Promoting personal responsibility and encouraging people to save for their future are at the heart of my department's reforms and that's why I am particularly pleased that my own department is publishing its own plans today and I'm here at Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind to see what excellent work they do.

John Hutton MP (Secretary of State for Department of Work and Pensions)

I greatly enjoyed my visit to the Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind on Wednesday 18th February 2009. I was much impressed by the work that you are doing and by the very high standards of skills and craftsmanship. I think the Institute and it's workforce are much to be complemented and I wish you all the very best for the future.

Secretary of State for Wales, Paul Murphy

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the site and would like to thank everybody at MTIB for their fantastic hospitality. The dedication, commitment and professionalism of everyone involved at MTIB is of great benefit to the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, keep up the good work!

Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil Alun Jones

"MTIB does some excellent work; it empowers people and gives them a transferable skill-set. I was particularly impressed by the dedication of the staff and the real sense of team-work. I enjoyed the tour of MTIB. It provided me with an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by visually-impaired people."

Mike German, then Leader of Liberal Democrats in Wales