the welsh + David Pountney Giving a Welsh voice to world stories Elen ap Robert Outside the box in Bangor Andrew Davies Tackling Sir Humphreys in the civil service Eluned Morgan Wales in the Lords Dafydd Wigley Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas Kevin Morgan Making the most of our purchasing power Michael Jones Continued growth in Welsh- medium primary schools Steve Dubé Huw Edwards Turbine blight in the hills Trevor Fishlock Filling the Dylan Thomas vacuum Living with Rhian Davies Mother of the more famous Ivor Peter Stead our history The man who came to Neath www.iwa.org.uk | Spring 2012 | No. 46 | £8.99 The Institute of Welsh Affairs gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Waterloo Foundation. The following organisations are corporate members: Public Sector • Swansea University • Rondo Media • Aberystwyth University • The Electoral Commission • RWE NPower Renewables • ACAS Wales • University of Glamorgan • S A Brain & Co • Bangor University • Wales Audit Office • Serco Ltd • BBC Cymru Wales • Waste & Resources Action Programme • Snowdonia Active • Bridgend College (WRAP) Cymru • The CAD Centre (UK) Ltd • British Waterways • The Co-Operative Cymru/Wales • Cardiff Council • Venture Wales • Cardiff Metropolitan Private Sector • Wales and West Utilities University Business School • ABACA Limited • Cardiff University • Arden Kitt Associates Ltd • Cardiff University (CAIRD) • Association of Chartered Certified Voluntary Sector • Cardiff University Library Accountants (ACCA) • Aberdare & District Chamber • Children’s Commission for Wales • Beaufort Research Ltd of Trade & Commerce • City & County of Swansea • BT • All Wales Ethnic Minority Association • Coleg Menai • Call of the Wild (AWEMA) • ColegauCymru • Capita Symonds • Business in the Community • Consumer Focus Wales • Capper & Co Ltd • Cartrefi Cymru • Countryside Council for Wales • Castell Howell Foods • CIPFA Wales Cymru • Environment Agency Wales • CBI Wales • Community - the union for life • Forestry Commission Wales • CEVA Freight (UK) Ltd • Cynon Taf Community Housing Group • Gower College Swansea • Constructing Excellence Wales • Disability Wales • Harvard College Library • Darwin Gray • EVAD Trust • Higher Education Wales • Devine Personalised Gifts • Federation of Small Businesses Wales • Institute Of Life Sciences, Swansea • Dwr Cymru / Welsh Water • Friends of the Earth Cymru • Law Commission for England and Wales • Elan Valley Trust • Inst of Chartered Accountants • Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru • Eversheds LLP in England and Wales • Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service • FBA Ltd • Job Force Wales (GVCE Ltd) • Milford Haven Port Authority • Iaith Cyf • Law Society • National Assembly for Wales • Institute of Directors • Royal College of Nursing Wales • National Assembly • Julian Hodge Bank • Sustrans Cymru for Wales Library • KIGG Ltd • The Learned Society of Wales • National Museum Wales • L T Insurance Services Ltd • The National Trust Wales • National Theatre Wales • Lan Secure - IT • University of Wales, Newport • North Wales Fire Service • LBS Builders Merchants Ltd • Urdd Gobaith Cymru • Northern Ireland Assembly Library • Morgan Cole • Wales Co-operative Centre • Pembrokeshire Coast National • Morgan LaRoche • Wales Millennium Centre Park Authority • OCR Cymru • Wales TUC • Powys County Council • Parker Plant Hire Ltd • Waterloo Foundation • Public Services Ombudsman for Wales • PricewaterhouseCoopers • WCVA • S4C • Principality Building Society • Welsh Focus • SSE • Pullman Rail Ltd • Wildlife Trusts Wales • Swansea Metropolitan University • Rmg Clarity • WWF Cymru For information on IWA events and publications please visit our website at www.iwa.org.uk or call 029 2066 0820. the welsh A Welsh brand to die for Editor: John Osmond Economy Minister Edwina Hart told mark against every Economic Development Associate Editors: the Assembly’s Enterprise and Business Minister over the last eight years. Geraint Talfan Davies Rhys David Committee in March that she needs “a brand Edwina Hart’s announcement in March that’s identifiable in Wales in terms which of a science policy that includes a £50 million Administration: Helen Sims-Coomber takes in the economy, inward investment, fund to attract the best scientists to Wales, tourism, all of that, that takes in everything.” and another £100 million to kick start a drive Design: [email protected] She said she had a team of experts examining to build critical mass in the life sciences field how the government is projecting its message are welcome initiatives. But we still face To advertise, tel: 029 2066 0820 to potential inward investors and visitors from formidable hurdles if we are to lift ourselves Institute of Welsh Affairs overseas. Mrs Hart is whistling in the wind. from the bottom end of economic league 4 Cathedral Road An all-encompassing Wales brand has been tables, something we have so far failed to Cardiff CF11 9LJ a holy grail for decades past. It will be no less do despite billions of euros being pumped Tel: 029 2066 0820 elusive today. into West Wales and the Valleys. In terms of Email: [email protected] www.iwa.org.uk Wales has a number of powerful brands. inward investment we have plummeted from To start with Y Ddraig Goch is a pretty the top to the bottom of the UK table. At the The IWA is a non-aligned independent potent national emblem that does not lack same time the Welsh Government’s capital think-tank and research institute. distinctiveness. In this year of the Grand Slam, funding has been cut in half. Members (annual subscription £40) receive agenda three times a year, Welsh rugby continues to be our leading The WDA’s most successful chairman can purchase reports at a 25 per cent component of international recognition. Wales Lord Rowe-Beddoe, in his address to the reduction, and receive discounts when is also strongly associated with performers like IWA’s National Economy conference in attending IWA events. Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Tom Jones, March, judged that it would be asking too Branches Shirley Bassey and Sir Anthony Hopkins, and much of the Welsh Government to swallow cultural institutions like Welsh National Opera. its pride and recreate the organisation. That North Wales Secretariat c/o Huw Lewis They are powerful projections of Wales, but is, no doubt, a savvy political call, but there 6 Maes yr Haul, Mold, they are not a brand. are two related areas in which the Welsh Flintshire CH7 1NS When Edwina Hart bemoaned the Government needs some arm’s length Tel: 01352 758311 absence of a brand she was thinking of capacity if it is to move forward. First, a Gwent Secretariat the economy. Countries that have been capacity to sell Wales hard each and every c/o Chris O’Malley able to project a strong image around the day, a task for which politicians and civil University of Wales, Newport, Caerleon Campus world have generally done so in terms of servants cannot possibly have the necessary PO Box 179, Newport NP18 3YG indigenous business success associated time. Second, to raise private finance Tel: 01633 432005 with distinctive products. Guinness is in ways that will not fall on to the Welsh West Wales Secretariat inextricably associated with Ireland, whisky Government’s balance sheet and, under the c/o Margaret Davies with Scotland, Nokia with Finland, Ikea with Treasury’s over-strict rules, incur a penalty on Principal’s Office, Sweden and so on. our Barnett formula funding. Trinity University College, Carmarthen SA31 3EP Wales has developed some useful There are two potentially useful Tel: 01267 237971 brands over recent years, especially in the brands, that could give shape to such a Swansea Bay Secretariat food sector, with products such as Tyˆ Nant new capacity, currently lying in drawers. c/o Beti Williams mineral water, Rachel’s Dairy, Halen Môn The WDA brand still rests with the Welsh Department of Computer Science, or Penderyn whiskey. However, these are Government and, in visual terms, could be Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP highly niche and unlikely to achieve the global revived without necessarily resurrecting the Tel: 01792 295625 identification that Edwina Hart is looking agency in its previous form. The other – the for. In the absence of such individual brand Bank of Wales - lies in a drawer at Lloyds Cardiff and Valleys Secretariat c/o Emma Bremman ambassadors for Wales, the one brand that TSB, a bank that is in public ownership. In 4 Cathedral Road, established some international recognition its day, pre-devolution, the Bank of Wales Cardiff CF11 9LJ was that of the Welsh Development Agency - had little exposure outside Wales, but it is Tel: 029 2066 0820 a brand carelessly cast aside when the WDA a title that has an authoritative ring that IWA Women was hauled unceremoniously into the civil could be built into something powerful in c/o Kirsty Davies service in 2004. Baby and bathwater spring to the new context. Whatever the solution [email protected] mind. It was a brand to die for (certainly, many the Welsh Government needs to move Tel: 07900 692898 English regions would), and the failure to quickly if it is to lift the curse of our current, Wales in London remedy that act of vandalism has been a black culpable invisibility. c/o Robert John First Base, 22 Ganton Street, London W1F 7BY Tel: 020 7851 5521 the welsh agenda spring 2012—issue 46 | 1 Contents Agenda 46 Spring 2012 1 2 Cover: Huw Edwards, presenter of the Politics Economy 40. On target for seven- BBC’s Story of Wales, contemplates the 1536 Act of Union (more accurately year-old Welsh ‘Incorporation’), that was exhibited by 16. Tackling Wales’ Sir 30. A few pearls amidst speakers reaching the National Museum in St Fagans last year. “This is the most important Humphreys much wishful thinking 25% by 2015 document in the entire history of Wales,” he says. Andrew Davies calls for Rhys David examines Michael Jones reports on radical reform of the way the the work of the Welsh progress with implementing Welsh civil service operates Government’s economic the Welsh medium sector panels education strategy LORDS SPECIAL PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 20.