Memorandum submitted by John Tyler (CBPS 12)

Living close to Hay on Wye I find myself, like many other people, in the position of travelling some distance to receive medical care from specialist clinics and hospitals. Excluding the minor hospitals such as Builth and Brecon and focussing on those that have significant services, the 40 minute journey to Hereford, in England, is far closer than the 90 minute trip to Cardiff or even the 50 minutes to Abergavenny. These journey times are given for car travel, but some of my elderly neighbours do not have the luxury of being able to rely on a car and use public transport; this is exceedingly difficult in this area, with the most reliable service by far being to Hereford, and when public transport is unsuitable it is hard for old folk to ask a friend for a lift to Cardiff when Hereford is so much nearer.

I am very disappointed that so-called nationalism seems to be placing the symbolism of an artificial border above the needs of the people of Wales. I sincerely hope that cross-border services will continue to operate successfully and effectively to the great benefit of myself and all the other residents of this lovely border area.

3 March 2008