BY Hannah Blythyn

MS for Delyn

I would like to begin this week by congratulating everyone who stood in the recent local elections and I look forward to working together to serve our local communities.

As we continue to transition from the coronavirus pandemic, it has been really good to be able to get out about across the constituency – meeting with more people from local communities and businesses to learn about your work and how I can best support.

Just recently, I was pleased to be able to join Mold WI (women’s institute) at the start of one of their regular meetings for them to present me with some fantastic “Show the Love” bunting.

The bunting is beautiful and demonstrates the creativity and commitment to raising awareness of climate change of our local WI members. The Women’s Institute is a founding member of The Climate Coalition and the #showthelove campaign, which is part of the action that WI’s are taking to protect our environment. The bunting is now proudly on display in my Senedd Cymru office in Cardiff Bay.

This week, I attended an Airbus event at the Senedd. The event ‘Airbus Elevating the Welsh Economy’ was sponsored by my constituency neighbour, Jack Sargeant MS and provided a platform to showcase the contribution that Airbus not only makes to our communities but also to the county and country’s economy as a whole. This comes on the back of a very welcome announced from Airbus to increase production and therefore job opportunities at the Broughton site, after what has been a testing couple of years and is testament to the hard work and dedication of the workforce. Airbus will increase the rate of production of the familiar single aisle commercial aircraft A320 range to an unprecedented 75 single aisle aircraft per month by November 2025. Prior to the pandemic, the rate was 54 sets of wings per month. The company has announced that in workforce terms, this will mean between 450 and 550 highly skilled manufacturing roles here in North Wales and investment of an additional £100 million in production facilities by 2025 in Broughton - re-utilising the Broughton West Factory which was previously A380 production facility for a standalone single aisle.

The cost of living crisis continues to loom large for far too many individuals and households, fuelled by soaring energy bills together with day-to-day prices, food, fuel energy, clothes, travel are increasing.

The Welsh Government continues to step in to try and mitigate some of the unprecedented pressures people are facing. There are a number range of schemes available in Wales, to help families and households with the cost-of-living crisis and put money back in pockets. I continue to share this information with constituents who have contacted my office and through media platforms – if you or anyone you know wants to know more, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. As always, I’m here to help and support in any way I can. Although the UK Government holds the primary levers through the tax and benefit system to offer protection to those struggling, I will continue to use my role to highlight the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and campaign for improvements to the help and support available.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact me on 01352 762102 or at Hannah.Blythyn@senedd.wales and I will do my best to help.