Senedd Watch - February 2014

• Proposals to change the school banding system for primary and secondary schools were revealed, replaced by a colour-coded system reflecting schools causing concern and those exceeding expectations.
• Llyr Gruffydd AM (Plaid, North Wales) called for an apology from the First Minister for the Welsh Government's “shabby treatment of farmers”, after the transfer of CAP funds from farm support to rural development was poorly communicated, describing it as “provocative and badly thought through.”
• AMs agreed to extend a ban on the sale of “e-cigarettes” to under-18s in England to Wales following concerns about possible health dangers. Health Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), said they were “re-normalising smoking", while AMs also approved extending a ban on smoking in cars when children are present.
• Simon Thomas AM (Plaid, Mid & West Wales) called for the suspension of chief executives in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire – joined later to varying degrees by Keith Davies AM (Lab, Llanelli), Rebecca Evans AM (Lab, Mid & West Wales) and Angela Burns AM (Con, Carms. W & S. Pembs.) - following critical Wales Audit Office reports which said pension payments and libel indemnity funding were “unlawful”. Local Government Minister, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham), said she couldn't comment due to police enquiries, but called on the two authorities to enact the auditor's recommendations.
• On February 14^th, Chief Executive of Carmarthenshire Council, Mark James, stood aside after Dyfed-Powys Police referred the investigation into the payments to Gloucestershire Police. Two former chief executives of Caerphilly Council were also formally charged with misconduct in public office on February 18^th. On February 27^th, a no confidence motion in the the leaders of Carmarthenshire Council failed.
• The Welsh Conservatives pledged to raise the threshold of paying stamp duty to £250,000 if they win the 2016 Welsh General Election, saying it would cost up to £25million. Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Davies (Con, South Wales Central), said by “sounding the horn of low tax” it would “stem the brain drain” from Wales to London. Welsh Labour challenged the UK Government to cut stamp duty across the UK, questioning how the policy would be funded.
• Wales & West Housing Association said the UK Government's “Bedroom Tax” could leave the Welsh public sector out of pocket because disabled tenants forced to move would leave new home adaptations wasted. Housing & Regeneration Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside), called for the disabled, foster carers and service personnel to be exempted, pledging £1.3million towards mitigating the effects.
• Llyr Gruffydd AM called for the devolution of energy powers to Wales, saying renewable energy was potentially worth up to £2.3billion to the Welsh economy. He said Plaid's policy - should the powers be devolved - would ensure community benefits for renewable energy projects, and create a not-for-dividend energy company.
• UCAS revealed the number of Welsh students studying at English universities rose by 20% since 2010, with a 9.5% fall in those studying in Wales. Aled Roberts AM (Lib Dem, North Wales) questioned whether current tuition fee policies meant English universities benefited to Wales' detriment.
• Natural Resources and Food Minister, Alun Davies (Lab, Blaenau Gwent) said it wasn't Welsh Government policy to allow a managed abandonment of coastal communities, after BBC Wales found many local authorities were doing so due to rising sea levels. A 2010 report said £135million was needed to be spent annually to cope.
• AMs voted to approve the Social Services and Wellbeing Bill at Stage 3 on February 11^th, which will move to a Report Stage. An amendment to outlaw “smacking” was rejected, though Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas (Lab, Neath), said AMs would be given an opportunity to vote on smacking legislation before the end of the Fourth Assembly.
• However, the First Minister appeared to renege, later saying the Welsh Government wouldn't introduce an amendment/legislation before the 2016 election, instead saying parties should include it as a manifesto commitment.
• Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Davies, sacked four members of the Shadow Cabinet after they failed to vote on an Assembly motion condemning the “lockstep” provisions on income tax in the draft Wales Bill. One of them, Antoinette Sandbach AM (Con, North Wales), expressed disappointment at the “divide in the party” while another, Nick Ramsay AM (Con, Monmouth), described it as a “coup”. Andrew Davies later admitted divisions within his party, however he maintained the group would be stronger as a result.
• The Welsh Government announced a deal to bring part of Pinewood Studios to Cardiff, potentially supporting 2,000 jobs and boosting the economy by £90million. The First Minister described it as a “major coup for Wales”, while Business Minister Edwina Hart (Lab, Gower) said it was a “priceless opportunity to promote Wales as a world class location for film.”
• Welsh Government figures suggest UK welfare reforms could cost the Welsh economy £930million per year, with Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil hard hit. Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Jeff Cuthbert (Lab, Caerphilly), said the Welsh Government was funding debt advice charities in response. The Welsh Conservatives described it as “political posturing”.
• The First Minister admitted an Easter 2014 deadline to agree local authority mergers, as outlined in the Williams Commission, will be difficult to meet, instead setting a new deadline for the summer. He also admitted the chance of passing legislation on reforms before the 2016 Welsh General Election would be “very small”.
• Unemployment in Wales fell by 12,000 in the three months to December 2013 to stand at 7.1% - below the UK average (7.2%) for the first time since June 2009.
• Calls for an inquiry into excess deaths at Welsh hospitals were rejected by the Welsh Government, after an email sent from the head of a similar inquiry in England, Sir Bruce Keogh, told his Welsh counterpart that mortality statistics were “worrying”. The Health Minister described an inquiry as a “nonsensical trap” that would “drag the Welsh NHS through the mud.”
• The Assembly Commission unveiled a new partnership with Microsoft to provide automated translation between English and Welsh, which will enable Assembly staff to use the language of their choice and save time and money. Assembly Commissioner for the Welsh Language, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM (Plaid, Carms. E & Dinefwr) said it was “a great step forward in bilingual working”.
• The British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society said Welsh patients were being denied obesity surgery because they weren't heavy enough. The Welsh Government said the best way to lose weight was dietary changes and exercise, and that bariatric surgery was only part of the solution.
• Cardiac surgery patients have been routinely transferred to private hospitals in England by the Welsh NHS to deal with waiting lists according to correspondence between the Royal College of Surgeons and Health Inspectorate Wales. Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar AM (Con, Clwyd West), accused the Welsh Government of hypocrisy, as they previously only considered private treatment as a “last option”.
• Plaid Cymru unveiled plans to integrate health and social care, producing two policy options that would either see adult social care provided by the seven local health boards, or community and primary healthcare provided by local authorities - should the Williams Commission recommendations be enacted in full.
• The annual BBC Wales St David's Day poll from ICM showed 37% of people supported further powers for the National Assembly and only 5% independence. 23% supported scrapping the National Assembly - rising 10% since 2010. Prof. Roger Scully said there may be a “polarisation in attitudes” towards the Assembly. Also, a majority – 54% - would prefer the UK to remain part of the European Union.

Projects announced in February include : The launch of a Welsh Government-backed campaign to raise awareness of people trafficking, a £20million Schools Challenge Cymru fund targeting the 40 poorest performing schools, an extra £55million in health spending as part of the supplementary budget, a three-year £189million agreement on free bus travel, the launch of a £4million tourism campaign to attract visitors from the rest of the UK and Ireland and £5million towards improved flood defences in Colwyn Bay.