Senedd Watch - November 2016

• On November 3^rd, the UK High Court ruled the UK Parliament must vote to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to start the Brexit process, and the powers are not held under royal prerogative by the Prime Minister. The UK Government appealed to the Supreme Court.
  
• Counsel General, Mick Antoniw (Lab, Pontypridd), said the ruling raised “profound questions” over the use of prerogative powers in relation to the devolution settlement. He made an application to make representations to the Supreme Court on Welsh interests, which was granted on November 18^th.
• Plaid Cymru demanded clarity from both UK and Welsh governments, pledging to submit written questions every day until both governments provide a “satisfactory outline” of their intentions. Party leader, Leanne Wood AM (Plaid, Rhondda), also said the High Court ruling didn't overturn Brexit, but allows Remain voters and supporters to “have their input”.
• Following a meeting of the British-Irish Council in the Vale of Glamorgan, the First Minister said there was consensus that Brexit should proceed with “minimal disruption”, and agreement between the Welsh and Scottish governments that the UK should retain access to the EU single market. There was criticism, however, of the UK Prime Minister's absence.
• Conservative leader, Andrew Davies AM (Con, South Wales Central), said he didn't trust the Welsh Government to deliver post-Brexit agricultural subsidies “because there is such a thing as UK agriculture”. Environment & Rural Affairs Secretary, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham), said there was “little appetite” for Westminster control over agricultural payments amongst Welsh farmers.
• The UK Government announced extra powers over water, fixed-odds betting machines and teachers' pay and conditions will be devolved in the Wales Bill. The latter wasn't universally welcomed by teaching unions, who fear it could lead to lower pay. Guto Bebb MP (Con, Aberconwy) accused unions of “wanting their cake and eating it”, while the First Minister told the Senedd it would allow the Welsh Government to make a “comprehensive offer” to teachers in line with Scotland.
• In a written statement to AMs, the First Minister said a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) on the Wales Bill will be tabled in January 2017. However, he wouldn't confirm whether the Welsh Government will support the Bill, opting to wait until the UK Government's reveal proposals at report stage and details of a new financial settlement for Wales.
• A former head of Greenpeace, Stephen Tindale, said the Welsh Government should drop opposition to “fracking” as burning gas would result in lower greenhouse emissions than burning alternatives and reduce reliance on energy imports.
• Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, said public services were in danger of “falling off a cliff” unless more was done to prevent people becoming ill, or making poor health worse, across all areas of public life.
• The Chief Medical Officer's annual report revealed not enough was being done to address the quality of health between the richest and poorest communities, with a clear link between deprivation and obesity. He also suggested drug use could be reduced if the amount of “adverse childhood experiences” were limited, potentially saving £6,000 with each reduction.
• The BBC's Director General, Tony Hall, promised to make an announcement on extra funding for BBC Wales by March 2017 in an appearance before the Assembly's Culture Committee. He was criticised for failing to deliver on previous promises after BBC Wales recently announced £9million in cuts by 2022.
• Public Health & Social Services Minister, Rebecca Evans (Lab, Gower), introduced a new version of a Public Health Bill on November 7^th. The Bill includes measures to licence and restrict tobacco sales, ban smoking in public places like playgrounds, licence and regulate tattoos and piercings and improve provision of public toilets. In a change from the original Bill – which was rejected by the Assembly in March 2016 - it didn't include measures restricting use of e-cigarettes.
• A joint report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Bevan Foundation recommended measures to reduce poverty in Wales by 2030, including a pan-Valleys enterprise zone, prioritising job creation in reach of the poorest areas and more affordable housing. It's estimated poverty costs the Welsh Government £3.6billion a year.
• Economy & Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates (Lab, Clwyd South), denied the proposed merger of backroom functions of heritage bodies into a new body, Historic Wales, will have a detrimental impact. Senior heritage industry figures claim the move would impact the independence of existing bodies.
• Following Republican candidate Donald Trump's election as US President on November 8^th, the First Minister said the incoming president would have to “repair a divided nation”. Andrew Davies AM called the victory a “bloody nose for the establishment”, while Leanne Wood AM called for a toning down of rhetoric. The First Minister also raised concerns about the impact on trans-Atlantic trade.
• Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor), introduced changes to the School Organisation Code requiring local authorities to consider viable alternatives before closing rural schools. She said, “Pupils in rural schools deserve the same opportunities as children in other areas of Wales....and ensuring all schools get a fair hearing when their future is being considered”.
• The National Assembly backed a UKIP motion calling for Severn crossing tolls to be scrapped by 45 votes to one abstention. Mark Reckless AM (UKIP, South Wales East) described the tolls as a “tax on Wales”, however Lee Waters AM (Lab, Llanelli) warned that scrapping the tolls could increase road traffic and put further pressure on the Brynglas Tunnels in Newport.
• Steffan Lewis AM (Plaid, South Wales East) called for surpluses generated by the miners' pension scheme to be paid to miners, as current arrangements see the UK Government claim 50% of any surplus generated. It's estimated the UK Government has made £3.35billion under guarantee agreements since the scheme was privatised in 1994.
• Communities Secretary, Carl Sargeant (Lab, Alyn & Deeside), defended the new landlord registration agency, Rent Smart Wales, after it was revealed up to 50% of landlords had failed to register days before the 23^rd November deadline. There were also claims of staff shortages and workload issues. He rejected calls to extend the deadline, with landlords liable to a fine for missing it.
• The Secretary later admitted delays in processing Rent Smart Wales applications. He added that landlords who missed the deadline but who did “all that they could to comply” would not face any action.
• An audit found UKIP misused EU funds to support its 2016 Assembly election campaign and pay a member of its campaign team. If the findings are upheld the party could have to repay in the region of £150,000. UKIP accused the EU Parliament of “harassment”. The UK Electoral Commission opened a separate investigation on November 22^nd.
• The Welsh Conservatives revealed £1million in consultancy fees relating to the Circuit of Wales project were paid against the advice of civil servants, which effectively amounted to “paying the company to advise themselves”. It was also revealed a company owned by a director of the project, Michael Carrick, paid several thousand pounds to sponsor Labour party events.
• In his Autumn Statement, UK Chancellor Philip Hammond announced Wales will receive an extra £400million capital funds over five years, and confirmed support for city deals in Swansea Bay and north Wales. £3million in bank fines will be distributed to the Wales Air Ambulance and to fund a relocation of a military medicine museum to Cardiff.
• Jenny Rathbone AM (Lab, Cardiff Central) called for the Welsh Government to ban letting agency fees after the move was announced in England by the UK Government. In 2015, Labour AMs voted against a Plaid Cymru amendment to the Renting Homes Act which would've banned the fees. Finance & Local Government Secretary, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West), said the policy could lead to higher rents, while the First Minister told the Assembly a ban was “actively under consideration”.
• The Welsh Government suspended the board of Sport Wales followed a “damning” internal report – leaked to BBC Wales - which called for an immediate overhaul of its practices. It cited a lack of vision, failure to engage people outside Cardiff, excessive pay and nepotism. Sport Wales received £22.7million from the Welsh Government in 2016-17.
• Sian Gwenllian AM (Plaid, Arfon) called for S4C to reconsider moving its headquarters to Carmarthen after it was revealed Yr Egin project – which will house S4C as part of a creative industries hub - was facing a £4-6million funding shortfall. She said, “I was under the impression the move would be cost-neutral. It appears ….Carmarthen....no longer fits that description”.
• Research suggested was a “postcode lottery” in sepsis treatment – which kills 1,500 people annually in Wales - with only 12% of patients screened in line with best practice. Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething (Lab, Cardiff S. & Penarth), said he was “open-minded” to ensuring all hospitals screen patients the same way.
• The Finance & Local Government Secretary introduced the Landfill Disposals Tax Bill on November 28^th. The Bill proposes a replacement for landfill tax - which will be collected on a Wales-only basis from 2018 - and an extension to tax fly-tipping. The Secretary said, “Wales is at the forefront of waste policy and landfill tax is an important element of achieving our goal of a zero waste Wales.”
• A joint Wales Governance Centre and Electoral Reform Society report into the future of the National Assembly recommended increasing the number of AMs to 87, with three elected in each of the new 29 Westminster parliamentary constituencies either by single transferable vote or open list D'Hondt.

Projects announced in November include: An extra £50million to the NHS to deal with winter pressures; an £80million programme to succeed Superfast Cymru from 2017 and ensure 100% superfast broadband coverage in Wales; a £30million manufacturing and research institute on Deeside; outline proposals for a digital science centre in Swansea and new waiting time targets and improved diagnostics for adults and children with autism.