Senedd/Election Watch - March 2015

• Welsh Secretary, Stephen Crabb, described the Welsh Government's rejection of a referendum on income tax powers as “bizarre”, saying he “moved mountains” to secure the St David's Day agreement on extra powers for Wales.
• The First Minister told the National Assembly the deal was “rushed, incoherent and unsatisfactory” and was “no more than a staging post” to a better devolution settlement. Labour also denied that Shadow Welsh Secretary, Owen Smith, was blocking further devolution.
• A new GP contract was agreed between the Welsh Government and General Medical Council, meaning more repeat prescriptions and appointments could be offered online, while GPs will be given more treatment time with vulnerable patients. Health Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), said the new contract, “places more trust and reliance on the professionalism of GPs”.
• The Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Bill cleared Stage 3 on March 3^rd . An amendment which would've outlawed “smacking” in Wales was rejected by 16 votes to 36, with two Labour AMs – Julie Morgan AM (Lab, Cardiff North) and Christine Chapman AM (Lab, Cynon Valley) – breaking a party whip to vote in favour. The Bill was passed unanimously on 10^th March, though opposition AMs criticised “bullying” by third sector organisations in the run up to the vote.
• Evidence submitted to the Health & Social Care Committee as part of a short inquiry into ambulance service performance claimed there were the equivalent of up to 40,000 hours of ambulance delays in 2014 due to delayed transfers to accident and emergency departments. This compares to 8,000 hours in 2008.
• The Independent Remuneration Panel for the National Assembly published its draft determination for changes to AMs pay and expenses, retaining a controversial proposal to increase AMs' basic salary from just over £54,000 to £64,000 (+17.7%).
• The Public Accounts Committee reported on scrutiny of annual accounts, making a number of recommendations for improvements in transparency and accountability of major public bodies. Committee Chair, Darren Millar AM (Con, Clwyd West) said, “I hope the recommendations we made will assist public bodies use their funding more effectively, and better explain to the public how they spend their money.”
• A review of teacher training by Prof. John Furlong recommended extending teaching degrees from three to four years with at least half the time spent in the classroom, saying the current system was falling short of best practice elsewhere in the UK. Education Minister, Huw Lewis (Lab, Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney) said, “In principle I would disagree with nothing in....the report”.
• The National Assembly's Finance Committee recommended wide-ranging reform of the budget process in Wales, including a two-stage budget process, the use of Budget Bills, better economic data and improved target setting.
• A business development bank was recommended as part of a three-stage review of business finance by Prof. Dylan Jones-Evans. There's an estimated £500million gap between the capital Welsh business want to borrow and the amount banks are willing to lend. Any future bank could bring current functions of Finance Wales and business support under one brand.
• The Public Accounts Committee were told by Permanent Secretary, Derek Jones, that £300,000 of debt owed by defunct race relations charity, AWEMA – which was wound-up following fraud investigations – would be written off. He said public money would be saved in future if third sector organisations were wound-up more speedily.
• Plans for a cross-party commission on the future of the Welsh NHS were scrapped when Plaid Cymru refused to take part. Plaid's health spokesperson, Elin Jones AM (Plaid, Ceredigion), said it was inappropriate to hold the commission a year before a National Assembly election.
• A Welsh Affairs Select Committee report into cross-border health services said patients face a “worrying lack of information” on policy differences between Wales and England. The Welsh Government said they want to ensure “our two health services continue to have a strong and close relationship”.
• The Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the Glastir land management scheme recommended the Welsh Government review the online application procedure to see if it was putting farmers off applying, and also recommended working closely with Natural Resources Wales to see if there were breaches of water quality on publicly-owned land.
• Rhun ap Iorweth AM (Plaid, Ynys Môn) called for a fresh debate on the establishment of a Welsh cricket team following the embarrassing early exit of England(andWales) from the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He said, “what better way of increasing that depth (of talent)....by offering our young boys and girls the opportunity….to represent their country?”
• Welsh Lib Dem leader, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor), welcomed a £1.25billion boost to children's mental health in England, and called for any extra Welsh funding to be spent similarly, saying it “would go a long way to improve the shocking situation of youth mental health services in Wales.”
• The Well-being of Future Generations Bill was passed by 38 votes to 11 on March 17^th. The law will make it a duty for public bodies to consider sustainability in decision-making and establishes statutory local service boards. Natural Resources Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside) said, “I hope the next generation.....will benefit from the positive intervention we’re making today.”
• A Health Committee inquiry into “legal highs” recommended improved education for schoolchildren and parents, improved data collection on legal high use and a clampdown on legal highs within the prison system. Committee Chair, David Rees AM (Lab, Aberavon), said, “The public needs to be aware that....legal highs are....neither safe nor legal.”
• Measures for Wales outlined in the UK Chancellor's budget on March 18^th included support for a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay, a significant reduction in Severn Bridge tolls for cars and vans from 2018 and a centrally-funded “city deal” for Cardiff. Austerity measures could also end in 2019-20.
• The First Minister said Severn Bridge tolls should be reduced further, while Labour leader, Ed Miliband, described the budget as “devastating for Wales”.
• The Enterprise and Business Committee inquiry into assisting young people into work recommended major improvements to work experience, placing equal value on work-based learning as academic subjects, and extending concessionary fares to 18-24 year olds. 17.6% of 18-24 year olds were unemployed in 2014.
• The Welsh Government launched a consultation on fly-tipping fines, after figures revealed fly-tipping occurred in Wales every 15 minutes, with a cost of £2million per year to both local councils and fire services. The Natural Resources Minister said, “If you fly-tip in Wales, we are coming looking for you.”
• Judges rejected a petition from Friends of the Earth Cymru for a judicial review on the proposed M4 Newport bypass on March 26^th. FoE Cymru criticised the decision, saying it contradicts Welsh Government climate change commitments. The Welsh Government announced three contracts to begin advanced preparations for construction the same day.
• The UK Government are set to be challenged in the European Court over excessively high nitrogen oxide emissions from the coal-fired Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan. Emissions are double the legal limit, but the UK Government said air quality has improved following £2billion investments.
• Former Children's Commissioner, Keith Towler, said young mental health patients being sent for treatment in England while Welsh facilities remain empty was a “disgrace”. It follows a critical Assembly report into Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in November 2014. The Welsh Government said decisions over where patients are treated are for doctors.

Projects announced in March include : A 5-year, £20million plan from the Arts Council of Wales to improve access to arts and culture for disadvantaged children; an expansion of domestic and international Flybe routes from state-owned Cardiff Airport, creating 50 jobs; £20million and £44million EU-Wales programmes to help companies develop new products and support small businesses respectively; a £50million investment in substance abuse treatment for 2015-16 and extra rail services between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.

• Kirsty Williams told her party's spring conference in Cardiff that the Lib Dems were the “shining light” of the UK coalition government, hailing achievements such as same-sex marriage and higher income tax thresholds.
• The Prime Minister dismissed American concerns over UK defence spending cuts, saying the UK could still be a “very strong and capable” partner to the US, with a commitment to maintain military spending at 2% of GDP, in line with NATO guidelines.
• UKIP said they would also maintain defence spending at 2% of GDP, paid for by cuts to foreign aid and withdrawal from the European Union.
• Labour pledged to trial online voting if they win the election and reduce the voting age to 16. They will also consider granting the House of Commons Speaker powers to use a “sin bin” for unruly MPs during debates, and replace the House of Lords with a “Senate of the Regions”.
• UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, said his party would limit immigration to “normal levels” of ~50,000 migrants per year (but refused to set any annual targets) and introduce an Australian-style points-based system. UKIP would also require immigrants to have a job paying at least £27,000 per year, with exemptions for low-paid key workers.
• The Lib Dems pledged to reform drugs laws, passing responsibility for drugs from the Home Office to the Department of Health. The Lib Dems also hint at moving towards a decriminalisation of drug use, with Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, describing current drugs laws as “idiotic”.
• Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood, told her party's spring conference in Caernarfon that equal funding for Wales (in line with Scotland) would be their key negotiation stance in any coalition talks after the election, believing it to be worth up to £1.2billion a year.
• Jonathan Edwards (Plaid, Carms. E & Dinefwr) called for Wales to receive up to £4billion in Barnett consequentials from the High Speed 2 project in England, which would be used to fund transport projects.
• Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, warned that the Conservatives were planning “extreme cuts” of up to £70billion after the election if they carried through their promise to protect certain departments. Labour said they would pursue “sensible cuts” on the winter fuel allowance, Police & Crime Commissioners and child benefit.
• Nigel Farage told a Channel 4 documentary that he would scrap most laws to protect against racial discrimination, leading to condemnation from the UK Government and Labour. He said his views had been “misinterpreted”, and he would favour ending laws to discriminate based on nationality to enable British companies to discriminate in favour of British workers.
• Plaid Cymru said Wales would be £2billion better off over five years under their budget plans than Labour's spending proposals, with extra infrastructure spending across the whole UK and increases in departmental budgets of 0.5% to bring an end to austerity. This would be paid for by changes to tax and pension relief for high-earners. It's expected devolved spending would fall by 2.2% under Labour.
• Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, warned that Wales faced losing 1,500 police officers based on Conservative spending plans for the next parliament. The Conservatives said Labour were “making up numbers and....scaremongering” pointing to reductions in crime.
• The Lib Dems unveiled what they described as an “alternative budget”, where they would not cut spending as sharply as the Conservatives nor borrow as much as Labour. They would eliminate the budget deficit by 2017/18 through £30billion in tax rises and spending cuts. Treasury Minister, Danny Alexander, was accused by Labour of abusing his ministerial position to make party political points.
• Several prospective UKIP parliamentary candidates left, or were suspended from, the party for a mix of reasons ranging from suspected fraud of European Parliament expenses to accusations of endemic bullying and racism. Rival parties claimed UKIP were “in disarray” and a “ramshackle political operation”.
• Labour and the Conservatives each respectively pledged not to raise National Insurance and VAT rates if either party won the election. Ed Balls accused the Prime Minister of making a “panicky announcement” while David Cameron said he had given a “straight promise”.
• Antoinette Sandbach AM (Con, North Wales) was selected as the Conservative candidate in the safe seat of Eddisbury in Cheshire. If elected, she will resign her Assembly seat, which would pass to Cllr. Janet Howarth as the third person on the North Wales Tory list in May 2011.
• The UK Parliament was dissolved on March 30^th, marking the official start of the 2015 House of Commons election campaign.

Welsh campaign launches :

• Leanne Wood launched Plaid Cymru's election campaign on March 27^th, describing it as an “unprecedented opportunity for Wales” and that “Our own fate was in our hands”. Plaid Cymru have pledged to end austerity measures, devolve criminal justice, scrap Trident missiles and close the funding gap between Wales and Scotland.
• UKIP said they would reform the Barnett formula if they get into power. Nathan Gill MEP said, “We will reduce the amount of money that the Scots receive.... But within Wales we have no intention of removing the Barnett formula."
• Leader of the Green Party in EnglandandWales, Natalie Bennett, told her party's spring conference that the “failed experiment of austerity” should end, calling for free social care for the over-65s, the creation of a “wealth tax” and raising income tax for those earning £100,000+ per year.
• Labour said they would "offer hope" and that voters faced a choice between a Conservative-led government and a Labour-led one. They pledged to change rules so immigrants would be unable to claim welfare for two years and recruit 1,000 doctors in Wales using proceeds from a "mansion tax".
• The Conservatives said they were the "true party of Wales", saying Labour treats Wales as a "hereditary fiefdom" and is more concerned about Scotland.