http://www.michaelgerman.com/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Michael German AM en-GB Michael German AM http://www.michaelgerman.com/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 Michael German AM 2008-05-17T17:39+01:00 United Kingdom http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000494/gavin_and_stacey_back_mike_germans_campaign.html Award winning TV Comedy show "Gavin and Stacey" has backed Welsh Liberal Democrat calls for debit and credit card payment at the Severn Toll Bridges. 2008-04-08T00:00+01:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000499/nhs_trust_reorganisation_german_comments.html Commenting on the consultation on NHS restructuring - including plans to reduce the number of LHBs from 22 to 8, Michael German, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the National Assembly for Wales commented: 2008-04-02T00:00+01:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000498/no_april_fools_joke_for_taxpayers.html The new new income tax rates that come into force today have been condemned by a leading member of the National Assembly for Wales today, claiming that they will leave thousands of lower income households worse off. 2008-04-01T00:00+01:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000496/lower_limits_for_safer_schools__they_do_it_across_the_border_but_not_here.html A leading Member of the National Assembly for Wales has backed his party's call for 20mph speed zones around local schools. 2008-03-21T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000497/plaidlabour_government_moves_wales_economy_backwards.html 'Labour Market' statistics released today show that Wales' economic inactivity is higher than the UK average. Wales has a 74.9% rate of Economic activity compared to the UK average of 79.0%, and falls behind both Scotland (80.9%) and England (79.3%). Wales has seen a fall in economic activity in the last year of 1.4%, compared to an increase in England of 0.2%, in Scotland of 0.6% and in the UK as a whole of 0.1%. 2008-03-19T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000495/monmouthshire_to_miss_vital_recycling_target__council_tax_payers_will_be_hit_by_400000_bill.html Council Tax payers in Monmouthshire face being hit with a £400,000 tax bill after official figures released by the National Assembly for Wales show Monmouthshire will miss a vital recycling target for 2012. 2008-03-19T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000493/valuation_office_newport__labour_to_centralise_public_services_in_cardiff.html After the announcement that the tax office in Newport is to be relocated to Cardiff, another key government service in the shape of the Valuation Office is to shut up shop in Newport and move to the Welsh capital. 2008-03-14T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000492/yes_campaign_must_get_going_now_convention_terms_are_set.html Yes campaign must get going, now convention terms are set 2008-03-13T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000491/5m_boost_for_wales_will_not_ease_tensions_in_one_wales_agreement.html Commenting on the extra £5m coming to the Assembly budget as a consequence of today's budget announcement, 2008-03-12T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000489/offas_dyke_must_not_be_barrier_to_excellent_services.html People in Wales should have access to excellent local services without travelling the length of Wales - that's the message from Welsh Liberal Democrats this week. 2008-03-03T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000488/tax_office_job_losses__a_blow_for_pontypool_and_taxpayers_labour_to_axe_850_high_quality_jobs.html The Labour Westminster Government is to axe 850 highly skilled and well paid jobs from local tax offices in across South Wales. 2008-03-01T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000487/tax_office_job_losses__a_blow_for_newport_and_taxpayers_labour_to_axe_850_high_quality_job_losses.html The Labour Westminster Government is to axe 850 highly skilled and well paid jobs from local tax offices in across South Wales. 2008-02-28T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000486/local_health_boards_face_cash_crisis_over_10_million_shortfall_in_funding.html Local Health Boards in Gwent face a serious cash crisis in the region of £10 million as the Assembly Government backtracked on a promise of extra funding, claims a leading member of the National Assembly for Wales. 2008-02-26T00:00+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000482/mike_german_travels_on_first_trains_on_ebbw_valley_railway__and_back_in_time.html Local AM Mike German travelled on the first passenger trains to and from Ebbw Vale this morning Assembly on the first train on the Ebbw Valley line - and seems to have gone back in time too! 2008-02-06T10:51+00:00 http://www.michaelgerman.com/news/000485/post_office_fund_announcement_is_too_little_too_late.html Welsh Liberal Democrats have slammed a government announcement that a scheme to secure the future of our post offices won't start dishing out money for at least a further 12 months. 2008-02-06T00:00+00:00