Lobby Group Calls for more Transparency from the Senedd regarding Full Accident Collision Stats

So many questions but no answers in sight, says group spokesperson

A spokesperson for the United Voices Senedd Lobby Group has called on the Welsh Government to publish the full data on accident collision data in Wales, after there appeared to be a discrepancy between police accident statistics across Wales and the later statistics released by the Government which now appear to support the implementation of 20mph.

United Voices – Senedd Lobby Group was established in 2023 to monitor and protest against the impact of the 20mph legislation and hold the Welsh Government to account. Members of the group come from across Wales.

Spokesperson and Group Founder, Annette Jones explains:

“As a group we have already asked Welsh Government why the full accident collision data has not been provided to the public for scrutiny. To date we have not had any explanation but are expected to just accept that Welsh Government are accurately reporting the alleged success of the 20mph implementation. With the latest statistics now released it is again impossible to compare like with like as the data that would enable us to do so appears to have been withheld.

“Incomplete data is making the publishing of this information misleading and imprecise. It cannot show that 20mph has been the success that Welsh Government are claiming, and the lack of transparency means that nobody can scrutinise their claims, backing up our concerns that overall deaths on roads have increased since the implementation of the 20mph legislation, as was the apparent trend shown within the previous data released by the Welsh Government.”

The group says members have also raised questions about other financial decisions that the Welsh government have taken in recent years.

Annette Jones continued:

“We are concerned about money wasted on vanity projects while failing to tackle critical issues like healthcare and education.

“A report in March 2024 identified that PISA scores declined by more in Wales than in most other countries in 2022, showing key education scores declining by about 20 points (equivalent to about 20% of a standard deviation, which is a big decline). This brought scores in Wales to their lowest ever level, significantly below the average across OECD countries and significantly below those seen across the rest of the UK.  Then there is healthcare – what is happening here?”

Only last month, the BBC reported that Hospital waiting times have again hit record levels in Wales, with the list passing the 800,000 mark for the first time.  The total number of patient pathways rose by more than 3,500 in August to 800,163 and the actual number of patients waiting, as some are on more than one list, hit 619,200 – another record.

This raises further questions about the ‘£92 million a year’ that Welsh Government claimed would ‘save the NHS’ when 20mph was implemented.

Annette Jones continues:

“When recent roof repairs at a Welsh hospital necessitated the closure of a ward, patients had to be moved to another hospital leading to cancellation of planned children’s surgeries. Surely, some of the alleged  “£92 million savings” could have been used to ensure the roof repairs were done immediately they were highlighted.

“It’s good to hear Health Minister Jeremy Miles announcing more funding to tackle the ‘unacceptable delays’ as he himself puts it, but his is far from their first term and far from the only crisis we have seen in recent years.  We need to know why  healthcare and education in Wales has been allowed to deteriorate to this point when funding has been found to plant trees in Uganda.

“The Welsh public deserves full and transparent answers from the politicians who are paid to serve us – and nothing less.

“As a group we have developed as our knowledge and understanding has increased and, as such, we will now be holding Welsh Government to account for any issues where they have provided insufficient responses to convince the public on key issues.

“Finally, the anger and frustration towards the implementation of 20mph has not abated and the ‘listening exercise’ has not resulted in any action.  We are therefore continuing with our protests on the steps of the Senedd.  The 2026 Senedd elections are not far away, and the public’s voice, not least the 469,570 who objected to the 20mph implementation, deserves to be heard – if they don’t listen now, they will have to then.”