Download or read book House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee The Work Programme in Wales HC 264 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2013-11-04 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Work Programme is the latest government-contracted employment programme, which aims to support long-term jobseekers into work and off unemployment benefits. Launched in June 2011, the Work Programme replaced a number of previous welfare-to-work programmes and consolidates employment support for a very wide range of jobseekers into a single mainstream programme. Providers, who are predominantly commercial companies, provide support to participants, and receive payments for finding participants sustained employment. In Wales one in nine people who joined the Work Programme in its first two years found sustained employment (defined as 13 or 26 weeks). This is the lowest rate in Great Britain, though not much lower than the average. The Committee's conclusions include: Working Links Wales and Rehab Jobfit-the two providers operating in Wales-must ensure that both they and their subcontractors have specific measures in place to support lone parents; and that Work Programme participants in Wales-unlike those in England-cannot access European Social Fund training and skills courses which is hampering the performance of the Work Programme in Wales and ultimately the opportunities available to the long-term unemployed. Similarly, DWP must enable participants to exit the Work Programme if required in order to access Jobs Growth Wales. The key issue here seems to be that there is a lack of flexibility in and between the various programmes set up to get people into work, and that this lack of flexibility appears to be more marked in Wales

Download or read book House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee The Impact of Changes to Housing Benefit in Wales HC 159 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2013-10-17 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The costs of housing benefit currently makes up more than a tenth of the UK Government's expenditure on welfare, with costs forecast to reach £25 billion by 2014-15. The Government's policy on under-occupation came into force in April 2013 and it is estimated that 40,000 tenants in Wales will be affected; representing 46% of working age housing benefit claimants living in the social rented sector. This is the highest proportion of any region in Great Britain. There could therefore be a shortage of one and two bedroom homes in Wales to re-house everyone who wants to downsize. If local authorities are struggling to find alternative smaller accommodation for Government should undertake a speedy review of this policy. It is also increasingly urgent for the Welsh Government to continue with its house-building programme, with a particular focus on the building of smaller sized properties: obviously this is a long-term solution that would require additional resources. If no social housing is available, tenants may need to move to the private rented sector and private rental costs would need to be monitored. The costs of moving disabled households who require adaptations are also a concern. There may be a case for exempting disabled households from the policy. The Government's proposal to pay housing benefit direct to social tenants under Universal Credit may result in some tenants being unable to manage their rent payments. The Committee recommends that the Government provide for housing benefit to be paid direct to the landlords in certain circumstances, for example after a specified period of non-payment

Download or read book House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee Pre Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft Wales Bill HC 962 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2014-03-03 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The draft Wales Bill was published following the recommendations of the Silk Commission in November 2012. It sets out to devolve tax and borrowing powers to the Welsh Government and National Assembly for Wales, make changes to the electoral arrangements of the National Assembly for Wales, and clarify and update the devolution settlement. The Government hopes that the provisions in the draft Wales Bill will enable devolved governance in Wales to become more accountable. The cross-party Committee believes partial devolution of income tax to the Welsh Government should be put to the people of Wales in a referendum. The cross-party Committee also has sympathy with the argument that the issue of "fair funding" must be resolved before any income tax powers are devolved so that Wales is not unfairly disadvantaged. The issue of fair funding - how the size of the block grant from the UK Government is determined, currently by the Barnett formula which has long been criticised as providing an unfairly low allocation to Wales - needs to be examined and should not wait until after the 2015 General Election. The National Assembly for Wales should have power to decide its own Assembly term length, rather than this being decided at Westminster. The Committee recommends the clause in the draft Bill which permanently extends the length of the Assembly from four to five years should be scrapped and replaced with provisions that give the National Assembly the powers to determine the length of its own electoral term.

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 proposed National Assembly for Wales Legislative Competence Order in the field of social welfare 2008 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-03-05 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) Order in the field of social Welfare 2008 : Fourth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written Evidence

Download or read book Intergovernmental Relations in the UK written by Marius Guderjan and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-06-01 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intergovernmental Relations in the UK provides a timely and up-to-date analysis of a turbulent decade in British politics and presents a fascinating case study of intergovernmental relations and territorial power in a devolved unitary state. As over time a widening range of powers has been transferred from the Westminster Parliament to the devolved legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, intergovernmental relations have become increasingly important to deal with the corresponding overlaps of legislative and fiscal authority. However, leaving the European Union has exposed the weakness of the intergovernmental architecture and challenged the functionality of the UK’s multilevel polity. Until now, the question of how powerful the devolved administrations really are has not been satisfactorily answered. The author uses insights from comparative studies of federations to develop a systematic account of shared rule and intergovernmental relations. This book examines how informal institutions and practices can provide political influence beyond formal structures, with reference to an extensive range of institutions, practices, policies and political decisions. Unlike other studies focused predominantly on the state of the Union, this volume points to the interplay between conflict and cooperation, and demonstrates that the proclaimed ‘break-up of the Union’ is accompanied by efforts to integrate the different jurisdictions. This book will be of interest to scholars and postgraduate students of comparative politics, political systems, multilevel governance, regional and federal studies, British politics and public administration. It will also appeal to politicians, government advisers, civil servants and other practitioners who seek a better, more nuanced understanding of the UK’s multilevel constitution and politics, and the nature of intergovernmental relations in the UK.

Download or read book The Welsh Criminal Justice System written by Robert Jones and published by University of Wales Press. This book was released on 2022-10-15 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study represents the first systematic attempt to explore the functioning of the policing and criminal justice system in post-devolution Wales. Its particular relevance is underscored by the revelation that Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in western Europe. Drawing on official data as well as extensive interviews with senior figures, this book represents the first systematic exploration of the operation of the justice system in Wales across the jagged edge of devolved and non-devolved functions. There remains little understanding of how the justice system operates in the anomalous circumstances of post-devolution Wales This book aims to fill this gap in understanding and concludes with an assessment of the proposals of the Commission on Justice in Wales for reform.

Download or read book Devolution written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Justice Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-05-24 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Devolution was a major component of the Government's package of proposed constitutional reform for the United Kingdom post 1997. Devolution has fundamentally transformed politics within the devolved territories, but it has also had a significant impact on the make-up and the constitution of the United Kingdom. Fundamental changes in the way Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are governed have not been followed by major changes in the way England is governed. Matters which are the responsibility of devolved Parliaments in the rest of the UK are, in England, determined by the United Kingdom Government and Parliament. This report identifies several changes required to improve the current infrastructure and the procedures and practices of governance in the UK after devolution, in order to facilitate the effective and efficient functioning of the asymmetric system of devolution. Whitehall was not ready for devolution. Departmental responsibility for overseeing the working of the UK's system of government has been divided and unsettled, and the report recommends that a lead department responsible for devolution strategy be identified. The second half of the report identifies two significant constitutional and political issues which have been brought into sharp focus since the onset of devolution in 1999: first, the fact that England remains highly centralised under the authority of the UK Government and Parliament, resulting in the "English Question", a phrase which encapsulates a range of different questions in relation to the governance of England, and, secondly, the increasing concern about the efficacy and application of the Barnett Formula as the means for the allocation of increases and decreases in public funds.

Download or read book The Welsh Language Commissioner in Context written by Diarmait Mac Golla Chríost and published by University of Wales Press. This book was released on 2016-07-20 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: it is the first book on the subject much of the research data provides a unique insight to the development of government policy and is exclusive to this book several of the research results are quite striking and will be of great interest to academics and policy actors alike

Download or read book Devolution in the UK written by Paul Carmichael and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-09-21 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering the impact of austerity, Brexit, the Scottish Independence Referendum and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive, this book discusses how wider national developments shape and are shaped by the process of devolution in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, assessing its impact on politics, policy and public administration. Drawing together extensive scholarship on devolution, Devolution in the UK compares the similarities and differences between the different devolved nations, and tackles key questions: - Where did devolution come from, and what does its future look like? - What are the most effective devolution systems, and what are their benefits? - Why does Wales have fewer devolved powers than Scotland and Northern Ireland? - What impact will Brexit have? - Why are national identities, symbols, languages, flags and culture so important? Spanning the introduction of devolution in 1988 to the present, this is essential reading if you are studying devolution, one of the country-specific political systems, or interested in UK politics as a whole.

Download or read book Comparing Devolved Governance written by D. Birrell and published by Springer. This book was released on 2012-03-29 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines recent evidence of a growing symmetry in the operation of devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This book makes one of the first systematic and detailed comparisons of the operation of the devolved institutions and machinery of governance. It uses a comparative approach to explore the key workings of government.

Download or read book Annual Report For 2004 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2005 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annual report For 2004 : First report of session 2004-05, report, together with appendices and formal Minutes

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 Globalisation and Its Impact on Wales Oral and written evidence 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 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Incorporating HC 34 i-xii, session 2007-08 and HC 281 i-xvii, session 2006-07

Download or read book The proposed amendment of Schedule 7 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-11-22 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 3 March 2011 the voters of Wales will be given an opportunity to decide, in a referendum, whether the National Assembly for Wales should assume primary law making powers under Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Schedule 7 to the Government of Wales Act would be at the heart of the new constitutional settlement if the referendum vote is affirmative. Prior to the referendum, the Government has proposed amendments to Schedule 7 in the draft Order: the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Amendment of Schedule 7 to the Government of Wales Act 2006) Order 2010, laid before Parliament on 21 October 2010. The Committee believes that it is essential that the House is clear about what it is agreement to in approving the draft Order. This report outlines the context in which the Order is being put forward, the nature of the amendments proposed, and the extent of the legislative competences which the National Assembly would enjoy if it came into effect. While there would remain a few ambiguities and loose ends in the definition of the Assembly's powers under Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act, the Committee sees no impediment to the House approving the draft Order. The amendments to Schedule 7 are unlikely to be the last word on the shape and nature of the constitutional arrangements for Wales and the Committee has sought and received assurances that Parliament and the Welsh Affairs Committee will be properly involved in the examination of any future changes to them.

Download or read book The work of committees in 2008 09 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-16 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: work of committees In 2008-09 : Second report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes and Appendices