So proud of our Assembly achievements

This column appears in the Cardiff Post today.

It'll be election time again in just over a month's time. On Thursday, May 3, Wales will go to the polls again to elect members for the National Assembly for Wales.

In an age of cynicism about politics in both the media and, if we are to believe the reports, the general public at large, it's worth reflecting, I think, on all the good things that the National Assembly for Wales has done. Of course, as a Labour MP, I am very proud that such positive things have been achieved under Labour leadership.

Let's start with all the things that have become free over the last few years, thanks to the Welsh Assembly. Free prescriptions for everybody from April onwards; free bus travel for the disabled and over 60s; free school milk for five- to seven-year-olds; free nursing care in Welsh nursing homes; free breakfasts for primary schoolchildren; free swimming for pensioners and free swimming for schoolchildren during the school holidays in local council pools; free access to national museums in Wales.

I think these measures are tremendous steps forward — they benefit and open up opportunities for many people and are to be applauded.

In terms of public health, I am also very impressed with the great strides that have been taken by the Welsh Assembly. On April 2, I will wholeheartedly welcome the ban on smoking in all public places in Wales. In the NHS too, there is much to salute — health expenditure has nearly doubled since 1999, investment in new buildings and equipment is being trebled, seven new hospitals have been built or are on the way, there are over 8,000 more nurses and over 500 more consultants and waiting times are down.

Of course, there are some problems that are still outstanding, but I think if you ask most people, they cannot speak highly enough of the care they received in the NHS.

I could talk about how the Welsh Assembly has had a positive effect in many other areas. In education, for example, there are 1,700 more teachers and 5,700 more teaching assistants than in 1998, class sizes have been cut, standards have risen in all age groups and there are no top-up fees for Welsh students studying in Wales. Police-wise, working with the UK Government, we have record police numbers — 1,000 more offices in Wales since 1997 and this year, we should have a total of 700 Community Support Officers. 130,000 more people are in work in Wales than at the time of devolution. There has been £93 million in extra funding to boost recycling, investment in arts, culture and sport has grown to more than £150 million for the first time ... I could go on.

Reading the headlines, you may be forgiven for thinking that the Welsh Assembly has done very little. But this would be a mistake. Its work often gets overlooked and it is not given credit for positive things it has achieved — people think that they have "just happened".