Download or read book Cross border provision of public services for Wales written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Working practices between the UK and Welsh Assembly governments in relation to cross-border policies appear much improved since the Committee's earlier reports on this subject. But a number of outstanding issues remain in transport, health and further and higher education. On transport the Committee welcomes the planned electrification of the Great Western Main Line. However, the Department for Transport appears to have washed its hands of any strategic responsibility for cross-border roads. The A483 is the clearest example of a road vital for travel within Wales but which is not important to the English region in which it is located, and as a result loses out on funding. The Committee stresses the need for comparative data on which to build solid research comparing NHS performance in the devolved nations. More needs to be done to raise public awareness of the differences in services people can expect to receive on both sides of the border. Transparency of information is vital. Research proposals in the UK Government's Higher Ambitions strategy for higher education make no reference to nations other than England, despite the UK-wide research remit of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Committee calls for details about how research funding proposals apply to all four nations.

Download or read book Proposed National Assembly for Wales Legislative Competence Housing and Local Government Order 2010 relating to sustainable housing written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-03 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The effect of this proposed LCO would be to devolve wide-ranging legislative competence for social housing policy to the National Assembly for Wales. The terms of the proposed Order include the provision of social housing, provision by local authorities of caravan sites for use by gypsies and travellers, measures to tackle homelessness, and council tax payable in respect of dwellings that are not the main residence of an individual. The current proposal is a revision of an earlier, much narrower, affordable housing LCO laid before Parliament in 2008, which was criticised because the terms of the LCO went much wider than the policy purposes described to us by the Minister in her evidence. The Committee believes that there is indeed a demand in Wales for comprehensive social housing legislation for Wales, to include the regulation of social housing providers and reform of tenure law. It concludes that the current Order is a logical extension of the current devolution settlement and, with minor technical changes outlined in this Report, is content that it should proceed. The Committee reiterates its continuing concerns about the naming of LCOs. There is now a number of draft or proposed Orders with similar titles. The recommendation is that LCOs should be given a simple title which conveys the actual subject of the Order to the general reader.

Download or read book Proposed National Assembly for Wales Legislative Competence Housing Order 2009 Relating to Domestic Fire Safety written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Incorporating HC 1110, session 2008-09

Download or read book The Proposed National Assembly for Wales Legislative Competence Local Government Order 2009 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Local Government) Order 2009 is the twelfth Legislative Competence Order on which the Welsh Affairs Committee has reported. The Order will give the Assembly powers in respect of the structures and work of local government in Wales at all levels. The Welsh Assembly Government has requested this power because it wishes to develop and strengthen the role of community councils and councillors in Wales. The proposed Order will allow the Welsh Assembly Government to fulfil its commitment to seek legislation to address issues identified in the 2003 'Aberystwyth Report'. The Committee agrees that a clear need for the proposed LCO has been identified and is consistent with the Government's commitment to build up the capacity of town and community councils. The proposed Order is drafted in broad and accessible terms with the minimum of exceptions and interpretation. The Committee is concerned, however, that there are now many terms used to describe the various tiers of local government in Wales and agree with the suggestions put forward that the Minister should speedily undertake a review of terminology relating to local government. Specifically the term 'community' is cited as having various meanings dependent on context. Furthermore, given that there have already been several LCO proposals identified in terms of local government, to call this the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Local Government) Order introduces the potential for confusion. A title such as 'National Assembly for Wale (Legislative Competence) (Community Councils) Order or similar is suggested

Download or read book Sessional Returns written by Great Britain: House of Commons and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2005-06-23 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With corrigendum slip dated June 2005 (1 sheet).

Download or read book The proposed Legislative Competence Order relating to school governance written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-09 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: proposed Legislative Competence Order relating to school Governance : Seventh report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written Evidence

Download or read book Globalisation and Its Impact on Wales written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Welsh Affairs Committee report, "Globalisation and its impact on Wales" (HC 184-I, ISBN 9780215526373), examines the effects of global trade on a variety of economic sectors, including employment and skills, broadcasting, and food supply and production. The Committee found evidence of existing skills gaps in Wales, for example in specialist areas such as science, and recommends that to avoid dependence on low skilled, low paid jobs, the UK and Welsh Assembly Governments work with the higher education sector to raise the skills base. Universities are the drivers of the knowledge economy, which is key to success in the global marketplace. The Committee believes it is imperative that the UK and Welsh Assembly Governments fully integrate the commercial potential of higher education into their policies. Welsh companies can increase their value and stimulate the local economy by exploiting a strong local identity and values, and by making use of higher level and specialist skills to offer premium goods and services that cannot be sourced abroad, particularly in the farming and food production industries, where Wales is developing a global reputation for excellence. Also in the report, the Committee: welcomes the use of innovative methods of broadcasting used by S4C to engage with audiences outside Wales; recommends the commissioning of more programmes reflective of Welsh identity; supports initiatives helping Welsh companies to exploit their global potential in the creative industries.

Download or read book The Provision of Cross border Health Services for Wales written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given the divergence in health policy between England and Wales, and the significant number of patients who cross the border for treatment, the Welsh Affairs Committee examined the interface between the two systems and the effectiveness of co-ordination between the Department for Health and the Welsh Assembly Government. It wanted to discover whether cross-border patients are treated fairly and whether the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Health consider the border in the development of the diverging policy environment. The Committee was aware of significant confusion amongst patients, for example in knowing what they are entitled to receive from their health service and that cross-border providers were being disadvantaged by the need to cope with two separate funding and commissioning schemes. The Committee's interim report on this topic (HC 870, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780215521682) concluded that four key criteria should be established in cross-border health policy: clinical excellence as close to home as possible; border-proofing of policy and practice; cross-border citizen engagement; and transparent and accountable co-operation between localities, regions and governments. This report returns to these key criteria. The Committee is very disappointed that a protocol on cross-border health services has not been agreed, further evidence of a clear lack of co-ordination between the UK and Welsh Assembly governments and which leaves clinicians and administrators in a strained position and risks adversely affecting patients as a result of cross-border commissioning and funding problems. Better information for patients must be provided. The Committee finds the Department of Health's delay in responding to its interim report until some 6 months after publication to be unacceptable.

Download or read book The proposed Legislative Competence Order relating to transport written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: proposed Legislative Competence Order relating to Transport : Eighth report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written Evidence

Download or read book Digital inclusion in Wales written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-08-04 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wales Office and the Welsh Assembly Government must ensure UK digital inclusion initiatives meet Welsh needs and build on existing good work to deliver on Welsh digital ambitions, says the Welsh Affairs Committee in a report published today. This report "Digital Inclusion in Wales", examines the use of digital technologies in Wales, highlights the urgent need for the eradication of broadband ’notspots' - areas with limited or no access to high speed internet connections - and says this issue must continue to receive priority attention. There should be more support to help a wider range of people use technology effectively. Employers told the Committee they need staff with better IT skills and more training opportunities. The Committee recommends the Welsh Assembly Government explicitly includes this issue in its digital inclusion strategy. The digital inclusion agenda is a complex mix of reserved and devolved matters. This brings a risk that key issues can be overlooked, for example no account has been taken of Welsh language speakers' needs in the Government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan. The Secretary of State for Wales must ensure that bodies in Wales across all sectors are fully engaged with initiatives and that the next stage of Digital Britain adequately reflects Welsh needs. Higher education institutions also have a vital role to play and should be involved in any new research opportunities. The Welsh Assembly already has successful digital inclusion projects in Wales and it should find a way to become fully involved with the UK digital inclusion and Digital Britain work so it does not miss out on policy developments and funding opportunities. The Committee also recommends the creation of a one-stop shop providing advice on the risks for young people using technology, and commends the Assembly's work tackling internet related crimes which it says should be promoted as part of the economic development strategy in Wales.

Download or read book Legislative competence orders in council written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-06-05 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the National Assembly of Wales has limited law-making powers, they can be enhanced, given Parliamentary consent, by a new procedure known as Legislative Competence Order in Council. This sits alongside a procedure where Acts of Parliament may prescribe matters on which the National Assembly may legislate within areas (known as "Fields") for which it has responsibility. In this report the Committee examine the new procedure. Although it welcomes the chance to be involved in the pre-legislative scrutiny of draft Orders, it is worried about the potential work load and think there could be merit in ad hoc committees set up to examine each proposed Legislative Competence Order. There is also a concern that Matters added by provisions in Bills of a general nature will not have the same degree of scrutiny as legislative Competence Orders.

Download or read book Wales and Whitehall written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-26 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The effective operation of devolution stands the best chance of success if both the UK and Welsh governments share knowledge and understanding, concludes the Welsh Affairs Committee in this report. The Committee makes a number of recommendations to improve the relationship between Wales and Whitehall. A broad review of how intergovernmental relationships are coordinated is required. The Joint Ministerial Committee should meet on a regular basis and ministers at all levels should be alert to the consequences of policy and legislation on devolved areas. The Cabinet Office should take lead responsibility for devolution strategy in Whitehall. Whitehall has lost a focus on the devolution settlement and too often has displayed poor knowledge and understanding of the specificities of the Welsh settlement. The Civil Service needs more consistent training and clear department-by-department focus on retaining devolution knowledge and understanding. The Welsh Assembly Government should have the confidence to interact with Whitehall and to promote areas of good practice. The Cabinet Secretary and the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government should give evidence annually to the Welsh Affairs Committee. Finally, reform of the Barnett Formula is required. The current financial settlement does not appear sustainable and a new arrangement needs to be built on an agreed and enduring basis which is demonstrably fair and sensitive to the particular circumstances of Wales.

Download or read book Proposed Restructuring of the Police Forces in Wales written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-02-22 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Committees report examines the proposed restructuring of the four police forces in Wales, in light of the recommendations of the HMIC review ("Closing the gap: a review of the fitness for purpose of the current structure of policing in England and Wales" available at http://www.inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspect_reports1/thematic-inspections/closinggap05.pdf) published in September 2005. Issues discussed include: the timetable for restructuring and provision for consultation; strategic policing needs in Wales; funding aspects and the impact on neighbourhood policing; and governance issues. The reports findings include: criticism that the tight timescale established for the restructuring process limited the scope for debate within police forces and police authorities, and for public consultation; and concern that the Governments approach to police restructuring across England and Wales reflects a failure to take sufficient account of the unique political, geographic and cultural characteristics of Wales.

Download or read book Welsh prisoners in the prison estate written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-03 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a pressing need for more prison places in Wales. There are only four prisons in Wales, all of which are in South Wales. The Committee urges the Government to be flexible in its approach, which would be consistent with the considered views expressed in recent reports by the Justice Select Committee.

Download or read book Work of the Committee 2008 09 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work of the Committee 2008-09 : Third report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book Potential Benefits of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics for Wales written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This inquiry arose from the Committee's belief that any benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games should be felt in Wales and not only in London and the South East of England. The Committee cannot yet conclude whether Wales will benefit from the 2012 Games. Few events will be held in Wales and it is not predicted that Wales will benefit greatly from tourism generated by the Games. An opportunity was missed in the original bid to locate events in Wales particularly in respect of mountain biking and canoeing. In retrospect, it now seems misguided to build expensive new venues when such facilities exist in Wales. Lottery funding will be diverted from Wales to fund the Games, with a loss of an estimated £100 million, which will have a long-term effect on grassroots projects with a reduction in the number of new facilities built and possible problems in maintaining current structures. The Government has launched the London 2012 Business Network and CompeteFor, but there Welsh companies currently only account for 2 per cent of all the total number of registrations on the CompeteFor network. The most obvious benefit to Wales arises from the fact that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London provide a unique opportunity to generate interest in sport amongst children and young people. Disability sports is a great success story for Wales and the community programme ensures that there are opportunities for children and young people with disabilities. It is important that all sections of Welsh society are engaged with the Olympics and Paralympics and its ideals.

Download or read book The Stationery Office Annual Catalogue written by Stationery Office (Great Britain) and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 696 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: