By Lesley Griffiths

MS for Wrexham

People aged 51 – 54 in Wrexham and across Wales will now automatically receive at-home bowel screening tests.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Wales, with between 7,000 registered cases between 2018 – 2020, however, almost nine out of ten people survive bowel cancer when it is detected and treated earlier on.

This latest move is part of a phased approach to lower the screening age to 50 throughout Wales by October 2024.

I am pleased the Welsh Government is widening access to bowel cancer screening. Treatment is more likely to be effective if cancer is detected at an early stage and offering the easy-to-use home test to more people will help identify more cases and help improve survival rates.

In the early stages of bowel cancer, people may feel well and have no symptoms so I urge everyone in Wrexham who receives the invitation to take up the offer as it could save your life.

At the end of this month, a number of single-use plastic items will be banned from being sold across Wales.

In December 2022, Wales made history by becoming the first part of the UK to legislate against a thorough list of disposable plastic products, such as single-use plastic cutlery, plates, drinking straws and stirrers.

The new law comes into effect on 30 October and will give local authorities the power to enforce the offence of supplying or offering to supply the commonly littered items, even when they are free.

Wales is currently ranked as the world’s third best domestic recycler and the new law demonstrates how the Welsh Government is continuing to take ambitious steps to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

I hope this ground-breaking move will change people’s mindsets and encourage them to choose more reusable products, helping us avoid leaving a legacy of plastic waste for future generations.

The second phase of the ban will include plastic single-use carrier bags, polystyrene lids for cups and food containers and products made of oxo-degradable plastic. This will come into force before the end of the Senedd term.

As always, if you’re a constituent in Wrexham and there is something I could help you with, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: lesley.griffiths@senedd.wales or call 01978 355743. You can also keep up to date by following me on Twitter and Facebook, just search @lesley4wrexham.