Prioritise Wales, PM urged

Hard-hit regions such as Wales should be prioritised during the economic crisis, say the leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Wales.

In a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Church urges the UK government to make sure that its policies are targeted towards the poorest people in the poorest parts of the UK.

“Employment and other statistics show that people in Wales are again among the hardest hit,” said Mervyn Phillips, Chairman of the Church’s Church and Society Department. “We would urge that in the development of programmes, proper priority is given to those regions of greatest need. We are anxious that the programmes proposed by the government will be quickly implemented and specifically related to these vulnerable areas and people.”

The letter comes at the end of a week when hundreds more job cuts were announced in Wales. Unemployment figures suggest that the rise is higher in Wales than in any other region of the UK. An extra 24,000 people in Wales became unemployed between July and September. A recent survey suggested that one in five business in north Wales fear they will be bust within a year.

The government has already taken some steps towards supporting families, promising mortgage support to those facing payment difficulties. “We appreciate the steps  already taken and the priority given in the legislative programme to economic renewal,” said Mervyn Phillips. “But this needs to be targeted towards the poorest regions, and we hope that the steps already taken will provide a basis for a confidence-building programme which clearly prioritises the needs of the poor and vulnerable.”

According to Reverend Ifan Roberts, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, cooperation between all levels of government is essential at this time.

“In this crisis, the devolved government in Wales will be closely involved with government departments in Whitehall and we will be writing to the First Minister in Cardiff,” he said. “We hear of more job losses every day, and now is the time to put political differences to one side and to take bold action to help the tens of thousands of people in Wales who have been affected by this crisis.  We will be urging the Welsh Assembly Government to lobby the UK Government so that hard-hit areas of are Wales are given priority. As supporters of the Church Action on Poverty campaign, we say that this is not the time to forget about those in desperate need.”