Gwenda Thomas

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Gwenda Thomas
Assembly Member for Neath
In office May 6, 1999 – present
Preceded by	New Post
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Constituency	Neath
Majority	4,946 (22.29%)

Born	1942 Neath
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Morgan J. Thomas
Children	1 (Son)

1 Profile
2 Responsibilities in the Assembly
3 History
4 Contact details

[edit] Profile

Gwenda Thomas AM (born in Neath, 1942) is the Labour Welsh Assembly Member for Neath. Mrs Thomas was first elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, having almost doubled her majority. She is a fluent Welsh speaker. She is a member of the GMB Union.

She is Welsh Labour's candidate in Neath for the 2007 Welsh Assembly Election.

[edit] Responsibilities in the Assembly

She is currently Chair of the Assembly's Equality of Opportunity Committee and was appointed in December 2003 by the First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan AM, to chair a review into Safeguarding Vulnerable Children in Wales. The review's report - Keeping Us Safe - was published on May 3rd 2006. She is a member of the Local Government and Public Services, Voluntary Sector Partnership, South Wales West Regional, and Standards committees in the National Assembly.

[edit] History

In the first Assembly (1999-2003), she was Chair of the Local Government and Housing committee.

Mrs Thomas served on West Glamorgan County Council as Chair of the Social Services Committee - the first female councillor to chair a such a major committee. She later served in the same position on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council following local government reorganisation in 1995.

Educated at Pontardawe Grammar School, she worked in the County Courts and Benefits Agency as an Executive officer for many years.

Mrs Thomas is a campaigner for carers' rights and a past member of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee. Her interests include health, social services, children's issues, local government and the voluntary sector.

[edit] Contact details

National Assembly for Wales - Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1NA. Tel: (029) 2089 8750, Fax: (029) 2089 8379
Constituency Office - 7 High Street, Pontardawe, Swansea, SA8 4HU. Tel & Fax: (01792) 869993