Senedd Watch - March 2013

• Several Welsh Ministers took part in events marking St David's Day. First Minister Carwyn Jones visited Barcelona to encourage tourism. Leighton Andrews (Lab, Rhondda) took part in a promotional event in London. Dep. Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, Huw Lewis (Lab, Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney) visited China. Business Minister Edwina Hart (Lab, Gower) visited Los Angeles to promote Wales as a venue for film and TV production, and mark the awarding of a “Hollywood Star” in honour of Richard Burton.
• Plaid Cymru held their spring conference in Beaumaris, Anglesey. Leader Leanne Wood criticised the education system, saying it had changed from a “watchword of excellence” to a “graveyard of ambition.” She called for the Welsh economy to be (re)built from the “bottom up.” Parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd called for “parity with Scotland”, regardless of the 2014 independence referendum outcome.
• Llywydd Rosemary Butler (Lab, Newport West) outlined an increase in the number of AMs to 80 in her submission to the second part of the Silk Commission, based on the “unavoidable scale of workload faced by members.”
• The Welsh Liberal Democrats set out a “Home Rule” vision in their submission to Silk Commission; with devolution of policing, prisons, voting arrangements and energy. The Welsh Conservatives called for the devolution of broadcasting and energy to Wales in their submission, but omitted policing and criminal justice. Conservative MP Glyn Davies contradicted the Welsh Conservative stance by later saying that energy would be devolved “over my dead body” due to opposition to wind farms.
• The Welsh Government said they would consider legislating for 40% of public appointments to be women. Sports Wales chair Laura McAllister said public appointments were “loaded towards the male experience.” Around 32% of public appointees in Wales are currently women.
• The Welsh Government launched a consultation on whether laws would be required to combat horse abandonment and “fly grazing” after a spate of incidents across Wales. Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs, Alun Davies (Lab, Blaenau Gwent) promised a “zero tolerance approach” to the issue.
• A BBC Wales investigation found truancy prosecutions in Wales rose by 700% to more than 500 cases between 2007 and 2011. The Welsh Government recently consulted on £120 fines for truancy, but Education Minister Leighton Andrews said fines were “just one aspect of national policy” to reduce truancy.
• First Minister Carwyn Jones said he might personally “call in” proposals to move neo-natal services to the Wirral from north Wales as Health Minister Lesley Griffiths' (Lab, Wrexham) own constituency would be affected by the changes. On 30^th March, he announced that he would look at “another model” of providing acute neo-natal care in north Wales.
• Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws said her position had “not been undermined” by the Welsh Government's rejection of her proposed standards for Welsh language services in February 2013. A motion passed the Senedd, calling for a timetable for new standards to be issued in 2014.
• The UK Government's submission to Part II of the Silk Commission rejected “radical changes” to Welsh devolution, but proposed teachers' pay and conditions and rail franchising be devolved due to deregulation in England. They also rejected devolution of policing, criminal justice and large energy projects.
• The Communities, Equalities & Local Government Committee suggested a new “umbrella” Welsh heritage body – similar to English Heritage - be established in a new report. They also said the Welsh Government should consider the concerns of expert witnesses before proceeding with a merger of Cadw and the Commission of Ancient and Historical Monuments.
• The Assembly's Health & Social Services Committee proposed that Mick Antoniw AM's (Lab, Pontypridd) Asbestos Disease Bill could be expanded in scope to reclaim costs for treating all industrial diseases.
• Rosemary Butler AM said people in her Newport constituency faced “misery” awaiting further consultation on improvements to the M4 through the city. Welsh Government provisional proposals involve widening the Brynglas Tunnels, which would affect residents living above them.
• Age Cymru asked the Welsh Government to draw up a policy on social care costs, following proposals to cap costs in England by the UK Government. The Welsh Government said they were “in conversation with key stakeholders” about their own plans.
• Finance Minister Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan) said UK Government cuts were “too deep and too fast” and “hampered efforts to boost growth.” She also warned that benefit claimants risked missing out financially by lack of internet access, and asked the UK Government to commit more funds.
• Deputy Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, Huw Lewis, launched the Welsh Government's new regeneration policy. It'll carefully target regeneration funds into fewer projects, and work with existing Communities First areas – in particular coastal towns.
• Welsh Secretary David Jones MP announced he'll lift a ban on AMs standing in both constituency and regional seats, lengthen Assembly terms to 5 years and ban AMs from being MPs at the same time. Boundary change proposals have also been dropped. Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats described it as “overdue”, while Welsh Labour said the Assembly had not asked for the changes.
• The Welsh NHS experienced a sudden surge in emergency admissions, which caused significant problems at Welsh A&E departments. The Welsh Government urged the public to “choose well”, while health experts warned that proposed hospital reorganisations could make the situation worse in the future.
• As a result, Welsh Lib Dem leader, Kirsty Williams, said the Welsh NHS was “teetering in the brink”, while Darren Millar AM (Con, Clwyd West) described it as a “perfect storm for a cash-strapped NHS.” On March 28^th, half of Wales' A&E consultants wrote to the Health Minister, warning that A&E departments were close to “meltdown” due to overcrowding.
• The First Minister announced a cabinet reshuffle on March 14^th. Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West) was appointed Health Minister, while various other roles were delegated/re-delegated amongst existing Welsh Ministers. On March 18^th , the new Health Minister pledged to see through controversial hospital reorganisations, and on March 25^th, he warned that some Local Health Boards could miss spending targets.
• In a speech marking her first anniversary as Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood said the economy was the most important priority for her party. She called for the devolution of the welfare system, improved transport links and announced she would stand in the Rhondda constituency in the 2016 Welsh General Election.
• Swiss airline, Helvetic Airways, announced they would leave Cardiff Airport due to low demand. The Welsh Conservatives called on the Welsh Government to reconsider their bid to buy the airport, while Eluned Parrott (Lib Dem, South Wales Central) said that this shows, “the size of the task....to turn around the airport's fortunes.” The Institute of Welsh Affairs called for a reappraisal of the Severnside Airport scheme.
• The value of Welsh exports fell by almost 30% in the final quarter of 2012 – the lowest quarterly figures since 2008. Most of the fall was accounted to falls in steel and petrochemicals output. Shadow Business Minister, Nick Ramsay (Con, Monmouth) described it as “deeply worrying.”
• Chief Dental Officer, David Thomas, launched the Welsh Government's five year National Oral Health Plan. Although the numbers of children with tooth decay had fallen by 6% on 2007-08, he said the numbers were still “too high” at 41% of children.
• Business Minister Edwina Hart announced a biosciences hub would be based in Cardiff Bay, as she launched a £100million biosciences fund. One of the first investments was £4million in wound healing research, which has been identified as a “niche speciality”.
• Ken Skates AM (Lab, Clwyd South) called for local television stations to be scrapped following lack of interest in a Swansea-based station. He suggested the money be used on other media instead.
• Unemployment in Wales rose by 7,000 in the three months to January 2013 to 125,000 - or 8.4%. Unemployment across the UK rose by 7,000 with falls in job seekers allowance claimants but a big rise in youth unemployment.
• An extra £104million over the next two years was made available to the Welsh Government as part of the UK Chancellor's 2013 budget. An extra £161million was made available for capital expenditure, however revenue funds were cut by £57million. First Minister Carwyn Jones was derided by the Welsh Conservatives for dabbling in “casino economics” for suggesting the UK borrow more and reverse spending cuts.
• Mortality statistics for Welsh hospitals were released to the public, and showed 11 hospitals (of 17) had higher than average mortality rates, with 5 of 6 major local health boards having a mortality rate above average overall. Officials described it as a “fire alarm”, while smaller, rural hospitals up for reconfiguration experienced mortality rates lower than larger hospitals.
• First Minister Carwyn Jones told the Welsh Labour conference that although his party were in a strong position, they shouldn't ignore changing and adapting, including a devolution settlement that would “stand the test of time”. He defended NHS reorganisations, saying that the real threat to the NHS was believing that there was “no need for change”.
• The McKay Commission recommended that MPs from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland could have their roles limited when it comes to legislation that only affects England or EnglandandWales. It's hoped this will help address the “West Lothian Question.”
• Plaid Cymru warned, via Freedom of Information requests, that homeless people could be put up in bed and breakfast accommodation when a new “bedroom tax” takes effect. Former Minister for Housing, Huw Lewis, promised to end the use of temporary accommodation in 2011, and the numbers of homeless in B&Bs almost reached zero until homelessness began to rise.
• A Cardiff University study showed Welsh Baccalaureate holders were 15% less likely to attain a higher-grade degree than those without, however they were more likely to be accepted at a Russell Group university. The Welsh Government said they wanted a more rigorous Welsh Bacc. From 2015.
• A £400million cut to European structural funds for Wales was reduced to £60million following negotiations in Brussels. The First Minister said he was “disappointed” by the outcome, but pleased that a “fairer settlement” had been delivered. Plaid Cymru MEP, Jill Evans, described it as “devastating news” - though the cuts were less severe than feared.
• The Welsh Government completed a £52million deal to purchase Cardiff Airport on March 27^th. The Welsh Conservatives criticised the “1970s nationalisation” of the airport, while both the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru asked to see more detailed plans.
• Natural Resources and Food Minister, Alun Davies, said that easing pressure on livestock farmers affected by snowfalls during this month was an “urgent priority” and he was co-ordinating efforts with the Chief Veterinary Officer.

Projects announced in March include : A £4.4million Youth Entrepreneurship Service, a £90million EU investment in super fast broadband in West Wales & The Valleys, a new masterplan for Cardiff city centre, a £4.6million investment in Velindre NHS trust to provide new radiological treatment for lung cancer, a £40million apprenticeship creation scheme (as part of a budget deal between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru), plans for a £650million tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay and the twinning of a Nordic biomedical science research “village” with Wales.