February 2002
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Nations and Regions: The Dynamics of Devolution Quarterly Monitoring Programme Wales Quarterly Report February 2002 The monitoring programme is jointly funded by the ESRC and the Leverhulme Trust EDUCATION POLICY BREAKS LOOSE Monitoring Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru The National Assembly for Wales December 2001 to March 2002 Edited By John Osmond In association with: March 2002 CONTENTS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................... 1 THE ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT ........................................................................................................... 3 NIA RICHARDSON AND JOHN OSMOND, IWA MINI RESHUFFLE ........................................................................................................................................ 3 AN EMERGING EDUCATION POLICY AGENDA ............................................................................................ 4 PRESSURE BUILDS FOR MORE POWERS................................................................................................... 7 (i) The Independent Commission.......................................................................................................... 7 (ii) Agriculture ....................................................................................................................................... 9 (iii) Police............................................................................................................................................. 10 ASSEMBLY BUILDING ROW ...................................................................................................................... 11 MILLENNIUM CENTRE GETS GO-AHEAD .................................................................................................. 13 EQUAL PAY AND THE CIVIL SERVICE ....................................................................................................... 14 POLICY RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ..................................................................................................... 15 POLICY DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................................ 16 NIA RICHARDSON, IWA HEALTH..................................................................................................................................................... 16 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................................... 17 THE EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL FUNDS..................................................................................................... 17 EDUCATION............................................................................................................................................... 18 ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING AND TRANSPORT .......................................................................................... 18 AGRICULTURE........................................................................................................................................... 19 LOCAL GOVERNMENT, HOUSING AND THE COMMUNITIES ...................................................................... 19 CULTURE .................................................................................................................................................. 20 THE ASSEMBLY....................................................................................................................................... 21 JOHN OSMOND AND NIA RICHARDSON, IWA DEBATE ON THE PROCEDURAL REVIEW .................................................................................................. 21 THE HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW........................................................................................................... 24 THE NANTYGWYDDON LANDFILL SITE ..................................................................................................... 29 THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS............................................................................................................... 32 JANE WILLIAMS, DEPARTMENT OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF WALES, SWANSEA THE PROCEDURAL REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 32 PRIMARY LEGISLATION............................................................................................................................. 32 SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION .................................................................................................................... 35 ENHANCING PARTICIPATION IN SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION.................................................................. 36 FINANCE .................................................................................................................................................... 38 ADRIAN KAY, UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN THE ASSEMBLY BUDGET.......................................................................................................................... 38 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE SETTLEMENT FOR 2002-03 ........................................................ 38 THE NEW FORMULA FOR DISTRIBUTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE...................................... 40 RELATIONS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT........................................................................................ 41 ALYS THOMAS, MARTIN LAFFIN, AND GERALD TAYLOR, UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT TARGETS FOR SERVICE DELIVERY...................................................................... 41 THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICY PAPER.............................................................................................. 42 FUTURE OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN WALES................................................................................................ 44 RELATIONS WITH WESTMINSTER AND WHITEHALL ................................................................... 46 MARK S. LANG, WELSH GOVERNANCE CENTRE, AND NIA RICHARDSON, IWA MORE POWERS FOR THE ASSEMBLY....................................................................................................... 46 WELSH AFFAIRS COMMITTEE .................................................................................................................. 47 HOUSE OF LORDS INQUIRY ...................................................................................................................... 48 RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION...................................................................................... 49 NIA RICHARDSON, IWA, AND MARK S. LANG, WELSH GOVERNANCE CENTRE THE EURO ................................................................................................................................................ 49 EUROPEAN COMMISSION WHITE PAPER ON GOVERNANCE ................................................................... 50 INTERREG III WALES-IRELAND PROGRAMME ...................................................................................... 52 POLITICAL PARTIES............................................................................................................................... 53 JOHN OSMOND, IWA PUBLIC ATTITUDES................................................................................................................................ 56 DENIS BALSOM, WELSH GOVERNANCE CENTRE, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY PRESS AND MEDIA ................................................................................................................................. 60 NIA RICHARDSON, IWA THE RE-SHUFFLE ..................................................................................................................................... 60 STUDENT GRANTS.................................................................................................................................... 61 LONDON COVERAGE ................................................................................................................................ 62 CONTROLLING THE ASSEMBLY SPONSORED BODIES ............................................................................. 62 Education Policy Breaks Loose: Monitoring the National Assembly December 2001 to March 2002 SUMMARY A Cabinet mini reshuffle took place at the end of February in an attempt to assuage criticism from back-bench Labour AMs while simultaneously keeping the Coalition on track. Andrew Davies was moved from his position as Business Manager to take over the Economic Development portfolio while Carwyn Jones continued as Minister for Rural Affairs but combined this with Business Manager. Since July 2001 First Minister Rhodri Morgan had overseen Economic Development while a police investigation into his Coalition partner Mike German remained unresolved. It had been expected that the investigation into allegations concerning the Liberal Democrat leader’s former role as Head of the European Unit at the Welsh Joint Education Committee would have been completed by Christmas. However, its continuation well into the New Year forced the First Minister to make some changes to ward off criticism that economic development was failing to receiving a Minister’s undivided attention. In his announcement Rhodri Morgan left the door open for Mike German to rejoin the Cabinet if cleared by the police. However, the Economic Development portfolio will be unavailable to him, leaving the prospect of another, more significant reshuffle if he returns later in the year. The