Cross Party Group on the UK Changing Union Annual Report And
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Cross Party Group on the UK Changing Union Annual Report and Financial Statement July 2014 Foreword: David Melding AM (Chair) The Cross Party Group on the UK Changing Union aims to facilitate debates in the National Assembly on the different territorial devolution debates taking place in the United Kingdom, and their impact upon Wales. During the year the group looked at the impact of the Scottish referendum on Wales, what is happening in Scotland with the independence referendum, constitutional conventions, and fiscal and welfare devolution in the UK. As Chair of the Cross Party Group I am grateful to all the Assembly Members who have supported our work. We have also benefited from the expertise of several guest speakers who have given their time most generously. David Melding AM July 2014 Cross Party Group on the UK Changing Union The group meets to facilitate debate on the changing nature of the UK constitution and its impact upon Wales. Membership and Secretariat The membership and secretariat as of July 2014, are as follows: Members - David Melding AM (Chair) - Mike Hedges AM - Simon Thomas AM - Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM - Professor Richard Wyn Jones (Director, Wales Governance Centre) Secretary - Lleu Williams- UK’s Changing Union project Meetings held in the last 12 months A total of five meetings were held between June 2013 and June 2014. 2 October 2013 Subject: What’s happening in Scotland AMs: David Melding AM, Mike Hedges AM, Kirsty Williams AM, Janet Finch Saunders AM, Alun Ffred Jones AM Guest speaker: Lord Jeremy Purvis of Tweed Support: Lleu Williams and Prof Richard Wyn Jones External attendees: Lia Murphy (Public Affairs Cymru), Phil Parry, Matthew Francis (Ein Dyfodol), Adam Evans (Ein Dyfodol), Rebecca Rumbul (Wales Governance Centre), Ed Poole, Josh Miles (FSB), Owain Llyr ap Gareth (Electoral Reform Society), Sian Richards (Welsh Government), Owain Roberts (National Assembly for Wales), Ed Wilson (Office of Kirsty Williams), Mark Hinge (Bay Public Affairs), Will Griffiths (Office of Welsh Liberal Democrats) Alex McMillan (RNIB), Hugh Rawlings (Welsh Government), Carys Evans (Welsh Government), Sara Jones (National Assembly), James Williams (BBC) 5 February 2014 Subject: Constitutional conventions AMs: David Melding AM, Mike Hedges AM Guest speaker: Professor David Farrell Support: Lleu Williams and Prof Richard Wyn Jones External attendees: Adam Evans (Our Future project member), Dr Rebecca Rumbul (Wales Governance Centre), Ed Poole (London School of Economics), Prof Roger Scully (Wales Governance Centre), Steve Brooks and Owain Llyr (both Electoral Reform Society), Will Griffiths (Welsh Liberal Democrats AMSS), Elisabeth Laird (Welsh Government), Osian Lewis (Plaid Cymru AMSS), Graham Henry (Western Mail), Mark Hinge (Bay Public Affairs), Matt Francis (Chair, Our Future project), Bethan Roberts (Welsh Government), Dafydd Cadog, Syd Morgan, Rachel Doe (Welsh Government), Angharad Richards (Welsh Government), Howard Potter, Jess Blair (IWA), Lee Waters (IWA), Anna Nicholl (Cymru Yfory), Peter Badcock, Owain Phillips (ITV), Alan Trench 14 May 2014 Subject: Prospects and implications of the Scottish referendum AMs: David Melding AM, Mick Antoniw AM, Antoinette Sandbach AM Guest speaker: Dr Nicola McEwen Support: Lleu Williams and Prof Richard Wyn Jones External attendees: James Dunn (Welsh Conservative Assembly Member Support Staff), Dr Rebecca Rumbul (Wales Governance Centre), Adam Evans (Cardiff University), Ed Poole (LSE), Tomos Davies (Office of David Melding AM), Hugh Rawlings (Welsh Government), Anna Nicholl (Egino), Pete Badcock, Annabelle Harle, Catrin Jones (ITV), Owain Phillips (ITV), Peter Edwards, Graham Henry (Western Mail), Aled Eurig, Prof. Roger Scully (Wales Governance Centre) 11 June 2014 Subject: Fiscal and welfare devolution AMs: David Melding AM, Mike Hedges AM, Simon Thomas AM Guest speaker: Professor Alan Trench Support: Prof Richard Wyn Jones External attendees: Robin Lewis (Office of Christine Chapman AM), Tomos Davies (Office of David Melding AM), Sian Donne (Welsh Liberal Democrats Group Staff), Gareth Clubb (Friends of the Earth), Tim Ruscoe (Barnardos), Hugh Rawlings (Welsh Government), Carys Evans (Welsh Government), Angharad Richards (Welsh Government), Rachel Bowen (FSB), Annabelle Harle (Office of Mark Drakeford AM), Emma Gammon (Welsh Government), Alex McMillian (RNIB), Richard Bettley (National Assembly for Wales Research Service), Sian Richards (National Assembly for Wales), Ed Poole (London School of Economics/Visitor at Wales Governance Centre), Aaron Hill (Community Housing Cymru), Kay Powell (Law Society), David Hughes (European Commission), Gareth Morgan (Welsh Government), Luke Nicholas (Plaid Cymru Group), Aime Jordan (Welsh Liberal Democrats Group), Bethan Roberts (Welsh Government) 16 July 2014 Subject: Impact of Scottish referendum on Wales AMs: David Melding AM, Mike Hedges AM, Julie Morgan AM Guest speakers: Lee Waters, Adam Price, Valerie Livingston Support: Lleu Williams External attendees: Richard Bettley (National Assembly for Wales), Craig Lawton (Office of Suzy Davies AM), Steven Morris (the Guardian), Brenig Davies, Mark Hinge (The Bay Public Affairs), Carys Evans (Welsh Government), Hugh Rawlings (Welsh Government), Peter Edwards, Dafydd Cadog, Nick Wall (Office of Mick Antoniw AM), Tomos Davies (Office of David Melding AM), Adam Jones, Syd Morgan, Rachel Cable (Higher Education Wales), Rhys Clayton, Gareth Price (National Assembly for Wales), Anna Daniel (National Assembly for Wales), Elin Hughes (National Assembly for Wales) Financial statement A total of £367.20 was paid in tea, coffee and pastries across the five meetings which were met by the UK’s Changing Union project, and an estimation of £350 costs in kind incurred by the UK’s Changing Union staff for servicing the Cross Party Group on the UK Changing Union. .