tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post2097384436204997756..comments2023-08-14T15:34:05.504+01:00Comments on Oggy Bloggy Ogwr: Accountability vacuum causing problems for Welsh Labour?Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04347494808853759106noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-25016696860360535632013-01-17T20:31:55.541+00:002013-01-17T20:31:55.541+00:00The original proposals were for 21, but Labour ins...The original proposals were for 21, but Labour insisted that the proposed Heads of the Valleys authority covering Merthyr, the Upper Rhymney Valley, and Blaenau Gwent be split. David Hunt's reaction was reportedly "another Labour local authority would not make a difference". Fortunately demands from the Liberal Democrats to keep Radnor a unitary authority and from Plaid to keep Meirionnydd a unitary authority were rejected.Cibwrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07621705905770341542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-648199861973160862013-01-17T18:12:15.581+00:002013-01-17T18:12:15.581+00:00Cibwr - I think there were 23 or 21 unitary author...Cibwr - I think there were 23 or 21 unitary authorities proposed in the 90s, it was eventually decided upon 22. I don't know the exaqct details behind it, but I have looked into the history behind it for my own posts, albeit brief references. I look forward to seeing what you come up with yourself. If I don't beat you to it, of course. ;)Owenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347494808853759106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-69676768701339319092013-01-16T22:55:27.876+00:002013-01-16T22:55:27.876+00:00Indeed Pads - however better that the overall stra...Indeed Pads - however better that the overall strategy for health is set by the National Assembly, overseen by the health committee.<br /><br />Owen, I would suggest that social services are a natural match for health and this should be combined with health in the regional tier of government (transferred from the current county councils) - I have suggested a committee structure where it would be 2/3 elected representatives 1/3 experts appointed to the Health and Social Services committee.<br /><br />I am currently doing a bit of research into the history of local government reorganisation, the local government boundary commission for Wales suggested in a draft report a reduction in the counties to 4 with county boroughs for Cardiff Swansea and Newport, with a central Welsh council for common services. Its final report suggested 36 districts and 7 counties.... Will post something on my blog when I have completed it (hopefully with maps). There seems to have been a fairly continuous strand of feeling that we need larger regional local government for functions like health and social services - I wonder what went wrong with the Hunt/Redwood proposals that gave us our current network of 22 counties?Cibwrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07621705905770341542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-29690754188905169892013-01-16T17:43:56.650+00:002013-01-16T17:43:56.650+00:00Thanks for the extra comments.
Cibwr - I'm wo...Thanks for the extra comments.<br /><br />Cibwr - I'm working on a five-parter on local government that will hopefully be posted in March. I'm thinking very much along the same lines as you, and perhaps the <a href="http://yourvoiceintheassembly.co.uk/anewfederalisminwales/" rel="nofollow">recent post on Your Voice</a>, but obviously I'm going to go into a bit more detail then. But I've got to disagree with you on the "dog's dinner". Both are, but for different reasons.<br /><br />Pads - The LHBs being accountable to the Assembly's Heath Committee would be a start, but I doubt Labour AMs or the Welsh Government would go for it. If NHS services are going to be under regional control, then they probably need to be accoutnable to a regional tier of government, as Cibwr suggested. Otherwise, what's the point of the LHBs in the first place?Owenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347494808853759106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-13676662165712940112013-01-16T12:29:55.991+00:002013-01-16T12:29:55.991+00:00Cibwr - or to make these public bodies accountable...Cibwr - or to make these public bodies accountable we could elect some kind of "national assembly".Padshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16372778051663029718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-49935497777937473082013-01-15T21:15:52.669+00:002013-01-15T21:15:52.669+00:00Reconfiguration is going to happen, we just have t...Reconfiguration is going to happen, we just have to make sure that its about improved service provision and not just cost cutting (though it is inevitable that it would be). At least our situation is better then the bureaucratic dogs dinner that is the NHS reorganisation in England.<br /><br />My solution to the democratic deficit, create regional bodies elected that subsume the health authorities, police and education into themselves. <br /><br />But we have to realise that change will happen, I just want it to be under democratic control. Cibwrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07621705905770341542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-62928794111486488472013-01-15T20:31:38.866+00:002013-01-15T20:31:38.866+00:00I didn't know the Health Minister was involved...I didn't know the Health Minister was involved in CHC appointments, Plaid Gwesyllt. I wish I could say I was shocked by little facts like that anymore, but I'm not. I don't know, I think I've almost had enough of this.Owenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347494808853759106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-33853037635802001062013-01-15T19:14:11.870+00:002013-01-15T19:14:11.870+00:00I serve on a Community Health Council as a Council...I serve on a Community Health Council as a Councillor and have fought tooth and nail to oppose the BCU Health Board's flawed proposals to transfer neonatal intensive care from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Ysbyty Maelor to Arrowe Park which on its own staff's mission is failing within its Maternity Services. The CHC's response to the board is 'weak'frankly because I was one of 72 members who fought the corner of mother's and babies. If you ask for a demographic breakdown of membership of the CHC's you will understand why protecting Community Hospitals is high on the list of their issues and why other things such as neonatal intensive care is not. Also be aware that the Minister of Health APPOINTS one third of the members of the so called independent CHC, the voluntary sector appoints another lot and we know how influential Labour are within the third sector in Wales. Then we have Councillors. Is it any surprise that the CHC will probably reach a compromise with the LHB... anything to prevent the Minister having to make a difficult decision. Plaid Gwersyllthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13986006252463873835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-41122603507054673502013-01-15T18:26:38.189+00:002013-01-15T18:26:38.189+00:00I didn't have you down as such a cynic, WnB ;)...I didn't have you down as such a cynic, WnB ;)<br /><br />I'm not sure Labour will be able to make any sort of political capital out of this though, and the opposition parties would need to be completely inept to allow them to do so. Labour proposed this back in 2006, so it's not as if they haven't wanted to try and do something like this for a while.<br /><br />We all have ideas on what the NHS "has to be" in Wales, so it makes changes of any kind incredibly hard to push through even when they really are needed.Owenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347494808853759106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3566608350707334311.post-28227412474217604802013-01-15T18:07:45.699+00:002013-01-15T18:07:45.699+00:00My only explanation for this is as follows.
Labou...My only explanation for this is as follows.<br /><br />Labour do dont care about Wales and we'll still vote for them anyway because we have no alternative. So if a few people die as a result of them downgrading or closing hospitals then so be it. Dead bodies are a great stick to beat the Tories with, just ask Ann Clwyd.Welsh not Britishhttp://www.welshnotbritish.comnoreply@blogger.com