Senedd/Election Watch - February 2015

• Figures revealed to BBC Wales showed the Control of Horses Act 2014 – passed by the National Assembly as emergency legislation – has only been used by 11 of Wales' 22 local authorities to deal with stray horses. Angela Burns AM (Con, Carms. W & S. Pembs.) said the law needed proper funding and should be enforced by councils as a statutory responsibility.
• The Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, Daniel Kawczynzki, called for an investigation into the impact of ambulance service delays on cross-border care, after patients were waiting for several hours outside Wrexham Maelor Hospital, which serves northern Shropshire.
• The National Assembly's Environment Committee said the Planning Bill needed to be “more democratic” in their Stage 1 report, after concerns were raised by legal experts that some of the Bill's clauses will reduce the ability of local communities to argue against developments that could impact their lives.

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New Law to Reform Social Care

In the wake of several scandals relating to treatment of people in care, the Regulation
and Inspection of Social Care Bill aims to tighten up professional regulation.
(Pic : nursingcarehomesincornwall.co.uk)

Yesterday, Health Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), introduced the second major piece of legislation reforming social services this Assembly term.

The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care Bill (Bill [pdf], explanatory memorandum [pdf]) outlines a number of reforms to how social care services are regulated and inspected....funnily enough. More info from the National Assembly's In Brief blog.

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Supreme Court overrules Welsh law

The UK Supreme Court has struck down a backbench Welsh law,
ruling that it fell outside the powers of the National Assembly.
(Pic : The Guardian)

I'm afraid this one's for the anoraks (also touched on by National Left).

In 2012, Mick Antoniw AM (Lab, Pontypridd) introduced a Member's Bill called the Recovery of Medical Costs of Asbestos Diseases Bill (aka. Asbestos Disease Bill - more here). Its key proposal was for insurers, on behalf of employers, to reimburse the Welsh NHS (via the Welsh Government) the cost of treating work-related asbestos diseases. This is potentially worth between £1-3million.

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