Senedd Watch - September 2016

• Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor), announced government funding for Techniquest – a science education charity with sites in Cardiff and Wrexham – would end from 2021. Around a third of its £3.3million annual income is from government grants.
• Conservative health spokesperson, Angela Burns AM (Con, Carms. W & S. Pembs.), suggested NHS staff should be given priority access to treatment due to high sickness rates; 5.3% of staff were absent between January and June 2016.
• UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, ruled-out introducing a points-based immigration system, which was one of the key campaign pledges of the “leave” campaign in the EU referendum. She said the issue needs to be looked at “across the board” and there was “no silver bullet” to curb immigration.
• In a speech in Chicago, the First Minister said it was “not inconceivable” that the UK could break up unless pledges to ensure Wales and other parts of the UK are no worse off outside the EU are honoured, and if there were a failure to decentralise powers within the UK. He raised the possibility that Wales may not consent to a Brexit deal that results loss of access to the single market.
• The First Minister later denied ever calling for a “veto” on a Brexit deal, but said the four legislatures of the UK should agree any deal. Welsh Secretary, Alun Cairns MP (Con, Vale of Glamorgan), said the process was ultimately for the UK Government to determine.
• An Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) report suggested Wales could lose £500million a year by 2020 as a result of Brexit, which could lead to rises in income tax or council tax to plug the funding gap. The UK Treasury said the Welsh budget would rise by £900million through to 2020-21.
• Economy & Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates (Lab, Clwyd South) said “unfettered tariff-free access” to the single market with controls on freedom of movement should be the way forward for the UK. It came as Labour voted with the Conservatives against a Plaid Cymru motion calling for “membership” of the single market as opposed to “access”.
• A Wales Audit Office report into the Welsh Government's management of the Wales & Borders rail franchise recommended they learn from “mistakes” made in England, particularly in procurement. The Welsh Government will award a new £3.5billion, 15-year franchise contract in 2017.
• Transport expert Prof. Stuart Cole told the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Select Committee that the Welsh Government should order new trains now or there was a risk of no new trains being available from 2020. There have been long-standing criticisms of the condition of Arriva Trains Wales' rolling stock, some of which is more than 30 years old.
• The Unite trade union expressed “grave concerns” over the future of the Ford engine plant in Bridgend after the company announced a £181million investment in a new engine line from 2018 will be scaled back to £100million. Ford said they remained committed to the plant and blamed a decline in demand for new cars in Europe.
• Ken Skates said the announcement showed the need for a Brexit deal that includes access to the EU single market. He also called for assurances on job security at the plant.
• The BBC Trust confirmed that the current £74.5million annual funding for Welsh language broadcaster S4C will remain in place until 2022. Meanwhile, BBC Wales announced that an internal “reorganisation” would save £9million by 2022. The Assembly “noted” the draft BBC Charter on September 27.
• Three local health boards – Cardiff & Vale, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda – were placed under “targeted intervention” measures by the Welsh Government after failing to set out convincing medium-term plans to deal with local challenges. The Wales Ambulance Service intervention level was reduced to the lowest level after “significant progress” in meeting response times.
• The Boundary Commission for Wales unveiled proposals for a reduction in the number of Westminster constituencies from 40 to 29, as part of measures to reduce the size of the UK House of Commons to 600 MPs and equalise the number of electors per seat. Labour – who stand to lose out the most - accused the Conservatives of gerrymandering, while Plaid Cymru welcomed the reduction as long as the National Assembly's powers were enhanced.
• Finance & Local Government Secretary, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), introduced the Land Transaction Tax & Anti-avoidance Bill on September 13. The Bill will create a replacement for stamp duty from April 2018 and outlines measures to prevent tax avoidance.
• A Public Policy Institute Wales report suggested introducing an asymmetrical school week – longer hours Monday-Thursday and a half-day on Fridays – could provide more teacher training time and increase opportunities for after-school activities. Concerns include childcare, transport and the loss of extra-curricular activities.
• BMA Wales criticised the UK Parliament for not devolving powers to set a minimum unit price for alcohol in the Wales Bill, which could've saved £900million over 20 years and led to 50 fewer deaths. The Wales Office said alcohol licensing was too closely linked to policing and public order.
• Neil Hamilton AM (UKIP, Mid & West Wales) hoped the election of Diane James as UKIP leader will end splits within the party. He did, however, express disappointment that UKIP's achievements in Wales weren't mentioned at the annual conference in Bournemouth.
• At their annual conference in Brighton, UK leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, defended Kirsty Williams' decision to join the Welsh Government as she could “make a difference”. The Education Secretary also unveiled plans to double the Pupil Premium.
• The First Minister unveiled his Programme for Government on September 20, which includes measures such as “generous” free childcare, the creation of 100,000 all-age apprenticeships, a new treatments funds and commitments to both the M4 Newport bypass and South Wales Metro. However, he admitted “tough decisions” would need to be taken on existing programmes, with Communities First mentioned as a possible casualty.
• Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood AM (Plaid, Rhondda), launched her party's “Programme for Opposition” on September 12. Plaid called for the creation of regional development agencies for areas outside of the M4 corridor, a publicly-owned bank and expansion of free childcare.
• The European Court of Justice ruled the UK Government failed to limit air pollution from the coal-fired Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan. Environmental charities called for the permanent closure of the station, claiming 400 premature deaths in the UK every year could be linked to the pollution.
• Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected UK Labour leader at their annual conference in Liverpool on September 24, winning against Owen Smith MP (Lab, Pontypridd) by 61.8% to 38.2%. The First Minister said Labour had to offer “functional and forensic opposition” and called for abuse between the two factions to stop.
• A review into higher education finance by Prof. Ian Diamond recommended replacing tuition fee grants with loans, a universal £1,000 a year maintenance grant, a mix of maintenance grants and loans for students based on household incomes and extra support for part-time and postgraduate students. The Education Secretary said, “The fear of not being able to meet the cost of living on a daily basis puts many off, not the prospect of paying back loans after they are in work. This system addresses that issue head on."

Projects announced in September include: A new substance abuse plan, with additional focus on drugs misuse in sports and legal highs; a £16million skills and training scheme for north Wales which could assists up to 7,000 people; an extension of the £98million business rate relief scheme through 2017-18 with a view to it becoming permanent afterwards and a seven-year £136million to help small and medium businesses grow.