2233-IWA-Agenda3-06a-wJW 18/12/06 5:49 pm Page 1 Editors Rhys David Geraint Talfan Davies John Osmond Administration Helen Sims-Coomber and Clare Johnson winter 2007 Design WOOD&WOOD Design Consultants. wood2.com To advertise Telephone 029 2066 6606 make Welsh science a real priority Institute of Welsh Affairs 1 – 3 Museum Place First Minister Rhodri Morgan has announced three priorities if he is successful in maintaining his Cardiff CF10 3BD government following next May’s election. These would be the eradication of child poverty, climate change, and developing a Welsh science and technology policy. Expressed in these general terms, Telephone 029 2066 6606 few would question them as worthy aims. E-mail [email protected] Web www.iwa.org.uk However, tackling them will largely depend on actions by government at the UK level. Reducing child poverty will largely depend on tax and benefit decisions made by the UK Treasury. The challenge of The IWA is a non-aligned independent think-tank and climate change extends far beyond the frontiers of the UK, and even Europe. All we can try and do at research institute, based in both UK and Welsh levels is to persuade India, China and other non-signatories to sign up to Cardiff with branches in north international agreements to reduce C02 emissions by setting a strong sustainable development and west Wales, Gwent, example ourselves.A Welsh science and technology policy might be thought rather closer to home. But Swansea Bay and London. here, too, we are dependent to a great extent on decisions made by the UK science funding councils. Members (annual subscription £35) receive agenda three times a Nevertheless, it is something that the Welsh Government could do a great deal about. A problem is a year, can purchase reports at lack of consensus by Welsh policymakers on what a science and technology policy should comprise. half price, and receive invites to IWA events. In September 2006 the Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Committee in the National Assembly, chaired by Labour AM Christine Gwyther, published what was widely agreed to be a thoughtful, well balanced and forward branches looking report on a science policy for Wales, with 18 clear recommendations. These included: (i) Appointing a full-time Chief Scientist in charge of an Office of Science and Technology, following a lead set by the Scottish North Wales Secretariat c/o Andrew Parry Executive; (ii) Establishing an industry-led Science and Technology Advisory Ccouncil which should report North East Wales Institute (NEWI) regularly on our strengths and weakenesses in research and technology; (iii) Providing increased funding to Plas Goch Mold Wrexham LL11 2AW develop research infrastructure and increase the volume of world class science in Wales; and (iv) Creating a Telephone 01792 354243 new science fund to be accessible by industry and academic researchers working in partnership. Gwent Secretariat c/o Geoff Edge University of Wales Newport However, the Assembly Government’s response to the Committee’s report rejected just about all of the Caerleon Campus P O Box 179 Newport NP18 3YG recommendations that would require serious action, and accepted only those recommendations that Telephone 01633 432005 would cost nothing or which they could claim they were already doing.A few weeks later, in November, the Assembly Government published its own strategy, A Science Policy for Wales, which was more West Wales Secretariat c/o Margaret Davies positive in tone. Yet as Peter Cotgreave, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, Principal’s Office comments in his article on page 45, this is still “much less bold than the Assembly Committee’s vision”. Trinity College Carmarthen SA31 3EP Telephone 01267 237971 We hope that if Rhodri Morgan has the opportunity, he will revisit the Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Committee’s report during the Assembly’s third term. The key recommendation is for Swansea Bay Secretariat c/o Beti Williams more, and more sustained funding by the Welsh Higher Education Funding Council for scientific Department of Computer Science research, partly to equip Welsh scientists to make successful bids to the UK funding councils. For, University of Wales Swansea Swansea SA2 8PP as professor Sir John Cadogan, former Head of the UK Science Research Councils, wrote in the 1 Telephone 01792 295625 Spring 2006 Agenda and as Peter Cotgreave reiterates in this issue, Wales is seriously underfunded in science compared with Scotland and England. For example, at present Welsh science departments Wales in London c/o Robert Ll. John get £60 million a year for research from the Welsh Higher Education Funding Council. At the IWA’s First Base science conference in Cardiff in November Sir Roger Williams, the Chairman of the Council, said that 22 Ganton Street London W1F 7BY figure should be £75 million, declaring: “Whatever else we do in Wales, unless the scientific base is Telephone 020 7851 5521 stronger than it has been historically, I can’t see what kind of future the country has got.” 2233-IWA-Agenda3-06a-wJW 18/12/06 5:49 pm Page 2 winter 2007 opinion 19 spending squeeze eurfyl ap gwilym 4 progessive forecasts how UK budget universalism decisions will impact on mark drakeford the Welsh block. outlines six principles of social justice which 22 roller coaster underpin the Assembly david williams reflects Government’s policy on his highs and lows in approach. following the National Assembly’s first six years. 8 news 25 gender budgeting jackie jones describes a politics new initiative in policy making. 10 will labour win again? richard wyn jones environment and roger scully read the runes for the 27 newport wetlands Y tim stowe underlines forthcoming National R O the economic impact Assembly election. T S R of one of Wales’s E V newest nature 13 time to deliver O C an introduction to the reserves. IWA’s new publication environment special examining policy options 43 son of objective 1 for Wales during the 30 i) green delivery economy roisin willmott examines Assembly’s third term. peter davies outlines 36 welsh investment the new European the Sustainable 16 holding the reins vehicle Convergence Programme Development madoc batcup outlines david lambert and being taken forward for Commission’s an innovative scheme marie navarro ask west Wales and the valleys. recommendations for funding long term whether the Assembly to the Assembly infrastructure is ready to take on Government. development in Wales. science legislative powers. 32 ii) magic city 45 get serious haf roberts visits about science one of the most peter cotgreave says the unsustainable places Assembly Government on the planet. should plug the Welsh science funding gap. 2 34 iii) wicked issue paul williams examines 39 sporting spin out the problems of rhys david assesses embedding sustainable the impact of the Ryder development into the Cup and the Olympics policy process. on Wales. winter 2007 2233-IWA-Agenda3-06a-wJW 18/12/06 5:49 pm Page 3 newsflash Cover Picture: The wigeon common duck in flight above Newport Wetlands. See article on page 27 coming up… about the impact of Newport’s Wetlands on wildlife and • Time to Deliver regenerating the area. Usually a West Wales Branch seminar. winter visitor, the wigeon is a bird Tuesday 16 January, 7.00pm of the open wetlands where it Trinity College, Carmarthen. feeds by dabbling for plant food. IWA Chair Geraint Talfan Davies Photo: David Kjaer presents the findings from this project that examined Assembly Government policy options for the next four years. Entry free. Eyeball of the Soap making in • Cardiff Lunch: A Lifetime in Opera dragon: a close-up Morrocco, page 60. of BBC Wales’s with guest speaker John Fisher, Dragons Eye, Director, Welsh National Opera. page 22. Thistle Hotel, 12noon Wednesday 24 January. £27.50 IWA members, £30 for non members. • National Libraries and Archives of the Future Friday 26 January 2007 Y Drwm, National Library, Aberystwyth, 6.30pm. Lecture with Andrew Green, Librarian, National Library of Wales, in the IWA series on Myths, social policy Memories and Futures. Followed by wine reception. 55 incredible years Entry free but contact IWA for ticket. judy hutchings explains See www.iwa.org.uk for details. how north Wales has • Sport and Music: Armed for Life led the UK in ensuring with guest speaker, Tony Lewis. the effectiveness of the Gwent Branch Dinner 7.00pm Sure Start children’s University of Wales, Newport, programme. 67 building for people Caerleon. £27.50 derek jones argues that (£30 for non members). 57 making homes a sense of place • Celebrating Entrepreneurial Welsh affordable depends on public good Women. North Wales Branch seminar peter johnson taking precedence over and lunch. Thursday 8 March, looks at the task facing private indulgence. the Homelessness Deganwy Quay Hotel. With Commission currently 69 who do we Dr Olwen Williams, consultant in taking evidence at think we are? sexual health, chaired by Sian Pari-Huws. hearings around Wales. jonathan scourfield £25 IWA members asks what being ‘Welsh’ (£27.50 non members). culture and means when you’re 10 years old. communications 49 weave of innovation 72 last word just published… neville greaves describes 60 soap makers Peter Stead interdisciplinary liz hobbs and steve • Time to Deliver: research collaboration croke give an account The Third Term and Beyond under way between of their travels in search IWA, £30 Bangor and of the elixir of Aberystwyth. cleanliness. • Roaring Dragons: 3 Entrepreneurial Tales from Wales 53 case for chemistry 63 addressing Edited by Rhys David david knight argues that identity £15 investment in sciences iwan bala explores the should be an economic symbolic language of development priority. public art in Wales.