How people can make a change

This column appears in the Cardiff Post today.

The activist Marian Wright Edelman once said: "You really can change the world if you care enough."

For example, when I was campaigning on banning smoking in public places, there were times when we were not quite sure we would succeed. But, persistence paid off and the National Assembly will bring a ban into force in April.

I hope that we will have similar success with the campaign to save Llanishen Reservoir, and with the campaign to get justice for former ASW workers.

About 1,000 workers lost their pensions when this private company went bankrupt in 2002 and 893 were from the Cardiff area. Many of us have campaigned long and hard on this issue and the Government has responded.

It set up the Pensions Protection Fund, which will protect pensioners in this situation from now on, but which, of course, is not retrospective. And it set up the Financial Assistance Scheme.

The additional money given to the Financial Assistance Scheme was, I think, a direct resul tof the campaign led by the workers and particularly those from ASW. When the FAS was set up, the scheme applied to members who had reached retirement age or who were within three years of doing so. In the Pensions White Paper of 2006, the scheme was extended to those within 15 years of retirement, with total funding of £2.3 billion.

However, this still does not cover everyone and there is still a shortfall for many people. And just last week, there was a ruling from the European Court of Justice which said the issue of whether the Government has to pay out is a matter for the British courts. The case will now go back to the High Court.

In order to help the campaign along, I have agreed to table an amendment to the Pensions Bill which is currently before Parliament. I want to have another go in persuading the Government to extend and improve the FAS so that justice can be seen to be done.

The issue of pensions for ASW workers is still a running sore and we shall continue to campaign until we get a just outcome.

Many people care enough to make this happen.