Senedd Watch - October 2015

A ban on smoking in cars whilst in the presence of under-18s came into force on October 1st in Wales. Those who break the law will be liable to a £50 fine. Pro-smoking campaigners said the ban is unenforceable, though police forces said they would take an “educational and non-confrontational approach”. A new colour-coded...

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The Draft Wales Bill (Number Two)

(Pic : ITV Wales) Yesterday, the Welsh Secretary, Stephen Crabb MP (Con, Preseli Pembs.) introduced the draft Wales Bill to the UK Parliament on behalf of the UK Government – you can read it here (pdf...

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Cesspool on the Taff?

Pollution in Cardiff Bay isn't just confined to the air and the water. (Pic : Wales Online) To paraphrase a famous episode of The Simpsons, what we now call Cardiff Bay used to be a stagnant swamp, and very little has changed. It stank then, and it stinks no...

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AMs take swipe at Trade Union Bill

The post-devolution "partnership working" between unions, employers and employees in Wales looks set to be threatened by the UK Government's draconian Trade Union Bill. (Pic : Wales Online) Shwmae. Yesterday, the Assembly held another backbench members debate, this time related to one of the most controversial laws introduced...

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A Comprehensive Review of Welsh Law-Making

We voted to give AMs law-making powers in 2011, so how has the process been handled since? (Pic : National Assembly of Wales) Making new laws is the National Assembly's most important function, though it's a role that – apart from a few high-profile cases like the Human Transplantation Act 2013 – draws little in the way...

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Minister updates Senedd on refugee response

(Pic : Al-Jazeera) The Syrian refugee crisis has slipped off the front pages in the last fortnight due to Russian military intervention in the conflict, the latest catastrophic brain fart from the US Air Force and party conference seaso...

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Armed Forces School Visits Debated

(Pic : Education Business Partnership West Berkshire) In June, the Assembly's Petitions Committee published a report (pdf) into armed forces recruitment, following a petition from Cymdeithas y Cymod – which garnered more than 1,000 signatures – calling for the military to be banned from visiting schools for recruitment...

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Local Government Bill edges towards statute book

As the law outlining how councils can voluntarily merger reaches its conclusion, opposition AMs tabled important amendments. (Pic : Wales Online) The Local Government Bill outlines how the 22 local authorities can merge voluntarily in light of the new proposed map for local government which has been formed as part of the...

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