Fairness and Accountability: a New Funding Settlement for Wales Full Text

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Fairness and Accountability: a New Funding Settlement for Wales Full Text Y Comisiwn Annibynnol ar Independent Commission on Ariannu a Chyllid i Gymru Funding & Finance for Wales Final report Fairness and accountability: a new funding settlement for Wales full text July 2010 ISBN 978 0 7504 5613 5 © Crown copyright July 2010 WAG10-03153 E0180910 Independent Commission on Funding & Finance for Wales Content Preface 1 Chapter 1: Introduction 3 Chapter 2: The options for fiscal devolution in Wales 7 Chapter 3: Replacing Barnett with a needs-based formula 16 Chapter 4: Tax devolution - evidence and constraints 30 Chapter 5: Tax devolution and the block grant 46 Chapter 6: Addressing the accountability deficit - income tax devolution 57 Chapter 7: Devolution of other tax-varying powers to Wales 74 Chapter 8: Devolution of borrowing powers to Wales 103 Chapter 9: The way ahead 114 Annexes Annex 1: Recommendations from the Commission’s final report 123 Annex 2: Recommendations from the Commission’s first report 126 Annex 3: Developments in the debate on funding devolved government since the Commission’s first report 128 Annex 4: Assessing relative needs: supplementary information and analysis 134 Annex 5: Tax devolution: supplementary information and analysis 146 Annex 6: Current borrowing powers in Wales 155 Annex 7: Dealing with risky taxes 157 Annex 8: Conceptual and practical issues in devolving income tax 165 Annex 9: Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales 172 Annex 10: Stakeholder engagement 175 Annex 11: Abbreviations used in the report 180 Annex 12: References 181 Independent Commission on Funding & Finance for Wales CHARTS AND TABLES Table 3.1 Summary of indicators included in our assessment of relative needs 20 Chart 3.1: Distribution of needs across Wales, England and Scotland 23 Chart 3.2: Weighted expenditure need per head by need factor 24 Chart 4.1: Sub-national taxes as a share of total tax revenue 31 Chart 4.2: Tax autonomy of sub-central governments by type of tax, share of 32 sub-national tax revenues Chart 4.3: Property taxes as a percentage of GDP 33 Chart 4.4: Variations in tax burdens across the USA 34 Chart 4.5: Populations close to the Wales - England and Scotland - 37 England borders, 2008 Chart 4.6: Traffic flows in Wales, 2005 38 Chart 4.7: Daily commuting flows between Wales and England, 2001 39 Table 4.1: Revenues raised in Wales by UK-wide taxes, 2007-08 40 Chart 4.8: UK-wide tax revenues raised in Wales by tax type, 2007-08 41 Table 4.2: National taxes that are not suitable for devolution to Wales 44 Table 5.1: Exposure of the Welsh budget to risks under alternative models 54 of devolution Table 6.1: Estimated number of income tax payers and revenue raised in Wales, 57 excluding savings and distributions, 2009-10 Chart 6.1 Year-on-year growth in income tax receipts, excluding tax on savings, 58 Wales and UK Table 6.2: Gross revenue raised by increasing the higher rate of income tax 61 in Wales Table 6.3: Annual income required to generate financial advantage from moving 63 out of Wales for a range of costs, over a ten year horizon Table 6.4: Revenue raised by increasing the higher rate of income tax in Wales, 64 including behavioural and migration response Table 6.5: Gross revenue raised by increasing the basic rate of income tax in Wales 64 Table 6.6: Maximum saving (before moving costs) from moving in response to 65 a change in the basic rate of income tax Table 6.7: Revenue raised by increasing the basic rate of income tax in Wales, 66 including behavioural and migration response Independent Commission on Funding & Finance for Wales Chart 6.2: UK income tax receipts as a share of total public sector receipts 69 and comparable English spending Table 6.8: Estimated impact on the Assembly Government’s budget resulting 71 from an increase of one pence in the basic rate and higher rate of income tax Chart 7.1: UK non-North Sea corporation tax receipts 75 Chart 7.2: Estimates of corporation tax receipts in Wales, 2008-09 76 Chart 7.3: Distribution of chargeable dwellings, Wales 2009-10 83 Chart 7.4: Average council tax rate and average property band value relative 84 to properties in band D Chart 7.5: Lyons Inquiry analysis of council tax and point value property tax as a 85 proportion of household income Chart 7.6: Comparison of current council tax and a hypothetical flat tax: annual tax 87 by band Table 7.1: Distribution of second homes: selected local authorities in Wales 88 Chart 7.7: Trends in UK capital gains tax revenue and chargeable gains on 89 property and land sales Chart 7.8: Trends in stamp duty land tax receipts in Wales 90 Chart 7.9: Trends in UK receipts from landfill tax, aggregates levy, air 93 passenger duty Table 7.2: Revenues raised by landfill tax, aggregates levy and air passenger 94 duty in Wales and Scotland, 2006-07 Table 7.3: Tourism in Wales: key statistics, 2008 97 Table 7.4: Household expenditure on alcohol in Wales, 2006-07 98 Table 7.5: Approximate turnover generated by Welsh natural resources, 2008 99 Chart 8.1: UK public sector net borrowing 104 Table 9.1: Summary of estimates of Welsh relative needs derived from 115 regression analysis, based on varying assumptions Chart 9.1: Welsh relative funding projections - two scenarios of nominal 116 spending growth Table A3.1: Summary of the main differences in the tax recommendations of the 133 Commission on Scottish Devolution and the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales Independent Commission on Funding & Finance for Wales Chart A4.1: Percentage of core and non-core functions in each devolved 135 administration, by country Chart A4.2: Weighted expenditure need per head by need factor, difference 139 from England average Chart A4.3: Regression residuals 143 Chart A4.4: Residual frequency plot 144 Chart A4.5: Predicted values and residuals 144 Table A4.1: Impact of relaxing the conservative assumptions on relative need 145 that were made in the first report Table A5.1: Income and tax, Wales 2009-10 148 Table A7.1: Historic data for selected taxes 160 Table A7.2: Risk premia 161 Table A7.3: Covariance of selected taxes with GDP growth 162 Table A8.1: Proportions of tax payers earning above the higher-rate threshold 171 Table A8.2: Average income tax per capita and tax elasticity 171 Independent Commission on Funding & Finance for Wales Preface On behalf of my fellow Commissioners, David Miles and Paul Bernd Spahn, I have pleasure in presenting our second and final report. The themes of the report are fairness and accountability, the two areas where we believe existing arrangements for financing Wales require improvement. Fairness is not simply due to Wales but to all constituent parts of the United Kingdom and we have tried to make proposals that are fair to all parties and not at all special pleading in the Welsh interest. Devolution inevitably brings new elements into the relationship between the state and the citizen but we believe clear responsibilities and the powers to discharge them are necessary to any arm of government and we conclude that improvements in the accountability of the Welsh Assembly Government are possible that strengthen, not weaken, the coherence of British government as a whole. In our first report we looked at “the pros and cons of the present formula-based approach to the distribution of public expenditure resources to the Welsh Assembly Government”, as we were charged to do. In this, our final report, we have attempted to “identify possible alternative funding mechanisms including the scope for the Welsh Assembly Government to have tax varying powers as well as greater powers to borrow.” Identification is one thing, recommendation is another. No area could be more essentially political than taxation. Therefore this report has been more difficult for a technical body like the Commission to write than was its predecessor report. We have found it relatively easy to say, on the basis of constitutional considerations and public finance best practice, that a body like the Welsh Assembly Government should bear the responsibility for raising some of its own revenue through taxation. The devolved government starts from a position where virtually all its resources come from a grant from central government; almost none comes directly from the people who elect it. Enhancing the accountability of the devolved government to the people of Wales by reducing reliance on a grant from the UK Government and increasing reliance on revenue that comes directly from its voters has advantages - both to the people of Wales and to the rest of the UK. But how much revenue, which taxes, levied on whom - those are all political matters that must be settled by democratic decision. To be sure, economic reality and the integrity of the UK impose constraints on what it is practical or advisable to devolve. We have done our best to examine those constraints and sift the various possibilities for devolving tax powers. Indeed, we have asked whether the constraints rule out any devolution of taxation at all. The sifting process has led us to reject some strategies while identifying others that look more promising. In some cases, we have felt able to recommend a particular course of action. In other cases we have confined ourselves to pointing out the alternatives and some of the implications of following any particular approach. In that way we hope to have guided discussion into fruitful channels without pre-empting any essentially political debates or decisions.
Recommended publications
  • Comisiwn Silk Tachwedd 2011
    Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Comisiwn Silk Tachwedd 2011 Yn gynharach yn 2011, cyhoeddodd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru, y Gwir Anrhydeddus Cheryl Gillan AS, y byddai’n penodi comisiwn annibynnol i ystyried atebolrwydd ariannol Llywodraeth Cymru a Chynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ac, yn ddiweddarach, y setliad cyfansoddiadol. Mae’r Comisiwn hwnnw wedi’i sefydlu erbyn hyn, a phenodwyd Paul Silk yn gadeirydd iddo. Mae’r papur hwn yn rhoi gwybodaeth am sefydlu’r Comisiwn Silk a’i gylch gwaith. Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yw’r corff sy’n cael ei ethol yn ddemocrataidd i gynrychioli buddiannau Cymru a’i phobl, i ddeddfu ar gyfer Cymru ac i ddwyn Llywodraeth Cymru i gyfrif. Mae’r Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yn darparu ymchwil a gwybodaeth arbenigol a ddiduedd er mwyn cefnogi Aelodau a phwyllgorau’r Cynulliad i gyflawni swyddogaethau craffu, deddfwriaethol a chynrychioliadol Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae briffiau gan Wasanaeth Ymchwil yn cael eu hysgrifennu ar gyfer Aelodau’r Cynulliad a’u staff. Mae’r awduron ar gael i drafod y papurau gydag Aelodau a’u staff ond nid yw’n bosibl rhoi cyngor i’r cyhoedd. Croesawn sylwadau ar ein briffiau; os oes gennych unrhyw sylwadau gallwch eu hanfon i’r cyfeiriad post neu e-bost isod. Gellir cael gafael ar fersiwn electronig o’r papur ar safle’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn: www.cynulliadcymru.org/bus-assembly-publications-research.htm Mae copïau printiedig hefyd ar gael yn Llyfrgell yr Aelodau: Y Gwasanaeth Ymchwil Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Bae Caerdydd CF99 1NA E-bost: [email protected] © Hawlfraint Comisiwn Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru 2011 Ceir atgynhyrchu testun y ddogfen hon am ddim mewn unrhyw fformat neu gyfrwng cyn belled ag y caiff ei atgynhyrchu’n gywir ac na chaiff ei ddefnyddio mewn cyd-destun camarweiniol na difrïol.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
    Tuesday Volume 575 11 February 2014 No. 121 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 11 February 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 689 11 FEBRUARY 2014 690 Greg Clark: The hon. Gentleman knows that the House of Commons funding for lending scheme, which the Government and the Bank of England have promoted, has explicitly Tuesday 11 February 2014 concentrated on getting lending going to small businesses, but as my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller) said, bank lending is not the only source of The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock finance needed. The venture capital funds established under our city deals are an important and welcome way PRAYERS in which small businesses can benefit from the finance they need to expand. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] City Deals 2. Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con): What Oral Answers to Questions assessment he has made of how city deals are working. [902504] The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark): DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER We have now agreed 19 city deals, and although they are for the long term, those in the first wave are The Deputy Prime Minister was asked— already making a significant difference. For example, in Entrepreneurship Birmingham, more than 2,000 new apprenticeships have been provided. In Newcastle, infrastructure works are nearly complete on the Science Central development on 1. Richard Fuller (Bedford) (Con): What steps the what was previously derelict land.
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Domestic Rating by Mark Sandford
    BRIEFING PAPER Number 08595, 1 July 2019 Non-Domestic Rating By Mark Sandford (Lists) Bill 2017-19 Contents: 1. Business rates and revaluations 2. Business rates: policy on revaluations 3. The Bill 4. Progress of the Bill www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Non-Domestic Rating (Lists) Bill 2017-19 Contents Summary 3 1. Business rates and revaluations 4 1.1 Introduction 4 1.2 Business rates: the system 4 1.3 Revaluations 5 1.4 Business rates in Wales 5 1.5 Revaluation in Scotland and Northern Ireland 6 2. Business rates: policy on revaluations 7 2.1 Government policy review 7 2.2 Why revaluation frequency matters 9 2.3 Rateable values and the multiplier 9 2.4 Transitional relief 10 3. The Bill 11 3.1 Revaluation frequency 11 3.2 Transitional schemes 11 3.3 Extent and commencement 12 4. Progress of the Bill 13 4.1 Principle of the Bill 13 4.2 Capacity of the Valuation Office Agency 14 Appeals 15 4.3 Draft rating lists 16 Cover page image copyright: geograph 193316 by Philip Halling, Worcester High Street , the high street in front of the Guildhall 3 Commons Library Briefing, 1 July 2019 Summary The Non-Domestic Rating (Lists) Bill 2017-19 was introduced into the House of Commons on Wednesday 12 June 2019. Second Reading took place on Monday 17 June. Committee Stage, consisting of a single evidence session and a single scrutiny session, took place on Tuesday 25 June. No amendments to the Bill were tabled.
    [Show full text]
  • Business Rates
    Business rates Standard Note: SN/PC/06247 Last updated: 13 February 2015 Author: Mark Sandford Section Parliament & Constitution Centre This note provides a brief guide to the system of non-domestic rating, better known as ‘business rates’. Business rates are a property tax paid by occupants of non-domestic properties. The basic rates bill of a property (a ‘hereditament’) is determined by multiplying its rateable value by the ‘multiplier’. A property’s rateable value is set by the Valuation Office Agency (in Scotland, the Assessors; and in Northern Ireland, Land and Property Services) at regular intervals. The multiplier is expressed in pence per pound of rateable value. Local authorities (‘billing authorities’) collect business rates: in two-tier areas in England, this function falls to district councils. In England, the rates are partly pooled at central government level and redistributed on a needs basis, and retained in part by billing authorities. This takes place under the Business Rates Retention Scheme, introduced in 2013-14. In Scotland and Wales, the rates collected are pooled at the devolved level and redistributed to the billing authorities via a needs-based formula. In Northern Ireland, both the Northern Ireland Executive and the district councils set separate rating multipliers, with the full rate liability collected by the councils. Various reliefs, both mandatory and discretionary, are available from full business rates liability. Limited powers also exist for local authorities to set supplementary business rates. Business rates are, in the main, a devolved matter. However, the system in Scotland and Wales is very similar to that in England.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrating Sustainable Development and Children's Rights
    social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article Integrating Sustainable Development and Children’s Rights: A Case Study on Wales Rhian Croke 1,*, Helen Dale 2 , Ally Dunhill 3, Arwyn Roberts 2 , Malvika Unnithan 4 and Jane Williams 5 1 Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK 2 Lleisiau Bach/Little Voices, National Lottery People and Places Fund 2012-2020, Swansea and Bangor University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; [email protected] (H.D.); [email protected] (A.R.) 3 Independent Consultant and Researcher, Kingston Upon Hull HU6 8TA, UK; [email protected] 4 Northumbria University Law School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK; [email protected] 5 Observatory on the Human Rights of Children, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected] Abstract: The global disconnect between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Conven- tion on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has been described as ‘a missed opportunity’. Since devolution, the Welsh Government has actively pursued a ‘sustainable development’ and a ‘children’s rights’ agenda. However, until recently, these separate agendas also did not contribute to each other, al- though they culminated in two radical and innovative pieces of legislation; the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure (2013) and the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015). This article offers a case study that draws upon the SDGs and the CRC and considers how recent Citation: Croke, Rhian, Helen Dale, Ally Dunhill, Arwyn Roberts, guidance to Welsh public bodies for implementation attempts to contribute to a more integrated Malvika Unnithan, and Jane Williams.
    [Show full text]
  • Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft Wales Bill
    House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill First Report of Session 2015–16 HC 449 House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Wales Bill First Report of Session 2015–16 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 24 February 2016 HC 449 Published on 28 February 2016 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £0.00 The Welsh Affairs Committee The Welsh Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (including relations with the National Assembly for Wales). Current membership David T.C. Davies MP (Conservative, Monmouth) (Chair) Byron Davies MP (Conservative, Gower) Chris Davies MP (Conservative, Brecon and Radnorshire) Dr James Davies MP (Conservative, Vale of Clwyd) Carolyn Harris MP (Labour, Swansea East) Gerald Jones MP (Labour, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) Stephen Kinnock MP (Labour, Aberavon) Antoinette Sandbach MP (Conservative, Eddisbury) Liz Saville Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd) Craig Williams MP (Conservative, Cardiff North) Mr Mark Williams MP (Liberal Democrat, Ceredigion) The following Member was also a member of the Committee during the inquiry. Christina Rees MP (Labour, Neath) Powers The committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www. parliament.uk. Publication Committee reports are published on the Committee’s website at www.
    [Show full text]
  • Ministers Reflect Jane Hutt
    Ministers Reflect Jane Hutt 13 September 2018 Biographical details Welsh Assembly history 1999–present: Labour Party Assembly Member for Vale of Glamorgan Welsh government career 2018–present: Chief Whip 2016–17: Leader of the House and Chief Whip 2011–16: Minister for Finance 2009–11: Minister for Business and Budget 2007–09: Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills 2007: Minister for Budget and Assembly Business 2005–07: Minister for Assembly Business and Chief Whip 1999–2005: Minister for Health and Social Services 2 MINISTERS REFLECT Jane Hutt was interviewed by Akash Paun and Tess Kidney Bishop on 13 September 2018 for the Institute for Government’s Ministers Reflect project. Jane Hutt talks about taking responsibility for crises as Health Minister and striking deals with opposition parties as Chief Whip and Finance Minister. Reflecting on the transfer of powers to Wales over her time in government, she calls for “powers for a purpose”. Tess Kidney Bishop (TKB): If we could go back to 1999, can you tell us how you were appointed as the Health Minister? Jane Hutt (JH): Well, it was ‘hit the ground running’ really. We were elected on the Thursday. Labour had the largest number of seats and [Alun] Michael was deputed to be the First Secretary as we called them then. He had to decide whether he could go on and form a minority administration. Within days he then appointed his Cabinet of Labour ministers. Andrew Davies was one, and he appointed me to be Health and Social Services Minister. Obviously everybody knew each other very well.
    [Show full text]
  • Reform UK Wales on May 6Th Is a Vote to Support Our Vision for Unlocking the Potential of the UK Economy and All of the Benefits This Will Bring to Our Four Nations
    SENEDD 2021 CONTRACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF WALES CHANGING POLITICS FOR GOOD OUR KEY PLEDGES A REFORM UK GOVERNMENT IN WALES WILL: ENSURE NO MORE LOCKDOWNS such that all people within an area, no matter how big or how small, have restrictions. CLEAR THE NHS BACKLOG CAUSED BY COVID by investing around £1 billion over the next four years to put waiting lists to pre-pandemic levels. GIVE PARENTS THE RIGHT TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN ON HOLIDAY giving flexibility to take children out of the classroom for up to ten days. BUILD THE M4 RELIEF ROAD and new train stations to improve infrastructure in Wales. REDUCE THE COST OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT by cutting the number of local authorities and pass these savings on to the communities in Wales. 1 OUR BELIEFS Reform UK is not a new political party, rather we are the next phase in the evolution of what started as The Brexit Party. We are here because we see that there is a need to change. If Wales does not move forwards, we will move backwards on the world stage. Many of you put your trust in us in 2019, we are now asking you to do the same. One thing became very apparent between the Brexit Referendum in June 2016 and the UK finally leaving the EU in January 2020. Our political system was not fit for purpose. We have an antiquated electoral system designed to keep the two old parties in power. Millions who do vote have no representation at all, and millions more do not even bother to vote.
    [Show full text]
  • Unique Paths to Devolution Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
    Unique Paths to Devolution Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland Arthur Aughey, Eberhard Bort, John Osmond The Institute of Welsh Affairs exists to promote quality research and informed debate affecting the cultural, social, political and economic well-being of Wales. The IWA is an independent organisation owing no allegiance to any political or economic interest group. Our only interest is in seeing Wales flourish as a country in which to work and live. We are funded by a range of organisations and individuals, including the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Waterloo Foundation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. For more information about the Institute, its publications, and how to join, either as an individual or corporate supporter, contact: IWA - Institute of Welsh Affairs 4 Cathedral Road Cardiff CF11 9LJ Tel 029 2066 0820 Fax 029 2023 3741 Email [email protected] Web www.iwa.org.uk www.clickonwales.org £7.50 ISBN 978 1 904773 56 6 February 2011 The authors Arthur Aughey is Professor of Politics at the University of Ulster and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull and Fellow of the Institute for British Irish Studies at University College Dublin. His recent publications include Nationalism Devolution and the Challenge to the United Kingdom State (London: Pluto Press 2001); Northern Ireland Politics: After the Belfast Agreement (London: Routledge 2005); and The Politics of Englishness (Manchester: Manchester University Press 2007). He is currently a Leverhulme Major Research Fellow and gratefully acknowledges its financial assistance in the writing of this essay.
    [Show full text]
  • Lansio Cynllun Amddiffyn
    PRIS 75c Rhif 347 Mawrth Y TINCER 2012 PAPUR BRO GENAU’R-GLYN, MELINDWR, TIRYMYNACH, TREFEURIG A’R BORTH Lansio Cynllun Amddiffyn Dydd Iau Mawrth 8fed fe lansiodd yn lle’r hen amddiffynfeydd pren, John Griffiths, Gweinidog yr adeiladu amddiffynfa/rîff i syrffwyr, Amgylchedd, gynllun amddiffyn adeiladu dau forglawdd a dau argor rhag llifogydd yn y Borth, a mewnforio miloedd o dunelli Ceredigion fydd yn amddiffyn 420 o gerrig mân a’i ychwanegu at o dai a busnesau a Lein Arfordir argloddiau o gerrig mân naturiol. y Cambrian rhag llifogydd. Mae’r Ariannwyd y cynllun gan cynllun newydd wedi defnyddio Lywodraeth Cymru (£7.5m), Cronfa creigiau rîff i amddiffyn yr ardal yn Datblygu Rhanbarthol Ewrop well gan roi hwb i’r gyrchfan hon (£5.49m) a Chyngor Sir Ceredigion sydd eisoes yn boblogaidd iawn (£0.16m). Wrth siarad yn y lansiad, gyda syrffwyr. dywedodd y Gweinidog: Mae i’r Borth hanes o lifogydd “Mae’r cynllun amddiffyn rhag arfordirol a gallai storm drom llifogydd hwn wedi rhoi cyfle i ni Mark Williams, AS, Y Cynghorydd Catherine Hughes, Cadeirydd Cyngor Sir gael effeithiau dinistriol ar y wella amgylchedd ac amwynderau’r Ceredigion, John Griffiths AC Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd a Datblygu Cynaliadwy, pentref a’i hanes cyfoethog. Roedd ardal. Trwy addasu’r rîff i wella’r Mick Newman o gwmni Royal Haskoning, y Cynghorydd Ray Quant, Aelod y gwaith adeiladu’n cynnwys amodau syrffio, mae’r cynllun Cabinet Priffyrdd, Eiddo a Gwaith; a Dirprwy Arweinydd, Jimmy Burns o gwmni adeiladu amddiffynfeydd newydd wedi rhoi hwb gwirioneddol Bam Nuttall, Elin Jones AC a Huw Morgan, Cyfarwyddwr Priffyrdd, Eiddo a i’r diwydiant twristiaeth ac i’r Gwaith.
    [Show full text]
  • Audit of Austerity Cymru/Wales
    2018 Audit of Austerity Cymru/Wales UNISON Cymru/Wales Wales Austerity Audit 2018 Imagine a world where: there is no-one to provide care for your neighbour who finds it difficult to get out of bed, get dressed, go to the toilet, get into the bath or cook their own food you are disabled and the care you relied upon has been reduced you have a learning disability and the day centre you used to go to has closed, and you hardly ever get out there aren’t enough social workers to protect children at risk of neglect or harm your child has a mental health problem but you have to wait months before you can see someone to get help the bus service that you rely on no longer runs the household waste centre has closed the streetlights are turned off at night and people get seriously injured or even killed you have rats or a wasps’ nest in your home but can’t afford to pay for them to be removed restaurants and fast food takeaways are inspected less frequently and food poisoning increases the local youth centre has closed and young people are congregating on street corners with nothing to do the village hall has closed, a community focus has gone, the library opening hours are cut you are sold faulty or dangerous goods but there is no-one to investigate All these things are happening in Wales today because of the unprecedented financial squeeze caused by the Westminster government that is damaging vital local services. Austerity isn’t working.
    [Show full text]
  • Equality Issues in Wales: a Research Review
    Research report: 11 Equality issues in Wales: a research review Victoria Winckler (editor) The Bevan Foundation Equality issues in Wales: a research review Victoria Winckler (editor) The Bevan Foundation © Equality and Human Rights Commission 2009 First published Spring 2009 ISBN 978 1 84206 089 6 Equality and Human Rights Commission Research Report Series The Equality and Human Rights Commission Research Report Series publishes research carried out for the Commission by commissioned researchers. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commission. The Commission is publishing the report as a contribution to discussion and debate. Please contact the Research Team for further information about other Equality and Human Rights Commission’s research reports, or visit our website: Research Team Equality and Human Rights Commission Arndale House Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3AQ Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0161 829 8500 Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com You can download a copy of this report as a PDF from our website: www.equalityhumanrights.com/researchreports If you require this publication in an alternative format, please contact the Communications Team to discuss your needs at: [email protected] CONTENTS Page CHAPTER AUTHORS i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 This Report 1 1.2 Demography of Wales 2 1.3 Governance of Wales 12 1.4 Devolution and Equality 13 1.5 Conclusion 17 2. POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION 18 2.1 Policy Context 18 2.2 Household Income and Poverty 19 2.3 Benefits and Pensions 28 2.4 Savings, Credit and Debt, and Financial Exclusion 31 2.5 Water and Fuel Poverty 35 2.6 Digital Inclusion 37 2.7 Culture, Leisure and Sport 38 2.8 Access to Advice, Support and Justice 42 2.9 Transport 44 2.10 Conclusions and Research Gaps 51 3.
    [Show full text]