Welsh NHS, not just the problems locally. Labour's system of secretive and unaccountable Local Health Boards must be changed. We need an open, democratic and accountable Health Service. I will fight with Lib Dem colleagues in the National Assembly to achieve a better Health Service. Welsh Lib Dems want to see a Health Service Commission that will work out a long-term plan for better health services in Wales. It is a great shame that both the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have rejected the idea. If I become the MP on 7th May, I will do everything I can to help local people with their Health Service issues – it’s one of the issues that most concern people when I talk to them on the doorsteps.

4. The best thing we can do for young people is to make sure we have a strong economy that can provide good quality jobs for them. We also need to improve the housing choices for young people by both improving and extending the choice of private renting, building more affordable homes for rent through housing associations and making it easier for young people to become home owners through schemes such as the Lib Dems 'Rent to Buy' initiative. I also want to see a huge improvement in vocational courses and qualifications, so that young people can earn whilst they learn. There is often too much emphasis on formal academic courses which do not lead to high quality jobs. I want to see young people have real opportunity in their lives.

5. I want to see: • A stronger local economy • An end to tolls on the Cleddau Bridge • An end to big pay-outs for Council bosses • The A40 upgraded to a dual-carriageway • No downgrading of Withybush Hospital • An efficient and effective County Council • A fairer society with opportunity for all ages groups

Gary Tapley, Green party

1. There are many issues to address here.

West Wales is one of the poorest regions in Europe. We have three principle industries, tourism, agriculture and energy, plus many creative and entrepreneurial individuals. The problem with these industries is that if they don’t work collaboratively then they can work against each other.

Also because we are a rural area on the edge of Britain and Wales the bean counters of government see us as a liability rather than the asset we could be with the right investment. Issues of transport & health are being eroded all the time. We also have a problem with our image to the rest of the country when it comes to governance, often referred to as the Wild West due to the self-serving decisions made by some of our local politicians.

2. Further use of renewable energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy is more affordable and involves less risk of pollution. Our constituency has many people who are highly skilled in engineering construction. The Green Party aim to create a vibrant Renewable Energy Industry and eventually derive all our energy needs from renewables. I would aim to put West Wales at the forefront of this energy shift.

Promotion of localism in agriculture plus working with our farmers to assist them in securing the best deals for their efforts as they feed the rest of the country. Logistics in big business were originally conceived on the principle of cheap oil and cheap labour, as we move post oil we need to revisit the movement of bulk goods around are country.

Effective promotion of the area as a “destination” holiday centre.

3. We need a reliable and efficient NHS which is protected from erosion by private business, or outsourcing to transnational bidders from conglomerates and profit making companies. People's health is too important to be left to the whims of the market.

Reducing pollution will improve the health and wellbeing of everyone. Be aware that until recently the NHS had a duty to 'provide' healthcare. Now their duty is to 'promote' healthcare, a marked difference. A lot of the parties talk about keeping the NHS free at the point of delivery but with this word changing there will be an opportunity for them to seriously downgrade what we receive for “free” on the NHS. People are responsible for their own lifestyle choices, whether to treat their own bodies as temples or not. However, we are all vulnerable to accident and illness. Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire deserves hospital and community healthcare which improves the quality of local people's lives, and a social care system which is able to care for our ageing population.Having lived in New York for a time I am well aware of the ineffectiveness of a private health care system where the profit is money and not the people’s health. The final cost per person for health care in the U.S. is nearly double what it is in this country. I would pressurise to keep the NHS fully funded so we could enjoy the “benefits of scale” our beloved leaders so often champion.

4. Young families need the opportunity to work outside the home and remove the poverty trap which currently prevents unemployed people beginning part time work or starting new businesses for fear of losing their benefits.

Education should be available for everyone, without tuition fees. I have experienced many different education styles and knows the only way we can improve and sustain ourselves as a caring society is through education and will work towards a society with a fully funded and effective education system. The three main industry sectors should be reflected in our education mix, to give young people the opportunity to stay and work in this beautiful area.

5. The Green Party will encourage a fairer society. I have a vision and a plan for a thriving, growing community in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.

I would like to see the introduction of a citizens' income which would mean we could keep elements of our “beloved” capitalism, whilst curbing its worst excess of viewing people as commodities, something to be used rather than loved and cared for. This would remove a lot of bureaucracy in the benefits system and re-humanise those that are unlucky enough to be unemployed or have saved the country a fortune by staying at home to act as unpaid carers. I would also campaign for the living wage, which would mean work would pay and would remove employers from relying on the benefit system to make their businesses work.

I would also campaign to get rid of the bedroom tax, as an affordable home should not be an impossible ambition. I would also campaign to bring abandoned buildings back into use for housing, be they residential or commercial as we need our land for the production of food and energy and not housing.

And of course a fully funded NHS

John Atkinson, UKIP

1. Pembrokeshire has suffered with lack of investment in it's infrastructure. Both the A40 and A477 require urgent upgrading to dual carriageway status. We need to return to full services at Withybush Hospital and have a cohesive plan for the development of Milford Haven.

2. Generating more investment and reducing the burden on small and medium sized enterprises should enable and encourage more local businesses to develop. Development of Milford Haven both commercially and as a centre for leisure and tourism should create much needed employment. By leaving the EU, we will regain control of our seas and hopefully see a resurgence of our fishing industry. Better and quicker broadband and mobile phone accessibility will also assist and encourage the development of local businesses.

3. Representing this constituency in Westminster I would fight to ensure that adequate funding is provided to the Assembly for health care across the area. We need a joint plan involving both the NHS and care providers. There should be more accountability within the NHS and we would look to have locally elected health boards to achieve this. We need to encourage more local people into becoming doctors and nurses and we would remove tuition fees from anyone who decided to enter the profession.

4. Along with the proposals mentioned in Questions 1, 2 and 3 to encourage more small and medium businesses, UKIP will introduce an option for students to take an apprenticeship qualification instead of four non-core GCSEs which can be continued at A-level. Businesses should be able to discriminate in favour of young British workers. UKIP will also conduct a skills review to better form our education system and qualifications. The removal of tuition fees from students taking degrees in technology, science, engineering, maths and medicine should encourage young people to enter these professions.

5. My key objectives, if elected, are to provide to the people of the United Kingdom an upfront referendum of our membership of the EU, stabilise UK economy and ensure that big business pays its fair share in taxes, ensure that the NHS continues to be free at the point of delivery, review the Barnett formula ensuring it is fair across the UK, reduce foreign aid ensuring that money spent is on healthcare initiatives, inoculations against preventable diseases and clean water programmes, and reducing the deficit and our National Debt by withdrawing Britain from the EU, cutting foreign aid and scrapping the HS2 rail project.