FIRST MINISTER SETS OUT NEW LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME FOR WALES

New legislation to tackle child poverty, support carers and help people afford a home has been unveiled today by First Minister Rhodri Morgan, as the Labour-led Assembly Government takes the next step forward in implementing Welsh Labour’s Assembly manifesto.

Announcing the Welsh Assembly Government’s new legislative programme for 2008-9, the First Minister set out how his government would bring forward Welsh legislation to deliver the changes promised to the people of Wales.

The First Minister said: “Our legislative programme underpins the delivery of the One Wales commitments enabling us to put forward Welsh laws that support the way we tackle key issues for the people of Wales. We have already demonstrated in the first year how we will use legislation to make changes for the people of Wales. This next programme will take us even further forward and focuses on delivering change through five Measures whilst continuing to plan for future delivery in four other areas for which we need additional powers.”

“This programme demonstrates that we are using the powers we have acquired through the first legislative programme to tackle unique circumstances and provide Welsh solutions for the people of Wales,” the First Minister said.

Below are details of the new Legislative Programme and how it relates to Welsh Labour’s ‘Building a Better Wales’ manifesto for the 2007 Assembly elections:

Child Poverty Measure

The Assembly Government wants to provide greater support to children and families experiencing poverty and encompass a number of initiatives such as a duty on public agencies to demonstrate their contribution to ending child poverty and to provide free childcare places and other early years’ services in specific areas.

Manifesto commitment: “Using the new powers of the Assembly, Labour will step up our efforts on behalf of children in Wales by seeking the power to reform the law in relation to vulnerable children in Wales, including action on child poverty. This will place a legal requirement on public agencies, such as the NHS and local government, to make and to demonstrate their contribution to tackling child poverty.” Building a Better Wales, p33.

Right to Buy Measure

Subject to the approval of the Affordable Housing LCO, the Labour-led Assembly Government intends to develop a Measure giving local authorities the power to apply to Welsh Ministers to designate areas of housing pressure where the Right to Buy may be suspended for a limited period.

Manifesto Commitment: “We will seek new legislative powers to be able to retain the pool of housing available for rent in areas of high housing need as one measure to improve the availability of affordable housing.” Building a Better Wales, p34.

Carers' LCO

The aim here is to provide support for carers by placing appropriate duties on public sector organisations.

Manifesto Commitment: “Carers play an invaluable role in every family and in every community in Wales. We will review our Carers Strategy to bring it up to date and to support the role of carers better, including additional investment in respite care services… through investment and targeted action we will work to improve the health and well-being of carers.” Building a Better Wales, p13.

Local Government Measure

In the wake of the Beecham report, a Measure for local government which will require local partners to co-operate in effective and joined-up community planning and service improvement based on greater engagement with citizens and a fuller understanding of local priorities.

Manifesto Commitment: “In a third term we will drive forward a strong vision for the future of local government in Wales. At the heart of this vision will be a demand that public services should work more closely together and that they put the citizen centre stage.” Building a Better Wales, p27.

Domiciliary Care Measure

In order to establish a fairer and more consistent approach to charging for non-residential social services for local authorities across Wales, the Assembly Government will introduce a Measure which will regulate the setting of charges and remove the wide disparities that currently exist in the way in which local authorities charge service users for specified services.

Manifesto Commitment: “We will also seek new powers to allow a third-term Labour Assembly Government to amend the law in relation to charging for domiciliary care, so that charges for similar services are made more consistent and less variable across Wales.” Building a Better Wales, p12.

SEN Tribunal Measure

The Assembly Government will introduce a Measure which will confer on the Welsh Ministers the power to extend the range of individuals who may appeal to the Welsh Tribunal. This is in line with WAG’s commitment wherever possible to increasing the participation of children and young people in the processes and decisions that affect their education.

Manifesto Commitment: Part (iv) of Welsh Labour’s Proposed SEN LCO, which was part of the Party’s Proposed Legislative Programme which was published in April 2007, stated that the LCO would: “provide for rights of appeal for parents to the SEN Tribunal for Wales.”

Culture Duty LCO

The Assembly Government intends to seek legislative competence to provide Welsh Ministers with the power to implement the commitment to place a statutory obligation on local authorities to promote culture and encourage partnership to deliver high quality cultural experiences for their communities.

Manifesto Commitment: “We will place a statutory obligation on local councils to promote culture and encourage them to work together and with other partners in the voluntary and private sectors to deliver high quality cultural experiences for their communities.” Building a Better Wales, p30.

Foundation degree awarding powers

In order to respond rapidly to meet the needs of the economic and skills agendas in Wales which have identified a shortage of skills at technician and para-professional level, the Assembly Government intends to seek legislative competence to enable Further Education Institutions in Wales to have the same powers as those in England to award foundation degrees and Credit and Qualifications Framework in Wales (CQFW) level 4 qualifications.

Red Meat Levy board LCO

In order to have a red meat levy raising body directly accountable to the Welsh Assembly Government, rather than the UK Levy board WAG intends to seek legislative competence which will allow the Assembly to make a Measure conferring levy raising powers directly upon Welsh Ministers. This will mean that the Assembly Government can replace the existing levy raising ASPB which was intended to be an interim Measure until these powers were conferred upon Welsh Ministers.

The new programme builds on the real progress which has been made in implementing the first legislative programme, which set out six Legislative Competence Orders and three Assembly Measures. Only last Wednesday (9th July), the first ever Assembly Measure, the NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2007 was approved by The Queen in Council. The new law will make it easier and quicker for patients to claim compensation when treatment provided by the NHS in Wales has been negligent. Meanwhile, the Additional Learning Needs LCO received Royal Assent back in April.

For details of the progress being made with the Assembly Government’s legislative programme, please see: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation.htm