I was pleased to hear this week that significant progress has been made in the campaign to deliver a Dinas Powys By-Pass.

The traffic issues through the village are well documented – and they don’t just affect the people of Dinas but the people of Barry too.

There are serious issues with congestion – which present a number of safety and environmental issues – as well as causing a bottleneck for anyone travelling between Cardiff and Barry.

It is really encouraging that the outcome of a stage-one report into the issue is pending, while the next phase will soon be commissioned.

This will provide details on costs – as well as recommending a preferred solution.

Securing a by-pass will revolutionise transport links in the Eastern Vale, since it will in effect be a Cardiff-Barry link road.

So it won’t just be welcomed by the people of Dinas, but the wider area too.

I look forward to continuing to work on the campaign to make the project a reality.

The Auditor General’s report into significant failings at Cardiff and the Vale Health Board is deeply worrying – and will cause considerable anger among staff and patients.

The Health Board paid a consultant – Raj Chana – £150,000 a year, after taking her on without advertising the role or following any standard procedures.

To put it into context – that is more than the salary of the First Minister and was so large it required Welsh Government approval.

What’s more – her expenses alone were more than the starting salary of a nurse.

The news comes at a time when doctors and nurses are facing financial ruin after being ordered to pay £68,000 in car parking charges – while patients have seen services decline.

The Health Board is already in special measures and this scandal will do little to improve confidence in it.

Despite the Assembly going into recess this week – I’ll continue to press on this over the summer months.

With the summer holidays now here – and schools across Barry breaking up for a six-week break, I know many people will flock down to Barry Island to enjoy the sun, sea and sand.

We are blessed to have such a fantastic resort in the town – but we must remember the dangers posed at the beach.

That’s why I was delighted to visit the RNLI Barry Island Visitor Centre recently, where Avril Kitchen and team gave me an in-depth insight into beach safety.

You should only swim between the flags marked safe, and read and observe all the warning signs on the beach.

A little known fact is that more children get separated from their parents or guardians at Barry Island than any other beach in the UK – and the RNLI have introduced a scheme to prevent this.

Wristbands for children to wear are available from the Visitor Centre – which you then write you mobile number on– so if they get separated you can be reunited quickly.

It’s a great idea and I’d urge all beachgoers with children to take it up.