Wales and British Lions full back Lee Byrne met with Pudsey Bear at the Millennium Stadium to announce that BBC Children in Need will be bringing a feast of entertainment to the iconic venue for Wales’ Autumn Series fixture against Fiji on Friday 19th November (kick-off 7.30pm).

The annual Children in Need show will beam images of a packed-out Millennium Stadium live to BBC’s nationwide television audience during the half-time break when Wales meet their Rugby World Cup nemesis side Fiji, in the special ‘Children in Need Game’.

Welsh rugby’s Friday night fixture, which traditionally attracts families and groups of children due to the discounted rate available for under 16s, will be enhanced by the star-studded entertainment schedule planned.

The ten minute show from the hallowed pitch will be broadcast on BBC One in full during the main BBC Children in Need Appeal, which raises huge amounts of money for disadvantaged children.

Byrne, who made his international debut in the Autumn internationals of 2005 when he came on as a replacement full back against New Zealand, is looking forward to a gruelling November series.

“You always remember your first game in a Wales shirt and despite losing the game on the day it was pretty special to make my debut against the All Blacks in front of a capacity Millennium Stadium crowd,” he said.

“The Series this year will be as tough as it gets with Australia and South Africa joining New Zealand and Fiji on the fixture list.

“We will need all the support we can get from the Wales fans on that Friday night against Fiji, we all know what happened when they knocked us out of the world cup three years ago and we only beat them by a point the time before that.

“That would have been my first start for Wales against Fiji in 2005 and we’ve had some great wins since then, beating Australia in 2008 and obviously winning the Grand Slam that year as well.

“It should be pretty special atmosphere on that third Friday in November, knowing we must face Fiji in our Rugby World Cup pool the following year and the ‘Children in Need’ show should really enhance the atmosphere.

“They are always exciting games against the Fijians and I hope we can show this great charity the respect it deserves by replicating the entertainment on display at half time out on the pitch and helping in any way we can with the Appeal.”

Head of BBC Children in Need in Wales, Marc Phillips, said: “Uniting BBC Children in Need with the Wales v Fiji match will help deliver a spectacular Appeal, with the biggest live audience a Children in Need event has ever had.

“Pudsey may not be ready to take his place in the Welsh team, but he’ll certainly make his presence felt in the Millennium Stadium – and all for the benefit of disadvantaged children and young people here in Wales. Many thanks to the Welsh Rugby Union and the Wales Team for their ready co-operation.”

Welsh rugby has a history of supporting BBC Children in Need to create magical moments for children in Wales and the UK, but this year promises to raise the profile even more with a very special night at the home of Welsh sport and more exciting announcements to come.

There’s still a chance to be part of the rugby action in Cardiff with tickets available from £20 for adults and £10 for children at www.wru.co.uk/tickets and via telephone 08442  777 888 and to personal callers at Cardiff Arms Store, 8 Westgate Street, Cardiff.

Also the WRU has announced an exclusive offer for school and junior group bookings at Wales v Fiji, with one free adult ticket per group of eight children booked (at £10 each). To take advantage of the offer, please contact: rosst@wru.co.uk

For an extra special experience away from the crowds, official hospitality packages can be purchased from £99 per person at www.millenniumstadium.com.

Selected tickets are still available for all Autumn Series fixtures at Millennium Stadium, priced from £60 for games against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Visit the WRU website for further details.

Spudulike has been serving hot baked potatoes since 1974 and has over 40 restaurants in Britain, continuing to open in new locations around the country. The baked potato connoisseurs will further add to the variety of food available in Eastside, which currently has 17 cafes and restaurants across two levels, totalling 30 food outlets in the whole of St David’s.

Tony Schlesinger, chairman of Spudulike Group, said: “We look forward to providing Cardiff shoppers with our quality baked potatoes, and we’re confident that St David’s will be an excellent location for our first store in the city.”

Joanne Skilton, of St David’s Partnership, a joint venture between Capital Shopping Centres and Land Securities, said: “A concerted effort has been made to offer a diverse range of catering options at St David’s and an outlet such as Spudulike not only helps to achieve this but adds to our range of quality, healthy, fast food offerings.”

Spudulike joins other restaurants on the lower level such as Prêt a Manger, Yo! Sushi, Bellini’s Express, Cadwaladers, Martin’s Chocolatier and French restaurant Boof.

Steven Madeley, centre director for St David’s, added: “The announcement of Spudulike completes the line up at Eastside offering a variety of well known brands, local independents, large restaurants and small cafes. Visitors can make the most of late night shopping until 8pm at St David’s followed by late night dining with cheap evening parking as well as everything else the city has to offer.

“We have spent a lot of time perfecting the offering within Eastside with contemporary dining in a vibrant atmosphere. The area was carefully planned to be a dining destination to complement the top fashion line up that St David’s is becoming well known for. It is fantastic that the offering of Eastside is now complete and we will continue to bring new fashion names throughout the rest of the shopping centre throughout 2010.”

The move comes ahead of the usual December announcement of inflationary price increases over the Severn Bridges for the following financial year.

Commenting, Jenny said:

“A toll price hike would be another body blow to businesses, commuters and visitors to Wales, at the very peak of the recession.

“It would be deeply unfair and hugely inconsistent if the government decided to resist increasing the cost of the Humber Bridge in England, only to whack up the toll price of the Severn Bridge into Wales.

“The Severn Bridge toll is a extortionate and really puts people off travelling into Wales, whether for business or leisure. At this time of recession, the government should be helping business and tourism, and should resist increasing the toll any further.”

Shadow Health Minister Andrew RT Davies AM understands the NHS Redress Measure – designed to make it easier and quicker to claim compensation after negligent treatment – is not expected to become active until at least the spring of 2010.

The measure was first proposed in July 2007 and received Royal Assent in July 2008.

Mr Davies accused ministers of dragging their feet and failing patients who received poor treatment on the NHS.

The South Wales Central AM is demanding assurances from the Health Minister that patient rights will not be compromised by the delays.

He said:

“No-one is expecting ministers to rush through bad legislation just to tick a box in their programme for government.

“But we are also not expecting ministers to take three years to bring into force new regulations they put at the heart of their legislative programme.

“The Measure was first proposed in July 2007 and received Royal Assent in July 2008. But it could well be almost July 2010 before it actually comes into force.

“Three years is far too long. My concern is that patient rights may have suffered as a result.

“We need assurances that ministers and officials are doing all they can to bring this Measure into being and that lessons will be learned so that future legislation is introduced in a more timely manner.

“Taking the best part of an entire Assembly term to deliver one piece of legislation is unacceptable and suggests a certain amount of feet dragging by ministers.”

The Cardiff North AM is the first Assembly Member to succeed in receiving approval in principle from the UK and Welsh Assembly Government for a non-government Legislative Competence Order.

If the Order is finally approved by the Assembly and Parliament it has the chance of completing its process by March 2010, which means that competence to legislate will be given to the Assembly.

The draft legislation was formally laid in the Assembly today ahead of a debate and vote by AMs next Wednesday.

Jonathan said: “Devolving powers to Wales over mental health has become something of a personal crusade.

“I have never quite understood why physical health became part of the devolved legislative remit without mental health.

“I suspect it happened this way partly because of the links between mental health and the power of the state to detain patients.

“If this legislation passes and it all works out then Wales has the chance to lead the way in mental health services reform.

“Very often our debates have been around the need for Wales to catch up with the rest of the UK and certainly services here do need to change.

“There may well be a golden opportunity to lead the rest of the UK in reforming this important service, demonstrating how devolution is not about doing things differently for the sake of it, but doing it better.”

“This subsidy is unsustainable in environmental and economic terms, confirmed by the lack of private service provision of the intra-Wales service.”

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that Government should Include aviation in the UK and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions inventories, and ensure that the UK emissions target in the Climate Change Bill includes aviation and shipping. We cannot pretend that the aviation industry deserves special treatment.”

“Public funding cuts for the third sector would deal a bitter blow for charities that have fought tooth and nail to survive the recession.

“The fear is that, if the Tories come to power, they will have one overriding priority: squeezing the public finances. This would be a kick in the teeth to the very sector that David Cameron says he wants to rely on.

“There may well be ways to improve the efficiency and user-friendliness of charitable funding. But any savings should be reinvested into making the sector more robust and should not be an excuse for a Tory tax cut.”

The figures show:

• Over 220,000 of the poorest people in Wales will be lifted out of tax altogether.
• Nearly 840,000 low and middle income earners in Wales will receive a £700 tax reduction.

Commenting, Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, said:

“Our tax plans will make well over half the Welsh working population better off at a stroke.

“In Cardiff alone, this will see over 20,000 people lifted out of tax altogether, and a further 100,000 save £700 a year. That’s an extra £60 a month in their pay packets

“Labour has continued the work of the Tories and presided over more than a decade in which the rich have got richer and the poor have remained poor. Even now, they are backing off from tackling bankers’ bonuses.

“At a time when people are feeling the pinch, this will be a major boost to the economy by making sure ordinary hard-working people are better off.

“It is time for a more fair and simple tax system. The Liberal Democrats are the only party with the plans to do this.”

Shadow Minister for the Economy David Melding AM said: “Today’s figures show that ministers’ claims to be confident of delivering economic prosperity for Wales have a very hollow ring.

“A decade of failed Labour economic policies has left Wales as the poorest part of the country with little sign of improvement as the economy struggles in recession.

“These figures underline the fragility of the Welsh economy and demonstrate how little progress has been made in bringing it up to the levels of other parts of the United Kingdom.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan MP said:

“These depressing figures are a measure of the decline the Welsh economy has suffered under Labour and Plaid Cymru.

“They show just how far Wales has fallen behind other parts of the United Kingdom.

“And they demonstrate the urgent need for a change of direction with a focus on the priorities of getting people working, supporting businesses, and tackling the mountain of debt built up by Gordon Brown.”

“These reports are a matter of great concern and I am seeking assurances from the Health Minister about how this affects Wales and the Assembly Government’s immunisation plan for the under-fives.

“It is vital vulnerable groups, such as young children and the elderly, are protected from this disease. The Health Minister must explain what she plans to do to allay parents’ fears.”