Senedd Watch - February 2012

• A ban on cigarette vending machines came into force in Wales on February 1^st. A similar ban began in England in October, and Northern Ireland is to introduce a ban in March 2012.
• The handling of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Wales was criticised in a new report from Cardiff Business School on behalf of Cardiff Business Partnership. Wales has fallen from being the second-best UK nation or region (excluding London) at attracting FDI in 2003 to second-bottom in 2010. The Welsh Government responded by saying that the First Minister is planning new trade missions to the US and India.
• Two new enterprise zones have been announced for Wales at Milford Haven and Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd. The St Athan aerospace enterprise zone has been expanded to include Cardiff Airport and it's environs.
• The First Minister met with BBC Trust chairman Chris Patten to set out concerns relating to cuts in funding for BBC Wales and S4C. Carwyn Jones said that "it would be a cruel irony if the immediate response to the Assembly gaining law-making powers is to see a reduction in the amount of coverage devoted to Wales."
• The Assembly Commission has introduced a bill which will see English and Welsh have full equal and official status in the Senedd if passed.
• 50 senior medical staff at Bronglais hospital in Aberystwyth signed a letter of "no confidence" in Hywel Dda NHS Board. They expressed concern about the future of local services in the area as the health board undertakes a review of hospital services. Health Minister Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham) intervened, saying she expected health board officials to work constructively with clinicians and health professionals.
• The Welsh Government has launched a new "shock" campaign to cut down on parents smoking in their cars in the presence of children. If parents don't heed the new warnings then new legislation may be introduced to ban it.
• Deputy Minister for Social Services Gwenda Thomas (Lab, Neath) launched a new Family Justice Network following a joint review by the Welsh and UK governments. Independent expert advice from social worker by bodies like CAFCASS Cymru will be retained, and it's hoped the new board will "provide greater leadership and co-ordination within the system."
• Simon Thomas AM (Plaid, Mid & West Wales) withdrew from the Plaid Cymru leadership race on Feb 6th, throwing his support behind Elin Jones AM (Plaid, Ceredigion).
• The Welsh Government defended its decision to open a new office in London, claiming its current space at the Welsh Office was "inadequate". It's estimated the new office will cost £270,000 per year to run.
• A new report by the Welsh Government and Big Lottery Fund into the running of AWEMA was published. It highlighted several issues including mismanagement of finances and poor leadership structures. Finance Minister Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan) suspended all Welsh Government funding with immediate effect. AWEMA's chief executive, Naz Malik, and finance director Saquib Zia were sacked on February 17^th.
• The First Minister announced a new "Welsh Institute of Public Policy" to come up with ideas to improve public services in Wales. He said that the new body would be arms-length from the Welsh Government and wouldn't encroach on the work of existing bodies such as the Bevan Foundation and the Institute of Welsh Affairs.
• Welsh Language Board chair Meirion Prys Jones said that the Welsh language is still "in crisis" and "cannot survive without cash injection". The Welsh Language Board is due to be abolished shortly, and powers transferred to the Welsh Language Commissioner. It comes near the 50^th anniversary of Saunders Lewis' Tyngyd yr Iaith radio lecture. Other figures suggest a net reduction in the number of fluent Welsh speakers in Wales by 3,000 people per year.
• The chair of governors of Cardiff Metropolitan University said that legal action could be taken to prevent the institution merging with University of Wales, Newport and Glamorgan University. Education Minister, Leighton Andrews (Lab, Rhondda), argues that through merger the new university would be the second largest metropolitan university in the UK and be "able to provide a wide range of student experiences and will contribute to the economy of south east Wales".
• Unemployment in Wales fell by 3,000 in the three months to December 2011 – bucking the UK trend of a 48,000 rise. Unemployment is still higher in Wales compared to the UK average, standing at 9% compared to 8.4%.
• Welsh Labour held their spring conference in Cardiff in preparation for local government elections in May. The First Minister appealed to Plaid Cymru voters who don't support independence, and warned Labour not to become complacent. Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain criticised Independent councillors, describing them as "closet Tories".
• Banding for primary schools is to be delayed until 2014 Education Minister Leighton Andrews announced. He added that the delay was to enable the introduction of new literacy and numeracy tests, saying there wasn't enough "sufficiently robust data" to calculate primary school bands.
• The First Minister attended a Joint Ministerial Committee in London where he raised the issue of renewable energy in Wales, calling for the devolution of powers for renewable energy projects up to 100MW.
• The House of Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee published a report into the Welsh economy. The report says that scrapping the WDA in 2006 has lost Wales inward investment opportunities by "reducing Wales's visibility in the global market place". It also criticised the decision of Business Minister Edwina Hart (Lab, Gower) to not appear before the committee.
• The Assembly's Children and Young People Committee reported that children's dental services need to be approved and that parents need more help to understand the importance of good oral health. Committee chair Christine Chapman AM (Lab, Cynon Valley) said that "dental decay is still the most common childhood disease, and the dental health of children is amongst the poorest in the UK".
• The First Minister, on a visit to Brussels, has said that the EU was of benefit to Wales and that he wants the Welsh Government to be an "active and constructive partner" in the EU. Conservative leader Andrew Davies (Con, South Wales Central) said that the First Minister should "concentrate on creating dynamic trading relationships" with the EU.
• A row has broken out between Plaid Cymru and Labour over the future of Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth. Plaid Cymru accused Labour of putting patients lives at risk by "downgrading" the hospital. The Welsh Government refuted this, accusing Plaid of "scaremongering". The First Minister adding that there were "no plans to close or downgrade Bronglais hospital". Several hundred people travelled from Ceredigion to Cardiff on February 29^th to protest outside the Senedd.

Projects announced in February include : a £4million regeneration scheme for town centres in north east Wales, a £14m improvement to the rail services to Abergavenny including a new station at Caerleon (due ~2016), a £2.2million scheme for creative industries to exploit digital cultural heritage, a £5million scheme to allow local authorities to loan money to bring empty housing back into use and a £12million scheme to improve sustainability in providing services in West Wales & The Valleys.