Regulated Mobile Home Sites Bill

Peter Black's Member's Bill on park homes aims to tighten regulations and prevent site operators from abusing their power. (Pic : BBC Wales) Although Darren Millar's (Con, Clwyd West), widely-derided, Chewing Gum Levy Bill wasn't approved by AMs a few weeks ago, Peter Black's (Lib Dem, South Wales West) Member's Bill was...

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Fifty years, thirteen days, one relieved planet

                     Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which, arguably, is the closest the world has come to nuclear war.The actual US naval blockade of Cuba didn't end until...

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AWEMA - No Taffioso deals, but some questions unanswered

Last Thursday, the Wales Audit Office published their long-awaited report into AWEMA, following the charity's liquidation. More on this at : National Left, Jac o' the North, Peter Black AM, A Change of Personnel, Inside Out, Betsan Powys and Gareth Hughes.Firstly, we need to get the Labour issue out of the way. The report found no evidence of outright political interference, saying that although "the full basis of some of the Welsh Government's...

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Communities First - Past, Present & Future

Hat tip to Valleys Mam. Although everyone is no doubt focusing on AWEMA at the moment, I'll be looking at that next week.What is Communities First? The First Assembly decided concrete action needed to be taken to tackle deprivation, but had to do so within their limited powers. (Pic : cpghr.com) Every three years or so,...

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Draft Road Safety Plan for Wales

The Welsh Government are reviewing speed limits on trunk roads, and are encouraging local authorities to do the same for their roads. (Pic : The Guardian) Local Government and Communities Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside), recently launched the Welsh Government's Draft Road Safety Plan. A consultation...

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Kings of their castles

Marchons, marchons!Qu'un sang impurAbreuve nos sillons! (Pic : Webbaviation.co.uk) In the old feudal system, an overlord would grant tenures to a vassal in exchange for loyalty or service, known as a fiefdom. The lord handed this responsibility would become the dominant power within that fiefdom, a system that's only slightly...

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A farce that shouldn't have happened

Who should have the power to confirm changes to dog shit fines in Wales? The "noblest court in the land" is debating it. (Pic : BBC) This week, the UK Supreme Court start deliberations on the "legality" of the Welsh Government's Local Government Byelaws Bill, which was passed by the Assembly in July this year.The Bill itself,...

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Public procurement reform & Plaid's "Plan C"

A few weeks ago, Finance Minister, Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan), released areport by John McClelland on the future of public procurement in Wales. John carried out a similar review for the Scottish Government in 2006.What was the report's purpose?The Welsh public sector as a whole (Wales : An Economic Profile IV) currently purchases...

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Senedd Watch - September 2012

Squatting became a criminal offence in EnglandandWales on September 1st, with a penalty of up to 6 months in prison, or a £5,000 fine. Squatting was already illegal in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Peter Black AM (Lib Dem, South Wales West) claimed that Swansea was becoming “the poor relation to Cardiff”, after £19million previously ring-fenced for a marina scheme in the city, was redistributed elsewhere by the Welsh Government. Australian journalist,...

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