Flow of cross-border services must not be dammed (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Flow of cross-border services must not be dammed

February 27, 2008 3:30 PM

In response to the Welsh Affairs Committee enquiry into cross-border public services for Wales Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon & Radnorshire has called upon service users and interest groups to respond to their call for written evidence by 20th March.

The Committee's inquiry will look at Health and social care; Further and higher education; and Transport cross-border services. The committee will look at the extent to which cross-border public services are currently provided for and accessed by the Welsh population; the arrangements currently in place to co-ordinate cross-border public service provision; and the funding of cross-border public services.

Kirsty Williams said:"Representing a Marches constituency I am all too familiar with the fluidity of service use across the Wales-England border. Despite the current direction of Plaid-Labour policy the border is not an impassable edge for all that is Welsh and devolution should not be a barrier to cooperation.

"It is ridiculous that some of my constituents who for years have been receiving specially tailored treatment in England, in nearby hospitals such as Hereford are now being told that they will have to receive treatment in Wales, in hospitals such as Wrexham which are further away and disrupt continuity of care.

"We must admit that while in many cases Welsh patients will get the best possible treatment in Wales from Welsh doctors and nurses there are occasions where individual cases will be better served over the border in England. These are occasions when a patient's needs and quality of life should come before issues of insular nationalistic policy and inadequate funding."

"Next week in the Assembly the Lib Dems have secured a debate on cross border issues, and we shall be continuing our call upon the Assembly Government for an end to the political dogma dictating where the Welsh borderland's residents receive their services. We want access to services according to what is best for individuals needs.

"I would urge as many people as possible to contribute to the Welsh Affairs Committee's inquiry and to support the mounting pressure on the Cardiff and Westminster Governments to reverse the trend towards this separation of services."

Notes:

Written evidence on this issue, and the other aspects of the inquiry announced by the Committee, are invited by no later than Thursday 20 March 2008.

Contact: Specific Committee Information: welshcom@parliament.uk tel: 020 7219 6189

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/parliamentary/welshcom