By Hannah Blythyn

MS for Delyn

The Welsh Youth Parliament election campaign kicked off this week during the Urdd Eisteddfod. Young people across Wales, between the ages of 11 and 17, will be able to register to vote and tell us about the key issues that matter to them and, from July to October, young people will also be able to stand as candidates for their constituencies and nominees will be announced on October 21st, prior to the election in November. It’s so important to encourage young people to get involved in politics and to listen to their views ¬– for some years now I have been holding Democracy in Action days with schools across Flintshire to discuss the issues students feel will shape the future of Wales and to help them find out more about the democratic process.

Last week the news was also dominated by the Infected Blood Inquiry report, which highlighted the appalling scandal of infected blood, blood products and tissues which were supplied by the NHS in the 1970s and 1980s and used as part of NHS treatment across the UK during that time. Tragically, thousands of people were infected with Hepatitis C and HIV as a result and many people have died, others have suffered a lifetime of ill health. In response to the report, Public Health Wales has issued guidance specific to Wales at https://phw.nhs.wales/news/home-testing-and-treatment-for-blood-borne-viruses-available-in-wales, which highlights the free home testing service that you can use to test for blood-borne viruses and also explains that now all blood donors are screened at every donation.

This year, TUC Cymru will be marking its 50th anniversary. Trade Unions have played a huge role in shaping who I am today, in giving me a voice and shaping my values. Unions work to end bullying, discrimination and support our rights for fairer working conditions in the workplace and members of a trade union are more likely to be treated with respect at work and are more likely to find job stability. I am and have always been a trade unionist and I would encourage you to join a trade union too – find out more about unions at www.tuc.org.uk/join-a-union.

I recently had the chance to visit the Moel y Parc transmitter near Caerwys – if you’ve been up that way you’d have seen the huge mast which stands at 230 metres high and is one of the Arqiva network of 1,450 radio and TV transmission sites in the UK. It was good to meet the team of experts and engineers who keep this place running and it was a bit of an eye-opener for me to see the sort of technology required to beam TV and radio channels into our homes – the Moel y Parc transmitter not only provides coverage for North East Wales but can also be picked up in homes in Merseyside, parts of Greater Manchester and as far north as Blackpool, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.

Finally, as it’s half term Transport for Wales (TfW) has announced that children can travel for free on TfW trains when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, which is good news if you’re planning to get away at the weekend. As well as free travel, your TfW train ticket can unlock some great discounts to many attractions too – find out more at https://tfw.wales/ways-to-travel/rail/savings-and-offers/kids-go-free. If you’re out and about, it’s also worth remembering that Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys all offer kids’ meals for £1 or less and many of our high street restaurant chains like Bella Italia, Beefeater or TGI Friday also offer free meals for children – see this useful list on the Which? website at www.which.co.uk/news/article/cheap-and-free-things-to-do-over-may-half-term-aKLBW1O0FwUH.

As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email hannah.blythyn@senedd.wales. You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn. Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don’t need to wait for an advice surgery.