By Hannah Blythyn

MS for Delyn

Last week saw the King’s Speech in Parliament and it was great to finally see a Labour UK Government outline some of the bills it’s planning in the new parliament. While many of these bills cover areas that are devolved to Wales, there is a mechanism in the Senedd to provide legislative consent to devolved areas, allowing the Welsh Government to actively work with the UK Government for the benefit of Wales. If you’re interested in how the legislative programme announced in the King’s Speech affects Wales and Welsh people, it’s worth reading the statement made by Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales, in which she outlines some common areas of interest for both nations – you can read it at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-07-18/hcws12.

Wales Tourism Week, was an opportunity to not only raise awareness of the issues impacting the tourism industry here, but also a chance to showcase the quality of Wales’ tourism offer to the rest of the world. Tourism is a vital industry in Wales and our corner of north east Wales has a lot to offer visitors, from the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB to the estuary and gorgeous coast, and our lovely towns and villages. I’m proud to be from this bit of Wales and proud to show off all its attractions to visitors – and I support our tourism businesses as they make visiting Flintshire such a great experience.

As we’re now in the school holidays, Flintshire residents might be interested in the Family Arts Festival being held at Theatr Clwyd on August 3rd and 4th. The festival promises low-cost family activities with shows, workshops and activities, for everyone from babies to grandparents, all with a relaxed family-friendly vibe. There’s a comedy club, dance and drama workshops as well as music and storytelling, plus there are performances of Mr Toad, a reimagining of Kenneth Graham’s Wind In The Willows.

I would like to offer my congratulations to three schools in Flintshire – St Winefride's RC School and Lixwm Church in Wales Voluntary Aided School, both in Holywell, and Ysgol Yr Esgob in Mold – for their positive Estyn inspection reports which were published recently. Inspections can be a stressful time for both staff and pupils, so it’s great to see these schools gain a positive response from Estyn in the work they do.

Two other local organisations deserve a mention this week – Mold Boxing Club and Aura Wales. Mold Boxing Club won a Be Active Wales Fund grant, funded by the National Lottery, that supports sports clubs and community organisations across Wales to improve access to physical activity. The club has been awarded £1,875 to develop its women and girls section this year, through taster sessions and boxing fitness sessions to make boxing more accessible – the club will also use the money to develop female coaches from within their existing membership to help to create sustainability for the future. And Aura Wales, which runs four Flintshire leisure centres, won the Best Social Impact Initiative at WSA Sports Industry Awards in recognition of its Community Sports Hub – and it’s worth remembering that the leisure centres have plenty of activities and swimming sessions available during the holidays, find out more at www.aura.wales/leisure-centres.

Finally, as the weather has got hotter it’s worth remembering that dogs can really suffer in hot cars. According to the RSPCA, when it’s 22°C outside, a car can reach an unbearable 47°C within the hour, so leaving your dog in the car when it is hot is very dangerous and will cause significant suffering and harm to the animal. It’s also worth remembering that dogs can get hot on walks too, so it’s best to walk early in the morning or later in the day when it’s cooler – and make sure they have plenty of fresh water.

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.