Spring 2019 Wales’ best policy and politics magazine Bread and butter actions to solve poverty Mark Drakeford AM Listening to people Suzy Davies AM 2nd home tax loophole Siân Gwenllian AM ISSN 2059-8416 Print ISSN 2398-2063 Online CONTENTS: SPRING 2019 Wales’ best policy and politics magazine 50.open.ac.uk A unique space in the heart of Cardiff for everything connected with your wellbeing. 50 MLYNEDD O 50 YEARS OF Created by Gofal, the charity thinking differently about YSBRYDOLIAETH INSPIRATION mental health. Wedi’i seilio ar ei chred gadarn sef y dylai addysg fod yn Dedicated Workplace Wellbeing Programmes agored i bawb, mae’r Brifysgol Agored wedi treulio’r hanner A team of professional counsellors with a range of approaches canrif ddiwethaf yn helpu dysgwyr ledled Cymru a’r byd i droi’r Employee Assistant Programmes offering quality support amhosibl yn bosibl. Yn ystod carreg filltir ein pen-blwydd yn 50 oed, rydym yn creu rhaglen o ddigwyddiadau a gweithgareddau cyrous a fydd yn All profits will be reinvested into Gofal - amlygu’r myfyrwyr, sta, partneriaid a theulu’r Brifysgol sustainable wellbeing for all Agored sydd wedi gwneud ein sefydliad yr hyn ydyw heddiw. Mark Drakeford AM Alicja Zalesinska Alun Michael Company Number: 2546880 2 Solving poverty in Wales 10 Housing is a human right 18 The challenge of austerity Registered in England and Wales Registered Charity Number: 1000889 Founded on the firm belief that education should be open to to policing all, The Open University has spent the past fifty years helping learners from all over Wales and the world to make the impossible possible. During our landmark 50th birthday, we’re building an exciting 2 Politics: Mark Drakeford AM 14 Universal Credit: 24 Book Review: Wayne David MP 02920 440 191 [email protected] programme of events and activities that will showcase the students, sta, partners and the OU family who have made our Solving poverty in Wales: bread Rebecca Woolley 26 Thought Leader: www.breathespaces.com institution what it is today. and butter actions to put pounds Making Universal Credit work Deborah Hargreaves in pockets for everyone The feminine organisation 4 Politics: Debbie Green, Chris 16 Diversity: Suzy Davies AM 27 Project update: Llewellyn, Susan Lloyd-Selby, Listening to people who aren’t Solving holiday hunger Nisreen Mansour like me TIME FOR Hopes and expectations of the new 28 Bevan Foundation News BETTER PAY Qualifications in Wales 17 Second homes: First Minister’s government Siân Gwenllian AM 30 Subscriber News are changing 6 Economy: Luca Calafati Second home tax loophole minimum wage 31 Spotlight: Rick Greville £10 per hour qualificationswales.org and Joe Earle must close Well-being and the Welsh economy Director, The Association of the MINIMUM @quals_wales 18 Policing: Alun Michael British Pharmaceutical Industry 16 HOUR CONTRACTS 8 Social care: Rhian Davies The challenge of austerity Wales Cymru & Derek Walker for policing RIGHT TO CONTRACT Co-operatives for care 32 Last word: Victoria Winckler ‘NORMAL HOURS’ 20 Q&A: Kathryn Bishop, Chair of Brexit, shopping lists and 10 Housing: Alicja Zalesinska the Welsh Revenue Authority undercurrents NO TO ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS Housing is a human right New ways for new devolved taxes Please sign the petition and share it 11 Housing: Karen Grunhut 22 Empowering people: End rough sleeping Ansley Workman with friends, family and colleagues. Seeing differently 12 Education: Sally Power, www.usdaw.org.uk/T4BP Chris Taylor & Nigel Newton 23 Immigration: Lucy Stone Bevan Foundation Will curriculum reform leave behind Reframing the narrative around Cymwysterau yng 145a High Street, To join Usdaw visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/join disadvantaged learners? migration Nghymru yn newid Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8DP or call 0800 030 80 30 Tel. 01685 350 938 n General Secretary: Paddy Lillis n President: Amy Murphy cymwysteraucymru.org n Divisional Officer: Nick Ireland @cymwysterau_cym [email protected] n Divisional Office: Cardiff Gate Business Park, Unit 10, The views in articles, advertisements and news items in Exchange are those of the contributors www.bevanfoundation.org Oak Tree Court, Mulberry Drive, Pontprennau CF23 8RS and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by Bevan Foundation Trustees, staff or other subscribers. All articles are copyright Bevan Foundation. bevanfoundation Spring 2019 | Bevan Foundation Exchange | 1 POLITICS: MARK DRAKEFORD AM Solving poverty in Wales: bread and butter actions to put pounds in pockets Mark Drakeford AM, new First Minister of Wales, sets out his plans to solve poverty. ver since the onset of determined to provide Wales with a devolution, the challenge of flow of funds which match our needs. National Assembly at the start of we have found new money, from responding to poverty has For families and individuals that There are vitally October, we again boosted the our declining budget, to create the Ebeen at the forefront of means a reversal in the policies important actions funding of the successor to the only national network in the United What affects political debate. In my view, that which really are to blame for Social Fund in Wales – a fund which Kingdom of schools open during the any one of us, debate has often been unhelpfully household poverty – the bedroom which a Welsh puts money directly into the pockets long summer holidays, to make sure framed. It has failed to distinguish tax, the freeze on benefits, the attack Government can take of the poorest households in the that children go on having food to affects us all. between those policy levers which on child benefit, the botched land. In the same month, the eat. These are examples of the bread lie in the hands of the National introduction of Universal Credit and to tackle poverty in Guardian reported that the parallel and butter actions upon which I Assembly, and those which remain so on. For public services, it means the here and now. system in England, ‘set up less than want us to concentrate. The extra socialism, determined in its pursuit at Westminster. It has, at times, led funding which does not pitch one five years ago to provide emergency investment in the youth service of equality to resist the ‘sink or swim’ to a focus on actions which are only vital service against another, but help to England’s poorest families is announced in the draft Budget, the society which, here in Wales, holds weakly within devolved control, and which provides the investment on the verge of collapse’. In the draft more than doubling of the money no attraction, even among those an insufficient recognition of those which is needed to repair the Looked at in this way, I believe that budget, the Labour Government in provided for the new and extended lucky enough to be swimming. practical measures which have been damage caused by the longest the record of successive Labour Wales decided to find £244 million school uniform grant, the guarantee I firmly believe it is the responsibility taken by successive Welsh Labour and deepest period of austerity Governments in Wales deserves again next year to retain Council Tax that money for the extra children of government at all levels to take administrations. in our history. more credit that is often provided. Benefit. Compared to what has who will now be entitled to free on, rather than exacerbate, the For some, especially those who Of course, that does not mean During the autumn’s leadership happened to poorest households in school meals in Wales will be paid inequalities which so many face believe that the future of Wales is that there are vitally important campaign I was contacted by a England, this is a cash-equivalent of for by the Welsh Government, not at birth, reversing them wherever best served by concentrating on actions which a Welsh Government family whose daughter has moved over £190. Given our record, the by schools themselves, the major possible through risk-sharing and bringing about the breakup of the cannot take to tackle poverty in the to live in Bristol. She had just devolution of the administration of rise in money available for our redistribution. For those who need United Kingdom, the answer is to here and now. Our actions have attended her new GP. Later that day the benefit system has to merit school holiday Food and Fun the help of a Welsh Labour devolve further powers in this field long been focused on what Barbara she contacted her parents to ask serious consideration. programme. That is a powerful start Government the most, it means to the Assembly. I have always been Castle would have called the ‘social which one of the three prescriptions These are just a small number in a single budget, especially in an taking those actions which liberate a committed devolutionist, usually wage’ – the services which her GP provided she should take to of a concerted, deliberate policy age of austerity. money in their pockets and which campaigning for the Labour Party government can provide, the chemist. Each of those approaches taken here in Wales. All of these individual actions are strengthen the bonds of a society to go further and faster in placing collectively, on behalf of us all, and prescriptions cost £8.80, so all three The list could be extended by citing rooted in a wider and unifying built on the fundamental principle decisions which affect only Wales in which, otherwise would have to be would require £26.40. examples from the very first approach to the purpose of that what affects any one of us, the hands of the Welsh people. But, paid for from household budgets. There are many, many families in Assembly term – abolishing entry Government here in Wales.