Senedd Watch - October 2011

• A 5p charge for single-use carrier bags came into force in Wales on October 1^st. The money collected by the charge will be donated to charities that work in Wales. Business groups raised concerns that many traders are still confused about the scheme. Exemptions to the charge include bags used for medicines and some foods.
• The National Farmers Union of Wales has said that farmers on lower quality land will miss out on subsidies under changes made to the Welsh Government's Glastir programme. NFU Wales President Ed Bailey, said that farmers have been "duped". Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Alun Davies (Lab, Blaenau Gwent), responded by saying the changes were recommended by an independent review group.
• Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Andrew Davies gave his first speech as Welsh Conservative leader at their annual conference in Manchester. He attacked Labour's record on health, saying Aneurin Bevan would be "turning in his grave" at planned £1billion cuts to health spending in Wales. He also criticised "freebies", called for a Cancer Drugs Fund and said that the Welsh Conservatives would support "sensible ideas" that boost the Welsh economy. Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan also attacked Labour in Wales, calling them "timid" and accusing them of "foot-dragging" over issues such as enterprise zones.
• A Welsh language "virtual" university has launched to increase the number of students studying in Cymraeg at higher education. Coleg Gymraeg Cenedlaethol, which will work through existing universities, will offer a variety of different modules through the medium of Welsh, and hopes to have 100 lecturers on board by 2015.
• Finance Minister Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan) presented the Welsh Government's draft budget to the Senedd on October 4^th. Health and Education have seen increases in their budgets while Housing & Heritage, Business and Environment have seen modest budget decreases. Five key Labour election pledges have been kept as part of the budget - including a Jobs Fund, and extra 500 PCSO's and the protection of universal benefits such as free prescriptions.
• In response to the draft budget Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones accused Labour of "raiding" the Assembly's reserves to meet manifesto commitments, leaving less money available for emergencies. Peter Black (Lib Dem, South Wales West) said the draft budget was "bare minimum" and "timid" while Paul Davies (Con, Preseli Prembrokeshire) said that the budget was "smoke and mirrors".
• Meri Huws was named the first Welsh Language Commissioner by the Welsh Government - a role which will see the Welsh Language Board wound up as the result of the Welsh Language Measure passed in the 3^rd Assembly. Bethan Jenkins AM (Plaid, South Wales West) raised concerns about how Meri - a former chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith - will transition to her new role from the WLB.
• BBC Wales outlined how they will save £10.7million as part of a UK-wide spending review by the BBC in London. There will be no cuts to news output, but some changes to political and radio coverage. Coverage of live events and sports with "high value" will be maintained. 100 jobs are expected to be lost.
• The numbers of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades at GCSE in 2011 rose slightly, with 49.6% getting the grades compared with 49.4% in 2010. The numbers at ages 16 with no qualifications at all has hit an all time low at just 0.7%.
• Health Minister Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham), launched the annual winter flu vaccine awareness campaign, which encourages "at risk" groups - such as pensioners and those with underlying health conditions - to protect themselves.
• Exports from Wales rose in value by 31.4% over the 12 months to June 2011 to stand at just over £13bn. Exports also rose in value for the other Home Nations, but Wales saw the fastest increase in value of exports and imports (which rose in value by 26.8%) of any nation or region of the UK over the period.
• The European Union unveiled plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2013. Some £260million is paid to Welsh farmers every year, and Farmers Union of Wales president Emyr Jones said that proposed changes would "destabilise" rural Welsh communities by taking agricultural land out of food production.
• Education Minister Leighton Andrews (Lab, Rhondda), said that the University of Wales "requires a decent burial" after a series of scandals, including links with questionable foreign colleges and concerns about degree validation. On October 21st, the University of Wales merged with Trinity St David and Swansea Metropolitan to become University of Wales Trinity St David, ending the university's 120-year history.
• Unemployment in Wales rose sharply by 16,000 in the three months to August 2011 to stand at 9%. UK unemployment rose by 114,000 to reach the highest level in 17 years at 8.1%.
• The latest EU Objective One figures show that West Wales & The Valleys are one of several regions of the EU that have become poorer after two rounds of funding, with GVA per capita falling from 66.8% to 64.4% of the EU average in 2008. Labour MEP Derek Vaughan believes that this is because of mismanagement of EU funding. The European Commission said that although the figures are disappointing, the geography of the area and the global economic downturn are to blame.
• A cross-party group of AMs won a vote on a motion for the Welsh Government to introduce a ban on "smacking" children in Wales. Issues remain regarding whether the Assembly has the power to amend criminal law. Deputy Minister for Children & Social Services Gwenda Thomas (Lab, Neath) ruled out any new legislation.
• The Welsh Government is starting consultation on a proposed law that would require under-16's to have parental permission before getting cosmetic piercings.
• 22 Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB's), responsible for the protection of vulnerable children, will be replaced with six Safeguarding and Protection Boards which will have the added responsibility of vulnerable adults. Social Services Minister Gwenda Thomas said that 22 LSCB's was "not sustainable".
• Local Government and Communities Minister Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alun & Deeside) pleaded for local councils to take a "forensic approach to their accounting" before deciding on possible council tax rises in Wales. The Welsh Local Government Association says that local councils may struggle to balance the books off the back of the draft budget - which allocated local government a below inflation 0.24% rise in their total budget of approximately £4billion.
• The First Minister and the mayor of Chongqing, China signed a memorandum of understanding which is hoped will lead to industrial, social and cultural exchanges. The First Minister visited the China International Garden Expo, which included a showcase garden by the National Botanical Garden of Wales.
• A deal has been agreed between the BBC and S4C over funding until 2017. The deal will include some BBC influence over S4C's direction, with a BBC Trustee appointed to the S4C Authority. However S4C will retain it's editorial and managerial independence. Cymdeithas yr Iaith dropped their campaign to boycott the licence fee, but remained unhappy, instead calling for broadcasting to be devolved to Wales.
• An obesity expert called for the Welsh Assembly to levy a "fat tax" to help reduce the numbers of overweight and obese people in Wales. Dr Nadim Haboudi - a gastroenterologist - added that subsidising healthy foods could also be an option. The latest figures showed that 21% of the Welsh population is obese, compared to 26% in England and 22% for the UK as a whole.
• A ban on unmanned tanning beds in Wales came into force on October 31^st, with fines of up to £20,000 against businesses that flout the new rules.

Projects announced in October include a £1.9million scheme to encourage sustainability in Welsh National Parks, a £75million jobs fund that aims to create 12,000 jobs for youngsters, a £45million reorganisation of 4 schools in Penarth, a £5million Assembly land sale that could create up to 70 logistics jobs in Holyhead, a £7.5m revamp of Port Talbot Parkway railway station and a £6million refurbishment of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea.