Welsh Government and Politics in 2006
Welsh Government and Politics in 2006
The calm before the storm
2006 in Welsh Politics, as I saw it at the time
The year 2006 in Welsh politics was in many ways the calm before the storm. The year before the 2007 Assembly elections, which led to the One Wales Government; a year or so before the Global Financial Crisis. The Cabinet Minutes of that year very quickly start to move beyond the constitutional issues which are happening in Westminster in respect of what becomes the Government of Wales Act. In my own case, the final four months of the year become competely dominated by the campaign to try to save the Burberry factory in Ynyswen, Treorchy, in my Rhondda constituency. Along the way, the new Assembly Building is opened in January. I began the year, in a campaign about Trinity Mirror’s commitmemt to local news reporting in the titles it owned, such as the Rhondda Leader: we’d already by then saved separate editorships for the Rhondda Leader and the Pontypridd Observer. In July this was debated in the Assembly Chamber in a plenary session. It was an issue I kept an eye on.
I spoke at the Fabian Society’s London conference on Britishness which was a recurring interest. On 31 January we headed into the new Senedd building to test the equipment. There were clearly some early snags:
Following the recess, they seem to have sorted out the noisy cameras: before the recess, every time a speaker stood up, when the cameras swivelled to face them, they (the cameras, not the speakers) made a sound like the creaking front door of a haunted house.
Senedd?
Our first plenary session in the new building was on 7 February. There was quite a controversy going on about it being called the Senedd building, which looking back historically was a pretty smart coup by Dafydd El. Anyway, I clearly tweaked the dragon’s tail a few times over this. Meanwhile, someone leaked the Queen’s draft speech planned for the Royal opening of the new building on 1 March.
On 1 March, the lastest polling suggested significant support for the Assembly in Wales, confirming my view that we could win a referendum on primary powers.
Shambles in the Siambr
The new building’s problems continued into March, with some difficulties about registering Members’ votes.
Clearly I had some concerns that the Assembly could be abolished by UK Government order, which was subsequently amended.
I spoke against a no-confidence motion in Alun Pugh as Culture Secretary.
I note in June that Iain Dale rated my blog in the top ten Labour political blogs, which I had completely forgotten.
In July I marked the passing of the Government of Wales Act at Westminster.
In August I asked whether the Assembly had enough means to call civil servants to account. Today, of course, the Public Administration and Public Accounts Committee in the Senedd fulfils that role.
By September, columnists were looking ahead to the 2007 Assembly elections, and suggesting that a Lib-Lab coalition had been agreed. This was obviously nonsense, though it recurred. But we also learned that the Conservatives, Plaid and the Liberal Democrats were in discussions.
That month, Chris Bryant MP and I learned that Burberry planned to close their factory in Ynyswen, Treorchy, in our Rhondda constituency, and our campaign took over my life for the next six months. My current boss, Professor Jean Jenkins, has written about this academically. That campaign is worth a long post in its own right, and I won’t get into detail here, but my constituency blog and my personal blog, as well as the website we set up, reflect our campaigning over the next six months. (Links have been recovered through the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, so they are not perfect.
The announcement came the same day I had welcomed First Minister Rhodri Morgan to the Rhondda to see the major Assembly-funded construction projects taking place in the Valleys. Rhodri started his trip at the Costain site in Pontygwaith before being driven in a mini-bus down the length of the new Relief Road to the Rheola Bridge. We then visited the site of the new hospital being built by the Pontypridd and Rhondda NHS Trust in Llwynypia. Speaking after his visit, Rhodri said: ‘It is inspiring to see how public money is being used to change the face of the Rhondda. The new hospital will improve the quality of care to patients. The new road development will speed journeys within the Valley. I was particularly impressed with the new Rheola Bridge, which will be an iconic symbol for the Rhondda.’
Now to the Cabinet….
I need to say a word about the preservation of the archives of the Welsh Government Cabinet Minutes in 2006. As I have said before, they are not perfect. For two Cabinet meetings the papers and minutes are not available. For the final Cabinet meetings of the year, those Cabinet Papers which we have were actually uploaded as Word documents, meaning that tracked changes could be observed. I have chosen to upload them here as PDFs, which prevents that. But it speaks to a contemporary lack of thought about archiving.
The first meeting of the Welsh Government Cabinet took place on 9 January. The Wales Bill was in the process of Second Reading consideration in the House of Commons. It was noted that the Conservatives had tabled a reasoned amendment, implying that they were unlikely to vote against the second reading should their amendment fail. The First Minister advised Cabinet that he would be writing in complementary terms to the Prime Minister regarding his efforts to secure the EU Budget settlement, and the positive outcome for West Wales and the Valleys’ continued access to Objective One funding for the period 2007-2013.
New Assembly Building
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services advised colleagues that due to some minor technical issues the first Plenary session in the new building would now take place on 31 January and not 17 as originally planned.
Free Home Care for Disabled People
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced a report on progress in implementing the manifesto commitment to provide free home care for disabled people.
Environment Strategy
The Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside introduced the latest draft of the Environment Strategy for Wales. The paper also included the Minister’s vision for the Environment by 2025 and a summary of the outcomes from the consultation.
Cabinet welcomed the paper and suggested that further consideration be given to the management of waste and improving the quality of the urban environment, which could also link to the Communities First agenda. Ministers emphasised the importance of balancing both the needs of the economy and of the environment.
Cabinet noted the way oin which Single Farm payment details were to be published.
Hospital Reconfiguration
The minutes include a Cabinet Paper which was noted, but not discussed, on hospital reconfiguration.
The main item at the Cabinet Meeting on 23 January was public sector broadband. The Minister for Economic Development and Transport introduced the paper and underlined the project as a significant component of the Broadband strategy and a key enabling tool in the delivery of Making the Connections. The intention was to create a core IT network involving Local Authorities; health bodies including National Health Service (NHS) Trusts, hospitals and General Practitioner (GP) surgeries; Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) Institutions; and the Fire and Rescue Services.
Amongst the key findings outlined in the business case were the current lack of connectivity between public sector IT networks in Wales; the inability for networks to share information; advantages to be gained from procurement economies of scale and other strategic, operational and financial benefits. The central proposal was for the creation of a pooled budget drawing on funds from Health and Social Care; Education and Lifelong Learning; Economic Development and Transport; and Social Justice and Regeneration.
It was agreed that in respect of the emergency services, consideration would need to be given to the inclusion of the police IT systems following the outcome of the review of the number of police forces in Wales. It was also acknowledged that whilst the proposals would facilitate better networking across the Health and Social Care organisations, particular attention should be given to confidentiality issues. Officials confirmed that dialogue was continuing regarding the HE and FE sectors.
Ministers agreed the creation of a pooled budget within the Economic Development and Transport Main Expenditure Group (MEG) and that officials should proceed to make arrangements for the budget to be in place from 1 January 2007
.
Furstratingly, the Minutes and papers for the Cabinet Meeting of 6 February do not appear to be online. This was the agenda:
I suspect that the handling strategy on the issue of Free Home Care for Disabled People would have been interesting to see, as this was one area where the Welsh Government faced difficulty in implementing a manifesto pledge. As the First Minister’s Annual Report states later in the year:
On the 15 February 2006 the Minister for Health and Social Services announced that this commitment could not be implemented equitably and affordably. The Minister has instead proposed a £76million package to support older people, disabled people and their carers including those with Alzheimer’s and their families, not covered by the original pledge. This funding will go towards improving services, including significant investment in helping people stay in their own homes, and extended relief from charging for personal care at home.
The Health Minister’s Statement was made in plenary.
Cabinet met again on 13 March. The First Minister reminded Cabinet colleagues of their ongoing obligations to inform the Permanent Secretary about their financial interests and those of their spouses / partners.
Deprivation Funding.
The Minister for Finance Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which informed Cabinet colleagues of her intention to establish a project group to consider how the distribution of funding by the Assembly Government currently took account of deprivation and whether more could be done to focus resources on areas of need in a more intensive way. The Minister indicated that the project would be examining both specific grants made by the Assembly Government and the revenue support grant with a view to feed the outcome into the Assembly Government’s forward financial planning.
Public land for affordable housing.
The First Minister introduced a paper which proposed the development of a protocol setting out the arrangements for the disposal of Assembly and ASPB land for affordable housing. Cabinet welcomed the paper but suggested that the provision of community facilities should be included in the protocol in respect of some developments. Ministers also sought advice on how many local authorities were applying the principle that building contractors should make available 20% of dwellings on new housing developments for social housing.
Cabinet met again on 20 March. Aside from a discussion on the use of the Executive Procedure to implement subordinate legislation ( iam not listing these within my accounts ofn Cabinet meetings), the Cabinet’s principal discussion was on the Children’s Commissioner’s Annual Report.
The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning introduced the paper which sought Cabinet’s approval of the Assembly Government’s response to the Children’s Commissioner’s annual report and the Commissioner’s budget for 2006-07. Ministers agreed that the response should be amended to strengthen references to: participation, Child Trust Funds, and looked after children. It was further agreed that officials would also draw on the figures in relation to Child Poverty as set out in the recent Department of Work and Pensions report.
Cabinet met again not long after on 24 March to discvuss the Chancellor’s Budget. The Finance Minister introduced a paper which set out proposals on how the additional resources allocated to the Assembly Government as a result of the consequentials from the pre Budget report and Budget, should be spent.
Ministers agreed to consider simply the revenue expenditure for 2006-07 with the allocation of the additional resources for future years and the additional capital expenditure being considered separately. The First Minister indicated that the additional funding for 2006-07 should go into front line services. Cabinet considered the paper which outlined a number of options for funding put forward by Ministers and agreed that the bulk of the additional funding should be allocated to the Assembly Government’s strategic approach to support children and social deprivation.
Up to £13 million would be allocated via a targeted grant scheme to improve educational outcomes for children at risk of leaving school with no qualification. It was seen as important that the grant scheme should avoid stigmatising recipient schools.It was agreed that Ministers would want officials to track the expenditure and advise on the outcomes. The Education and Lifelong Learning (ELL) Minister intended to inform the ELL Committee of the new grant on Wednesday 29th March and it was agreed that officials would work up detailed proposals and present them to Cabinet.Ministers also agreed that £2.6 million would be allocated to personal dental services contracts focussed primarily on: Pembrokeshire; Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Flintshire, Ceredigion and Anglesey. £300,000 would be earmarked to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Council’s Misuse of Drugs report, in particular, supporting children whose parents engage in substance misuse. A further £300,000 would be invested in the Police led personal and social education programme, which had been established to address a range of community safety related issues. The Finance Minister outlined the benefits of the Eco schools initiative and that she was minded to provide £100k to expand the scheme.
Cabinet met again on 3 April. The First Minister indicated that it had been a challenging weekend for officials, with the mergers coming into effect and the launch of the new website. It was reported that the transition had gone well and the First Minister thanked all those involved. The First Minister also reported that the Assembly Government’s proposals for additional expenditure, as a result of the Chancellor’s Budget consequentials, had been well received. The First Minister indicated that he would send a congratulatory message to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her 80th Birthday jointly with the Presiding Officer and the other Party Leaders.
Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
The Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration introduced a paper which informed Cabinet on the progress towards achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard for all social housing by 2012. No paper is attached.
Location Strategy.
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced the paper which informed Cabinet of progress of the location strategy. No paper is attached.
Social Services.
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced a paper which contained proposals to set the agenda for social services in Wales over the next decade. Officials were preparing a policy directions paper for consultation commencing in May and it was noted that the Minister intended to share this with Cabinet colleagues in draft in due course. No paper is attached.
School Improvement.
The Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills introduced the paper which set out proposals for the use of the Budget consequentials that had been earmarked for raising the performance of disadvantaged pupils in schools.Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to support the proposals, which would complement what the Assembly Government was already doing to help under-achieving pupils. Ministers underlined the need for this additional expenditure to be recognised as being part of a wider programme of action, aimed at ensuring that every child achieved their educational potential. It was also acknowledged that there was an opportunity for this to be presented as the first step in kick starting a culture change across education, particularly in those local authorities where there appeared to be a lack of creativity in tackling the issues. No paper is attached.
Child Poverty.
Ministers considered the paper.
.
At Cabinet on 8 May there was a discussion about a Single Non-Emergency Number. The SNEN was a Home Office funded initiative being rolled out in three waves across England and Wales. The first wave included a partnership between Cardiff City Council and South Wales Police which was expected to go live shortly. The project would provide callers with a single telephone number which would enable members of the public to contact authorities about a range of non emergency or anti social behaviour matters and averting inappropriate use of 999 calls.
It was suggested that a SNEN rolled out across Wales could have more potential than originally proposed by the Home Office by handling a number of public service support issues, which included social care emergency issues and provid.ing advice in a similar way to that provided by NHS Direct
.
The First Minister shared his views on the recent Cabinet reshuffle by the Prime Minister and considered the possible impact of the changes to Wales.
Cabinet also briefly discussed the forthcoming Assembly and Parliamentary by-elections in Blaenau Gwent.
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced the paper which outlined the context in which the 2006 Budget Planning Round would be conducted and the implications for Departments, including the level of resources for allocation. Ministers agreed that the Assembly Subject Committees should be informed of the tight financial settlement.
Structural Funds
The First Minister introduced a paper which proposed a general approach to the allocation of resources in the next round of European Structural Funds. The paper also presented suggestions for joining up budgets to promote a more strategic approach to delivery.
Housing Quality
The Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration presented a paper which provided a further update on the progress towards achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard for all social housing by 2012. Ministers noted that substantial progress had been made since the last Cabinet discussion in April.
Waste
The Minister Environment, Planning and Countryside introduced the paper which asked Cabinet to note the progress of implementing the Wales waste strategy. It was noted that there were proposals to review the Strategy with a view to firm up proposals for consultation by the summer of 2007.
It had been agreed that there was a need to shift the emphasis in some areas, particularly in reducing packaging and treating residual waste. It was noted that the European Union was planning a thematic approach to deal with waste minimisation but there were still problems with the public perception of Waste management facilities.
Mainstreaming Equality
The Business Minister introduced the paper which asked Cabinet to note the development of a mainstreaming equality standard and which would be implemented throughout Assembly Government Departments.
Cabinet met again on 22 May. The First Minister reported on the recent economic data which had been released for 2001-03. This data showed an improving position in Wales compared with 1999-2001. Ministers noted that had the EU budget not been settled in December, it was unlikely that Wales would have qualified for Objective One status on the basis of the 2001-03 figures.
The Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks informed colleagues that the Transport (Wales) Act 2006 placed a duty on the National Assembly to prepare and publish a Wales Transport Strategy. The Cabinet paper introduced a consultation draft and the Minister invited comments.
It was noted that, as a result of the new powers contained in the Transport Act, the Assembly Government could now move towards a policy on integrated transport. Cabinet approved the paper
.
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced a paper which asked Cabinet to consider the options for bringing into force the proposed ban on smoking in public places in Wales. Ministers agreed that they wished the legislation to come into force as soon as possible.
The Minister for Environment Planning and Countryside introduced the paper which indicated that the draft Rural Development Plan for 2007-2013 was due to undergo a period of public consultation commencing later that week
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The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which asked Ministers to approve a list of practical strategic collaborations to support the Making the Connections agenda.
Cabinet met next on 5 June. The First Minister introduced the paper which asked Cabinet to approve the final text of his Annual Report prior to its publication on 12th July
.
Local Public Service Delivery
The Minister for Finance Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which asked Cabinet to note the contents of the near final draft of Sir Jeremy Beecham’s review and provide an initial steer on the development of the Assembly Government’s response. It was noted that the report was due to be published on 10th July.
Energy
The First Minister outlined the wider environmental context in which any proposition to develop a Severn barrage needed to be considered. Such a proposition would be taken forward on environmental grounds and should be seen as Wales’ potential contribution to carbon dioxide reduction by renewable energy production in mitigation of the likely effects of global warming. The Economy, Innovation and Netorks Minister introduced the paper which highlighted some of the environmental issues which would need to be addressed in any new study of a Severn barrage. The Environment, Planning and Countryside Minister underlined the need to take account of the current European Union environmental legislation.
Cabinet met again on 19 June. The First Minister informed Cabinet colleagues that Cathy Owens, one of the special advisers, would be leaving the Assembly Government at the end of the month to take up a post with Amnesty International. He wished her well in her new career.
Refugee Inclusion
The Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration introduced the paper which set out the Assembly Government’s vision for refugee inclusion in Wales. It outlined the key definitions, the policy and legislative context for the Strategy. It also set out the initiatives that the Assembly Government had introduced and highlighted the extent to which refugees were already integrated into Welsh society. Ministers welcomed the paper and agreed that officials should ensure that the consultation document highlighted the fact that some schools suffered from a high turnover of pupils because of the mobility of families of asylum seekers, migrant workers and travellers
.
Social Services
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced the paper which provided further advice on the development of a social services policy paper. The paper had been strengthened following consideration by Cabinet in April. The First Minister invited Ministers to provide further detailed comments in writing by 29th June.
Heads of the Valleys.
The Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks advised Cabinet that the Heads of the Valleys Strategy had been launched the previous week and he reminded colleagues that it was his intention to invite Ministers to relevant meetings of the Programme Board.
The next meeting of Cabinet was on 3 July. The First Minister advised Cabinet that officials were monitoring the Airbus situation.
Cabinet noted that the popular summary of the First Minister’s report had been published and Ministers requested a small supply for private offices.
Structural Funds
The First Minister introduced a paper which invited Cabinet to note the content of the consultation document for the West Wales and the Valleys Convergence programmes which would shortly go out to consultation. The document set out the strategy and priorities for the economic, social and environmental regeneration of West Wales and the Valleys over the period 2007-2013.
Minutes and papers of the meeting on 17 July are not available. This was the Agenda:
After the Summer Recess, Cabinet met again on 18 September, nine years to the day of the 1997 Referendum. Minutes and Papers are here. It was noted that the Health Minister’s quasi-judicial role in the process precluded Cabinet members from making statements on the progress of the reconfiguration plans.
Budget
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which set out the detailed allocations made within the Main Expenditure Group settlement as a result of the previous Cabinet discussion July.
Science
The First Minister introduced a paper which set out the draft Assembly Government’s strategic vision for science in Wales and the headline proposals for promoting science in a select number of fields.
Learning Country
The Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills introduced a paper which asked Cabinet to note the outcome of the recent consultation exercise and the proposals for the publication of The Learning Country 2 in October. The final version of the document would be circulated to Ministers for clearance in correspondence before the end of the month.
2011 Census.
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which sought Cabinet’s views on proposals for involving Ministers and Assembly Committees at key milestones during preparations for the 2011 Census
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Rural Development Plan.
The Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside introduced a paper which asked Cabinet to approve proposals for taking forward the work to finalise the detail of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Plan (RDP), prior to submission to the European Commission for approval. Cabinet approved the paper.
Cabinet met on 2 October. The First Minister welcomed Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer, to Cabinet and invited him to make his presentation. Dr Jewell focused on the need to improve public health and he drew attention to individuals’ and communities’ ill-health indicators and how these were associated with a range of social and economic indicator
s
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Safeguarding Children.
The Minister for Children introduced the paper which provided the Assembly Government’s draft response to the Report of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Children Review.
Cabinet met again on 16 October.
Veils in schools.
The First Minister advised Cabinet that he would be discussing the issue of wearing veils in schools at the Interfaith Forum on Wednesday 18th October; he hoped that the Forum would issue a joint position statement on the subject following the meeting.
Smoke Free Public Places
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced a paper which informed Cabinet of the progress being made to date to bring into force the ban on smoking in public places in Wales by 2nd April 2007
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Beecham.
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced the paper which set out the current draft of the Government’s response to the Beecham report.
Local Government Funding.
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced a paper which set out the key details of the provisional 2007-2008 local government settlement. It was noted that the settlement would be providing an additional £15 million capital funding in specific grants for road maintenance
.
Disability Equality
The Business Minister introduced a paper which asked Cabinet to note the Government’s draft Disability Equality Scheme and Departmental action plans, which were due to come into force on 4th December. Cabinet approved the paper and noted that the Government were also pressing ahead with a Gender Equality Scheme even though this was not currently a statutory requirement.
Cabinet met again on 6 November. This had what would become the Annual presentation from the four Chief Constables. The First Minister welcomed the Chief Constables to the Cabinet meeting and invited Richard Brunstrom to introduce their paper. He advised Ministers that the four Chief Constables had agreed a draft common vision for policing in Wales, the final version of which will be built into all of their statutory plans from April 2007. The emphasis was on contributing to the development of a healthy, strong, vibrant Wales. The four Chief Constables acknowledged the need to put the non-devolved nature of policing aside, and underlined the importance of working jointly with the Assembly Government and the wider range of local partnerships. The First Minister welcomed this and acknowledged that the Police should be at the heart of developing a new public service ethos in Wales. The Cabinet and Chief Constables recognised that the Police Service had a vital role to work with the Assembly Government and other public bodies to create a safe and secure country providing stability and encouraging further economic growth. The necessity for safer environments in schools, neighbourhoods and public transport systems was underlined. This would help attract people and business to Wales, which would in turn create a legacy for future prosperity.
Ministers and the Chief Constables discussed areas of common concern, which included: internet safety for children; general safety awareness; and problems associated with binge drinking. The Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills Minister reported that she had, that morning, launched the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre’s new virtual police presence. It was recognised that the Safety Education Centres had a significant role to play in improving the general public’s understanding of safety issues and would encourage safer behaviour. Ministers were asked to endorse these centres.
It was reported that where 20 mile per hour zones had been established, they had been successful in massively reducing personal injuries and it was agreed that more should be encouraged.
The effect of the extended licensing hours on anti-social behaviour was discussed and the Police indicated that they had been working with breweries and landlords to exercise control. It was noted that the South Wales Police Force were now sharing experiences with Police Departments in the United States. However, both Ministers and the Police expressed concerns that there was an underlying problem with changes in the style of drinking which was likely to have an effect on the general health of parts of the population later in life. Ministers were interested to hear of the improvements made in managing the late night economy in Cardiff and other city centres every weekend. They were also advised of the reduction in Accident and Emergency admissions for ‘glassing’ incidents following the use of plastic glasses in clubs and pubs in Swansea. The First Minister thanked the Chief Constables for attending and it was suggested that they should attend future meetings of Cabinet, perhaps annually.
Cabinet discussed the forward schedule of business and questioned the acceptability of the opposition tabling motions ‘instructing’ the Assembly Government. The Permanent Secretary advised Ministers that he had again written to the Clerk about this.
The Minister for Health and Social Services introduced the paper which informed Cabinet of the progress made to date in reducing waiting times in the NHS in Wales in line with the targets within Designed for Life. The paper set out the progress against the profiles for the reduction in waiting times for inpatient/day-cases and outpatients. Statistics for both outpatients and inpatients indicated steady progress below the profile target, although there had been a slight levelling off in progress against the inpatients targets for the month of September. Officials indicated that they were closely monitoring the situation
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The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced officials from PSMW and the supporting paper which set out the organisation’s work since inception in 2004. A number of public organisations throughout Wales were members of the organisation, it was noted that the voluntary sector were also eligible to attend events. Cabinet recognised that the work of PSMW was a core component in the delivery of the Beecham agenda and could provide the public workforce with the skills to be flexible enough to contribute to the achievement of Wales being recognised as a small clever country.It was recognised that more should be done to engage with women and black and minority ethnic (BME) groups.
Cabinetn met on 20 November.
Beecham
Cabinet discussed the forward schedule of plenary business and noted that that the Government’s response to the Beecham report was scheduled for the following day. The Finance Minister indicated that all Ministers would get an advance copy of the report that evening. She reminded Cabinet colleagues that they should identify examples of significant actions Departments have undertaken or are planning to take to coincide with the response.
Ryder Cup/Olympics/Paralympics
The Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks introduced a paper which advised Cabinet that the support mechanisms within the Assembly Government and partner organisations had been widened and reinforced to maximise the benefits to Wales of the Ryder Cup in 2010 and the London Games in 2012. Cabinet welcomed the paper and noted that Steering groups had been proposed for both events to secure sustainable economic, sporting, cultural and social legacies to Wales. The First Minister would chair the Ryder Cup group and the Director of DEIN would chair the London Games group. Cabinet agreed that officials should deliver a better gender balance on the London steering group and that they should continue to work with colleagues in SEDU to ensure that equality and diversity issues are taken into account when planning related events. There was a need to ensure that the involvement of the voluntary sector should be further explored. Ministers considered the wider opportunities for Wales and were advised that the Cultural Olympics, which would not be restricted to the designated cities, would begin after the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The recent reports of the increasing construction costs associated with the Olympics infrastructure in London was noted and it was hoped that this would not impact upon the good causes supported by the Lottery in Wales. Ministers also discussed branding and suggested linking the promotion of Health Challenge Wales and Climbing Higher to the events.
Structural Funds
The First Minister introduced the paper which asked Cabinet to note the outcomes of the public consultation on how resources might be allocated to support the Convergence programmes in West Wales and the Valleys. Ministers were also asked to agree the financial allocations and intervention rates as a basis for negotiations with the European Commission. It was noted that the emphasis would be on raising skill levels and taking forward the Assembly Government’s strategic priorities. Large scale transport infrastructure projects would not be easy to fit into the Convergence Programme. Officials indicated that it was a priority to submit the proposed financial allocations to the Commission as soon as possible next month, to maximise the prospects of Commissions approval of the programmes early next year.
East Wales
Cabinet considered the paper which set out the draft operational programmes for the East Wales Regional Competitiveness and Employment Structural Fund programmes and the broad financial allocations by priority for the ERDF and ESF programmes. Officials indicated that the aim was to have the final text of the consultation documents available by 1st December. The Consultation period would be for 8 weeks due to the time constraints imposed by the publication of the Community Strategic Guidelines on 6th October. It was noted that WEFO were planning three stakeholder consultation events to engage with as many people and organisations as possible, including the voluntary sector. As part of the consultation exercise officials would also be available to attend any other meetings arranged by external stakeholders
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Cabinet met for the final time in 2006 on 4 December. The First Minister indicated that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be making his pre-budget report on Wednesday; the day after the Assembly Government would be laying its final budget. Cabinet discussed the recent independent reports commissioned by the UK Government, including Lord Leitch’s review of Skills, the Eddington review of infrastructure and transport needs and the Barker review of planning arrangements.
Budget
The Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services introduced the paper which set out the final budget which was due to be laid before the Assembly the following day. The Minister indicated that a number of extra financial allocations had been made to programmes following discussions with opposition parties. As a result the proposed level of the reserve had been reduced by £14.4 million. Cabinet discussed the funding of Tir Mynydd and it was noted that some opposition members were opposing the 2007-08 budget because they wanted additional payments made to farmers this financial year. Ministers were advised that the First Minister and Finance Minister were to have a further meeting with opposition party leaders later that evening.
Climate Change
The First Minister introduced the paper which set out the main issues and options for Assembly Government action on mitigation to address climate change. It was noted that there was a need to carefully manage the social impact of pursuing a green agenda and also to balance the economic development of Wales with the need to move towards a low carbon economy. Cabinet recognised that Wales’ heavy industry and the new power stations under construction, to serve the UK, could increase Wales’ carbon dioxide emissions.
Welsh Language Scheme
The Minister for Culture Welsh Language and Sport introduced the paper which asked Cabinet to agree the current draft of the Welsh Language Scheme. It was noted that further amendments would be made following final comments from internal stakeholders.
The Raise Programme
The Minister for Education Lifelong Learning and Skills introduced the paper which provided the update on the Raise programme and asked Cabinet to note her intention to explore a long term strategy for tackling the link between underperformance and socio-economic disadvantage in Wales.