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.
• Public Services Minister, Leighton Andrews (Lab, Rhondda), introduced a white paper on local government reform on February 3^rd, which included proposals for independent appointment of chief executives, term limits for councillors and making it easier for communities to take over local assets. He hoped it would create “activist councils”, later confirming a new local government map would be published “by July”.
• The National Assembly approved a Plaid Cymru motion by 37 votes to 16 calling for a moratorium on “fracking” in Wales and for the relevant powers to be devolved. The Welsh Government, who backed the motion, said (if they had the powers) they would take the same precautionary approach as Scotland, but would not change current planning guidance. Natural Resources Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside), later asked local authorities to inform him when planning applications were submitted for fracking.
• The Environment & Sustainability Committee deleted sections of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill in Stage 2 scrutiny, with Llyr Gruffydd AM (Plaid, North Wales) describing it as a “bureaucratic monster” and a “waste of paper” unless the Welsh Government address gaps. The Welsh Government said they were still determined to push forward with the Bill.
• The latest report on the Designed to Smile programme revealed the number of children with tooth decay declined by 6.2% between 2008 and 2012. The scheme encourages supervised tooth brushing, and Chief Dental Officer, David Thomas, said there was “encouraging progress”.
• The UK Supreme Court struck down Mick Antoniw AM's (Lab, Pontypridd) Asbestos Disease Bill on February 9^th , saying provisions whereby insurers would compensate the Welsh NHS for the costs of treating those exposed to asbestos while at work were beyond the powers of the National Assembly.
• The Welsh Government introduced the Renting Homes Bill on February 10^th. If passed, the law will simplify rental contracts and place obligations on tenants and landlords with regard behaviour, rights and maintenance.
• Housing experts and charities claimed that reforms – including the removal of a ban on serving eviction notices within the first 6 months of occupancy by private tenants – could lead to a rise in “no fault” evictions. This could leave Wales with, “one of the most insecure form of private tenure in Western Europe”.
• AMs representing north Wales expressed concerns over a decision to suspend consultant-led maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd for 18 months due to serious recruitment and staffing issues. Expectant mothers with complex birth needs will be transferred to Bangor or Wrexham. Health Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), wrote to Betsi Cadwaladr Local Health Board demanding an independent report into the proposal.
• Betsi Cadwaladr LHB later warned that north Wales was “sleepwalking into disaster” unless hospital services were centralised, citing an ageing population, recruitment problems and an over-reliance on hospitals to deliver care. According to BBC Wales, staff are divided over the plans and the Community Health Council warned that current proposals are “woefully short on detail”.
• The Health Minister announced a ban on smoking in cars with children will be enforced from October 1^st 2015, subject to approval from AMs. He said, “Protecting children from....second-hand smoke will help give them the best start in life”.
• Plaid Cymru unveiled a seven-point plan for the Welsh language should they win the 2016 Assembly elections. Outlined measures include a majority of Foundation Phase children being taught in Wales within 10 years and more rights to access services in Welsh.
• A cross-party commission will examine the future of Welsh NHS services following an agreement between Labour and the Lib Dems. The commission will make an “honest and realistic assessment” of what can be achieved and will conclude in April 2016. The Welsh Conservatives continue to argue for a full public inquiry into the Welsh NHS, and hoped a commission wouldn't be “a talking shop for politicians”.
• Wales TUC figures showed average pay in Wales has fallen by £318 in 2014 in real terms and by 8.3% since 2010. Wales has the second-lowest median weekly pay in the UK after Northern Ireland at £473.
• HEFCW warned that Welsh universities could fall behind counterparts in the rest of the UK unless student funding were focused towards Welsh students studying in Wales. Around £90million of Welsh grant money is spent at English universities, though the Welsh Government said £48million more will come into the Welsh system than will go out in tuition fee grants to non-Welsh institutions.
• Tributes were paid to Dr John Davies – author of the seminal Hanes Cymru – who died at the age of 76 on February 16^th. The First Minister said he would be, “remembered as one of our great historians”, while Prof. Richard Wyn Jones said he was, “one of the most influential Welshmen of our era”.
• Unemployment in Wales fell by 3,000 in the three months to December 2014 to stand at 6.7%. This compares to an unemployment rate of 5.7% across the UK as a whole.
• As part of a short inquiry into the GP workforce, the Health and Social Services Committee made nine recommendations in a letter to the Health Minister, including longer training periods, incentives to attract trainees to areas with acute recruitment problems and flexible working for GPs nearing retirement age.
• Figures released to Plaid Cymru showed the Welsh NHS had spent up to £21million on management consultants over the last four years. Plaid's Health spokesperson, Elin Jones AM (Plaid, Ceredigion) said, “Patients in health boards with high spending on consultants would rather see this money spent on front line medical staff to reduce waiting times."
• The Health Minister introduced the Inspection and Regulation of Care Bill on February 24^th. The Bill aims to tighten regulation and professional oversight of the care industry and strengthens the powers of the Care Council for Wales – which could be renamed Social Care Wales.
• A comprehensive review of the Welsh National Curriculum by Prof. Graham Donaldson reported back on February 25^th. Amongst its recommendations include the creation of six core learning themes, cross-curricular teaching of literacy, numeracy and IT, and greater flexibility for schools  in both classroom planning and delivery of lessons. Also, Welsh and religious education will remain compulsory subjects.
• Former Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, visited Wales to oppose the development of a new nuclear power station at Wylfa in Anglesey. He resigned as Prime Minister following the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and has since become an anti-nuclear campaigner.
• The National Assembly's Children & Young People's Committee inquiry into attainment amongst disadvantaged children said there were "considerable challenges" remaining, recommending a review of the pupil deprivation grant's effectiveness, tackling "hidden costs" like noneducational school trips and greater parental engagement.
• The UK Government announced further powers to be devolved to Wales as a result of the Silk Commission Part II, including "fracking", speed limits, sewerage, control over the voting age in Assembly elections, as well as the name and size of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister said there was "no longer any barrier" to holding a referendum on tax-varying powers after a "funding floor" for Wales was also included.
• The Welsh Conservatives, at their annual conference in Cardiff, are expected to pledge to pay every public sector worker a £7.85 per hour "living wage" by 2021 if they won the 2016 Assembly election. Around one in four workers in Wales earn less than this.

Projects announced in February include : An expansion of 24-hour helicopter landing sites at ten general hospitals; an extension of business rate relief through 2015-16; a “gateway” road at Deeside Industrial Park which is hoped will create up to 5,000 jobs; an extra £5.8million towards the construction of social housing; a £50million UK Government investment in free wi-fi on rail services; £11million for new NHS equipment; £5million in loans to renovate derelict buildings in seven town centres and outline plans for a £70million redevelopment of Milford Haven dock.

• The leader of the Green Party in Wales, Pippa Bartolotti, rejected the idea that Green supporters should vote for Plaid Cymru in seats Plaid could win, following a recommendation from Dafydd Wigley that Welsh residents in England should vote Green as part of an “anti-austerity alliance”. The Greens later accused Plaid Cymru of online “harassment”.
• The Welsh Liberal Democrats warned that Conservative plans to protect the schools budget in England could lead to cuts in Wales due to Barnett formula changes. Jenny Willott MP (Lib Dem, Cardiff Central) said her party would protect, “cradle to grave college spending because we believe that's the best way to build a strong society”. The Conservatives described the attack as “desperate”.
• Plaid Cymru said any move by Westminster to introduce “English Votes for English Laws” (EVEL) would have to be accompanied by a Welsh legal jurisdiction. Elfyn Llwyd MP (Plaid, Dwyfor Meirionnydd) said EVEL would “bring further complexity to Westminster's already multi-tiered system”.
• Chris Ruane MP (Lab, Vale of Clwyd) said he supported compulsory voting to coincide with National Voter Registration Day, saying up to 20million people don't vote. Labour claimed some 82,000 people have left the Welsh electoral roll following the introduction of individual registration, and up to 24,000 in Cardiff alone.
• Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, outlined Lib Dem fiscal plans, saying their party would raise £8billion and cut £16billion in order to balance the UK budget by 2017-18. This would include aligning capital gains tax with income tax and a crackdown on tax avoidance. Labour said the Lib Dems could not be trusted due to broken promises on VAT rises.
• Labour said they would give Crown Dependencies which operate as offshore tax havens six months to open their accounts to inspection or they would be placed on an international blacklist. The Prime Minister said each dependency had already signed up to a multi-lateral agreement on information exchange.
• Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, said Plaid Cymru would expect “parity with Scotland” on funding in exchange for supporting a Labour minority government in the event of a hung parliament. It's believed funding parity would be worth £1.2billion to Wales.
• Labour promised to increase paternity leave from two to four weeks and paternity pay from £120 per week to £260 per week. Business leaders claimed it was “a tax on business”, but Shadow Welfare Secretary, Rachel Reeves, said it would be paid for by government, not businesses.
• Prime Minister David Cameron said business leaders support his proposal for a referendum on a renegotiated UK membership of the EU in 2017, after the British Chamber of Commerce called for an early vote in 2016. Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, warned a referendum would “destabilise business”.
• At the Welsh Labour annual conference in Swansea, Ed Miliband said a Labour UK Government would devolve powers over Assembly electoral arrangements, "fracking", ports and partially devolve policing strategy. He also pledged a clamp-down on tax avoidance. First Minister Carwyn Jones said voters in May face “a choice between hope and despair”.
• Roger Williams MP (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnorshire) called for powers over fox-hunting to be devolved to Wales, saying the need to control fox populations was different in Wales compared to England. Julie Morgan AM (Lab, Cardiff North) said there was “no appetite” for a law change in the Assembly.
• David Cameron said a future Conservative government would ensure unemployed under-21s - who've been out of work for 6 months or more - will be forced to carry out unpaid labour in exchange for benefits. Labour said it would do nothing to ensure young people get “real jobs”.
• SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, called for her party to be included in pre-election civil service policy briefing talks as “any party could be involved in the next UK Government”, with polls suggesting the SNP could hold the “balance of power” after indications of a Labour voting collapse in Scotland.
• David Cameron promised a Conservative government would not means test pensioner benefits such as the winter fuel allowance, free bus travel or free TV licences, saying people “who do the right thing....deserve dignity when they retire”.
• The Greens launched their election campaign with a pledge to introduce a universal £72 per week “citizen's income” - though no full costings have been released – a 1% “wealth tax” and scrapping the UK's nuclear deterrent.
• David Cameron told the Welsh Conservative annual conference his party were “the party of Wales”, citing stronger than average manufacturing growth and being the “driving force” behind investment in road and rail.
• Ed Miliband said Labour would reduce the UK's pension tax relief scheme for those earning over £150,000 to cut university tuition fees in England to £6,000 per year. Business & Skills Secretary, Vince Cable, described the proposal as “financially illiterate”.
• UKIP leader Nigel Farage said his party would back Conservative deficit reduction plans if the Tories “stick to their promises” and eliminate the UK's £90billion budget deficit by 2018. He also pledged to abandon the £50billion High Speed 2 project.