A protest was held outside a surgery due to be held by local MP Stephen Crabb today (Friday) over the controversial subject of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, known as TTIP.

Protestors from People's NHS Wales in Pembrokeshire were outside Mr Crabb’s planned surgery in Milford Haven to ask the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP and Secretary of State for Wales, to exclude the NHS from TTIP.

There are concerns that TTIP - which is about reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business - will lead to privitisation of the NHS.

However, unknown to the group, Mr Crabb had cancelled the surgery earlier in the week, to attend ministerial business.

A spokesman for the People's NHS Wales, said: "Numerous Residents of Pembrokeshire have written to Stephen to ask him to meet with them to discuss the exemption of the NHS from the TTIP negotiations but have had no response from him.

"People's NHS Wales have also requested to meet Stephen on many occasions but he has refused to meet the campaign group as well as the constituents of Pembrokeshire to discuss this most serious of issues."

Mr Crabb told the Western Telegraph: "I am sorry that representatives from Peoples NHS Wales were not able to see me today.

"As they had not let me know that they were going to be attending my surgery, I was not able to inform them that it had been rescheduled.

"Everyone who had been booked into the surgery had been notified on Wednesday that it would not be taking place due to urgent ministerial responsibilities.

"I am very happy to meet with any individual or group in my constituency to discuss any issue of concern and everybody who writes to me receives a reply."