I RECENTLY visited Ten Green Bottles, a New Radnor recycling company which works with the local community to try and find new and interesting ways to recycle glass. The end results are superb glass gifts and household goods.
As well as working for the benefit of the environment they also provide work placements and volunteering opportunities for people with learning difficulties and the long term unemployed. It is an excellent company and one I am proud to say is in the region I represent.
The company has now expanded into textiles to help recycle some of the estimated 650,000 - 900,000 tonnes of textile waste produced every year in the UK. This business, Gladbags is committed to preventing waste textiles in Powys reaching landfill by creating well-made and fashionable bags from reclaimed textiles.
I actually took advantage of the on-site shop to purchase some Christmas gifts.
During my visit I was very honoured to be asked to officially launch their expansion into textile recycling, with the aptly named Gladbags.
Looking at the quality, design and variety of bags already being produced, I am sure they are onto a winner here with something to appeal to all ages and all users.
In the same week as that fantastic visit we receive the shocking news that the number of managers in the Welsh NHS has risen by nearly a fifth in the last five years and the number of nurses has fallen by 10,000!
Several categories of specialised hospital medical staff have also fallen, including geriatric medicine down by 29.6% and neurosurgery down by 15%. Overall, the number of hospital medical staff has increased by 10.1% since 2005, at less than half the rate of NHS managers.
At a time when we are facing financial pressures in the NHS the Welsh Assembly Government failing to protect the health budget, unlike the Conservative led Government in Westminster. This situation is exacerbated by the Labour/Plaid Assembly Government taking £435million out of the health budget this year. We must ensure that funding is prioritised at frontline services.
It is essential that we have the right mix of skilled staff in the Welsh Health Service if the standard of patient care is to rise to meet the needs and expectations of the people of Wales. This cannot be met through managers – we need front line health staff to be given the priority.
Tourism is extremely important to Powys and I was bewildered how Powys County Council can overestimate the number of tourists by over two million and underestimate the impact on our economy by six million pounds?
Figures recently released as part of Powys County Council's 'performance summary' indicated that the authority expected over five million people to visit the county over the course of 2009/10, but in reality the figure recorded was around 3.2 million.
Their estimates for the amount spent by visitors on hotels and accommodation were also way-out. Visitors spent approximately £7.8m on accommodation, rather than the £1.65m predicted.
I do find it especially hard to understand how you can over predict estimated tourists by two million yet under predict their impact on the economy by six million pounds on accommodation alone.
I have gone on record many times saying that we undersell our assets in terms of landscape, culture and peaceful relaxation.
We need to get a grip on this issue and put a proper tourist strategy in place.